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CanalDigitaal significantly expands its Dutch HDTV lineup

LUXEMBOURG — SES ASTRA, an SES company (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG), announced today that
it has signed a long-term agreement with M7 Group for two additional
transponders on ASTRA 23.5 degrees East. The newly contracted capacity
will be used for the further extension of the HDTV lineup of
CanalDigitaal, M7 Group’s direct-to-home (DTH) platform for the Dutch
market and will bring the number of total transponders contracted by M7
Group at this orbital position to four. The Luxembourg-based M7 Group
provides DTH-services in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg using
the brand names CanalDigitaal, TV Vlaanderen and TéléSAT.

Following the agreement, CanalDigitaal will launch a broad range of new
HD channels from mid-February onwards, including HD channels from the
Dutch public broadcaster NPO, and commercial broadcasters RTL and SBS.
As a result, the CanalDigitaal HD channel lineup for the Dutch market
will more than double over the next three months.

In addition to the four transponders now contracted by M7 Group at 23.5
degrees, M7 Group currently also operates four transponders at the ASTRA
19.2 degrees East position. By using an ASTRA DUO LNB, Dutch DTH homes
are capable of receiving programmes from both orbital positions via a
single fixed dish.

Alexander Oudendijk, Chief Commercial Officer SES ASTRA, commented: “We
are very pleased with this new agreement as it further strengthens our
solid and long-standing relationship with the M7 Group. The agreement
confirms the rapid success and key importance of ASTRA 23.5 degrees East
as a fast-growing HDTV hotspot for the Benelux. It also demonstrates
that in markets dominated by land-based infrastructures, satellite DTH
plays a key role for the development of the HDTV market. With the launch
of additional HD channels at 23.5 degrees East, ASTRA becomes the
largest HD platform in the Netherlands with a lineup of over 20 HDTV
channels, including all major public and commercial channels.”

CanalDigitaal significantly expands its Dutch HDTV lineup

LUXEMBOURG — SES ASTRA, an SES company (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG), announced today that
it has signed a long-term agreement with M7 Group for two additional
transponders on ASTRA 23.5 degrees East. The newly contracted capacity
will be used for the further extension of the HDTV lineup of
CanalDigitaal, M7 Group’s direct-to-home (DTH) platform for the Dutch
market and will bring the number of total transponders contracted by M7
Group at this orbital position to four. The Luxembourg-based M7 Group
provides DTH-services in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg using
the brand names CanalDigitaal, TV Vlaanderen and TéléSAT.

Following the agreement, CanalDigitaal will launch a broad range of new
HD channels from mid-February onwards, including HD channels from the
Dutch public broadcaster NPO, and commercial broadcasters RTL and SBS.
As a result, the CanalDigitaal HD channel lineup for the Dutch market
will more than double over the next three months.

In addition to the four transponders now contracted by M7 Group at 23.5
degrees, M7 Group currently also operates four transponders at the ASTRA
19.2 degrees East position. By using an ASTRA DUO LNB, Dutch DTH homes
are capable of receiving programmes from both orbital positions via a
single fixed dish.

Alexander Oudendijk, Chief Commercial Officer SES ASTRA, commented: “We
are very pleased with this new agreement as it further strengthens our
solid and long-standing relationship with the M7 Group. The agreement
confirms the rapid success and key importance of ASTRA 23.5 degrees East
as a fast-growing HDTV hotspot for the Benelux. It also demonstrates
that in markets dominated by land-based infrastructures, satellite DTH
plays a key role for the development of the HDTV market. With the launch
of additional HD channels at 23.5 degrees East, ASTRA becomes the
largest HD platform in the Netherlands with a lineup of over 20 HDTV
channels, including all major public and commercial channels.”

A NEW fizzy drink is being launched in Britains first ever resealable can. It comes with a “twist and shut” device designed to stop spills and keep the contents bubbly for 24 hours. Drinkers simply twist the plastic tab 180 degrees to break the seal and open the can. Then it can be twisted back to its original closed position to be drunk again later. US sportswear brand No Fear is launching the new energy drink in April.

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Smart Furniture Studio Will Feature Eames Demetrios in Opening
Reception of Traveling Exhibit Honoring Photography of Herman Miller
Modern Furniture Design Icon Charles Eames

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — SmartFurniture.com®
is proud to announce that its Chattanooga based Smart
Furniture Studio will host The
Gifted Eye of Charles Eames, a traveling exhibition of Charles
Eames’ personal photography, published by the Eames Office and
commissioned by Herman
Miller® (MLHR) to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The Gifted Eye of Charles Eames Exhibit will open at the Smart Furniture
Studio in Chattanooga, Tennessee on February 4th. Smart Furniture will
host a reception for the exhibit which will feature a presentation by
Eames Demetrios, principal of the Eames Office and grandson of Charles
and Ray Eames.

The Smart Furniture Studio will host the Gifted Eye of Charles Eames
Exhibit from February 4th through March 4th.

Charles Eames, together with his wife and design partner, Ray Eames, are
among the most influential American designers of the 20th Century. They
are best known for their groundbreaking contributions to furniture
design, including the Eames
Lounge Chair,
Eames Aluminum Office Chairs, Molded
Plastic Chair Collection, as well as architecture, industrial design
and manufacturing, textiles, and the photographic arts. For the Eameses,
and particularly Charles, photography was not merely a way to record
things; it was a part of the process of design. Charles had an
incredible eye for detail and this is evident in his photography.

CANYON RIM — A quilt, a crystal, two pictures and some memories are all Josie Thamert has left of her mother. She was in California in November when she heard the news that her mother, Jennifer Thamert, 51, had passed away in her assisted- housing apartment in Salt Lake City. “It was the longest day of my life,” said the 18-year-old. Thamert had been divorced for six years and living on her own in a condo in Millcreek when a severe schizophrenic breakdown left her hospitalized for a week in March 2007. She was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was unable to work, falling behind on monthly payments.
Health Canada is advising parents and caregivers to take precautionary steps to help minimize the dangers related to television, furniture and appliance tip-overs. According to data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program, there have been more than 5,000 reports of televisions, furniture and appliances falling over onto children under 10 years of age since 1990. Furniture or television tip-overs can cause serious head and internal injuries, as well as suffocation, which can lead to death. More than 70% of the reported television tip-over incidents in Canada happened to children between one and three years of age.

Common circumstances that can lead to tip-over incidents include children:

- climbing on furniture, televisions or appliances;

- reaching for items such as toys or remote controls located on elevated surfaces; or

- pushing, pulling or accidentally bumping into televisions or pieces of furniture.

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THE England WAGS are refusing to “here we go” to this summers World Cup – because manager Fabio Capello wont let them spend extra time with their men. Unimpressed with the “circus” at the last finals in Germany – where the girls shopped and partied while the team flopped – Capello said they could only see the players once a week. “Were going to South Africa to play, not for a holiday,” said Capello. “If they dont want to come for the day only, they should stay home.” Coleen, who gave birth to baby Kai in November, said: “Kai and me will be supporting Wayne and the team from home. We wouldnt see much of Wayne while were there because of the ban. Its what Id rather do.”
SHORT HAUL LATE February is a great time to explore Majorca. Seven nights half-board at the four-star Cabo Blanco starts at pounds 228pp

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PUBS are charging up to 60p MORE for a soft drink than a pint of beer, a Sunday Mirror survey reveals. A pint of standard bitter is cheaper than an equivalent amount of non-alcoholic drink such as cola and lemonade in almost HALF of Britains pubs. One city centre bar was charging pounds 2.60 for a pint of orange juice – when its bitter was just pounds 2. The massive mark-ups on non-alcoholic drinks were last night condemned by health campaigners. At the Crown in Birmingham city centre, we were charged pounds 2.30 for a pint of lemonade – 31p more than a pint of Pedigree bitter and 15p more than a pint of Carlsberg lager. At the Newt pub in the citys Stephensons Street, we paid pounds 2.13 for a pint of orange juice – 23p more than its Marstons bitter.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

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REDWOOD CITY — Its 5:30 a.m. and the tempting aroma of coffee wafts up the stairs inside Adult Beginnings care home. Care home supervisor Roberta Flynn can hear the soft footfalls of an early riser or two getting ready for breakfast. Soon, the house will be full of activity. There is much to be done before the dozen adults who live here are ready to face the day. They must bathe, dress, eat, pack lunch and do their morning chores before they go off to their various jobs and daytime activities. The walls of all the common areas of the house are dotted with similar small reminders to the disabled adults who live there. Pictures help convey the meaning for those who cant read. The school-issue black-and-white wall clock is ringed with small notes taped to the wall. A ribbon runs from each note, pointing to a time of day, serving as a reminder of the days tasks: “7:00 a.m. Mark leaves for La Vista to catch his van ride”; “7:40 a.m. Jennifer, David, Robb, Robin — SamTrans to work.”
WALNUT CREEK — Gray skies and a spattering of rain didnt dampen the enthusiasm of about 100 members of the Open Carry movement, who showed up Saturday morning displaying unloaded guns at a restaurant in downtown Walnut Creek. “Were not politically involved. Were a restaurant and were serving food,” regional manager Tom McLaughlin said as he welcomed the group into his establishment. Both Peets Coffee Tea and the Pizza Kitchen have banned guns from their premises in response to recent requests from the national Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, while Starbucks refused the campaigns request to do so. Not everyone at the restaurant was a member of Open Carry. Some people came from as far away as Fremont and Sausalito to learn about the group. Other patrons were dismayed when they walked in and unexpectedly encountered a restaurant full of men with pistols on one hip and ammunition on the other. “Im a little worried,” said Hayley King, of Walnut Creek, who stopped in for lunch. “I dont feel safe in here. I wouldnt have come if I had known.”

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TIBCO Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TIBX) today
announced that Murray Rode, chief operating officer, and Sydney Carey,
chief financial officer, will present at the upcoming 2010 Thomas Weisel
Partners Technology and Telecom Conference in San Francisco, California at
The Fairmont Hotel on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 10:55 a.m. PST, 1:55
p.m. EST.

TIBCO, The Power of Now and TIBCO Software are trademarks or registered
trademarks of TIBCO Software Inc. in the United States and/or other
countries. All other product and company names and marks mentioned in this
document are the property of their respective owners and are mentioned for
identification purposes only.

CHERYL COLE has had a few shaky fashion moments of late but she looked back to her slick best as she left the posh Baglioni Hotel in Kensington this week.
HERES your chance to win an incredibly romantic break in a stunning boutique hotel in the beautiful Peak District National Park. The Maynard – with two AA rosettes for its food – has been recently refurbished, and all rooms are now decorated to an exceptionally high contemporary standard with plasma TVs and pocket sprung beds. The Maynard is the perfect base to explore the Peak District National Park, including the historic villages and towns of Eyam, Ashford-in-the-Water, Bakewell and the Tissington Trail. If you are a lover of the outdoors you will be in heaven – several good walks are possible from The Maynards front door and its possible to survive without your car for your entire stay. But if on the other hand you want a change and fancy a bit of retail therapy, the famous Meadowhall Shopping Centre is only a few miles away by train or car.

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CITROEN has announced that a new subsidiary has been created in Ireland. Citroen now imports its cars directly and manages its affairs in Ireland independent of any distributor.
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Highly anticipated before it’s CES 2010 launch, Speck’s SeeThru Satin
for iPhone greeted the world with much fanfare, hardly out of the box
upon winning iLounge’s coveted “Best in Show” award.

“SeeThru Satin’s classy and elegant presentation brings a distinct
softness and style to the iPhone,” said Irene Baran, CEO of Speck.
“MacBook owners have flocked to our SeeThru Satin hard shell cases and
we’re excited to bring this same rich look and feel to the iPhone.”

Come see the new SeeThru Satin and all of Speck’s other iPhone, iPod and
MacBook cases, packs and bags at MacWorld 2010, booth S-1912 (inside the
Dr. Bott area).

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For every friend you refer who purchases a RedEye universal remote control
system before March 31, you will be automatically entered for a chance to
win an Apple iPad. All friends referred will receive a 15 percent discount
on the purchase of a RedEye system.

“Apples new tablet inspired us to develop a version of the RedEye app that
takes advantage the iPads enormous touchscreen,” said ThinkFlood president
and co-founder Matt Eagar. “Were looking forward to showing our
sweepstakes winners all the new RedEye features and content made possible
by internet connectivity and the iPads extra screen real estate.”

Like the iPad, the RedEye system is designed to blend into any homes
design with both functionality and style.

SALT LAKE CITY — Toyota owners looking for company-prompted repairs are flowing into Utah dealerships, but the real flood is expected to begin next week. “Were scheduling more and more appointments,” Mark Tetzlaff, spokesman for Menlove Toyota in Bountiful, said Friday, when the dealership performed repairs for about 30 customers. “Next week will probably be (an even) heavier week.” There are 2.3 million vehicles involved in the recall, which also was announced last month. That recall came just months after Toyota recalled 4.2 million vehicles because of gas pedals that could become trapped under floor mats, causing the vehicle to accelerate. Toyota has already begun installing a modified gas pedal in newly built vehicles at its U.S. plants that should alleviate the problem.

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JUST as people have pondered down the ages what a Scotsman wears under his kilt, so the Irish nation often wondered what former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern wore under his famous anorak. The rare times we saw beneath it, he could be wearing anything from a yellow suit to The a Dubs GAA top. But if the Mayor of Cork, Daragh Murphy, is to be understood, apparently the former Taoiseach was fond of “going commando”. However, Daragh was not to be daunted. He intended to let Biffo know Cork needed flood relief funds, so he decided to give the Taoiseach a letter about it. “If you require precedent, I recall your predecessor solving the flood problem in North Dublin,” wrote the Mayor to the Taoiseach.
One Saudi Arabian braved flash floods in Jeddah to rescue two family members and dozens of strangers from drowning. This act of heroism was made more remarkable by the fact that the driver, who threw a rope to stranded cars and then dragged them out, was a woman–which makes it a violation of Saudi Arabias ban on woman drivers.

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To sit down to a meal with “The Hakawati” author Rabih Alameddine is to laugh constantly. Here is what he says, for instance, to those readers always wondering if the main character, Osama, is based on Alameddine himself. Here is what he says to those who think the hakawati (storyteller) grandfather in the book is based on his own. “My grandfather was a medical doctor. He couldnt tell a story to save his life. He wasnt the most interesting person. And my grandmother is a bridge player. She says she is the No. 1 bridge player in Lebanon. We have this bet “. how long will it take her to tell you what hand she had that morning. Not long. But shes good at it; she can bring the bridge game right to life.” Alameddine, 50, lives up the street from the Mediterranean restaurant where we are dining, but the food doesnt pass muster. “If I want Lebanese food, I go to Lebanon,” he sniffs. And he does, several times a year. San Francisco, he says, is “where Im an adult. I have a big family still in Lebanon — my mother, two sisters, aunts, cousins. I could say San Francisco is where I buy my own underwear.”
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) has partnered with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Qatar to advise on the creation of a brand new, state-of-the-art childrens hospital in the Middle East.

On February 7th, senior leaders from SickKids marked the official announcement of the five-year partnership. SickKids has been enlisted to provide advisory services for the development and operation of the new 217-bed, 45,000 square foot childrens hospital located in Hamad Medical City, a large, not-for-profit health-care complex in the heart of Doha, Qatars capital city.

“This partnership is yet another example of SickKids international reputation for excellence in childrens health, and moves us one step closer to realizing our vision of Healthier Children. A Better World,” said Mary Jo Haddad, President and CEO of SickKids.

While in Doha, SickKids staff will provide expert counsel in such areas as paediatric medicine, surgical services, interprofessional practice and education, family-centred care and research. The partnership will also see staff from HMC travel to Toronto to take advantage of fellowship and learning opportunities at SickKids.

“A key component of our international strategy is to share our knowledge and to help other organizations build capacity within their own countries,” added Cathy Seguin, Vice President of International Affairs at SickKids.

Call for unity President Barack Obamas State of the Union address was primarily a plea for national unity in time of national crisis. The last administration made a similar plea in 2002, and the nation followed suit. However, despite the previous administration proclaiming strong opposition to terrorism and strong support for democracy, local government and personal choice, it raided a medical marijuana dispensary on Lincolns birthday. Like the budget surplus it inherited, American unity was so thoroughly wasted by the previous administration that we now have the most divided country since the Vietnam War. Todays party divisions are worse than Vietnam and may approach Civil War severity.

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70% drivers have never checked the oil level of their current car, according to an online survey of 1,300 customers carried out by Swinton, the UKs leading high street retailer of car insurance.

Women were the worst offenders with a staggering 85% admitting to not checking their oil compared to 52% of men.

The survey found the top five reasons for not checking oil were:

Running low on oil can cause a lot of damage to a car as the engine gets worn far quicker. In some cases it may ruin an engine completely which can prove very costly as this damage is not covered by motor insurance as all drivers have a duty of care to maintain their vehicle in road worthy condition.

A DRIVER who caused the death of a motorcyclist walked free after a court accepted the widows plea for him to be spared jail. Sue Capes said enough lives had been ruined by husband Davids death David Everson, 41, pulled out of a side road at Hockering, Norfolk – and Mr Capes, 60, hit his car.
AN upcoming Ferrari sale could become the worlds most valuable car deal ever, when RM Auctions offer a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO by private treaty. One of only 36 made – with a properly documented racing history – bids for it could go ballistic, given the current strong market for antique autos.

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SATURDAY, Feb. 6 (DIY) Sweat Equity — A couple attempts to finish the basement on a $16,000 budget. 4349902
A SECOND man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a Polish woman who was found dead in her bath, police said.
HILLSBOROUGH, N.J., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ — Top Knobs, known for their exceptional kitchen cabinet hardware, has unveiled their exquisite line of seven new crystal knobs. With three distinct jewel tones to choose from, homeowners and designers can select the ideal crystal knob to create a particular look that would complement or enhance the kitchen, bathroom or other areas around the home. “Our crystal collection will add sparkle and enchantment to cabinet doors or drawers creating eye-catching interest in any atmosphere,” says David Tyler, VP of Marketing for Top Knobs. “The design options for crystal knobs are ever versatile. They are perfect in a Victorian or Colonial home, recreating the elegance of days gone by. And with their brushed sleek nickel finish, our crystal knobs also coordinate well with a more modern design concept,” he adds. Designers and consumers are employing crystal as an increasingly popular material to add both color and texture to their decor. Available in sapphire blue, burgundy or clear crystal; and encased in a brushed satin nickel cone-shaped shell, Top Knobs crystal hardware collection offers prominent choices that can harmonize a color scheme, create an eclectic look in a small, sophisticated area or enrich cabinets with glass inserts. “Designers can add a touch of sophistication with crystal knobs on everything from wine cabinets to vanities,” says Tyler. Facets are a stylish design element and add texture to cabinets that might otherwise lack some pizzazz. These prismatic knobs from Top Knobs offer illuminative qualities that reflect and highlight the colors in a room, an element desirable to any designer.

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MILLWALL 2 NEIL HARRIS came off the bench at half-time to fire Millwall to victory and end League One leaders Norwichs 16-match unbeaten run.
THE number of new homes being built in England and Wales will slump this year to its lowest level since 1923. It leaves little hope of finding an affordable home for the 4.58million people on housing waiting lists. According to the National Housing Federation, house-builders are on course to build just 122,700 homes between April 2009 and March 2010 – 18,000 fewer than were built the previous financial year. They have only been able to do this with the aid of record levels of public investment and more flexible Government grants via the Home and Communities Agency.

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Following the news that a gang of travellers have been convicted of stealing Pounds Sterling 700,000 worth of caravans, Safeguard has issued further warnings to owners to remain vigilant.

Safeguard, one of the UKs leading providers of motorhome and caravan insurance is advising all drivers to remain cautious of both opportunistic and organised caravan thefts, following news of the conviction of a gang thought to be responsible for half of all caravan thefts in the UK.

Rita Sadler, Safeguard manager said: “We are very pleased to hear that this group of caravan thieves has finally been stopped. Despite the good news, caravan owners still need to be wary of the risks and take appropriate measures to ensure the security of their property.

“Organised crime rings often target larger, luxury models on a stolen to order basis. We find that the vehicles are at their most vulnerable when left unattended and unsecured, for example in driveways whilst owners are loading their caravans and also at motorway service stations as can be seen in the case of the Ward-McDonagh family.

“Caravan thieves are using more sophisticated methods to get away with their crimes. Locks and alarms are no longer a security guarantee; however there are various measures caravanners can take to ensure the safekeeping of their vehicle. Specially designed tracking devices and mechanical devices such as wheel clamps can greatly reduce the risk of theft. As well as deterring thieves, security conscious caravan owners are likely to receive discounts on their insurance premiums.”

CAPTAIN COOK will ensure Englands rise up the world rankings doesnt sail into choppy waters on the sub-continent. Thats the view of Somersets James Hildreth, who played under Englands stand-in skipper Alastair Cook (right) at the 2004 Under- 19 World Cup in Bangladesh. Under Cooks leadership an England side containing the likes of Hildreth, Luke Wright, Ravi Bopara and Tim Bresnan reached the semis.

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SHARKS AT TORONTO Head to head: The Sharks were 5-2 winners in the lone game between the teams last season as former San Jose coach Ron Wilson made his first return visit to HP Pavilion since his firing at the end of the 2008 playoffs.
McKay Choy Burrows Our sweet McKay, born on December 3, 1989, departed earth life on January 29, 2010 while serving a mission in Romania for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.He is survived by his parents, Dana and Shirley, siblings Naivasha and Ashton, all of Highland, Utah, also his grandparents, George and Connie Burrows of New Harmony, Utah, Grandma Choy of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins in the United States, Australia and Malaysia.

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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The stone faces of four former United States Presidents stare out from Mount Rushmore. Elizabeth Lee is planning a trip to this world-famous monument in South Dakotas Black Hills. Most visitors shoot Mount Rushmore with cameras. But Lee and her co-workers will shoot it with laser beams. Their goal is to create a three-dimensional model of the site, using computers. Lee is a project director at CyArk, an organization that makes digital models of the worlds monuments. These sites, like Egypts pyramids and Indias Taj Mahal, have a special place in history and culture. Over time, weather, tourists, and natural disasters can wear down or destroy these treasures. Thats why experts like Lee want to create digital models of the worlds monuments before they are beyond repair. This way, damage to the sites can be monitored over time and repairs can be planned accurately. Whats a monuments number one enemy? Everyday weather. “Water is really the chief cause [of ruin],” says John Stubbs, who works at the World Monuments Fund in New York. It can strike as rain, floods, or even humidity.
SHANGHAI — Praxair China has signed a contract with Tangshan Railway Vehicle Co.,
Ltd., a subsidiary of China Northern Locomotive Rolling Stock Industry
Group (CNR), to supply welding gases used in the production of its
newest high-speed train, with a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

Praxair China will supply the customer with a laser welding gas mixture
which is used during the manufacture of the vehicle body of the
state-of-the-art express train. During the project evaluation, Praxair
China was able to meet the very strict technical and safety standards
that are required for the welding gas mixture.

“We are proud of winning this welding gas contract with Tangshan Railway
Vehicle and look forward to contributing to the rapidly growing
high-speed railway industry of China,” said David Chow, president of
Praxair China.

Prior to this contract, Praxair China had supplied welding gases to
Tangshan Railway Vehicle for its 300-kilometers-per-hour high-speed
train production.

CNR is a leading provider in the field of locomotive and rolling stock
in Asia, Australia and Africa.

BOSTON — In the J. D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey out today, NSTAR ranked
third in the Eastern U.S. in satisfaction among business customers. The
survey, which included 13 of the region’s largest electric utilities,
puts NSTAR 17 points above the eastern region average and at the top in
New England by far.

“NSTAR’s laser-focus on customer satisfaction is evident by our
prominent position in the J. D. Power rankings,” said Tom May, NSTAR
Chairman, President and CEO. “The investments we’ve made in our system
and our commitment to providing innovative business solutions for our
customers are clearly paying off.”

In achieving this year’s third place ranking, NSTAR improved its score
by 28 points and rose from seventh place when compared to last year’s
survey. According to J. D. Power, overall customer satisfaction is
measured by examining six factors: power quality and reliability;
billing and payment; corporate citizenship; price; communications; and
customer service.

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Part 1 of 2 INGRID and Curtis Wood of Walnut Creek had a story to tell me about the eight generations of their family that have been living in Contra Costa County. We decided to meet at the Moraga History Center. Ingrid arrived first with a soft-sided suitcase full of mementos, books, photographs and papers. She handed me the names of the eight generations. But before she explained who was who on that sheet of paper, she had to tell me the story about a trunk.
Black genealogy event is today To commemorate Black History Month, the Utah Chapter of the Afro- American Historical and Genealogical Society and the Family History Library will stage the seventh annual African American Family History Research Series. The free event will be today at the Family History Library, 35 N. West Temple, Salt Lake City. The daylong series of classes and workshops will begin with a keynote address by author and genealogist Darius Gray. His presentation, “The African American Family: We Must Remember!” will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the main floor classroom.
CALENDAR The Kansas Department of Health and Environments e-Health Advisory Council will meet from 1 to 5 p.m. in Room D at the SRS Learning Center, S.W. 2nd and MacVicar. The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission will meet at 10 a.m. in the 4th floor auditorium of the Eisenhower State Office Building, 700 S.W. Harrison.

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PROVO — A celebration ensued at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday night as the BYU womens gymnastics team finally had the breakout meet it has been waiting for the past two years. The Cougars threw out season-high scores on vault, bars and floor to post a 194.975 final score and finally feel like they compiled a score to be proud of. Despite coming in second in a tri-meet — losing to Denver University, which scored 195.050, and defeating Utah State, which scored 190.475 — the Cougars said they felt like the real victors. Despite being thrilled with the performance on three of the events and the overall score of the night, BYU coach Brad Cattermole was a little disappointed that two of his most consistent gymnasts on the beam suffered falls, and the Cougars had to count one of them. “Beam has been a good event for us, and the ones who fell are both solid, but sometimes it happens,” said Cattermole, who was also disappointed his team was a mere .025 points from 195.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Antoine Agudio hit a 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds left to give the Albuquerque Thunderbirds an 88-87 victory over the Utah Flash on Saturday night. Utah has dropped two games in as many days and will now take 10 days off during the NBAs annual All-Star break. Utah took a seven-point lead four minutes into the third quarter, but the T-Birds battled back and reclaimed the lead on a Jason Horton free throw with 1:25 to play in the quarter. Those were the last points of the quarter for Albuquerque, and Utah held a 68-63 lead at the end of the third period. The T-Birds trailed 85-79 with 3:13 remaining in the game, but Carlos Powell cut the lead to two points on back to back jump shots to ignite the Thunderbirds home crowd.
R.I. house fire kills 5 — including infant WARWICK, R.I. (AP) — A house fire that officials said might have simmered undetected for hours Saturday killed five people, including a mother and her 7-month-old baby, in one of Rhode Islands deadliest blazes since a 2003 fire at a crowded nightclub killed 100 people. One horrified neighbor saw a firefighter carry the baby out the house in his arms. Authorities said the man who called 911 went to bed after the party at around 3 a.m. and woke up at about 7 a.m., and nothing seemed amiss. He was awakened again several hours later when a section of the first-floor ceiling collapsed, Sullivan said. The man, whom authorities didnt identify, tried to run up to the second floor but was turned away by intense smoke and heat. He was later treated for smoke inhalation, and his condition was not considered life threatening.

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Route1 Inc. (”Route1″ or the “Company”) (TSX VENTURE: ROI), a security and identity-based services company, today took action to correct previously granted stock options to directors, officers and employees. A review by the TSX Venture Exchange found that approximately 10,000,000 stock options granted between April 27, 2006 and the Companys most recent annual meeting held on September 24, 2009 were granted below the minimum exercise price allowable by the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange or were not publicly disclosed.

As a result of the non-compliance of the stock option grants referred to above, the board of directors (the “Board”) of the Company has cancelled the 6,241,646 outstanding options to directors and employees. Also, following the election of the new board of directors at the Companys annual and special meeting of shareholders, the 3,550,730 options to purchase common shares of the Company held by the outgoing board of directors expired on December 24, 2009 and another 3,700,000 options granted to a former officer of the Company expired on January 27, 2010, ninety days following the termination of such former officer.

After the above, all non-compliant stock options granted by the Company during the noted period have either been cancelled or have expired. The Company currently has 8,000,000 stock options outstanding.

The Board is reviewing compensation arrangements for all employees of Route1 during the first quarter of the 2010 calendar year. As part of the compensation review, the Board expects to issue new stock options that meet all regulatory requirements.

The Company has adopted policies and procedures to ensure all future stock option grants are in compliance with TSX Venture Exchange policies.

XenDesktop with FlexCast Delivery Technology Advances Scalability
Across Multiple Desktop Virtualization Models to Significantly Improve
ROI

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTXS) today announced dramatic
improvements in scalability across multiple virtual desktop delivery
models to address the needs of every user in the enterprise at a
significantly lower cost. Citrix
XenDesktop™ 4 with FlexCast™ delivery technology has now been
verified to deliver up to 125 VDI-based desktops, 500 hosted shared
desktops and 5,000 local streamed desktops from a single physical server
tuned to take advantage of the unique innovations of the latest Intel®
Xeon® processor™ 5500 technology. These numbers represent orders of
magnitude higher scalability than first generation VDI-only products,
enabling IT organizations to deploy desktop virtualization solutions
enterprise wide with less datacenter infrastructure and significantly
lower operating costs1. The new scalability data and testing
methodology is available today in a new desktop virtualization reference
architecture.

This advancement in virtual desktop scalability is especially
significant because it enables enterprises to deliver virtual desktops
to more users at a far lower cost. “The performance and consolidation
levels achievable by XenDesktop, deployed on Intel® Xeon® 5500 processor
based servers, are significant and compelling,” said Iddo Kadim,
director of virtualization technology for Intel’s Data Center Group.
“When combined with FlexCast delivery technology to deploy user-attuned
desktop virtualization solutions to the full range of PCs in an
enterprise, including rich desktops and laptops based on the Intel®
Core™ vPro™ processor family, it offers enterprise IT the opportunity to
balance cost, control and flexibility.”

The latest Citrix scalability tests were carefully designed to use a
mainstream server configuration. Desktop workload simulations
incorporated a real-world mix of line-of-business apps, office
productivity apps, web browsing and multimedia. The results demonstrate
that XenDesktop 4 with FlexCast can deliver up to 40 times more users
(5,000 per physical server) than competing solutions which only support
VDI-based desktops and max out at just over 100 users per physical
server. This makes XenDesktop the only solution on the market that can
truly deliver enterprise-wide virtual desktop deployments in a
cost-effective way. With XenDesktop 4, desktop virtualization can now be
implemented with 20 percent lower infrastructure costs.

“We are impressed with the hosted virtual desktop
scalability improvements Citrix has achieved with next-generation
technology from Intel,” said Phil Grove, global director, End User
Services at CSC. “With the new Intel technology in our engineering
laboratories,” he added, “we have seen significant performance
improvements in our CSC Dynamic Desktop offering, which is powered by
XenDesktop. These kinds of Improvements in the economics of desktop
virtualization from Citrix will help our joint customers move forward
with large-scale deployments this year.”

Data Driven Marketing Tool

The Non-life
Insurance – Global Group of Eight (G8) Industry Guide is an
essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the Non-life
Insurance industry in each of the G8 (United States, Canada, Germany,
France, United Kingdom, Italy, Russia and Japan) countries. The report
includes easily comparable data on market value, volume, segmentation
and market share, plus full five year market forecasts. It examines
future problems, innovations and potential growth areas within the
market.

Scope of the Report

Gains From Insurance Settlement Reported

SUGAR LAND, Texas — The Imperial Sugar Company (NASDAQ:IPSU) today reported income
from continuing operations for the fiscal first quarter ended December
31, 2009 of $178.1 million, or $14.84 per diluted share, compared to a
loss from continuing operations of $0.6 million, or $0.05 per diluted
share, for the same period last year.

The recent quarter’s results were impacted by several important items,
most significantly pre-tax gains totaling $278.5 million associated with
the settlement of insurance claims related to the February 2008 Port
Wentworth accident. As previously announced, the Company and its
insurers agreed to a final claims settlement of $345 million under the
$350 million policy which covered property damage and business
interruption losses.

In addition, during the first quarter the Company recognized $18.9
million of gains on derivative contracts intended to hedge future raw
sugar purchases. These gains did not qualify for hedge accounting
treatment. Partially offsetting these gains were approximately $8.8
million of higher raw sugar costs resulting from derivative gains
recognized in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 which were intended to
hedge the Company’s first quarter’s raw sugar purchases. Absent the
impact of the insurance and derivative gains, income from continuing
operations for the quarter would have been a loss of $6.5 million, or
$0.55 per diluted share.

“The finalization of our property and business interruption insurance
claim is a major milestone in our recovery from the Port Wentworth
tragedy,” stated John Sheptor, president and CEO. “The claims
negotiation was well managed by our financial team, insurance broker and
the insurance carriers, minimizing interference with rebuild activities
and reaching an amicable settlement rapidly. We continue to make
important progress in the Port Wentworth reconstruction, with the start
up of the conditioning silos in January. We continue efforts to improve
the refinery production rate, with a target to return to normal
operations within the quarter. Packaging plant start up activities are
focused on the new brown sugar and powdered sugar lines in anticipation
of supplying customer Easter holiday requirements.”

Nevada officials said the state may drop out of Medicaid if the health-care bill passes. Instead it would help its low-income legal residents participate in the federally subsidized exchanges that the bill would establish. The resulting insurance policies would doubtless be more attractive to beneficiaries than Medicaid is.

Oregon Auto Insurance Quotes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — FORBA, the nation’s largest dental practice management company focused
on high-quality dental care for underserved communities, today announced
that Angela Newberry has joined the company as Patient Advocate.

Newberry will act as an important liaison for dental center patients and
their parents. The advocate receives comments and concerns from parents
and helps ensure that parents are informed of the dental center’s care
and quality initiatives. The Patient Advocate is also a key member of
the FORBA compliance department and a member of FORBA’s compliance
committee.

Newberry joins FORBA from Universal Health Services of Nashville where
she was Tennessee Continuum Director and served on various policy
committees established by the Tennessee Department of Children’s
Services. Previously, Newberry was Director of Teen Trax and Assistant
Administrator of the Rutherford County Teen Learning Center, where she
supervised a juvenile probation program and court-ordered alternative
school for at-risk students. Newberry’s experience also includes
positions with student counseling groups and behavioral health services
for teens.

Newberry is a member of the Health Care Compliance Association, and the
American and Tennessee Bar associations. She holds a Juris Doctor from
the Nashville School of Law and a Master of Science in clinical
psychology from Murray State University in Kentucky.

The appointment of a Patient Advocate is the latest in a series of
quality initiatives launched after FORBA’s ownership change in 2006.
Since then, the company has appointed a Chief Dental Officer, Chief
Compliance Officer and a four-member Pediatric Dental Advisory Board
comprised of oral health experts from across the country.

WALTHAM, Mass. — Astra Tech, leading provider of comprehensive solutions for dental
implant therapy, is pleased to announce the expansion of Atlantis™
Abutment options to include the NobelActive™ NP 3.5 and RP 4.3, 5.0
implants for North American customers.

Astra Tech provides patient-specific abutments in a choice of four
material options, including titanium, gold-shaded titanium, white
zirconia and shaded zirconia.

Providing Atlantis Abutments for NobelActive™ implants further secures
Astra Tech’s leadership position in providing patient-specific abutments
for all major implant systems. This introduction is the latest in a
series of Atlantis Abutments being developed for new implant interfaces
such as the Straumann™ Bone Level implants. Astra Tech plans to
introduce additional interfaces and material choices for the Atlantis™
patient-specific solution in 2010.

Atlantis abutments are designed and fabricated using Atlantis VAD™
(Virtual Abutment Design) software, a patented process that combines
state-of-the-art 3D optical scanning, advanced software and
manufacturing methods to deliver patient-specific abutments that
eliminates the need for hand modification.

dental hygienist programs

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAY I HAVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION PLEASE!” Small guy, big mouth: Hes maybe 15, black, skinny kid, but his voice fills up the noisy New York City subway car and then some. “I am selling candy! I got Snickers! I got Peanut MMs! I am trying to make some money! This isnt for school, this isnt for a basketball team, this is for ME! So I can get more candy and MAKE MORE MONEY!” The straphangers appreciate his no-malarkey sales pitch and his entrepreneurial spirit. He does a bit of business, and a few people just give him a buck and skip the candy. His name is Will, and he is not turning down a dollar. But its a tough hustle: Accounting for the cost of his product and his subway pass, it takes him about three hours to earn $20 free and clear, an implied wage of $6.67 an hour–well under minimum wage. On the other hand, its tax-free, and he sets his own hours. Will wants to go to college–and then what? “Be an independent businessman.” Hes already that, and, if persistence really does pay, hes going to do fine for himself. Theres a whole weird little economy on the subway, from candy hustlers like Will to the Chinese ladies who sell pirated DVDs of movies that have just opened in the cinemas. There are acrobats and mariachi bands, good old-fashioned panhandlers, poets, preachers, and percussionists. Its all part of the famous entrepreneurial bustle of New York. But stay on that No. 4 train a few more stops, north of Harlem and into the Bronx, and that entrepreneurial energy evaporates. Not far from the Kingsbridge Road stop is the Eighth Regiment Armory, a fantastically out-of-place 575,000-square-foot brick castle. Its been a lot of different things over the years–barracks, homeless shelter, boat-show venue, a pre-creepified set for Will Smiths I Am Legend–but it currently is vacant, as are a lot of buildings in the Bronx. Passing by, late on a weekday morning, is a local who calls himself “C,” a black man as sturdily built as the armory itself. C very much wants a cigarette. This is a problem, because he is not currently in funds, in no small part because he does not have a job. In fact, at 35 years old, C has never held a job. His friends, acquaintances, known associates (C is a little foggy on whether hes on probation or parole, but hes got some known associates): no jobs, never really had them. His father? Do not ask C about his father. In fact, the only people C can think of who have jobs are women: His mother worked, the mother of his children works. He did know a woman who was dating a taxi driver once. C says he would like to work but is more of an independent businessman. He describes the informal work he has done as “this and that,” and says he would like to “have his own place,” a bar or a nightclub. But dont expect to see him selling candy on the No. 4 train anytime soon. Asked about the recently defeated plan to convert the gigantic fortress that looms over his neighborhood into a shopping mall, C says he hasnt heard about it. If the plan had gone through, Manhattan-based developer Related Companies would have received about $50 million in tax subsidies for a project that would have created as many as a thousand retail jobs and, during its construction, employed a thousand or more highly paid union hardhats. But the city council killed the project. The Bronx delegation demanded that Related enforce upon its leaseholders a requirement that all of the jobs in the mall pay at least $10 an hour, plus benefits, much more than the prevailing wage in the Forever21-and-food-court racket, to say nothing of the $7.25 minimum wage. So a $300 million project, and a couple of thousand new jobs in a neighborhood that needs them, never happened. Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. infamously declared: “The notion that any job is better than no job no longer applies.” The New York Post pithily pointed out that when it comes to real jobs, Diaz has never had one–not in the private sector, anyway–and neither has any other member of the Bronxs city-council delegation: All are lifelong politicians, many of them having held elected offices or political appointments since their early 20s. Diaz himself has been an officeholder since he was 23 years old. Its good work, if you can get it. But theres not much other work to be had in the Bronx, where unemployment is currently at about 13.1 percent. Much of the Bronx is young and black or young and Hispanic. Nationally, the unemployment rate among blacks rose to 16.2 percent in the year-end numbers, while the rate for whites fell to 9.0 percent. For black youths, the numbers are startling: 50 percent for 16-19-year-olds, 26 percent for 20-24-year-olds. A study from the Community Service Society of New York puts actual work-force participation among black men 16-65 years of age in New York City at about 50 percent, and the number for young black men nationwide is just 40 percent.
When President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address, he said he understood the pain the American people were going through with respect to job losses and vastly reduced business growth. We have our own small business and I know that what the president proposed will have a huge impact. Innovations and investments to rebuild and improve the countrys infrastructure and new reforms to curb reckless practices will go a long way to jump start job growth, and also display to the people that the president and Congress care about the folks on Main Street. Lets hope our legislators are able to set their partisan politics aside for the common good.
DEAR AMY: My mother is my fathers third wife. My father loves my mother very much, and were quite comfortable with his discussing his first wives because we know he loved them very much. Both of my fathers earlier wives died while vacationing with other family members, girlfriends, etc., and this has terrified my father into the belief that this will happen to my mother, too. He doesnt allow her to go on vacations without him. This is the only “controlling” thing he does. After this, my siblings and I tried to convince him that what happened with his first wives was coincidence and would not happen to my mother, but he refuses to see this. Weve considered paying for counseling, therapy or anything that might help him. Your advice? — Worried Kids

Recruitment for facilities management

The school board has decided that furloughs are the way to go to save jobs and deal with a $1 million shortfall for the 2010-11 school year. Other steps also must be taken, including increasing some class sizes, eliminating one custodian and one grounds/maintenance person and not filling some positions. “This is a bitter pill. but it will avert layoffs. Its not a long-term solution,” trustee Rich Raushenbush said at the Jan. 26 school board meeting. The furlough days will occur on Nov. 22-23, Dec. 17, Jan. 31 and June 17. The instructional calendar will be moderately affected but not compromised, Hubbard said. Five minimum conference days will be replaced with two full non-student days as part of the solution.
The school board has decided that furloughs are the way to go to save jobs and deal with a $1 million shortfall for the 2010-11 school year. Other steps also must be taken, including increasing some class sizes, eliminating one custodian and one grounds/maintenance person and not filling some positions. “This is a bitter pill. but it will avert layoffs. Its not a long-term solution,” trustee Rich Raushenbush said at the Jan. 26 school board meeting. The furlough days will occur on Nov. 22-23, Dec. 17, Jan. 31 and June 17. The instructional calendar will be moderately affected but not compromised, Hubbard said. Five minimum conference days will be replaced with two full non-student days as part of the solution.
Registration for the annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, set this year for May 2, is now open. The tour that includes more than 60 gardens is free, but preregistration is required to ensure a ticket on the popular tour.

Brisbane Pest Control

MARTINEZ — Thirty years ago, nutritionists fretted about children starting the day with a bowl of sugary cereal. Today, some kids slurp vats of soda or creamy, syrupy coffee drinks and nosh on chips for breakfast. And their expanding waistlines show the damage. An increasingly sedentary lifestyle combined with eating more processed foods has led to an alarming rise in childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes among young people, according to public health experts. By teaming with the Martinez schools on the Contra Costa/ Martinez Sustainable Health Project, Gershen plans to teach students how to make nutritious food choices, decode food labels and cook healthful meals.
In an effort to save the imperiled health-care bill, Democrats cut a tentative deal with organized labor that would exempt unionized employees from an excise tax on high-cost healthcare plans. Of the many unsavory bargains and rotten deals that have characterized the rush to get this thing passed (the “Louisiana Purchase,” the “Cornhusker Kickback,” etc.), the “Labor Loophole” surely takes the prize.
Lots of zeros Wow, it is amazing how arrogant the California Democratic Party leadership treats the residents of this great state. Just two days after a nationalized health care system was thwarted by the Massachusetts senatorial vote, our Democratic leadership has introduced Senate Bill 810. This bill will cost the state $170,000,000,000. That is a lot of zeros. Come to think of it, we have a lot of zeros representing us in the state legislature. We need to throw all the bums out and go to a part-time Legislature. At least that way, they cannot do too much damage to this state. Throw the rats out. After all, you cannot spell arrogant and Democrat without rat.

Counselling Mandurah

LIVERMORE — By spring, Lizzie Fountain is expected to have a whole new look. A $1.51 million replacement of the fountain — a 33-year-old cornerstone of downtown Livermore — finally began this week. Approved more than a year ago, the project also will include an additional walkway, lighting, landscaping and other amenities for the pocket park at South Livermore Avenue and First Street. At the request of downtown merchants, construction was put off until after the holidays. The work is slated to be complete by April 30, city officials said.
LIVERMORE — By spring, Lizzie Fountain is expected to have a whole new look. A $1.51 million replacement of the fountain — a 33-year-old cornerstone of downtown Livermore — finally began this week. Approved more than a year ago, the project also will include an additional walkway, lighting, landscaping and other amenities for the pocket park at South Livermore Avenue and First Street. At the request of downtown merchants, construction was put off until after the holidays. The work is slated to be complete by April 30, city officials said.
When the Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT) wanted to get the word out to holiday revelers to
find a sober ride home or call a cab, they tapped the Ecast network to
deliver the message via its interactive jukebox platform. Riding on the
heels of the huge success of that campaign, which sent a list of cab company
phone numbers to a mobile phone number that a bar patron entered, TxDOT is
launching a Super Bowl campaign this weekend with a similar message: “Its
not whether you win or lose, its how you get home.” The campaign also
includes an interactive game called “The Pigskin Challenge” to engage bar
patrons with the campaign to increase the effectiveness of the sobering
message.

“The Ecast network gives us an opportunity to have a voice in bar
environments and reach patrons at that critical moment of decision not only
with a dont drink and drive message but with the actual means for a safe
alternative,” said Nigel Lowrie, account supervisor with Sherry Matthews
Advocacy Marketing. “Ecasts interactive, broadband platform allows us to
send localized cab numbers to patrons who make the right decision and is
something weve always wanted to do — facilitate closing the loop with the
desired action.”

As with the December “reindeer” campaign, Ecasts advertising team and
creative services collaborated with TxDOT and its ad agency to leverage the
capabilities of Ecasts media platform — a sophisticated content
distribution network integrated with DoubleClicks DART Enterprise ad
serving technology — to geo-target locations in order to serve the ads to
specific venues within the scope of the campaign specifications. The
creative consists of an animated, 20-second MPEG2 track loop, banner and
tower ads. The Super Bowl campaign uses the designated market area (DMA)
targeting capabilities of the Ecast platform to send localized cab numbers
to jukeboxes in specific locations.

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CHILDREN CAN and do make a difference. Inspired by news accounts of the Jan. 12 Haiti earthquake, students at Green Valley Elementary School wanted to help. Fifth-grader Drew Bennett obtained permission from Principal Tasha Anestos and then, with help from buddies Jeffrey Allinson and Jack Nielsen, and even his little sister Holly, they decided to sell popcorn and raise money for the quake victims. The group printed fliers and made posters, purchased popcorn at cost thanks to the generosity of Safeway, and started popping. Steve Nelson, executive vice president and chief information officer at Summit Bank, helped obtain matching funds from the bank. The students sent a card and cashiers check for $754 to the American Red Cross for the Haitian Relief Fund.
THE Obama administrations signature education initiative, Race to the Top, has produced genuine headline news: The Democrats, usually seen kowtowing to organized labors demands, for once are standing up to a powerful union constituency. The Race to the Top grant competition would remunerate states for using students test scores in teacher evaluations, a practice the teachers unions have fought for years. A number of conservative reformers are backing the measure, but Texas governor Rick Perry, a Republican, recently announced that his state would not participate in Race to the Top. Whats the catch? The situation is reminiscent of another time Democrats stood up to organized labor: in the early 1990s, when Bill Clinton backed passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) over the objections of the unions. In both cases, the fight between the Democratic party and its union backers dominated the medias coverage. But then as now, a different and more interesting question preoccupied conservatives: Does the policy in question cede too much local power to a national or transnational authority? At the heart of the question is a debate over means and ends. Not many conservatives in the 1990s argued, as the unions did, that NAFTA would result in the loss of tens of thousands of American jobs. Nor do many conservatives today side with the teachers unions in support of rules that make it nearly impossible to fire incompetent educators. In each case, mountains of empirical evidence slowly persuaded liberal elites and Democratic reformers to agree at least partially with conservatives that a certain end–free trade and teacher accountability, respectively–was worth pursuing. By 1993, it was no longer plausible to argue that free trade was on balance deleterious to a nations prosperity. Economists across the political spectrum agreed then, and still do, that removing trade barriers between two countries allows each to increase its total output and thereby grow richer. The only intellectually defensible way to argue against free trade is to make the debate about something other than wealth, such as equality, labor rules, or environmental standards. In the NAFTA debate, accordingly, opponents argued that U.S. companies would move jobs requiring fewer skills to Mexico, weakening the power of unions to bid up the price of unskilled labor and causing the gap between rich and poor to widen. But liberal opinion-makers were not persuaded that the country should sacrifice its overall prosperity to preserve union clout. NAFTA supporter Michael Kinsley, then of The New Republic, zeroed in on the oppositions advantage in the debate when he wrote that “the person who will get a job because of NAFTA isnt even aware of it yet; the person who may lose a job because of NAFTA is all too aware.” Newsweek admonished Americans to “beware the new protectionist preachings. Trade is good for you.” And the most influential liberal in the country, Bill Clinton, supported NAFTA.
The Himalayan glaciers will disappear by 2035! That factoid, which appeared in the IPCCs 2007 climate-change report, turns out to have zero evidence behind it. The claim, from a 1999 news story in the British magazine New Scientist, was based on a brief telephone interview with an Indian researcher who now says it was mere speculation, and in any case applied to only a portion of the glaciers.

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Through Canadas Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada is strengthening the sheep and goat industry by helping to eradicate disease, enhance traceability and improve on-farm food safety practices. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, with Member of Parliament David Tilson (Dufferin-Caledon), today announced an investment of up to $6 million to help sheep and goat farmers come through this economic recovery stronger than ever.

“As Canada begins to show signs of economic recovery, the Government of Canada knows that the sheep and goat industry can deliver tremendous returns as it already brings in over $100 million to the farm gate,” said Minister Ritz. “A strong animal health and traceability system will position Canadas sheep and goat producers for the premium prices their top-quality products deserve around the world.”

The AgriFlexibility fund, a commitment made under Canadas Economic Action Plan, will deliver up to $4.5 million to determine the prevalence of scrapie, a fatal neurological disease, in Canadian sheep. This information will help establish a time frame in which scrapie can be eradicated from Canada and international markets can be reopened.

The remainder of the investment of more than $1.5 million will go towards the following three projects:

- $733,000 will support the Canadian Sheep Federations pilot project to have a select number of producers implement full-scale Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to demonstrate the benefits RFID can provide to the industry.

Through Canadas Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada is strengthening the sheep and goat industry by helping to eradicate disease, enhance traceability and improve on-farm food safety practices. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, with Member of Parliament David Tilson (Dufferin-Caledon), today announced an investment of up to $6 million to help sheep and goat farmers come through this economic recovery stronger than ever.

“As Canada begins to show signs of economic recovery, the Government of Canada knows that the sheep and goat industry can deliver tremendous returns as it already brings in over $100 million to the farm gate,” said Minister Ritz. “A strong animal health and traceability system will position Canadas sheep and goat producers for the premium prices their top-quality products deserve around the world.”

The AgriFlexibility fund, a commitment made under Canadas Economic Action Plan, will deliver up to $4.5 million to determine the prevalence of scrapie, a fatal neurological disease, in Canadian sheep. This information will help establish a time frame in which scrapie can be eradicated from Canada and international markets can be reopened.

The remainder of the investment of more than $1.5 million will go towards the following three projects:

- $733,000 will support the Canadian Sheep Federations pilot project to have a select number of producers implement full-scale Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to demonstrate the benefits RFID can provide to the industry.

In an effort to save the imperiled health-care bill, Democrats cut a tentative deal with organized labor that would exempt unionized employees from an excise tax on high-cost healthcare plans. Of the many unsavory bargains and rotten deals that have characterized the rush to get this thing passed (the “Louisiana Purchase,” the “Cornhusker Kickback,” etc.), the “Labor Loophole” surely takes the prize.

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Lots of zeros Wow, it is amazing how arrogant the California Democratic Party leadership treats the residents of this great state. Just two days after a nationalized health care system was thwarted by the Massachusetts senatorial vote, our Democratic leadership has introduced Senate Bill 810. This bill will cost the state $170,000,000,000. That is a lot of zeros. Come to think of it, we have a lot of zeros representing us in the state legislature. We need to throw all the bums out and go to a part-time Legislature. At least that way, they cannot do too much damage to this state. Throw the rats out. After all, you cannot spell arrogant and Democrat without rat.
Through Canadas Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada is strengthening the sheep and goat industry by helping to eradicate disease, enhance traceability and improve on-farm food safety practices. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, with Member of Parliament David Tilson (Dufferin-Caledon), today announced an investment of up to $6 million to help sheep and goat farmers come through this economic recovery stronger than ever.

“As Canada begins to show signs of economic recovery, the Government of Canada knows that the sheep and goat industry can deliver tremendous returns as it already brings in over $100 million to the farm gate,” said Minister Ritz. “A strong animal health and traceability system will position Canadas sheep and goat producers for the premium prices their top-quality products deserve around the world.”

The AgriFlexibility fund, a commitment made under Canadas Economic Action Plan, will deliver up to $4.5 million to determine the prevalence of scrapie, a fatal neurological disease, in Canadian sheep. This information will help establish a time frame in which scrapie can be eradicated from Canada and international markets can be reopened.

The remainder of the investment of more than $1.5 million will go towards the following three projects:

- $733,000 will support the Canadian Sheep Federations pilot project to have a select number of producers implement full-scale Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to demonstrate the benefits RFID can provide to the industry.

Lots of zeros Wow, it is amazing how arrogant the California Democratic Party leadership treats the residents of this great state. Just two days after a nationalized health care system was thwarted by the Massachusetts senatorial vote, our Democratic leadership has introduced Senate Bill 810. This bill will cost the state $170,000,000,000. That is a lot of zeros. Come to think of it, we have a lot of zeros representing us in the state legislature. We need to throw all the bums out and go to a part-time Legislature. At least that way, they cannot do too much damage to this state. Throw the rats out. After all, you cannot spell arrogant and Democrat without rat.

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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAY I HAVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION PLEASE!” Small guy, big mouth: Hes maybe 15, black, skinny kid, but his voice fills up the noisy New York City subway car and then some. “I am selling candy! I got Snickers! I got Peanut MMs! I am trying to make some money! This isnt for school, this isnt for a basketball team, this is for ME! So I can get more candy and MAKE MORE MONEY!” The straphangers appreciate his no-malarkey sales pitch and his entrepreneurial spirit. He does a bit of business, and a few people just give him a buck and skip the candy. His name is Will, and he is not turning down a dollar. But its a tough hustle: Accounting for the cost of his product and his subway pass, it takes him about three hours to earn $20 free and clear, an implied wage of $6.67 an hour–well under minimum wage. On the other hand, its tax-free, and he sets his own hours. Will wants to go to college–and then what? “Be an independent businessman.” Hes already that, and, if persistence really does pay, hes going to do fine for himself. Theres a whole weird little economy on the subway, from candy hustlers like Will to the Chinese ladies who sell pirated DVDs of movies that have just opened in the cinemas. There are acrobats and mariachi bands, good old-fashioned panhandlers, poets, preachers, and percussionists. Its all part of the famous entrepreneurial bustle of New York. But stay on that No. 4 train a few more stops, north of Harlem and into the Bronx, and that entrepreneurial energy evaporates. Not far from the Kingsbridge Road stop is the Eighth Regiment Armory, a fantastically out-of-place 575,000-square-foot brick castle. Its been a lot of different things over the years–barracks, homeless shelter, boat-show venue, a pre-creepified set for Will Smiths I Am Legend–but it currently is vacant, as are a lot of buildings in the Bronx. Passing by, late on a weekday morning, is a local who calls himself “C,” a black man as sturdily built as the armory itself. C very much wants a cigarette. This is a problem, because he is not currently in funds, in no small part because he does not have a job. In fact, at 35 years old, C has never held a job. His friends, acquaintances, known associates (C is a little foggy on whether hes on probation or parole, but hes got some known associates): no jobs, never really had them. His father? Do not ask C about his father. In fact, the only people C can think of who have jobs are women: His mother worked, the mother of his children works. He did know a woman who was dating a taxi driver once. C says he would like to work but is more of an independent businessman. He describes the informal work he has done as “this and that,” and says he would like to “have his own place,” a bar or a nightclub. But dont expect to see him selling candy on the No. 4 train anytime soon. Asked about the recently defeated plan to convert the gigantic fortress that looms over his neighborhood into a shopping mall, C says he hasnt heard about it. If the plan had gone through, Manhattan-based developer Related Companies would have received about $50 million in tax subsidies for a project that would have created as many as a thousand retail jobs and, during its construction, employed a thousand or more highly paid union hardhats. But the city council killed the project. The Bronx delegation demanded that Related enforce upon its leaseholders a requirement that all of the jobs in the mall pay at least $10 an hour, plus benefits, much more than the prevailing wage in the Forever21-and-food-court racket, to say nothing of the $7.25 minimum wage. So a $300 million project, and a couple of thousand new jobs in a neighborhood that needs them, never happened. Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. infamously declared: “The notion that any job is better than no job no longer applies.” The New York Post pithily pointed out that when it comes to real jobs, Diaz has never had one–not in the private sector, anyway–and neither has any other member of the Bronxs city-council delegation: All are lifelong politicians, many of them having held elected offices or political appointments since their early 20s. Diaz himself has been an officeholder since he was 23 years old. Its good work, if you can get it. But theres not much other work to be had in the Bronx, where unemployment is currently at about 13.1 percent. Much of the Bronx is young and black or young and Hispanic. Nationally, the unemployment rate among blacks rose to 16.2 percent in the year-end numbers, while the rate for whites fell to 9.0 percent. For black youths, the numbers are startling: 50 percent for 16-19-year-olds, 26 percent for 20-24-year-olds. A study from the Community Service Society of New York puts actual work-force participation among black men 16-65 years of age in New York City at about 50 percent, and the number for young black men nationwide is just 40 percent.
When President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address, he said he understood the pain the American people were going through with respect to job losses and vastly reduced business growth. We have our own small business and I know that what the president proposed will have a huge impact. Innovations and investments to rebuild and improve the countrys infrastructure and new reforms to curb reckless practices will go a long way to jump start job growth, and also display to the people that the president and Congress care about the folks on Main Street. Lets hope our legislators are able to set their partisan politics aside for the common good.

business

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAY I HAVE YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION PLEASE!” Small guy, big mouth: Hes maybe 15, black, skinny kid, but his voice fills up the noisy New York City subway car and then some. “I am selling candy! I got Snickers! I got Peanut MMs! I am trying to make some money! This isnt for school, this isnt for a basketball team, this is for ME! So I can get more candy and MAKE MORE MONEY!” The straphangers appreciate his no-malarkey sales pitch and his entrepreneurial spirit. He does a bit of business, and a few people just give him a buck and skip the candy. His name is Will, and he is not turning down a dollar. But its a tough hustle: Accounting for the cost of his product and his subway pass, it takes him about three hours to earn $20 free and clear, an implied wage of $6.67 an hour–well under minimum wage. On the other hand, its tax-free, and he sets his own hours. Will wants to go to college–and then what? “Be an independent businessman.” Hes already that, and, if persistence really does pay, hes going to do fine for himself. Theres a whole weird little economy on the subway, from candy hustlers like Will to the Chinese ladies who sell pirated DVDs of movies that have just opened in the cinemas. There are acrobats and mariachi bands, good old-fashioned panhandlers, poets, preachers, and percussionists. Its all part of the famous entrepreneurial bustle of New York. But stay on that No. 4 train a few more stops, north of Harlem and into the Bronx, and that entrepreneurial energy evaporates. Not far from the Kingsbridge Road stop is the Eighth Regiment Armory, a fantastically out-of-place 575,000-square-foot brick castle. Its been a lot of different things over the years–barracks, homeless shelter, boat-show venue, a pre-creepified set for Will Smiths I Am Legend–but it currently is vacant, as are a lot of buildings in the Bronx. Passing by, late on a weekday morning, is a local who calls himself “C,” a black man as sturdily built as the armory itself. C very much wants a cigarette. This is a problem, because he is not currently in funds, in no small part because he does not have a job. In fact, at 35 years old, C has never held a job. His friends, acquaintances, known associates (C is a little foggy on whether hes on probation or parole, but hes got some known associates): no jobs, never really had them. His father? Do not ask C about his father. In fact, the only people C can think of who have jobs are women: His mother worked, the mother of his children works. He did know a woman who was dating a taxi driver once. C says he would like to work but is more of an independent businessman. He describes the informal work he has done as “this and that,” and says he would like to “have his own place,” a bar or a nightclub. But dont expect to see him selling candy on the No. 4 train anytime soon. Asked about the recently defeated plan to convert the gigantic fortress that looms over his neighborhood into a shopping mall, C says he hasnt heard about it. If the plan had gone through, Manhattan-based developer Related Companies would have received about $50 million in tax subsidies for a project that would have created as many as a thousand retail jobs and, during its construction, employed a thousand or more highly paid union hardhats. But the city council killed the project. The Bronx delegation demanded that Related enforce upon its leaseholders a requirement that all of the jobs in the mall pay at least $10 an hour, plus benefits, much more than the prevailing wage in the Forever21-and-food-court racket, to say nothing of the $7.25 minimum wage. So a $300 million project, and a couple of thousand new jobs in a neighborhood that needs them, never happened. Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. infamously declared: “The notion that any job is better than no job no longer applies.” The New York Post pithily pointed out that when it comes to real jobs, Diaz has never had one–not in the private sector, anyway–and neither has any other member of the Bronxs city-council delegation: All are lifelong politicians, many of them having held elected offices or political appointments since their early 20s. Diaz himself has been an officeholder since he was 23 years old. Its good work, if you can get it. But theres not much other work to be had in the Bronx, where unemployment is currently at about 13.1 percent. Much of the Bronx is young and black or young and Hispanic. Nationally, the unemployment rate among blacks rose to 16.2 percent in the year-end numbers, while the rate for whites fell to 9.0 percent. For black youths, the numbers are startling: 50 percent for 16-19-year-olds, 26 percent for 20-24-year-olds. A study from the Community Service Society of New York puts actual work-force participation among black men 16-65 years of age in New York City at about 50 percent, and the number for young black men nationwide is just 40 percent.
TEL AVIV, Israel — Ampal-American Israel Corporation (Nasdaq:AMPL), a holding
company in the business of acquiring and managing interests in various
businesses, with emphasis in recent years on energy, chemicals,
communications and related fields, announced today that it has been
advised by East Mediterranean Gas Co. (”EMG”), in which Ampal has a
12.5% interest, that Israel Electric Corporation (”IEC”) has informed
EMG that IEC has received all of the required approvals for the coming
into force of a certain Amendment to the Gas Sale Agreement signed by
EMG and IEC on September 17, 2009 (the “Amendment”). The total
contracted gas supply to IEC is approximately 42 BCM and the total value
of the contract is approximately $6 Billion.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain information in this press release includes forward-looking
statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of
1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) and
information relating to Ampal that are based on the beliefs of
management of Ampal as well as assumptions made by and information
currently available to the management of Ampal. When used in this press
release, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,”
“intend,” “plan,” and similar expressions as they relate to Ampal or
Ampals management, identify forward-looking statements. Such statements
reflect the current views of Ampal with respect to future events or
future financial performance of Ampal, the outcome of which is subject
to certain risks and other factors which could cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking
statements, including among others, the economic and political
conditions in Israel, the Middle East, including the situation in Iraq,
and the global business and economic conditions in the different sectors
and markets where Ampals portfolio companies operate. Should any of
these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying
assumptions prove incorrect, actual results or outcome may vary from
those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected,
intended or planned. Subsequent written and oral forward-looking
statements attributable to Ampal or persons acting on its behalf are
expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements in
this paragraph. Please refer to the Ampals annual, quarterly and
periodic reports on file with the SEC for a more detailed discussion of
these and other risks that could cause results to differ materially.
Ampal assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements.

business

SALT LAKE CITY — A couple of hairy problems seem to be under control for the Utah Jazz. For one thing, Carlos Boozer made it through his first full practice with the team on Friday morning. That means the two-time All-Star power forward is optimistic he will play in tonights big Northwest Division showdown with the Denver Nuggets after missing three games with a strained right calf. “Im doing well,” Boozer said prior to Fridays workout. “All is well.. As long as it feels great, Ill play (today).” Officially, Boozer will be a game-time decision.
PROVO — With a No. 12 national ranking, a 22-2 overall mark and a 7-1 league record in hand, the BYU Cougars like where theyre sitting heading into the final half of the Mountain West Conference mens basketball schedule. “This is right where we want to be,” junior guard Jimmer Fredette said. “We want to be at the top and have everyone else chasing us.” Teammate Jackson Emery added, “Not having to depend on someone else losing is a big thing. Were the ones with the lead. Were the ones the others have to catch. So we just have to take care of our own business.” But even though the Cougars, with a one-game lead over New Mexico and UNLV, are on a good path to win a fourth-straight MWC regular season championship and get a favorable seed into the NCAA Tournament in March, they know the success theyve experienced so far could all go for naught if they dont finish the season strong.
MISSOULA, Mont. — Anthony Johnson scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and surging Montana topped league-leading Weber State 75-61 in Big Sky Conference mens basketball action Friday night. Johnson sank 12-of-14 free throws in the second half. Montana enjoyed a 21-for-28 outing from the foul line for the game. The Wildcats made just 10 trips to the foul line. The Grizzlies also outrebounded the Wildcats 38-27. “Montana was the more aggressive team, they played hard from start to finish and deserved to win,” said WSU head coach Randy Rahe. Staudacher hit five 3-pointers and finished with 16 points. His 3- pointer with 5:14 left gave Montana a 68-52 after Weber State had closed within eight on a 9-0 spurt. Will Cherry added 14 points.

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SALT LAKE CITY — Toyota owners looking for company-prompted repairs are flowing into Utah dealerships, but the real flood is expected to begin next week. “Were scheduling more and more appointments,” Mark Tetzlaff, spokesman for Menlove Toyota in Bountiful, said Friday, when the dealership performed repairs for about 30 customers. “Next week will probably be (an even) heavier week.” There are 2.3 million vehicles involved in the recall, which also was announced last month. That recall came just months after Toyota recalled 4.2 million vehicles because of gas pedals that could become trapped under floor mats, causing the vehicle to accelerate. Toyota has already begun installing a modified gas pedal in newly built vehicles at its U.S. plants that should alleviate the problem.
ATLANTA — The U.S. Small Business Administration reminds eligible Private
Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) of the March 1, 2010 deadline to
submit disaster loan applications for Economic Injury caused by severe
storms, tornadoes, flooding and mudslides that occurred from May 3 – 20,
2009.

Private Non-Profit Organizations (PNPs) located in Ballard, Breathitt,
Carlisle, Clay, Crittenden, Estill, Floyd, Fulton, Grayson, Hickman,
Jackson, Knott, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Madison, Magoffin,
Marshall, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Russell and Trigg in Kentucky are
eligible to apply to SBA. Eligible PNPs are those that provide non
critical services such as: food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums,
libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.

SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital
needs, such as ongoing operating expenses for PNP organizations of all
sizes. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless
of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Interest rates are as low as 4 percent with terms up to 30 years. Loan
amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s
financial condition.

For every friend you refer who purchases a RedEye universal remote control
system before March 31, you will be automatically entered for a chance to
win an Apple iPad. All friends referred will receive a 15 percent discount
on the purchase of a RedEye system.

“Apples new tablet inspired us to develop a version of the RedEye app that
takes advantage the iPads enormous touchscreen,” said ThinkFlood president
and co-founder Matt Eagar. “Were looking forward to showing our
sweepstakes winners all the new RedEye features and content made possible
by internet connectivity and the iPads extra screen real estate.”

Like the iPad, the RedEye system is designed to blend into any homes
design with both functionality and style.

www.dry-mark.com

What is iFS Intralase? iFS creates a precise, unique, reverse cut flap in
the eye with less energy, providing patients with quicker procedures,
faster recovery times and less risk of complications.

“Our clinical team at TLC La Jolla selected the iFS technology in order to
provide our patients a faster, stronger and safer LASIK experience,” said
Dr. David J. Schanzlin, TLC La Jolla Medical Director and Professor of
Ophthalmology, Director, Keratorefractive Surgery at the UCSD Shiley Eye
Center. “Our initial 250 cases performed late last year confirm the
findings of a Navy study which shows improved vision as compared to
previous models of Intralase Technology. iFS is now the preferred treatment
of Naval aviators.”

“My experience at TLC La Jolla was nothing short of amazing,” says San
Diego resident Randi Stieglitz and one of the first 250 to receive the new
iFS treatment. “Dr. Schanzlin is truly a master at his craft. I have him,
my optometrist Dr. Goldsmid, and the rest of the TLC staff to thank for my
perfect vision.”

According to the Employee Benefits
Research Institute, 30 million Americans use a Flexible Spending Account
(FSA) to pay for qualified medical expenses, such as laser eye surgery.

“When you combine the experience and patient care offered by TLC affiliated
surgeons, you get a glimpse of the TLC commitment. Add to that a National
Lifetime Commitment(TM), financing options for your procedure, or
qualifying for a discount based on your insurance plan, and you have the
TLC Gift of Sight,” says Dr. Thomas S. Tooma, the Medical Director for TLC
Laser Eye Centers in Southern California. Dr. Tooma has performed more than
100,000 correction procedures.

TLC is a provider for major health and vision plans and offers 24 month
interest-free financing.

Lasik Eye Center

Jerold Heber Jerold Heber Ellison, 74, peace-fully passed away on January 29, 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jerry was born in Lethbridge, Alberta Canada on June 20, 1935 to Delbert Heber and Tearona Fisher Ellison.
Michael A. Marcy MAGNA – Michael Alan Marcy, 57, passed away February 2, 2010 in Holladay, Utah of a massive stroke. He was born March 3, 1952 in Salt Lake City to Wendell B. and Joyce Egbert Marcy. Mike graduated from Cyprus High School and received his Associates Degree from Snow College. He worked many years as a machinist.

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Use of Automated CPR Device Continues to Expand in Brazil and Latin
America

CHELMSFORD, Mass. — ZOLL Medical Corporation (Nasdaq GS: ZOLL), a manufacturer of medical
devices and related software solutions, announced today that SAMU
Brasilia (Servico de Atendimento Movel de Urgencia—Emergency Mobile
Treatment Service), based in the capital city of Brazil and one of the
largest EMS services in the country, has equipped its ambulances with
the AutoPulse® Non-Invasive Cardiac Support Pump.

SAMU Brasilia, which is part of the country-wide public EMS service, has
installed AutoPulse units in its fleet of ambulances, one for each
vehicle plus four spare training boards, in a contract valued at
$500,000 (U.S.). The AutoPulse was granted health clearance in January
2009 and is the only automatic chest compression system available for
sale in Brazil.

“The AutoPulse, besides promoting more effective compressions, is a
solution for one of the biggest challenges of conventional
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the inability to transport a patient
while performing manual chest compressions,” said Rodrigo Caselli, SAMU
Manager. “With this device we are able to perform both actions
simultaneously, ensuring a faster response time for the application of
treatment without compromising the effectiveness of compressions.”

“Use of the AutoPulse continues to expand internationally,” said
Jonathan A. Rennert, President of ZOLL. “We’re seeing more and more EMS
services and hospitals realize the important value that delivering
high-quality, mechanical CPR can have on patient care and rescuer
safety.”

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Health Discovery Corporation (OTCBB: HDVY) announced today that the
Company has entered into an exclusive agreement with the Pancreas,
Biliary and Liver Surgery Center of New York at Saint Vincent Catholic
Medical Centers in New York City to develop new molecular diagnostic
tests for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. The Pancreas,
Biliary and Liver Surgery Center is under the leadership of Drs. Michael
Wayne, Franklin Kassim and Avram Cooperman.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Pancreas, Biliary and Liver
Surgery Center will provide all specimens from their collected specimen
banks, specimens on all new patients and all associated clinical and
outcomes data. The specimens will include tissue, blood and urine.
Health Discovery Corporation (HDC) will use its patent protected
SVM-based discovery technology and expert science team to develop these
new molecular diagnostic tests for pancreatic cancer in a similar
fashion to the urine-based prostate cancer test developed by HDC and
licensed for development and commercialization to Quest Diagnostics
(NYSE: DGX) and Abbott (NYSE: ABT) on a royalty-based, world-wide
co-exclusive basis.

Health Discovery Corporation will own all of the intellectual property
and commercialization rights to these newly discovered molecular
diagnostic tests for pancreatic cancer and HDC intends to immediately
partner with a large clinical laboratory for development, marketing and
commercialization of these tests.

“We are very excited to partner with Drs. Wayne, Kassim and Cooperman
and their colleagues, all experts in pancreatic cancer, to work together
in the development of new molecular diagnostic tests for the early
detection of pancreatic cancer,” said Stephen D. Barnhill, M.D.,
Chairman and CEO of Health Discovery Corporation. “The specimen bank
established by these doctors provides a rare opportunity to accomplish
this vital goal.”

“A century of treating pancreatic cancer leaves much to be humble about.
I believe that working with Dr. Barnhill, his expert scientific team and
the proven SVM technology at Health Discovery Corporation, we have a
unique opportunity to develop a new molecular diagnostic test to
identify pancreatic cancer at a pre-clinical stage early enough to be
treated more effectively than is current practice on today’s patients,”
said Dr. Cooperman, Surgical Director at the Pancreas, Biliary and Liver
Surgery Center.

online medical transcription

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz will be co-chairing, with Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture Bob Bjornerud, the bi-annual meeting of federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Agriculture on Friday, February 5.

Ministers will be available to speak to media following their discussions about economic challenges affecting Canadas agriculture and agri-food sector, farmers and industry.

Presented by HBO® and the National Latino
Media Council, NALIP’s Annual Conference will be held at the
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, Ca. April 9 – 11

Hollywood is on the precipice of a new era: conquering the entertainment
industry is tougher than ever, yet getting your content viewed by the
masses has never been easier. NALIP 2010 will showcase
what is actually working right now for writers, directors, producers and
performers. “The barriers to entry level production are almost
non-existent,” states co-chair Alexis Garcia. “The challenge to becoming
commercially successful, however, is being able to tailor the story you
want to tell and match your aspirations with what the consumer wants to
see and is willing to pay for at the box-office. NALIP 2010
highlights these opportunities for our members.” As the main media
organization for the United States largest ethnic minority, NALIP
provides members and non-members alike an opportunity to learn about
funding directions, and to discuss new models of production and
distribution in a rapidly changing environment.

Latinos comprise less than 1% of executives in Hollywood; the percentage
of minority industry writers in film and television has been frozen at
6% since 1999, and the percentage of directors is lower still; on public
television in the last two years, under 19% of their programs featured
minorities, any minorities, down from 25% ten years ago; and less
than 7% of minority programming is seen in prime time. NALIP serves as a
hub for the development of untold stories and fresh approaches to media
production, both locally and globally. “The NALIP conference provides
both new and seasoned content providers with opportunities, insider
knowledge and tools for success, while cultivating and inspiring
ingenuity. Creating content you are passionate about and that appeals to
a broad audience takes just the right mixture of timing, talent and
determination. NALIP is a compass and guide through the unknown,” states
co-chair Peter Murrieta. For the eleventh year in a row, NALIP answers
the call by remaining the premiere resource for Latinos in the
entertainment industry and provides tools that are essential to making
it in Hollywood.

NALIP will bring in heavy hitters like CNN’s Soledad O’Brien to give a
keynote speech and QA with attendees. Additionally, NALIP 2010
will recognize Latino media luminaries for their exemplary contribution
to the entertainment industry in the following categories: Lifetime
Achievement Award goes to renowned actor Martin Sheen; Lifetime
Achievement for Advocacy goes to NHMC Chair and longtime media activist
Alex Nogales; and Outstanding Achievement Awards go to Emmy-award
winning producer Peter Murrieta and new 2009 talk show host and star
George Lopez. In addition, NALIP recognizes the Disney/ABC Television
group for their dedication to diversity and commitment to Latino media.
Two “rising star” filmmakers will be awarded the $7,500 Estela Award
grants, endowed by the McDonald’s corporation.

kneeling chairs

Results find 96% of consumers satisfied with work done by
independent auto repair shops

BOSTON — The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers today announced the results of
the most recent poll to determine the true need for the so-called Right
to Repair bill. Commissioned by the Alliance, The Clarus Research Group
surveyed 501 Massachusetts residents over the age of 18 who own or
regularly use one car that is no longer covered by the original
manufacturers warranty to determine if in fact consumers found
independent auto repairers unable to complete necessary automobile
maintenance and repair work.

The results show that 96% of consumers surveyed were satisfied with the
repair and maintenance work done to their cars by independent auto
repairers. And contrary to the proponents’ claims that this issue is an
epidemic in need of immediate action, only 17% percent of respondents
even knew the legislation existed.

The poll found that consumers are overwhelmingly satisfied with repair
work completed at independent auto repair shops. 91% of consumers who go
to independent auto repair shops said that they have never had a problem
getting their car serviced or repaired because the shop couldnt get
information or tools from the manufacturer. Additional results show the
independent auto repairers are already completing consumers repair
needs.

The poll also confirmed that important role independent repair shops
play in the vehicle repair industry. 58% of consumers bring their
automobile to an independent auto repair shop post warranty rather than
a dealership, while only 26% of consumers bring the car to a dealership
for post warranty repair (the remaining answered either they do the work
themselves or they did not know).

Registration for the annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, set this year for May 2, is now open. The tour that includes more than 60 gardens is free, but preregistration is required to ensure a ticket on the popular tour.

Brisbane Carpet Cleaning

Stella-Jones Inc. (or “the Company”) (TSX: SJ), today announced that it has received early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in connection with its proposed acquisition of Tangent Rail Corporation (”Tangent”).

Having received this clearance, the transaction now remains subject to customary closing conditions, including entry into a definitive purchase agreement and satisfactory due diligence. The non-binding letter of intent signed on December 14, 2009 between Stella-Jones and Tangent provides the Company with the exclusive right to negotiate and execute a definitive purchase agreement during the period leading up to the end of the close of the Companys first quarter of 2010 (the “Termination Date”). The parties intend to close the transaction by the Termination Date.

Tangent serves the railroad industry with treated wood products, mainly railway ties, through facilities located in Warrior, Alabama; Terre Haute and Winslow, Indiana; Alexandria, Louisiana and McAlisterville, Pennsylvania. The wood preservative, creosote, is produced at its distilleries in Terre Haute, Indiana and Memphis, Tennessee. Lifecycle solutions, consisting of tie pickup and tie disposal, are carried out at three facilities in Alabama, Minnesota and North Carolina. Tangents sales for the year ended December 31, 2009 are expected to reach approximately US$175 million.

The Company plans to finance the acquisition through a combination of equity and debt, subject to prevailing market conditions.

ABOUT STELLA-JONES

The standard argument for the superiority of the American to the more statist European economic model holds that the former does more to promote economic growth. NATIONAL REVIEW contributor Jim Manzi, writing in National Affairs, argues that the American model, to be sustained, must incorporate reforms to enable the least fortunate to improve their lot.
Colasoft, an innovative provider of all-in-one
and easy-to-use network analyzer software, today announced the newest version
of its flagship product — Capsa Network Analyzer. Version 7.1 is based on the
second-generation Colasoft Packet Analysis Engine (CSPAE), which substantially
improved the data processing speed and guaranteed the analysis performance in
large traffic networks.

“With the latest Microsoft Office 2007 style, Colasoft Capsa 7.1 provides you
with a brand new user interface and enhanced user experience. The new design
is intended to display statistics and diagnosis data in a simple-straight and
graphical style so that users can get what they want with less clicks,” said
Kevin Zhou, director of marketing. “Some unique features and ideas are introduced
to Capsa 7.1, like Network Profile, this function allows user to set and save
network profiles for different environments (departments, clients), making their
analysis more customized, accurate and efficient. Another prominent feature is
Analysis Profile which provides flexible, extensible and effective analysis
performance based on users analysis objectives.”

Following are the top 10 new features in Capsa 7.1:

About Capsa

Carports Melbourne

Reporters largely ignored it, but the Department of Health and Human Services released a study showing that Head Starts positive effects peter out by the end of first grade. The study included 44 tests, of which 42 found no statistically significant and lasting improvement. Some positive results are to be expected when you run that many tests, and a footnote points out that the two apparently lasting results disappear after correcting for that tendency.
Stella-Jones Inc. (or “the Company”) (TSX: SJ), today announced that it has received early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in connection with its proposed acquisition of Tangent Rail Corporation (”Tangent”).

Having received this clearance, the transaction now remains subject to customary closing conditions, including entry into a definitive purchase agreement and satisfactory due diligence. The non-binding letter of intent signed on December 14, 2009 between Stella-Jones and Tangent provides the Company with the exclusive right to negotiate and execute a definitive purchase agreement during the period leading up to the end of the close of the Companys first quarter of 2010 (the “Termination Date”). The parties intend to close the transaction by the Termination Date.

Tangent serves the railroad industry with treated wood products, mainly railway ties, through facilities located in Warrior, Alabama; Terre Haute and Winslow, Indiana; Alexandria, Louisiana and McAlisterville, Pennsylvania. The wood preservative, creosote, is produced at its distilleries in Terre Haute, Indiana and Memphis, Tennessee. Lifecycle solutions, consisting of tie pickup and tie disposal, are carried out at three facilities in Alabama, Minnesota and North Carolina. Tangents sales for the year ended December 31, 2009 are expected to reach approximately US$175 million.

The Company plans to finance the acquisition through a combination of equity and debt, subject to prevailing market conditions.

ABOUT STELLA-JONES

On Friday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius will join Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Director Thomas Frieden in announcing the release of new grants to
states and U.S. territories to support public health efforts to reduce
obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease
smoking.

Water tank

Leading Provider of One-Click Access to Apartment Information
Revamps Web Site in Response to Consumers’ Wants and Needs, Gives
Advertisers Enhanced Traffic and Lead Volume

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — As the leading source of critical information for apartment seekers in
the multi-family industry, ApartmentFinder.com
has launched its new 5.0 web site to provide apartment shoppers with a
simplified, better search experience, and drive higher lead volume for
advertisers.

With one of the largest collections of apartments for rent anywhere
online, ApartmentFinder.com provides one-click access to apartment
information, and has re-engineered its site in direct response to what
consumers said they want and respond to.

“In the first two weeks after launching ApartmentFinder.com 5.0,
our e-mail lead conversion rate more than doubled, and we experienced
235% improvement in advertiser URL click-through conversion and a 49%
increase in lead generation, creating more high-quality leads for our
customers during an especially challenging time in the business cycle.
Combined with its 65% increase in unique visitors over the past year as
a result of proprietary SEO optimization techniques, ApartmentFinder.com
has established itself as the pre-eminent fixed-cost, high-volume lead
generator in the multi-family category,” said Marcia Bollinger,
president of Apartment Finder.

The smarter, simpler, more powerful ApartmentFinder.com 5.0 provides
more options for shoppers to connect with advertisers. Features include:

The following is a statement from The
American Consumer Institute (ACI):

We applaud yesterdays statement by the U.S. Department of Justice
expressing its problems with the proposed Google Book Search Settlement,
stating that the settlement is “an attempt to use the class action
mechanism to implement forward-looking business arrangements that go far
beyond the dispute before the court in this litigation.” We wholeheartedly
agree.

Because the deal would give Google the first and only online search book
deal and allow Google to use some authored works without compensation, and
because Google already has a formidable share in the search and search
advertising markets, the settlement would hand Google a market advantage
that other competitors cannot overcome. We believe that these
anticompetitive risks outweigh any public benefits.

“Considering that this process began with Google allegedly violating author
copyrights by scanning and putting books online, it would seem that the
current deal is a reward for illegal behavior when punishment is in order,”
noted Steve Pociask, president of the American Consumer Institute. “For
other firms to compete against Google, they would need to violate copyright
laws, be sued and settle on their own, losing valuable first mover
advantage. The public benefit of an online book database should not be a
justification for permitting illegal activities and using the courts class
action process to cement a profitable business venture.”

The American Consumer Institute believes that Google should be required
either to: 1) destroy the copyrighted materials that it illegally copied;
or 2) provide all would-be competitors the same materials that were
illegally scanned and give all competitors the same settlement terms as
Google. Then all competitors would be free to add works, differentiate
their product and customize their service offerings to the public. “Our
approach would put these authors works online for the benefit of the
public, without sacrificing the benefits of market competition,” added
Pociask.

STAMFORD, Conn. — InsightExpress, a leading digital marketing research firm,
released today Mobile InsightNorms through Q4 2009, including a
comparison of mobile media types and verticals. Benchmarked to the
impact of online advertising, these findings continue to show the power
of mobile as an advertising channel.

The study used norms developed in online ad testing as a benchmark to
draw conclusions around the performance of advertising on mobile
devices. InsightExpress compared the two using InsightNorms, the
company’s normative database containing over one thousand online ad
effectiveness campaigns and over one hundred mobile ad effectiveness
campaigns. Mobile InsightNorms are based on InsightExpress’ flagship
mobile brand effectiveness solution, Mobile AdInsights, which employs a
test/control design to measure the brand impact of mobile advertising
campaigns.

InsightExpress found mobile campaign norms were 4.5 to 5 times higher
than online norms against measures of unaided awareness, aided
awareness, ad awareness, message association, brand favorability and
purchase intent. “Online campaigns continue to offer exceptional reach,
flexibility and variety,” said Joy Liuzzo, Senior Director of Marketing
Mobile Research at InsightExpress. “However, the high levels of
engagement, the explosion in technical capabilities, low levels of
clutter and the novelty of mobile advertising all likely contribute to
increased brand impact.”

A comparison of three different mobile media types (Mobile Internet, SMS
and Mobile video) revealed that Mobile Internet is the current
powerhouse. Mobile Internet campaigns resulted in increases of 9
percentage points for unaided awareness, 9 percentage points for aided
awareness and 24 percentage points for ad awareness. SMS is also
effective at increasing upper level purchase funnel metrics such as
awareness measures. SMS campaigns generated increases of 5 percentage
points for unaided awareness, 10 percentage points for aided awareness
and 18 percentage points for ad awareness.

Mobile video is still emerging, but shows campaign impact on par with
SMS across most key brand metrics. This channel drove especially strong
results against brand favorability. With an increase of 13 percentage
points, compared to 12 percentage points for Mobile Internet and 7
percentage points for SMS, mobile video is demonstrating promise as a
way to move the important brand favorability measure.

training collar

AMC Best Picture ShowcaseSM Changes
Include Spreading Events Throughout Two Weekends; Guests Invited to Help
Select Show Schedule Lineup for First Time Ever

With the doubling of nominated films in 2010, this year’s program will
be divided among back-to-back weekends, Saturday, Feb. 27 and Saturday,
March 6. The Oscar® “Best Picture” nominees include “Avatar,”
“The Blind Side,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “The Hurt Locker,”
“Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by
Sapphire,” “A Serious Man,” “Up” and “Up in the Air.”

New this year, guests will be invited to select the films to
join box office smash hit “Avatar” (in 3D*) the first weekend of the
Showcase via an online poll. This feature allows guests the
unprecedented opportunity to help design the program’s show schedule for
the first time.

As in previous years, with the purchase of a pass, attendees receive a
large popcorn with unlimited refills and a souvenir lanyard,
which will feature artwork from the 10 nominated films and will give
guests the freedom to come and go throughout the event.

“China environmentally friendly tricycle market analysis” is an
invaluable asset for anyone who wants to invest in the environmentally
friendly tricycle industry, to import into/from China, to build
factories in China, to partner with one of the key Chinese corporations,
or to compete in the segment. The report provides in-depth analysis and
detailed insight into the environmentally friendly tricycle industry,
market drivers, key enterprises and their strategies, as well as
technologies and investment status, risks and trends.

Data sources: National statistics organizations, market research
(monitoring) center, industry associations (institutes), import/export
statistics organizations.

Data periods: Recent 3 to 5 years.

Chapters:

KAWASAKI, Japan DUESSELDORF, Germany SANTA CLARA, Calif. — NEC Electronics (TOKYO: 6723) today introduced its new Camera Engine 151
(CE151) system-on-chip (SoC) , an image-processing device for camera
phones to provide clear and high-quality images comparable to
digital-still cameras (DSCs).

In 2007, NEC Electronics launched the CE131 SoC, which provided the
eight-megapixel mobile-phone market segment with accumulated shipments
exceeding 30 million units. NEC Electronics also introduced the CE143
SoC in 2009, which enabled processing of 12-megapixel images and full
high-definition (HD) video. To continue this success, the new CE151 SoC
provides advanced picture quality, performance, and functions for still
images and video data, using even lower power consumption.

The new SoC also enables mobile phones to output full-HD (1080-pixel)
video stream and still-image data up to 13 megapixels received by the
CMOS sensor. The Camera Engine Software Platform is designed for
re-usability with a rich and easy-to-use command-layer
application-programming interface (API). Backward compatibility with
previous NEC Electronics’ CE series supports a smooth transition for
existing customers to reach new heights in camera performance and
functionality in mobile phones.

1) Further improved noise-reduction
function

kauai luau

Starbucks has brushed aside a request from a gun control advocacy group to ban the display of guns in its retail locations, saying it will abide by laws that allow patrons to openly carry unloaded weapons. “Starbucks does not have a corporate policy regarding customers and weapons; we defer to federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding this issue,” Starbucks customer relations department said in response to the Brady Campaigns request. The head of a local chapter of the Brady Campaign was disappointed by the response. “I dont want someone who carries a gun into a store to be making life-and-death decisions. I dont think its safe for them to be there,” said Griffin Dix, who leads the Oakland-Alameda County chapter, which has more than 500 members and other chapters in San Mateo and Contra Costa counties.
Company’s Annual Giving Reaches New High Donating $1 Million

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Despite a slow economy, Dutch
Bros. Coffee ended 2009 on a high note that included a nearly six
percent sales increase over last year and a rise in company giving.

Founded by two Southern Oregon dairy farming brothers in 1992, the fun-loving
and spirited private coffee company opened 13 new stores in 2009. There
are now 153 locations across Oregon, California, Washington, Idaho,
Nevada, Colorado and Arizona, with plans to open an additional 10 stores
in existing markets throughout 2010.

The company’s success has extended past coffee and is reflected in its
community giving. Dutch Bros. reinvests one percent of annual gross
sales back into the community, donating nearly $1 million in 2009 to
nonprofit organizations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association,
American Cancer Society and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

“We know this past year has been tough on a lot of people, so the fact
that our customers are sticking with us and supporting their local
franchises means a lot,” said Travis Boersma, co-founder of Dutch Bros.
Coffee. “Dutch Bros.’ success is a collaborative effort and I’d like to
thank everyone who helped us raise record breaking amounts for
non-profits this year.”

Coffee Roaster

Byline: CHRIS ROBERTS HUDDERSFIELD Giants success in 2009 has been reflected on the betting front ahead of Super League XV. Head coach Nathan Browns men finished last season in third place and reached the Challenge Cup final. And on the back of a positive recruitment front, they have caught the attention of bookmakers William Hill. As a result, they have been backed from 16-1 last season to 12-1 this to finish top of the table.
A St. Francois County jury found that AmerenUE was not at fault when a man died trying to cut down branches that his wife alleged the utility company should have removed. In June 2006, Louise Falch contacted Ameren to remove branches from the pole-to-pole power lines on her property in rural St. Francois County. She claimed the branches needed to be removed by the company because they created a dangerous condition and that her husband, Alvin, needed the branches to be removed so he could begin on a construction project to build a garage. Louise Falch contacted the company twice in June. On Aug. 19, 2006, Alvin Falch, 65, tried to trim the branches himself. He tied an extension ladder to a tree. While trying to cut the branches, Falch fell. It is presumed he died from the trauma of the fall. He was found a few days later; his wife had been out of town. No autopsy was performed, but no signs indicated that Falch was electrocuted. Louise Falch filed a wrongful death suit against Ameren claiming the company was negligent in failing to respond to her service requests.

Aluminium Loft Ladder

ENCORE RENAISSANCE RESOURCES CORP. (TSX VENTURE: EZ)(FRANKFURT: OUH1)(PINK SHEETS: ERRCF) Encore Renaissance Resources Corp. (the “Company”) reports on the initial sampling results of a quartz vein and veined stock work zone discovered on the Bonaparte Gold Project decline. This is one of numerous repetitious quartz veined systems expected to be encountered through the development of Encores underground mine plans. The quartz sulphide zone is trending north by north-east with sets of veins trending east-west and includes the randomly broad network of quartz sulphide stock work zoned as a high-level porphyry deposit that have been identified. The new vein 20 zone was encountered 12.07 metres down from the portal entrance and is currently still extracting well mineralized quartz sulphide ore at the decline heading face. To date Feb 1st the vein zone is currently 34.50 metres in length to our next blast round. Advancement through our development is still in highly mineralized quartz-sulphide dioritic intrusive. At the current decline heading this indicates that this continues on for some distance.

Michael Mulberry, President of the company stated, “The results from the mine continue to verify our initial opinions on the potential for the Bonaparte Mine to become a reality. We still have more milestones to achieve on this prospect, however all indications are equal to or better than expected to date. Management is optimistic about what 2010 will bring for Encore shareholders as the company develops our flagship property.”

At this point our development plan for the decline is to turn to the south-east direction heading for numerous other highly mineralized multi-ounce gold veins known to the east, and then to the west to the Crow vein. With the scale of intensity and the regular random nature of the veins and stock work veins so far exposed on surface and underground, we anticipate further discoveries. This method of development mining will build strong continuity on understanding the geology and structural nature of the veins in a three dimensional model.

Large multi-samples per interval sampling method will clearly identify bulk minable zones and mining will continue on high grade zones, continually stock piling for shipping to the Kinross Republic Mine in Washington State.

The 20 vein is comprised of an assemblage of semi-massive irregular clusters of sulphide chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, and minor tetrahedrite. Two vein samples assayed 43.5 g/t over 1.02 metres and 69.2 g/t over 1.26 metres and all of this material is stock piled for shipping. All other grade material will also be stock piled. Throughout the vein and stock works the same characteristics are shown as in the Crow vein ore and in all known veins.

MINNEAPOLIS — Stratasys, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSYS), announced today that it will release
financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 and hold a
conference call with investors on Wednesday, February 17, 2010. The
Company plans to hold the conference call to discuss its fourth quarter
financial results on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

To participate by telephone, the domestic dial-in number is 800-299-0433
and the international dial-in is 617-801-9712. The access code is
22588899. Investors are advised to dial into the call at least ten
minutes prior to the call to register.

The webcast will be available for 90 days on the “Investors” page of the
Stratasys Web site or at the provided web address.

In the news release,
“Sino Green Land to Supply Green Foods to East Timor Through Cooperative
Agreement,” issued Monday, January 11, by Sino Green Land Corporation
(OTCBB: SGLA), we are advised that the company wishes to clarify that the
Government of Timor-Leste has not endorsed the companys participation in
the development of the agricultural sector of East Timor and/or the
companys proposed business or investment activities. Complete corrected
text follows.

Sino Green Land Announces Plans to Supply Green Foods to East Timor Through
Cooperative Agreement With Members of the Private Sector

NEW YORK, NY and GUANGZHOU, CHINA — January 11, 2010 — Sino Green Land
Corporation (OTCBB: SGLA), a leading distributor of high-end fruits and
vegetables in China, today announced the signing of a cooperation agreement
with local business representatives in Timor-Leste (”East Timor”).

Mr. Anson Fong, Chairman, stated, “After extensive discussion and a
thorough examination of our operations and facilities, we are pleased to
announce this cooperation agreement with local business representatives in
East Timor. Sino Green Land hopes to introduce and promote green foods and
cooperate with the local business representatives to participate in and
contribute to the development of agricultural opportunities in East Timor.
This is an important geographic expansion for Sino Green Land and we are
excited about the potential prospects.

About Sino Green Land Corporation

healthy diet plans

The conference, organized by the Indian Podiatry Association (IPA), aimed to help podiatrists and researchers with an interest in foot disease to “update, interact, modernize and catch up with the advancing pace of scientific development in the field of podiatry.” Dr. Jiangs talk, titled “Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell and Clinical Application Prospects in Diabetic Foot Disease,” outlined the promise of stem cells in the healing of diabetic wounds and diabetic foot pathology. “I am excited to have had this opportunity to discuss the role that stem cell therapy can play in healing diabetic wounds and related foot conditions,” said Dr. Susan Jiang, speaking after the Conference. “India is one of the first countries to put forth clear and practical guidelines on the clinical use of stem cells. It has also been at the forefront in embracing this new technology, and utilizing its potential clinical applications. Together with leading clinicians in the field, Beike India is preparing a clinical trial of stem cell treatment in diabetic foot disease. Our pilot studies in China suggest that stem cell treatment will become a very practical and effective clinical intervention. We are happy to share our observations from our stem cell therapy studies with the Indian clinical community.” Dr. Jiangs presentation highlighted the results and techniques used in Beikes Diabetic Foot clinical study performed in China. In December 2008, Beike completed a prospective clinical study scientifically testing the therapeutic value that autologous mononuclear stem cell therapy holds for diabetic lower-limb ischemia. In this 12 month follow-up study, of the 324 subjects who received stem cell therapy, 283 (87.3%) showed significant improvements indicated by clinical indicator tests performed 3 times over the treatment period. The mechanism for these improvements requires more scientific inquiry before it is fully understood, however, Dr. Jiang discussed how the studys data supported the angiogenesis hypothesis, which states that locally injected stem cells can enhance the growth of new blood vessels in poorly vascularized areas. The study collected angiographic, skin temperature, blood oxygen and other data to record the effects of possible angiogenesis. Dr. Jiangs presentation was well received by the doctors and specialists in attendance, some expressing interest in future stem cell therapy collaborations using Beike stem cell technology and protocols. The conferences scientific sessions, like Dr. Jiangs, helped participants to further their understanding of clinical care for patients with diabetes and encouraged networking between the physicians and other foot care professionals in attendance. It also acted as a resource for participants to obtain up-to-date information on theory and management of diabetic foot disorders while serving to increase awareness of recent diabetic foot disorder research. The meeting emphasized the importance of incorporating effective treatment strategies for limb preservation based on available technologies and the need for a multidisciplinary team approach.
THE elderly can now be one jump ahead when it comes to foot care. University of Huddersfield students have introduced a service which means they wont have to wait for NHS or private care. Elderly members of charity Age Concern can now be treated at the universitys Podiatry Clinic for just pounds 7.50 per assessment. Trainee podiatrists will see the patients, watched closely by their tutors. The referrals to the clinic will come from local doctors or through Age Concern.

New York Podiatrist

Thursday, February 11, 2010Monica Busta Ryhmes

Friday, February 12, 2010The Ultimate Celebrity
Experience-Ultra VIP Event

Saturday, February 13, 2010Carmen Electra and Holly
Madison host The Playmate Playground

AMPM Lounge300 N. Akard, in the Mosaic building, downtown Dallas

FT. MYERS, Fla. — On February 10th 2009, Florida Governor Charlie Crist joined President
Obama at a now infamous town hall meeting in Ft. Myers to support the
$800 billion stimulus bill. This colossal waste of money increased the
national debt, did not help the economy and failed to prevent tremendous
job losses in Florida and across the country. But Gov. Crist stood
hand-in-hand with President Obama nonetheless and applauded his big
government scheme that would cost taxpayers dearly.

That is why FreedomWorks PAC has endorsed Marco Rubio as a “Champion
of Freedom” and why Chairman Armey will be celebrating
(sarcastically, of course) the “Hug’s” one-year anniversary with Rubio
at a special event next Wednesday, February, 10th, at the
Harborside Event Center in Ft. Myers – the exact same location of the
Crist-Obama Hug!

This event is open to Florida FreedomWorks members and the media and
will serve as a reminder to the people of Florida that they have a clear
choice between the two candidates in the Republican primary battle for
this U.S. Senate seat. Please see event details below:

What:FreedomWorks
PAC “Hug” Anniversary Event with Dick Armey and Marco Rubio

When:Wednesday,
February 10th7 p.m. – 9 p.m.Doors open at 6
p.m.

celebrity gossip

Artisan Stone Furnishings, a business with
over fifty years of experience creating quality stone working, today
announced the launch of their new line of StoneLite Furniture products. The
fresh offerings of coffee tables, end tables, dining room tables and
pedestals combine the beauty of rich granite and silky marble stone with
the ease of self-assembly. This is due to the patented modular design of
StoneLite Furniture products, known as “Quick-Lock,” that allow most pieces
to be assembled by one person in about 180 seconds.

The new line of granite and marble furniture utilizes an innovative system
of constructing stone panels through the use of the highest quality granite
or marble stones glazed on top of a hardened lightweight core. The result
is a light and exceptionally attractive stone base on which glass tops are
laid. Whereas traditional stone tables were up to 25 lbs per square foot in
weight, StoneLite Furniture tables are only 6.5 lbs per square foot. The
lightweight and flat packaging makes drop shipping possible.

Each delivery of granite and marble slabs are personally sourced from only
the top stone quarries from around the world by founder and President of
Artisan Stone Furnishings, Mike Nickel. “Our half a century of experience
working with stone has given us the unique expertise of understanding how
to spot quality granite and marble,” says Nickel. “Each StoneLite Furniture
table uses only the finest stone which has been meticulously inspected for
quality. The result is a stunning piece that instantly adds class to any
indoor or outdoor setting.”

Nickel credits the recent economic downturn for his inspiration. “Great
ideas are often born from necessity,” continues Nickel. “We saw a need in
the market for affordable granite and marble tables that didnt break your
bank or break your back. Our goal was to provide the finest stone tables at
prices everyone could afford and could be assembled by anyone in about
three minutes.”

Videos on the StoneLite Furniture website indeed demonstrate how various
pieces are assembled by one person within three minutes or less.

This study considers the Greek marble and granite sector. As we all
know, Greece has a long tradition in marble and it is one of the most
well-known producer countries of marble worldwide. A great number of
companies operate in this sector and they strive to cope with the
intense competition that is prevailing on a global scale as efficiently
as possible, by developing their export business and promoting Greek
products in the international market.

Greek industries are forced to do business within the limits imposed to
them by the institutional framework (regarding the operation licenses of
quarries, environmental reasons, and so on). As a consequence, their
quarrying activity is in certain cases bounded, making them import the
required raw material (mainly from third countries).

As for granite, it is a competing product to marble and it is imported
since it cannot be mined in Greece. It is more resistant and more
uniform compared to marble and that is why, despite its high price, it
is often preferred by consumers.

With its abundant marble deposits, the Greek marble sector is one of the
most important sectors of the economy. It is comprised of numerous
companies among which competition is becoming fiercer. Specifically, the
sector is made up of a few large-sized companies, which not only quarry
marble blocks but also process and manufacture final products, as well
as many smaller-sized companies which usually only process marble and
granite. It is important to underline that the number of companies whose
business involves granite is small, and the majority of them is also
active in the marble sector. Granite is imported since there are no
granite resources in Greece.

marble countertops

By Martha Stewart Dear Martha: Im in the market for a rolling pin. What options are available in terms of style and material? Answer: Rolling pins fall into two categories: those with handles and those without. Classically designed American pins have handles fitted with ball bearings. Handle-free models, called French pins, are uniform in diameter or taper at the ends. The French style offers more hands-on control and greater mobility when rolling dough and is generally preferred by professional cooks. In terms of material, wooden pins are reliable and the most common. The best are made from a hardwood, such as maple or beech; those made of pine and other softwoods are effective but dent easily and can pit the dough. Marble pins are pricier but have an added benefit: The stone (especially when chilled beforehand) helps the dough stay cool and minimizes sticking, which is key when working with pastry.
Artisan Stone Furnishings, a business with
over fifty years of experience creating quality stone working, today
announced the launch of their new line of StoneLite Furniture products. The
fresh offerings of coffee tables, end tables, dining room tables and
pedestals combine the beauty of rich granite and silky marble stone with
the ease of self-assembly. This is due to the patented modular design of
StoneLite Furniture products, known as “Quick-Lock,” that allow most pieces
to be assembled by one person in about 180 seconds.

The new line of granite and marble furniture utilizes an innovative system
of constructing stone panels through the use of the highest quality granite
or marble stones glazed on top of a hardened lightweight core. The result
is a light and exceptionally attractive stone base on which glass tops are
laid. Whereas traditional stone tables were up to 25 lbs per square foot in
weight, StoneLite Furniture tables are only 6.5 lbs per square foot. The
lightweight and flat packaging makes drop shipping possible.

Each delivery of granite and marble slabs are personally sourced from only
the top stone quarries from around the world by founder and President of
Artisan Stone Furnishings, Mike Nickel. “Our half a century of experience
working with stone has given us the unique expertise of understanding how
to spot quality granite and marble,” says Nickel. “Each StoneLite Furniture
table uses only the finest stone which has been meticulously inspected for
quality. The result is a stunning piece that instantly adds class to any
indoor or outdoor setting.”

Nickel credits the recent economic downturn for his inspiration. “Great
ideas are often born from necessity,” continues Nickel. “We saw a need in
the market for affordable granite and marble tables that didnt break your
bank or break your back. Our goal was to provide the finest stone tables at
prices everyone could afford and could be assembled by anyone in about
three minutes.”

Videos on the StoneLite Furniture website indeed demonstrate how various
pieces are assembled by one person within three minutes or less.

marble countertops

Friendly Energy Exploration (PINKSHEETS: FEGR) is pleased to announce that it has mobilized its production team to
begin developing its Byler lease. Company President Douglas Tallant
states, “We have begun the process of uncapping and reworking the wells of
Byler field this week. We expect to get production and reserve numbers from
seven wells on this lease over the next two months.”

The Byler lease totals 372 acres, of which approximately 57% is in a
defined Fry Sand oil field. Of the 17 wells, two are water injection wells,
11 are Fry wells and four are Marble Falls wells. Of the Fry wells, we
expect to rework only five, because the other six have environmental
problems for which the previous operator is responsible. Of the Marble
Falls wells, we expect to rework only two, because one had a tool dropped
down the hole and the other will probably be uneconomic to rework. It may
be feasible to drill some of the Fry wells deeper and recomplete in the
Caddo or Marble Falls.

The company would also like to announce that one of the water injected
wells at its Panther Creek field will be plugged early next week. Following
completion of this process, they expect to ship oil from this field to
market with the approval of the Texas Railroad Commission.

This news release contains information that is “forward-looking” in that it
describes events and conditions, which Friendly Energy Exploration (”FEGR”)
reasonably expects to occur in the future. Expectations for the future
performance of the business of FEGR are dependent upon a number of factors,
and there can be no assurance that FEGR will achieve the results as
contemplated herein and there can be no assurance that FEGR will be able to
conduct its operations or production from its properties will result from
or continue as contemplated herein. Certain statements contained in this
report using the terms “may,” “expects to,” and other terms denoting future
possibilities, are forward-looking statements. The accuracy of these
statements cannot be guaranteed as they are subject to a variety of risks,
which are beyond the Companys ability to predict, or control and which may
cause actual results to differ materially from the projections or estimates
contained herein. FEGR disclaims any obligation to update any
forward-looking statement made herein.

Artisan Stone Furnishings, a business with
over fifty years of experience creating quality stone working, today
announced the launch of their new line of StoneLite Furniture products. The
fresh offerings of coffee tables, end tables, dining room tables and
pedestals combine the beauty of rich granite and silky marble stone with
the ease of self-assembly. This is due to the patented modular design of
StoneLite Furniture products, known as “Quick-Lock,” that allow most pieces
to be assembled by one person in about 180 seconds.

The new line of granite and marble furniture utilizes an innovative system
of constructing stone panels through the use of the highest quality granite
or marble stones glazed on top of a hardened lightweight core. The result
is a light and exceptionally attractive stone base on which glass tops are
laid. Whereas traditional stone tables were up to 25 lbs per square foot in
weight, StoneLite Furniture tables are only 6.5 lbs per square foot. The
lightweight and flat packaging makes drop shipping possible.

Each delivery of granite and marble slabs are personally sourced from only
the top stone quarries from around the world by founder and President of
Artisan Stone Furnishings, Mike Nickel. “Our half a century of experience
working with stone has given us the unique expertise of understanding how
to spot quality granite and marble,” says Nickel. “Each StoneLite Furniture
table uses only the finest stone which has been meticulously inspected for
quality. The result is a stunning piece that instantly adds class to any
indoor or outdoor setting.”

Nickel credits the recent economic downturn for his inspiration. “Great
ideas are often born from necessity,” continues Nickel. “We saw a need in
the market for affordable granite and marble tables that didnt break your
bank or break your back. Our goal was to provide the finest stone tables at
prices everyone could afford and could be assembled by anyone in about
three minutes.”

Videos on the StoneLite Furniture website indeed demonstrate how various
pieces are assembled by one person within three minutes or less.

When she was a teenager, author Therese Poletti and her mom used to make Saturday shopping trips to San Francisco from their home in Santa Cruz. Theyd go into the iconic I. Magnin store in Union Square, a clean, unadorned modern building with a white marble facing, large windows without sills, and elegant interiors that was designed by San Francisco architect Timothy Pflueger. “My mom really introduced me — without knowing it — to Pflueger when she brought me to I. Magnins when I was 12 or 13,” said Poletti. Fast forward several decades to 1997. Poletti had just moved back to San Francisco after living in New York City for a decade, where she attended journalism school at Columbia University and worked for Reuters News Service. “I was looking for ways to learn more about San Francisco and to appreciate the city again, which included learning more about its history,” she said.

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Nearly a month has passed since Katherine Truitt vanished at Point Reyes National Seashore while hiking her favorite beach. Her family and friends still nurse a faint hope the 37-year-old woman is out there somewhere, alive. But with each day bringing no word from Truitt or fresh clues as to what happened to her, its getting more and more difficult for them to believe the Alameda resident will one day return home. “Im just dealing with it day-by-day,” said Truitts best friend, Anna Christie, who has scoured McClures Beach for any trace of the missing woman.
Hydrogen Advertising behind Provocative “Is It MS?” Campaign

SEATTLE — The Greater Northwest Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
today unveils its new advertising campaign — “Is It MS?” — created by
Hydrogen Advertising. The new campaign builds upon the just concluded
“Why Here?” campaign, which dramatically increased awareness for this
disease which is so prevalent in the region.

The “Is It MS?” campaign features strikingly beautiful images of the
human body, both of men and women. The work demonstrates that while a
person may look fine physically, multiple sclerosis (MS) may still be
subtly affecting their lives with unpredictable symptoms. The core
message is that if someone is experiencing any of a variety of symptoms
— fatigue, dizziness and numbness, for example — that person or someone
who knows them can call the National MS Society to learn more.

“We made a great impact in local awareness with our last campaign and we
are equally impressed by this new work from Hydrogen,” said Patricia
Shepherd-Barnes, president, Greater Northwest Chapter of the National MS
Society. “The agency delivered a strategy and a creative product that
was right on the mark, via a process that was thorough and effective.”

LIKE MANY WINE GEEKS, I have a deep appreciation for the aromatic white varietals. Wines such as muscat, pinot gris, gewurztraminer and riesling — the queen of them all — are so seductive and hypnotically beautiful that between sips youll either find me dabbing some behind my ears or politely schooling chardonnay drinkers to dump their oak juice for something floral, exotic and spicy. These wines are so revered that regions around the world, particularly those blessed with similar coastal climates, such as the Anderson Valley and appellations in the Pacific Northwest, refer to their versions as Alsatian in style. You can sample aromatic white wines from 33 wineries at the International Alsace Varietals Festival, Feb. 20 and 21 in Mendocino County. The Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association is behind the festival, which has grown steadily yet quietly since its inception five years ago. Its not a shoulder-to-shoulder, large-scale booze fest, like ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) or the other wine events that fill San Franciscos Fort Mason. Rather, surrounded by the unfettered beauty of the Anderson Valley, the festival is a great opportunity to spend some quality time with these charming dry white wines. As far as I know, it is also the only festival dedicated to these wines (Chateau Ste. Michelles Riesling Rendezvous focuses on that grape). And the Anderson Valley certainly has the history to back it up. You may associate the coastal region with pinot noir, but gewurztraminer plantings predate those of the thin-skinned red grape, says Kristy Charles, executive director of the association.

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