12.31
Business Wire, Nov 3, 2008
Addition of Gallaher Insurance Group Extends Regional Coverage in Missouri
BEVERLY, Mass. — Electric Insurance Company, a national provider of auto, homeowners, condominium, and renters insurance, announced today that it has appointed Gallaher Insurance Group, a full service personal lines insurance agency, as an independent agent for the marketing of its personal lines insurance products to the greater Mexico, Missouri market. The agency became licensed to distribute these products as of September 11, 2008.
“Gallaher Insurance Group is a great addition to our growing list of regionally-known independent agents in Missouri,” said Michael Mucher, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Electric Insurance Company. “Their vast experience in insurance brings value to their clients as well as to Electric Insurance’s personal lines insurance products.”
Gallaher Insurance Group has a long history in Missouri. The Group was formed by the merger in 1988 of the two largest agencies in the region, Gallaher Insurance Agency and J.R
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12.30
Of 21 companies still advertising on Fox News Channels Glenn Beck show, nine of them are owned by Fox or its corporate parent, News Corp. (NWS), according to Media Matters. Back in August, Fox insisted that the number of house ads promotions for brands owned by Fox or its sisters, for which the channel [...]
12.29
0 Comments | Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand, Aug 22, 2009
To reduce the road carnage, how about making third-party insurance compulsory, but don’t allow anyone to insure their own car for accidents.
D ADAMS
Northcote
More letters A20
12.27
Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress and anxiety attacks can occur at any time. You know when you are having an attack because your heart starts pounding, your palms sweat, and every muscle in your body tightens, leaving you breathless and feeling helpless. The problem is, you usually don’t know you are having one until you feel your symptoms full-blown in action. Preventing these symptoms can be done and without the aid of expensive medications. If you have the will, you can help reduce the pain and emotional distress of anxiety with just seven simple tips.
During an Attack
- Deep Breaths – Taking deep breaths while feeling an immense amount of anxiety and stress can calm your body physically as well as allow your mind to settle. When you have an attack, you are narrowly focused on what is happening at that exact moment. Breathing slowly and deeply will provide you time to clear your mind of excess worries and take a moment to assess the situation from a logical standpoint.
- Walking or Pacing – If you feel you are experiencing the symptoms of an attack, including constricted or tense muscles, trouble concentrating, fast heart rate, or dizzy spells, take a moment to step away from what it is you are doing and take a quick 5-minute walk outside, taking in the fresh air and change of scenery. If you are unable to go outside, try pacing back and forth or around the area you are in. If you are in an office, take a trip to the water cooler or kitchen and grab a quick snack, even a stroll to the copy machine and back will burn up some of your extra energy.
- Ask for Help – When you feel you are under too much pressure to take care of a task or can sense the symptoms of an attack coming on, ask a coworker or friend to help with what it is you are doing. Having that assistance will take pressure off of your shoulders, allowing you to do the work you need to do with less stress.
Preventing an Attack
- Time to Yourself – Be sure to take at least 15 minutes a day devoted solely to yourself. You can use this time to write, read the paper, sit and think, or go for a quiet walk. Do not think of work, school, or any other issues that tend to cause stress. Use this time to clear your mind and think about things that you like about your life or even just take in the outdoors, a neighborhood park, or local architecture.
- Avoid Caffeine – Caffeine is a stimulant that speeds up your heart rate, makes your body jittery, and causes your thinking patterns to speed through processes and ideas. These are all symptoms of anxiety, so eliminate or minimize foods and drinks that tend to accelerate those feelings and reactions. Instead, have a cup of green tea, which offers a smaller amount of caffeine at a slower release rate.
- Eat Good Foods – Making sure your diet is balanced and healthy will help your body clean out extra toxins that clog your physical and emotional reactions
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12.17
Market Wire, December, 2009
Ipswitch, Inc.’s Network
Management division, developer of innovative network management
solutions, today announced the worldwide availability of WhatsUp Gold Flow
Publisher v1.0 — a unique, traffic monitoring and analysis solution that
extends flow-based analysis to every segment of the network. With Flow
Publisher, customers do not need to:
-- Invest in costly upgrades or replacement of existing equipment to
incorporate flow measurement and reporting capabilities
-- Purchase expensive and hard to deploy hardware probes or flow
appliances for traffic monitoring and analysis
Network managers must understand the nature of the traffic flows traversing
their network. Knowing which applications, users, sources, destinations and
protocols are contributing to network traffic can help them understand the
underlying cause of network congestion. Monitoring traffic flows also helps
uncover instances of unauthorized or malicious bandwidth usage from
external attacks or virus activity. While flow analysis provides the
required information and visibility — the majority of switches and some
routers currently deployed in networks do not have any type of built-in
flow measurement capabilities
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12.17
PR Newswire, Dec 1, 2009
Seven Celebrity Godmothers Inaugurate the World’s Largest and Most Revolutionary Cruise Ship
MIAMI, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Royal Caribbean International officially named its newest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, yesterday, during an elaborate maritime celebration designed especially for the world’s largest and most revolutionary cruise ship. Putting a new twist on one of maritime’s longest standing traditions, the global cruise line was honored to have not one, but seven celebrity godmothers – Gloria Estefan, Daisy Fuentes, Shawn Johnson, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Michelle Kwan, Jane Seymour and Dara Torres – preside over the festivities. The celebration took place throughout the seven signature neighborhoods onboard Oasis of the Seas, culminating with the traditional Champagne bottle breaking ceremony followed by a fireworks display in the AquaTheater, the ship’s dazzling oceanfront theater. Video of the event is available on the ship’s dedicated website, http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/.
> (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091201/FL19391 )
Marking the finale of 10 days of preview sailings, the naming ceremony provided Royal Caribbean the opportunity to give back to the community, doubling as a one-night inaugural celebration-fundraiser to benefit the non-profit Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Celebrities including NBA legend Michael Jordan, Corbin Bleu of High School Musical and Olympic gymnast, Oasis godmother Shawn Johnson and Dancing With the Stars professional dancer, Karina Smirnoff were in attendance, granting the wishes of several children that wanted to meet them. Royal Caribbean has enjoyed a long relationship with Make-A-Wish. Since 2000, the cruise line has hosted more than 1,300 children who wished to go on a cruise to destinations around the world and has contributed more than $2.8 million in in-kind services and $372,000 in discount savings through its Wishes at Sea program. Through employee and guest fundraising efforts, Royal Caribbean has also raised more than $480,000 and 460,000 frequent flier miles, used to secure airline tickets for children’s wish travel and help the Make-A-Wish Foundation conserve critical financial resources. The cruise line donated 1,000 staterooms for this inaugural, once-in-a-lifetime event to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with all proceeds benefiting the nonprofit organization.
As the ultimate expression of Royal Caribbean’s legacy of imagination and innovation, Oasis of the Seas introduces unique industry “firsts” including a neighborhood concept – seven main themed areas providing guests with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences based on their personal style, preference or mood. Within these seven neighborhoods – Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, Pool & Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone – are extraordinary elements such as the first living park at sea; a thrilling zip line that races diagonally nine-decks above an open-air atrium; an original handcrafted carousel; 28 multilevel urban-style loft suites boasting floor-to-ceiling windows; an amphitheater-style theater that serves as a pool by day and a dazzling ocean front theater by night; and an array of epicurean innovations that allow for new culinary experiences each day of a guest’s cruise vacation.
Oasis of the Seas is the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. An architectural marvel at sea, she spans 16 decks, encompasses 225,282 gross registered tons, carries 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and features 2,700 staterooms. Oasis of the Seas is the first ship to tout the cruise line’s new neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which includes Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone
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12.17
Market Wire, December, 2009
Canada-based Naya Spring Water announced today it is
the first bottled spring water company in the world to use 100 percent
recycled plastic in its bottles. Recycled plastic, or rPET, is made from
plastic that was previously used as packaging, then recycled and processed
to create new bottles.
Less Waste
After seven years of R&D;, Naya’s 100 percent rPET (recycled polyethylene
terephthalate) bottles are engineered to utilize plastic waste, which
otherwise could end up in landfills. The rPET plastic used in Naya’s new
bottle is FDA approved and meets the same rigorous safety standards as
virgin plastic bottles. Naya’s pure spring water will be available in the
new bottles in the New York City area beginning this month and the rest of
North America in early 2010.
“We’re proud to be the first major spring water brand to introduce 100
percent recycled plastic bottles, which is a win for the environment as
well as for consumers who enjoy bottled water and want to reduce their
impact,” said Daniel Cotte, president of Naya Waters, Inc. “This innovation
is another demonstration of our commitment to put the environment at the
heart of Naya’s company strategy.”
Less Carbon
Having led the movement to 25 percent and 50 percent rPET last year and
this, Naya is also the first Canadian company to have had the carbon
footprint (full product lifecycle) of some of its products certified by the
Carbon Trust, an independent leader in measuring companies’ carbon
footprints. While turning a used plastic bottle into a clean, reusable
bottle requires energy and emits carbon, using 100 percent rPET versus
virgin plastic significantly reduces both. Specifically, Naya reduces the
full lifecycle carbon footprint of its 1.5 liter bottle by 30 percent when
using 100 percent rPET versus the same bottle made with virgin plastic, as
certified by the Carbon Trust.
“In our work with Naya, we have been impressed by their commitment to
fighting climate change. The 100 percent rPET bottle represents a
significant reduction in carbon over virgin plastic and we applaud this
important step,” said Euan Murray, General Manager, Carbon Footprinting at
the Carbon Trust.
Naya’s commitment to innovation allows the company to set a new standard
for the industry. The company estimates that if just 10 percent of the US
beverage industry adopted 100 percent rPET for its plastic bottles, the
reduced use of virgin plastic would save 715,000 barrels of oil per year.
Naya’s Sustainability Commitment
The launch of Naya’s 100 percent rPET bottle further demonstrates the
company’s leadership to move the bottled water industry to be more
sustainable as a whole. In addition to reducing the impact of bottle
packaging, the company has focused its efforts in three other key areas:
water quality and conservation of natural resources, minimizing operational
impact and recycling.
Through its relationship with 1% for the Planet, Naya gives 1 percent of
total revenues to environmental programs and created the NAYA Waterways
fund with the ‘Fondation de la Faune du Quebec,’ a nonprofit organization
committed to wildlife conservation
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12.17
0 Comments | U.S. Newswire, Dec 1, 2009
To: NATIONAL EDITORS
Contact: Christina Erling of American Federation of Government Employees, 1-202-639-6419
Pay Parity with Military, Private Sector is a Top Priority
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) which represents workers in 75 federal agencies today asks President Obama to reconsider the proposed 2 percent pay raise limit for federal workers in 2010.
AFGE National President John Gage said, “Federal employees work diligently to provide public services, especially when our nation is in crisis. As the demand for public services increases, the federal government must have the ability to retain and recruit the highest quality personnel.”
For decades, AFGE has argued for parity in civilian-military pay adjustments and in favor of market comparability
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12.16
0 Comments | AFP, December, 2009
WASHINGTON (AFP) Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday the US recovery has a “way to go” before it takes root, signaling interest rates will be kept extremely loose for some time to come.
“Though we have begun to see some improvement in economic activity, we still have some way to go before we can be assured that the recovery will be self-sustaining,” Bernanke said in a speech to the Economic Club of Washington.
The economy grew at a 2.8 percent annual pace in the third quarter after four straight quarters of contraction, but high unemployment remains a key obstacle to removing unprecedented public support of the economy.
In the near term, Bernanke said, elevated unemployment and stable inflation expectations should keep inflation “subdued,” adding:…
12.15
New Materials Asia, Dec, 2009
Self-terminated oligomers with hyper-branched architecture (STOBA), the first material technology to enhance the safety of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, have been developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Taiwan, one of the world’s leading high-tech research and development institutions.
Li-ion batteries are often highly unstable as they are susceptible to overheating, which can cause fires and explosions. In 2008, 3.1 billion Li-ion batteries were produced globally, which magnifies the environmental footprint and safety concerns Li-ion batteries present when used in consumer electronics and electric cars. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission confirmed that in May 2009 alone, 70 000 notebook computers were recalled by a major manufacturer, and in 2006, another major brand recalled over 4 million notebooks due to Li-ion battery malfunctions.
In the past, safety standards for Li-ion batteries could not be raised because there was no solution available. To meet the growing demand for safer lithium batteries, ITRI successfully developed STOBA, which has fundamentally resolved the safety issue. By integrating a nano-grade polymer, which forms a protective film much like a nano-grade fuse, into the Li-ion battery, a locking effect is generated when the battery encounters excessive heat, external impact or piercing and interrupts the electrical and chemical action, preventing explosions that threaten consumer safety.
STOBA has passed mandatory shorting and piercing experiments, conducted in 2008 and 2009, by battery manufacturers in Japan and Taiwan
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