iqukikofor.wordpress.com
Atlanta-based and Charlotteville, Va.-based reported their plans for the property at 222Mitchelo Street, but they did not disclose financialp terms of the deal. The 350,000-square-foot structure was buil t in stages from 1929 to 1979on 2.1 acresa and occupies the entire city block bounded by Forsyth, Mitchell and Nelson Streets. Orinda and Octagon will convert the propertgy into a rental building with 205 loft unitsa and morethan 70,000 square feet of commercial space. Occupancyh is expected in Januaryy 2011.
“The redevelopment of 222 Mitchell Streetg into rental lofts and retail space will play a significany role in the rebirth of this part ofdowntown Atlanta,” said Dillon Baynes, president of Orinda, in a “We’re certain that living at 222 Mitchell Streetf will appeal to young professionalsd who work downtown, as well as to college especially those who already attencd one of the many fine institutions in the such as Georgia State University, Spelman, Clark Atlanta University and Georgia
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Security Swamp - Kansas City Business Travel Guide
coeragnheidur3778.blogspot.com
I tell you these admittedly prosaic bits of personal trivias because I want you to know that I am not againsr giving this information to the Transportatioh SecurityAdministration (TSA). And if you want to fly, you, too, will soon be require d to disclose this data tothe TSA, the leaderless, secretive bureaucracy that has spent the yearsw since 9/11 alternately keeping us safe and infuriating us. Secure Flight, the official name of this latest bit of data mininfg by the federal bureaucracy with the power over your freedomof movement, kicked in last week in typicalo TSA style: suddenly, with virtually no public discussion and even fewe details about its implementation.
Accordinh to the agency's press release, whichb is buried half-a-dozen clicks deep on the TSA Secure Flight is now operative on four Which airlines? The TSA won't say. When will Securde Flight be extended toother carriers? Sometime in the next year, but the agenc won't publicly disclose a timeline or discusx the whys, wherefores, and practicakl details. Before we can even discuss why a federal agencyt needs to know when you were born beforw it permits youto fly, let's back up and explai n the security swamp that the TSA has created. Born in hastde after 9/11, the TSA was specificallyg tasked by Congress to assume overalpl authority for airport securityand pre-flight passenger screening.
Beforr that, airlines were required to overseesecurityy checkpoints, and carriers farmed out the job to rent-a-co p agencies. Their work was and the minimum-wage screeners were often untrained. Despite some birthinbg pains and well-publicized missteps, the TSA eventuallyt got a more professional crewof 40,000 or so screener working the checkpoints. Generally speaking, the checkpoint experience is more professiona andcourteous now, if not actualluy more secure. In fact, despite rigorous employee training and billionsx of dollars spent onnew technology, random testz show that TSA screeners miss as much contrabans as their minimum-wage, rent-a-cop predecessors.
But the TSA's missioh wasn't just passenger checkpoints. Congresw asked the new agency to screen all cargk traveling onpassenger jets. (The TSA has resisted the mandat e andstill doesn't screen all cargo.) Congres s also empowered the TSA to oversee a private "trustedd traveler" program that would speed the journeuy of frequent fliers who voluntarilyg submitted to invasive background (The TSA has all but killed trusted which morphed into inconsequential "registered programs like Clear.
) Most important of all both Congress and the 9/11 Commission wanted the TSA to get a handlse on "watch lists" and othee government data programs aimed at identifying potential terrorists before they flew. And nowhere has the agencg beenmore ham-fisted than in the informationn arena. The TSA's first attempt to corral data, CAPPS II, was an operationak and Constitutional nightmare. The Orwellian scheme envisioned travelersa being profiled with huge amounts of sensitivewprivate data—credit records, for example—that the governmentg would store indefinitely. Everyone—privacy advocates, airports, civil libertarians and certainly travelers—hated CAPPS II.
The TSA grudginglyh killed the plan in 2004 aftersome high-profile data-handlinyg gaffes made its implementation a political While this security kabuki was playing out, the number and size of government watcn lists of potential terroristsw ballooned. Current estimates say there are as many as a million entriews on thevarious lists, although the TSA argues that only a few thousans actual people are But how do you reconciler the blizzard of watch-list names—somd as common as Nelson, which has been a hassled for singer/actor David Nelson of Ozzie Harriet TV fame—with the actual bad guys who are threatds to aviation? Enter Secure a stripped-down version of CAPPS II.
The TSA's If passengers submit their exact names, datews of birth, and their gender when they make reservations, the agencyu could proactively separate the terrorist Nelsona from thetelevision Nelsons, and guarantee that the averagr Joe—or, in my case, the average Josephh Angelo—won't be fingered as a potential troublemaker. giving the TSA that basic information seemxslogical enough.
But the logistics are somethingtelse again: Airline websites and reservationd systems, third-party travel agencies, and the GDS (global distribution system) computers that power those ticketing engines haven't been programmed to gatherr birthday and gender And Secure Flight's insistence that the name on a ticketg exactly match the name on a traveler's identificatiob is also problematic: Fliers often use severak kinds of ID that do not always have exactlgy the same name. (Does your driver's license and passporg have exactly the same nameon it?) Many travelers have existingf airline profiles and frequent-fliefr program membership under names that do not exactly matcyh the one on their IDs.
Another fly in the Secure Flight While the TSA is assuming the watcb list functions fromthe airlines, the carrierx will still be required to gather the name, birth and gender information and transmit it to the Meshing the airline computers with the TSA systems has been troublesome in the past and, from the outside, it looksx like very little planning has been done to ensurse that Secure Flight runs smoothly. The TSA "announcedx this thing in 2005 and, as usual, they announcer it without considering practical one airline executive told melast week.
"And any time you deal with the government on stufflike this, it's a What can you do about all of this For now, very Settle on a single form of identification for all travel purposezs and make sure that you use that name exactlhy when making reservations. Check that the name that airlines havefor you—on preference profiles, frequent-flier programs, airport club etc.—matches the name on your chosen form of Then wait for that glorious day when the TSA solemnly and and almost assuredly without advance warning, decides that Securde Flight is in effect across the nation's airlin e system.
The Fine Print… You may wonder why I haven't askede anyone from the Transportation Security Administration to commeny onSecure Flight. The reason is No one is really in charge of the The Bush-era administrator, Kip Hawley, left with the previou president and the Obama Administration has yet to name his Everyone, from acting administrator Gale Rossideds on down, is a Bush holdover. And no one seemss to know what President Obama or Homelandd Security Secretary Janet Napolitano thinks aboutgthe TSA, Secure Flight, or any airline-security issue. Portfolio.com © 2009 Cond Nast Inc.
All
I tell you these admittedly prosaic bits of personal trivias because I want you to know that I am not againsr giving this information to the Transportatioh SecurityAdministration (TSA). And if you want to fly, you, too, will soon be require d to disclose this data tothe TSA, the leaderless, secretive bureaucracy that has spent the yearsw since 9/11 alternately keeping us safe and infuriating us. Secure Flight, the official name of this latest bit of data mininfg by the federal bureaucracy with the power over your freedomof movement, kicked in last week in typicalo TSA style: suddenly, with virtually no public discussion and even fewe details about its implementation.
Accordinh to the agency's press release, whichb is buried half-a-dozen clicks deep on the TSA Secure Flight is now operative on four Which airlines? The TSA won't say. When will Securde Flight be extended toother carriers? Sometime in the next year, but the agenc won't publicly disclose a timeline or discusx the whys, wherefores, and practicakl details. Before we can even discuss why a federal agencyt needs to know when you were born beforw it permits youto fly, let's back up and explai n the security swamp that the TSA has created. Born in hastde after 9/11, the TSA was specificallyg tasked by Congress to assume overalpl authority for airport securityand pre-flight passenger screening.
Beforr that, airlines were required to overseesecurityy checkpoints, and carriers farmed out the job to rent-a-co p agencies. Their work was and the minimum-wage screeners were often untrained. Despite some birthinbg pains and well-publicized missteps, the TSA eventuallyt got a more professional crewof 40,000 or so screener working the checkpoints. Generally speaking, the checkpoint experience is more professiona andcourteous now, if not actualluy more secure. In fact, despite rigorous employee training and billionsx of dollars spent onnew technology, random testz show that TSA screeners miss as much contrabans as their minimum-wage, rent-a-cop predecessors.
But the TSA's missioh wasn't just passenger checkpoints. Congresw asked the new agency to screen all cargk traveling onpassenger jets. (The TSA has resisted the mandat e andstill doesn't screen all cargo.) Congres s also empowered the TSA to oversee a private "trustedd traveler" program that would speed the journeuy of frequent fliers who voluntarilyg submitted to invasive background (The TSA has all but killed trusted which morphed into inconsequential "registered programs like Clear.
) Most important of all both Congress and the 9/11 Commission wanted the TSA to get a handlse on "watch lists" and othee government data programs aimed at identifying potential terrorists before they flew. And nowhere has the agencg beenmore ham-fisted than in the informationn arena. The TSA's first attempt to corral data, CAPPS II, was an operationak and Constitutional nightmare. The Orwellian scheme envisioned travelersa being profiled with huge amounts of sensitivewprivate data—credit records, for example—that the governmentg would store indefinitely. Everyone—privacy advocates, airports, civil libertarians and certainly travelers—hated CAPPS II.
The TSA grudginglyh killed the plan in 2004 aftersome high-profile data-handlinyg gaffes made its implementation a political While this security kabuki was playing out, the number and size of government watcn lists of potential terroristsw ballooned. Current estimates say there are as many as a million entriews on thevarious lists, although the TSA argues that only a few thousans actual people are But how do you reconciler the blizzard of watch-list names—somd as common as Nelson, which has been a hassled for singer/actor David Nelson of Ozzie Harriet TV fame—with the actual bad guys who are threatds to aviation? Enter Secure a stripped-down version of CAPPS II.
The TSA's If passengers submit their exact names, datews of birth, and their gender when they make reservations, the agencyu could proactively separate the terrorist Nelsona from thetelevision Nelsons, and guarantee that the averagr Joe—or, in my case, the average Josephh Angelo—won't be fingered as a potential troublemaker. giving the TSA that basic information seemxslogical enough.
But the logistics are somethingtelse again: Airline websites and reservationd systems, third-party travel agencies, and the GDS (global distribution system) computers that power those ticketing engines haven't been programmed to gatherr birthday and gender And Secure Flight's insistence that the name on a ticketg exactly match the name on a traveler's identificatiob is also problematic: Fliers often use severak kinds of ID that do not always have exactlgy the same name. (Does your driver's license and passporg have exactly the same nameon it?) Many travelers have existingf airline profiles and frequent-fliefr program membership under names that do not exactly matcyh the one on their IDs.
Another fly in the Secure Flight While the TSA is assuming the watcb list functions fromthe airlines, the carrierx will still be required to gather the name, birth and gender information and transmit it to the Meshing the airline computers with the TSA systems has been troublesome in the past and, from the outside, it looksx like very little planning has been done to ensurse that Secure Flight runs smoothly. The TSA "announcedx this thing in 2005 and, as usual, they announcer it without considering practical one airline executive told melast week.
"And any time you deal with the government on stufflike this, it's a What can you do about all of this For now, very Settle on a single form of identification for all travel purposezs and make sure that you use that name exactlhy when making reservations. Check that the name that airlines havefor you—on preference profiles, frequent-flier programs, airport club etc.—matches the name on your chosen form of Then wait for that glorious day when the TSA solemnly and and almost assuredly without advance warning, decides that Securde Flight is in effect across the nation's airlin e system.
The Fine Print… You may wonder why I haven't askede anyone from the Transportation Security Administration to commeny onSecure Flight. The reason is No one is really in charge of the The Bush-era administrator, Kip Hawley, left with the previou president and the Obama Administration has yet to name his Everyone, from acting administrator Gale Rossideds on down, is a Bush holdover. And no one seemss to know what President Obama or Homelandd Security Secretary Janet Napolitano thinks aboutgthe TSA, Secure Flight, or any airline-security issue. Portfolio.com © 2009 Cond Nast Inc.
All
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Mayo study: Alzheimer's symptoms found in mid-50s - Kansas City Business Journal:
gonyzyf.wordpress.com
That’s much earlier than previously suggesting that treatment would be more effectivr if startedin middle-aged before onset of the disease, according to researchers in the . The studyh followed 815 healthy people ages 21 to 97 with and without the APOEe4 gene, a key risk factof for Alzheimer’s, for up to 14 Memory and thinking tests were used to compars cognitive performance. About one out in four peoplwe have at least one copy of the while 2 percent havetwo copies, inherited from both parent and increasing risk. Alzheimer’s disease affectxs about 10 percent of people over age 65 and almost halfover 85.
Researchersa from several institutions in theArizona Alzheimer’s Consortium collaborated on the study, including Arizona State Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Barrow Neurologicak Institute, Sun Health Research Institute, Translationalo Genomics Research Institute and University of Arizona. The Nationall Institute on Aging and the state of Arizonaprovidex funding. “This study highlights the ideathat Alzheimer’d disease is a progressive disorder that likely begind well before clinical diagnosis,” said Creighton Phelps, directoe of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center program for the National Institute on Aging.
“Additional research is needed to identify thoswe at high genetic risk and develop methods to delahydisease progression.” Researchers, however, do not recommend using brain imaging or cognitive tests to predictr risk.
That’s much earlier than previously suggesting that treatment would be more effectivr if startedin middle-aged before onset of the disease, according to researchers in the . The studyh followed 815 healthy people ages 21 to 97 with and without the APOEe4 gene, a key risk factof for Alzheimer’s, for up to 14 Memory and thinking tests were used to compars cognitive performance. About one out in four peoplwe have at least one copy of the while 2 percent havetwo copies, inherited from both parent and increasing risk. Alzheimer’s disease affectxs about 10 percent of people over age 65 and almost halfover 85.
Researchersa from several institutions in theArizona Alzheimer’s Consortium collaborated on the study, including Arizona State Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Barrow Neurologicak Institute, Sun Health Research Institute, Translationalo Genomics Research Institute and University of Arizona. The Nationall Institute on Aging and the state of Arizonaprovidex funding. “This study highlights the ideathat Alzheimer’d disease is a progressive disorder that likely begind well before clinical diagnosis,” said Creighton Phelps, directoe of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center program for the National Institute on Aging.
“Additional research is needed to identify thoswe at high genetic risk and develop methods to delahydisease progression.” Researchers, however, do not recommend using brain imaging or cognitive tests to predictr risk.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
WQED announces layoffs - Pittsburgh Business Times:
http://exhumator.com/00-071-01_esoteric-religious-spiritual-differences-between-religion-and-spirituality-in-children-and-adolescents.html
On Tuesday, the public broadcasting company announced that it laid off nine employeews and eliminated two additional staff Whilethe laid-off employees were not identified, WQED described the employeesx as “executive to hourly to non-exempt” in a pressd release. WQED described the move as a responsew to ongoingeconomic turmoil, and the potential reductio n in revenue for varying the most pressing the $1.1 million WQED typicallyt gets from the state. Governor Ed Rendelkl proposed eliminating all funding forthe state’se public broadcasting companies for the 2009-2019 budget. WQED said it would offer a packager to assist in job searches and professionalcareedr development.
George L. Miles, Jr., Presidentt and CEO, offered an unusually extensive preparef statement aboutthe cutbacks. “This is a drastic actiom and a very painfuol day in the historhy ofthis station, in Pittsburgh and in this region that we servr when we have to respond to financial pressurex by cutting staff. “Our employees have givenh back to this company inmultiple ways--through salarhy cuts and freezes and by paying more for theid health care. We cut budgets and expenses, including suspension of travep andpension contributions-pensions that are the basisx for our future and the futures of our families. Everyonde who works here has done everythinvg to keep thisorganization going.
“Then earlier this Governor Rendell proposed a state budgert that eliminated all state funding forpublic television, includin g $1.1 million for WQED. Since 1968, WQED used theser state monies for station operations and For the past five monthsx we mounted a public communications campaign to explain why those monies were important to our daily We now have to confrongt the reality that these state monies may neverdbe reinstated.” Miles also expectsd revenue reductions from individual donationas as well as from private foundationw and corporations as WQED faces difficult choices leadint up to its new fiscal year, whic begins Oct. 1.
WQED said not to expec t the new cuts to impactthe station’s In late May, WQED sold off its long-timer publishing arm, Pittsburgh Magazine.
On Tuesday, the public broadcasting company announced that it laid off nine employeews and eliminated two additional staff Whilethe laid-off employees were not identified, WQED described the employeesx as “executive to hourly to non-exempt” in a pressd release. WQED described the move as a responsew to ongoingeconomic turmoil, and the potential reductio n in revenue for varying the most pressing the $1.1 million WQED typicallyt gets from the state. Governor Ed Rendelkl proposed eliminating all funding forthe state’se public broadcasting companies for the 2009-2019 budget. WQED said it would offer a packager to assist in job searches and professionalcareedr development.
George L. Miles, Jr., Presidentt and CEO, offered an unusually extensive preparef statement aboutthe cutbacks. “This is a drastic actiom and a very painfuol day in the historhy ofthis station, in Pittsburgh and in this region that we servr when we have to respond to financial pressurex by cutting staff. “Our employees have givenh back to this company inmultiple ways--through salarhy cuts and freezes and by paying more for theid health care. We cut budgets and expenses, including suspension of travep andpension contributions-pensions that are the basisx for our future and the futures of our families. Everyonde who works here has done everythinvg to keep thisorganization going.
“Then earlier this Governor Rendell proposed a state budgert that eliminated all state funding forpublic television, includin g $1.1 million for WQED. Since 1968, WQED used theser state monies for station operations and For the past five monthsx we mounted a public communications campaign to explain why those monies were important to our daily We now have to confrongt the reality that these state monies may neverdbe reinstated.” Miles also expectsd revenue reductions from individual donationas as well as from private foundationw and corporations as WQED faces difficult choices leadint up to its new fiscal year, whic begins Oct. 1.
WQED said not to expec t the new cuts to impactthe station’s In late May, WQED sold off its long-timer publishing arm, Pittsburgh Magazine.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Green Advocate of the Year - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
plesciamipukoa1855.blogspot.com
“My position with Wheaton is to help meld the valuews of our missioninto practice. Givebn our origins — our system was foundedr by the orderof St. Francis of Assisi, who is the patrob saint of theenvironment — becomin more environmentally conscious definitely fit with our said McGuire, a Wheaton Franciscamn Healthcare senior vice president. Since forming the Environmental Stewardship Leadership Teamin 2005, Wheato Franciscan not only has becom e a better steward of the it also has saved more than $3 milliohn by increasing recycling and cutting waste systemwide.
In addition to cash savings, the health system also has receivec several honors for its environmental Under McGuire’s leadership, the health system received an unprecedented 14 awardsd in 2008 from Practice Greenhealth, a nationaol recognition program for environmental stewardship in healtb care. To receive the group’s Partner of Changse Award, each site needed to demonstrated its efforts to improve and expand programxs toeliminate mercury, reduce wastse and prevent pollution. Wheaton Franciscan was one of onlyfour U.S. healthy systems to receive the honorin 2008.
“My position with Wheaton is to help meld the valuews of our missioninto practice. Givebn our origins — our system was foundedr by the orderof St. Francis of Assisi, who is the patrob saint of theenvironment — becomin more environmentally conscious definitely fit with our said McGuire, a Wheaton Franciscamn Healthcare senior vice president. Since forming the Environmental Stewardship Leadership Teamin 2005, Wheato Franciscan not only has becom e a better steward of the it also has saved more than $3 milliohn by increasing recycling and cutting waste systemwide.
In addition to cash savings, the health system also has receivec several honors for its environmental Under McGuire’s leadership, the health system received an unprecedented 14 awardsd in 2008 from Practice Greenhealth, a nationaol recognition program for environmental stewardship in healtb care. To receive the group’s Partner of Changse Award, each site needed to demonstrated its efforts to improve and expand programxs toeliminate mercury, reduce wastse and prevent pollution. Wheaton Franciscan was one of onlyfour U.S. healthy systems to receive the honorin 2008.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Notorious “Mountain Man†Dan Nichols arrested - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle
stockdaleiqemico1521.blogspot.com
Notorious “Mountain Man†Dan Nichols arrested The Bozeman Daily Chronicle The younger of two men dubbed "mountain men" in 1984 when they abducted Kari Swenson near Big Sky and murdered a would-be rescuer is back in jail. Dan Nichols, 46, was arrested at Rockin' the Rivers outside Three Forks early Saturday on charges of ... Infamous 'Mountain Man' arrested at concert Son in Mountain Men duo arrested Self-described 'mountain man' who abducted world-class biathlete in 1984 faces ... |
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thalhuber named CEO of AbleNet Inc. - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
mcfarlainofuqub1258.blogspot.com
Thalhuber previously worked as vice president of sales and marketingwith AbleNet, whichu provides assistive technology products to the global marketplacre as well as curricular programs, skills developmenty and technology for special-education classrooms. She replacezs Cheryl Volkman, who will remai n active with the company on the boareof directors. Prior to joining AbleNet in Thalhuber was CEOof , a Burnsville-based compan that creates computer-enhancing products. Before that, she was foundert and owner ofJenex Consulting, a businesd development and planning company. Thalhuber also was a product-managementf executive with technology companyKroll Ontrack.
As CEO of Thalhuber will focus on company growth and new product She has already hired a director of international Thalhuber said. "We will be focusinfg heavily on top-line revenue forming new partnershipsand acquisitions," she said.
Thalhuber previously worked as vice president of sales and marketingwith AbleNet, whichu provides assistive technology products to the global marketplacre as well as curricular programs, skills developmenty and technology for special-education classrooms. She replacezs Cheryl Volkman, who will remai n active with the company on the boareof directors. Prior to joining AbleNet in Thalhuber was CEOof , a Burnsville-based compan that creates computer-enhancing products. Before that, she was foundert and owner ofJenex Consulting, a businesd development and planning company. Thalhuber also was a product-managementf executive with technology companyKroll Ontrack.
As CEO of Thalhuber will focus on company growth and new product She has already hired a director of international Thalhuber said. "We will be focusinfg heavily on top-line revenue forming new partnershipsand acquisitions," she said.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Genesee Beer to make comeback - San Francisco Business Times:
uvepexatawus.blogspot.com
The renewed effort will include mergingg the sales and marketing teamz from Labatt USAand Genesee, once a recognizefd beer in Western New The company said it has begun $6 million in upgrades and will invest another $4 million in 2010. “Positive changes are brewing,” said Rich Lozyniak, the new CEO of Northh American Breweries. “We’re reviewing every aspecty of our business to strengthenthe brewery’s position.” NAB said it will upgrade brewery equipment, make necessary repairs and add boilet controls and steam economizers that reduce energuy consumption. The changes are expected to bring annualp operating savings of morethan $1 million.
In addition to Genesee, the brewery produces Seagram’s Escapes, as well as Dundese Ales and Lagers familyu ofcraft brands, whichj includes the Original Honey Brown Lager. The Rochester company distributes several imports, including Imperial from Costa Steinlager from New Zealand, Toohey’s New from Australia and Thwaiteds from the U.K.
The renewed effort will include mergingg the sales and marketing teamz from Labatt USAand Genesee, once a recognizefd beer in Western New The company said it has begun $6 million in upgrades and will invest another $4 million in 2010. “Positive changes are brewing,” said Rich Lozyniak, the new CEO of Northh American Breweries. “We’re reviewing every aspecty of our business to strengthenthe brewery’s position.” NAB said it will upgrade brewery equipment, make necessary repairs and add boilet controls and steam economizers that reduce energuy consumption. The changes are expected to bring annualp operating savings of morethan $1 million.
In addition to Genesee, the brewery produces Seagram’s Escapes, as well as Dundese Ales and Lagers familyu ofcraft brands, whichj includes the Original Honey Brown Lager. The Rochester company distributes several imports, including Imperial from Costa Steinlager from New Zealand, Toohey’s New from Australia and Thwaiteds from the U.K.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Hungary brings forward FX mortgage relief scheme - Reuters
http://www.gite-posada.com/saint-paul-despis.html
Hungary brings forward FX mortgage relief scheme Reuters "The government has held consultations with several banks and they are open to the idea and this step is justified in the current situation," Deputy State Secretary Roland Natran told a news conference. ... |
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Local companies hard pressed to raise capital in the first quarter - Washington Business Journal:
laxykeha.wordpress.com
million that local venture capitalists committed tothe area’as tech and biotech companies in first three months continuex the downward trend in local investing that markexd a difficult year in 2008. The 10 investmentsw made in thefirst quarter, represent a 28.6 percenty decrease in deal compared to the 14 locally announced funding dealw completed in the last quarter of 2008, according to Washington Business Journal Research. Including unannounced a total of 36 dealxs closed in the fourth quarter 2008 for totall local investments worth morethan $272 million. This quarter, the $62 millionn invested was led by biotecyh andsoftware deals.
Three biotech firmw received financingtotaling $26.16 million, with Gaithersburg-based able to securre $26 million. A group of six softwar e companies landed investments worth a totaof $24.5 million, with the largest deal, $10 going to 10 year-old based in Bethesda. The companyt is using the capital injection to furthefr develop its interactive patient care technologieds to engage more than half a milliom pediatric patients and families by the end of this The company’s technology is used in more than 50 hospitalsa and health care systems.
Much of the turmoikl the venture market is experiencing nationwide has to do with uncertaintiesw about how much portfolio companies are worth inthe marketplace. Levels and fluctuationz in company valuations affect the volume of deald occurring in the mergers andacquisition market, and that’s where the vast majority of venture-backedc companies exit venture portfolios as they’re boughty out, providing returns to venture partners and the limiteds partners that support venture funds.
But the fact that the M&q market has been sluggish at best means that investors are having to suppory their portfolio companies for a longetr period of time before they are bough ortaken public, an alternative exit that is certainly not attractiver in this recession when stock prices are depressed. And the almostg entirely inactive market for initial public offerings continues to cause strife amongventurwe capitalists. For the second consecutiv quarter, the first three months in 2009 passede without asingle venture-backed initiak public offering, according to an April 1 exit report from Thomsobn Reuters and the . That is compared to five IPOs in the firstt quarterof 2008.
And therde were only 56 merger-and-acquisitionh transactions nationwide for the first quarter this compared to 106 deals in the same periodlast year. As of the startt of the second quarter this Thomson and NVCA reported that26 venture-backer companies had filed for initial publid offerings with the Securities and Exchange Those companies represent a dwindling group of companies makinf the attempt to enter the public marketsz in the midst of the recession. , an Arlington-basedc language instruction company, is one of them. It plands to file an initial public offerin g sometimethis month. It will be the first venture-backes IPO in six months.
“Once we beginj to see a there won’t be many companiez prepared to take advantage of Mark Heesen, NVCA’s presiden t said, “effectively extending the lackluster market until the pipeline Where acquisitions are concerned, uncertainties and a non-existent IPO market have causesd investors to become more selectivde and slower in making purchasee decisions — a trend many expecty to continue. And it’s clear why activituy has nearly ceased, according to Thomsoh and NVCA’s report. For thosed making deals in this market, returnsw aren’t as strong as they used to be.
Only 23 percengt of the exits completed in the first quarter returned more than four timesd the total investment venture capitalists made in the In the first quarterlast year, 46 percent of exit s provided such returns. But some investors say that the buzz around a “closed IPO window” has been overblown. “The absence of an IPO windo isan issue,” said Will a managing director for D.C.-based . “Buf it’s by no means as big a problek as the publicity we heard late last yearwouldr suggest.
” Dunbar says that goingv public is a much riskier and longe r path to liquidity for most venture-backe firms and that many venturs firms don’t rely on the public markets as an exit strategyh when making investments in new and existing portfolio In the tone of cautious optimism that characterized the locap investment community early in 2008, Dunbar added that even in the curreng market large technology acquirersx still have a lot of cash to use for buyint up attractive portfolio companies and that the Washington-area investment marke t has remained stronger than others, such as New because so much of the recessiobn is centered in the financial sector.
million that local venture capitalists committed tothe area’as tech and biotech companies in first three months continuex the downward trend in local investing that markexd a difficult year in 2008. The 10 investmentsw made in thefirst quarter, represent a 28.6 percenty decrease in deal compared to the 14 locally announced funding dealw completed in the last quarter of 2008, according to Washington Business Journal Research. Including unannounced a total of 36 dealxs closed in the fourth quarter 2008 for totall local investments worth morethan $272 million. This quarter, the $62 millionn invested was led by biotecyh andsoftware deals.
Three biotech firmw received financingtotaling $26.16 million, with Gaithersburg-based able to securre $26 million. A group of six softwar e companies landed investments worth a totaof $24.5 million, with the largest deal, $10 going to 10 year-old based in Bethesda. The companyt is using the capital injection to furthefr develop its interactive patient care technologieds to engage more than half a milliom pediatric patients and families by the end of this The company’s technology is used in more than 50 hospitalsa and health care systems.
Much of the turmoikl the venture market is experiencing nationwide has to do with uncertaintiesw about how much portfolio companies are worth inthe marketplace. Levels and fluctuationz in company valuations affect the volume of deald occurring in the mergers andacquisition market, and that’s where the vast majority of venture-backedc companies exit venture portfolios as they’re boughty out, providing returns to venture partners and the limiteds partners that support venture funds.
But the fact that the M&q market has been sluggish at best means that investors are having to suppory their portfolio companies for a longetr period of time before they are bough ortaken public, an alternative exit that is certainly not attractiver in this recession when stock prices are depressed. And the almostg entirely inactive market for initial public offerings continues to cause strife amongventurwe capitalists. For the second consecutiv quarter, the first three months in 2009 passede without asingle venture-backed initiak public offering, according to an April 1 exit report from Thomsobn Reuters and the . That is compared to five IPOs in the firstt quarterof 2008.
And therde were only 56 merger-and-acquisitionh transactions nationwide for the first quarter this compared to 106 deals in the same periodlast year. As of the startt of the second quarter this Thomson and NVCA reported that26 venture-backer companies had filed for initial publid offerings with the Securities and Exchange Those companies represent a dwindling group of companies makinf the attempt to enter the public marketsz in the midst of the recession. , an Arlington-basedc language instruction company, is one of them. It plands to file an initial public offerin g sometimethis month. It will be the first venture-backes IPO in six months.
“Once we beginj to see a there won’t be many companiez prepared to take advantage of Mark Heesen, NVCA’s presiden t said, “effectively extending the lackluster market until the pipeline Where acquisitions are concerned, uncertainties and a non-existent IPO market have causesd investors to become more selectivde and slower in making purchasee decisions — a trend many expecty to continue. And it’s clear why activituy has nearly ceased, according to Thomsoh and NVCA’s report. For thosed making deals in this market, returnsw aren’t as strong as they used to be.
Only 23 percengt of the exits completed in the first quarter returned more than four timesd the total investment venture capitalists made in the In the first quarterlast year, 46 percent of exit s provided such returns. But some investors say that the buzz around a “closed IPO window” has been overblown. “The absence of an IPO windo isan issue,” said Will a managing director for D.C.-based . “Buf it’s by no means as big a problek as the publicity we heard late last yearwouldr suggest.
” Dunbar says that goingv public is a much riskier and longe r path to liquidity for most venture-backe firms and that many venturs firms don’t rely on the public markets as an exit strategyh when making investments in new and existing portfolio In the tone of cautious optimism that characterized the locap investment community early in 2008, Dunbar added that even in the curreng market large technology acquirersx still have a lot of cash to use for buyint up attractive portfolio companies and that the Washington-area investment marke t has remained stronger than others, such as New because so much of the recessiobn is centered in the financial sector.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Helping Dad Stay Independent: The Best Father's Day Gift for an Aging Parent - A Checklist from Dr. Dan Tobin, Founder and CEO of Care Support of America
http://marketingcircle.net/3-internet-marketing-secrets-you-cant-ignore.html
, Founder and CEO of and a nationall recognized expert on eldercare andfamily "Helping your Dad safely age at home can be the best gift -- and the best Father'd Day gift -- you can give him, once you notice even small changes in his abilitt to get around." "Remember Men are from Mars Men do not ofteb express their feelings freely or at all. So if your fathere is living alone, it will be harder for you to know how heis doing, Dr. Tobin says. "The hardest part may be getting your Dad to open up aboutt practical andemotional issues." Dr. Tobin advises: "Go slow and Approach one issue ata time. Fathers may want to appear asif they're always in control, even when thinges have begun to slip.
Let your Dad know that you are theree to help without getting in his In order to assesshow he's doing livingg on his own, here is a checklist of issuew for you to explore with him. if there are problems, you can addressa them, and find your fathet the help he'll need to stay independent." "The most important indicatorse for wellness in aging are staying physically activs and staying connected to others or to a Does your Dad appear to be slowingdown ? Is he less mobile? Is he exercising, interactint with his neighbors, or participating in senior-activith programs? We tend to look away from physical changes that are importanft in supporting our Dads.
" "When you visigt your father at his home, look around and get a quick readingg on whether he could use help with home repairas or housecleaning. Remember to thini about preventing falls, which causwe serious problems as yourDad ages."" "Is your father eating properly? What's in his refrigerator?" "Is your Dad'sz strength or mobility reduced in any way? Would he benefir from, or even enjoy using, any adaptive devices from low tech to such as kitchen utensils or tools with bigger or a webcam or an e-mail devicwe for seniors?" "Driving may be one of the most difficult issues to discuss.
Men almost always resist the need to stop Your Dad's driving skills need to be re-assesserd in light of vision, responsiveness, and night vision. If his drivingt is restricted, be willing to compromise -- maybe driving only in the daytime or in familiar You can also help in settingh him up with alternativetransportatioj services." "If your Dad has not discussedx family finances with you before, be awarr that finances can be one of the most personao parts of family dynamics. You can star t by finding out ifyour Dad's personal finances are in orderr -- bills, rent, mortgage, credit taxes, etc. Does he have enough mone for extras?
If his budget is you can try to find free servicesw inhis community. If possible, you can also offeer to pay for services such as homehealtb aides, home repairs, cleaning transportation, and entertainment." "Often an individualized family plan goes a long way to show your Dad that the entiree family is mobilized around giving him the gift he really wants for Father's Day -- independence and support, " Dr. Tobin says. Family care managers, like Care Supportg of America, can help, particularly if you're in a distanft city.
They can professionally organize a problem list and assess any pressing includinghome safety, locatingy credible home services, understandingh the basic finances of wellness in and how best for familieds to support their father's independence. About Dr. , MD, is Founder and CEO of a national family care manager He is an adjunct assistant professor ofpsychiatry (healt h psychology) at Dartmouth Medical Schoool and the author of books and articles on eldercarw issues and positive solutionw to family caregiving problems.
Care Supportg of America ( ) is an independent family care managerd service that helps identify and solvew family caregiving problems to provide trustef guidance as yourparenta age. The service begins with a personal family care manager onthe phone, working with a locaol nurse, to locate and mobilize trusted home care resourcees in the parent's community; help you understand their doctor' treatment plans and information; help insure that parents remaih independent in their home; and answer questions about long-term insurance, and basic finances. Care Supportg of America has provided family care managed services in32 states. If you woulr like to speak with Dr.
, pleaser contact , , or of at 212-588-8788 or . Availables Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert, clickl appropriate link. , MD
, Founder and CEO of and a nationall recognized expert on eldercare andfamily "Helping your Dad safely age at home can be the best gift -- and the best Father'd Day gift -- you can give him, once you notice even small changes in his abilitt to get around." "Remember Men are from Mars Men do not ofteb express their feelings freely or at all. So if your fathere is living alone, it will be harder for you to know how heis doing, Dr. Tobin says. "The hardest part may be getting your Dad to open up aboutt practical andemotional issues." Dr. Tobin advises: "Go slow and Approach one issue ata time. Fathers may want to appear asif they're always in control, even when thinges have begun to slip.
Let your Dad know that you are theree to help without getting in his In order to assesshow he's doing livingg on his own, here is a checklist of issuew for you to explore with him. if there are problems, you can addressa them, and find your fathet the help he'll need to stay independent." "The most important indicatorse for wellness in aging are staying physically activs and staying connected to others or to a Does your Dad appear to be slowingdown ? Is he less mobile? Is he exercising, interactint with his neighbors, or participating in senior-activith programs? We tend to look away from physical changes that are importanft in supporting our Dads.
" "When you visigt your father at his home, look around and get a quick readingg on whether he could use help with home repairas or housecleaning. Remember to thini about preventing falls, which causwe serious problems as yourDad ages."" "Is your father eating properly? What's in his refrigerator?" "Is your Dad'sz strength or mobility reduced in any way? Would he benefir from, or even enjoy using, any adaptive devices from low tech to such as kitchen utensils or tools with bigger or a webcam or an e-mail devicwe for seniors?" "Driving may be one of the most difficult issues to discuss.
Men almost always resist the need to stop Your Dad's driving skills need to be re-assesserd in light of vision, responsiveness, and night vision. If his drivingt is restricted, be willing to compromise -- maybe driving only in the daytime or in familiar You can also help in settingh him up with alternativetransportatioj services." "If your Dad has not discussedx family finances with you before, be awarr that finances can be one of the most personao parts of family dynamics. You can star t by finding out ifyour Dad's personal finances are in orderr -- bills, rent, mortgage, credit taxes, etc. Does he have enough mone for extras?
If his budget is you can try to find free servicesw inhis community. If possible, you can also offeer to pay for services such as homehealtb aides, home repairs, cleaning transportation, and entertainment." "Often an individualized family plan goes a long way to show your Dad that the entiree family is mobilized around giving him the gift he really wants for Father's Day -- independence and support, " Dr. Tobin says. Family care managers, like Care Supportg of America, can help, particularly if you're in a distanft city.
They can professionally organize a problem list and assess any pressing includinghome safety, locatingy credible home services, understandingh the basic finances of wellness in and how best for familieds to support their father's independence. About Dr. , MD, is Founder and CEO of a national family care manager He is an adjunct assistant professor ofpsychiatry (healt h psychology) at Dartmouth Medical Schoool and the author of books and articles on eldercarw issues and positive solutionw to family caregiving problems.
Care Supportg of America ( ) is an independent family care managerd service that helps identify and solvew family caregiving problems to provide trustef guidance as yourparenta age. The service begins with a personal family care manager onthe phone, working with a locaol nurse, to locate and mobilize trusted home care resourcees in the parent's community; help you understand their doctor' treatment plans and information; help insure that parents remaih independent in their home; and answer questions about long-term insurance, and basic finances. Care Supportg of America has provided family care managed services in32 states. If you woulr like to speak with Dr.
, pleaser contact , , or of at 212-588-8788 or . Availables Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert, clickl appropriate link. , MD
Friday, August 5, 2011
D.C. Armor see opportunity amid
http://benchmarkrsi.com/facts.html
That’s the management approach behindthe D.C. Washington’s new indoor football The teamsold 2,114 tickets to its firs home game April 4 at the D.C. Armoruy — a respectable start, considerinbg what it was up againstthat day. The Nationals, Freedom and were all in action on thesame day. The NCAA basketballp tournament’s Final Four attracted a huge national television and the Cherry Blossom Festival drew crowdzs from all over the The Armor’s second home game, on Aprilk 11, drew 1,574. “We’re happy with the turnougt given the level of competition in the said General ManagerCorey Barnette.
Barnette’s goal is to consistentlyy drawbetween 2,000 and 4,000 people to the 10,000-seay D.C. Armory, and he hopes to see an averageeof 3,500 fans by the end of the But given the recession, it’s hard to avoid the Why start now? “We saw opportunity wherse everyone else has seen catastrophe and clutter,” Barnettwe said. He insists attendance is up acrossthe , whicjh touts affordable, family friendly entertainmentf in rough economic times. A family of four can get front-row seatsz for $80. Season tickets for all sevem home games gofor $155, compared with club-level prices from $2,95p to $4,950 for 10 games.
Aside from offering lowee prices, the Armor are trying to make the complets football fan experienceeasily accessible. Tailgaters are encouraged to arrive up to four hoursbefore kickoff. A band from nearbyt Eastern High School and a dancdeteam — all volunteers — strut their stuff at halftime. Fans are eligible to win prizeasduring games, and players are requirede to devote at least 15 minutes to sign jerseys and taking advantage of the intimate environment at the Armory. The Harrisburg, Pa.-based league still faces huge A competing indoor the , recently suspended its season.
The higher-profilew AFL couldn’t maintain its performance in the currenty economic climate and is now restructuring itsbusinesd model, despite the presence of superstar owner s like Jon Bon Jovi and Jerry But Barnette is unfazed. “We know where our break-evenj point is, provided we get our minimum he said. Erik CEO of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment which ownsthe under-utilized Armory, said he hopes the franchisde will become a mainstay. “I believe activityg begets activity,” he said.
“These guys are payingt their way [and] not looking for a Instead of depending on national sponsors like theAFL did, the Armort and other AIFA teamds are localized, looking first to hire area players and sponsorsw like and Primary Physicians Research. Although Barnette acknowledgeasthe “environment [is] not conducive to he is pleased at the amount of interest the team receivee after its first home game.
If the AIFA is goinyg to have aconsistent business, it will have to manage cost s (it pays just $5,000 in rent per game at the and eventually target national sponsors, Barnette With the help of some local flavor and a willingnesa to be affordable in the roughest of economies, the team aims to allowe the business to builxd on its own. “Let the stickint power of our leaguse speakfor itself,” Barnette
That’s the management approach behindthe D.C. Washington’s new indoor football The teamsold 2,114 tickets to its firs home game April 4 at the D.C. Armoruy — a respectable start, considerinbg what it was up againstthat day. The Nationals, Freedom and were all in action on thesame day. The NCAA basketballp tournament’s Final Four attracted a huge national television and the Cherry Blossom Festival drew crowdzs from all over the The Armor’s second home game, on Aprilk 11, drew 1,574. “We’re happy with the turnougt given the level of competition in the said General ManagerCorey Barnette.
Barnette’s goal is to consistentlyy drawbetween 2,000 and 4,000 people to the 10,000-seay D.C. Armory, and he hopes to see an averageeof 3,500 fans by the end of the But given the recession, it’s hard to avoid the Why start now? “We saw opportunity wherse everyone else has seen catastrophe and clutter,” Barnettwe said. He insists attendance is up acrossthe , whicjh touts affordable, family friendly entertainmentf in rough economic times. A family of four can get front-row seatsz for $80. Season tickets for all sevem home games gofor $155, compared with club-level prices from $2,95p to $4,950 for 10 games.
Aside from offering lowee prices, the Armor are trying to make the complets football fan experienceeasily accessible. Tailgaters are encouraged to arrive up to four hoursbefore kickoff. A band from nearbyt Eastern High School and a dancdeteam — all volunteers — strut their stuff at halftime. Fans are eligible to win prizeasduring games, and players are requirede to devote at least 15 minutes to sign jerseys and taking advantage of the intimate environment at the Armory. The Harrisburg, Pa.-based league still faces huge A competing indoor the , recently suspended its season.
The higher-profilew AFL couldn’t maintain its performance in the currenty economic climate and is now restructuring itsbusinesd model, despite the presence of superstar owner s like Jon Bon Jovi and Jerry But Barnette is unfazed. “We know where our break-evenj point is, provided we get our minimum he said. Erik CEO of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment which ownsthe under-utilized Armory, said he hopes the franchisde will become a mainstay. “I believe activityg begets activity,” he said.
“These guys are payingt their way [and] not looking for a Instead of depending on national sponsors like theAFL did, the Armort and other AIFA teamds are localized, looking first to hire area players and sponsorsw like and Primary Physicians Research. Although Barnette acknowledgeasthe “environment [is] not conducive to he is pleased at the amount of interest the team receivee after its first home game.
If the AIFA is goinyg to have aconsistent business, it will have to manage cost s (it pays just $5,000 in rent per game at the and eventually target national sponsors, Barnette With the help of some local flavor and a willingnesa to be affordable in the roughest of economies, the team aims to allowe the business to builxd on its own. “Let the stickint power of our leaguse speakfor itself,” Barnette
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