Doação de stock-options com carga

Opções binárias.
Doação de opções de estoque com custo.
Corte sua conta fiscal com fundos orientados por doadores - Investopedia.
Planejamento de caridade para opções de ações para empregados e ações opcionais. O planejamento de caridade para opções de ações para empregados e opções de ações são um direito contratual.
Doando para Labs4rescue.
Dando as opções de ações do seu empregado. As opções de ações podem ser o bem mais valioso que muitas pessoas possuem. (Opções de estoque de incentivo.
Doações de caridade: os fundamentos de dar - Charles Schwab.
O que é uma "Opção de compra de ações" Uma opção de compra de ações é um privilégio, as opções de compra de ações do empregado normalmente são adquiridas ao invés de ter um prazo especificado até o vencimento.
Skrill - Site Oficial.
Planejamento de caridade prática para opções de ações para empregados. Planejamento de caridade prática para empregado As regras de estoque que regem a tributação das opções de compra de ações,
Perguntas frequentes - Four Square Homeless Charity Edinburgh.
OPÇÕES DE STOCK & amp; DIREITOS BÁSICOS: MISTURAM-SE? e o que eles têm para oferecer são opções de ações ou ações de ações, uma doação de caridade de ações ISO pode ser uma.
Resolvido: taxa de doação? - Comunidade do PayPal.
Faça uma doação. Doar. TurningPoint Para obter mais informações sobre essas opções, entre em contato conosco em [email & # 160; protected] Doação de ações apreciadas. Doação.
Direitos de Agradecimento de Stock e Estoque Phantom (SARs)
Como posso obter a melhor dedução para doar ações para caridade? fazendo uma doação do estoque antes do final do ano de opções de ações de incentivo.
Pagamentos online e amp; Transferência de dinheiro | Skrill.
Abra sua conta e troque a volatilidade. Plus500 CFD Service. Capital em risco.
Mobile Giving Foundation | Códigos curtos comuns.
mais cauteloso sobre a doação de opções de ações para doar não publicamente não cobrar uma taxa direta8 por ajudar a sua.
TurningPoint »Faça uma doação.
Uma discussão sobre a opção de estoque de ações fantasmas e valores de avaliação de estoque, ou estoque de funcionários com ações fantasmas e SARs, a carga se acumula durante o.
Obtenha uma dedução fiscal para dar caridade | Taxa bancária.
Paypal Home. Comprar on-line não deve custar-lhe paz de espírito. Compre de milhões de lojas online sem compartilhar sua informação financeira.
Doações compreensivas - Especialista sem fins lucrativos - Conselhos gratuitos.
você encontrará essa opção quando você efetuar o login no programa no momento da doação e deve cobrar suas doações de ações; Doe estoque para Labs4rescue.
Publicação 526 (2018), Contribuições de Caridade.
Serviços de estoque restrito; Opções; Futuros; Doações de caridade: o básico de dar. Mas se a doação estiver em dinheiro,
JustGive - JustGive - Doação de Caridade Online para.
Eventos RNLI; Estações de salvamento marítimo; Praias salva-vidas; Grupos de arrecadação de fundos; Faça uma doação. Faça uma doação. A diferença que você fez em 2018. 23 PESSOAS RESCUIDAS.
Como gravar uma doação em QuickBooks | Chron.
A doação de ativos complexos para instituições de caridade é uma opção efetiva e fiscal para doar Fidelity Charitable não cobra uma taxa direta 7 por ajudar.
Stocks de comércio on-line - com expansões apertadas e baixas margens.
Abra uma conta de apostas ou CFD hoje e troque em uma ampla.
Opções de estoque de nós.
21/12/2018 & # 0183; & # 32; Opções Trading Center; Como doar distribuições de IRA para instituições de caridade. 21 de dezembro, para Ring The Nasdaq Stock Market Closing;
Horizonte Seguro | Doar.
Com Spreads apertados e baixas margens. As perdas podem exceder os depósitos.
Doação de ativos não negociados publicamente para a caridade.
Mais opções de doações Doações de ações. A Safe Horizon tem o prazer de aceitar doações de suporte seguro Safe Horizon ao doar seu veículo usado.
Planejamento de caridade prática para opções de ações para empregados.
14/06/2017 & # 0183; & # 32; Doação de estoque. Para mover o estoque de sua corretora para o nosso, a Fundação não cobra uma taxa de transferência por doações, mas seu banco local pode.
5,29% de renda - obtenha um guia gratuito - Investimento, melhor que os estoques.
Procure por nós opções de estoque. Procure Resultados em Perguntar.
Election 2017 do Reino Unido - Como o EUR / GBP reagirá?
Demora apenas alguns minutos para criar uma carteira Skrill e reunir todos os detalhes de pagamento em um só lugar. Você pode escolher entre 40 moedas. Faça pagamentos.
Financer la levée de stock-options | BNP Paribas.
Com Spreads apertados e baixas margens. As perdas podem exceder os depósitos.
Após FIV: A Decisão Embrião - RESOLVE: The National.
resolver & gt; Opções de construção familiar e gt; Donor Options & gt; Após FIV: A Decisão Embrião. As clínicas irão cobrar por minhas opções em termos de doação para.
Doação de opções de estoque com carga # upemopilupuf. web. fc2.
Como sua organização sem fins lucrativos pode aceitar doações on-line agora. ou acompanhar para garantir que você recebeu sua doação. Permita-lhes ambas as opções através de uma.
&cópia de; Opções de estoque de doação com taxa Opção binária | Doação de opções de estoque com carga As melhores opções binárias.

Doação de stock-options com carga
Autoridade de Berkshire Hathaway.
Orador principal do autor e internacional.
Perguntas frequentes (Perguntas frequentes)
Will Warren Buffett fala com o nosso grupo / empresa / associação? Como faço para entrar em contato com Warren Buffett? Por que Warren não nomeia um sucessor? Onde é a melhor fonte de informações sobre Warren Buffett e suas filosofias de investimento e gerenciamento? O que acontece depois que Warren morre? Como os CEOs da Buffett compensaram? Por que Warren investiu em tecnologia? Berkshire Hathaway é um fundo de ações? Posso comprar Berkshire Hathaway Stock direto da empresa? Como Warren Buffett faz suas doações de caridade? Como Warren Buffett vive com um salário de US $ 100.000 sem vender uma única parcela de ações? Como ele consegue viajar por jato corporativo? Tenho uma ideia para o Warren Buffet e planejo escrever-lhe uma carta. Você teria algum interesse, via e-mail, e-mail ou telefone para revisar minha idéia e me apontar na direção certa? Como especialista em todas as coisas, Warren Buffett, eu estou esperando por alguma direção sobre se é possível, ou mesmo vale a pena tentar entrar em contato com Warren Buffett sobre uma tecnologia inovadora? Quais são os critérios de aquisição da Berkshire Hathaway? A quem eu entraria em contato para saber se o Sr. Buffett dá uma doação individual? Warren Buffett, em entrevista recente com a CNBC, oferece uma das melhores cotações sobre o teto da dívida: "Eu poderia terminar com o déficit em 5 minutos". Ele disse à CNBC. "Você apenas passa uma lei que diz que sempre que houver um déficit de mais de 3% do PIB, todos os membros sentados do Congresso não são elegíveis para a reeleição."
Todos os anos Warren escreve seus gerentes e pede-lhes para recusar todos os pedidos de fala sem verificar com ele. O Sr. Buffett também não aceita pedidos de minha parte.
Warren Buffett não possui um endereço de e-mail. Por favor, note que, uma vez que ele recebe 250 a 300 cartas por dia, as propostas de investimento não solicitadas não são respondidas. A correspondência sobre pedidos de doações de caridade também não recebe resposta e é melhor enviada para a Fundação Bill e Melinda Gates. Qualquer comunicação à Fundação Bill e Melinda Gates mencionando uma referência de mim não é lida.
Warren gosta de provocar que planeja se aposentar 5 anos após sua morte e, em seguida, realizar sessões regulares com seu conselho de diretores. Na verdade, ele nasceu para fazer o que ele está fazendo, faz pelo menor salário [$ 100,000] de qualquer um dos CEOs da Fortune 500, sem opções de ações ou sem vender uma única parcela de suas ações e tem o tipo de trabalho [ alocando o capital e encontrando, selecionando e mantendo gerentes talentosos] que realmente é feito melhor com alguns cabelos grisalhos.
O trabalho de Warren será dividido em três. Uma pessoa, provavelmente um membro da família Buffett e seu filho Howard, será nomeado presidente do conselho para manter a cultura corporativa de estilo familiar único. Outro, provavelmente alguém como Lou Simpson da GEICO, será nomeado CEO responsável pelas operações de capital. E outro será nomeado CEO das operações. Este modelo de negócios CEO já está em vigor no GEICO Auto Insurance.
Cada um é pago um salário em dinheiro e uma compensação adicional com base nos lucros de seus negócios individuais. Se o gerente de negócios possuía o negócio antes de vender para a Berkshire, ele ou ela pode continuar a possuir até 20% do negócio e desfrutar de uma distribuição anual de ganhos. As opções de compra de ações nunca são usadas como remuneração da administração e a medição e o foco estão no que está acontecendo dentro do negócio, em especial os ganhos e mudanças no valor contábil.
P. Estou perplexo no investimento de Buffett no Nível 3, porque é contrário a tudo o que ele já escreveu e disse e não há previsibilidade para Level 3 de qualquer maneira. Mesmo se você pedir ao CEO da LVLT, James Crowe, ele vai dizer que ele não sabe o que seu negócio parecerá um ano no futuro e, portanto, não há visibilidade. Por que Warren faria um investimento em uma empresa onde a tecnologia muda o negócio todos os dias? Eu sei que ele gosta de apostar nos CEOs (graças ao seu livro), mas esse negócio é realmente difícil. Se ele fizesse um investimento em tecnologia seria a Microsoft, que certamente tem muito mais visibilidade. Quais são seus pensamentos?
A. Minha interpretação no Nível 3 é que Warren comprou uma obrigação convertível pagando uma taxa de interesse interessante que já duplicou em valor. Esta é a mesma maneira que ele entrou em muitos outros investimentos, p. Gillette, US Air. O CEO da Buffett, neste caso, é Walter Scott. Sem ele, duvidava que ele fizesse o acordo. Se você se lembra de Walter, trouxe-lhe o acordo da América do Norte, que agora é uma das maiores e mais lucrativas divisões de Berkshire. A América do Norte, em dois anos curtos, tem receita de US $ 6 bilhões e ganhos de US $ 300 milhões. Já é maior que a divisão de serviços de voo. A energia, ao preço certo, pode se tornar o segundo maior componente da BRK. Ele comprou LVLT no ponto máximo de pessimismo e em US $ 100 milhões, ele representa apenas o equivalente a um fluxo de caixa de uma semana para a BRK. Lembre-se que este é um vínculo de alto rendimento, não um investimento de capital, embora, na opção de Warren, ele se torne um. O que é surpreendente é que, por quase a mesma quantidade de dinheiro, ele comprou a maior cadeia de lojas de móveis no Texas e ninguém fala sobre essa compra. A LVLT fascina a maioria das pessoas por causa da ligação de Walter Scott, da tecnologia, da aparente contradição com os princípios de investimento da Warren e do fato de que tantos acionistas da Omaha e da Berkshire perderam 90 centavos de cada dólar investido nesta empresa.
Não, Berkshire Hathaway é um conglomerado composto por mais de 100 subsidiárias integrais, bem como um punhado de ações comuns parcialmente possuídas. Possui investimentos significativos em seguros de propriedade e acidentes, investimentos em caixa e renda fixa.
No. Berkshire Hathaway está listado na Bolsa de Valores de Nova York sob o símbolo brka e brkb. O B compartilha o comércio e vale 1 / 1500º o valor econômico das ações A. Por exemplo, se o compartilhamento de ações da A for $ 150,000, as ações da B serão negociadas por US $ 100. Você deve comprar e vender suas ações através de um corretor de bolsa on-line, desconto ou de serviço completo da NYSE.
Warren Buffett está em processo de doar a maior parte de sua propriedade para a Fundação Bill e Melinda Gates. A maioria de suas ações da Berkshire (5% de sua riqueza a cada ano nos próximos 20 anos) está sendo transferida para a Fundação Gates. A Fundação Susan Thompson Buffett patrocina todos os anos um excelente prêmio de professores públicos Omaha (K - 12), bem como um programa de bolsas para estudantes universitários da Nebraska. Cada um dos três filhos de Warren também tem suas próprias fundações. A instituição de caridade da filha mais velha Susan A. Buffett é chamada Fundação Sherwood e está focada no bem-estar das crianças e da família em bairros de baixa renda em Omaha. A Fundação Howard G. Buffett tem como alvo as necessidades globais de conservação e meio ambiente. Peter Buffett, com a Fundação NoVo, está atualmente avaliando como distribuirão seus fundos para mudar, alterar e inventar. A irmã de Warren, Doris, também tem sua própria Fundação Sunshine Lady, que se concentra na resolução da violência doméstica. Leia como o Giveaway de Buffett funcionará.
De 1956 a 1969, Warren Buffett geriu a parceria Buffett que lhe deu 25% dos lucros após um retorno garantido de 6% para seus sócios. Com esse acordo Warren conseguiu gerar US $ 25 milhões em patrimônio líquido, a maioria dos quais foi investida em Berkshire Hathaway. No entanto, o Sr. Buffett manteve 1% de seu dinheiro fora de Berkshire. Essa carteira estimada em US $ 400 milhões gera mais de US $ 40 milhões por ano em renda anual. É assim que ele e sua família conseguem pilotar até 300 horas por ano em subsidiárias subsidiárias NetJets. Como uma nota lateral, Warren pessoalmente paga o uso do jato.
A. Desculpe, eu não lido qualquer correspondência para o Sr. Buffett. Não escreva nem solicite a Warren Buffett & ldquo; qualquer proposta para falar, fazer contribuições, interceder com a Fundação Gates, etc. & rdquo; , ou qualquer outra transação comercial sob meu nome. O Sr. Buffett não aceita qualquer correspondência, chamadas, e-mails, mensagens de texto ou qualquer outra forma de comunicação sob o pretexto de uma remessa de mim. Por favor, não sinta & ldquo; Não pode prejudicar para perguntar. & Rdquo; O seu pedido não será lido.
Eles estão listados em cada relatório anual da BH imediatamente após a Carta Anual de Warren Buffett aos Acionistas:
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC. CRITÉRIOS DE ADQUISIÇÃO. Estamos ansiosos para ouvir dos diretores ou seus representantes sobre empresas que atendem a todos os seguintes critérios: (1) Grandes compras (pelo menos US $ 75 milhões de ganhos antes de impostos, a menos que o negócio se encaixe em uma de nossas unidades existentes), (2 ) Poder de ganhos comprovado e consistente (as projeções futuras não interessam a nós nem tampouco as "situações emergentes"), (3) As empresas ganham bons retornos sobre o patrimônio e empregam pouca ou nenhuma dívida, (4) Gerenciamento no lugar (não podemos fornecê-lo ), (5) Negócios simples (se há muita tecnologia, não entendemos), (6) Um preço de oferta (não queremos desperdiçar nosso tempo ou o vendedor falando, mesmo preliminarmente , sobre uma transação quando o preço é desconhecido).
Quanto maior a empresa, maior será o nosso interesse: gostaríamos de fazer uma aquisição na faixa de US $ 5-20 bilhões.
No entanto, não estamos interessados ​​em receber sugestões sobre compras que possamos fazer no mercado de ações geral.
Não nos envolveremos em aquisições hostis. Podemos prometer confidencialidade completa e uma resposta muito rápida - habitualmente dentro de cinco minutos - sobre se estamos interessados. Preferimos comprar em dinheiro, mas consideramos a emissão de ações quando recebemos tanto no valor comercial intrínseco quanto nós damos.
Nós não participamos de leilões.
A meu conhecimento, o Sr. Buffett não faz doações individuais. Em vez disso, ele faz contribuições anuais para cinco fundações designadas (Bill e Melinda Gates, sua falecida esposa e seus três filhos) e, em seguida, cada um deles faz subsídios de acordo com a missão mencionada. Ele não lê solicitações que usam meu nome como uma referência.
B. Warren Buffet está pedindo a cada destinatário que encaminhe este e-mail para um mínimo de vinte pessoas na lista de endereços; por sua vez, peça a cada um deles que faça o mesmo.
Sim, Buffett disse a citação acima para resolver o déficit. [Vídeo]
A. A melhor maneira é se inscrever em um programa de MBA. O Sr. Buffett dá as boas-vindas a seu escritório em Omaha, Nebraska, estudantes de graduação de negócios de 45 universidades seis vezes ao longo do ano. Ele responde perguntas por 90 minutos e depois trata os alunos visitantes para almoçar. As excursões são organizadas para visitar empresas locais de propriedade total, incluindo Nebraska Furniture Mart e Borsheims Jewelry. Cada faculdade tem permissão para enviar 20 alunos, no entanto 30 por cento ou mais devem ser mulheres. É melhor entrar em contato com seu escritório para obter mais detalhes. Outra maneira de ver o Sr. Buffett, embora seja improvável que você o conheça, é participar de sua reunião anual, geralmente realizada no primeiro sábado de maio. Mais detalhes podem ser encontrados em berkshirehathaway.
A. Com 24 pessoas no escritório de casa em Omaha, as oportunidades de emprego e as aberturas não são prováveis. Sugira aplicar a uma das muitas subsidiárias da Berkshire Hathaway: berkshirehathaway / subs / sublinss. html Além disso, o Sr. Buffett não aceita referências de trabalho ou pedidos que usam meu nome.
A. A melhor maneira de aprender mais sobre as estratégias de investimento de Warren Buffett é ler The Intelligent Investor, um livro escrito por seu professor da faculdade, Benjamin Graham. Também lendo a carta anual de Mr. Buffett aos acionistas encontrados no site da empresa, berkshirehathaway, o ajudará a entender suas filosofias de investimento e gerenciamento. Desculpe, eu não forneço apresentações privadas ao Sr. Buffett. Boa sorte com seus investimentos e carreira comercial.
A. Melhor escrever uma carta ao Sr. Warren Buffett (lembre-se que é escrito com dois t) e solicitar que seja incluído em uma de suas sessões mensais de Q & A da faculdade. Recomende usar o papel timbrado da Universidade. O endereço de correio do escritório do Sr. Buffett é encontrado aqui berkshirehathaway /
Inclua seu endereço de e-mail para obter uma resposta. Ele exige um máximo de 20 estudantes de pós-graduação por universidade e exige que 1/3 ou 7 estudantes sejam incluídos. Se convidado, seu grupo terá duas perguntas e terá a oportunidade de visitar alguns de seus negócios baseados em Omaha.
Aqui está um exemplo de como uma faculdade (Arizona) tratava o convite que incluiu o uso de uma empresa de viagens local da Omaha: ugrad. eller. arizona. edu/events/buffett/
Boa sorte com seu pedido.
A. Você encontrará os critérios de aquisição da Berkshire em todos os relatórios anuais imediatamente após as cartas de Warren Buffet para seus acionistas: berkshirehathaway / 2018ar / 2018ar. pdf "BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC. CRITÉRIOS DE AQUISIÇÃO.
A. Desculpe, eu não patrocino nem investe idéias de negócios novas ou existentes, nem doo ou respondo a solicitações de caridade.
A. Sugira visitar o seu escritório de corretagem local (como Fidelity, Schwab, TD Ameritrade). Eles são licenciados e treinados para ajudar os beneficiários a vender ou transferir ações.
Alternativamente, você pode ligar para o agente de transferência de ações da Berkshire: Wells Fargo Bank, N. A., P. O. Box 64854, St. Paul, MN 55164-0854 serve como Agente de Transferência e Registrador para ações ordinárias da Companhia. A correspondência pode ser dirigida a Wells Fargo no endereço indicado ou em wellsfargo / shareownerservices. As consultas telefônicas devem ser direcionadas para o Departamento de Relações com Colaboradores em 1-877-602-7411 entre as 7:00 da manhã. e 7:00 p. m. Hora central. Os certificados para re-emissão ou transferência devem ser direcionados ao Departamento de Transferência no endereço indicado.
A. Você apreciará Omaha durante o fim de semana de Berkshire, geralmente o primeiro sábado de maio. O melhor lugar para encontrar Warren Buffett é durante os eventos oficiais relacionados com Berkshire, a partir de sexta-feira à noite em Borsheims, no sábado, na reunião anual e no jantar do churrasco do Nebraska Furniture Mart e na ponte de domingo (muitas vezes com Bill Gates) em Borsheims. Lembre-se de trazer suas credenciais de reunião e desfrutar de descontos de subsidiárias variadas da Berkshire. Aqui está um link para um guia recente dos acionistas que provavelmente será uma agenda muito diferente a cada ano berkshirehathaway / meet01 / VisGuide2017.pdf.
A. Eu me perguntei: "Quem é o melhor em investir e ele ou ela está disponível para investir para mim? & Rdquo; Eu descobri rapidamente que era Warren Buffett. Eu li a biografia de Roger Lowenstein, Buffett: The Making of A American Capitalist, e teve muitos sensos. Buffett diz que o investimento em valor é uma inoculação rápida - você quer obtê-lo nos primeiros 10 minutos ou você não. Então eu comprei compartilhamentos e leio o Manual do Berkshire Hathaway Owner & rsquo; s. Em 1996, participei da minha primeira reunião anual e não perdi uma vez. O que eu ouvi foi alguém falando a verdade sobre Wall Street, investindo, financiando, mercado de ações, vida, filantropia, herança, riqueza e sucesso. Buffett diz, & ldquo; Wall Street venderá tudo o que você está disposto a comprar. Wall Street é um colecionador legal do investidor médio. & Rdquo; Falando a verdade em um bom senso, o meio caminho do meio oeste realmente ressoou comigo e milhares mais, e é por isso que o atendimento cresceu todos os anos desde então. Eu conheci Warren em uma loja local de Omaha Dairy Queen depois de comprá-lo em 1998. No final desse ano, decidi como um desafio para eu fazer logon no The Motley Fool (tolo) onde eles têm um painel de discussão dedicado a tudo em Berkshire. Sob o pseudônimo & ldquo; simple-investor & rdquo ;, afirmei que eu poderia apresentar 101 razões para possuir Berkshire. Cada dia eu loguei e publiquei uma nova razão. Após 101 dias, completei o meu desafio. Essas postagens se tornaram meu primeiro livro, 101 Razões para possuir o maior investimento do mundo: Warren Buffett e Berkshire Hathaway, que lançou minha carreira como seguidor de Buffett.
A. Que é possível tornar-se rico sem comprometer seus princípios. Seu exemplo de viver na América do Norte, longe de Wall Street e Silicon Valley, e investir a longo prazo em bens e serviços sensíveis e duráveis. E você pode fazer isso de qualquer lugar do mundo que você sente. Sua filosofia de investimento é simples - primeiro, descubra como valorizar um negócio e, segundo, como entender os preços das ações. O método de Buffet é o investimento de valor - descobrir o que vale um investimento, descontá-lo de volta a hoje e tentar comprá-lo mais barato. Você também não deve investir em ações se você não sabe como pensar nos preços do mercado - comprar quando todos os outros estão vendendo e vendendo quando todos os outros estão comprando. Ou como Warren diz: "É voraz quando todo mundo tem medo e tem medo quando todos os outros são gananciosos".
A. O principal motivo em que mais de 40 mil pessoas participam de todo o mundo é aprender com um homem com credibilidade falando a verdade. Warren criou sua riqueza e muitos dos seus accionistas, investindo em pequenas peças de negócios de outras pessoas, primeiro através do mercado de ações e, em seguida, comprando o negócio na sua totalidade. Warren está educando seus acionistas sobre como eles podem fazer o mesmo. Warren junto com seu parceiro, Charlie Munger, responde perguntas sem edição por seis horas. A lembrança de fatos, figuras e detalhes é impressionante.
A. Ele ainda está investindo da mesma maneira por quase 70 anos. Quando adolescente, Warren teve uma epifania quando leu o Investidor Inteligente de Benjamin Graham. Ele sempre disse que é o único livro que um investidor precisa ler. As três lições que tirou são: (1) Lembre-se de que os estoques representam partes do negócio. Os estoques não são símbolos em seu jornal ou blips eletrônicos na tela do seu computador. Quando os investidores começam a pensar como um dono de uma empresa, eles se esquecem de trocar e sair do mercado e, naturalmente, se tornarem proprietários de longo prazo. (2) O conceito de Graham de Mr Market, um parceiro virtual deprimido maníaco do investidor. Quando o Sr. Market é maníaco, ele quer o dobro do que você acha que o negócio vale a pena - um momento perfeito para vender suas ações. E quando ele está deprimido, ele quer metade do que você acha que o negócio vale a pena - um momento perfeito para comprar. A maioria dos investidores cometeu o erro de deixar o Sr. Market ser seu mestre, sentindo-se mal quando o mercado está em queda e jubilar quando o mercado está subindo. Warren diz: "O mercado deve ser seu servo em vez de seu mestre". (3) O conceito importante de margem de segurança - apenas compre coisas que estão negociando abaixo do valor deles. Buffett nunca se desviou dessas três regras. Ele é sobre a compra de empresas maravilhosas geridas por gerentes de primeira linha a um preço justo em vez de um negócio medíocre a um preço maravilhoso.
A. Durante o último acidente do mercado, Buffett realmente mostrou seu gênio. Ele emprestou dinheiro a muitas grandes corporações, incluindo Goldman Sachs e Bank of America. A Berkshire recebeu pagamentos de juros acima do mercado sobre os empréstimos e, além disso, obteve warrants de ações, dando-lhe o direito de comprar ações com preços atualizados profundamente descontados. Mais recentemente, a Berkshire comprou a Heinz Ketchup junto com um parceiro brasileiro e fundou-a com a Kraft Foods. Em 2018, muitas pessoas questionaram a compra de Buffett de uma das maiores ferrovias nos EUA, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, agora sua subsidiária mais lucrativa. Juntamente com seus investimentos em plantas de geração elétrica e distribuição em todo os EUA e na Grã-Bretanha, ele transformou sua holding de uma companhia de seguros para um conglomerado com a maioria dos ganhos provenientes de diversas indústrias. Berkshire Hathaway agora está se tornando um nome familiar, possuindo a segunda maior empresa de corretagem de imóveis nos EUA.
A. Berkshire Hathaway é como uma estrela do mar. Você poderá cortar a cabeça e as peças se regenerarão. Depois de Buffett - retires, seus papéis como presidente, diretor executivo e diretor de investimento serão divididos em três partes. O presidente não executivo da Berkshire é mais provável que seja seu filho mais velho, Howard, cujo único trabalho é proteger a cultura única de Berkshire. O CEO responsável pelas operações é mais provável que alguém já esteja gerenciando uma subsidiária. Estes incluem Ajit Jain de Berkshire Hathsay Reinsurance, Matt Rose of Burlington Northern railroad e Greg Abel, MidAmerican Energy Holdings. O CEO da alocação de capital, responsável pelo reinvestimento de US $ 2 bilhões no fluxo de caixa mensal para a sede, provavelmente será dividido entre Ted Weschler e Todd Combs.
A. Warren Buffett é um investidor de valor (comprando ações / empresas abaixo do seu valor intrínseco) e um gerente de valores (apenas fazendo negócios com gerentes de alto caráter). Buffett é um investidor que se concentra no que ele pode tirar de um investimento ao longo de sua vida útil, com desconto de hoje e sempre tenta comprá-lo mais barato. O conglomerado de Buffett (o maior de América por receita) possui mais de 100 subsidiárias de propriedade total com 370 mil funcionários, mas apenas 25 pessoas na sede. Sua filosofia empresarial é deixar gerentes sozinhos sem reuniões, orçamentos, contratos de gestão ou qualquer interferência de Buffett ou HQ.
A. Sua carta anual de acionistas é a carta mais lida com mais de 1 milhão de downloads. Sua reunião anual (chamada Woodstock para capitalistas) atrai 40 mil acionistas, convidados e mídia de todo o mundo. Outros 12 milhões observam a reunião de 7 horas on-line. Muitos gerentes de investimentos e chefes corporativos admiram sua perspicácia empresarial e viajam para sua cidade natal para buscar sua sabedoria. Warren Buffett está sem par. Quando Buffett fala, as pessoas ouvem.
A. Sua capacidade de acessar o seguro flutue (agora mais de US $ 100 bilhões) para reinvestir em propriedade total e parcialmente de propriedade do mercado de ações. A cultura de Berkshire nunca vende uma subsidiária, para centralizar a alocação de capital, permitir que as subsidiárias usem seus próprios sistemas de negócios exclusivos com zero interferência da sede, planos de compensação de gestão justa, tratando os acionistas como parceiros, atuem rapidamente em qualquer acordo, passem de volta para ter o balanço do Rock of Gibraltar com dinheiro disponível para investir quando o mercado cai, pagar dinheiro por empresas de qualidade em vez de emitir ações e atrair um conjunto único de empresários que só venderiam para a Berkshire.
A. Tendo construído uma grande riqueza para sua família e ele mesmo, junto com mais de um milhão de acionistas, simplesmente investindo em negócios de outras pessoas, o tornou uma estrela de rock econômico e comercial para o mundo. Ao aconselhar os presidentes e os congressistas a fazer o que é certo e a tributar, os 400 norte-americanos mais ricos, o mesmo que a classe média, o ajudaram a milhões. Simplesmente incentivando outros 170 bilionários ao redor do globo a devolver pelo menos metade de suas fortunas se tornaram um legado notável.
A. Após a sua aposentadoria (que ele define como 5 anos após a sua morte), o trabalho do Sr. Buffett será dividido em três partes; Presidente não executivo do Conselho (provavelmente o filho Howard), CEO responsável pelas operações (o vice-presidente Charlie Munger sugeriu Ajit Jain ou Greg Abel) e CIO (Ted Weschler e Todd Combs).
A. Isso é como perguntar quem é o jovem ou próximo Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln ou Mahatma Gandhi. Eu já falei em 5 continentes em mais de 20 países e ainda tenho que encontrar alguém perto do gênio de Buffett e do conjunto de habilidades únicas. Sua capacidade de computar números sem a ajuda de um computador ou calculadora, a habilidade de medir um O personagem da pessoa a partir de milhares de quilômetros de distância, e a abordagem racional do investimento e das empresas pode nunca mais ser encontrada em uma pessoa. Como todos os grandes atletas, Buffett faz com que pareça fácil.
A. Todo esquema de investimento parece buscar a aprovação do maior investidor do mundo. Investir na moeda cibernética é diametralmente oposta aos princípios de investimento de Warren Buffet.
Em sua carta de 2018 aos acionistas, Buffett escreveu sobre três métodos de investimento disponíveis para todos os investidores. Subtiled As opções básicas para investidores e a pessoa que preferimos fortemente (berkshirehathaway / letters / 2018ltr. pdf) Warren também resumiu seus comentários ao investir em investimentos produtivos (bons) versus não produtivos (ruins) versus moeda (feia) investindo na Fortune Magazine : fortuna / 2018/02/09 / warren-buffett-why-stocks-beat-gold-and-bonds / Alguns anos atrás, na reunião de seus accionistas, ele foi questionado sobre Bitcoin e ele disse que está aderindo aos EUA e que o governo apoiou moeda.
Com a minha compreensão limitada da moeda cibernética, parece que sempre terá um problema de relações públicas como o pagamento de resgate preferido para aqueles que operam fora da lei. Ainda não encontrei uma organização ou pessoa, que gosta das demandas de hackers do ransomware, sempre com dificuldades para rastrear pagamentos de ciber em moeda. Com a incapacidade de controlar, monitorar, legislar e imprimir, os governos globais sempre se oporão à moeda cibernética como forma de evadir impostos e seu sistema legal. Mas o maior risco, na minha opinião, é a facilidade de manipulação da moeda cibernética de qualquer pessoa com acesso a US $ 200 - 300 milhões em dinheiro. Parece muito fácil de bombear e despejar esquemas e bandidos que operam sem proteção ou recurso do governo. Existem muitos caminhos para o sucesso financeiro, incluindo investimento não produtivo e baseado em moeda. A moeda cibernética está apenas fora do círculo de competência de Warren Buffett.
Ter uma questão? Clique aqui para enviar um email para Robert P. Miles.

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Activism.
The TPP and Internet censorship.
Trudeau’s first big test as Prime Minister.
INDEPENDENT MEDIA by Meghan Sali.
• Do you squeeze oranges expecting apple juice? Of course not. So Canadians shouldn’t be surprised when an undemocratic process like the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations yields an undemocratic result.
On October 5, just two weeks before the recent federal election, beaming Trade Ministers from the 12 TPP countries gathered in Atlanta to announce they had completed negotiations on the largest and most secretive trade agreement in modern history.
Now, the TPP looks like it’s becoming the first major test for the new Liberal government. Although the previous government signed Canada on to the deal, it must still be approved by the recently elected new Parliament.
Despite the fact that negotiations were ongoing for over three years, most Canadians knew nothing about the agreement and the announcement from Atlanta came as big news. Even those of us that have been following the process closely have little information on the TPP’s contents. Of its 29 chapters, we have only seen three – and only because they were leaked and published by Wikileaks.
So here we are, being told by political leaders that we must be a part of this agreement, as there is “simply too much to gain for Canada.” But if we have so much to gain, why did the previous government wait until the last possible moment to pitch us the plan and then keep it under wraps throughout the recent election?
The few who have read the leaked texts know exactly why: Canadians would never accept the TPP if we knew what was being negotiated on our behalf.
Despite vowing to release the full text before the election, Trade Minister Ed Fast reneged on his promise only days later, leaving Canadians without an opportunity to judge for themselves if the trumped-up benefits of the TPP are truly genuine.
For an example of just how bad the TPP is for Canadians, let’s take a look at the Intellectual Property (IP) chapter. For years, digital rights experts the world over have been calling it “one of the worst global threats to the Internet.”
The previous government assured Canadians the TPP’s changes to copyright law are “fully consistent with Canadian law and policy.” But only days after the announcement by Trade Ministers, the final version of the IP chapter was leaked and it’s even worse than we could have imagined.
We now know Canadians will see copyright terms extended by 20 years, robbing the public domain and snatching what experts estimate will be hundreds of millions of dollars out of our pockets every year.
And that’s not all: vaguely worded clauses will mean increased Internet censorship complete with content takedowns and website blocking. You could even have your computer seized and destroyed just for ripping your favourite CD onto your computer. Under the TPP, will we even really own what we buy?
The trend here is clear: to replace Canada’s balanced copyright rules with a much harsher, US style approach. The fact is that secretive, closed negotiations only benefit those who have a seat at the table. Throughout the negotiations, TPP officials went out of their way to avoid engaging in genuine, citizen stakeholder engagement.
Canadians must demand that our new incoming government reject the TPP’s Internet censorship plan. Frankly, the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze.
Meghan Sali is Free Expression campaigner with OpenMedia, a community-based organization that safeguards the possibilities of the open Internet. OpenMedia.
Saving Farmland: the fight for real food.
by Nathalie Chambers.
with Robin Alys Roberts and Sophie Wooding.
As we dig into the history of Victoria’s lost farmland, we see the impact both on farmers and on human health. Where we once grew blueberry bushes in healthy bogs, tomatoes on sunny hillsides or green beans alongside a salad patch waiting to be picked out of the rich, dark, naturally composted soil, thousands of customers now pluck cake mixes, instant pizzas and cereal boxes from grocery shelves.
Subsidies to industrial farmers of commodities such as corn explain why, between 1985 and 2018, the price of high-fructose corn syrup drinks dropped 24 percent (increasing the rate of type-2 diabetes in children as they consumed more), while over the same period the price of fresh fruits and vegetables rose 39 per cent. As consumers buy cheaper, bland, prepared food revved up with salt and/or sugar – or beef fed on corn and other grains – they manage to convince themselves they can save time and money, without considering the long-term costs to their well-being.
In addition to these health concerns, with both fishers and farmers going out of business, the decrease in traditional agricultural practices leaves cultures on the brink of destruction… [and] over four million Canadians are food insecure. In Toronto today, every third child goes to school hungry. As most people turn to food banks only as a last resort (in fact, fewer than 25 percent of food-insecure households make use of them), this means millions of Canadians are still truly down and out.
In the four years between 2008 and 2018, food-bank use increased by 23 percent in BC and 73 percent in the Northwest Territories, with a 30 percent average increase across Canada. In the summer of 2018, BC’s Minister for Children and Family Development claimed that child poverty had declined by 41 percent over the previous decade. If that claim had been true, the province would have come down to the lowest rate in more than three decades. But at the end of the decade between 2001 and 2018, according to the non-partisan 2018 Child Poverty Report Card, which was using Statistics Canada’s figures, 43 percent more individuals in BC were using food banks. BC has been crowned with the worst overall poverty rate of all Canadian provinces. Canada still remains one of the few developed countries without a national meal program for children…
We need to redirect ourselves to a truly whole, sustainable approach, vastly increasing our awareness of how we produce food. Ideally, we should focus on sustainable agriculture… The overriding imperative is obvious: we must protect all farmland in perpetuity. For 40 years, BC protected 4.7 million hectares (11,613,953 ac) of land in the ALR, but in 2017, the provincial government planned to open a majority of that land up to mining. BC still wears the crown for food insecurity. The price of farmland and the lack of support for farmers (only one percent of our provincial budget goes toward agriculture) must be addressed.
Paying trees to keep us healthy.
David Suzuki points out that, historically, we look at a temperate forest in terms of lumber and calculate its worth simply in those dollar values. But Suzuki looks at what that forest is “worth” alive and working. He reminds us how hard a temperate forest works. It captures, filters and supplies water. It helps prevent floods. It stores carbon. It purifies air. If we had to buy those services, we’d have to pay about $2,000 per hectare (2.5 ac) per year. Farms located alongside forests experience additional benefits, including natural preservation of soil quality and natural homes for beneficial pollinators like birds, bats, a variety of bees and other insects.
Of course, all this labour should increase the value we place on a forest. If we add in everything, including the recreational benefits a forest provides, the trees could be receiving over $5,000 per hectare (2.5 ac) in wages every single year.
We need to treasure the biodiverse ecosystems all around us that naturally control excesses of one species over the other, instead of killing masses of life forms for assumed economic benefits – whether we kill trees for lumber or a few “pests” at the expense of many other beneficial organisms. Trees simultaneously provide shelter, preserve moisture and build soil as leaves fall and branches rot. We see this so obviously after an ecosystem loses its pollinators, so we must remember that food security – a nation or community’s access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food – depends on biodiversity on the farm and around it.
Keeping farms affordable.
The high price of farmland remains the largest obstacle to food security on Vancouver Island, across Canada and throughout many parts of the world. Expensive farmland denies farmers the ability to produce food and thus creates food insecurity. Currently, farmland located around cities is speculated at the same price as residential real estate, especially when negotiations may include the promise of a zoning change – making it enticing for speculators but completely unaffordable for young farmers. As Jeff Rubin explained in an autumn 2018 article in the Globe and Mail , “The price of farmland in Canada has outpaced both residential and commercial real estate, gaining an average of 12 percent over the last five years. In some hotspots, such as southwestern Ontario, the price-per-acre has been going up by as much as 50 percent a year. Even pension plans and hedge funds have become players in the pursuit of prime agricultural land, interest that is only sending prices that much higher.”
The pressures to rezone are being felt across the country, not just in southwestern Ontario and BC. Investors follow the old real-estate adage, “Don’t wait to buy land, buy land and wait.” They can pay $50,000 to $100,000 per 0.4 hectares (1 ac) for farmland that has potential for alternate use close to the city of Regina. While waiting for the land to be rezoned, they derive payback income for their mortgage by leasing the land out to farmers. Their patience is rewarded when the multi-family residential zoning goes through and their land skyrockets to $750,000 per 0.4 hectares (1 ac).
As young farmers aren’t replacing older ones, the multi­national corporations are moving in, for the rising crop prices, the uncut timber and other natural resources on the land. Until we address this issue, we cannot hope to get the next generation out on the land and our chances for food security will continue to diminish.
With such farmland price speculation near urban centres and potential mining centres, the pressures are mounting. In addition, changes to farming practices that have occurred over the last half-century – vast swaths of monoculture devoid of supportive habitat and overwhelmed by chemical pest and weed controls – have had a deadly impact on bees and their pollination success. All these weigh heavily on the ability of young farmers to take up the mantle…
In the spring of 2018, after a 20-year period, the number of Canadian farmers under the age of 35 had plummeted from 77,000 to just over 24,000. We have to admit that industrial agriculture, complying with free-trade policies that encourage exports at local expense and top-down corporate control that pays the local farm the least, hasn’t been the solution. Paul Slomp, the youth spokesperson for the National Farmers Union, said, “Parents who are farming are telling their kids it’s not worth the stress and it’s not worth the debt.”
So, what does the next generation of farmers look like? Despite the obstacles, Nathalie says, “Hordes of the next generation of farmers are educated. They practice sustainable agriculture: agroecology, biodynamics, permaculture and biological farming. They are eager to get their shovels in the soil. At Madrona Farm, we cannot keep up with the number of farmers who want to work here. The problem isn’t finding people who want to farm. It’s in getting access to farmland itself. We have a responsibility to the next generation and to ourselves to ensure that the farmland is available.” …
We can’t keep tinkering with chemical sprays or chemical fertilizers that kill millions of microbes in the soil, destroy pollinators, slash the trees that offer shade, habitat and mulch, and affect the very water that we all drink. How can we remove benefactors from ecosystems and expect them to function well? Farming makes sense only when farmers champion biodiversity…
The moment we become proactive, “they” becomes “we.” We understand the suffering of those slogging it out on Bay Street, Wall Street or in the Beijing financial district. Our first and biggest obstacle is to collectively climb the mountain that is hiding what humans as a whole have lost as a result of practices like fracking and industrial farming. When a swath of big, old growth trees is slashed, we’re all reduced. We need to climb our densest peak, remove our blindfolds and take a look at the full view. From side to side, top to bottom, through the rocks, down into the oceans, we must recognize that we’re all connected, and no one human, no one being, is any greater than the next.
Most of all, we need to reconnect our adult selves with the innate awareness we had as children. We were born with a joyful understanding of the vast multiplicity of our connectedness. Too often, however, we gave over this joy to those who would manipulate us into dividing our world into small, separate compartments, each with different, all-controlling recipes for managing life. If we thought otherwise, or still expressed the desire to explore other areas, it seemed to be an excuse for further segregation through mockery and bullying from peers and adults, which redirected us into a culture dominated by top-down leadership…
It became dangerous to question the authorities about topics like money, religion, politics, extreme sports, wars, peace missions, intellectual pursuits, mythologies, consumerism, classism or even such basics as how agriculture can best provide us with the food we eat. As a result, many of us grew up submissive, unquestioning, alone, obese and unhappy. None of us desire such passive isolation as adults. However, by severing our fundamental connection with the world around us, we’ve dug a hole in our soul.
We all need love, support and appreciation for each of our abilities and ethical intentions. If we all base our ethics on kindness and respect… we can cultivate a natural diversity that can make our hearts and bodies vibrate.
As is so often the case, people are the problem – but they’re also the solution.
Excerpted from Saving Farmland: The Fight for Real Food by Nathalie Chambers with Robin Alys Roberts and Sophie Wooding. (RMB / Rocky Mountain Books, 2018)
Nathalie Chambers is the founder of the Chef Survival Challenge Inc., a fundraising event for farmland conservation, and the Big Dream Farm Fund, which directs funds towards farmland acquisition and sustainable farming education initiatives. Nathalie and her husband, David Chambers, live and work on Madrona Farm, where they grow more than a hundred varieties of produce year-round for over 4,000 regular customers, including numerous wholesalers and local restaurants.
Robin Alys Roberts taught at the University of Victoria and has written a manual, websites, newsletters, conference presentations and magazine articles. Sophie Wooding has a degree in creative writing and English literature from the University of Victoria. She apprenticed at Madrona Farm surrounding a stint at GoodRoots, a Community Sustained Agriculture Farm near her hometown of Langley.
How terrorism loses and humanity wins.
by Marianne Williamson.
• Years ago I told myself not to worry about a devil… that it’s all in my mind. Then I realized that’s the worst place it could possibly be.
I don’t think there’s an external devil stalking the planet for men’s souls, but I do believe there’s a point of consciousness in all of us – whether we call it shadow, dark side, devil, or whatever – that is not a beautiful thing. When this aspect is allowed to drive our thoughts and behaviour – whether as an individual or as a group – it isn’t just neurotic. It is beastly.
We can pretend all we want that this doesn’t exist. We can insist that reason, civilized behaviour, international law and civic institutions have the upper hand; we can be grateful for the fact that any group psychosis is over there somewhere and surely can’t affect our daily lives. We can believe those things, but more and more now we know they aren’t true. Today, the beast is stalking the planet and it’s way too close to the barricades.
Yet how do we fight a collective psychosis, spreading like cancer and beginning to attack the major organs of our civilization? Whether it’s ISIS in the Middle East, lone crazy people taking up the cause, foreign fighters or domestic jihadists… the question on everyone’s mind is “What do we do now?”
Americans are very good with a to-do list. Just tell us what to do and our national character is such that we can usually do it. We can liken the Nazis as well as the Japanese Imperial Army during WW2 to operable tumours that were brilliantly and surgically removed by Allied forces. But today’s terrorist threat is not an operable tumour; it’s more like a cancer that’s already metastasized. It is wrapped around and hiding behind vital organs, constantly multiplying its hideous malformations. Invasive measures and surgical removal are not enough to handle this one. We’re going to have to boost our immune system; we need to deal with cause and not just effects and it would be a very good idea to pray for a miracle.
A holistic model of healing does not just apply to a physical body; it applies to a social body as well. Right now, our primary mode of fighting terrorism is allopathic, focused on suppressing and eradicating external symptoms. Clearly, those symptoms are deadly and the most powerful allopathic treatment is called for.
But the holistic paradigm emphasizes mind and spirit as healing modalities too. Internal powers should not be seen as the weaker stepsister of brute force. In fact, at this point, the use of brute force in fighting terrorism is doing as much to create enemies we don’t have yet as to kill the ones we do. No one knows this better than those who are applying the brute force yet we’re caught in the inescapable bind of having to apply it nevertheless. So, what are the internal powers that need to be identified? How do we harness them? What strategies best put them to use?
In seeking to answer these questions, we’re confronted by challenges more difficult than you might imagine. On an external level, our problems involve politics, police and military. On an internal level, our problems are no less difficult – not because they’re complicated, so much as because they challenge the very notion of what it means to be a civilized society in the 21st century. We need to ask deeper questions than, “What should we do?” We need to ask, “Who should we be?” And even more importantly, “Who should we be to each other?
A rally of two million people on the streets of Paris is a beautiful show of solidarity, ultimately even more so if it becomes a template for how we live our lives each day. We need to join as brothers and sisters now, not just as a reaction to tragedies, but as a way of preventing tragedies. Every decent man, woman and child at that rally in Paris felt like they belonged to something, felt they were part of something, felt they were standing for something meaningful that day – and that is the answer. What could be a more horrific irony than that jihadists say they feel a sense of community ? Only one thing is more powerful than a brotherhood based on hate and that is a brotherhood based on love.
Humanity needs to understand this: it won’t be enough to only express our love for each other after a horrific event has occurred. We are challenged to change the very bones of our civilization – to shift from an economic to a humanitarian model – if we’re to even come close to diminishing the presence and decreasing the rise of monsters in our midst.
That is the only way we will adequately counter not just acts of terror, but, even more importantly, the radical, hate-filled philosophy that inspires them. As any expert will tell you, there is no way to track down and stop everyone who has ever been radicalized by a hateful cleric. A dark consciousness is the root of the problem and our biggest difficulty in addressing it is our refusal to give consciousness any credence at all. That is why a purely materialist perspective is inadequate to the task of formulating an effective strategy to combat terrorism. We will not create an effective way to win this contest until we are willing to acknowledge the ground on which it’s being played. And to play back on that level.
When it comes to terrorism – and when it comes to defeating it – feelings do matter, clerics do matter and philosophy does matter. This battle is being waged on deep subconscious levels. The force now tapping into the darkest corners of the human psyche will only be defeated from the most light-filled corners of the human heart. Terrorism is hatred turned into a political force and the only thing powerful enough to fundamentally override it is to turn love into a political force. But – that we will not be able to do until we are willing to make love more important than money and others more important than ourselves.
First, let’s look at money and then let’s look at us. Money runs politics in America today, which means financial interests determine the allocation of resources to everything from military to education to humanitarian expenditures. On a geo-political level, this is devastating in its effects, at home and abroad, because it leaves untended such dangerously high levels of human despair. Large groups of desperate people anywhere in the world should be considered a national security risk because desperate people are far more vulnerable to ideological capture by genuinely psychotic forces. Until America deals with the fundamental issue of the corporate takeover of the US government, there is no reason to think that the driving force in our foreign policy will ever be a true desire for peace. When our leaders talk about protecting “America’s vital national interests” around the world, they’re more likely to mean protection of Halliburton, Shell, Monsanto and Exxon, than protection of the 17,000 children who starve each day or the billion human beings on the planet who live on less than $1.25 a day. There is so much unnecessary desperation, poverty, alienation and hopelessness that the Western world has allowed to fester, and so many points of hypocrisy in our own international actions for which we owe atonement and amends. At this point, America’s problem is not just that some people hate us; it’s that a lot of people who don’t actually hate us, don’t like us either. Those who don’t actually hate us have become more and more easy to radicalize by people who genuinely do.
Actually, though, the problem today is not radicalism but a lack of radicalism. We lack the radicalism of love. By this I mean the deliberate, intentional, spiritual, transcendent, devoted, courageous, committed, proactive love of people who have awakened to the absolute necessity – if we are to survive as a species – of seeing every hungry child in the world as a child we must feed; each transgression against the earth as a limiting of our grandchildren’s chances to survive on the planet; every uneducated child as a security risk; and every thought or action of love as a contribution to the field of energy that alone has the power to drive the monstrous scourge of terrorism back to the nothingness from whence it came.
Some people seem more willing to die than to change their minds, and that is the question before us today: are we really willing to die rather than evolve beyond the obsolete, unsustainable principles that currently organize our civilization? This is the revolution now to be waged: a revolution of consciousness, as we change our thoughts and thus our behaviour and thus our institutions and thus our voting patterns and thus our government and thus find in time that we have changed ourselves.
Any conversation less radical than that simply plays into the hands of those who despise us. Terrorism is a manifestation of the accumulated moments when humanity has chosen not to love; but we still have the opportunity to choose again. We have the power to override the heinous efforts of those who terrorize, to overrule them and nullify their malevolence. First, however, we have to override our resistance to doing so. We must overrule our ego-based reticence about surrendering to love and making our lives its instrument. That is the contest, which matters the most. Are we willing to rally to that cause, not just one day in Paris, but to the best of our ability every hour of every day of every year, not only when it’s easy but also when it’s difficult? Any moment when we don’t, is an inch of ground we cede to the terrorists. Any moment when we do, is a moment when we gain the upper hand, turn on the light that casts out darkness, and do the work of transforming - our civilization into the sustainable, beautiful, and wondrous thing it is meant to be.
Guns alone can’t do it. Bombs alone can’t do it. Surveillance alone can’t do it. But with God’s help, we can.
Barricading democracy: Election fraud through debate rigging.
by Anthony James Hall.
• The Canadian federal election of 2018 is rigged. Stephen Harper has leaned on his corporate cronies and assets in order to fix the outcome of two federal election debates in English-speaking Canada. The Leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May, is excluded from both events.
The economic debate takes place on Sept. 17 on the PM’s home political turf of Calgary Alberta, now NDP territory politically. The second and most heavily rigged debate takes place in Toronto on Sept. 28. The host of this debate on Canada’s foreign policy is Peter Munk and Toronto’s Munk institutes. These institutes – the Munk Debates and the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs – are basically Public Relations extensions of the constellation of corporate interests revolving around Barrick Inc.
Peter Munk and Barrick Gold.
Peter Munk is the most public face of Barrick Gold Corporation, a controversial global mining conglomerate headquartered in Toronto. Barrick Gold draws on many heritages including Canada’s rich mining history. One of the highlights of this history is the development, starting in 1910, of the Hollinger gold mine around which the northern Ontario town of Timmins coalesced.
Media mogul Conrad Black used the Hollinger heritage as the brand name of his Anglo-American-Israeli media empire. Largely through the spin of Hollinger Inc’s Canadian flagship National Post, Stephen Harper was propelled to the forefront of national politics in Canada. In this election season of 2018, Harper is now seeking a mandate from the Canadian electorate to begin his second decade as Canada’s Prime Minister.
The wholesale destruction of indigenous peoples’ culture and self-reliance marks the darkest side of Canada’s mining history. Barrick has been a key instrument in the saga of internationalizing the mining assault on First Nations, especially in Latin America. This globalization of our country’s frontier expansions has made Canada the world’s reigning mining superpower.
The business story of how this Canadian-based power and resource grab went forward is fascinating, complex and rife with more than its share of corruption. The role of Peter Munk, Brian Mulroney, John Baird, and Nigel Wright in this saga of imperial Canada’s colonizing thrust helps explain the Liberal Party’s replacement by the neocon dynasty lead by Stephen Harper over the last decade.
Barrick’s Meteoric Rise from Obscurity.
to Dominance in the Global Gold Trade.
There is much more than meets the eye with respect to the locating of the federal leaders debate on foreign affairs. One telling detail took place last January when John Baird, then Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, handed the U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs a federal check. The amount was 100 times larger than the bribe delivered to Mike Duffy from the private pocket of Harper’s Chief of Staff, Nigel Wright. Wright too has extremely close ties to Barrick Gold, the Munk Debates, and Gerry Swartz’s Onex Corporation where Anthony Munk, Peter’s son, is a top executive.
Yves Engler has identified the obvious conflict of interest in allowing a PR offshoot of a Canadian mining conglomerate to host a debate on Canadian foreign affairs at a time when Canada’s “extractive industries” are at the centre of a broad array of international contentions. In rabble. ca Engler writes, “while Canada’s status as a global mining superpower ought to be part of a foreign policy debate, don’t expect any discussion of regulating mining activities abroad on September 28… Nor should we expect discussion about matters likely to embarrass the military or major corporations.”
Such topics will probably be papered over, because as Engler predicts, a real spotlight on the reason for Canada’s dwindling stature and reputation internationally “might offend billionaire Peter Munk.”
In the 1980s, the point person on the Barrick complex of companies was the notorious CIA asset and Saudi arms merchant, Adnan Khashoggi. Munk was inserted to replace the flamboyant Saudi playboy once Khashoggi was made to become a fall guy in the Iran-Contra scandal. Munk stepped into Barrick’s spotlight after 1989 when the Torontonian came up with $4 million to bail out Khashoggi from a New York jail after the arms merchant got caught up with Imelda Marcos’ unorthodox gold transactions.
Barrick has been the lead navigator for an elaborate network of enterprises grouped together by the Harper government as the so-called “extractive sector.” Largely because of lax regulation and enforcement mechanisms in the stock exchanges of Vancouver and Toronto, Canada presently leads the world as the preferred headquarters for the transnational “extractive sector.”
The core of Barrick’s business model is the trade in insider information. Strategic data is regularly brought to Barrick especially by former politicians seeking to cash in on their privileged access to state secrets and global contacts acquired in the days when they held public office. Prominent among this genre of Barrick operative has been Mulroney and Baird who have followed the trail pioneered by the former US President, George H. W. Bush.
When he was in the Oval Office from 1989 to 1993 and during the years that followed his one-term US presidency, George Bush Sr. played a major role in the rise of Barrick’s fortunes. By virtually gifting Barrick the USA’s most lucrative gold mine on federal land in Nevada, Bush kick started a progression that projected the Canadian company from obscurity to dominance in the global gold business.
John Baird is Brian Mulroney’s new understudy on Barrick’s International Advisory Board. Baird knows well from his own extensive ministerial involvement with the relevant files that the activities of Canada’s most famous gold company have been volatile centres of turmoil and contention in the conduct of Canadian foreign policy. For instance, widely-reported revelations of environmental degradation together with Barrick’s corruption of Chilean politicians to promote the Canadian gold company’s disastrous Pascau Lama project have energized an upsurge of condemnations blackening Canada’s reputation throughout Latin America.
The growing web of international controversy is extending to transnational networks of police forces, media, courts, government ministries, financiers and politicians. The prominent individuals being drawn into this maelstrom include former Canadian PM Brian Mulroney, former Chilean President Ricardo Largos, banker Andronico Luksic Jr, and Peter Munk himself. How can the Munk Debates offer a platform of credible neutrality for a leaders’ debate on Canadian foreign policy when Barrick Gold has become such a toxic vehicle of Canada’s relationship with the global community?
Barrick at the Centre of a Firestorm of Criticism and Hostile Litigation.
Earlier this year John L. Thornton moved on from his top executive post at HSBC, and his prior post as Goldman Sachs president, to replace Peter Munk as Chair of Barrick Gold. Thornton is taking over an office with a lingering residue of bad publicity. This legacy is epitomized by Munk’s nomination by Mother Jones as piggy number one in its rundown of America’s top ten embodiments of corporate pork.
Increasingly hostility is being directed at Barrick and its sister firms like GoldCorp. It is also being directed at the Canadian government. For instance the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights responded to Canada’s instant backing of the primary beneficiaries of the military coup in Honduras in 2009 by condemning the role of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs.
Following the overthrow of President Manuel Zalaya’s government, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Ministry is alleged to have gone to work to help the Honduran coup leaders write “new mining laws” even as “targeted violence” was being pointed against “communities, lawyers, journalists, and activists.” The Harper government was the first national government in the Western Hemisphere to extend formal recognition to the post-coup usurpers of Honduran sovereignty.
The UK’s Guardian has paraphrased the Commission’s serious charges that Barrick and other Canadian mining companies active in nine Latin American countries have been, with the backing and sanction of the Canadian government, “destroying glaciers, contaminating water and rivers, cutting down forests, forcibly displacing people, dividing and impoverishing communities, making false promises about economic benefits, endangering people’s health, and fraudulently acquiring property.” Those who protest such assaults “have been killed or seriously wounded while others have been persecuted, threatened or accused of being terrorists.”
Barrick’s annual shareholders’ meetings have become the site of strife and acrimony because of the growing array of individuals, groups and associations claiming that the company has hurt them. At the low end of the scale are accusations that Barrick’s directors and executives are too highly paid and rewarded with lucrative stock options. At the high end of the scale are accusations that the company has repeatedly and systematically committed fraud by making false reports to security regulators and investors in a variety of countries.
Introducing Jorge Cortes Lopehandia and.
The Pascua Lama Mining Debacle.
Ground zero in Barrick’s litigious mess of claims and counterclaims is the Pascau Lama mine on the border of Chile and Argentina in the high Andes. The gargantuan mining project has been closed down by order of the Chilean judiciary. Barrick’s serial displays of incompetence, malfeasance and outright contempt for victims of the company’s recklessness have assumed epic proportions. Peter Koven at Canada’s Financial Post accused Barrick in 2018 of “screwing up the Pascua Lama project about as badly as any mining company has ever screwed up a major project.”
The company claims to have invested $8.5 billion in its Pascua Lama project with almost no return so far. There is virtually nothing in Barrick’s own accounting of this project, however, that can be taken at face value. The evidence continues to grow suggesting that the books have been cooked and that shareholders have been robbed, defrauded and scorned.
The evidence suggests that titles have been fabricated, while the actual titles to the mineral resources of Pascua Lama have been misrepresented and subjected to political subterfuge. As a result, Barrick is being accused of making public share offerings based on proprietary claims to gold and other precious minerals it never really possessed.
After almost two decades of litigious struggle with the Canadian corporate giant and its Chilean subsidiaries, Jorge Cortes Lopehandia, a Canadian citizen from Chile, is gaining positive public regard especially in Chile. Jorge is gaining traction for his unwavering assertion that he, not Barrick, is the true holder of the metallic titles beneath large parts of the Pascua Lama project. Central to the strength of his position is the court injunction of 2001 against Barrick’s local branch, Compania Minera Nevada (CMN). The injunction results from Lopehandia’s presentation in court of registered titles obtained through his agent, Rudolfo Fancisco Villar.
In 2004 Barrick made one of its very few references to the contested title in its annual report to investors and security regulators. The authors of Barrick’s report acknowledged that three years earlier “Villar obtained an ex parte injunction barring CMN from selling or encumbering the claims while the suit is pending before the Chilean courts.”
In a subsequent proceeding in 2018 in the 2nd Civil Court in the City of Villenar, Jorge Lopehandia put the Chilean subsidiary of Barrick to the test. As he tells it, his opponents failed to pass. They could come up with nothing more than a word of mouth agreement to prove their title claims.
Jorge has struck up a partnership in Vancouver with Brent Johnson. Johnson is CEO of Mountainstar Gold that is helping, along with other interests, to fund the legal proceedings against Barrick in both Chile and Canada.
Lopehandia and Johnson share much in common. Mountainstar Gold is asserting in US courts that it is the proper inheritor of the titles to the Goldstrike mining property in Nevada. In a transfer whose legal validity is still being contested, the Goldstrike property was transferred to Barrick Gold through the actions of two US presidents, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
By virtue of having survived many rounds of combat with Barrick’s legal pit bulls, Jorge is emerging as something of a champion for those opposed to the degradation of Canada’s international reputation. Many are against allowing our country become an accommodating platform of convenience for the worldwide operations of even the most dubious of “extractive industries.”
Barrick’s SLAPP Suits in Canada and UK.
As the contest unfolded, Barrick pressed charges in Ontario, beginning in 2002, against Lopehandia for Internet Libel. Barrick’s lawyers alleged that Jorge was disseminating on the worldwide web false information defaming the Canadian mining company and its Chilean subsidiary. Their legal procedures can be interpreted as a manifestation of Barrick’s propensity to press SLAPP suits—strategic lawsuits against public participation.
The aim of SLAPP suits is to exhaust and bankrupt those who criticize large corporations with deep pockets. This tactic serves the purpose of containing or blocking the spread of embarrassing information in the media, no matter how solid the relevant evidence.
Among those that have felt the wrath of Barrick’s censorious litigiousness are Greg Palast. Also targeted were the Guardian and the Observer, UK publishers of Palast’s investigative work. Other victims of Barrick’s SLAPP attacks have been Alan Denault and the publishers of his Canadian books on Barrick, as well as human rights lawyer Tundu Lussu of the Washington-based World Resources Institute.
The judges involved in the eventual ruling in 2004 in the Ontario Superior Court of Appeals sided with Barrick against Lopehandia making him, in Jorge’s own words, “a symbol of Internet Libel in Canada and around the world.”
Sakura Saunders, the Globe and Mail,
and the Munk Fellowship in Global Journalism.
Sakura Saunders has played a significant role in many facets of this saga. She is a driving force in the Protest Barrick and Munk Out of U of T campaigns.
Saunders has identified the close ties linking Barrick Gold with the Globe and Mail, which bills itself as “Canada’s national newspaper.” The Globe and Mail is hosting the other major leaders debate on the economy. Like the Munk Debate, the Globe Debate excludes Elizabeth May, the sole female leader of a Canadian federal political party.
In an article published by the Toronto Media Co-op in 2018, Saunders explained the close ties between Barrick Gold, the Munk institutes and the Globe and Mail. She included observations of the partnership of the Globe’s partnership with Munk School of Global Affairs in training journalists. Saunders’ essay helps underline that those rigging the federal leaders debate on foreign affairs are closely tied in with those rigging the leaders’ debate on the economy.
Networking in Toronto on the Munk and Harper Teams.
Rudyard Griffiths is the organizer and moderator of the Munk Federal Election Debate on Foreign Affairs. Griffiths describes himself as a “social engineer.” He is Peter Munk’s designate heading up a network of interlinked agencies that extends incestuousness to new frontiers of corporatized narcissism. It was Griffith’s who made the decision to exclude Elizabeth May from the event at Roy Thompson Hall on Sept. 28. The exclusion of May’s excellent female debating voice is part of the way Canadians are being cheated in DebateGate.
The federal leaders’ debate in Toronto is billed as part of the regular cycle of Munk Debates. The Munk Debates are run by the Aurea Foundation. Like the Munk School of Global Affairs, the Aurea Foundation receives funding from the Peter and Melanie Munk Foundation. Peter Munk himself has emphasized the overlapping character of the Munk Debates and the Munk School. In announcing his personal triumph in landing the main debating event of the 2018 federal election campaign, Munk beamed, “Whether it is the support we provide to the Munk School at the University of Toronto or the creation of the Munk Debates through the Aurea Foundation, Melanie and I are committed to broadening public knowledge, education, and informed discourse.”
The Advisory Board of the Aurea Foundation includes Prof. Janice Gross Stein, the Founding Director of the Munk School. Earlier in 2018 Prof. Stein was pictured in her trademark red glasses with the former Foreign Affairs Minister, receiving on behalf of the Munk School the federal check for $9 million. The purpose of this handover of public money from Baird and the Harper government was to help dissidents undermine Iran’s Islamic government. Prof. Stein was Baird’s closest adviser when he was Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister. The Munk School Director has been instrumental in guiding the Harper government in how to mirror Israeli policies.
Also on the Advisory Board of the Munk Debates is Allan Gotlieb, a former Canadian Ambassador to the USA, a member of the Trilateral Commission, A Canadian Panel member on George H. W. Bush’s Carlyle Group, and a senior legal adviser to Bennett Jones. Bennett Jones is a Calgary-headquartered law firm that does much work for the international operations of Canada’s extractive industries. Other members of the Advisory Board are George Jonas and Dr. Robert Pritchard.
Mark Cameron is one of the younger members of the Munk Debates’ Advisory Board. Cameron describes himself as Senior Vice-President and Energy Practice Leader with Hill and Knowlton Strategies, and a former Director of Policy and Research to Prime Minister Harper. Hill and Knowlton is the notorious international PR firm that hired “Nayirah,” the daughter of the Kuwaiti Ambassador in the USA, to be the star crisis actor in a now-legendary press conference in 1990.
The tearful young woman identified only as “Nayirah.” claimed to have witnessed Saddam Hussein’s soldiers removing babies from incubators and smashing them into the floor to die. The purpose this PR fraud, at the highest level of international media manipulation, was to sell a new war. It was to arouse public opinion to back a US-led invasion of Iraq that would subsequently unfold as Operation Desert Storm. Selling wars has long produced the most lucrative contracts for the PR industry whose Canadian agents of spin include the Munk Debates.
Where the Barrick and Onex Corporations.
Meet the Harper Government.
Anthony Munk is a close friend and colleague of Nigel “good to go” Wright. Until recently, Wright and Munk Jr. worked together on the Aurea Foundation’s Board. They continue to work together as top executives at the Onex Corporation. Wright is godfather to Anthony’s son, Peter Munk’s grandson.
Gerald W. Schwartz is CEO of Onex Corporation that specializes in mergers and the restructuring of corporate assets. Schwartz is married to Heather Reisman, CEO of Indigo Books. For a time Reisman had a big role in determining the invitation list to the annual Bilderberg meetings, a high-power event where new inductees are introduced to some of capitalism’s chief plutocrats.
Schwartz and Reisman are both avid supporters of the Israeli state. Formerly prominent Liberal Party backers, the most formidable power couple in Canada’s business community shifted their support to the Conservative Party of Canada when the Harper’s policies better embodied their own pro-Israel aspirations. As demonstrated in the friendship and business connections linking Anthony Munk with Nigel Wright, the Onex Corporation has become an important interface with the Harper government and its favoured Barrick Corporation.
Schwartz essentially gifted the very brainy, effective and accomplished Wright to the PMO to become Prime Minister Harper’s Chief of Staff in 2018. Wright’s specialty at Onex has been mergers and acquisitions in the fields of aerospace, defence, energy and transportation. He was involved, in various ways, on the Canadian facet of the Harper government’s negotiations with Lockheed Martin, and related agencies, to purchase F-35 jet fighters.
Before being fired fired by Harper, Chief of Staff Wright faced his most serious allegations of conflict of interest – not on the F-35 file – but because of revelations he was contacted repeatedly to assist Barrick with its deals. Barrick’s intervention with Harper’s Chief of Staff involved efforts to modify Canadian government relations with the government of Argentina. Were issues related to Barrick’s Pascua Lama project connected to Barrick’s phone calls to Wright?
It fell to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird to intervene, in 2018, in order answer journalists’ questions about Barrick’s exploitation of access to Wright in order to lobby Stephen Harper on Canada’s foreign policy towards Latin America. The National Post paraphrased an interview with Baird on this subject. Baird is reported to have said, “Wright did nothing wrong; he merely listened to Barrick’s concerns, said nothing, passed the matter over to others responsible for the file and was not involved in any decision relating to the company.”
Baird’s defense of Wright and, by implication, Wright’s boss, may have conveyed, for the gullible at least, a certain sense of detached objectivity when the explanation was offered in 2018. The words Baird expressed back then, however, have taken on entirely new meanings during this election season of 2018. The situation is radically different now that Baird has joined Barrick’s International Advisory Board after handing over $9 million in public funds to the Munk School of Global Affairs. Similarly, the perspective is altered as the federal leaders’ debate on the subject matter of Baird’s former portfolio is about to take place under the auspices of the Munk Debates.
How far did John Baird go in using his power as Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs to help Barrick and the corrupt elites the company enlists in Chile, and thoughout the world? When deciding whether to protect Barrick’s executives or its shareholders, what side did Baird choose?
What Will Be the Scope of the Federal Leaders’
Munk Debate on ISIL?
In an interview in Embassy News Rudyard Griffiths promised that Canada’s hostility to ISIL would definitely be the subject of debate between Harper, Mulcair and Trudeau. Reports of the Canadian government’s help to ISIL surfaced briefly in Canada’s mainstream media in March of 2018. Canadian news agencies echoed reports in Turkish media that a Syrian agent, employee or asset of Canadian intelligence operations based in Jordan had been arrested and identified. Mohammed Mehmet Rashid had been caught helping three young women from London travel into Turkey and then Syria in order to join ISIL.
The apprehended agent of the Canadian deep state was operating in the network of Bruno Saccomani, Canada’s Ambassador to Jordan with special responsibilities for Iraq. Saccomani was elevated to his post in the diplomatic service from his former position as a RCMP bodyguard for Stephen Harper.
Where is the insistence on getting to the bottom of a story that the Canadian government is involved in helping the very group that Canadian soldiers are being put in harms way to fight? Why should we be surprised that the same interests are apparently backing both sides of conflict, that there is money to be made from keeping the machinery of war perpetually churning? Often, it doesn’t matter what side wins or loses. For war profiteers the important thing is to keep the fighting going: divide and conquer and profit.
The question of whether or not Canada, and other Western Powers including the United States, is involved on both sides in the war on ISIL should figure importantly in any credible electoral debate on Canadian foreign policy. Certainly this discussion is very well developed in venues like Global Research. ca, Russia Today and Press TV, the international English-language broadcasting service of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Few Canadians realize that the Iranian Armed Forces are also at war with ISIL.
Crisis Actors, PR Companies, Police Informants,
and the Selling of War.
The artificial nature of Harper’s war on jihadism is suggested by the main themes of Trevor Aaronson’s The Terror Factory: Inside the FBI’s Manufactured War on Terrorism. This text illuminates the role of police infiltrators in encouraging, setting up, entrapping, and often taking the credit for preventing acts of concocted Islamic jihad.
Currently the FBI has about 15,000 individuals on its payroll engaged in manipulating vulnerable Muslims to create the kind of fear that the perpetuation of the War on Terror requires. The picture the author draws of this kind of activity could well have been a factor in the prelude to the killing of two soldiers by two “recent Muslim converts” in the Ottawa-Montreal area in October of 2017.
The police and military response to the Ottawa shooter incident provided evocative imagery for front-page coverage in newspapers throughout the world. A survey of the photojournalism generated by the elaborate mobilization of anti-terrorist squads in Ottawa last October 22 raises suspicions. The extravagant content and massive deployment of the images by worldwide media could lead one to be sceptical. Was the operation meant, in part, to create pre-planned iconography with the objective of arousing international support for the anti-jihad cause. The basic narrative was that the war on ISIL is at once domestic and international.
The selling of this war against ISIL might in the light of future history turn out to involve manufactured elements as outrageously artificial as the images in 1990 of Hill and Knowlton’s tearful crisis actor, “Nayira.” What future did the White House of President George H. W. Bush’ (Honorary Ph. D, University of Toronto, 1997) have in mind for us by paying “Nayira” through its PR agency to pretend she had witnessed Saddam Hussein’s vicious army snatching babies from incubators and smashing them into the floor?
Removing the Barricades.
The unregulated extraction of resources abroad, and the raiding of pension funds at home, give new meaning to the attacks of Barrick’s Barricudas. Surely it is time to end the farce of treating old sawfish like Peter Munk or Brian Mulroney or Henry Kissinger or George H. W. Bush as darlings of the academy who are above the law. Sooner or later we will have to come to grips with the fact the centre of organized crime and state terror is located in places like the boards rooms of HSBC, the International Advisory Board of Barrick Gold and the PMO of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
We need to move beyond old paradigms like the lionization of wealth and the intensifying marginalization of the wretched of the earth. We need to embrace life over death, to get off the grid, to say no to smart meters, GMOs, geoengineering, fracking, Tar Sands, forced fluoridation, more Fukushimas, species depletion, and the ongoing genocide of some our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.
We need to sort fact from PR spin in order to ramp down the activities of the war machine with its voracious hunger for a steady stream of new enemies to vanquish. We need understand how it is that Barrick Gold’s poster boy of Internet libel would emerge a decade later as a prophetic critic of the more dubious tactics deployed in making Canada an international mining superpower. Only by casting light on such narratives of repression can we fully apprehend the larger implications of Harper’s crimes against democracy. This crime spree now extends to fixing elections in Canada through the rigging of public debate.
Anthony Hall is professor of Globalization Studies at the University of Lethbridge. He has written for the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Canadian Dimension and many other periodicals. His most recent books are Earth Into Property: Colonization, Decolonization and Capitalism and The American Empire and the Fourth World.
Pharma’s banking on your allergies.
Are patient groups actually representing the interests of patients?
DRUG BUST by Alan Cassels.
• Who says “near death” experiences don’t pay?
Welcome to the crazy world of ‘emergency capitalism’ where a rare – but sometimes life threatening – condition is turned into a very lucrative market with the help of skilful fearmongering, the co-opting of patient groups and the buying of experts.
I’m talking about food allergies, the life-threatening type, given we seem to be living in an increasingly allergic world. Food allergies are particularly worrisome because, well, we are surrounded by the stuff. Most of the serious allergies are related to peanuts and tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. A hyper-allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis, is where your body goes on a major offensive in response to an allergen. It can often involve multiple body systems – including gastrointestinal, skin, breathing – and it sometimes leads to respiratory and cardiac failure and death. Some people only need a whiff of an allergen to send them over the edge.
Thankfully, for those at risk of an anaphylactic reaction, the drug epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, is packaged as a self-administered emergency medicine. It can basically save your life long enough for you to get to a hospital. As a “use only when required” drug, it is most commonly injected through a self-administered auto-injector into thigh muscles. The two kinds available in Canada are Allerject by Sanofi and Epipen, a Mylan product distributed by Pfizer.
Commercial drug makers are always driven to increase sales and market share, but how do they expand the patient population of those at risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction? Maybe they do the easy stuff first: take a product costing pennies to make, package it in a fancy auto-injector, stamp a one-year expiry on it – most of you would blow a gasket if you knew about the fraudulent use of medication expiry dates – charge $120 for it and get parents, school boards and others to stock it. Above all, push the fear because we all know fear sells.
How common is an anaphylaxis death in Canada? An Ontario study found 80 anaphylactic deaths over a 25-year period. Extrapolating those Ontario numbers across Canada, it would mean about eight deaths per year in Canada. So, not big numbers, but let’s face it, the fear factor hovers large especially if your kid is one peanut away from possible death. What this results in is a strong cohort of hyper-vigilant, internet-savvy mothers (and fathers) who work hard volunteering to raise awareness about life-threatening allergies. The fact that there are so few deaths due to anaphylaxis in Canada is likely due to the work of those parents.
But, as I’ve seen in other patient groups, where there is a high degree of consumer involvement in a disease, there’s also a high degree of interest from companies wishing to tap into this ‘patient engagement.’ Sold as a harmonious alignment of interests between the momma bears – bent on protecting their cubs against any allergens – and the companies selling allergy-related drugs and paraphernalia, it’s easy to forget how much money is at stake. We’re talking billion-dollar industries, not just for epinephrine injectors, but for skin prick tests, inhalers, steroids, specialty foods, antihistamines, oral immunotherapy and so on.
One of those moms very focussed on this issue is Chantelle Olsson. She became involved in the world of life-threatening food allergies when her two-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a peanut allergy. She remembers people asking, “Why aren’t you doing more to prevent this?” Reflecting on this, she thought, “Yeah, why aren’t we doing more?”
In an interview from her home in Langley, BC, she told me she’s most interested in prevention and working to reduce the numbers of children affected by allergies. Her group, Families for Anaphylaxis Education, is different than many other groups working in this area in one important way: they don’t take money from the pharmaceutical or food industries.
In the allergy world, pervasive conflicts of interest exist. For example, Food Allergy Canada (formerly Anaphylaxis Canada) gets some of its money from ‘corporate partners,’ which are mostly food companies and the makers of the epinephrine auto-injectors.
Whether a patient group takes corporate money or not almost always determines their priorities. So why has there been such a rise in food allergies in recent years – maybe as high as one in 13 school-age kids? Could it be due to the way foods are grown or processed or because of the numbers or contents of vaccines, which have changed enormously over the last 20 years? Are kids being exposed to allergens too early, or too late? Should we care that a company making widely used childhood vaccines also makes one of the most popular epinephrine injectors? Who funds research looking at possible links between drugs or vaccines and the rising numbers of allergy-affected kids?
These uncomfortable questions are sometimes bandied about in a rich internet-based world, on parent forums and discussion groups. Parents of children who could suffer anaphylactic reactions have a lot in common and they are adept at using social media to make the allergy-infested world safer for their kids. Like in other disease areas when the industry-supported patient groups put their own spokesparents and trolls on social media parent forums, they are deciding what is or isn’t a legitimate discussion topic.
I’ve scrutinized the public relations world and Big Pharma for 20 years so I find it fairly simple to spot the ‘astroturf activists’ – the ones who are coached by a company’s PR department and who use slick talking points and send out attack trolls to rebuke criticisms of the industry. Question Big Pharma’s involvement, priorities or tactics on a Facebook allergy forum and you’ll likely get bitten by a troll or even booted off the forum.
Another popular tactic is the care and feeding of the ‘good mommies.’ Google “Mylan’s Food Allergy Blogger Summit” and you’ll see the story of 13 well-behaved mommy activists sent to Disneyland on the Mylan payroll, openly declaring their thanks to the company paying for their astroturf adventure with Mickey Mouse.
There seems to be a revolving door between the drug industry and the food allergy charity world. For example, allergist and immunologist Dr. James Baker was appointed last year as the new CEO of FARE (Food Allergy Research Education), a large American industry food allergy charity. The former senior vice-president of Merck’s Global Vaccine Division made his priorities clear when he took over the helm at FARE: “I’d like to make sure that we continue to work for access and, very importantly, for appropriate care for patients with food allergy.” In other words, our priority is moving product. No sense in focusing on prevention.
Chantelle Olsson is correct when she tells me “prevention is a four-letter word.” And concerned that no one’s taking prevention seriously, she adds, “The market for epinephrine injectors and allergy products is limitless and, unless we take action, we might easily see 50% of Canadian children with life-threatening food allergies within five years.”
With such little energy devoted to learning what is causing the spike in allergies in the first place, and tons to be made in pumping out grossly inflated $120 auto-injectors of epinephrine – needing annual replacement – the prevention message seems to be a low priority. Especially when it’s controlled by drug companies.
I’ve often written about the problems of conflicted patient groups – irritating people who contact me to defend their actions. I think most of these people are hardworking, dedicated volunteers working to make the world a safer place for their children. But, at the same time, they may be unable to see how their funders bias them and their priorities.
Many patient groups do honest, important, public-interest work without industry support. They may be poorer, but they can be authentic and able to avoid the massive delusions that come with being tools of industry.
Alan Cassels is a drug policy researcher at the University of Victoria. He writes about medical screening and drugs, consults with unions on drug benefits plans and is helping research tools to make deprescribing easier for physicians. You can read more of his writings at alancassels or follow him on twitter @akecassels.
The aging Darlington reactor.
Aging Darlington reactors dangerously close to Toronto.
There are safer options than refurbishment.
• A recent Action Alert by Fawn Edwards of Greenpeace is deserving of close attention. It has to do with the proposed re-licencing of the four large nuclear power reactors at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, following public hearings scheduled for November.
While Ontario Power Generation (OPG) plans to permanently shut down the 8 nuclear reactors at Pickering by 2020, they are seeking an unprecedented thirteen year operating licence for the 4 nuclear reactors at Darlington. The Darlington reactors – the largest in Canada’s nuclear fleet – are sited on the north shore of Lake Ontario, between Toronto and Port Hope.
The Darlington reactors are seriously degraded and will require extensive rebuilding of the core and primary heat transport system to continue operating, a dirty and dangerous refurbishing job that will cost at least ten billion dollars. Thousands of highly radioactive pressure tubes and calandria tubes will have to be removed robotically and packaged for safe storage for a period of hundreds of thousands of years, along with tens of kilometres of radioactively contaminated “feeder pipes”. These dangerous radioactive wastes will be trucked north to the shore of Lake Huron near Kincardine to join the growing volume of radioactive waste that is currently stored there.
Previous experience with refurbishment of CANDU reactors at other locations in Ontario and New Brunswick has been characterized by years of delay and billions of dollars in cost over-runs. During a refurbishment operation at the Bruce site, on the shore of Lake Huron, over 500 workers were exposed to plutonium-contaminated airborne dust for over three weeks in 2009 due to the incompetence or disregard of overseers. Managers neglected to provide their men with respirators, failed to heed a radiation alarm, ignored company records that plainly revealed the presence of contamination in pipes that were being removed and subjected to a grinding operation, and neglected to properly test the air for contamination.
Anyone can intervene in the November licensing hearings by sending in a letter or a brief, with the option of appearing in person at the hearings and making a 10-minute oral presentation. It is even possible to testify by telephone using a tele-conferencing setup that the Commission has made available for intervenors. One only has to request it.
The Ontario Government, the sole owner of OPG, can decide not to refurbish the Darlington reactors by instead buying replacement power, investing in community-based energy conservation, and accelerating the installation of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and industrial cogeneration facilities. The province of Quebec has a very large surplus of water-generated hydropower for the foreseeable future, and calculations have shown that the entire output of the Darlington reactors could be replaced if Ontario purchased excess power from Quebec. A fair price for that power could be mutually advantageous to both provinces, and be much less expensive than the Darlington refurbishment option.
Although the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission staff promised to publish a report outlining the consequences of a severe nuclear accident at Darlington, they have instead produced a report that describes a release of radioactivity that appears disproportionately low – at least 10 to 100 times less than what would be reasonably anticipated in the event of a severe nuclear accident involving up to four reactors. The Commission therefore risks misleading both the public and government authorities who are responsible for emergency planning measures.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently published a report on the Fukushima triple meltdown in Japan. The following paragraph, taken from the first page of the IAEA report, is particularly applicable to the attitude of Canadian nuclear authorities who simply do not want to communicate the results of their own internal calculations to the public and to decision makers.
“A major factor that contributed to the accident was the widespread assumption in Japan that its nuclear power plants were so safe that an accident of this magnitude was simply unthinkable. This assumption was accepted by nuclear power plant operators and was not challenged by regulators or by the Government. As a result, Japan was not sufficiently prepared for a severe nuclear accident in March 2018.” [2018 Report of the IAEA, Foreward, written by the IAEA Director General,]
Dr. Gordon Edwards has acted as a consultant to governmental and non-governmental bodies, including the Auditor General of Canada and the Ontario Royal Commission on Electric Power Planning. He was awarded the Nuclear-Free Future Award (Education Category) in 2006.
The hidden ingredient in engineered food.
by Dr. Thierry Vrain.
• In the most recent poll I have seen, the US television network MSNBC surveyed people in the US, asking them if they wanted to know what was in their food and if they would support a legislated mandatory food labelling policy. Ninety-three out of 100 people (93%) expressed their concern and distrust of the food supply by voting yes. I have seen many surveys like this over the last 10 years and people have consistently expressed their concern and anxiety about GMOs while the industry and its governmental regulatory agencies in Canada and the US laugh it up because they have “science” on their side.
The secret – what is not being discussed in the open – is that almost all engineered food crops and a good number of non-engineered food crops are routinely sprayed with a powerful antibiotic – glyphosate – that doubles as a popular herbicide. There is so much of it in bread and all processed foods that contain cereals, soy, corn, canola oil and sugar that, in 2018, the EPA had to raise the legal residue levels in all food and feed crops. And, of course, Health Canada follows their guidelines for MRL (Maximum Residue Limits). For example, soy can now contain 20 parts per million (ppm) and cereals (wheat, oat, barley) can contain 30 ppm. If you were a bread eater – someone who gulps half a loaf every day – imagine what your intake of glyphosate would be. And imagine the residues in dairy and meat products when animal feed can legally contain up to 100 ppm.
There are many areas in the US and Canada where RoundUp® Ready crops are grown and where 75% of water and air samples contains traces of glyphosate. The EPA’s MRL for glyphosate in drinking water is below 0.7 ppm. Above that, the EPA warns you will become severely ill, quickly. The MRL in Europe is considerably less.
All this doesn’t tell you much until you learn that one part per million is antibiotic to most bacteria – glyphosate is actually a powerful antibiotic that has been masquerading as an herbicide for over 40 years – and that we all have a hugely diverse community of bacteria in our lower intestine, now commonly referred to as the Microbiome. When I was a kid, my mother used to call it the intestinal flora and somehow it was part of good health, but we did not know how important it actually is. We all have 100 trillion bacteria inside – with the same weight as our brain – that basically direct the show. All those autonomic functions – heart, lungs, digestive system – seem to work well without us having much to do with it. It is becoming obvious that the biochemical language of the Microbiome to each of our major organs is required for proper function.
The diversity of the Microbiome is essential to the health of many organs and particularly sensitive are the brain, the immune system, and, of course, the digestive tract. So when you eat everyday foods containing more than 1 ppm of glyphosate – the level where it kills all bacteria in the lab – you should logically expect antibiotic damage to the Microbiome. Consequences can include celiac, Crohn’s, allergies, asthma and many other immune deficiency symptoms such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism and eventually all manners of cancer. And that’s just for humans. We know that fish, frogs, rats and pigs become ill and promptly die. You can easily Google the published and peer-reviewed studies that support every word of this statement. You can also watch my lecture on YouTube: Engineered Food and Your Health: the Nutritional Status of GMOs.
It appears we are back in the 1970s when, every few days, the tobacco industry was spewing safety statements with the studies to prove it. Now, the strategy about the safety of GMOs is slightly different. The industry – essentially, the chemical company Monsanto – is keeping the public and media focused on the engineering technology and GMOs. And they have all the studies to prove their safety. I also suspect the industry actually generates much of the anti-GMO rhetoric we see in the major media and on the Internet. I call it “controlled opposition.” Their job is to remind you there is an intense debate about GMOs, with lots of public opposition. This industry regularly fuels the debate about the safety of GMOs. Apparently, anything goes as long as it keeps the focus away from the antibiotic in the food system.
Very few people bother to question the huge increase in this antibiotic – masquerading as an herbicide – in our environment, and particularly in our food where it reached toxic levels many years ago. The levels are probably so scary that Agriculture Canada, Health Canada, the USDA and the FDA dare not even go there. Almost all agricultural chemicals of concern are measured every year and kept in check, except for glyphosate, which is regarded as completely innocuous since its first registration as an herbicide 40 years ago. Therefore, the government sees no need to monitor its use and residue levels in food and water. The recent classification by the World Health Organization that glyphosate is a “probable carcinogen” should trigger in Canada an outright ban of this molecule in the food or, at least, a follow up of its effects on humans as is normally done with other pesticides.
If I were the vice president for promotion at Monsanto, I would do a number of things to keep this secret from going public. I would do all the standard things, of course, like hiring the best advertising brains in the business, emphasizing safety and singing the wonders of the genetic engineering technology. I would also keep your attention on the debate about the engineering technology, i. e. are GMOs good or bad for you? I would spare no trick of the trade to keep your attention away from the toxicity of the herbicide that is sprayed on your food. I would create a small army of graduate students (and scientists, of course – only the size of the bursary differs) and other mercenaries to engage with the anti-GMO “activists” and constantly remind you of the insanity of your fear. Most of the pro and anti-GMO rhetoric is just that: a lot of hot air and a lot of fear. Anything goes as long as it keeps your attention away from the secret ingredient. I would even have books published on the topic, some with all the available evidence of corporate malfeasance exposed in plain view, as long as the emphasis stayed away from the secret.
But I am not a vice president, although I was more than once in my science days, but that was another millennium. Aside from being a concerned consumer, I now find it necessary to alert you of this sordid story of corporate greed that causes so much illness. All I can do is speak and write publicly about this issue and hope you will do your part.
Dr. Thierry Vrain, a former soil biologist and genetic scientist, worked for Agriculture Canada for 30 years. He was the designated spokesperson to assure the public of the safety of GMO crops. Since retiring 10 years ago, after taking into account scientific evidence ignored by most of the bio-tech industry promoters and government regulators, Dr. Vrain has reversed that position and now warns of the dangers from GMOs.
photo © Rene Van Den Berg.
Vote for health freedom.
• Our government tells us it is allowing supplements that have been proven to be safe and effective when, in reality, it is selectively blocking the most effective supplements, i. e. those with a marked therapeutic value that directly compete against pharmaceuticals.
Health Canada’s latest moves are to limit the amount of selenium allowed in supplements and to place L-lysine on a list that would require stringent toxicological testing. While selenium is an important anti-cancer nutrient, L-lysine is helpful for cold sores and shingles and competes effectively against Merck’s shingles vaccine at a fraction of the cost.
Slowly but surely “Health” Canada is acting to limit our health options! We must focus on removing the Harper government if we cherish our natural healthcare freedoms. Consider donating to the Constitutional Challenge being brought against Health Canada by high profile constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati. Find out more at cnpa. ca, which redirects to the CNPA Facebook page.
We are in this together! Canadian Natural Products Alliance (CNPA) is a grassroots organization made up of natural health practitioners, manufacturers, retailers and responsible health conscious Canadians who are dedicated to preserving their healthcare freedoms in Canada.
War is a racket.
By Major General Smedley Butler (1881 – 1940)
• Smedley Darlington Butler was a United States Marine Corps Major General, the highest rank authorized at that time, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in US history. During his 34-year career as a Marine, he participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, Central America and the Caribbean during the Banana Wars and France in World War I. Butler is well known for having later become an outspoken critic of US wars and their consequences, as well as exposing the Business Plot, a plan to overthrow the US government. By the end of his career, Butler had received 16 medals, five for heroism. He is one of 19 men to receive the Medal of Honor twice and the only Marine to be awarded the Brevet Medal and two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions.
War is a racket. It always has been.
It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.
A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small “inside” group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war, a few people make huge fortunes.
In the World War [I], a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows.
How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?
Out of war, nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few – the self-same few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.
And what is this bill?
This bill renders a horrible accounting. Newly placed gravestones. Mangled bodies. Shattered minds. Broken hearts and homes. Economic instability. Depression and all its attendant miseries. Back-breaking taxation for generations and generations.
For a great many years, as a soldier, I had a suspicion that war was a racket; not until I retired to civil life did I fully realize it. Now that I see the international war clouds gathering, as they are today, I must face it and speak out.
Again, they are choosing sides. France and Russia met and agreed to stand side by side. Italy and Austria hurried to make a similar agreement. Poland and Germany cast sheep’s eyes at each other, forgetting for the nonce [one unique occasion] their dispute over the Polish Corridor.
The assassination of King Alexander of Jugoslavia [Yugoslavia] complicated matters. Jugoslavia and Hungary, long bitter enemies, were almost at each other’s throats. Italy was ready to jump in. But France was waiting. So was Czechoslovakia. All of them are looking ahead to war. Not the people – not those who fight and pay and die – only those who foment wars and remain safely at home to profit.
There are 40,000,000 men under arms in the world today and our statesmen and diplomats have the temerity to say that war is not in the making. Hell’s bells! Are these 40,000,000 men being trained to be dancers? Not in Italy, to be sure. Premier Mussolini knows what they are being trained for.
He, at least, is frank enough to speak out. Only the other day, Il Duce in International Conciliation, the publication of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said:
“And above all, Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace… War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the people who have the courage to meet it.”
Marine Officers at Veracruz. Front row, left to right: Wendell C. Neville; John A. Lejeune; Littleton W. T. Waller, Commanding; Smedley Butler.
Undoubtedly, Mussolini means exactly what he says. His well-trained army, his great fleet of planes and even his navy are ready for war – anxious for it, apparently. His recent stand at the side of Hungary in the latter’s dispute with Jugoslavia showed that. And the hurried mobilization of his troops on the Austrian border after the assassination of Dollfuss showed it too. There are others in Europe, too, whose sabre rattling presages war, sooner or later.
Herr Hitler, with his re-arming Germany and his constant demands for more and more arms, is an equal if not greater menace to peace. France only recently increased the term of military service for its youth from a year to 18 months. Yes, all over, nations are camping in their arms. The mad dogs of Europe are on the loose. In the Orient, the maneuvering is more adroit. Back in 1904, when Russia and Japan fought, we kicked out our old friends the Russians and backed Japan. Then, our very generous international bankers were financing Japan. Now, the trend is to poison us against the Japanese. What does the “open door” policy to China mean to us? Our trade with China is about $90,000,000 a year. Or the Philippine Islands? We have spent about $600,000,000 in the Philippines in 35 years and we (our bankers and industrialists and speculators) have private investments there of less than $200,000,000.
Then, to save that China trade of about $90,000,000, or to protect these private investments of less than $200,000,000 in the Philippines, we would be all stirred up to hate Japan and go to war – a war that might well cost us tens of billions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of lives of Americans, and many more hundreds of thousands of physically maimed and mentally unbalanced men.
Of course, for this loss, there would be a compensating profit – fortunes would be made. Millions and billions of dollars would be piled up. By a few. Munitions makers. Bankers. Ship builders. Manufacturers. Meat packers. Speculators. They would fare well.
Yes, they are getting ready for another war. Why shouldn’t they? It pays high dividends.
But what does it profit the men who are killed? What does it profit their mothers and sisters, their wives and their sweethearts? What does it profit their children? What does it profit anyone except the very few to whom war means huge profits?
Yes, and what does it profit the nation?
Take our own case. Until 1898, we didn’t own a bit of territory outside the mainland of North America. At that time, our national debt was a little more than $1,000,000,000. Then we became “internationally minded.” We forgot, or shunted aside, the advice of the Father of our country. We forgot George Washington’s warning about “entangling alliances.” We went to war. We acquired outside territory. At the end of the World War period, as a direct result of our fiddling in international affairs, our national debt had jumped to over $25,000,000,000. Our total favourable trade balance during the 25-year period was about $24,000,000,000. Therefore, on a purely bookkeeping basis, we ran a little behind year for year and that foreign trade might well have been ours without the wars.
It would have been far cheaper (not to say safer) for the average American who pays the bills to stay out of foreign entanglements. For a very few, this racket, like bootlegging and other underworld rackets, brings fancy profits, but the cost of operations is always transferred to the people – who do not profit.
Excerpted from War Is a Racket, by United States Marine Corps Major General and two-time Medal of Honor recipient Smedley D. Butler.
Bring in the “Greens”
Si l’environnement n’est pas VERT,
Rien Ne VA Plus !
Jean-Claude Lauzon.
• Comment peut-on ne pas être plus vert? Plusieurs gouvernements européens comptent des élus Verts. Une Charte des Verts Mondiaux existe depuis déjà 2001. Les principes du «mouvement» et ses valeurs sont partagés par au moins 70 pays dans le monde. Pourquoi pas plus de Vert chez nous?
Psst…ça s’en vient je crois…Depuis la réélection d’Elizabeth May dans Saanich-Gulf Islands (B-C.), se sont joints au mouvement Bruce Hyer (On), David Coone (N-B.) Peter Bevan-Baker (PEI) et Jose Nunez (Qc)…soyons rassurés! Un verdissement du monde est en marche.
Au Québec, c’est l’adjoint d’Elizabeth May, Daniel Green, qui m’a proposé de devenir candidat pour le Parti vert du Canada. J’ai participé à plusieurs marches, spectacles et collectes de fonds pro-environnementales ces dernières années et l’idée de m’engager politiquement pour la cause ne m’avait pas vraiment traversé l’esprit. Après la lecture d’un document appelé la «Vision verte» du Parti, je me suis rendu compte que ça correspondait à mes valeurs et mes convictions les plus profondes. Le 5 mai dernier je suis donc devenu candidat pour le Parti Vert aux élections fédérales du 19 octobre prochain.
La conscience écologique a beaucoup progressé au Québec ces dernières années. L’accident ferroviaire qui a fait 47 morts à Mégantic, il y a deux ans, a secoué toute une population qui tente encore aujourd’hui de s’en remettre.
Des milliers de gens ont marché contre le projet de TransCanada qui souhaitait construire à Cacouna un port pétrolier au cœur même de l’habitat jugé essentiel à la survie des bélugas, la baleine blanche emblème du Saint-Laurent. Une communauté dont il ne reste que 900 individus. Le projet a été stoppé.
Des centaines de supporters et artistes se mobilisent toujours en appui à la petite municipalité de Restigouche (pop.168) poursuivis pour plus de 1,5 million de dollars pour avoir voulu protéger leur eau potable en empêchant Gastem de poursuivre la fracturation des sols pour du gaz de schiste. Tout le monde a vu «Gasland» et le robinet en feu!
Toutes ces histoires de fracturation, de transport de pétrole brut, par pipelines, par trains ou par super-pétroliers suscitent des craintes. Les gens veulent protéger leur environnement. Pour eux et leurs proches. Quoi de plus naturel? Les révélations concernant le manque de moyens des municipalités pour survivre à un déversement ne font rien pour calmer les esprits.
Loin d’être catastrophiste, j’entrevois un éveil social sans précédent qui sera propulsé par l’arrivée de plus de deux millions de jeunes qui seront en âge de voter le 19 octobre prochain.
Le momentum est palpable. Les groupes de citoyens désirant se faire entendre sur la sécurité environnementale et alimentaire ont atteint un niveau record. Les Verts sont là et vous pouvez voter pour eux en toute sagesse écologique. Les Verts sont pro-science, pro-démocratie, pro-justice et pro-business…
Nous favorisons une transition vers des énergies renouvelables. Ce n’est plus seulement souhaitable mais nécessaire. Un boom technologique actuellement en cours permet cette transition vers le solaire, l’éolien, le géothermique, l’hydrolien, le biométhane…
Un verdissement de l’économie est à nos portes. Mon comté offre 80 km de littoral sur le Saint-Laurent à aimer, à dorloter, avec des parcs, des quais, des zones protégées et des plages… Nous nous réapproprierons le fleuve et ses berges! Nous pourrons nous y baigner! Et nous le ferons tout en assurant un avenir sain et sauf aux générations futures.
Un développement durable et endurable! Je rêve en vert. Qui dit mieux?
Bien connu du public Québécois et de la francophonie canadienne comme acteur et humoriste, JiCi (Jean-Claude) Lauzon a mené une brillante carrière dans les médias et les arts de la scène. Porte-parole de plusieurs causes sociales et organismes d’aide aux plus démunis, il souhaite maintenant partager son expérience et ses compétences en servant la cause écologique au sein du Parti vert dans la circonscription de Pierre-Boucher–les Patriotes–Verchères au Québec.
Bring in the “Greens”
How can we not be more green? Several European governments have elected Green Party members. A Global Greens Charter has existed since 2001. The principles, as well as the values of this “movement,” are shared by over 70 countries worldwide. So why don’t we have more ‘greens’ in Canada?
Psst!… I think it’s coming. Reassuringly, since Elizabeth May’s re-election in her BC riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands, Bruce Hyer (ON), David Coon (NB), Peter Bevan-Baker (PE) and Jose Nunez-Melo (QC) have joined the movement. The greening of the world is becoming a reality.
It was Elizabeth May’s French Deputy Leader, Daniel Green, who suggested I put my name forward for candidacy for the Green Party of Canada in Quebec. Although I had participated in several marches, events and pro-environmental fundraising in recent years, the idea of committing myself politically to the cause had not really crossed my mind. However, after reading a document entitled the “Green Vision” of the Party, I realized it was in alignment with my values and my deepest convictions. As such, on May 5th of 2018, I became a candidate for the Green Party with the intent of running in the October 19th federal election.
Environmental awareness has been raised significantly in Quebec over the last several years. The railway accident that took place in Lac-Mégantic two years ago, in which 47 people lost their lives, traumatized an entire population that is still recovering from the shock. Thousands of people marched against the proposed TransCanada project that aimed to build a port in Cacouna, Quebec, to serve the Energy East pipeline. Cacouna, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence, is at the heart of the habitat considered critical to the survival of belugas, the white whales that are emblematic of the Saint Lawrence River. At present, it is believed that only 900 whales remain. That project was stopped.
Hundreds of supporters and artists continue to mobilize their support through a crowdfunding campaign for the small town of Restigouche, Quebec (pop.168) for its defence against a more than $1.5 million lawsuit filed by Gastem. The oil and gas exploration and development company is suing because the village passed a bylaw establishing a no-drill zone near its potable water sources. Everybody has seen the faucet on fire in the documentary Gasland!
All these stories about fracking and the transportation of crude oil via pipelines, trains or supertankers are raising concerns. People want to protect their environment for themselves and for their families. What could be more natural? Revelations about municipalities’ lack of capacity to survive an oil spill do nothing to calm the spirits of its people.
Far from being alarmist, I predict an unprecedented social awakening that will be powered by the arrival of more than two million young people who will be of voting age on October 19th.
The momentum is palpable. The citizens’ groups wishing to be heard on environmental and food security issues have reached record levels. The Greens are here and you can vote for them in consideration of any level of ecological wisdom. The Greens are pro-science, pro-democracy, pro-justice and pro-business.
We promote the transition towards renewable energy sources. This is not only desirable, but necessary. A technological boom that is currently underway enables the transition to solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and biomethane energy sources. A greening of the economy is upon us. My county has 80 kilometres of coastline on the Saint Lawrence River that is there to love and enjoy, dotted with parks, docks, protected areas and beaches. We are reclaiming the river and its banks. We will swim there! And we will do it while ensuring a safe and healthy future for the generations to come.
I am for a durable and enduring development! I dream in green. “Green” – who could say it better?
Well-known in Quebec and French Canadian culture as an actor and comedian, JiCi (Jean-Claude) Lauzon has had a distinguished career in the media and in the arts. As a spokesperson for several social causes and organizations aimed at helping the poor, he now also hopes to share his experience and expertise in serving the ecological cause from within the Green Party in the riding of Pierre-Boucher-Les Patriotes-Verchères, Quebec.

Donating stock-options avec charge

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- KSS (Key Safety Systems), a leading global engineering, manufacturer and supplier of safety-critical components and systems, today announced that it has selected Manpower Business Solutions (MBS) as the global Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) provider to deliver consistent hiring processes, and permanent recruitment for its engineering and manufacturing facilities in nine countries. This is the first RPO program of its kind to be implemented on a global scale.
The program will efficiently manage all full-time positions and hiring processes at KSS facilities in North America, China, Germany, Romania, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom. In addition to the permanent hiring program, Manpower will manage the contingent hiring. Utilizing MBS' in-country managers' familiarity with local laws and customs will speed up the entire process while also providing cost savings.
"As part of our global strategy, KSS has been searching for a partner that would help deliver a consistent hiring program across multiple platforms, in all regions we have a presence," said Larry Casey, KSS senior vice president of human resources. "In Manpower Business Solutions we have found a partner with unparalleled experience providing a quality workforce that will help KSS deliver the best quality product and value for our customers worldwide."
"It was vital to Key Safety Systems that their RPO partner be adaptable to any market and knowledgeable of the cultural nuances that are inherent in the world of business," said Sheldon Schur, vice president/general manager of Manpower Business Solutions. "Because of Manpower's strong global network in more than 80 countries and territories, we are in the unique position to provide Key Safety Systems with local recruiting expertise in each of the countries in which they are present."
Photo: NewsCom: newscom/cgi-bin/prnh/20060221/CGTU012LOGO.
AP Archive: photoarchive. ap/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire Key Safety Systems.
CONTACT: David Stoyka of Marx Layne & Co., +1-248-855-6777, mobile,
+1-313-570-7899, dstoyka@marxlayne, for Key Safety Systems; or Bethany.
Perkins, +1-414-906-6253, mobile, +1-414-232-0135,
Bethany. perkins@na. manpower, for Manpower Inc.
Web site: manpower/
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc. ("AnalogicTech" or the "Company") , a developer of power management semiconductors for mobile consumer electronic devices, today announced that Richard K. Williams, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technical Officer, and Brian McDonald, VP of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, will present to investors at the following financial conference:
Jefferies Second Annual Technology Conference Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 Time: 10:45 a. m. ET Location: New York, New York (Logo: newscom/cgi-bin/prnh/20050829/SFTU089LOGO)
A live webcast of AnalogicTech's presentation will be available on the company's investor relations website at aati/ or via the corporate website at analogictech/.
Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc. (AnalogicTech) is a supplier of Total Power Management(TM) semiconductor solutions for mobile consumer electronic devices, such as wireless handsets, notebook and tablet computers, smartphones, digital cameras, wireless LAN, and personal media players. The company focuses its design and marketing efforts on the application-specific power management needs of consumer, communications, and computing applications in these rapidly evolving devices. AnalogicTech also develops and licenses device, process, package, and application-related technology. AnalogicTech is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and Macau, S. A.R., with offices in China (Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen), Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, France and United Kingdom, as well as a worldwide network of sales representatives and distributors. The company is listed on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol AATI. For more information, please visit the AnalogicTech website: analogictech/. (AnalogicTech - F)
AP Archive: photoarchive. ap/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc.
CONTACT: Lisa Laukkanen of The Blueshirt Group,+1-415-217-4967,
lisa@blueshirtgroup, for Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc.
Web site: analogictech/
SAN DIEGO and MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAIC, Inc. , a leading provider of research, engineering, and technology services and solutions, today announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2009, which ended July 31, 2008.
"Our company continued its strong operating momentum in the second quarter of fiscal year 2009," said Ken Dahlberg, SAIC chairman and chief executive officer. "Internal revenue growth, contract execution, and cash collections were all excellent. Our employees' dedicated work is delivering excellent contract execution and critical support to our customers. Our growing labor base and improving business discipline gives us increasing confidence that we can achieve our financial goals for fiscal year 2009."
Summary Operating Results.
Revenues for the quarter were $2.56 billion, up 15 percent from $2.22 billion in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008. Internal, or non-acquisition, growth represented 10 percentage points of the consolidated growth for the quarter. Key drivers of internal growth for the quarter included new and expanding programs in the intelligence and defense markets, including systems integration and logistics support activities for mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles.
Operating income for the quarter was $186 million (7.3 percent of revenue), up 8 percent from $173 million (7.8 percent of revenue) in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008. Contract fees were slightly higher year-over-year, but operating income was reduced by $6 million as a result of the civil judgment in favor of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, most of which is not deductible for tax purposes, and $3 million due to severance costs associated with efforts to reduce infrastructure in the commercial business segment and preparations to move certain corporate support functions to a shared services center.
Income from continuing operations for the quarter was $104 million, up 5 percent from $99 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations for the quarter were $0.26, up 8 percent from $0.24 in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008, driven by the increase in income from continuing operations and a lower share count compared to the prior year. The diluted share count for the quarter was 403 million, down 4 percent from 418 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008, due primarily to share repurchases made over the course of fiscal year 2008 and continuing into the second quarter of fiscal year 2009.
Diluted earnings per share, which include discontinued operations, were $0.27 for the quarter, down 13 percent from $0.31 in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008, which included a $31 million pre-tax gain in discontinued operations on the portion of the business disposed in the AMSEC reorganization transaction.
Cash Generation and Capital Deployment.
Cash flow from operations for the quarter was $229 million (or 2.2 times income from continuing operations), down 11 percent from $257 million during the second quarter of fiscal year 2008. The strong cash collections were driven primarily by the improvement in days sales outstanding (DSO) from 73 days in the first quarter of fiscal 2009 to 66 days in the second quarter of fiscal 2009. The year-over-year decline in cash flow from operations primarily results from an exceptional reduction in DSO -- from 73 days to 64 days -- in the second quarter of fiscal year 2008.
During the quarter, the company used $65 million to fund the acquisition of SM Consulting, Inc. In addition, the company used $157 million to repurchase approximately 8.0 million shares, including 7.3 million shares under the 40 million share stock repurchase program and the remainder in recurring repurchases from employees in settlement of withholding taxes associated with stock option exercises and vesting events. Whether any future repurchases are made and the timing and actual number of shares repurchased under the stock repurchase program will depend on a variety of factors, including share price, corporate capital requirements, and other market conditions. As of July 31, 2008, the company had $692 million in cash and cash equivalents and $1.1 billion in long-term debt.
Mark Sopp, SAIC chief financial officer commented, "Our core business continues to execute well, not only in winning and executing important work but also collecting and efficiently deploying our cash on acquisitions and share repurchases. Despite the non-recurring charges we took in the second quarter, we still expect to attain our fiscal year 2009 operating margin improvement goal of 20-30 basis points through strong labor growth and utilization coupled with higher border and port security product deliveries expected in the second half of the year."
New Business Awards.
Net new business bookings totaled $3.3 billion in the second quarter of the fiscal year, representing a book-to-bill ratio of 1.3. Net bookings are calculated as the current period ending backlog plus the current period's revenue less prior period ending backlog and backlog obtained in acquisitions. No bookings value is assigned unless the company has received a signed contract for a priced statement of work.
Large, competitive definite delivery contracts received during the quarter include:
-- Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) Support for the Army National Guard. SAIC received a five-year, $454 million task order to provide life cycle maintenance of PEO EIS's Reserve Component Automation System (RCAS) and support the Distributive Training Technology Project (DTTP). SAIC services will include program management, software engineering and development, information assurance, enterprise architecture, data warehousing, user support and analysis, and implementation of emerging technology initiatives.
-- Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Support Services. Under a five-year, $243 million task order, SAIC will provide engineering and technical services in areas including modeling and simulation, acquisition, computing architecture, software programming, test and evaluation, and weapons security to the Joint Special Missions Focus Area at the NSWC in Crane, Indiana.
-- U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Design-Build Projects. SAIC was awarded contracts by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to design, engineer, and construct an advanced metal finishing facility and a ground support equipment facility at Robins Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia and a consolidated fuel, overhaul, repair, and test facility at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma with a combined contract value of more than $86 million. Work will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standards.
-- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Deep Green Program. SAIC will support DARPA's Deep Green Program under a three-year, $42 million contract. SAIC will design, develop, and integrate a synergistic human/machine system to allow military commanders to evaluate and adjust plan outcomes through simulation.
-- Dubai Customs VACIS(R) IP6500 Purchase. Dubai Customs purchased five VACIS(R) IP6500 integrated cargo scanning systems for the port of Jebel Ali. The VACIS IP6500 combines high-penetration X-ray scanning, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-compliant spectroscopic radiation detection and automated container identification in a self-contained portal requiring no additional shielding structure or exclusion zone. The system can handle more than 150 trucks per-hour, provide detailed cargo images through more than a foot of steel, and specifically identify hazardous nuclear materials, minimizing the need for costly secondary cargo inspections.
In addition, SAIC also won several indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts that are not included in the bookings total. The most notable IDIQ awards during the quarter were:
-- Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Encore II. SAIC will deliver a broad range of information technology (IT) services and solutions to help DISA transform the Department of Defense to a network-centric environment that improves situational awareness by enhancing how the military services share information. Under the multiple-award, ten-year contract with a total contract ceiling value of $12.225 billion, SAIC will provide enterprise policy and planning, network engineering, integrated solutions management, security engineering certification and accreditation, custom application development, and analytical support for implementing IT solutions.
-- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) -- Installation Protection Program (IPP). SAIC will support the CBRN-IPP through a five-year, $500 million single-award contract from the U. S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. SAIC will design, procure, integrate, and field enhanced CBRN capabilities and provide logistical support services for the Joint Project Manager Guardian IPP.
-- Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cryptology, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Program. SAIC received an eight-year, $221 million single-award contract from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Charleston (SSCC) to support C5ISR programs. SAIC will provide production engineering, integration, product improvement, technology insertion, test and evaluation, and maintenance support services.
The company's backlog of signed business orders at the end of the second quarter of fiscal year 2009 was $15.9 billion, of which $5.4 billion was funded. Compared to the second quarter of fiscal year 2008, total backlog increased 13 percent and funded backlog increased 20 percent. The negotiated unfunded backlog of $10.5 billion represents the estimated amount to be earned in the future from firm orders for which funding has not been appropriated or otherwise authorized and unexercised priced contract options. Negotiated unfunded backlog does not include any estimate of future expected task orders to be awarded under IDIQ or other master agreement contract vehicles.
Given the company's strong operating results in the first half of the year, recent contract wins, and share repurchases to date, the company expects to achieve all of its long-term financial goals in fiscal year 2009:
-- Internal revenue growth in the six percent to nine percent range; -- Operating margin improvement of 20 to 30 basis points; and -- EPS from continuing operations growth of 11 percent to 18 percent. About SAIC.
SAIC is a FORTUNE 500(R) scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The company's approximately 44,000 employees serve customers in the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, other U. S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. SAIC had annual revenues of $8.9 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2008. For more information, visit saic/.
SAIC: From Science to Solutions(R) Forward-Looking Statements.
Certain statements in this release contain or are based on "forward-looking" information within the meaning of the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "guidance" and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among others, estimates of future revenues, earnings, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows. These statements reflect our belief and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Actual performance and results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release depending on a variety of factors, including: changes in the U. S. Government defense budget or budgetary priorities or delays in the U. S. budget process; changes in U. S. Government procurement rules and regulations; our compliance with various U. S. Government and other government procurement rules and regulations; the outcome of U. S. Government audits of our company; our ability to win contracts with the U. S. Government and others; our ability to attract, train and retain skilled employees; our ability to maintain relationships with prime contractors, subcontractors and joint venture partners; our ability to obtain required security clearances for our employees; our ability to accurately estimate costs associated with our firm-fixed-price and other contracts; resolution of legal and other disputes with our customers and others; our ability to successfully acquire and integrate businesses; our ability to manage risks associated with our international business; our ability to compete with others in the markets in which we operate; and our ability to execute our business plan effectively and to overcome these and other known and unknown risks that we face. These are only some of the factors that may affect the forward-looking statements contained in this release. For further information concerning risks and uncertainties associated with our business, please refer to the filings we make from time to time with the SEC, including the "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Legal Proceedings" sections of our latest annual report on Forms 10-K and 10-K/A and quarterly report on Forms 10-Q and 10-Q/A, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our Web site at saic/.
All information in this release is as of September 3, 2008. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update the guidance or any other forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in the company's expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others.
CONTACTS: Investor Relations: Stuart Davis 703-676-2283 stuart. davis@saic Media Relations: Laura Luke Melissa Koskovich 703-676-6533 703-676-6762 laura. luke@saic melissa. l.koskovich@saic SAIC, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited, in millions, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended July 31 July 31 2008 2007 2008 2007 As Restated Revenues $2,555 $2,222 $4,924 $4,233 Costs and expenses: Cost of revenues 2,202 1,910 4,255 3,656 Selling, general and administrative expenses 167 139 310 268 Operating income 186 173 359 309 Non-operating income (expense): Interest income 6 14 14 28 Interest expense (21) (23) (40) (45) Minority interest in income of consolidated subsidiaries - (1) - (3) Other income (expense), net 3 (4) 11 (4) Income from continuing operations before income taxes 174 159 344 285 Provision for income taxes (70) (60) (136) (111) Income from continuing operations 104 99 208 174 Discontinued operations: Income (loss) from discontinued operations before minority interest in income of consolidated subsidiaries and income taxes (2) 37 (4) 50 Minority interest in income of consolidated subsidiaries - (1) - (2) Benefit (provision) for income taxes 7 (4) 8 (10) Income from discontinued operations 5 32 4 38 Net income $109 $131 $212 $212 Earnings per share: Basic: Income from continuing operations $0.27 $0.24 $0.52 $0.43 Income from discontinued operations 0.01 0.08 0.01 0.09 $0.28 $0.32 $0.53 $0.52 Diluted: Income from continuing operations $0.26 $0.24 $0.51 $0.42 Income from discontinued operations 0.01 0.07 0.01 0.09 $0.27 $0.31 $0.52 $0.51 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 392 405 397 405 Diluted 403 418 408 418 SAIC, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited, in millions) July 31, January 31, 2008 2008 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $692 $1,096 Receivables, net 1,885 1,886 Inventory, prepaid expenses and other current assets 296 255 Total current assets 2,873 3,237 Property, plant and equipment (less accumulated depreciation and amortization of $321 and $297 at July 31, 2008 and January 31, 2008, respectively) 392 393 Intangible assets, net 112 102 Goodwill 1,247 1,077 Deferred income taxes 68 71 Other assets 108 101 $4,800 $4,981 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $1,126 $1,111 Accrued payroll and employee benefits 561 562 Income taxes payable 32 64 Notes payable and long-term debt, current portion 21 130 Total current liabilities 1,740 1,867 Notes payable and long-term debt, net of current portion 1,099 1,098 Other long-term liabilities 149 148 Stockholders' equity: Common and preferred stock - - Additional paid-in capital 1,834 1,804 Retained earnings - 87 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (22) (23) Total stockholders' equity 1,812 1,868 $4,800 $4,981 SAIC, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited, in millions) Three Months Six Months Ended Ended July 31 July 31 2008 2007 2008 2007 As Cash flows from operations: Restated Net income $109 $131 $212 $212 Income from discontinued operations (5) (32) (4) (38) Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operations: Depreciation and amortization 22 18 45 35 Stock-based compensation 26 22 45 45 Excess tax benefits from stock - based compensation (16) (12) (43) (39) Other non-cash items 3 10 (3) 12 Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents, excluding effects of acquisitions and divestitures, resulting from changes in: Receivables 55 33 18 7 Inventory, prepaid expenses and other current assets (12) (28) (46) (27) Deferred income taxes 1 6 - 6 Other assets (4) (1) (8) (3) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (9) 35 9 (80) Accrued payroll and employee benefits 94 91 - (17) Income taxes payable (34) (7) 13 20 Other long-term liabilities (1) (9) 4 (5) Total cash flows provided by operations 229 257 242 128 Cash flows from investing activities: Expenditures for property, plant and equipment (13) (11) (25) (23) Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired (65) - (200) - Payments for businesses acquired in previous years (1) - (3) - Other 4 (7) 12 (2) Total cash flows used in investing activities (75) (18) (216) (25) Cash flows from financing activities: Payments on notes payable and long - term debt (8) (8) (110) (9) Sales of stock and exercise of stock options 22 20 50 55 Repurchases of stock (157) (78) (416) (172) Excess tax benefits from stock - based compensation 16 12 43 39 Other (1) (1) (1) - Total cash flows used in financing activities (128) (55) (434) (87) Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents from continuing operations 26 184 (408) 16 Cash flows of discontinued operations: Cash provided by (used in) operating activities of discontinued operations 7 4 9 (1) Cash provided by (used in) investing activities of discontinued operations (3) - (5) 3 Increase in cash and cash equivalents from discontinued operations 4 4 4 2 Total increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 30 188 (404) 18 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period - continuing operations 662 943 1,096 1,109 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period - discontinued operations - - - 4 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 662 943 1,096 1,113 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $692 $1,131 $692 $1,131.
CONTACT: Investor Relations, Stuart Davis, +1-703-676-2283,
stuart. davis@saic; or Media Relations, Laura Luke, +1-703-676-6533,
laura. luke@saic, or Melissa Koskovich, +1-703-676-6762,
melissa. l.koskovich@saic, all of SAIC.
Web site: saic/
DENVER, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Parent Company , a leading commerce, content and new media company for growing families, today announced a new partnership with Personal Shopper, Inc who will market select toys and baby products from The Parent Company through catalogs, websites and in-store promotions.
The Parent Company will sell and distribute a wide selection of children's and baby products from its eToys, BabyUniverse, DreamtimeBaby and PoshTots divisions on a drop-ship basis to Personal Shopper. Through its website, personalshopper/, Personal Shopper provides an unparalleled, free, time-saving, online personal shopping service. The site searches through millions of products and proactively offers an unbiased selection of deals and items tailored to the user's interests, brand and style preferences. And this holiday season, the "My Gifts" feature will take the stress out of holiday shopping by presenting each member inspired gift ideas customized for their recipients by personality and interest.
"We're very pleased to add a new distribution channel by this partnership with Personal Shopper," said Michael J. Wagner, President and CEO of The Parent Company. "Their targeted shopping experience is an excellent way to meet the growing demands of today's consumer."
ABOUT THE PARENT COMPANY.
The Parent Company, Inc. is a leading commerce, content and new media company for growing families. The company provides comprehensive eCommerce and eContent resources to help families plan, play and grow. The company's toy business offers thousands of toys and children's products through its eToys web site, catalogs and strategic retail partnerships; and personalized dolls and accessories through its My Twinn brand. Through its baby business, the company is a leading online retailer of brand-name baby, toddler and maternity products sold through the BabyUniverse and DreamtimeBaby web sites. The company's luxury brands, PoshTots and PoshLiving, reach the country's most affluent consumers with luxury baby apparel and furnishings. With its content sites, BabyTV, PoshCravings and ePregnancy, The Parent Company has established a recognized platform for the delivery of content and new media resources to a national audience of expectant parents. The Parent Company is a market-leading digital content and eCommerce company focused on parents.
The Parent Company.
CONTACT: Barry Hollingsworth of The Parent Company, +1-303-226-6205.
Web site: babyuniverse/
SUWANEE, Ga., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Irish Minister for Labour Affairs, Billy Kelleher TD, today announced that ARRIS Group, Inc. of the U. S., which develops and manufactures voice, video, and high-speed data products for the global cable TV industry, is to undertake a strategic Research and Development investment for high value video products for the cable industry at its Irish operations in Cork. The euro 4.5 million investment, supported by IDA Ireland, will strengthen the R&D effort in Cork by adding new skills and technologies that will significantly advance the potential for technical innovation within the Company's Irish operations.
Minister Kelleher said, "This is excellent news as the investment is leading-edge R&D and will further secure the existing ARRIS operations and employment at the Cork site. It again demonstrates the ability of Irish based R&D operations to contribute cutting-edge and highly complex solutions as part of a parent company's strategic future development plans. This project will represent a major shift for ARRIS into higher value video products for the cable industry, which is viewed as a key area for growth in the coming years. The decision to locate such a strategic investment at the Cork site was influenced by its success to date, for which the Cork management and workforce are to be congratulated."
ARRIS will use the investment to improve its existing D5(TM) Universal EdgeQAM (UEQ) along with the R&D required to increase its large volume manufacturing capability and quality to the scale and stringent levels demanded by ARRIS and its customers. Universal EdgeQAMs are now being introduced into cable networks around the world to provide the increased capacity, needed especially for unicast video services. More and more Video on Demand and Switched multicast and unicast services are being deployed and the ARRIS D5 UEQ supports all these services, including the DOCSIS 3.0 data services standard for delivering 100 Mbp/s+ services currently being deployed by a growing number of cable networks.
ARRIS Communications Ireland Ltd., located at the Cork Airport Business Park, employs 52 people doing leading-edge R&D work into embedded products for cable networks. The Irish R&D team's skills include full turnkey hardware development of RF products, embedded software, testing and integration, as well as contract manufacturing management. This investment will further endorse the Cork operation's position as a Centre-of-Excellence for the development of video products within ARRIS.
The Cork operation, formerly Com21 Ireland Ltd, was established in 1999 and was acquired by ARRIS in mid-2003. The operation, with previous IDA Ireland R&D support, has successfully developed several products, including the D5 Universal EdgeQAM.
"With the additional investment, we will develop solutions across a number of areas that will allow us to increase our production output significantly, reliably and to the highest degree of quality," said Charles Cheevers, ARRIS CTO, Europe. "This requires significant R&D in new techniques to manufacture high speed RF-based Video and Data products and to create new test technologies and platforms to meet the increasing technology and cost expectations of our customers worldwide."
ARRIS is a global communications technology company specializing in the design, engineering and supply of technology supporting triple - and quad-play broadband services for residential and business customers around the world. The company supplies broadband operators with the tools and platforms they need to deliver reliable telephony, demand driven video, next-generation advertising and high-speed data services. ARRIS products expand and help grow network capacity with access and outside plant construction equipment, reliably deliver voice, video and data services and assure optimal service delivery for end customers. Headquartered in Suwanee, GA, USA, ARRIS has R&D centers in Atlanta; Chicago; State College, PA; Beaverton, OR; Wallingford, CT; Cork, Ireland; and Shenzhen, China, and operates support and sales offices throughout the world. Information about ARRIS products and services can be found at arrisi/
CONTACT: Alex Swan, ARRIS Media Relations, +1-678-473-8327,
alex. swan@arrisi; or Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment - Press.
Office, 01- 6312200; IDA Ireland - Ruth Croke, Press & PR Manager,
087 4195051, ruth. croke@ida. ie.
Web site: arrisi/
OAKLAND, N. J., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Media Sciences International, Inc. , the leading independent manufacturer of solid ink and color toner cartridges for business color printers, will hold a conference call to discuss its fiscal 2008 results on Thursday, September 25, 2007, at 8:45 a. m. Eastern Time.
The call will be webcast live by Thomson/CCBN and may be accessed through Media Sciences' web site at mediasciences/. Investors and other interested parties in the United States may access the teleconference by calling 800.901.5217. International callers may dial 617.786.2964. The passcode for the teleconference is 73349498.
Media Sciences International, Inc. , the leading independent manufacturer of solid ink and color toner cartridges for office color printers, has a strong reputation for being the informed customer's choice. As the premium quality price alternative to the printer manufacturer's brand, Media Sciences' newly manufactured color toner and solid ink products for use in Dell(R), Samsung(R), Xerox(R), Tektronix(R), OKI(R), Ricoh(R), Konica - Minolta/Minolta-QMS(R), Epson(R), and Brother(R) office color printers deliver up to and over 30% in savings when compared to the printer manufacturer's brand. Behind every Media Sciences product is The Science of Color(R)-the company's proprietary process for delivering high quality products at the very best price, including its commitment to exceptional, highly responsive technical support and its longstanding, industry -- leading warranty. With the Company's groundbreaking INKlusive(TM) FREE Color Printer Program (inklusive/), printer users buy the supplies, and get the printer for free. For more information on the Company, its products, and its programs, visit mediasciences/, E-mail info@mediasciences, or call 201.677.9311.
Brand names are used for descriptive purposes only and are the properties of their respective owners.
Media Sciences International, Inc.
CONTACT: Investors, Kevan D. Bloomgren, Chief Financial Officer,
+1-201-677-9311, ext. 213, kbloomgren@mediasciences, or Media, Bill.
Besold, Marketing Communications Director, +1-201-677-9311, ext. 299,
bbesold@mediasciences, both of Media Sciences International, Inc.
Web site: mediasciences/
MUNDELEIN, Ill., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Z Trim Holdings, Inc. issued today the following letter to all shareholders:
September 3, 2008 To: Z Trim Shareholders Re: Investor Update: September 2008 Dear Fellow Shareholders,
In this second installment of periodic updates intended to keep you informed of our progress, I will shed more light on the motives and outcomes -- realized and anticipated -- behind our plans and strategies. We remain focused on maximizing our resources toward building our business and enhancing shareholder value.
Our strategy to become a solutions oriented provider of natural multifunctional fiber ingredients is advancing. We are executing both long and short term plans in this regard. Despite the rather long food industry sales cycle, I am happy to report that several food manufacturers have expressed immediate interest in using Z Trim products to provide a variety of attributes across a wide range of applications and food categories. In some instances, we are helping to resolve singular issues -- such as moisture management or breakage control. In other cases we are assisting customers in addressing issues related to sustainability, yield improvement and profitability across multiple subsidiaries. Our combination of food industry expertise and innovative products enables us to provide unique solutions and efficiencies previously unavailable to the market.
Second quarter results indicate that our business model is advancing. We've reallocated capital, begun introducing operational and production efficiencies, and gained a better foothold in the food manufacturing marketplace. As a result of this refocusing, we are improving our margins and growing our market relationships to the extent that in the second quarter we have seen steady increases in both the size and number of orders.
In point of fact, sales revenues from food manufacturers in the second quarter were almost triple those achieved in the first quarter, and include repeat sales. As of this writing, the third quarter sales revenues are on a course toward establishing sustained growth, and have already exceeded the sales volume from the second quarter. While there remains much hard work ahead, we are building a sound, strategic and consistent operation that is now trending positively.
While I must continue to abide by constraints that preclude my sharing specific information, allow me to provide a few highlights from our second quarter:
As we previously reported, the Company has made the strategic decision to leave the American Stock Exchange and join the Over-the-Counter ("OTC") Bulletin Board. Our management team and Board of Directors unanimously agree that this move is in the best interests of our Company and its shareholders. Being on any major exchange is simply not the right fit for us at present. Simply put, as a business decision, we eliminated an expense that was returning little benefit. We will continue to evaluate the issue periodically as our Company grows and develops.
Our management team and Board understand that sustainable working capital is necessary for the success of our business. One of the biggest factors leading to the decision to leave Amex was the ability to access capital. Gaining access to capital as a member of Amex involves working through a series of costly and time-consuming limitations. As a member of the OTC, we will have significantly improved our ability to take in funding quickly and less expensively.
We share with you an exciting and thrilling time, as we continue in our efforts to build toward success. Thank you for believing in us. Most importantly, we appreciate your loyalty and look forward to continuing our progress with your support.
To sign up for an e-mail newsletter that will provide general information concerning Z Trim partners, associates, recipes, profiles and more, please visit ztrim/ and enter your email address under the "send me updates" header on the left side of the page.
Sincerely, s/ Steve Cohen President Z Trim Holdings, Inc. ABOUT Z TRIM(R)
Z Trim, ztrim/, is a natural, functional food ingredient and emulsifier made from the hulls of corn. Because Z Trim is a non-caloric replacement of added fats, with Z Trim you can achieve up to 80% calorie reduction in many foods without negatively affecting taste or texture, and can substantially reduce harmful trans and saturated fats found in many foods. Z Trim is a versatile product that can serve as a fat replacement or emulsifier with texturization, binding, shaping, suspension, water control and pH balance attributes. Z Trim has wide application in dairy products, dressings, dips, sauces, baked goods, processed meats, snack foods, cookies, pies, cakes, icings, brownies, bars, ice cream, milk shakes and many other foods.
Disclosures About Forward-Looking Statements. This letter contains forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Report Act of 1995. All statements other than those that are purely historical are forward-looking statements. Words such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "potential" and similar expressions also identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our prospects for future sales and production efficiencies. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause our actual results, as well as our expectations regarding materiality or significance, to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the risks that we may not gain significant market acceptance for our products, that our plant current operates at a loss, and that we face significant competition. For a discussion of a variety of risk factors affecting our business and prospects, see "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2007.
Contact: Angela Strickland Voice: 847-549-6002 Email: angela. strickland@ztrim.
Z Trim Holdings, Inc.
CONTACT: Angela Strickland of Z Trim Holdings, Inc., +1-847-549-6002,
Web site: ztrim/
NEW YORK, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Medialink Worldwide Incorporated , a leading provider of diversified media services for professional communicators and marketers, today announced that it closed the previously announced transfer of its ownership interest in Teletrax to Koninklijke Philips Electronics N. V. .
Under the terms of the transactions, Philips, which previously owned 24% of the Teletrax entities, assumed Medialink's 76% ownership stake in both Teletrax subsidiaries for a reimbursement of certain net operating costs incurred by Medialink prior to closing, subject to certain post-closing adjustments. The transaction was effective as of August 29, 2008. Philips now owns 100% of the Teletrax entities and Medialink has no further funding obligations. Medialink will continue to offer the Teletrax(R) service for use by its media communications services clients.
Medialink is a global leader in providing unique news and marketing media strategies and solutions that enable corporations and organizations to inform and educate their target audiences with maximum impact on television, radio and the Internet. The Company offers creative services and multimedia distribution programs including video and audio news and short-form programming. Based in New York, Medialink has offices in major cities throughout the United States. For additional investor and financial information, please visit the Investor Relations section of the Company's Web site (medialink/).
With the exception of the historical information contained in the release, the matters described herein contain certain "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this release are not promises or guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are naturally subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein. Such statements may relate, among other things, to our ability to respond to economic changes and improve operational efficiency, the benefits of our products to be realized by our customers, or our plans, objectives, and expected financial and operating results. Forward-looking statements may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances or using words such as: will, believe, anticipate, expect, could, may, estimate, project, plan, predict, intend or similar expressions that involve risk or uncertainty. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, our recent history of losses; our ability to achieve or maintain profitability; potential regulatory action; worldwide economic weakness; geopolitical conditions and continued threats of terrorism; effectiveness of our cost reduction programs; the receptiveness of the media to our services; changes in our marketplace that could limit or reduce the perceived value of our services to our clients; our ability to develop new services and market acceptance of such services, such as Mediaseed(TM); the volume and importance of breaking news, which can have the effect of crowding out the content we produce and deliver to broadcast outlets on behalf of our clients; our ability to develop new products and services that keep pace with technology; the process of embedding a Teletrax watermark or the watermark itself rendering client content unsuitable for broadcast; our ability to develop and maintain successful relationships with critical vendors; the potential negative effects of our international operations on the Company; future acquisitions or divestitures, which may adversely affect our operations and financial results; the absence of long term contracts with customers and vendors; and increased competition, which may have an adverse effect on pricing, revenues, gross margins and our customer base. More detailed information about these risk factors is set forth in filings by Medialink Worldwide Incorporated with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's registration statement, most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other publicly available information regarding the Company. Medialink Worldwide Incorporated is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward - looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Medialink Worldwide Incorporated.
CONTACT: Kenneth Torosian, Chief Financial Officer of Medialink.
Worldwide Incorporated, +1-212-682-8300, IR@medialink, or Jordan M.
Darrow, Investor Relations of Darrow Associates, Inc., +1-631-367-1866,
Web site: medialink/
DALLAS, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Zix Corporation (ZixCorp(R)), , the leader in hosted services for email encryption and e-prescribing, announces that Zix Corporation's Chief Executive Officer, Rick Spurr, will present at the Eleventh Annual Kaufman Bros. Investor Conference at 1:00 p. m. (Eastern) on Thursday, September 4, 2008 in New York City.
The conference is being held at the W Hotel from September 3 to September 5. Mr. Spurr will give a 30-minute presentation regarding ZixCorp's market positioning, financial performance, and strategic direction. The presentation will be webcast live featuring PowerPoint slides. Access is available by going to the Investor portion of the Company's website at investor. zixcorp/ or by visiting the following web address: wsw/webcast/kbro13/zixi/
About Zix Corporation.
ZixCorp is the leading provider of easy-to-use-and-deploy email encryption and e-prescribing services that Connect entities with their customers and partners to Protect and Deliver sensitive information in the healthcare, finance, insurance and government industries. ZixCorp's hosted Email Encryption Service provides an easy and cost-effective way to ensure customer privacy and regulatory compliance for corporate email. Its PocketScript(R) e-prescribing service saves lives and saves money by automating the prescription process between payors, doctors and pharmacies. For more information, visit zixcorp/.
CONTACT: Farrah Corley, +1-214-370-2175, publicrelations@zixcorp, or.
Investors, Peter Wilensky, +1-214-515-7357, invest@zixcorp, both of Zix.
Web site: zixcorp/
DALLAS, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. today announced that its restoration efforts are well under way across Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.
The company's wireless and wireline networks continue to perform well. The majority of wireless cell sites are functioning normally and customers are able to complete calls, send and receive text messages, access e-mail and connect to the Internet. AT&T network technicians have been dispatched to storm-impacted areas to assess damage and restore service. AT&T's top priority is to restore affected sites to full capacity as quickly and safely as possible.
There may continue to be some service outages in the hard-hit areas of the Gulf Coast, as residents and business owners return to their homes and businesses.
-- In addition to the 2,000 employees currently dedicated to storm restoration, the company is moving more than 150 additional personnel into the storm-impacted area to support the restoration effort. Additional resources are available and will be deployed as needed.
-- More than 1,500 generators are deployed or ready for deployment to provide power to wireless cell sites, central offices and remote terminals.
-- The company is monitoring restoration of commercial power at all locations where generators have been deployed. These generators will be either redeployed into Gustav-impacted areas or strategically positioned for use in areas threatened by the possible U. S. landfall of Tropical Storm Hanna.
In an effort to help residents stay in touch with family and friends during this emergency, AT&T is continuing to make emergency communications resources available, including:
-- Installing free phone banks and broadband connections for use by evacuees who are sheltered in San Antonio; at four shelters in Birmingham, Ala.; and at five shelters in Monroe, Bastrop and Shreveport, La.
-- Enabling free Wi-Fi access at hundreds of hot spots in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, including at select McDonald's restaurants, Barnes & Noble locations and AT&T Experience Store(SM) locations, among others.
-- Providing 4,000 free wireless GoPhones with $15 in air time to thousands of evacuees from mandatory evacuation areas who are sheltered in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and south Texas.
-- Providing free phone calls for hurricane victims at all open company-owned retail locations across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and portions of northwest Florida, including Pensacola, Fort Walton and Destin.
AT&T advises all wireless phone users in the affected areas to try text messaging when possible instead of making voice calls. During an emergency situation, text messages will often go through quicker than voice calls because they require less network resources. All of AT&T's wireless devices are text messaging capable.
Support in Disaster Areas:
AT&T is providing support for the American Red Cross and other government agencies to aid the overall disaster relief effort in the storm-impacted areas by:
-- Providing more than 1,000 AT&T wireless phones for use by American Red Cross personnel.
-- Providing more than 500 AT&T wireless phones and 130 AT&T LaptopConnect cards for use by Florida National Guard personnel.
-- Providing hundreds of AT&T wireless phones for the Corps of Engineers in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
-- Encouraging its customers to send $5 donations to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by sending a text message from their mobile phones. A customer simply types the keyword GIVE to 2HELP (24357). A confirmation message will arrive within a few minutes, and the customer then replies YES to confirm his or her donation.
-- Donating $200,000 this year, in addition to the generosity of its customers, to the American Red Cross for emergency relief as part of a five-year, $1 million commitment.
AT&T is taking steps to prepare equipment and facilities for a potential strike by Tropical Storm Hanna, which could threaten the Southeastern coast of the United States. The company is identifying areas for the staging of equipment for post-storm response, testing high-capacity backup batteries and topping off fuel for generators positioned at cell sites and switching centers.
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at att/.
(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. Todos os direitos reservados. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.
Note: This AT&T release and other news announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at att/rss. For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at att/newsroom.
CONTACT: Dawn Benton of AT&T Inc., +1-404-986-5513 (at the EOC), Mobile,
Web site: att/
PARIS, September 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Following the incident in the night of 16 to 17 June affecting part of the power generator subsystem of the W5 satellite, Eutelsat set up a technical investigation on the satellite's performance together with its manufacturer, Thales Alenia Space. On the basis of elements of this investigation, confirmed today by Thales Alenia Space1, Eutelsat informs that the remaining orbital lifetime of W5 could be reduced by a maximum of three years.
The satellite's end of operational life in stable orbit is now estimated to be in the fourth quarter of 2017, advanced from the first quarter of 2018. Technical measures are currently being implemented to minimise the reduction of the in-orbit lifetime.
Eutelsat has carried out an impairment test based on the above information and confirms that the impact of the anomaly experienced by W5, as currently known, does not show any need to record an impairment charge. Its evaluation shows no need to adjust the value of the W5 satellite recognised on the balance sheet.
1 See thalesaleniaspace/ About Eutelsat Communications.
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S. A.. With capacity commercialised on 24 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 30 June 2008, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,120 television channels and 1,100 radio stations. More than 1,100 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through its teleport in Italy that serves enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 538 commercial, technical and operational experts from 27 countries.
eutelsat/ For further information Press Vanessa O'Connor Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88 voconnor@eutelsat. fr Frederique Gautier Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88 fgautier@eutelsat. fr Investors Gilles Janvier Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-30 investors@eutelsat-communications.
CONTACT: Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88,
voconnor@eutelsat. fr; Frederique Gautier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88,
fgautier@eutelsat. fr; Investors, Gilles Janvier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-30,
NEW YORK, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Green initiatives, real-world practices and innovative budget-savvy solutions will all be showcased in special sessions led by the top sponsors of the fifth Annual Call Center Exhibition (ACCE), which will take place September 15-18, 2008 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, AZ.
"SAP, Salesforce, LiveOps and Oracle will be offering a wealth of knowledge, information and tools that enable companies to build customer loyalty, profitability and market share," said Joy Sobhani, Show Director. "We are thrilled to have such outstanding companies sponsoring ACCE 2008."
With the need for flexible, end to end contact center solutions increasing, diamond sponsor SAP is addressing this demand with comprehensive solutions for communications management, interaction handling and customer relationship management -- all backed up with extensive monitoring and reporting. SAP will be sponsoring a reception on the show floor on September 15th, which will be open to all attendees. On September 16th, SAP will host a session where attendees will learn how combining on-site agents, remote or home agents and mobile experts into one global virtual Contact Center can allow enterprises to turn challenges into a competitive advantage. The keynote speakers on September 16th and September 17th are sponsored by SAP, and are open to all attendees.
"Many contact centers are still struggling to be able to offer superior customer service without increasing costs," said Rick Fleischman, Director, CRM Solution Marketing at SAP AG. "ACCE provides a great forum for companies to find out how technology solutions can help resolve this dilemma. SAP is happy to participate in this event as a diamond sponsor. We're looking forward to interesting conversations with the conference attendees." For more information about SAP, they will be located at ACCE Booth #1000.
Salesforce has revolutionized the customer service industry with Salesforce CRM Customer Service & Support. Built on the Force Platform as a Service (PaaS), Salesforce CRM Customer Service & Support now leverages many platform features demanded by enterprises today. Their partner, LiveOps, provides the leading on-demand call center platform designed to run a highly scalable and distributed call center with carrier-grade availability.
Platinum co-sponsors Salesforce and LiveOps can be found at Booth #1208 on the show floor at ACCE 2008. On September 16th, Salesforce will be hosting a cocktail reception for all conference delegates, speakers, exhibitors and media. That same day, Salesforce and LiveOps will sponsor an open-to-all session to be presented by Qualcomm and AAA Ohio, who explain and describe the benefits they achieved by creating next generation contact centers powered by SaaS.
"ACCE 2008 is the place to join other leaders in the customer service industry," said Brett Queener, Senior Vice President, Applications, of Salesforce. "Salesforce is excited to be a platinum sponsor at ACCE 2008, one of the customer service industry's most celebrated events."
"As a leader in on-demand call center technology, we are committed to deliver continuous innovation and efficiencies that provide greater flexibility and control to contact center executives," said Azita Martin, Vice President of Marketing at LiveOps. "We look forward to sharing with conference attendees the best practices we've established for successfully using a SaaS in a mission critical call center environment and leveraging remote agents to achieve unprecedented value for businesses."
Gold sponsor Oracle offers information-driven Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications that leverage enterprise data to drive profitable customer interactions. At ACCE, Edwin Margulies, Senior Director of CRM Service Products for Oracle will be presenting in an open-to-all session on September 16th. This session will provide tips on the basic metrics modern contact center managers are using to go green, as well as real-world examples of how to make a call center green while saving thousands or even millions a year -- with the added benefit of saving the planet.
"We look forward to a chance to uncover new opportunities and share customer success stories at ACCE 2008," Mr. Margulies said.
Oracle will be showcasing its CRM, CTI, Help Desk and Self Service solutions at Booth #1214 at ACCE 2008.
Now in its fifth year, ACCE draws business leaders from around the globe. Last year, ACCE brought together more than 1,700 contact center professionals from over 40 countries and all 50 states. For more information about ACCE 2008, please visit acceicmi/.
The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) is the leading global provider of comprehensive resources for customer management professionals -- from frontline agents to executives -- who wish to improve customer experiences and increase efficiencies at every level of the contact center. ICMI's experienced and dedicated team of industry insiders, analysts, and consultants are committed to providing uncompromised objectivity and results-oriented vision through the organization's respected lineup of professional services including: consulting, training and certification, events, professional membership, and management resources. Learn more at icmi.
About Think Services.
Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using innovative media, educational events, consulting, training and certification. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learn from, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strong brands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with its products and services. The division's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra, Game Developer magazine, the International Customer Management Institute, HDI, and Dr. Dobb's Journal. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion. To learn more, visit think-services/.
About United Business Media Limited.
United Business Media Limited is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.
For more information, go to unitedbusinessmedia/.
CONTACT: Steven Blinn of BlinnPR, +1-212-675-4777, steven@blinnpr;
or Rachel Levy of Think Services, +1-609-759-4738, rlevy@think-services.
Web site: icmi/
PARIS, September 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Suite а l'incident technique survenu sur une partie du sous-systиme d'alimentation en йnergie du satellite W5 dans la nuit du 16 au 17 juin, Eutelsat a mis en place, en collaboration avec le constructeur Thales Alenia Space, une enquГЄte technique sur les performances du satellite. Sur la base d'йlйments de cette йtude confirmйs aujourd'hui par Thales Alenia Space1, Eutelsat informe que la durйe de vie rйsiduelle du satellite pourrait ГЄtre rйduite d'un maximum de trois ans.
La fin de vie opйrationnelle en orbite stable du satellite serait ainsi estimйe au quatriиme trimestre 2017 contre le premier trimestre 2018 avant cet incident. Des mesures techniques sont actuellement mises en oeuvre afin de minimiser la rйduction de vie du satellite.
Sur la base de ces йlйments, Eutelsat a procйdй а un test de dйprйciation et confirme que les consйquences de l'anomalie enregistrйe sur le satellite W5, telles que connues а ce jour, ne se traduisent pas par une charge de dйprйciation. Leur йvaluation ne remet pas en cause la valeur du satellite W5 figurant au bilan.
1 Pour plus d'informations voir thalesaleniaspace A propos d'Eutelsat Communications.
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris : ETL, code ISIN : FR0010221234) est la sociйtй holding d'Eutelsat S. A. Avec des ressources en orbite sur 24 satellites offrant une couverture sur toute l'Europe, le Moyen-Orient, l'Afrique et l'Inde, et sur de larges zones de l'Asie et du continent amйricain, Eutelsat est l'un des trois premiers opйrateurs mondiaux de satellites en terme de chiffre d'affaires. Au 30 juin 2008, la flotte des satellites d'Eutelsat assure la diffusion de plus de 3 120 chaоnes de tйlйvision et 1 100 stations de radio. Plus de 1 100 programmes de tйlйvision sont diffusйs par les satellites HOT BIRD(TM) а la position orbitale 13degrees Est vers une audience de plus de 120 millions de foyers en Europe, Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord. La flotte d'Eutelsat sert йgalement une large gamme de services fixes et mobiles de tйlйcommunication et de diffusion de donnйes pour les rйseaux vidйo professionnels et les rйseaux d'entreprise, ainsi qu'un portefeuille d'applications de services haut dйbit pour les fournisseurs d'accиs Internet, les collectivitйs locales ainsi que pour les transports routiers, maritimes et aйriens. Skylogic, filiale d'Eutelsat, assure l'exploitation et la commercialisation de services de haut dйbit via son tйlйport, en Italie (Turin). Skylogic commercialise ses services en Europe, en Afrique, en Asie et sur le continent amйricain. Eutelsat, dont le siиge est а Paris, regroupe 538 hommes et femmes issus de 27 pays.
Pour plus d'information Contacts Presse Vanessa O'Connor Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88 voconnor@eutelsat. fr Frйdйrique Gautier Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88 fgautier@eutelsat. fr Relations investisseurs Gilles Janvier Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-30 investors@eutelsat-communications.
Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, voconnor@eutelsat. fr; Frйdйrique Gautier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, fgautier@eutelsat. fr; Relations investisseurs, Gilles Janvier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-30, investors@eutelsat-communications.
CHARLESTON, S. C., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- While South Carolina has been spared a direct hit during the last few hurricane seasons, Verizon Wireless has completed extensive preparations for the 2008 hurricane season to ensure South Carolinians have strong, comprehensive wireless coverage and service this hurricane season.
Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network*, has spent more than $41 million across the Palmetto State during the first six months of 2008 to strengthen and enhance its wireless network. Highlights of these enhancements include expanding and enhancing regional switching facilities, erecting new digital cell sites with on-site back-up power and expanding statewide the company's highest-speed Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) digital network.
In addition, the Verizon Wireless team of network engineers has been rolling across the state in its fleet of test vehicles to fine tune its all-digital network and ensure reliable, comprehensive coverage in special preparation for the upcoming storm season, as well as throughout the year.
"We are constantly working to improve our network coverage and reliability because wireless communication plays such a crucial role during emergencies, including those involving severe weather," said Jerry Fountain, Carolinas/Tennessee region president of Verizon Wireless. "We will continue to heavily invest, thoroughly prepare and work to provide South Carolinians with the most reliable wireless service."
Additional highlights of the Verizon Wireless 2008 hurricane season preparation and network enhancement include:
-- A comprehensive emergency response plan, including preparing emergency command centers across the state in the case of a storm or other crisis.
-- Erection of nearly 34 new digital cell sites in 2007, of which about 90 percent have their own on-site generators.
-- Verizon Wireless network engineers (who serve as the inspiration for the famous TV Test Man) who traveled approximately 11,182 miles across the state so far this year in their fleet of test vehicles (equipped with phones, wireless data devices and computers to measure the quality of voice and data calls on Verizon Wireless and other carriers).
-- A fleet of Cells on Wheels (COWs), Cells on Light Trucks (COLTs) and Generators on Trailers (GOaTs) that can be rolled into hard-hit locations or areas that need extra network capacity.
-- Pre-arranging fuel delivery to mobile units and generators to keep the network operating at full strength even if power is lost for an extended period of time.
-- Expansion of the company's EV-DO wireless broadband network, including launching its highest-speed Rev. A network throughout the state. This allows the most advanced wireless services (downloads, location-based applications, video messaging, etc.) and makes the network more robust for usage by residents and emergency agencies.
These new technologies, facilities and other network-strengthening efforts are part of an investment exceeding $641 million in the state over the past eight years. Nationally, in that time period, Verizon Wireless has spent more than $45 billion to enhance its digital wireless network.
Verizon Wireless offers residents along the coast of South Carolina these tips to be safer during hurricanes and other times of crisis:
-- Keep wireless phone batteries fully charged -- in case local power is lost -- well before warnings are issued.
-- Have additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters available for back-up power.
-- Keep phones, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location.
-- Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers -- police, fire and rescue agencies; power companies; insurance providers; family, friends and co-workers; etc. -- and program them into your phone.
-- Distribute wireless phone numbers to family members and friends.
-- Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you will be away from your home or have to evacuate.
The company also urges the following actions once a storm is on the way:
-- Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free-up wireless networks for emergency agencies and operations.
-- Send brief text messages rather than voice calls for the same reasons as above.
-- Check weather and news reports available on many Internet-connected and other wireless phone applications when power is out.
* Network details at verizonwireless/bestnetwork. About Verizon Wireless.
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N. J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: verizonwireless/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at verizonwireless/multimedia.
CONTACT: Carly Culbertson of Verizon Wireless, +1-864-987-2006, or.
Web site: verizonwireless/
WILMINGTON, N. C., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- While North Carolina has been spared a direct hit during the last few hurricane seasons, Verizon Wireless has completed extensive preparations for the 2008 hurricane season to ensure North Carolinians have strong, comprehensive wireless coverage and service this hurricane season.
Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network*, has spent nearly $75 million across the Tarheel State during the first six months of 2008 to strengthen and enhance its wireless network. Highlights of these enhancements include expanding and enhancing regional switching facilities, erecting new digital cell sites with on-site back-up power and expanding statewide the company's highest-speed Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) digital network.
In addition, the Verizon Wireless team of network engineers has been rolling across the state in its fleet of test vehicles to fine tune its all-digital network and ensure reliable, comprehensive coverage in special preparation for the upcoming storm season, as well as throughout the year.
"We are constantly working to improve our network coverage and reliability because wireless communication plays such a crucial role during emergencies, including those involving severe weather," said Jerry Fountain, Carolinas/Tennessee region president of Verizon Wireless. "We will continue to heavily invest, thoroughly prepare and work to provide North Carolinians with the most reliable wireless service."
Additional highlights of the Verizon Wireless 2008 hurricane season preparation and network enhancement include:
-- A comprehensive emergency response plan, including preparing emergency command centers across the state in the case of a storm or other crisis.
-- Erection of over 100 new digital cell sites in 2007, of which about 95 percent have their own on-site generators.
-- Verizon Wireless network engineers (who serve as the inspiration for the famous TV Test Man) who traveled approximately 14,594 miles across the state so far this year in their fleet of test vehicles (equipped with phones, wireless data devices and computers to measure the quality of voice and data calls on Verizon Wireless and other carriers).
-- A fleet of Cells on Wheels (COWs), Cells on Light Trucks (COLTs) and Generators on Trailers (GOaTs) that can be rolled into hard-hit locations or areas that need extra network capacity.
-- Pre-arranging fuel delivery to mobile units and generators to keep the network operating at full strength even if power is lost for an extended period of time.
-- Expansion of the company's EV-DO wireless broadband network, including launching its highest-speed Rev. A network throughout the state. This allows the most advanced wireless services (downloads, location-based applications, video messaging, etc.) and makes the network more robust for usage by residents and emergency agencies.
These new technologies, facilities and other network-strengthening efforts are part of an investment nearing $890 million in the state over the past eight years. Nationally, in that time period, Verizon Wireless has spent more than $45 billion to enhance its digital wireless network.
Verizon Wireless offers residents along the coast of North Carolina these tips to be safer during hurricanes and other times of crisis:
-- Keep wireless phone batteries fully charged -- in case local power is lost -- well before warnings are issued.
-- Have additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters available for back-up power.
-- Keep phones, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location.
-- Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers -- police, fire and rescue agencies; power companies; insurance providers; family, friends and co-workers; etc. -- and program them into your phone.
-- Distribute wireless phone numbers to family members and friends.
-- Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you will be away from your home or have to evacuate.
The company also urges the following actions once a storm is on the way:
-- Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free-up wireless networks for emergency agencies and operations.
-- Send brief text messages rather than voice calls for the same reasons as above.
-- Check weather and news reports available on many Internet-connected and other wireless phone applications when power is out.
* Network details at verizonwireless/bestnetwork. About Verizon Wireless.
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N. J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: verizonwireless/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at verizonwireless/multimedia.
CONTACT: Carly Culbertson of Verizon Wireless, +1-864-987-2006,
Web site: verizonwireless/
WILMINGTON, N. C., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As residents and businesses across the Southeast begin to recover from the impact of Hurricane Gustav, AT&T Inc. is also taking steps to prepare equipment and facilities for a potential strike by Tropical Storm Hanna.
Despite the extensive commercial power outages caused by Hurricane Gustav, AT&T's network continues to perform well because of extensive pre-storm preparation. The company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to create and maintain its Network Disaster Recovery capabilities.
A critical element of AT&T's efforts to maximize network reliability is the company's ability to swiftly respond when disaster strikes. This is made possible by AT&T's pre-season and pre-storm preparation which includes: ongoing readiness drills, topping off fuel at generators positioned at cell sites and switching centers, testing high-capacity backup batteries, adding capacity to the wireless network, and staging additional emergency response equipment in strategic locations.
AT&T is committed to providing reliable communications before, during and after a storm, and delivering the highest levels of service quality for customers under all circumstances. Millions of residential and business customers depend on AT&T for critical voice, data and video communications, as well as entertainment services.
With North Carolina coastal residents preparing for Tropical Storm Hanna, AT&T is providing important communications tips for residents and small businesses to use before, during and after a storm.
-- Have a family communications plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members know whom to contact if they become separated.
-- Be sure you have a "Hurricane Phone." It's a good idea to have a wireless phone on hand and at least one corded (landline) telephone that is not dependent on electricity in case of a power outage. Cordless telephones usually have receivers that are electrically charged, so they won't work if you lose your power.
-- Program your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire station and hospital, as well as your family members.
-- Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an alternative plan to recharge your battery in case of a power outage, such as charging your wireless device by using your car charger or having extra mobile phone batteries or disposable mobile phone batteries on hand.
-- Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a tropical storm or hurricane is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering.
-- Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely event that the central office is not operational, services such as voice mail, call forwarding, remote access call forwarding and call forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.
-- Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device. Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a wireless device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather reports through MobiTV(R) or AT&T Mobile TV or keep updated with local radar and severe weather alerts through My-Cast(R) Weather, if you subscribe to those services.
-- If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos -- even video clips -- of damaged property to your insurance company from your device.
-- Take advantage of location-based mapping technology, such as AT&T Navigator, available on some wireless devices, to seek evacuation routes or to avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines.
Small Business Tips:
-- Set up a call-forwarding service to a predetermined backup location. Set up a single or multiple hotline number(s) for employees, employees' families, customers and partners, as appropriate, to call so that all parties know about the business situation and emergency plan. For this to be most effective, maintain an updated contact list, including mobile and home phone numbers and e-mail addresses, for all employees.
-- Protect hardware/software/data records/employee records, etc. Routinely back up these files to an off-site location. Use a generator for supplying backup power to vital computer hardware and other mission-critical equipment. Prearrange the replacement of damaged hardware with vendors to ensure quick business recovery.
-- Outline detailed plans for evacuation and shelter-in-place plans. Practice these plans (employee training, etc.). Establish a backup location for your business and meeting place for all employees.
-- Assemble a crisis-management team and coordinate efforts with neighboring businesses and building management. Be aware that disasters affecting your suppliers also affect your business. Outline a plan for supply chain continuity for business essentials.
Maximizing Service During and After a Hurricane:
-- During an emergency, more people are trying to use their phones at the same time. The increased calling volume may create network congestion, leading to "fast busy" signals on your wireless phone or a slow dial tone on your landline phone. If this happens, hang up, wait several seconds and then try the call again. This allows your original call data to clear the network before you try again.
-- Try wireless text/short messaging service (SMS). During an emergency situation, text messages will often go through quicker than voice calls because they require less network resources. All of AT&T's wireless devices are text messaging capable. Also, if you have a wireless data device such as an Apple iPhone or a BlackBerry(R) smartphone, you can use its messaging capabilities to communicate. Depending on the call plan, additional charges may apply.
-- Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum, and limit your calls to the most important ones. If there is severe weather, chances are many people will be attempting to place calls to loved ones, friends and business associates.
Additional information and tips for disaster preparedness can be found at att/vitalconnections.
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at att/.
(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. Todos os direitos reservados. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Della Bowling of AT&T, +1-704-417-2770, mobile,
Web site: att/
CHARLESTON, S. C., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As residents and businesses across the Southeast begin to recover from the impact of Hurricane Gustav, AT&T Inc. is also taking steps to prepare equipment and facilities for a potential strike by Tropical Storm Hanna.
Despite the extensive commercial power outages caused by Hurricane Gustav, AT&T's network continues to perform well because of extensive pre-storm preparation. The company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to create and maintain its Network Disaster Recovery capabilities.
A critical element of AT&T's efforts to maximize network reliability is the company's ability to swiftly respond when disaster strikes. This is made possible by AT&T's pre-season and pre-storm preparation which includes: ongoing readiness drills, topping off fuel at generators positioned at cell sites and switching centers, testing high-capacity backup batteries, adding capacity to the wireless network, and staging additional emergency response equipment in strategic locations.
AT&T is committed to providing reliable communications before, during and after a storm, and delivering the highest levels of service quality for customers under all circumstances. Millions of residential and business customers depend on AT&T for critical voice, data and video communications, as well as entertainment services.
With South Carolina coastal residents preparing for Tropical Storm Hanna, AT&T is providing important communications tips for residents and small businesses to use before, during and after a storm.
-- Have a family communications plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members know whom to contact if they become separated.
-- Be sure you have a "Hurricane Phone." It's a good idea to have a wireless phone on hand and at least one corded (landline) telephone that is not dependent on electricity in case of a power outage. Cordless telephones usually have receivers that are electrically charged, so they won't work if you lose your power.
-- Program your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire station and hospital, as well as your family members.
-- Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an alternative plan to recharge your battery in case of a power outage, such as charging your wireless device by using your car charger or having extra mobile phone batteries or disposable mobile phone batteries on hand.
-- Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a tropical storm or hurricane is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering.
-- Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely event that the central office is not operational, services such as voice mail, call forwarding, remote access call forwarding and call forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.
-- Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device. Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a wireless device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather reports through MobiTV(R) or AT&T Mobile TV or keep updated with local radar and severe weather alerts through My-Cast(R) Weather, if you subscribe to those services.
-- If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos -- even video clips -- of damaged property to your insurance company from your device.
-- Take advantage of location-based mapping technology, such as AT&T Navigator, available on some wireless devices, to seek evacuation routes or to avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines.
Small Business Tips:
-- Set up a call-forwarding service to a predetermined backup location. Set up a single or multiple hotline number(s) for employees, employees' families, customers and partners, as appropriate, to call so that all parties know about the business situation and emergency plan. For this to be most effective, maintain an updated contact list, including mobile and home phone numbers and e-mail addresses, for all employees.
-- Protect hardware/software/data records/employee records, etc. Routinely back up these files to an off-site location. Use a generator for supplying backup power to vital computer hardware and other mission-critical equipment. Prearrange the replacement of damaged hardware with vendors to ensure quick business recovery.
-- Outline detailed plans for evacuation and shelter-in-place plans. Practice these plans (employee training, etc.). Establish a backup location for your business and meeting place for all employees.
-- Assemble a crisis-management team and coordinate efforts with neighboring businesses and building management. Be aware that disasters affecting your suppliers also affect your business. Outline a plan for supply chain continuity for business essentials.
Maximizing Service During and After a Hurricane:
-- During an emergency, more people are trying to use their phones at the same time. The increased calling volume may create network congestion, leading to "fast busy" signals on your wireless phone or a slow dial tone on your landline phone. If this happens, hang up, wait several seconds and then try the call again. This allows your original call data to clear the network before you try again.
-- Try wireless text/short messaging service (SMS). During an emergency situation, text messages will often go through quicker than voice calls because they require less network resources. All of AT&T's wireless devices are text messaging capable. Also, if you have a wireless data device such as an Apple iPhone or a BlackBerry(R) smartphone, you can use its messaging capabilities to communicate. Depending on the call plan, additional charges may apply.
-- Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum, and limit your calls to the most important ones. If there is severe weather, chances are many people will be attempting to place calls to loved ones, friends and business associates.
Additional information and tips for disaster preparedness can be found at att/vitalconnections.
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at att/.
(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. Todos os direitos reservados. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Della Bowling of AT&T Inc., +1-704-417-2770, Mobile,
Web site: att/
PARIS, September 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Publicis Groupe (EURONEXT Paris: FR0000130577) announced today the acquisition of PBJS, leading Seattle-based digital marketing and strategic communications company. PBJS delivers multi-channelled communication solutions aimed at cultivating and sustaining relationships between brands and their audiences. The company specializes in scalable strategic communications, events, interactive media and branded entertainment.
The acquisition of PBJS reaffirms Publicis Groupe's commitment to pursuing its development through targeted acquisitions in high growth sectors such as marketing services. The newly acquired agency's interactive expertise further demonstrates Publicis Groupe's determination to infuse digital capabilities into all of its different businesses, including events management. This move also brings a significant part of Microsoft's marketing business to Publicis Groupe, given that Microsoft is PBJS's biggest client.
PBJS will continue to operate autonomously and will be aligned with Publicis Events Worldwide. The acquisition of PBJS brings new multi-channel events capabilities to Publicis Events USA, such as video production, webcast and interactive exhibits. PBJS will continue to be managed by its founder and CEO Bob Bejan. Under the new structure, Bob Bejan will now report to John Farrell, President & CEO of SAMS.
Founded in 2003, PBJS employs 26 professionals and services an impressive portfolio of blue chip clients. The company enjoys a long-term and extensive agreement with Microsoft for the production of a variety of both internal and external events. PBJS also has established growing relationships with premier brands such as AT&T, Intel, Smart Balance Foods, Sephora and Boys & Girls Club of America. In addition, PBJS partners with top tier content creators to create a range of branded entertainment experiences on the internet. PBJS took the New York Times number one bestseller The Green Book to a broader audience engagement with expanded content experiences online. The agency also secured distribution with MSN, msnbc and MSNBC Cable to launch a cross-channel episodic online extension of Tom Friedman's best-selling book The World is Flat.
"We congratulate PBJS on their relationship with Publicis Groupe. We have worked with PBJS over the past several years on a number of our live experiences, product launches, internal and external communication events, and they will continue to be our valued and experienced partner in these areas," said Mich Mathews, Senior Vice President, Marketing for the Microsoft Corporation.
John Farrell, President & CEO of SAMS Worldwide, welcomed the news. "Bob Bejan, Jeanette Pigott and Ian Saunders together with their team at PBJS bring an impressive array of credentials to the SAMS offering. Bob is someone who truly understands rapidly evolving technology and its impact on new media consumption patterns. His expertise will be a major asset to further benefit our clients. With this acquisition, we are once again demonstrating our commitment to strengthening our leading position in global events marketing."
Bob Bejan, CEO of PBJS, "Joining Publicis Groupe is a critical step for us and it means a lot in terms of validating our business model and providing accelerated scale. With this move, we are well-positioned to reap the benefits of being part of a global group while, at the same time, maintaining our identity and remaining true to our roots."
PBJS has grown from two accounts in 2003 to fifteen accounts in 2007. The agency currently employs 26 full-time employees. PBJS prides itself on developing business through recommendation, referral and pre-existing relationships.
Web Site: pbjs/ About Publicis Groupe.
Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris: FR0000130577] is the world's fourth largest communications group. In addition, it is ranked as the world's second largest media counsel and buying group, and is a global leader in digital and healthcare communications. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents, the Groupe employs approximately 44,000 professionals.
Web Site: publicisgroupe/ Contacts Publicis Groupe Peggy Nahmany, Corporate Communications, +33(0)1-44-43-72-83 Martine Hue, Investor Relations, +33(0)1-44-43-65-00 PBJS Susan Tucker, VP Marketing, +1-206-464-8392.
Publicis Groupe Services.
CONTACT: CONTACTS: Publicis Groupe: Peggy Nahmany, Corporate.
Communications, +33(0)1-44-43-72-83; Martine Hue, Investor Relations,
+33(0)1-44-43-65-00. PBJS: Susan Tucker, VP Marketing, +1-206-464-8392.
CHICAGO, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (Amex: TDS; TDS. S) and United States Cellular Corporation today announced that both companies intend to switch their publicly traded shares to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from the American Stock Exchange (AMEX). The companies anticipate that their shares will begin trading on the NYSE, and cease trading on the AMEX, on Sept. 15, 2008. TDS Common Shares will continue to trade as "TDS"; TDS Special Common Shares will continue to trade as "TDS. S"; and U. S. Cellular Common Shares will continue to trade as "USM".
"Listing on the New York Stock Exchange is a significant milestone for our companies," said TDS President and CEO and U. S. Cellular Chairman LeRoy T. Carlson, Jr. "We believe that this transition will enable us to better serve our investors, and will provide increased visibility for our stocks. The NYSE has made significant investments in technology, which we believe will provide the best possible liquidity and the highest-quality market for our stocks."
"I want to thank the American Stock Exchange for supporting both TDS and U. S. Cellular since their initial public offerings," added Carlson. "The AMEX has been a tremendous partner to our companies for many years, as TDS and U. S. Cellular have grown into multi-billion dollar enterprises."
"We look forward to welcoming Telephone and Data Systems and U. S. Cellular to our family of listed companies and to providing both companies and their respective shareholders with the superior market quality and brand visibility associated with listing on NYSE Euronext markets," said NYSE Euronext Group Executive Vice President and Head of Global Listings, Catherine R. Kinney.
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS), a Fortune 500(R) company, provides wireless, local and long-distance telephone, and broadband services to nearly 7.4 million customers in 36 states through its business units, U. S. Cellular (wireless) and TDS Telecom (wireline). Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, TDS employed 12,400 people as of June 30, 2008. For more information about TDS, visit teldta/.
About U. S. Cellular.
United States Cellular Corporation, the nation's sixth-largest, full-service wireless carrier, provides a comprehensive range of wireless products and services, excellent customer support, and a high-quality network to nearly 6.2 million customers in 26 states. The Chicago-based company employed 9,000 associates as of June 30, 2008. For more information about U. S. Cellular, visit uscellular/.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: All information set forth in this news release, except historical and factual information, represents forward-looking statements. This includes all statements about the company's plans, beliefs, estimates, and expectations. These statements are based on current estimates, projections, and assumptions, which involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that may affect these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: The ability of U. S. Cellular to successfully manage and grow the operations of more recently launched markets; changes in the overall economy, competition, the access to and pricing of unbundled network elements, the state and federal telecommunications regulatory environment, and the value of assets and investments; adverse changes in the ratings afforded TDS and U. S. Cellular debt securities by accredited ratings organizations; industry consolidation; advances in telecommunications technology; uncertainty of access to the capital markets; risks and uncertainties relating to restatements and possible future restatements; ability to remediate the material weakness; pending and future litigation; changes in income tax rates, laws, regulations or rulings; acquisitions/divestitures of properties and/or licenses; and changes in customer growth rates, average monthly revenue per unit, churn rates, roaming revenue and terms, the availability of devices, or the mix of products and services offered by U. S. Cellular and TDS Telecom. Investors are encouraged to consider these and other risks and uncertainties that are discussed in the Form 8-K used by TDS to furnish this press release to the SEC, which are incorporated by reference herein.
TDS; U. S. Cellular.
CONTACT: Mark A. Steinkrauss, Vice President, Corporate Relations,
+1-312-592-5384, mark. steinkrauss@teldta, or Julie D. Mathews, Manager,
Investor Relations, +1-312-592-5341, julie. mathews@teldta, both of TDS.
Web site: teldta/
TOKYO, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Limelight Networks, Inc. , announced today that Nintendo Co. Ltd had begun utilizing the LimelightDELIVER service to deliver interactive content to the popular Wii(TM) console.
Using LimelightDELIVER, Nintendo delivers text and graphic contents to the News Channel and Forecast Channel that are accessible from the Wii menu. Since Limelight Network's content delivery network (CDN) is directly connected to over 900 broadband and last-mile providers worldwide, Nintendo can ensure the rapid delivery of these contents to the many Wii users around the world.
"We are pleased to be enabling a great user experience for the highly successful Wii console, and to be working with such a respected global gaming brand as Nintendo," said Shinji Tsukamoto, vice president, Limelight Networks, Inc. "Limelight Networks is now delivering content and providing services for all three major gaming platforms around the world."
The robust and scalable infrastructure of Limelight Network's CDN was engineered to deliver rich media experiences to today's Internet users, by meeting the challenge of the four dimensions of content delivery: increasing object size, increasing entire content libraries, addressing ever-growing audience size, and realizing the immediate availability of every library object, regardless of popularity.
About Limelight Networks.
Limelight Networks, Inc. is a content delivery partner enabling the next wave of Internet business and entertainment. More than 1300 Internet, entertainment, software, and technology brands trust our robust, scalable platform to monetize their digital assets by delivering a brilliant online experience to their global audience. Our architecture bypasses the busy public Internet using a dedicated optical network that interconnects thousands of servers and delivers massive files at the speed of light directly to the access networks that consumers use every day. Our proven network and passion for service assures our customers that every object in their library is instantly delivered to every user, every time. Read our blog at blog. llnw or for more information, visit limelightnetworks/.
Copyright (C) 2008 Limelight Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. All product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
* Wii is a trademark of Nintendo.
Limelight Networks, Inc.
CONTACT: Linda Kozlowski of Fleishman-Hillard, +1-415-318-4205,
linda. kozlowski@fleishman, for Limelight Networks, Inc.
Web site: limelightnetworks/
SAVANNAH, Ga., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As residents and businesses across the Southeast begin to recover from the impact of Hurricane Gustav, AT&T Inc. is also taking steps to prepare equipment and facilities for a potential strike by Tropical Storm Hanna.
Despite the extensive commercial power outages caused by Hurricane Gustav, AT&T's network continues to perform well because of extensive pre-storm preparation. The company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to create and maintain its Network Disaster Recovery capabilities.
A critical element of AT&T's efforts to maximize network reliability is the company's ability to swiftly respond when disaster strikes. This is made possible by AT&T's pre-season and pre-storm preparation which includes: ongoing readiness drills, topping off fuel at generators positioned at cell sites and switching centers, testing high-capacity backup batteries, adding capacity to the wireless network, and staging additional emergency response equipment in strategic locations.
AT&T is committed to providing reliable communications before, during and after a storm, and delivering the highest levels of service quality for customers under all circumstances. Millions of residential and business customers depend on AT&T for critical voice, data and video communications, as well as entertainment services. With Georgia coastal residents preparing for Tropical Storm Hanna, AT&T is providing important communications tips for residents and small businesses to use before, during and after a storm.
-- Have a family communications plan in place. Designate someone out of the area as a central contact, and make certain that all family members know whom to contact if they become separated.
-- Be sure you have a "Hurricane Phone." It's a good idea to have a wireless phone on hand and at least one corded (landline) telephone that is not dependent on electricity in case of a power outage. Cordless telephones usually have receivers that are electrically charged, so they won't work if you lose your power.
-- Program your emergency contact numbers and e-mail addresses into your mobile phone. Numbers should include the police department, fire station and hospital, as well as your family members.
-- Keep your wireless phone batteries charged at all times. Have an alternative plan to recharge your battery in case of a power outage, such as charging your wireless device by using your car charger or having extra mobile phone batteries or disposable mobile phone batteries on hand.
-- Keep your wireless phone dry. The biggest threat to your device during a tropical storm or hurricane is water, so keep your equipment safe from the elements by storing it in a baggie or some other type of protective covering.
-- Forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. Because call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you will get incoming calls from your landline phone even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home. In the unlikely event that the central office is not operational, services such as voice mail, call forwarding, remote access call forwarding and call forwarding busy line/don't answer may be useful.
-- Track the storm and access weather information on your wireless device. Many homes lose power during severe weather. If you have a wireless device that provides access to the Internet, you can watch weather reports through MobiTV(R) or AT&T Mobile TV or keep updated with local radar and severe weather alerts through My-Cast(R) Weather, if you subscribe to those services.
-- If you have a camera phone, take, store and send photos -- even video clips -- of damaged property to your insurance company from your device.
-- Take advantage of location-based mapping technology, such as AT&T Navigator, available on some wireless devices, to seek evacuation routes or to avoid traffic congestion from downed trees or power lines.
Small Business Tips:
-- Set up a call-forwarding service to a predetermined backup location. Set up a single or multiple hotline number(s) for employees, employees' families, customers and partners, as appropriate, to call so that all parties know about the business situation and emergency plan. For this to be most effective, maintain an updated contact list, including mobile and home phone numbers and e-mail addresses, for all employees.
-- Protect hardware/software/data records/employee records, etc. Routinely back up these files to an off-site location. Use a generator for supplying backup power to vital computer hardware and other mission-critical equipment. Prearrange the replacement of damaged hardware with vendors to ensure quick business recovery.
-- Outline detailed plans for evacuation and shelter-in-place plans. Practice these plans (employee training, etc.). Establish a backup location for your business and meeting place for all employees.
-- Assemble a crisis-management team and coordinate efforts with neighboring businesses and building management. Be aware that disasters affecting your suppliers also affect your business. Outline a plan for supply chain continuity for business essentials.
Maximizing Service During and After a Hurricane:
-- During an emergency, more people are trying to use their phones at the same time. The increased calling volume may create network congestion, leading to "fast busy" signals on your wireless phone or a slow dial tone on your landline phone. If this happens, hang up, wait several seconds and then try the call again. This allows your original call data to clear the network before you try again.
-- Try wireless text/short messaging service (SMS). During an emergency situation, text messages will often go through quicker than voice calls because they require less network resources. All of AT&T's wireless devices are text messaging capable. Also, if you have a wireless data device such as an Apple iPhone or a BlackBerry(R) smartphone, you can use its messaging capabilities to communicate. Depending on the call plan, additional charges may apply.
-- Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum, and limit your calls to the most important ones. If there is severe weather, chances are many people will be attempting to place calls to loved ones, friends and business associates.
Additional information and tips for disaster preparedness can be found at att/vitalconnections.
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at att/.
(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. Todos os direitos reservados. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Drew Giblin of AT&T Inc., +1-404-927-2993, cell,
Web site: att/
EVERETT, Wash., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Residents of Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo and Redmond are a major step closer to having an innovative, reliable and competitive alternative for their television services, thanks to unanimous votes by their respective city councils Tuesday night (Sept. 2) authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV.
Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo and Redmond are the 11th, 12th and 13th communities in the state to grant video franchises to Verizon, following recent approvals in Bothell, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Kenmore, Lynnwood, Marysville, Woodinville, Woodway and Snohomish County. The company plans to begin offering FiOS TV in Washington later this year.
FiOS TV offers consumers a broad range of programming choices and superior picture quality from the only TV service delivered over the nation's most advanced all-fiber network directly connecting to millions of individual homes and businesses.
"Approval of Verizon's video franchise is great news for the residents of Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo and Redmond, who will soon have more choice for their video entertainment," said David S. Valdez, senior vice president for Verizon's Pacific Northwest region. "We commend the mayors, city councils and city staffs for their dedication and hard work throughout this process. They recognize and support the technological advantage and competitive benefits, as well as the distinctive edge in economic development and quality of life that fiber will bring to their community.
"We look forward to reaching similar agreements with other Washington communities," said Valdez.
Many Verizon customers in Washington are already enjoying FiOS Internet service, which delivers ultra-fast download speeds up to 50 Mbps (megabits per second) and unparalleled upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps.*
Verizon already provides FiOS TV in parts of California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.
FiOS TV Service Highlights FiOS TV service highlights include:
-- More than 400 all-digital channels grouped by genres such as entertainment, sports, news, shopping, movies and family, making it easy for audiences to find their favorite programming.
-- A wide array of high-definition channels, with extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound. The company plans to significantly expand the HD lineup to include all available major HD programming by year-end.
-- An industry-leading library of more than 11,000 video-on-demand (VOD) titles each month, 70 percent of which are free. In addition, the VOD library includes an increasing number of HD titles, and Verizon plans to offer 1,000 HD VOD titles per month by year-end.
-- An easy-to-use interactive media guide that integrates HD programming, on-demand content and the digital video recorder along with broadcast television into a seamless user experience.
-- Set-top boxes ranging from a standard-definition box to the Home Media DVR, featuring a multi-room DVR that enables up to three simultaneous viewings of recorded programs without requiring customers to set up a complex home network or buy extra equipment. The recorder is bundled with Media Manager, a feature that lets customers easily access photos and music from their personal computer and play them on their entertainment center where they look and sound the best.
-- FiOS TV Widgets, a free interactive feature that provides local weather and traffic information.
Programming choices for Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Russian and other multicultural audiences are available in every market, making FiOS TV an outlet for emerging and independent networks to showcase their diverse programming.
Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo and Redmond consumers can check online at verizon/fios for more information or to request that Verizon contact them when FiOS TV becomes available. Customers also can call their local Verizon sales office or 888-GET FiOS (888-438-3467).
FiOS TV is delivered over Verizon's all-fiber-optic network, which brings the power and capacity of fiber optics directly into people's homes and has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen.
* NOTE: actual (throughput) speeds will vary.
Verizon Communications Inc. , headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 69 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,600 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit verizon/.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at verizon/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
CONTACT: Jon Davies, +1-805-372-6969, jon. davies@verizon.
Web site: verizon/
Company News On-Call: prnewswire/comp/618232.html.
DENVER, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Technology solutions from Arkados (BULLETIN BOARD: AKDS) make possible the new system from whole-house audio component manufacturer Russound. Called Collage, the new system is being unveiled this week during the CEDIA Expo in Denver, Colorado.
"Collage is a game-changing system for this market," said Michael Stein, senior director of research and technology at Russound. "Collage offers the sophisticated features of a built-in system, but without the installation of new wiring throughout a home, perfect for the huge base of existing homes."
The system offers whole-house music, video surveillance, and intercom functionality for retrofit applications. For the installer, connecting components is done simply through electrical wiring and power outlets. Arkados SoCs are at the heart of each component of this system, and a typical home would use between six to ten Arkados SoCs.
"We believe the introduction of Russound's Collage system utilizing our SoCs validates our design approach," said Arkados CEO and President Oleg Logvinov. "We spent a considerable amount of time and resources to develop a platform that enables such products, and brings to fruition our long-term objective of making solutions that facilitate integrated, multimedia digital networking using only the electrical wires in the home."
Stein continued, "The Arkados system-on-chip and software is packed with the hardware and software features that enable the whole system. These integrated features help us to realize our vision for these products."
At the CEDIA Expo, Russound is in booth 512, and Arkados is in booth 188 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, September 4 - 7, 2008.
About Arkados, Inc.
Arkados, "the HomePlug Applications Company," delivers a universal platform that enables networking of home entertainment and computer devices using standard electricity lines. The company's system-on-chip solutions are uniquely designed to drive a wide variety of powerline-enabled consumer electronics and home computing products, such as stereos, radios, speakers, MP3 players, computers, televisions, gaming consoles, security cameras and cable and DSL modems. Arkados customers can bring numerous sophisticated, full-featured products to market faster at a lower overall development cost using a single platform: the company's versatile and programmable ArkTIC(R) platform. Arkados solutions leverage the benefits of HomePlug Powerline Alliance specifications and can also be used for in-building and to-the-home (BPL) applications. Arkados(R) and ArkTIC(R) are registered trademarks and Direct to Speaker(TM) is a trademark of Arkados Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Arkados Group, Inc. HomePlug(R) is a registered trademark of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, of which Arkados is a member. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. More information can be found at arkados/.
This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements as to the future performance of the company and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to raise necessary financing, retention of key personnel, timely delivery of inventory from the company's contract manufacturers, timely product development, product acceptance, and the impact of competitive services and products, in addition to general economic risks and uncertainties.
Editorial Contact: Jim Reeber, Arkados, Inc. Email: jreeber@arkados Phone: (732) 465-9300 x212 Investor Relations Contact: John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau Institutional Marketing Services (IMS) Phone: (203) 972-9200.
CONTACT: Editorial Contact, Jim Reeber of Arkados, Inc.,
+1-732-465-9300, ext. 212, jreeber@arkados; or Investor Relations Contact,
John Nesbett or Jennifer Belodeau of Institutional Marketing Services (IMS),
Web site: arkados/
PISCATAWAY, N. J., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arkados (BULLETIN BOARD: AKDS) is pleased to announce its involvement with multi-room audio manufacturer NuVo Technologies. Arkados is providing a silicon and software solution that is embedded into the components of NuVo's new Renovia(TM) multi-room audio system. A prototype of the Renovia system will be unveiled at CEDIA EXPO 2008 in Denver, Colorado, September 4 -7, in booth 240.
Most of today's multi-room audio systems deliver music throughout a home over speaker wire and Cat 5 cable. In existing homes, installers must cut holes in walls to pull this wire and cable. As a result, the retrofit market is a challenge for multi-room audio installers. The upcoming Renovia system, however, will break new ground by using the electrical wiring already inside the walls of a home to distribute music and metadata to every room.
"Renovia, which uses HomePlug(R) powerline technology to deliver fully digital music between components, will reduce our dealers' installation times significantly, allowing them to take on more jobs and to serve the retrofit market like they never could before with a clean, non-disruptive solution," says NuVo Chief Technology Officer Rick Kukulies. "The Arkados Direct-to-Speaker(TM) solutions enable us to tap into a home's electrical system so that we can offer our multi-zone playback in a precisely synchronized manner. Arkados' advanced features are unique in the marketplace, and offer significant advantages over wireless solutions for the transmission of both sound and data in terms of range, reliability and consistency."
"We are delighted to work with NuVo," said Oleg Logvinov, president and Chief Executive Officer of Arkados. "It is very gratifying to see that the effort we invested into the development of these technologies has been transformed into new and innovative products addressing the market for multi-room audio systems."
NuVo's Renovia system, which is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2009, enables users to view and control multiple audio sources from control pads in each room or remote controls that can roam from room to room.
"The decline in new housing construction is creating more demand for digital systems that can easily be installed in existing homes," said Kukulies. "With Arkados' help, we will enable our dealers to make multi-room audio available to a much wider audience than ever before."
About NuVo Technologies.
Based in Hebron, Ky., just outside of Cincinnati, NuVo Technologies is an innovator in the engineering, manufacture and distribution of multi-room digital audio distribution systems. NuVo focuses just as much energy on its products' value and ease of use as it does on their quality, design, energy efficiency and engineering, striving for the highest levels in all aspects. NuVo believes the music-enabled home is something that all consumers can.
achieve and enjoy. Its products can make it happen. Visit NuVo's comprehensive website at nuvotechnologies/.
Press Contact: Caster Communications, Inc. at 401.792.7080 Joe Paone jpaone@castercomm Lauren Simmen lsimmen@castercomm For digital images log on to castercomm/
All product and company names referred to herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
About Arkados, Inc.
Arkados, "the HomePlug Applications Company," delivers a universal platform that enables networking of home entertainment and computer devices using standard electricity lines. The company's system-on-chip solutions are uniquely designed to drive a wide variety of powerline-enabled consumer electronics and home computing products, such as stereos, radios, speakers, MP3 players, computers, televisions, gaming consoles, security cameras and cable and DSL modems. Arkados customers can bring numerous sophisticated, full-featured products to market faster at a lower overall development cost using a single platform: the company's versatile and programmable ArkTIC(R) platform. Arkados solutions leverage the benefits of HomePlug Powerline Alliance specifications and can also be used for in-building and to-the-home (BPL) applications. Arkados(R) and ArkTIC(R) are registered trademarks and Direct to Speaker(TM) is a trademark of Arkados Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Arkados Group, Inc. HomePlug(R) is a registered trademark of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, of which Arkados is a member. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. More information can be found at arkados/.
This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements as to the future performance of the company and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to raise necessary financing, retention of key personnel, timely delivery of inventory from the company's contract manufacturers, timely product development, product acceptance, and the impact of competitive services and products, in addition to general economic risks and uncertainties.
Editorial Contact: Jim Reeber, Arkados, Inc. Email: jreeber@arkados Phone: (732) 465-9300 x212 Investor Relations Contact: John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau Institutional Marketing Services (IMS) Phone: (203) 972-9200.
CONTACT: Editorial: Jim Reeber of Arkados, Inc., +1-732-465-9300 ext.
212, jreeber@arkados; or Investor: John Nesbett or Jennifer Belodeau of.
Institutional Marketing Services (IMS), +1-203-972-9200.
Web site: arkados/
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Anacomp(R) Inc., a leading business process solutions company, today announced a sweeping enterprise license sale of its CaseLogistix(R) litigation support software to Blank Rome LLP, a leading international law firm. The firm selected to utilize the software, which enables legal teams to quickly collect, organize, review, and produce digital evidence, throughout its enterprise after successfully hosting a client case with CaseLogistix over the past several months. With nine offices worldwide, the firm will now leverage CaseLogistix's superior usability, flexibility, scalability and full Unicode compatibility to expedite and accelerate litigation review processes.
"We chose CaseLogistix due to its robust architecture and its exceptional scalability that ensures the solution will meet our needs now and as our firm continues to grow. Our test case with the hosted version of CaseLogistix for an important client went very well, and we look forward to utilizing the software throughout our firm," said Larry Liss, Blank Rome's Chief Technology Officer. "With CaseLogistix, we look forward to accelerating our firm's litigation review processes and providing our attorneys with an industry-leading litigation support solution, which in turn will help us continue providing superior service to our clients."
As one of the American Lawyer's top 100 law firms, Blank Rome has over 500 attorneys practicing in areas such as corporate and business law, intellectual property, complex litigation and governmental affairs. With significant offices in Philadelphia, New York, Washington and Hong Kong, Blank Rome serves the needs of corporate, institutional, nonprofit and individual clients throughout the world.
"We're delighted Blank Rome has chosen to significantly expand its use of CaseLogistix throughout its enterprise and avail the solution to its entire staff worldwide. We're pleased to be working with such a prestigious law firm, and we're confident CaseLogistix will greatly augment the firm's practice," said Tom Ullman, Anacomp's Senior Vice President of U. S. Sales. "We are seeing an increasing number of AmLaw 100 firms who have found that by leveraging CaseLogistix, they are able to streamline operations, reduce costs, and create a competitive advantage by better managing increasing litigation document volumes and complex litigation processes."
CaseLogistix allows legal teams to quickly collect, organize, review, and produce any amount of digital evidence using an interface similar to that of Microsoft(R) Outlook(R). The system is fully Unicode compliant and is able to recognize all foreign language character sets. Such capabilities offer strong differentiation over other litigation support solutions on the market and are highly desirable among larger, multi-national law firms and general counsel departments.
In addition, CaseLogistix's innovative docNative(TM) Paradigm approach to eDiscovery emphasizes native file review, empowering users to view hundreds of file types, including audio and video, without the need of third party file conversions or applications. By managing documents in their native or near-native formats, the "TIFFing" conversion step can be skipped until the end of the discovery process, and only then as needed to format documents that are relevant and required for production. As such, users can greatly accelerate review, cut processing costs in half and reduce associated risks. In addition, this native file review approach also supports compliance with new Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) around electronically stored information (ESI). Anacomp's docNative Paradigm also empowers the ability to manage images such as TIFFS, so hybrid format environments of TIFFS, near-native, and native files are seamless to the user.
With 40 years of experience and a passionate commitment to client services, Anacomp partners with its customers to help them realize the full potential of their business processes at the lowest total cost of ownership. Possessing one of the world's largest online document repositories as well as a large, independent field services organization, Anacomp's offerings serve hundreds of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) partners and thousands of end users in insurance, financial services, government, legal, and other markets. Anacomp is headquartered in San Diego, with international headquarters in Wokingham, UK. For more information, visit anacomp/ or call (800) 364-9870.
docNative is a trademark, and Anacomp and CaseLogistix are registered trademarks of Anacomp, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Rob Jensen, Senior Director of Marketing of Anacomp Inc.,
Web site: anacomp/
MERIDEN, Conn., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local residents in New Haven County, Verizon Wireless has activated a new cell site. The new site increases high-speed wireless data coverage and capacity along I-91 and Route 15 in Meriden, Connecticut, as well as the surrounding area.
Verizon Wireless has invested more than $45 billion since it was formed to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services like BroadbandAccess and V CAST. Regionally the company has invested over $2.2 billion into its New England network, including over $100 million during the first six months of 2008. As a result of these investments, every Verizon Wireless cell site in New England provides wireless broadband connectivity.
"We've always believed that even the most advanced cell phone is only as good as the network it runs on," said director for Network Systems Performance for Verizon Wireless, Richard Enright. "We continue to aggressively invest into our wireless networks across New England to increase coverage and capacity for our customers."
BroadbandAccess offers computer users the nation's most reliable high-speed wireless mobile broadband network, operating at average upload speeds between 500 and 800 kbps, and download speeds between 600 kbps and 1.4 mbps over Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess with EV-DO Revision A network. V CAST brings video clips of TV shows, music on demand and other multimedia services to wireless phones.
Strong demand for Verizon Wireless services continued during the second quarter of 2008 as the company added 1.5 million net new customers and, for the fifteenth consecutive quarter, reported the lowest customer turnover (highest customer loyalty) rate in the wireless industry.
The company's 'nation's most reliable wireless network' reputation is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country who inspired the "can you hear me now" national advertising campaign. Nationally, these test men and women drive nearly 100 specially equipped vehicles almost 1,000,000 miles annually on Interstate, U. S. and state highways as well as major roads and surface streets in high - population areas, based upon U. S. Census counts, to confirm that voice calls and data connections are successful on the first attempt and stay connected. Vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically make more than three million voice call attempts and more than 16 million data tests annually on Verizon Wireless' network and the networks of other carriers.
About Verizon Wireless.
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N. J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: verizonwireless/. To preview and request broadcast - quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at verizonwireless/multimedia.
CONTACT: Michael Murphy of Verizon Wireless, +1-781-932-1213,
Michael. Murphy@verizonwireless; or Marcia Simon of Thomson Communications.
for Verizon, +1-860-399-0191.
Web site: verizonwireless/
NEW YORK, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Residents of three New York villages are a major step closer to having a real choice for their cable television service, thanks to newly approved agreements authorizing Verizon to offer its FiOS TV service, delivered over the most advanced fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes.
The villages of New Hempstead in Rockland County, Hempstead in Nassau County and Kenmore in Erie County all recently granted video franchises to Verizon, paving the way for video choice in these communities.
The new franchises bring to 131 the total number of New York municipalities that have approved video franchises for Verizon.
"This is great news for residents of these three villages, who now will have a new choice for their video entertainment," said Andres Irlando, Verizon senior vice president for the New York region.
"Consumers in New Hempstead, Hempstead and Kenmore will be able to choose their cable provider as easily as they choose their phone company. Competition like this drives innovation and value and puts the consumer in control, and we will compete aggressively for customers in these villages," he said.
As with all local franchise approvals in New York, the agreements between Verizon and the three villages are subject to review by the New York State Public Service Commission.
Verizon's FiOS TV is a formidable competitor to cable and satellite, offering a broad collection of all-digital programming, up to 100 high-definition (HD) channels in the New York market and access to more than 11,000 video-on-demand (VOD) titles, 70 percent of which are free. The VOD library also includes an increasing number of HD titles, and Verizon plans to have 1,000 HD VOD titles per month by year-end.
Verizon's fiber network delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon's fiber network also delivers Internet download speeds of up to 50 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps, as well as high-quality voice service.*
New Hempstead, Hempstead and Kenmore join a growing list of New York communities that are paving the way for competition and choice in the television market. In addition to these three villages, Verizon has been granted video franchises in the following municipalities:
City of New York Long Island.
Amityville, Massapequa Park, Cedarhurst, Laurel Hollow, Lynbrook, Mineola, East Hills, East Rockaway, Farmingdale, Valley Stream, Freeport, Williston Park, New Hyde Park, Sands Point, Bayville, Old Field, Floral Park, South Floral Park, Garden City, Nissequogue, Northport, Poquott, East Williston, Head of the Harbor, Mill Neck, Stewart Manor, Centre Island, Lawrence, Malverne, Manorhaven, Huntington Bay, The Branch, Oyster Bay Cove, Flower Hill, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Rockville Centre, Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn Harbor, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock, Thomaston, Bellerose, Lloyd Harbor and Baxter Estates; and the towns of North Hempstead, Huntington, Smithtown, Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Islip and Babylon.
Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Tarrytown, Irvington, Greenburgh, Eastchester, Mount Kisco, Elmsford, Port Chester, Tuckahoe, White Plains, Rye Brook, North Castle, Mount Vernon, Mount Pleasant, Yonkers, Scarsdale, Bronxville, New Rochelle, Cortlandt, Peekskill, Buchanan, Rye, Larchmont, the Village of Mamaroneck, the Town of Mamaroneck, New Castle, Pelham Manor, Sleepy Hollow, Briarcliff Manor, the Town of Ossining and the Village of Ossining.
Nyack, South Nyack, Upper Nyack, Grandview-on-Hudson, Clarkstown, Orangetown, Piermont, Airmont, the Town of Haverstraw, West Haverstraw, Chestnut Ridge, Ramapo, Spring Valley, Stony Point, the Village of Haverstraw, Suffern, Hillburn, Wesley Hills and Montebello.
Dutchess County Wappinger, Wappingers Falls and Village of Fishkill Orange County Town of Newburgh and City of Newburgh Erie County.
Amherst, Blasdell, Village of Hamburg, Town of Hamburg, West Seneca, Tonawanda, Village of Orchard Park and Town of Orchard Park.
Putnam County Kent * NOTE: actual (throughput) speeds will vary.
Verizon Communications Inc. , headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 69 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,600 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit verizon/.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at verizon/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
CONTACT: John Bonomo of Verizon, +1-212-321-8033,
Web site: verizon/
Company News On-Call: prnewswire/comp/094251.html.
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- TelcoTV, the premier meeting place for the massive convergence of the entertainment and communications markets, today announces the keynote speaker lineup for its annual conference to be held November 11-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Orange County, California.
TelcoTV 2008 keynote speakers include: -- Dan York, EVP, Content, AT&T; -- Eric Bruno, SVP, Consumer Product Management & Development, Verizon; -- Mark Jung, CEO, Vudu; -- Paul Scanlan, President and Co-Founder, MobiTV; and -- Mark Carpenter, President, Pannaway Networks.
"Our keynote speaker lineup will offer great insight into the impact of broadband and entertainment convergence. From mobile to broadband to IPTV, our speakers' vast experience will help clarify the ever evolving landscape for delivering a multi-faceted, compelling entertainment experience," explains Bernie Arnason, TelcoTV Conference Chairman and Managing Partner with Pivot Media.
Dan York, Executive Vice President, Content, AT&T, heads the content strategy and acquisition for all AT&T platforms -- television, broadband, and wireless. In this role, he sets the content strategy for each platform, including national networks, sports, music, movies, international, interactive services, and broadcast television. During his TelcoTV keynote address, Dan will offer insight into AT&T's vision for U-verse TV and its role in a content rich, multiplatform landscape, where consumers demand content on their own terms.
Eric Bruno, Senior Vice President, Consumer Product Management & Development, Verizon, is responsible for new product development and product lifecycle management across all Verizon consumer markets, including FiOS, Verizon's industry-leading fiber network. Eric will share with the TelcoTV audience Verizon's approach to the converged entertainment marketplace and outline how Verizon intends to position its product portfolio, including FiOS, to maximize the three-screen opportunity.
Continuing TelcoTV's theme of "converged entertainment," Mark Jung, CEO of Vudu, will keynote as well. Vudu, is a company transforming the living room digital media experience, and Mark is a veteran of the technology industry and an early leader in the convergence of media and technology. Prior to joining Vudu, Mark was the Chief Operating Officer of Fox Interactive Media where he was responsible for all of its properties, including MySpace, IGN Entertainment, FoxSports, Scout Media, and AmericanIdol. Mark will examine the rapidly evolving business model of digital media delivery and the opportunities it presents for broadband service providers.
Paul Scanlan, Co-Founder and President of MobiTV, has played a critical role in managing MobiTV's growth from a startup to the first and only global television network for cellphones. Paul will impress upon TelcoTV attendees the growing importance of mobility in the converged entertainment experience.
The TelcoTV Keynote speaker lineup will be rounded out by Mark Carpenter, President of Pannaway Networks -- Signature Sponsor of this year's event. Pannaway Networks delivers customer-proven broadband access solutions that enable its 300-plus telecommunications service provider customers to seamlessly evolve their legacy networks to Ethernet/IP -- at will.
Additional speakers at TelcoTV 2008 include Rohit Bhargava, SVP, Digital Strategy & Marketing, Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence; Peter Stougaard, SVP, Theatrical Marketing, 20th Century Fox Studios; Anthony Bontragger, President, 1Cast; Steve Mitgang, CEO, Veoh; Mauro Bonomi, President and CEO, Minerva Networks; Ervin Leibovici, CEO, BitBand; Andy Mathieson, Founder and Executive Vice President, Latens; Charlie Oppenheimer, CEO, Digital Fountain; Jim Riley, Executive Vice President, TVN Entertainment; Duncan Bees, Chief Technology Officer, Home Gateway Initiative; and Brendon Mills, President and CEO, RipCode. For a complete speaker lineup and conference agenda, please visit telcotvonline/ .
The TelcoTV Conference & Expo includes the largest TV - and IPTV-focused exhibit floor in the United States, with more than 145 vendors already committed, as well as a three-day conference program that is focusing on IPTV, TV, Internet video, mobile video, advertising, and successful content strategies. See telcotvonline/ for more info.
About Light Reading.
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Contact: Tony Fisch President, Tony Fisch Consulting (323) 461-7878 tony@fischconsulting.
CONTACT: Tony Fisch, President, Tony Fisch Consulting, +1-323-461-7878,
tony@fischconsulting, for TelcoTV.
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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon employees throughout California collected nearly $40,000 worth of items to donate to schools in their communities during a recent Tools for School drive.
The employees are among workers at 372 Verizon locations throughout the country who took part in the two-week campaign to collect new pens and pencils, rulers, crayons, backpacks, and other items children need to start the school year. In all, employees donated an estimated $300,000 worth of supplies to more than 300 schools and nonprofits across the U. S. (Note: A list of California schools benefiting from the campaign is available at the end of the release.)
"Supporting education and literacy has long been a primary social cause for Verizon," said Elva Lima, vice president -- strategic programs for Verizon. "Whether it's by providing interactive educational tools on Verizon's Thinkfinity Web site, or classroom supplies, Verizon will continue to support efforts to give parents, students and teachers the tools needed to help all children succeed."
Thinkfinity is the Verizon Foundation's comprehensive program and online portal to 55,000 standards-based, grade-specific, K-12 lesson plans and other educational resources provided in partnership with many of the nation's leading educational and literacy organizations.
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its signature program, Thinkfinity, and promotes health and safety. In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $67.4 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the United States and abroad. The foundation also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in $25.1 million in combined contributions. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since Verizon's inception in 2000.
For more information about Verizon California and the foundation, visit verizon/ca.
Verizon Communications Inc. , headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 69 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,600 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit verizon/.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at verizon/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
California schools that benefited from Verizon's Tools for School campaign:
Santa Fe Elementary School Baldwin Park Bloomington High School Bloomington Downey YMCA Downey Charles Brown Elementary School El Dorado Hemet Elementary School Hemet Oak Creek Elementary School Irvine Robert E. Lee Elementary School Long Beach Burnett Elementary School Long Beach 32nd Street/USC Performing Arts Magnet School Los Angeles School On Wheels Malibu Peach Hill Elementary School Moorpark New River Elementary School Norwalk Elderberry Elementary School Ontario Orcutt Academy Grades 1-9 Orcutt Boys & Girls Clubs Of Oxnard And Port Hueneme Oxnard El Centrito Learning Center Oxnard Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School Oxnard Pacoima Charter School Pacoima Val Verde Unified School District Perris Abraham Lincoln Elementary School Sacramento Wilson Elementary School San Bernardino Rio Vista Elementary School San Bernardino McKinley Elementary School San Francisco Riverglen Elementary School San Jose Taft Elementary School Santa Ana Harding Elementary School Santa Barbara John Muir School Santa Monica Liberty Elementary School Victorville Victor Elementary School District Victorville Elkhorn Village Elementary School West Sacramento Christian Sorensen Elementary School Whittier.
CONTACT: Jonathan Davies of Verizon, +1-805-372-6969,