Wednesday, February 29, 2012
NT: Garrett approves MRM zinc mine expansion
AAP General News (Australia)
02-20-2009
NT: Garrett approves MRM zinc mine expansion
Work has resumed at one of the world's largest zinc mines in the Northern Territory
.. following a decision by the Federal Government to approve its controversial expansion.
But there are already calls for the McArthur River Mine decision to be reversed ..
with environmentalists saying it ignores the wishes of the local Aboriginal community.
Work on the 110 million dollar expansion stopped on December 17 .. after the Federal
Court found the previous Howard government had botched its approval process.
…
ConsumersHeldHostage.org Claims Internet Providers Are Limiting Internet Freedom
Wireless News
07-29-2011
ConsumersHeldHostage.org Claims Internet Providers Are Limiting Internet Freedom
Type: News
ConsumersHeldHostage.org reported it claims to have uncovered sneaky policy changes by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who are placing new limits on paid Internet usage.
This organization said it views these policy changes as classic anti-consumer behavior due to the fact that these limits do not apply to the ISPs' proprietary services.
In a release, ConsumersHeldHostage.org noted:
These policy changes decrease the amount of activity the ISPs' customers are allowed on their own paid Internet connection, as opposed to net neutrality which deals with content, instead of amount. However, these limits don't apply when using the Internet Providers' own TV and phone services which are delivered over the same connection.
As an example, if a viewer watches one Netflix or Hulu video the meter is turning. But when using the Providers' TV service it is okay to run every TV in the house, 24/7, with no penalty. Or, there is unlimited calling with the Internet Providers' voice service, but pick up a Vonage phone and the meter is running.
The penalties for exceeding these limits include surcharges or service being turned off. ConsumersHeldHostage.org observes that these moves are an increase in rates with a decrease in service which, in any economy, would cause distress but in these difficult times are a colossal burden. This organization believes that if consumers do not take a stand and fight back immediately there will be huge consequences resulting in the loss of Internet freedom.
Most people don't stop to think about how the Internet has become central to everyday life. A multitude of activities require Internet access - from watching videos using services like Netflix and YouTube, to listening to music using iTunes, to making phone calls with Vonage or Skype, to checking and sending email, to playing games, to accessing favorite social media services like Facebook or Twitter, to performing online banking, to checking favorite stock quotes.
The simple truth is the Internet is a requirement for a huge list of devices beyond a computer. Some of these Internet-hungry devices include tablets, gaming systems, smartphones, set-top boxes, TVs, DVD players, GPS's and even some appliances.
ConsumersHeldHostage.org is a grassroots organization whose goal is to work with consumers to put mass pressure on companies to adopt more consumer-friendly policies.
More Information:
www.ConsumersHeldHostage.org
((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))
Copyright 2011 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
n/a
NSW:Main stories in Sydney newspapers
AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-2011
NSW:Main stories in Sydney newspapers
SYDNEY, Dec 9 AAP - The main stories in Friday's Sydney newspapers:
The Daily Telegraph
Page 1: Big four banks pass on the Reserve Bank's interest rate cut in full. Camouflaged
and heavily armed specialist police on the trail of Malcolm Naden.
Page 2: Taxpayers may have to rescue the National Broadband Network because prices
for services have been set so low, a report by the Productivity Commission suggests.
Page 3: A family daycare provider is able to continue caring for young children, despite
her teenage son listed as being a "person causing harm". Australia's leading health experts
are calling on the federal government to impose mandatory warning labels on alcoholic
drinks for pregnant women.
World: American veterans mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Finance: ANZ Bank's move to review interest rates each month has raised concerns among
analysts who say the move undermines the Reserve Bank's power to influence rates.
Sport: Young Aussie fast bowlers eager to take the field against the Kiwis in second
and final Test.
MORE lcf/apm
KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS NSW
� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
For April 4, 2011, CBS
Chris Wragge, Erica Hill, Marysol Castro, Jeff Glor
CBS The Early Show
04-04-2011
CHRIS WRAGGE: No delays reported on 5th Avenue at this hour. Welcome back to THE EARLY SHOW everybody. I`m Chris Wragge along with Erica Hill right here in midtown Manhattan, Monday morning.
ERICA HILL: Wishing you a speedy commute wherever you may be.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Exactly. But so far this Monday is pretty good right here. We hope you have a great day as well. Thank you for joining us here on THE EARLY SHOW this morning. Coming up, people call aspirin the original wonder drug.
ERICA HILL: Mm-Hm.
CHRIS WRAGGE: And no wonder. We know it can reduce the risk of some-- severity of heart attacks. Now, a new study shows that it may also reduce the risk for deadly pancreatic cancer. Doctor Jennifer Ashton will have details of this very important new research, big breakthrough.
ERICA HILL: Also ahead this morning, switching gears a little bit. A couple of high-flying internet stars, two eagles. Huge attention. There they are.
Huge attention online. Now they`re going to be on your TV screen-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Mm-Hm.
ERICA HILL: --this morning. Two of their three eggs have hatched right as-- as it was watching on the webcam, hidden in their nest, there you see the little guys. Literally millions of people from around the world-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Oh, my God.
ERICA HILL: --are checking them out. How could you not? They`re adorable.
This morning we are checking on the live feed. You`re looking at it right now to see what`s going on with egg number three. Could it hatch during THE EARLY SHOW?
CHRIS WRAGGE: Wait a second.
ERICA HILL: We`re going to keep an eye on it. While we`re watching that, Jeff Glor is watching a few other things for us.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Don`t mess with that momma, either.
ERICA HILL: Yeah.
JEFF GLOR: They are so small and fragile-looking.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.
ERICA HILL: Yeah.
JEFF GLOR: It`s amazing. Isn`t it amazing to watch? Good morning, guys.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Good to see you, Jeff.
JEFF GLOR: Good morning everyone at home. More problems for Southwest Airlines. Last night, a Southwest jet en route from Oakland to San Diego was diverted to Los Angeles, because of a burning smell in the cabin.
Meanwhile, cracks were found in three more Southwest jets. CBS News correspondent Don Teague is in Dallas with more on all that. Don, good morning.
DON TEAGUE: Good morning, Jeff. Those cracks were found after that truly terrifying incident for passengers on Friday. That`s when a five-foot-by- one-foot hole tore apart in a Southwest Airlines 737 shortly after it took off from Phoenix. Now, the plane landed safely and investigators are now trying to figure out what caused that plane to tear apart. Inspectors say they have found multiple preexisting cracks surrounding the tear that was in that plane. Southwest grounded seventy-nine of its 737s for inspections in response. And they`ve now found cracks on at least three of those planes, and say further evaluation or repairs will be necessary before they fly again.
MARK ROSENKER: I believe the Boeing company is going to put out a service bulletin. The FAA is going to be looking very carefully at how they`re going to be able to doing some oversight and making sure the maintenance and inspection is being done in the proper way. This may turn out to be that we need to step up our inspection process to guarantee that we have the safest aircraft that we can possibly be flying.
DON TEAGUE: So Southwest says it`s finished the inspections of nineteen of those seventy-nine 737s and the three with cracks were found in those nineteen. By the way, they say the inspections should all be complete by Tuesday or perhaps Wednesday at the latest. Jeff.
JEFF GLOR: Meanwhile, Don, I know this has been a mess for travelers.
What`s the-- what`s the cancellation situation at this point?
DON TEAGUE: Sure, it was ugly over the weekend. Southwest canceled some six hundred flights and delayed hundreds more. They say there will be more cancellations today, perhaps a hundred or so and possibly tomorrow as well.
So getting a little better for the airline but still problems for passengers. Jeff.
JEFF GLOR: All right. Call ahead, check ahead if you can. Don Teague in Dallas. Don, thank you.
President Obama announced his re-election bid this morning in a new Twitter message or a couple of them. Mister Obama said quote, "Today, we`re filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign. While I stay focused on the job you elected me to do," he said. "The work of laying the foundation for our campaign must start today." In Libya, NATO officials say the U.S. will stop flying combat missions after today and shift to a support role. Rebels have reportedly regained the strategic oil town of Brega, but are coming under fire from Qaddafi forces. Control of Brega has changed several times over the past month.
Engineers at Japan`s damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are still trying to trace the leak of radioactive water this morning. Workers have spent three days now trying to fix a crack in a maintenance pit that is spilling water into the ocean. They used concrete and absorbent materials but so far they have failed. Officials say the massive amount of leaking radioactive water is diluted by the ocean.
More than three weeks after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, here it is an amazing reunion of a dog with her owner today. She saw the dog named Ban on TV. You remember seeing these pictures from last week as it was rescued from floating debris, weeks after the earthquake. She may have been dragged out to sea on the roof of a damaged house. But the dog is said to be okay and again back with its owner this morning.
Different city, different reaction for Charlie Sheen. He took his My Violent Torpedo of Truth tour to Chicago on Saturday night and got a standing ovation. The audience stayed there then. That did not happen the day before in Detroit where he was booed and had to end his show early in Detroit.
It was lady`s night at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Miranda Lambert won the most awards last night, including best song and video of the year for "The House that Built Me." The night`s top honor went to Taylor Swift, though, who won entertainer of the year.
TAYLOR SWIFT: It`s just the biggest thing in the world to me because my heroes won that award.
JEFF GLOR: Lady Antebellum won for best vocal group and album of the year, Need You Now.
And it was a night of upsets in the NCAA Women`s Final Four. Notre Dame did what was unthinkable last year, beating UConn, 72 to 63, only the second loss for UConn in three seasons. And it also went down to the wire in Stanford, the Texas-- Stanford-Texas A&M game. Thrilling finish as the Aggies scored in the last seconds to upset Stanford 63-62. Texas A&M will face Notre Dame tomorrow night for the Women`s NCAA National Championship.
And, tonight, it`s the men`s championship, UConn against Butler. That`s at nine o`clock right here on CBS. That takes place in Houston.
Also in Houston, Marysol Castro, who is b-balling this morning. She`s cooking all kinds of stuff. Good morning, Mary.
MARYSOL CASTRO: Good morning, Jeff. Good morning everyone at home. So it`s been a very busy morning here at Bracket Town, LG Kitchen Bracket Town. We have the cheerleaders. They have a very long day ahead of them. From both teams, so we want to see who can out-cheer the other. UConn Huskies, tough night last night. But tonight you`re going strong. Let`s hear it ladies and gentlemen.
CROWD (in unison): H-U-S-K-I-E-S, go Huskies.
MARYSOL CASTRO: Connecticut stars--Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb. Nice, nice, nice. And now to be remiss another dog. The Butler Bulldogs, let`s hear it guys.
CROWD (in unison): Let`s go Dogs, let`s go Dogs. Let`s go Dogs, let`s go Dogs. Let`s go Dogs, let`s go Dogs.
MARYSOL CASTRO: Yeah. It`s a-- it`s a long day. There`s our Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard. Going to be a good game you guys. I have to tell you.
Let`s go straight to the national high temperatures. The Northeast feeling very balmy today. Portions of the Southern Plains as well. Forty-one in Caribou. Forty-eight in Chicago. Seventy-six in Los Angeles. But take a look at New York, it`s sixty-nine degrees. That`s going to be the trend in the Northeast for today. These temperatures are five to ten degrees above average. It will be mostly cloudy. The winds start to pick up in the afternoon outer-- hours. You can see in northern New England, it`s still a little bit cooler. The Midwest, blustery winds, cooler temperatures, ten to thirty degrees below yesterday`s temperatures.
That`s a look at the weather across the nation. Now let`s see what`s happening right outside your window.
(LOCAL WEATEHR BREAK) MARYSOL CASTRO: Thank you so much. That is, in fact, your latest weather.
And here is Blue, a very famous mascot. What do you have to say for yourself? Licking the microphone, that`s all he has to say for himself.
Chris, back to you.
CHRIS WRAGGE: It was ice cream. All right. Marysol, thanks so much. We`ll see you in a couple of minutes.
In this morning`s MoneyWatch, protecting your tax refund. Identity theft top the list of problems reported to the Federal Trade Commission last year, more than two hundred and fifty thousand complaints. One growing scam is tax-related identity theft. So with tax date just two weeks away now, CBS News business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis is here to tell us how we can protect ourselves.
REBECCA JARVIS (CBS News Business and Economics Correspondent): Mm-Hm.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Good morning, good to see you.
REBECCA JARVIS: Hey, good to see you, too.
CHRIS WRAGGE: I guess the first question is how-- how do you know you`re a victim of this?
REBECCA JARVIS: The-- the scary part of this is it might not be immediately obvious to you. A couple of ways you could find out but I should say, the IRS isn`t necessarily going to flag you if this happens. They may send you a letter that says you made more than what you reported on your taxes.
That`s one sign. Or when you go to e-file, when you file your tax return on the internet, you may get rejected and you might get a message that says you`ve already filed. Someone with that Social Security number has already filed. That is another red flag.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Let`s ask, how come-- well first of all, how common is this?
Because I think peop-- people might wonder, well, you know what, I`ve heard about it.
REBECCA JARVIS: Right.
CHRIS WRAGGE: But I didn`t realize it was that big an issue but we talked about some of the numbers.
REBECCA JARVIS: And it is rather prevalent. I mean overall identity theft, as you said, is in the hundreds of thousands of numbers. In this case about twenty-three thousand people were flagged by the IRS as having come in contact with this in 2009 which is the most recent data we have available.
CHRIS WRAGGE: And one thing they say people might know if you ever get an e-mail from the IRS, it`s-- that should raise a big red flag because they don`t e-mail.
REBECCA JARVIS: Yeah. That is a dead giveaway and there are a number of dead giveaways that we should talk about here. But first of all, if you do think that maybe you`ve been a-- a-- a victim of this, don`t rush to necessarily tell the IRS right away. The reason that you don`t want to rush to claim identity theft is that if you do that, you could be facing a tax audit which is, you know, it`s an arduous process to have to go through.
What you can do is wait for that refund to come. It should take about six weeks, if you file by paper. Three weeks if you file electronically. If you find out that that refund has already been cashed and you didn`t receive it, well, there`s a giveaway that you are a victim. Contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit. This is a unit that`s set up specifically to deal with this issue. And lastly, an investigation, if you`re looking for the amount of time to wait, it can take up to six months before you get an answer on whether or not you`ve been a victim and what the IRS has to say.
CHRIS WRAGGE: So you have to be a little patient with it. Do you have tips that that you would recommend for people that feel as though they have been victimized?
REBECCA JARVIS: Yeah, you brought up a really good point. Do not ever respond to an e-mail that looks like it came from the IRS. That is the number one thing. They are never going to send you an e-mail. Also check a tax preparer`s background because a lot of us, we go to places where they`re not us doing our tax returns. We want to know the background on that tax preparer before you hand over all that personal information. Vet them with friends, family, people who`ve used them in the past. Keep those tax files secure. Can`t be said enough. I mean, we put so much personal information out there-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.
REBECCA JARVIS: --these days. Keep it secure. Have a safe internet connection. We`ve done stories about this, where hackers can actually hack into your internet connection if you`re not using a secure line, and lastly, dispose of those files carefully. Those old tax returns, if you are getting rid of anything, those W-2 forms, make sure that you shred them, also hold onto them for a-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.
REBECCA JARVIS: --handful of years because, obviously, the IRS can come back and ask for that information for up to three years.
CHRIS WRAGGE: You also want to treat it like a doctor. You wouldn`t just go to anyone to take care of your well-being, your finances you put-- you should categorize that as-- as highly as well.
REBECCA JARVIS: Absolutely. Look for the best and make sure that it`s secure and vetted by the friends.
CHRIS WRAGGE: All right. CBS`s Rebecca Jarvis. Thanks, Rebecca.
REBECCA JARVIS: Thanks.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Good to see you this morning.
Up next, how a deadly dose of aspirin may protect against one of the deadliest forms of cancer. This is THE EARLY SHOW here on CBS.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS) CHRIS WRAGGE: In this morning`s HealthWatch, preventing pancreatic cancer.
Each year about thirty-seven thousand Americans are diagnosed with the disease, one of the deadliest types of cancer. It kills seventy-five percent of patients within a year and ninety-five percent within five years. But a study out this morning suggests aspirin can actually help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. Medical correspondent Doctor Jennifer Ashton is here with that story for us this morning. Doc, good morning.
DR. JENNIFER ASHTON (EARLY SHOW Medical correspondent): Good morning, Chris.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Now the American Association of Cancer Research describes these findings as significant and quote, "It`s a pretty big breakthrough," huh?
DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Right. Let me tell you about this study. They looked at a little over twenty-one hundred people, divided them up in two groups, those with pancreatic cancer and healthy matched controls. All of whom were over the age of fifty-five. Then asked them to report their use of aspirin, acetaminophen, which is Tylenol and ibuprofen which is Motrin or Advil. And they found that those people who took at least one baby aspirin a day-- I-- I`m sorry a month, had a twenty-six percent lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer, which is significant and potentially very exciting.
CHRIS WRAGGE: You hear a lot about aspirin reducing the risk of cancer, especially colon cancer. Did they give specifics as to why aspirin is directly related to a reduced increase in pancreatic cancer?
DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Well, this study, Chris, just looked at an association. So it did not provide cause and effect or the mechanism. But there is a theory that the way that aspirin and drugs like Motrin or Advil work to reduce other types of cancer risk is by cutting the risk of inflammation. Now interestingly in this study, they also found a slight reduction in risk amongst those healthy people who took ibuprofen, but it just wasn`t statistically significant. So again, the thinking is that it cuts-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.
DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: --down on inflammation.
CHRIS WRAGGE: I think a lot of people when they hear just kinds of bits and pieces of stories. They hear aspirin, heart attack, aspirin with something like this. I mean, should people just start taking aspirin just to kind of, you know, be-- as a safety precaution?
DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Well, we`ve heard about it also with reducing the risk of colon cancer. But we need to understand that aspirin, like any drug, has significant risks. And, in fact, some doctors say that if aspirin went up for FDA approval as an over-the-counter medication today, it may not get approved so readily. So there are some big risks that people need to be aware of. Number one, it can increase the risk of bleeding, internally and in the stomach, as-- as known as gastrointestinal bleeding. It can just cause stomach irritation, which can be a problem. It can worsen asthma in people who have asthma. And most importantly also it can interact with other drugs, especially blood thinners. So it definitely has its risks and people should talk to their doctor about whether those are worth it.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Pancreatic cancer is such a-- a dreaded cancer. Is there any other new developments in the research you can tell me that we`ve seen firsthand?
DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: Two big things on the horizon. One having to do with screening which is looking for something called biomarkers. It`s the DNA fingerprint that may be circulating in the blood. The other one, treatment, using individualized vaccines to treat people with pancreatic cancer.
Research is ongoing in both of them.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Okay. Doctor Ashton, thank you.
DR. JENNIFER ASHTON: You bet, Chris.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Good to see you this morning.
Coming up next, you don`t need an eagle eye to watch this bird family.
We`re going show you the latest from their website that suddenly has millions of fans. This is THE EARLY SHOW here on CBS.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS) ERICA HILL: Watching live video this morning from our website, which has been monitoring a pair of bald eagles guarding their nest of newborns.
Since the first and second eggs hatched on Friday and Sunday respectively, the eagles have been quite the internet sensation. CBS`s Terrell Brown has more.
(Begin VT) TERRELL BROWN: If you were lucky enough to spot one bald eagle in nature but now thanks to a grapefruit-size camera embedded in a nest in Iowa, millions have a bird`s-eye view of two as they guard their newborns and wait for their final egg to hatch.
MAN: And they`re so delicate. I mean they`ve got these big claws and they retract their claws up and move the eggs around. It`s just amazing.
TERRELL BROWN: The family`s every move from inside their nest some eighty feet high in a cotton tree is captured twenty-four hours a day on live streaming video.
WOMAN: We`ve been obsessed with watching the nest for about a week now.
TERRELL BROWN: Since the couple laid its first egg in late February, the site has recorded more than eleven million views from one hundred thirty countries. Over the weekend, traffic became so heavy that the site briefly crashed while a second egg hatched. And the eagles waited for number three to emerge.
BOB ANDERSON (Director, Raptor Research Project): This eagle cam touches many people in many different ways. I`m amazed.
TERRELL BROWN: But it`s not just eagle cams. Last summer, streaming video of Shiba Inu puppy cam garnered twenty-six million views. Experts say such high activity could mean overwhelming traffic that can clog the internet.
For now with one hundred thousand people watching this eagle family at any given moment, it looks like the internet will have to figure out how to keep up with nature`s version of reality TV.
Terrell Brown, CBS News, New York.
(End VT) ERICA HILL: They`re so stinking cute.
CHRIS WRAGGE: They are.
ERICA HILL: Right.
CHRIS WRAGGE: That reality TV is much better than half the reality TV that`s actually on TV.
ERICA HILL: Well, because it`s actually real. I think the problem with the other reality TV is it might not be real.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.
ERICA HILL: I-- I could be off but so there`s you see looking live again, everyone`s waiting now for egg number three to hatch as you mentioned the first one Friday. Number two was yesterday. All waiting on number three. No pressure.
CHRIS WRAGGE: No. Come on.
ERICA HILL: No pressure at all.
CHRIS WRAGGE: You-- you got another half hour while we`re on the air.
ERICA HILL: Oh, it`s a little breezy there in Iowa this morning.
CHRIS WRAGGE: But you know that any animal that`s out there that`s pregnant, they should just put a camera on it. Look at all the attention.
ERICA HILL: I know.
CHRIS WRAGGE: It`s incredible.
ERICA HILL: But it is amazing.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Some serious stuff.
ERICA HILL: You can keep track of the eagles actually-- CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.
ERICA HILL: --by going to our website.
CHRIS WRAGGE: Yeah.
ERICA HILL: Monitor the progress, just log on to earlyshow.cbsnews.com.
More to come, you are watching THE EARLY SHOW on CBS.
CHRIS WRAGGE: We`ll have your updates right here.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS) END
Content and programming Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2011 Voxant, Inc. (www.voxant.com), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.
FED:Oppn Leader Abbott is Japan bound
AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2010
FED:Oppn Leader Abbott is Japan bound
CANBERRA, Dec 14 AAP - Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is heading to Japan.
Mr Abbott on Tuesday announced he would travel to Japan for four days, from December 14 to 18.
During his visit, he will address the Japanese Institute of International Affairs and
meet Japan's Foreign Minister Maehara, Defence Minister Kitazawa and the president of
the Liberal Democratic Party Sadakazu Tanigaki.
"Australia has no closer or more longstanding friend in Asia than Japan and I am happy
to make this my first overseas visit in the Asia-Pacific region as opposition leader,"
Mr Abbott said.
The opposition leader will also visit Japan's largest maritime self-defence base at Yokosuka.
Mr Abbott's speech to the International Affairs Institute will address coalition perspectives
on Australia and Asia.
Julie Bishop will act as opposition leader in Mr Abbott's absence.
AAP ah/sb/cdh
KEYWORD: ABBOTT
� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
VIC:Cop admits receiving $5000 payment
AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2010
VIC:Cop admits receiving $5000 payment
By Daniel Fogarty
MELBOURNE, Aug 6 AAP - A Melbourne policeman who took a $5000 payment from a man on
an intensive corrections order is likely to be placed on the same order.
Prosecutor Michael Roper said the policeman, Clifford Phillip Douce, 42, told the other
man, after releasing him on bail for an alleged domestic dispute in February 2009, that
he had financial difficulties.
The man told Douce, who was a senior constable at the Cranbourne police station, he
had difficulties in relation to any possible future charges because he was on an intensive
corrections order.
"Douce has then asked (the man) to assist in the provision of a payment of $5000," Mr Roper said.
The next day Douce phoned the man and asked how he was going with the money.
He told him his house was in jeopardy and he really needed the money, Mr Roper said.
In a later conversation the man told Douce he had the money to which Douce replied: "Legend".
Douce met the man in the car park of a McDonald's store in Narre Warren and was handed
a red envelope containing $5000 cash, Mr Roper said.
Douce was immediately arrested by Ethical Standards Department investigators.
He pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office.
Douce's lawyer Robert Thyssen told the court Douce had a gambling problem at the time.
Magistrate Peter Mealy said the offence was no doubt a cause for concern within the police force.
"This is an extremely serious offence," he said.
"It undermines the confidence of the public in the police force."
Mr Mealy said Douce's culpability was high because he knew what he was doing and could
have pulled out of the deal.
He ordered Douce be assessed for an intensive corrections order, a form of prison time
served in the community.
A report on whether he is suitable for the order is expected later on Friday.
AAP df/ce/dep/mn
KEYWORD: DOUCE
� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
NSW: Man shot by police described as helpful
AAP General News (Australia)
12-25-2009
NSW: Man shot by police described as helpful
A neighbour says a New South Wales man .. who died after being shot by police .. was
generous .. and his neighbours are saddened about his death.
The man .. aged in his 40s .. was wounded when a number of shots were fired during
an incident at Lisarow on the state's central coast this afternoon .. and died later at
Gosford Hospital.
Neighbours who knew the man say they are distraught over the tragedy .. and feel sympathy
for his wife and daughters losing a loved on on Christmas Day.
One neighbour says the man had lived on the street for more than ten years and would
often help people with gardening and odd jobs.
Police have alleged the man was armed with a knife and behaving in a threatening manner
when they were called to a dispute.
A critical incident investigation team of homicide squad officers is examining the incident.
AAP RTV bzs/wz
KEYWORD: WOUND (SYDNEY)
2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
NSW: Teen dies while riding pillion on motorcycle
AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2009
NSW: Teen dies while riding pillion on motorcycle
SYDNEY, Aug 15 AAP - A teenager has died while riding pillion on a motorbike in central NSW
The 18-year-old died at the scene of the crash after the motorbike he was in veered
onto the wrong side of Putty Road, Colo at 9.30am (AEST) on Saturday.
Police say the teenager hit a guard rail on the road, falling off the bike.
The motorbike's driver, a 47-year-old man, stopped the bike a short distance away and
tried to help, but the teenager died from spine and head injuries.
A group of other motorbike riders were present at the scene.
"The rider was taken to Hawkesbury Hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests," a
police statement said.
"Putty Road has been closed as local police and forensics specialists continue their
inquiries into the cause of the incident.
"Anyone who witnessed the incident and hasn't already spoken with investigating officers
is urged to contact Windsor Police Station via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000."
Diversions were set up around Putty Road and the road is expected to reopen on Saturday
afternoon.
AAP mg/jfm
KEYWORD: TOLL NSW
2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
QLD: Search for missing fisherman to resume at dawn
AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2009
QLD: Search for missing fisherman to resume at dawn
BRISBANE, April 6 AAP - An air and sea search for a man missing after a boating accident
in southeast Queensland will resume at daybreak on Monday, after rough weather forced
it to be called off.
Two men, both aged 38, left for a fishing trip on Saturday and failed to return.
The body of one of the men was recovered washed up at Moreton Island at 5.15pm (AEST)
on Sunday, but the search for his companion was hampered by poor conditions.
Police said four vessels and three helicopters would swing into action when the search
got underway again at first light on Monday.
"They are going to resume the search at first light," a police spokesman said.
"They do have grave concerns for the man's safety."
The search for the pair was sparked about 10.25am (AEST) on Sunday after their six-metre
runabout was spotted by chance from the air, run aground on rocks near North Point, west
of Cape Moreton.
A rescue helicopter found the dead man, from Morayfield near Caloundra, about 5.15pm
(AEST), washed up on the beach on the northern end of the island.
Search and rescue crews continued to comb the coast off Cape Moreton and north to Flinders
Reef for the remaining man, from Scarborough in Brisbane, but the search was suspended
late on Sunday due to rough weather and poor visibility.
The police spokesman said it was not known how the accident happened.
"That will be part of the ongoing police investigation into it," the spokesman said.
"The initial concern is to try and find the other man."
A spokesman from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said no distress beacon had
been set off.
AAP kd/rs
KEYWORD: SEARCH
2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
FED: Mens ambassador says depression suicide link too simplistic
AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-2008
FED: Mens ambassador says depression suicide link too simplistic
A leading men's health expert says blaming male suicide on mental health issues and
depression is too simplistic.
Professor JOHN MACDONALD .. who's co-director of the University of Western Sydney's
Men's Health Centre .. says social factors like job loss or relationship breakdowns also
play a major role and shouldn't be overlooked.
Professor MACDONALD's unveiled results of a study today focussing on male survivors
of suicide .. which shows it's often a combination of social factors .. not initially
mental health problems .. which cause five men a day in Australia to kill themselves.
These include things like .. separation from children and partners .. unemployment
.. bad childhood experiences .. and abuse of drugs and alcohol.
AAP RTV dr/fdf/tm
KEYWORD: SUICIDE (SYDNEY)
2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
NSW: Three teenagers sought over bottle attack
AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2008
NSW: Three teenagers sought over bottle attack
SYDNEY, April 28 AAP - Three teenage boys are wanted over a savage bottle attack on
Sydney's northern beaches which left the victim with a fractured skull and eye socket.
Neil Perrott, 41, was walking home along Pittwater Road at Collaroy at about 9.30pm
(AEST) on April 16 when he was set upon by three youths outside Collaroy Services Club,
police said.
Mr Perrott, of Collaroy, was hit over the head with a beer bottle and beaten as he
lay on the pavement.
His attackers fled when a staff member from the club intervened. No money was stolen
in the attack, police said.
The father of three suffered a fractured skull and eye socket, as well as cuts to his
arms and face.
Mr Perrott underwent nine hours of surgery at Royal North Shore Hospital, where he
has spent the past fortnight recovering in intensive care.
Police said he was still groggy and affected by his injuries, and had only been well
enough to get out of bed and move to a ward today.
Inspector David Walton said the assault shocked local police.
"It was a savage, vicious attack," he said.
"Witnesses chased away three offenders aged between 14 and 18.
"It's not common on the northern beaches. We don't often get attacks this vicious."
Police have released CCTV footage of three youths they believe can help them with their
investigation.
Two of them have been described as being of Pacific Islander appearance, of medium
build and dressed in dark pants and hooded tops.
A third was described as being Caucasian in appearance, of slim to medium build with dark hair.
AAP sk/pbc/evt/maur/cdh
KEYWORD: PERROTT
2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
NSW: Coonamble braces for rising flood waters
AAP General News (Australia)
12-24-2007
NSW: Coonamble braces for rising flood waters
The New South Wales government has declared Coonamble and a number of other areas natural
disaster zones .. opening the way for residents to make assistance claims.
Flood waters have destroyed fences and killed stock around the town in the state's
north-west .. that faces the prospect of being cut off by the rising Castlereagh river.
More than 200 millimetres of rain has fallen in the area in the past few days .. and
the town of several thousand people could be isolated for up to a week as waters continue
rising.
Also declared disaster zones are Lachlan .. Bland .. Parkes .. Warren and Broken Hill.
A number of these towns were lashed by wild weather last weekend .. with nearly 600
calls for help to the SES.
Farmers who have lost livestock and had flood damage to their properties will now be
able to apply for natural disaster relief.
NSW Primary Industries Minister IAN MACDONALD says farmers will have access to loans
of up to 132-thousand dollars .. with interest free periods .. low interest rates and
10 year repayment periods.
AAP RTV kd/ajc/tm/sw
KEYWORD: STORMS NSW (SYDNEY)
2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
NSW: Sydney Dance Company director killed by garbage truck
AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2007
NSW: Sydney Dance Company director killed by garbage truck
SYDNEY, Aug 17 AAP - The new artistic director of the Sydney Dance Company, Tanja Liedtke,
was killed this morning after being struck by a garbage truck.
The company has confirmed Ms Liedtke was hit by the truck on the Pacific Highway at
Crows Nest, in Sydney's lower north shore, just before 5am (AEST) today.
She was rushed by ambulance to Royal North Shore Hospital but died a short time later.
A staff member at the dance company said the company was deeply shocked by the incident.
MORE wjf/hn/lh/jlw
KEYWORD: LIEDTKE (CHANGING KEYWORD) (FILE PIX AVAILABLE)
2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Qld: Tsunami warning sparks panic
AAP General News (Australia)
04-02-2007
Qld: Tsunami warning sparks panic
By Roberta Mancuso and Rosemary Desmond
BRISBANE, April 2 AAP - The threat of a tsunami hitting Queensland eased today but
widespread panic was triggered, with many coastal residents evacuating their homes and
fleeing to higher ground.
It also sparked a massive emergency response statewide which involved the cancellation
of surgery at hospitals, the closing and evacuation of beaches and the cancellation of
flights.
Emergency services across Queensland had braced themselves for a possible tsunami after
a strong earthquake off the Solomon Islands early today.
However, the Bureau of Meteorology said in an update that "no destructive tsunami is
expected, (but) there may be a small rise in sea levels".
The quake, measuring 8.1, struck at 0640 AEST about 350km west-north-west of the capital
Honiara at a depth of 10km, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii said.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's National Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre
in Melbourne warned a possible tsunami could affect Willis Island in the Coral Sea at
0830 AEST and Cooktown in far north Queensland around 0930 AEST.
But the bureau said the Willis Island weather station reported no noticeable effect
of waves at 9am by which time the tsunami should have passed.
"They are checking to see if there has been any affect to beaches," it said.
"Visual inspection in the Cooktown area has shown no sign of a destructive tsunami.
"This indicates that the possibility of a destructive has eased considerably."
The warning sparked an emergency disaster response across the state, with Cairns Base
Hospital cancelling elective surgery and outpatient clinics.
Childcare centres in the Cairns CBD were evacuated while Townsville City Council activated
its local disaster management group.
Some shops around Cooktown, which was the first Queensland coastal area expected to
be hit, closed for the day while panicked locals fled in their cars to higher ground.
"There has been a degree of self-evacuation this morning and people have shown some
vigilance and are on alert," said Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) spokesman Andrew
Berkman.
"We've had it happening from Cairns, Cooktown (and) Bribie Island (north of Brisbane) even.
"The threat was statewide and so we've had people packing up and moving away from the
beaches there.
"But when the threat came through, it was a serious threat so we really wanted people
to be on alert, so they should be congratulated for doing that.
"There are obviously logistical issues with moving people away from coastal areas,
but I think it was done successfully and the warnings reached their mark."
David Young, manager of Cooktown's West Coast Hotel, said there was a "lot of movement"
around the town.
"People are fuelling up cars ... they want to make sure they can get out just in case," he said.
Penny Johnson from Bart's Bush Adventures in Cooktown cancelled all her four-wheel-drive
tours and closed her booking centre in the town's centre.
She said Skytrans airlines had cancelled flights between Cairns and Cooktown until
further notice.
"In Cairns apparently there's a lot of traffic heading up the Kuranda range up to higher
ground," she said.
"I think everyone still remembers the impact of the last one (tsunami in Indonesia)."
Cook shire CEO Mark Pitt said Cooktown was breathing a collective sigh of relief after
a nervous morning.
"There was a fair degree of nervousness as you would imagine `cause this isn't something
that happens every day here," he said.
"We're much more used to cyclones rather than tsunamis."
Education Queensland said it was not aware of any schools closing, but a kindergarten
on the Gold Coast was understood to have been evacuated.
A Geoscience Australia spokeswoman said any resulting tsunami would have been between
10 and 20cm, posing little threat to residents in isolated areas.
University of Queensland geophysicist Dion Weatherley said the earthquake was 30 times
smaller than the tremor which generated the Asian tsunami on Boxing Day 2004.
AAP rm/pjo/maur/de
KEYWORD: QUAKE AUST QLD LEAD
2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Fed: Intervention in Fiji to be considered: Vaile
AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-2006
Fed: Intervention in Fiji to be considered: Vaile
CANBERRA, Dec 1 AAP - Acting Prime Minister Mark Vaile says Australia would if requested
consider intervention in Fiji, where the military is threatening to overthrow the government.
Fiji's defence force chief, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has threatened to stage a
coup if the government does not meet a series of demands by noon (11am AEDT) today.
Mr Vaile said Australian forces were on standby to help evacuate any Australians in
the event of a coup.
Asked if Australia would consider intervention if requested by Fiji, he told Sky TV:"It's
a very difficult issue and one that we would have to consider very seriously ... our first
concern is that of Australian nationals in Fiji."
Australian warships are sailing near Fiji ready to act in the event of a coup but the
Fiji military has warned against foreign intervention.
AAP pv/sp
KEYWORD: FIJI AUST VAILE
2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
FED: Dancing show down to final three
AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2006
FED: Dancing show down to final three
NOELINE BROWN is the latest celebrity to be voted off reality show Dancing With the Stars.
The actor received low scores throughout the competition .. but has had strong viewer
support .. until now.
However .. that wasn't enough to get her over the line tonight .. and BROWN admits
she is not a dancer .. she'll never be one.
BROWN and dance partner CARMELO PIZZINO performed two dances .. the Viennese Waltz
and pasa doble.
They scored just 42 out of a possible 80 points for the two dances.
AAP RTV jwm/af/wz
KEYWORD: DANCING (SYDNEY)
2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Qld: Man questioned after siege
AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2005
Qld: Man questioned after siege
BRISBANE, Dec 28 AAP - A 33-year-old man was being questioned after barricading himself
for four hours in a Rockhampton flat following a long police pursuit in central Queensland.
The man was also being questioned today over two armed holdups, at a Mobil service
station near Gladstone shortly after 6.05am yesterday and at a fast food outlet at 9pm.
Police said he allegedly threatened staff at a Hungry Jacks restaurant with a firearm
and demanded money before fleeing in a Ford Falcon with a sum of cash.
Officers tried to intercept the car before it sped off with police in pursuit from
Gladstone to Rockhampton.
A police spokesman said a man was later found in Rockhampton where he allegedly barricaded
himself in the roof of a unit at 5am today.
Residents in the unit block were evacuated and the area was cordoned off during negotiations
with the man, who surrendered four hours later.
AAP lc/rad/rj/de
KEYWORD: SIEGE
2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Monday, February 27, 2012
WA: Govt lashes newspaper, editor after $20,000 contempt fine
AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2005
WA: Govt lashes newspaper, editor after $20,000 contempt fine
The West Australian government has condemned the state's major daily newspaper and
its editor after they were fined $20,000 for publishing the identity of a nine-year-old
ward of the state.
Western Australia's Supreme Court has fined the West Australian $15,000 and its editor
PAUL ARMSTRONG $5,000 after they both pleaded guilty to contempt of court charges.
They were brought by the state's Attorney General JIM McGINTY after an article in the
newspaper last July about a nine-year-old ward of the state alleged to have committed
offences including threatening a pensioner.
The newspaper later published a photograph of the boy and an editorial describing him
as a menace to society and identifying him.
Western Australia's Community Development Minister SHEILA McHALE says the newspaper
clearly disregarded the law set out to protect the child.
AAP RTV tc/hn/bk/wz
KEYWORD: CONTEMPT (PERTH)
2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
Verilink and RE/COM Sign Partnership Agreement; RE/COM Will Stock Verilink's WAN Access and Network Management Products.
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 1999--
Verilink Corporation (Nasdaq: VRLK), a supplier of access products that link corporate and wireless networks to the Internet and other wide-area network services, today announced that The RE/COM Group, Inc. signed an agreement to become a Verilink gold value-added partner. As such, RE/COM will stock WAN access solutions exclusively from Verilink and will provide an end-to-end networking solution, with pre- and post-sale engineering and support services, training and network consulting to its customers.
"We chose to exclusively distribute the Verilink line of products because Verilink's broad WAN access line and competitive products support our customer base," says Paul Ferraro, RE/COM partner and co-founder. "We are impressed with Verilink's in-depth understanding of the distribution channel and Verilink's high level of support to its resellers."
"The RE/COM Group achieved tremendous success over the past five years as a traditional networking VAR," says Bernie Mikula, RE/COM co-founder. "Because our industry is changing faster than ever, we realized that selecting the right partners is necessary to continue our success," adds Mikula. "Management at Verilink understands the true value of partnering and accepts the mutually beneficial commitment RE/COM is trying to establish with only a few select companies. Furthermore, Verilink's commitment to offer cutting-edge products will allow RE/COM to offer these `Best-of-Class' solutions well into the next millennium."
"RE/COM's revolutionary approach to address the evolving needs of their customers' is key to the success of both our companies," said Bob Griffith, Verilink's vice president of sales. "RE/COM chose an elite group of vendors to create a total solution for their customers, customers that range from the Fortune 100 to the CLECs and ISPs. We are proud to be one of the chosen vendors."
About The RE/COM Group, Inc.
As a value-added integrator, The RE/COM Group, Inc. acts as a single point of contact for total voice and data communications solutions. RE/COM demonstrates how businesses can employ the most up-to-date products to increase revenues and realize substantial savings on their monthly data communications costs. In just under five years, the company grew from two people working out of a house to a projected $30 million corporation with over 3000 clients. RE/COM has corporate offices nationwide with its headquarters at 201 Commerce Drive, No. 6-7, Moorestown, NJ 08057; telephone 800/480-3330. Information is available at www.recom.com.
About Verilink Corporation
Verilink is a leading supplier of WAN access products for telecommunications network service providers and corporate enterprises. The company's products and services are designed for easy access to multiple communication services in the changing environment of data, voice and video communications. Major market segments for Verilink include access to wide-area networks, the Internet and wireless services. The company headquarters are at 145 Baytech Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95134; telephone 408/945-1199. Verilink stock trades on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol "VRLK." Information is available at www.verilink.com.
Note to Editors: Verilink and the Verilink logo are registered trademarks of Verilink Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The autism generation.
SAN DIEGO: Not long ago, autism was among the rarest of disorders, afflicting only one child in every 2,000-5,000. This changed dramatically with the publication in 1994 of DSM IV (the manual of psychiatric diagnosis widely used around the world). Soon, rates exploded to about 1 per 100. And a large study in South Korea recently reported a further jump to 1 in 38 - an astounding 3 percent of the general population was labeled autistic. What is causing this epidemic and where are we headed?
The natural reaction to any plague is panic. Parents are now fearful that every delay in speech or socialization presages autism. Childless couples decide to avoid having kids. Parents with autistic children are desolate and desperate to determine its cause.
The British physician Andrew Wakefield's vaccine theory became wildly popular among parents, many of whom began to withhold vaccination (thus subjecting their own and other children to the risk of entirely preventable, and sometimes serious, illnesses). Vaccination seemed a plausible cause because of the fortuitous correlation between getting shots and the onset of symptoms. Wakefield's work has now been thoroughly discredited as incorrect and dishonest science. But fear of autism is so great, and the reactions to it so irrational, that in some circles Wakefield continues to be revered as a false prophet.
Other factors must be behind the sharp rise in the diagnosis. Before DSM IV, autism was among the most narrowly and clearly defined of disorders. Symptoms had to begin before age three and comprised a striking and unmistakable combination of severe language deficits, inability to form social relationships, and a preoccupation with a very narrow set of stereotyped behaviors. In preparing DSM IV, we decided to add a new category describing a milder (and therefore much more difficult to define and distinguish) form of autism, called Asperger's Disorder. This seemed necessary because some (still quite rare) children presented with more or less normal language development, but with grave social and behavioral difficulties. We knew that Asperger's would likely triple the rate of autistic disorders to about 1 per 500-1,000, but this doesn't explain the new rate of 1 per 38.
A second possible explanation for the explosion in autism is that previously missed cases are now being more accurately diagnosed. This is probably a factor, but again only a minor one.
Perhaps, then, an environmental toxin is causing an epidemic outbreak of autism. This has been the most popular theory, but it, too, is a small factor, at best. There has been no sudden environmental change since 1994 to account for an explosion in rates. This doesn't entirely disprove an environmental vector, but it does make the odds quite remote - especially since there is a far more plausible explanation.
The most likely cause of the autism epidemic is that autism has become fashionable - a popular fad diagnosis. Once rare and unmistakable, the term is now used loosely to describe people who do not really satisfy the narrow criteria intended for it by DSM IV. Autism now casts a wide net, catching much milder problems that previously went undiagnosed altogether or were given other labels. Autism is no longer seen as an extremely disabling condition, and many creative and normally eccentric people have discovered their inner autistic self.
This dramatic swing from under- to over-diagnosis has been fueled by widespread publicity, internet support and advocacy groups, and the fact that expensive school services are provided only for those who have received the diagnosis. The Korean study, for example, was financed by an autism advocacy group, which could barely contain its enthusiasm at the high rates that were reported.
The Korean study paid no attention to the bias that haunts all epidemiological studies, which always overestimate pathology rates by including as disorder even very mild presentations that do not have clinical significance. It is entirely plausible that 3 percent of the population may have some smidgen of autism, but it is entirely implausible that so many would have symptoms severe enough to qualify as an autistic disorder. Reported rates should be regarded as an upper limit, not as a true reflection of the rate of actual mental disorder.
Human nature, neurological illness, and psychiatric disorder all change very slowly, if at all. Environmental toxins do not usually just pop out of nowhere to make a condition 100 times more common than it was less than 20 years before. A more plausible scenario is that DSM IV gave autism purchase by introducing a milder form that is close to the extremely populous boundary of normality. Then autism took flight on the wings of definitional diffusion, internet contagion, financial incentive, and naive interpretation of epidemiological results.
The autism "epidemic" is set to spread further starting in May 2013, when the next revision of the diagnostic manual (DSM 5) will be published. The DSM 5 definition of an "autistic spectrum" will cast an even wider net, capturing many people now considered to be normal or to have another disorder. Their symptoms will not have changed - just the label.
Allen Frances MD was Chair of the DSM IV Task Force. This commentary is published by Daily News Egypt in collaboration with Project Syndicate, www.project-syndicate.org.
Daily NewsEgypt 2011
Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company
DATIA Chairman Warns of New Wave of Global Drug Abuse.(Conference notes)
At the Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association's (DATIA) Annual Conference at the Doral Resort and Spa, DATIA Chairman, Dr. David M. Martin, in his opening address predicted that a new wave of drug abuse would be hitting America. He cited a report that will be released this month in the Journal of Health Affairs of a seven-year study tracking broadband access and hospital admissions for substance abuse. The study reported that for every increase in broadband access there was a corresponding increase in hospital admissions for prescription drug abuse while admissions for alcohol, heroin and cocaine remained the same or decreased.
"What this means is that America is facing an exponential epidemic of drug abuse never before seen in the recorded history of human addictions," said Dr. Martin. He went on to state, "Powerful prescription drugs are available overnight on the Internet or you can walk into a "Pain Clinic" and get your drug of choice instantly. No longer is the drug pusher a thug in the dangerous part of town, he is a medical professional working on the Internet or in a pain clinic." Dr. Martin pointed out that the medical marijuana and drug legalization lobby are creating a dangerous endorsement of drug abuse that is starting in America and will spread to Europe, China, and worldwide within the next year. The cost to society and the economy will be enormous, as the results will be increased accidents, sick time, hospital admissions, absenteeism and lower productivity globally.
The Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) was founded in 1995 and now represents the entire spectrum of drug and alcohol testing service providers including: collection sites, laboratories, consortiums/TPAs, MROs, and testing equipment manufacturers. DATIA's mission is to provide education, resources, and advocacy to those involved in and interested in drug and alcohol testing.
Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association
1325 G Street, NW, Suite 500 #5001
Keywords: Addiction Medicine, Asia, Broadband, China, Drug Abuse, Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association, Electronics, Hospital.
This article was prepared by China Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, China Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
Rapid Fire Marketing Initiates Retail Marketing Plan for Company's Electronic Cigarette.
Rapid Fire Marketing, (RFMK-Pink OTC) initiates The Company's marketing plan to begin retail sales of its proprietary electronic cigarette through traditional outlets such as convenience stores, gas station chains and wholesale warehouse stores. The Company will rely on seasoned experts in the field of sales with existing relationships with large retail stores, chains and buyers to penetrate this second phase of marketing. The Company has experienced a substantial increase in traffic and brand awareness since the first phase of marketing began through the internet and action sports sponsorship.
The Company's branded electronic cigarette "Bionic Cigs", www.BionicCigs.com is rapidly becoming a recognized name throughout the industry, with over a 99% satisfaction rate from its users. It is this type of reputation and quality that will attract major retail chains to the brand. Rapid Fire Marketing oversees the production of The Company's proprietary electronic cigarette, from design to manufacturing. It is The Company's goal to emerge as the premiere e-cigarette provider to this growing market.
Keywords: Advertising, Energy, Gas Station, Marketing, Oil & Gas, Rapid Fire Marketing.
This article was prepared by Energy Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Energy Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
AdMob Managing Director Thomas Schulz and Virgin Games Founder Ross Sleight Join Somo to Boost Management Team.
Mobile industry leaders join to drive rapid global expansion and demand for Somo products and services
LONDON -- Somo (www.somoagency.com), the leading independent, European mobile marketing agency, today announced the appointment of industry veterans Thomas Schulz and Ross Sleight as part of its rapid expansion across the world. Thomas, formerly Managing Director EMEA at AdMob, joins as CEO of Somo International, and will spearhead the company's expansion in the US, Europe and Asia. He brings unparalleled experience in launching international internet and mobile businesses. At AdMob, Thomas was responsible for launching in 26 countries and built the EMEA revenue to become the contributor for AdMob. After integrating AdMob into Google, Thomas decided to pursue his passion for launching new mobile marketing businesses.
Ross, founder and pioneer of some of the most iconic digital companies since 1993, including Online Magic, Agency.com, BMP interAction (merged to become TribalDDB.com), and Heresy, part of the Chime Group dedicated to digital and direct marketing, and most recently co-founder of Virgin Games, joins as Somo's Chief Strategy Officer. Ross has over 16 years' experience in digital, the last five of which have been focused on mobile media. He has developed award-winning, business-changing, digital and mobile strategies for clients as diverse as Associated Newspapers, Reuters, Universal Sci-Fi Channel, Sony, Speedo, Virgin, Sega, British Airways, No. 10 Downing Street and the DCMS.
Commenting on the new appointments, Nick Hynes, CEO of Somo, said: "We're thrilled Thomas and Ross have chosen to join us at Somo. As industry pioneers they bring years of experience to our team and will prove invaluable in helping meet our clients needs'. Somo's portfolio of leading brands requires top level advice on how and where to invest in mobile. Thomas and Ross are ideally suited to work with both C level and senior management decision makers to realise the full potential of this new mobile revolution."
ENDS
About Somo
Somo is the leading independent European mobile marketing agency, specialising in strategy, design and build of mobile websites and applications, mobile advertising campaign planning and buying and campaign optimisation and management. Somo was founded by pioneers of the mobile marketing industry Nick Hynes and Carl Uminski.
www.somoagency.com
Award-Winning Online Ad Format, Project Devil, Now Available in Canada.
AOL Canada launched today their IAB U.S. Rising Stars award-winning online ad format, Project Devil. This revolutionary new ad improves the aesthetic quality and interactivity of advertising in ways that further enhance the consumer experience, and ultimately promotes beautiful, content-driven brand advertising across the Web and affords the advertiser 100 per cent share of voice.
"Project Devil is light years beyond just introducing a new ad unit," says Graham Moysey, AOL Canada General Manager. "It's about re-imagining the intersection between content, advertising and the consumer experience. We believe advertising is content too, and should be held to the same standard to deliver a premium consumer experience."
The Project Devil unit offers increased engagement through a large creative canvas, divided into three panels, which allow advertisers to customize the content and functionality. The wide-ranging functionality of each panel includes media streams and applications such as video, slideshows, mapping, 3-D rotation, quizzes, polls, text messaging and much more. Every ad is fully interactive, eliminating the need for consumers to navigate away from the page to explore its features. Starcom MediaVest Group immediately expressed interest in using the new ad format for one of their key clients, and they will be the first Canadian customer to go live on AOL's tech site, Engadget.com.
"Project Devil's new ad unit offers us a unique and creative canvas to best showcase our client's brands," says Heather Loosemore, Director, Digital Solutions, Starcom MediaVest Group. "It allows us to truly demonstrate our client's position as innovators in the digital space. We like that the new format includes dynamic content within the ad to foster a TV-like ad experience and the exclusivity of being the only ad on the page." Project Devil format outperforms standard ad displays To study the effect of Devil ads, comScore conducted pre-launch quantitative research that was fielded to 1,500 participants. Early results showed that the new display format outperforms standard display ads in consumer likeability and ad effectiveness metrics.
Consumers spend an average of 18 per cent more time on a page when a Devil ad is present versus a standard 300x250 ad;
65 per cent of respondents rated Devil ads as easier to understand;
63 per cent said they felt better about the brand after viewing the ad;
68 per cent said the ad made them want to buy the brand;
58 per cent said the ad made the overall web page better.
Visit the Project Devil gallery at http://advertising.aol.com/creative/projectdevil/gallery to see how leading brands in the U.S. have brought the new format to life. About AOL: AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a leading global Web services company with an extensive suite of brands and offerings and a substantial worldwide audience. AOL's business spans online content, products and services that the company offers to consumers, publishers and advertisers. AOL is focused on attracting and engaging consumers and providing valuable online advertising services on both AOL's owned and operated properties and third-party websites. In addition, AOL operates one of the largest Internet subscription access services in the United States, which serves as a valuable distribution channel for AOL's consumer offerings.
Keywords: AOL, Advertise, Advertising.
This article was prepared by Marketing Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Marketing Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. Announces Filing of Registration Statement
ANAHEIM, Calif., May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSUN) announced today the filing of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with a public offering of 700,000 shares of its Common Stock, all of which are being offered by Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. The offering is being managed by an underwriting group led by Robertson, Stephens & Company LLC, Alex. Brown & Sons Incorporated and The Robinson-Humphrey Company, Inc.
Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. is a leading mall-based specialty retailer of everyday, casual apparel, accessories and footwear designed to meet the lifestyle needs of active teens and young adults. The Company's customers are primarily young men aged 12 to 22, as well as young women of the same age who generally prefer a casual look. The Company operates 221 stores in 33 states.
A preliminary prospectus relating to these securities may be obtained from Robertson, Stephens & Company LLC at 555 California Street, Suite 2600, San Francisco, California 94104, (415) 781-9700; or Alex. Brown & Sons Incorporated at 1 South Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, (410) 727-1700; or The Robinson-Humphrey Company, Inc. at 3333 Peachtree Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30326, (404) 266-6000.
A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These Securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.
NOTE: Pacific Sunwear press releases are available at no charge through PR Newswire's fax service and Web site. For a menu of Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. press releases, or to retrieve a specific release, call 800-758-5804, extension 672287, or http://www.prnewswire.com on the Internet.
SOURCE Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc.
-0- 05/30/97
/CONTACT: Greg Weaver, Chief Executive Officer, 714-701-4000, or Carl Womack, Chief Financial Officer, 714-701-4003, both of Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc.; or James K. White, Investor Relations, 562-437-0655/
(PSUN)
CO: Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. ST: California IN: REA SU:
LA-KL -- LAF009 -- 3224 05/30/97 09:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Aricent Co-founds Multi-Service Business Gateway Alliance.
MSBG Solutions to Accelerate Delivery of Converged Access for Small and Medium Businesses
PALO ALTO, Calif. & LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Aricent, the communications software company, announced today that it has partnered with a group of leading technology companies and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to form the communications industry's first Multi-Service Business Gateway (MSBG) Alliance. The primary mission of the new alliance is to accelerate the development of MSBG systems and complete solutions for service providers.
MSBGs combine voice, video and data communications in a single multi-service broadband platform, replacing the need for separate PBX, routers, firewalls, gateways, cable modems, VPN and other security appliances. MSBGs are designed to simplify the communications equipment for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) and remote branch offices (RBOs) of large enterprises. The MSBG Alliance was built around the Aricent Converged Access Solution (CAS) and a number of additional partners to be announced during Interop 2008. Aricent and the Alliance members will showcase MSBG solutions, at the LSI booth, Palm H, April 28 - May 1 in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Aricent, the first application software provider in the Alliance, has developed Aricent CAS for MSBGs, a software product that combines SIP-based VoIP services, virtual private networking (VPN) and security, Wi-Fi access, quality of service (QOS), LAN switching, IPv4 routing, WAN access and network management into a single compact gateway solution.
"We're proud to be a co-founder and the first applications software provider in the MSBG Alliance. This Alliance has the capability to deliver products that enable businesses of all sizes to tame the complexity in their communications systems," said Sajal Gupta, Head of Products, Aricent. "We are delighted that the Aricent Converged Access Solution is proving to be a foundation for the MSBG market. Our ongoing relationship with LSI has opened up the opportunity to partner with more companies that are integral to the production and distribution of MSBGs."
"Aricent has a unique offering for the MSBG software market today with the Aricent Converged Access Solution," said Charlie Kawwas, vice president of segment marketing for the Network and Storage Products Group, LSI. "We're happy to be jointly delivering our first OEM product powered by Aricent CAS at Interop. The MSBG Alliance launch will ensure that more companies can benefit from the Aricent CAS solution."
On Tuesday, April 29 at 10 a.m. at Reef E Charlie Kawwas, and Tony Pereira, business leader, Business Communications Portfolio, Nortel Networks will present the session, "Managed Services: The Real-Time Tipping Point." During the session, they will discuss the new services enabled by the application of MSBG systems and introduce the MSBG Alliance.
About Aricent
With corporate offices in Palo Alto, California, Aricent is a full-service, full-spectrum communications software company. Aricent offers software services and products that enable the world's leading communications equipment manufacturers, device manufacturers and service providers to improve time-to-revenue and maximize efficiency. The company is owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Sequoia Capital and Flextronics International Ltd and has more than 400 clients. For more information, visit www.aricent.com.
For details of the Aricent Converged Access product
http://www.aricent.com/en/product/equipment/ convergence_products/cas.html
(Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)
Aricent is a trademark of Aricent, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tsakos Energy Navigation Announces Third Quarter 2006 Conference Call And Webcast.
ATHENS, Greece, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd. ("TEN") will report earnings for the third quarter of 2006 on market close on Wednesday, November 8, 2006.
The next day, Thursday November 9, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, TEN will also host a conference call to review the third quarter results as well as management's outlook for the business. The call, which will be hosted by TEN's senior management, may contain information beyond what is included in the earnings press release.
To participate in the call from the United States or Canada, please dial 866-425-6191 approximately five minutes prior to the starting time. To participate in the call outside the United States or Canada, please dial 973-582-2771 five minutes prior to the starting time. The Conference ID is 8013037. Two hours after the completion of the conference call, a digital recording of the call will be available for seven days, and can be accessed by dialing 877-519-4471 from inside the United States or Canada and 973-341-3080 from outside the United States or Canada and entering the Conference ID 8013037.
The call, which will be simultaneously broadcast live over the Internet, can be accessed at: http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=36245
Please log in approximately ten minutes before the start of the call to allow extra time to visit the site and download the streaming media software required to listen to the Internet broadcast.
Concurrent with the live broadcast, the Company will post a supplemental slide presentation providing details related to fleet composition and deployment and other related company information. This presentation will be available on the Company's corporate website reception page at http://www.tenn.gr/.
Additionally, the online archive of the broadcast will be available within one hour of the live call at: http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=36245
ABOUT TSAKOS ENERGY NAVIGATION
TEN's proforma fleet consists of 52 vessels of 5.5 million dwt. Today, TEN operates a fleet of 37 vessels. Additionally, its newbuilding program has 15 vessels including two Suezmaxes, two Panamaxes, six Aframaxes, four Handysize product carriers, and one LNG representing 1.3 million dwt.
The strategy of a balanced diverse fleet is reflected in 25 crude transporters ranging from VLCCs to Aframaxes and 26 product carriers ranging from Handysize tankers to Aframaxes; complemented by one LNG.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted by such forward-looking statements. TEN undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
CONTACTS: George V. Saroglou, COO Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd. Tel: 30 210 94 07 710-3 ten@tenn.gr Thomas J. Rozycki, Jr., Investor Relations Cubitt Jacobs & Prosek Communications 212-279-3115 x208 tom@cjpcom.com
CONTACT: George V. Saroglou, COO of Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd., +30-210-94-07-710-3, ten@tenn.gr; or Thomas J. Rozycki, Jr., Investor Relations of Cubitt Jacobs & Prosek Communications, +1-212-279-3115 x208, tom@cjpcom.com
Web site: http://www.tenn.gr/
Mundelein library to go wireless for its patrons.(Neighbor)
Byline: Russell Lissau Daily Herald Staff Writer
Laptop computer owners soon could have a new place to connect to the Internet in Lake County - and for free, to boot.
The Fremont Public Library, 1170 N. Midlothian Road, Mundelein, is slated to become the latest locale offering wireless access to the World Wide Web.
Officials say the library's proposed wireless system - called Wi-Fi for short - will give patrons with appropriately equipped computers access to the Internet from any spot in the two-story facility.
"They can go in our quiet room, and we have desks tucked in corners overlooking the windows," library board member Janice Powell said. "It's all (about) customer service."
A launch date has not yet been set, but officials hope the Wi-Fi system will be operational by the end of September, board President Bill O'Brien said.
Computers must be outfitted with special wireless network cards to pick up a Wi-Fi signal. The signal is sent through a transmitter connected to a traditional computer modem.
Other local libraries offering free Wi-Fi access include the Cook Memorial facilities in Libertyville and Vernon Hills, the Vernon Area Public Library in Lincolnshire and the Antioch Public Library. Proponents say the systems relieve demand for library desktop computers and allow patrons to work more comfortably.
"This is going to give our patrons more flexibility and more access," O'Brien said. "And when families come to the library, the mom or dad can do their own work on a laptop in relative proximity to where their children are."
Many Lake County businesses offer Wi-Fi access, too, sometimes for a fee. Local commercial sites include Marriott hotels, Borders bookstores and Starbucks coffee shops.
Directories of such locations, called hot spots, can be found on the Internet on Web sites such as www.wi-fihotspotlist.com or www.wifi411.com. Powell believes Fremont's Wi-Fi service will bring more patrons to the facility.
"And once they get into the library and see how nice it is, they'll come back for other things," she said.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Dungy doesn't think he's gone.
Byline: Melissa Isaacson
PHILADELPHIA _ Everyone, it seemed, wanted to speak up in defense of beleaguered Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, whose firing might be imminent after Saturday's 31-9 wild-card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
So emotional was the subject that Eagles tight end Chad Lewis, granted a postgame podium after his second-quarter touchdown grab, chose to dedicate his opening remarks to the ongoing speculation.
"I think Tony Dungy is a hell of a coach and one of the best guys in the NFL, and if he gets fired, that's crazy," Lewis said.
Dungy was characteristically low-key afterward.
"I think we're going to be fine," he said.
Asked whether this was his last game as Tampa Bay's coach, Dungy replied: "I don't think so, but I don't make those decisions. ... I'm not going to speculate. We don't need a funeral here."
You can go home again: There were two Mt. Carmel alums in Saturday's game, but it will be Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and not Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice who gets a visit home.
"It's a great opportunity for me to go back home," McNabb said. "I've been awaiting this opportunity for a long time. A lot of people back home have been waiting as well. I played there in high school and we went back there my rookie year. My record right now is 2-0 in Soldier Field, so hopefully we can improve on that."
McNabb said his most vivid memories as a Bears fan growing up were the Fog Bowl game, in which the Bears beat the Eagles in the 1988 playoffs, and when the Giants' Sean Landeta whiffed on a punt in the Soldier Field wind during the Bears' 1985 Super Bowl run.
"I remember when Philadelphia went down there, I remember the Super Bowl run," McNabb said. "(The Bears) were my team growing up."
Nostalgia ride continues: Also returning to Soldier Field is Eagles defensive tackle Paul Grasmanis, a former Bear. Grasmanis "tweaked" a sore knee late in the game but said he'll be ready Saturday.
"I still watch them because the friendships are still there," Grasmanis said of the Bears. "I was watching to see how Big Cat played, how Chris Villarrial did because he was my roomate for three years.
"I was very happy to see Walt Harris do well."
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(c) 2002, Chicago Tribune.
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