Stimulus energy

http://www.readvoip.com/cat/Mobile_Cell_Phone_Reviews/sheet4/
But executives at TECO TE), parent to and Peoples Gas, are hopeful they’ll find opportunities to help the companh andits customers. TECO is lookingv to see if commercial property owners will qualify for stimulus dollarsx if they make buildings moreenergyg efficient. Florida also is trying to determines what opportunities related to the stimulus are said spokeswomanSuzanne Grant. “Potential areas for such investmenr include our SmartGrid initiative, advanced transportationb and renewable energy projects, as well as infrastructurs upgrades,” Grant said in an e-mail.
’as and Progress Energy were selected by to buildx an electric grid that relies on alternative energy sources. The three-year, $15 million project will create one ofthe nation’s largest and most comprehensive “smart grids,” servintg at least 5,000 customers on the west side of St. Petersburgy and St. Pete Beach, USF said in a Marchb 9 release. It will incorporate alternative energy sources such as solae power and biodiesel fuel into the electricalp power supply forthe neighborhoods. USF’s proposap was chosen from a field of140 applicants, the released said. The project is funded in collaboration betweenthe Governor’s Energy Office, Progress Energy, and .
Once the smart grid will be the first in Florida and the largesy in the Southeast delivering power to homesand businesses, the releaswe said. Development of the system is slatefd to beginin April. Whatever dollarws Progress Energy pursues, the process isn’t likely to be quick since state regulators must approve investments made by Grant said. With the recent addition of about $1 million in funding for dislocated workers, share of the state’s stimulus money totales nearly $6 million. Most of it is intended for job training some of which already areunder way.
A special weldingv training program resulted in jobs for two WorkNet clientsa at a solar farm saidEd Peachey, president and CEO. Some eligibilituy criteria are in place for federalk stimulus jobtraining programs, such as a person has to have been laid off or received notice of a layofff due to economic WorkNet programs prepare people for jobs and assist in couplingb employers with job candidates, but the creation of jobs is not the agency’s mission. In fact, some program funding for WorkNet specificallhy states it cannot be used for economifdevelopment purposes, Peachey said. “It’s difficultt to create jobs,” he said.
“We’res sort of at the merc of thejob creators. Thers needs to be a job at the end of the The situation seems bleaker as layoffs star in businesses once considere d stablejob providers, such as education and government, Peachey

Gracie Breakdown: Chan Sung Jung's twister - USA Today

bestimmung-amendments.blogspot.com

5thRound.com

Gracie Breakdown: Chan Sung Jung's twister USA Today It's almost a regular occurrence after Ultimate Fighting Championship events these days: the "Gracie Breakdown" of notable grappling moments from the show. This time, always upbeat brothers Rener and Ryron Gracie show how ... Jung excels; Hardy f »

Wells Fargo Insurance Services nabs Las Vegas brokerage in buying spree - Business First of Buffalo:

stockdaleiqemico1521.blogspot.com
The brokerage network, part of (NYSE: WFC) said the deal closed June 1. Termw were not disclosed. According to has been in businesssincee 1999, when it was foundes by John Grady, and focuses exclusivelyh on health and benefits insurance, with customerss in the hospitality, construction, auto sales and home development niches. Grady is now managinyg director ofemployee benefits. Wells Fargo Insurance Servicee isthe world’s fifth-largest insurance brokerages and the nation’s largest bank-ownedr brokerage, according to Business Insurancwe magazine’s 2008 list, with more than 200 offices in 37 The brokerage network has been on a buyinhg spree recently.
It bought Novato’s and in earlhy April, and about a month before that acquiredWalnut Creek-based , an employe e benefits consulting firm that also has officex in Houston and Seattle, among other deals in recen months.

Google's decision to delay Android 3.0 code is unacceptable - ZDNet (blog)

uraa-quartely.blogspot.com

Reuters

Google's decision to delay Android 3.0 code is unacceptable ZDNet (blog) Android is what it is today because of Linux and because of Google's open source following â€" developers, organizations, customers and vendors. Delay the open source release? No. Justice delayed is justice ... Honeycomb tests Google's 'Open Principles' BetaNews Google Likely Plans Big Android 3.1 Splash for Q3 2011 infoSync World Google Said to Restrict Access to Android Honeycomb Wireless Week Ars Technica -Fiercemobilecontent -Cult of Mac  »

Business Courier of Cincinnati: Tech & Innovation : Business Advice

Fujitsu ASTG09LVCA
Because that's what the idea was. I woulc replace my home officetelephone line, which I only use for outgoint calls, and instead start makinh all of my calls over the Internet. This way I could pocket the $50 a month I've been giving to Verizom and use those savings to buy moreimportantf things. Like … food. Except it reallh didn't turn out that way. Why? Becauses the Internet phone services I triedworked ... but just not all the Which is typical of most For example, I played around with Skype for a few weeks. Not bad.
Signing up for the servic e was free and the headset that I purchased from Staplezsfor $20 only had to be replaced once (I do not advise lending one's headset to a 12 year old. Enougn said). Astonishingly, installing the Skypes application on my laptop didn't cause it to lock up or crasgh on me. So for that reasojn alone I felt that thingsewere successful. Once up and Skype did as promised … just about all of the I used the little computert generated keypad on my laptoo tomake calls. If I called another Skype user the callwas Unfortunately, I don't really have a lot of conversationx with high school and college kids, nor do I care to reallyt speak to anyone under 25.
So there's not a lot of phonw numbers in mySkype directory. However, you can use Skypde to call a regular land line and then get chargedc a few centsper call. So that'ss what I mostly did. The problemj was the connection. It worked. Most of the time. But sometimesx it just didn't. Sometimes I had to call back the persomn two or three times to get agood connection. Or speak loudly. There were a few instances where I said naughty Then there was this one time wherd I tried to participate in a conferenc call and had to make the threee other people wait whileI re-called the call-in number a few times until there was no crackling sound on the phone. That was fun too. So I stoppexd using Skype.
Frustrated I turnedc to another Net calling service calledmagicJack (www.magicjack.com). No, this has nothing to do with changinyg the tires ofa car. And there was no pleasurse involved. For $40 magicJack ships me a little unit that I plug into the USB port of my I then hook my office phonw intothe unit. After installing the program I'm able to make phonr calls from my regularphone (not the headsegt I bought from Staples … bye-bye $20). Like magicJack places its calls overthe Internet, along with the othefr 100 trillion bits of informatiomn crossing the same pipelines. See where I'm going here?
Theird deal is that you can make unlimitedf calls you want to anyone in the UnitefdStates (I'm told they're working on overseas for only $50 per year. I did the math and that'ws $550 less a year than I'm spendint on my office line, so therer you go ... magic! Unfortunatelty ... not so magical. Why? Same thinb with Skype. It worked. Most of the I suffered from the occasional disconnectesd calls or calls that had tobe recalled, or call that just didn't sounsd like a very good call at all. More naughtyu words. More blood thinner In the end I broke down and kept myoffics line. You win Verizon. I just need things that work as they promised towork ...
all the I have enough headaches in my I have kids and a mortgageand dandruff. I can't sit aroundf and worry that an important conversation with a prospectivee customer is going to get cutoff orsound horrible. Verizon's line in my offic works all the time. It's one less hasslw to deal with. I still keep the magicJac k and Skype servicesbecause I've had occasion to use them when Most likely I'll forget to cancel my subscriptio n so now I'll be paying an extraq $50 a year for next to nothing. But I'm a pennyy pincher. Not a cheapskate. Sure, it's less expensived to use these Netcalling services. But I'm sacrificinvg some quality. Some dependability.
I'm giving myself more To me, it's not worth it. Thesw technologies are great for kids or But to rely on them forbusiness purposes, at least so far, isn't a great idea for me.

DynCorp lands $915M aviation contract - Pittsburgh Business Times:

Danby DPAC12010H
Falls Church-based DynCorp (NYSE: DCP) will provide the Department of Statre with aviation and aviatiobn support services in Iraq under the terms of the deal whichj has one base year andfour one-yea options. If all options are exercised the total valur of the projectis $915 million. DynCorp reported $813 millionj in its latest quarter. “Thisa award is a tremendously importanf opportunity for DynCorp International to support the safetgy and securityof U.S. diplomati personnel serving in Iraq,” said DynCorp CEO Williamn L. Ballhaus.
“It’s an honoer to contribute to our government’s efforts to promotew peace and stabilityin Iraq, for us as a company and for every perso who serves with us.” DynCorp said the to provide personnel, ground and flighf operations, as well as basing and maintenanc e of rotary wing and fixed air assets, begah with a transition period June 15, 2009 and will reacuh full operation on September 4, 2009.

Two more leave BofA board - San Antonio Business Journal:

Air Purifiers Scottsdale
According to a filingv with the Securities and Exchange Prueher andFrank didn’t resign becausd of any disagreement with the company. Jackie Ward and Patriciqa Mitchell resigned earlythis month. Mitchell is a former New York television executive and currentlyy serves as chief executive of the Paley Center for a NewYork nonprofit. Ward is the retireed chief executiveof Atlanta-based Computere Generation Inc., a software company. Robert Tillman, a formefr Lowe’s Cos. Inc. (NYSE:LOW) chief executive, resigned from the BofA boarrd effectiveMay 29. And on May 29, the bank announces former lead independentdirector O. Templ Sloan had left the board.
BofA didn’t disclose Sloan’xs reason for resignation. Sloan had been a BofA director for 13 Inearly June, four outside directors were electes to BofA’s board. They are forme Federal Reserve GovernorSusan Bies, former Compassx Bancshares Inc. chief executive and chairman D. Paul former Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. chairman Donaldx Powell and retired BankOne Corp. and Visa International Inc. executive William Boardman. BofA’s board has been under intensse scrutiny in recent months as the bank suffered through asharp stock-price decline aftert acquiring Merrill Lynch & Co. The Charlotte-based bank also has received $45 billion in taxpayer aid.
At the bank’sa annual meeting in late shareholders voted to strip Chief Executive Kennetn Lewis of his position as board Walter Massey was installed as the new chairman and has indicatecd the board needs tobe re-evaluated. Lewis remains the bank’sw CEO and president.

May's high-end home sales rose over April - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

Air Purifiers Orlando
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage reported that almosty 150 luxury properties soldin May, up from 100 in Aprill but down from the 300 that sold in May 2008. The media sale price rose to $1.41 up almost 9 percent from April’s median pric e of $1.3 million. Compared to 2008, however, prices remained Rick Turley, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, said in a presds release that the lower end of themarkert “continues to be the hottest segmenr in the South Bay,” but higher-pricedc homes are beginning to see improvements. “Salee continue to tick highedr and homes are selling fastet than they have in nearly a Turley said.
“We still have a ways to go beford the market returns to but we’re making Among the highlights in Coldwell Banker’s luxury report were that the two highestf sales were a $4 million home in Monte Serenol and another selling for the same price in Los Palo Alto had the lion’s share of the luxury end marke with 38 sales; Los Altos had 28 and San Jose reportedr 20. Coldwell Banker also reported that luxury homea sold for 93 percent of their asking down frm 97 percent of the listed price ayear ago.

Sidewalks in the sky: BJCC building elevated walkways - Birmingham Business Journal:

Fedders AZEY18F7A
Construction recently started and isthe next-to-lastf major renovation the existing facility will receivd as part of its six-year, $52 millioj capital improvements project, said Jack Fields, executivw director at the BJCC. The connectint skywalks and corridors are slated for completion in around the same time renovations will be completee on the arena and north and southmeetingb rooms. “At that point, we will have gotte the existing facility to the greatest poin we can get it to with theoriginal design,” Fieldx said. A grand reopening is scheduler in the next few weeks for the Concert which recently receiveda $12 million he said.
The new skywalk and corridoe system will allow internal access to meeting roomds and exhibit halls that only have entrancess from outsidethe buildings. Birmingham’xs Brasfield & Gorrie LLC is serving as general contractor. “The bottom line is when we have a majotr hotel that isaccommodating out-of-town attendees, they have to go outsidd to get to particularr areas, Fields said. And that could sway a meeting planner’e decision when picking a site and lookingy at allthe particulars, especiallyy the weather, said Jim Smither, president of the and .
“This is goingb to give us another locationto sell,” he “It’s going to open up the Right now, you can’t go to the Nortgh Hall or meeting rooms without going outdoors.” Plans call for a skywalk to reach across Richardf Arrington Jr. Boulevard North from the Sheraton Birmingham Hotelo to the North Exhibit said Fields. Another one will extend from the North Hall to the uppe r level of the arena on NinthAvenued North. And raised corridors will go arounx the perimeter ofthe facility, includingy into the second level of the proposee entertainment district, The he said. The countdown continues for theproposedx $40 million entertainment district.
As of the backward-ticking clock given to the BJCC by developedr is set at 338 daysuntil completion. As of press construction on the entertainment complex had not Smither said all the BJCC renovations and the additionh of the entertainment district will tip the scalesin Birmingham’s favor for attracting more conventions and meetings. “The whole ball game is goinf to change,” he said. “Right now (lacm of nearby restaurants) is one of our biggesty problems. It will be neat for peoplee to just walkover there.” Performza has plans to build the entertainment districr adjacent to the BJCC, similar to the one it developed in Memphiz on Beale Street.
As of now, the company is finalizingy its financing to start the Slated to appear in the district includesCoyote Ugly, Green Acres Cafe, Humidor, China Master, Aloft nightclubs by American Idol winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Golden Rule Barbecue and others. Los Angelezs promoter AEG, which has shown interest in building a smal l concert venue in the entertainment last week signed a deal with the BJCC to help bringy entertainment events tothe facility.
A site at the BJCC is one of threre locations in the area in the running for a newdomede stadium, proposed by Birmingham Mayor Larry Other potential sites for the dome includ e Legion Field on Birmingham’s West Side and land near the Birminghamj Race Course on the northeast side of News reports indicate Langford is set to announcd his decision by Laborr Day.

SFR to switch off 5000 former Erenis FTTB customers - Telecompaper (subscription)

http://www.allison-mack.com/film_hiller.htm

SFR to switch off 5000 former Erenis FTTB customers Telecompaper (subscription) The network formerly operated by Erenis, acquired in 2007 by Neuf Cegetel, itself bought by SFR, still has slightly under 10000 subscribers in Paris buildings, with fibre to the building and copper cabling to individual flats. ... and more »

Staycations could boost Minnesota's tourism industry - Mpls./St. Paul Business Travel Guide

framptongeqeaqu1461.blogspot.com
Last year at this time, gas prices rose to more than $4 per putting the brakes on traditional summerroad trips. Now gas is back around $2 a but a deep recession lingersx after putting hundreds of thousands of Americanx out of work and causing millions more to rein inthei spending. “Gas prices are not as much of a concer right now as theoverall economy, consumed confidence and people’s concerns about their jobs and retirements,” said John who has been executive director of for the past nine Consequently, this will be a particularlu challenging year for Minnesota operators, though there is hope that Minnesotanx who travel will do so closer to At Madden’s on Gull Lake in owner and General Manager C.
Brian Thuringer said this has beenthe “most of the four or five recessionsd he has seen during his 36 years at the “This is the first time that the bottom has reallt fallen out,” Thuringer said. there was always that feeling that there was a slump andthings weren’t flowing, but tomorrow was goingb to be great. This is the first time when peoplde don’t really know when tomorrow is.” A recent survey conductedd by Explore Minnesota found that 57 perceng ofthe state’s lodging businesses saw revenue and occupanchy decline in April and May as compared to a year ago.
51 percent of Minnesota hotel and campgrounds operators said they expect business to remaihn flat or increase this summer compared to last About 60 percent of survey respondents described the financial health of theire businessesas “growing” or “stable, but positive.” Therer are some concerns abouty declining rates, but overall, Edman expects this to be a relativelt strong summer for the state’s $11 billion-a-year tourism industry. The statd typically generates about 37 percent ofits travel-relate revenue during the months of June, July and August, and he thinks those peak months will be busy again this “People are still going to want to Edman said.
“They’re just goinvg to travel differently than they did inthe past. People still need to get away for stress reliet andhealth reasons.” The biggest difference this Edman predicts, will be wherer people decide to go. He expects that most people will stay closere to home andbook shorter, less-expensive trip s within driving distance of where they live. That’s why Explor e Minnesota is changing itsmarketing approach. Typically, it spends abouty 80 percent of its marketing budgeyt to promote the stateto nonresidents, with the remaining 20 percenft aimed at locals; this that split is closer to 60-40.
“We don’t have oceansz and we don’t have mountains, but we do have a lot of thinge thatare unique,” Edman said. “Whether it’s fishing or hikingb or biking, those are relatively low-cosrt activities that you can do here. You don’t have to go That could bode well forMinnesota resorts, as Twin Citiesw residents book trips to Duluth or Brainerd, instead of venturing on cross-country trips, said Dave president and CEO of Hospitality which oversees the state’s lodging, and resort and campground “I think it’s going to be a good he said. “… I’m not projecting an but I expect [resorts] to hold their own.
” Camping and fishingt also could see a boost in popularity this Siegel said. Meanwhile, officials at Minneapolis’ convention and visitores bureau, Meet Minneapolis, remains “cautiousl optimistic” about business this summer, said President and CEO Melvij Tennant. “A lot of our hospitality-industrhy executives believe we’ve either hit bottom or are close tohittingg bottom, and that from this poing on, we’re going to be able to see some very modes growth.
… I think this summer could be very good for Meet Minneapolis advertisedits “Downtown Sizzle” which includes discount packages at 12 participating hotelsd through September, with 450,000 promotional inserts in newspaperes in the Twin Cities; Duluth; Des Moines, Fargo, N.D.; Madison, Wis.; Milwaukee; and Winnipeg, Getting a true read on the summer hospitality businessw is difficult, however, because people are waitinh longer to book their trips. So even the northernb Minnesota resorts that anticipate a busy summer still have numerous opening s duringpeak months. “It’s a much more last-minute vacation-planningh experience,” Siegel said.
“I think that’s understandable. If peoplse are nervous about thei r jobs or theireconomic futures, they’rre waiting until they have a greater degree of security before they make that reservation.”

Colorado stimulus board boosts minority-outreach effort - Philadelphia Business Journal:

http://thisyearsgirl.com/writing/atgg/atgg-c-1.html
And officials with the Colorado Department of Transportatio told the board they will recommend the agency revie w how it handles complaints abou road and bridge contracts and the use ofthese minority- and woman-owned businesses. Maranda Pleau, the small businesas coordinatorfor Greeley-based general contractor , will join the Colorad Economic Recovery and Accountability Board June 29, chairman Don Ellimam said during a board meeting Her job is to ensure minority businessed are aware of contracts related to the stimulua package, Elliman said. The moveds come in response to a complainft from HamonContractors Inc.
in Denvee over a bridge repair projecy paid for with money from the American Recovery andReinvestmenrt Act. Hamon lost a bid April 16 to rebuild two bridgews over Interstate 76 inAdams County. The lowest bid for the contract camefrom Centennial-based , which bid $8 million for the nearly 15 percent under CDOT’s estimate of $9.4 million. Stats contracts are typically awarded to thelowestg bidder. But Hamon objected to CDOT awarding the projec tto Sema, saying Sema didn’t make a "good-faith effort" to hire enough minority according to a June 3 letter from Mark director of the Governor’s Economicc Recovery Team, to the accountabilitt board.
CDOT reviewed the complaint, and Sema’s efforts to get minority businessexs involved in thebridge contract. The reviewq concluded Sema metthe agency’w threshold for trying and CDOT formally awardedr the project to the company, CDOT executive director Russ Georgew said. But CDOT wants to review how it handles futuree complaints about using disadvantaged businessesx onstate contracts. Celina Benavidez, director of administration for told the accountability board she will recommendthe agency’s commissioners form a review committeee involving members of the agency, interesr groups, industry, the attorney general’s office, and federa transportation officials.
How to gather input from minorithy businesses about their experience with aprimde contractor. At the meeting, Hamon attorneu Seth Firmender thanked CDOT for being willinf to reviewthe process. Helga Grunerud, executive directoer of the Hispanic Contractors of alsopraised CDOT’s move, saying, "Wew believe we’ve been heard."

PBGC asks to terminate Milacron pension plan - Business First of Columbus:

http://antiflumedicine.com/?p=11
The federal agency filed a termination actiojnin U.S. District Cour t in Cincinnati on Wednesday, seeking judiciak appointment as trustee ofthe plan’es assets and immediate termination of the company Milacron’s retirement plan is underfunded by an estimated $313 it said. The agency determined that Milacron’s retirementr plan will be unabls to pay benefits that come due and thatthe long-terj loss to the PBGC would be expecter to increase, it said. Plan beneficiaries will continue to receivre retirement benefits from the PBGC but at a reducecd rate compared tothe company-backeed plan. Milacron and six subsidiaries filed for Chaptere 11 bankruptcy protection onMarch 10.
It has agreex to sell substantially all of its assets to affiliates of and investorsx own the bulkof Milacron’s seniorr secured notes and would not assume obligations to Milacron retirees. The agreement is subject to bankruptc y court approval and potential competing bids fromotherf parties. If no other qualifies bids are received byJune 24, Milacron will reques t court approval of the sale on June 26. If at leas one other qualified bidis received, an auctionb will be held on July 17, and Milacron’xs assets will be sold to the qualifiedx bidder submitting the highest and best subject to court approval, it said.
Milacro n (OTCBB: MZIAQ) is a Batavia-basedr manufacturer of plastics processin g machinery andrelated technologies. Its Cimcool metalworkinf fluids business is basedin Oakley. The compang was founded in Cincinnatiin 1885, and by the middle of the 20th century had grown to be the world’ largest manufacturer of machine At one time it employed 15,000 peopled on its Oakley campus. It sold its machine tool operationxs in 1998 to concentrate on plasticesprocessing machinery, but the sale did not include a transfef of retirement plan obligations to its former machine tool It now employs fewer than 1,00o people in Clermont County and Oakley.

Supreme Court to hear arguments on John Ashcroft, immunity to lawsuit - Kansas City Star (blog)

vlastaowibopaj.blogspot.com

Fox News

Supreme Court to hear arguments on John Ashcroft, immunity to lawsuit Kansas City Star (blog) Gelernt contends that the Bush administration used the material witness statute for something Congress specific »