Archive for August, 2009
The green business revolution moves into the supply chain
by admin on Aug.30, 2009, under Uncategorized
Manufacturing & Technology News, Nov 16, 2007
The manufacturing world is on the cusp of a major new trend toward sustainable supply chains that could have a profound impact on how companies source parts, components and products. The trend is being driven by consumers worried about environmental degradation, by high costs of far-flung supply chains and distribution networks impacted by rising energy prices and by a growing legion of investors interested in companies that embrace sustainable business practices.
The sustainability movement has moved into its third phase, explains Daniel Mahler, a partner in the sustainability practice with A.T. Kearney in New York. The first phase was corporate acknowledgement of the green movement and the creation of objective assessments of their activities coupled with reports and press releases. The second phase enlisted consumers, and companies like Whole Foods that did so flourished. Now the third phase has begun, driven in part by retailers. This phase entails the realization that sustainability involves an entire supply chain.
“The former tension between efficiency and sustainability has vanished as being sustainable is now a source of competitive advantage and a matter of corporate survival rather than a costly inconvenience,” says a report on the subject from A.T
Don't Underestimate Your Home Contents
by admin on Aug.30, 2009, under Uncategorized
Market Wire, August, 2009
British home owners are under-estimating the value of their home contents, according to Swinton, the UK’s leading high street retailer of home insurance.
The poll of 1,200 Swinton home insurance customers found that 61% of those surveyed had no clue how much it would cost to replace their contents if a disaster struck.
Swinton is advising homeowners to keep hold of receipts and guarantees and make a note of model names or numbers which can be a big help if they need to make a claim. Swinton is also advising homeowners to list their contents in a logical order i.e. go through one room of their home at a time, listing everything as they go along to get an accurate estimate and ensuring they don’t miss anything out. Taking pictures or video footage of each room can also help back up a contents insurance claim.
Swinton’s top tips for evaluating home contents insurance:
- Don’t overlook anything, such as hoovers, mirrors, luggage, musical instruments, expensive wine, flooring, camping equipment and exercise equipment, which can be easily forgotten.
- Inform your insurer of any changes to the value of your contents straight away i.e
Dressier casual socks sell – Hosiery – Brief Article
by admin on Aug.30, 2009, under Uncategorized
DSN Retailing Today, Sept 23, 2002
Short, dark and handsome, socks are following in the footsteps of men’s sportswear, which is getting dressier at the mass level.
Paired with the introduction of microfiber pants this fall and linen trousers next spring, companies are stepping up dressier casual sock programs, hoping to stimulate sales. It’s only logical men would want to carry the look through from head to toe.
“We’re seeing a trend toward dressier casual men’s wear, and we’re coming Out with a line of dress casual socks that addresses it in Joe Boxer,” says Nick Just, senior vice president and general merchandise manager at Kmart.
“Fashionable socks are becoming more popular, especially with the introduction of our George brand socks,” says Sarah Clark, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman. “Customers enjoy being able to buy ‘department store’ socks at lower prices.” George, Wal-Mart’s recent sportswear import from Great Britain, hits younger customers with its Continental flair.
Beyond private label, major brands and manufacturers, from Fruit of the Loom to Sara Lee, are introducing new lines of these crossover models. They fall in-between traditional dress socks, with their finer gauge knits and finished details, and rougher-hewn casual socks.
Finally, it’s something new that looks to pull up sock sales at mass. Discounters have been the last to adopt the dressier trend in sportswear and, resultantly, socks, and experienced an overall downtrend in hosiery sales- unlike the remainder of retail. Discounters’ sales need padding-they dropped about 6.2 percent over the 12 months ending May 2002, according to NPD Group research.
“We anticipate solid incremental business as a result of styles for fall and next spring that really capitalizes on this dress casual trend,” says Bert McDowell, director of marketing at Kayser-Roth, which manufactures such socks under the Farah label for Wal-Mart and Joe Boxer for Kmart.
In fact, a more pressing issue has also prompted this introduction. Athletic sock sales, the life bread of mass, are slipping, down 2.5 percent across retail, according to NPDFashionworld. The newness in the category, such as low-cut and no-show styles, is old news, and nothing has come along to boost sales.
“I think you’re going to see innovation focused on dress casual at mass, where there’s always been a lot going on in athletic socks,” says Tom Witthuhn, vice president of global licensing for Fruit of the Loom. Next year, the company is coming out with a new line of dressy casual socks through its men’s hosiery licensee.
True, classic white athletic socks will take first place in sales volume at mass, but these rookie dress casual socks should run ahead in growth. The look is pervading the mid-tier, where Dockers and TSI pants programs are staples.
“We’re testing a dress casual program under Hanes over at: Sears,” says Erin Plumb, director of marketing and merchandising for socks at Sara Lee. “There is retail interest in lines in-between casual and dress socks.”
If the program proves successful, Hanes hope to extend it into retailers, such as BJ’s, Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl’s and JCPenney, in 2003.
Next spring, Neuville will be producing linen-look socks under VF’s Timber Creek label to coordinate with the line of linen-blend Timber Creek men’s pants debuting at mass. “Two-twist and three-twist yarns give the socks a linen appearance, in cotton/nylon/Lycra blends,” says Brian Buff, team leader of national accounts for Neuville Industries, which also produces Dickies work socks and private label for retailers.
“Texture and hand are very important,” adds Wal-Mart’s Clark. Finer, more forward yarns are being used, such as micro modal and micro modal with Spandex. Twisted yarns, subdued colors and more refined patterns are being seen.”
Crossover models take men from work to after-hours activities without sacrificing comfort. The trend toward cushy, but stylish, socks is prompting customers to open their billfolds.
Traditional casual socks, in dressy colors, are also driving sales.
“Besides that rugged casual look that’s transforming into dressier makes and weights, it’s also the casual sock with the gauge of a sport sock that’s selling, in colorations such as khakis and olives; we definitely see both trends,” adds McDowell.
Color is the most important factor currently affecting sock sales in this category. No sartorially savvy man wants the dreaded effect of white socks flashing from underneath his classy chinos. Alternately, basic black socks are boring customers
DVD PLAYER
by admin on Aug.30, 2009, under Uncategorized
Chicago Jewish Star, September, 2007 by Wilmington, Michael
DVD PLAYER
JERRY LEWIS (NÃ JOSEPH LEVITCH) WAS Mr. Crazy and Dean Martin (Dino Crocetti) was Mr. Cool. And Paramount’s recently released Martin & Lewis box set shows them at their movie zenith.
But does it answer the burning question: Why are the French crazy about Jerry Lewis?
Maybe
Cheese
by admin on Aug.29, 2009, under Uncategorized
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Computer accessories.(Tools of the Trade)
by admin on Aug.28, 2009, under Uncategorized
Buildings, April, 2006
COMPUTER ACCESSORIES–The EVO LCD mounting arm allows computing to be done in comfort and style. The elegant arm levitates a flat panel monitor above the worksurface, enabling fingertip adjustment of monitor height and position. All movement is entirely intuitive–there are no buttons or levers. Rotating 360 degrees at three pivot points, the EVO LCD arm also extends 17.5 inches and has a vertical range of 10.5 inches. Arm strength is user-adjustable, allowing the user to float monitors from 6 to 13 pounds. EVO LCD mounting arm by Innovative Office Products
Rating rutabagas: not all vegetables are created equal
by admin on Aug.28, 2009, under Uncategorized
Nutrition Action Healthletter, Jan-Feb, 2009 by Bonnie Liebman, Jayne Hurley
It’s tough to rank vegetables. No one wants to think poorly of, say, a turnip or a cucumber. They’re like an Olympic athlete who finishes last in the 100-meter dash. Not the world’s best perhaps, but not too shabby either.
But rankings matter. They might lead you to pick spinach salad over Caesar, or broccoli over green beans for lunch. Or you might go with sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, peas instead of corn, and carrots over celery at dinner.
Here’s our ranking of good to great veggies … and the top ten reasons why you should try them all.
The information for this article was compiled by Melissa Pryputniewicz.
1. Calories
Most vegetables have 10 to 50 calories per serving. In today’s world of 600-calorie French fries or loaded baked potatoes, those numbers barely register on the radar screen. Even the exceptions–like sweet potatoes, lima beans, and avocados–hover around just 100 calories.
And vegetables are water-rich, so they have few calories per bite. That may keep you feeling full without filling up your fat cells. Granted, many people bump up the calories by dousing their broccoli or carrots or zucchini in butter, oil, sugar, salad dressing, or cheese. But you can’t blame the veggies for that.
2. Vitamins
Most vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Some nutrients–like vitamin K and lutein–are hard to find elsewhere. Others–like potassium, iron, folate, calcium, and vitamin C–are in many other foods, but some people still get too little of them.
Granted, some vegetables (like leafy greens) tower over their less-nutritious cousins (like mushrooms and eggplant). But even the less-stellar vegetables have some nutrients going for them.
3. Heart Disease
People who eat more vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease. In a study that tracked roughly 84,000 women and 42,000 men for eight years, those who averaged five or six servings of vegetables a day had an 18 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who typically ate only one or two servings a day. (1)
Maybe that’s because healthier people eat more vegetables
SBS shift is TVS’s gain.
by admin on Aug.27, 2009, under Uncategorized
Australasian Business Intelligence, May, 2009
Byline: Neil Shoebridge
May 31, 2009 (The Australian Financial Review – ABIX via COMTEX) — SBS’s decision to bring advertising sales in-house has resulted in almost half of the staff of Stenmark Organisation leaving to go to SBS. The contract represented three-quarters of Stenmark’s business. Stenmark will devote its remaining resources to increasing the services to the community TV station, TVS.
Publication Date: 1 June 2009
STENMARK ORGANISATION SPECIAL BROADCASTING SERVICE (SBS) TELEVISION SYDNEY (TVS) LIMITED UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED - ASX HVN TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED - ASX TLS WOOLWORTHS LIMITED - ASX WOW FRANKLINS BIG FRESH SEVEN NETWORK LIMITED - ASX SEV TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED -...
THE ART OF CRAFT
by admin on Aug.25, 2009, under Uncategorized
Architects’ Journal, The, 20081204 by Yakeley, Diana
Last month’s interior design show Decorex revealed that traditional techniques continue to inform the latest textiles, furniture and accessories, says Diana Yakeley
Decorex International, the forerunner of the numerous exhibitions aimed at those specifying high-end interiors, took place in the grounds of one of Christopher Wren’s most influential works, Chelsea Hospital in London, in September. A walk through the buildings alone justified taking time out of the office, and those who did were rewarded with the opportunity to discover some of the interesting companies involved in designing prestigious interiors for hotels, yachts and residential projects, not seen at the more corporate exhibitions.
A series of British Interior Design Association (BIDA) lectures explored…
Lupus – Lupus; Treatment
by admin on Aug.20, 2009, under Uncategorized
NWHRC Health Center – Lupus, June 19, 2008
If diagnosed at an early stage, treated promptly and monitored routinely, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is rarely fatal. You should make sure that every health care professional you deal with knows you have lupus.
Whether your disease is mild or severe, you have to stay under close medical supervision. You should let your health care professionals know immediately if you suffer any injuries, get sick or plan to become pregnant because many things may cause your disease to flare.
Typical warning signs of a flare are:
increased fatigue, malaise and muscle aches (like the flu)
a new or higher fever
increased pain or swelling in the joints, especially when you wake up
development or worsening of a rash, particularly one that is made worse by the sun
shortness of breath or pain when breathing
Keep an open dialogue with a health care professional whom you trust and can easily reach in an emergency. If you are experiencing a flare, it might be important to receive diagnostic tests, change medications or postpone certain elective procedures or surgeries.
Although a lupus pregnancy is considered high risk, many women with lupus can carry their babies safely to the end of the term if they plan the pregnancy with the help of a rheumatologist and receive care from an experienced high-risk obstetrical team. Women with lupus have a higher rate of miscarriage and premature births compared to women without the disease. Currently, more than half of women with lupus have pregnancies that are completely normal, 25 percent deliver healthy babies prematurely, and 20 percent experience miscarriage or death of a baby. Those with antiphospholipid antibodies have a much higher risk of developing preeclampsia, a form of dangerously high blood pressure that increases the risk of miscarriage, low birthweight babies, premature births and injury to the mother. These complications sometimes occur in women with lupus who are not known to have antiphospholipid antibodies.
Several over-the-counter and prescription medications are available to manage lupus symptoms including:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen, as well as aspirin.
Corticosteroids. These drugs, including prednisone (Deltasone), prednisolone (Prelone), hydrocortisone (Cortef, Cortaid) and methylprednisolone (Medrol), suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation. They can be taken orally, given through injection or used in cream formulations to treat skin lesions. However, they can lead to numerous side effects, including acne, weight gain, diabetes, cataracts, cardiovascular problems and heightened susceptibility to infections. People with lupus are especially prone to weakened or damaged bones, a side effect of high-dose or long-term corticosteroid treatment. People with lupus who take corticosteroids should talk to their health care professionals about taking vitamin D, calcium or other treatments to prevent osteoporosis.
Antimalarial drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine sulfate (Plaquenil) and chloroquine (Aralen), can control a variety of lupus systems including arthritis, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, lung rashes, fatigue and fever. They promote healthy blood vessels and have an anti-inflammatory effect. Side effects of antimalarials include nausea or diarrhea and, in rare cases, damage to the retina of the eye. A person taking antimalarial treatment should be examined by an eye doctor every six months to a year to prevent unnecessary optical damage. The beneficial effects of these treatments on symptoms are often slow at the beginning. It may take weeks or months for these medications to make an impact.
Other agents like methotrexate (Folex, Mexate, Rheumatrex), azathioprine (Asasan), mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept), leflunamide (Arava) and cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral) are sometimes used to control symptoms of lupus. These are immunomodulating drugs, and they have some side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, rashes, liver toxicity and bone marrow suppression, usually leading to low white blood cell counts. Methotrexate can cause inflammatory damage to the lung or liver, and in the case of cyclosporine, there is a potential for kidney damage.
Chemotherapy. Under some circumstances, chemotherapeutic drugs such as cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) may be used to suppress the immune system and inflammation. Cyclophosphamide can be used safely, with care, but can have significant side effects, including gastrointestinal complications, hair loss and greater risk of infection.
References
The Lupus Foundation of America. 2008. http://www.lupus.org. Accessed June 2008.
“Lupus Causes.” The Mayo Clinic. October 2007. http://www.mayoclinic.com. Accessed February 2008.
“Medicines.” The Lupus Foundation of America
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