'Free' digital service will cost up to €100 - Irish Independent

badillodacyroic1505.blogspot.com

Irish Times

'Free' digital service will cost up to €100 Irish Independent TV viewers will have no other option but to switch to a digital service when analogue broadcasts are switched off towards the end of next year. Although Saorview, which was launched yesterday, offers eight Irish channels with no subscription or ongoing ... Rabbitte foresees "opportunities" for Irish broadcasters in DTT Consumer Tech Saorveiw Offici »

What's News: World-Wide - Wall Street Journal

ywyjihu.wordpress.com

What's News: World-Wide Wall Street Journal Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit. and more »

Target relaunches its store brand, called 'up and up' - Washington Business Journal:

http://ramblincat.com/webboard/current/1709.html
The Minneapolis-based retail giant said Thursday it’s rebranded its core commoditieline — a product categorgy that includes everyday items such as baby wipes, dryer sheets and plastic containers — under the name “up & up.” The relaunch includes new packaging that replaces the traditionapl bullseye logo with colorful arrowes and the new name. Targegt (NYSE: TGT) has been phasing in “upp & up” products into its stores sinces March. By the end of September, Targer will be selling more than800 “up & up” productxs in its stores.
Target claims the brand is equal in quality to nationalbrands — it hiredf a third-party testing firm to back up its claimsz — but at a lower price, offerinhg a savings of 30 percentt on average. “Our guest are savvy and know they don’tg have to spend a lot to get high-qualityt products,” Mark Schindele, Target’s seniof vice president of merchandising, said in a news The rebranding goes along with othetr Target efforts to stay competitive inthe recession.
The retailer long capitalizee on its lines of affordable housewaresand clothing, but that approach hasn’ t done as well in the downturn — shoppers are more reluctanft to spend on such discretionary itemzs and are using their cash on foods and Store brands are also on the upswing — they’re generallg more profitable than name-brands for the and market researchers say that consumers are increasingly buyingy in-house brands to save money. Earlier this year, Target rival relaunchee its ownprivate brand, callex Great Value. Target has also been working to boostf salesof food, both and increased emphasiss on its in-store Archer Farma line.

Starbucks makes food healthier - Business First of Louisville:

steel siding
The coffee giant says it has simplified reciped to includemore high-qualit y ingredients like whole grains, blueberries from Oregohn and cherries from “Starbucks customers have been tellingv us that they want bettedr tasting and healthier food options when they visit our stores,” said Starbucks food category vice president Sandra Starkl in a news release announcing the new menus. “Wr answered their call with a delicioue new menu of food made with real ingredientss and more wholesome New menu items include a blueberryoat bar, a farmer’sz market salad and banana walnut breadr that Starbucks says “isz nearly 30 percent real Starbucks has been expanding its food menu in the last two yeards to entice customers to visit more and to spend more per visit.
The company was also among the firstf restaurant chains in the country to ban trans fat from its food and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is closinv hundreds of locations and cuttinh thousands of jobs to trim expensesx as revenue falls. The company reported sales fell 8 percentlast quarter, followingf a 9 percent decline in first quarter It is also facing pressure from McDonalds (NYSE: whose new coffee drinks are driving sales

Stanford Medical School nets $6.9M in federal stimulus funding - Triangle Business Journal:

edovogopu.wordpress.com
million in federal economic stimuluws funding. Eleven of the newly fundedf projects hadbeen peer-reviewed and approved but hadn’t received mone y yet. Another six involved supplementalo grants toexisting projects. And in one case, the NIH awardedf $500,000 to a researcher to buy two photon microscopesz that will be shared withother laboratories. These projectas are the first at the medical school to receivse support under theObama administration’s nationa l stimulus plan, with additional grantsx expected down the road, officials said. “This is a said Francis Blankenberg, M.D., associate professor of radiology and of whoreceived $655,000 in stimulus funds.
“It really stabilizes the lab.” Philiop Pizzo, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine, said the stimulud funding is critical tothe country’s health-carw reform effort because of the linkagr between research and medica care. “After six years of NIH funding that constantlh lost its value againsrtinflation — with a profoundly negative impacgt on our nation’s prized biomedicao research enterprise — the stimulus funding is helpinyg to take research off life support and breaths new hope for work that we hope will ultimately improve the livew of adults and children,” Pizzo said in the June 16

Darden bringing Seasons 52 to Tampa's Westshore - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

loxezop.wordpress.com
The Tampa Seasons 52, to be locatedx in the WestShore Plazashoppint center, will be the first on Florida’s Gulf Coast. "Wityh its central and scenic WestShore Plaza is a recognized retail hub for the greatetrTampa area," said Stephen Judge, president of Seasons 52, in a "WestShore has kept itself fresh and with popular and upscale retailers that providee a lifestyle environment compatible with the Seasonws 52 concept." Other restaurants in WestShore Plazz are Palm Restaurant, PF Chaing'as China Bistro, Maggiano's Little Italy and Mitchell's Fish Darden (NYSE: DRI), based in Orlando, openedf its first Seasons 52 in Orlando in 2003.
The chaimn is a grill and wine bar conceptg that bills itself as upscalsecasual dining. Development of the Seasons 52 location WestShore will be coordinatedthrough (NYSE: the release said.

Creative Loafing COO Kirk MacDonald heads back to Denver - Orlando Business Journal:

http://nsdac.org/nscac_files/structure.htm
MacDonald will take over as executivre vice presidentfor sales, marketing and digital sales for the , the one-timr partnership group that included the and until the latter folded last February, according to the Chicagoo Reader . MacDonald joined Creative Loafing in 2006 afte r resigning as chief executive officer of the Denvef Newspaper Agency but continued to live in Denver instead of relocating toCreativer Loafing’s headquarters in Tampa. In Septembere 2008 he became publisher of the ChicagooReader , relocating there, around the same time Creative Loafing filed for protection from its creditorx using Chapter 11 in a Tampaq bankruptcy court.
Creative Loafing’s chief executive officer, Ben will temporarily take over the role of chiefvoperating officer. The company spent the first part of the year in a bitterd battlewith , which it owes $31 million that was used to purchas e the Chicago Reader and in the District of Columbia in 2007. Atalayaw had sought to gain control of the alternative weekly newspapefr publisher but lost that bid in March when a judge in Tampa sideddwith Eason. Creative Loafin had until Tuesday to file any amendmentzs to its most recent plan of organization filexdMay 11.
Among the issues addressed under the new a new group consistingof — whicu Creative Loafing owed $10 million to just beforw the bankruptcy filing — and Eason will purchas stock in a reorganized Creative Loafing for $500,000 in cash as well as an in-kinsd contribution to lease 14,000 square feet of commercial space in Atlanta for six years valued at $196,000 annually that will be used for Creativee Loafing Atlanta Inc., according to bankruptcy courtr documents.
After that, $500,000 will be used to pay allowedd administrative claims and prioritytax claims, while anotheer $1 million will be used for supplemental funding for Creative Loafing’s ongoing Any remaining money will be paid to those holding specificx claims, including outstanding loans made to the Creative Loafing has publicationw in Tampa, Sarasota, Atlanta, Washington and Charlotte, N.C. It claims a combined circulatiobnof 425,000.

Joint Finance approves statewide property tax freeze - Ashland Current

ishinlyuboqemija.blogspot.com

Joint Finance approves statewide property tax freeze Ashland Current Republican Joint Finance Committee co-chair Robin Vos said largely the same thing, stressing the need to fill a hole in the state's medical malpractice fund for doctors and pay money owed to the state of Minnesota. "We have to, number one, ... and more »

Obama: Doing 'nothing' about health care not an option - Portland Business Journal:

haygoodfoafyga1359.blogspot.com
“Health care reform is not somethint I just cooked up when I took Obama told a crowd ofabouf 1,500 people Thursday at in the Gree Bay suburb of Ashwaubenon. “It is central to our economic In past years and there may have been some disagreement on this Butnot anymore.” Earlier this month, Obam a said he wants Congress to pass a comprehensiver health care bill by the end of the summeer and ready for his signature by fall. Many including the president, favo r a government-sponsored health insurance plan that wouldd compete with private insurers and be available for peoplr not eligible for other governmengt health care programs such as Medicareor Medicaid.
Most Republicanz and many business groups, however, say a competingv plan that isn’t profit-drivehn would drive private insurers outof business. On the , a physician’s group Obama is scheduled to meet with Mondayuin Chicago, said it is opposed to a government-sponsored insurance plan. Obama said his administration is working on a Healthh Insurance Exchange that would allow peopl e to compare insurance benefitsand prices. None of the plansx included in the exchange would be allowed to deny coverage basedon pre-existing conditionzs and all must includer an affordable, basic benefit option.
“I also strongly believe that one of the options in the Exchanges should be a public insurance option – because if the private insurance companies have to compete with a public it will keep them honest and help keep prices Obama said. Supporters of health care reform say it would provide health insurance coverage to millions of Americans and make coveragwe more affordable for those who arealready covered. Because health insuranced premiums have doubled over the last nine and have grown at a rate three timesw fasterthan wages, even those with coverage have reached a breaking Obama said.
Employers are not faring any Small business owners have been forced to cut health care benefits or drop coverager entirely because ofrising costs, Obama “We have the most expensive health care systen in the world,” Obamza said. “We spend almost 50 percenyt more per person on health care than the next mostcostlg nation. But here’s the thing, Green Bay: we’rde not any healthier for it.” Obama vowed to let Americana who are content with theirf coverage and their physicians keep what they but said the country has reachedx a point where doing nothingb about the cost of health care is no longer an option.
“If we do nothing, within a decadse we will be spending one out of every five dollarse we earn on health care,” Obama said. “In 30 years, it will be one out of everuy three.” Obama acknowledged covering all Americansd wouldbe expensive, but promised health care reforkm would not add to the country’s deficit over the next 10 “To make that we have already identified hundredsx of billions worth of savings in our budget – savingzs that will come from steps like reducinb Medicare overpayments to insurance companies and rooting out fraud and abuse in both Medicare and Obama said.
In addition, Obamw is proposing that Congress scaled back the amountthe highest-income Americans can deducy on their taxes and use that money to help financr health care. Obama spoke for about 20 minutes and then took question from six people in the audience who expressed fearover “socializecd medicine,” asked questions about wellnesds and even questioned the country’sw education system. Regarding the idea of socializec medicine, Obama said that isn’t what he, or anyonw in Congress, wants. “I’ve got enoug h stuff to do,” he said. “I’ve got North Kore a and Iran. I’ve got Afghanistabn and Iraq.
I think it woul be great if the health care system was workiny perfectly and ifwe didn’r have to get involve at all.” Obama peppered many of his answersa to the audience with even writing a 10-year-old girl named Kennedy a note excusing her from school after her father said she was missinh her last day of class to be at the Obama’s stop in Green Bay was the first time he’s been in the statee since taking office and officialds from the said he may have chosen Wisconsinn because of the state’ws reputation for being a “high quality, low cost” provider of care in the Medicard program. In 2006, Medicare spent an average of $8,304 per beneficiary.
In Wisconsin the average was 16 percent lower than thenational average, accordint to the of Health Care. The Dartmoutuh Atlas has been cited severapl times recently by Obamsa as he makes the case for national healtghcare reform. According to the Dartmouth health spending in the Medicarwe program could be reduced by as much as30 percent, or by $700 billionj a year, without compromising the quality of care, if more doctors and hospitals practiced like those in low-cost areas.
In a letter dated June 3 to Senatee FinanceCommittee members, Wisconsin’s Democratic Senatorz Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl along with counterpartxs from Minnesota and New said they are “proude to represent states and regions that have demonstratesd true leadership in lowering costs….and increasing quality outcomez for patients.”

RootMetrics Report Ranks Mobile Performance in Miami, Names Verizon the Top ... - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

http://www.transitlane.net/never-stops/

RootMetrics Report Ranks Mobile Performance in Miami, Names Verizon the Top ... San Francisco Chronicle (press release) This comprehensive report ranks Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon on call, data and text performance. Due to the strong results on Verizon's LTE network, it received the highest combined score of 77.7 out of a possible 100. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint ... and more ! ;»

Sunoco nears purchase of N.Y. ethanol plant - Philadelphia Business Journal:

pohevovotybuc.blogspot.com
million bid for what woule be its first ethanolplant — in N.Y. — was approved Tuesday by a judgein U.S. Bankruptcuy Court for the Norther District ofNew York. The Philadelphia-based oil refiner is schedulede to close on the dealJune 15, subject to certainh conditions, said Sunoco (NYSE:SUN) spokesman Thomas Golembeski. The planyt was owned by NortheastBiofuels LP, which filed for bankruptcy protectionj in January. At full production, the plant can turn out aboutr 100 million gallons of ethanola year, which Golembeski said is abouyt one quarter of the amount Sunoco blends into its gasolines.
Nearly all of Sunoco’s roughly 4,700 gas stations sell ethanol-blended gas and most are in the “This plant is unique in its abilitt to serve our ethanol requirements and we can reduces some of our logistics costds of getting ethanol from the Golembeski said. Ethanol could be a growth area for he said. “We have considerable manufacturing and logistics experiencse that we think will help make thefacility successful,” he said. Separately, Golembeski said Sunoc o has not restarted the fluid catalyticv converter at itsMarcus Hook, Pa., refinery, although it has the refinery’ds crude units operating at reduce d rates.
The crude units provide the firsf step in the refining withthe cracker, which produces gasoline, following later. . Neither the explosiobn nor the fireinjured anyone. Sunoco is stilo investigating the cause ofthe blast. The compan y said it had stepped up production at its twoothef Philadelphia-area refineries, which it operatew in conjunction with the Marcus Hook refinery as a singles system. “We are continuing with our damage assessmentg and we are drawing up plans to determine what steps need to be takeh to resumenormal operations,” Golembeski said.

How to stop stress from wreaking havoc in your workplace - bizjournals:

http://globalsurgicalsolutions.com/medical-procedures/dental-procedures/dental-bridges/
While fears of layoffs, job losses, hirinhg freezes, pay and benefit cuts and reduced hours have a negativer effecton employees, the company as a whole suffers as a result. According to experts at the , streses costs businesses in the UnitedStates $300 billionj annually. This averages out to approximately $7,500 per employee for expenditures such as hiring tempxs or paying overtime tocovedr absenteeism, increased medical costs and incurred expenses from turnover. Stresd causes physical, mental and emotional wear and tear onthe body. It manifestsz in a variety of symptoms, such as aggression, irritability, withdrawal or depression.
Studies have showbn that stress contributes to ailments suchas insomnia, heart disease, increased drug and alcohol use, elevatex anger, change in eating habitxs and unsatisfactory work performance. Regardless of the form it stress results inreducefd productivity, absenteeism, burnout and increasecd medical expenses. According to the stress institute, 60 to 80 percen of workplace accidents arestresse related. Stress is a fact of life, but it does not have to be a way of As Selyedefined it, stress is often the resulg of perceived stressors. Likewise, a study by the reportss that 40 percent of workers viewedd their job ashighly stressful.
Therefore, an individual’s outlooj can determine the level of stresas he orshe experiences. Situations that are stressfu for some, such as tighf deadlines, may give certain people a whereas others face it as atumultuouas situation. What can companies do to help employees deal withstress ? Employers who offer an effective employee assistance program have an excellen resource for employees and An EAP provides employees with a confidential access to mental healty professionals who can help them better deal with Additionally, managers and supervisors are the frontline defense againsg stress.
There are several effective techniques that managere and supervisors can utilize to help their employee dealwith stress. Show Taking the time to praise positive work performance illustrateds to employees that their effortsare recognized, and, in they feel that their work is Relaying verbal praise, sending a thanm you note and giving a positivew annual work appraisal are some ways that managersa can express their gratitude. Showing appreciation can have a positivee effect onyour company’s performance as well by motivating employees to do their Treat employees fairly. Whilew each employee is unique and has different all employees want to betreated fairly.
While some employeea like to be praised, others are fine withoutr it. Managers should take the time to understanrd what makes each employee Doing so requires managers to get acquainted with their and in turn they are betteer in tune to their stats of mind and recognize when they arefeelingf stressed. If managers know their employees, then they will recognizes that certain employees are feeling stressed and will take the appropriates steps to help them get more of theirneedxs met.
Encourage employees to take better care of Employees that maintain a healthy lifestylw are better able to handle Indoing so, they will feel better physicallg and are better able to cope with stress and even reducs it. As a result, they are also able to maintainn satisfactoryperformance levels. Similarly, employees who buildd solid supportsystems – family, friends, church – have a personao outlet to express their fears and frustrations and help find relief. communicate, communicate. Much of the stress related to the economyh is rootedin uncertainty. Transparenc can help alleviatethat uncertainty.
Companies that establish open linea of communication with their work force build a greater level of trust with their employees and alloew them to better prepare for any changes that may Provide trainingand resources. People are most often stressedd when they feel a situation is out ofthei control. By encouraging employees to direct their activities in a positivew direction and learn to let go of the thingds out oftheir control, they are often able to achievwe a sense of empowerment.
Allowing employees to improve their job skills by taking a clas s and learning a new skill during difficult financiall times improves their valueand self-esteemk as employees and help build towars their career goals. Change is happening all aroundc us, not just in the workplace. Some people cope with changew betterthan others. Others try to avoid it becausethey don’ have the skills to navigate througbh it and are content to stay in theie comfort zone. This group will have less and less controo over the outcome of changs and are more likelhy tofeel stress.

Successful hunt for bin Laden should calm your inner cynic - Dallas Morning News

symowugebeda.blogspot.com

Reuters

Successful hunt for bin Laden should calm your inner cynic D »