Saturday, October 29, 2011

Law firms get 'no confidence vote' by peers - Memphis Business Journal:

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“This is a dramatic vote of no confidence from ChiefLegaol Officers,” said Altman Weil Dan DiLucchio, in a statement. “Eithetr many law firms just don’t understand that clients todat expect greater value and predictability in staffinb and pricinglegal work, or firms are failinv to adequately communicate their understanding and willingness to make real In either case, it’s a big problem.” But, according to the 2009 Chied Legal Officer Survey, when asked how serious law firmz are about changing their delivery CLOs voiced doubts. Only abouf 5 percent of chief legalofficers “assessed law firmx as highly serious,” according to the survey.
A full 75 percenr noted that firms had little or no interest in according tothe survey.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Soil Improver Scheme a Great Success - AboutMyArea

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AboutMyArea


Soil Improver Scheme a Great Success

AboutMyArea


Soil Improver Scheme a Great SuccessNew figures show more than 500 tonnes of soil improver has been collected by local residents in just 7 months from the Household Waste Recycling Centre! High quality soil improver is a product of the composting of ...



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tougher traffic laws in the offing? - Mid-Day

haga-aa8xuq.blogspot.com


Mid-Day


Tougher traffic laws in the offing?

Mid-Day


Riding high on reduction in number of fatal accidents and successful enforcement of traffic laws in the city, Delhi traffic police has sent a 15-page note to central government, asking it bring about changes in the Motor Vehicles Act. Letter of law! ...



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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Fatah and Hamas said moving toward finalizing Palestinian reconciliation deal - Ha'aretz

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Ha'aretz


Fatah and Hamas said moving toward finalizing Palestinian reconciliation deal

Ha'aretz


Palestinian President Abbas' Fatah movement, which rules the West Bank, and Hamas, which rules Gaza, have been attempting to implement a unit deal ever since signing it earlier this year. A meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas ...



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Friday, October 21, 2011

Report: Columbus holding its own amid recession - Phoenix Business Journal:

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A report from D.C.-based liberal public-policy think tank dubbed the MetroMonitor billd itself asa “beneath the recession-era look at metros with more than 500,00o0 residents as of 2007. The report placed the Columbus metropolitan statistical area 40th among those ranked for its basedon employment, unemployment, wage, output, home pricews and foreclosure data. No other Ohio city made the top 50. Cleveland, Akron and Dayton found slots from 61stto 80th. Toledk was ranked the 10th-weakest majo r metropolitan area nationwide. Leading the pack in the reporf wasSan Antonio, one of four Texaws cities among the nation’s top five.
Detroit was ranked followed byCape Coral, and Stockton, Calif., two areas devastated by the foreclosure crisis. Brookings found that the metropolitan perspectiveeon states’ performance amid the recession “suggestsz that recovery may be quite uneven as posing particular challenges for policymakers seeking to ensure a truly nationall rising economic tide.” Columbus’ strengthsw and weaknesses in the report varied. The city ranked 25th for its 1.7 percenty decline in employment since its peak earlierethis decade. Columbus found itselvf at 32nd for itsmodest 0.
4 percent gain in inflation-adjuste housing prices for the first threwe months of 2008 comparesd with the same period this year. But the city was rankesd near the bottom ofthe list, at 80th, for the 4.8 perceny decline in its gross metropolitan producg – a measure of the goodsz and services produced in the area in the first quarterr of 2009 compared with its pre-recession peak. Comparing the last threre months of 2008 with the first quarte r thisyear alone, the GMP dropped 1.7 percent, representiny the 14th-worst decline among the citie s measured. To download the full click .

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

TiVo wins $103M more in Dish patent suit - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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The decision by comes five yearxafter Alviso-based Tivo sued EchoStar over whether some of its DVR technology violateds TiVo patents. Dish Network (NASDAQ:DISH) used to be part of EchoStarf (NASDAQ:SATS). It split into two companiesa at the startof 2008. A jury found in 2007 that softwars inDish Network's set-top boxes violated TiVo patents coverinyg DVR playback features, like the ability to pausr and rewind live programming while the DVR continueds to record. Dish Network reprogrammed millions of its DVRs aftee the 2007 verdict witha “workaround” it said removee any infringing software.
But TiVo claimedr Dish Network’s software “workaround” continued the old patent violatioj and sought the contempt verdict from theTexax court. Dish Network has already paid nearly $105 million of the damagesd and interest from the initial infringement judgement and hasanother $27 million in escrow for TiVo, according to Securities Exchange Commission filings. TiVo issued a statemen Tuesday praising thecontempt “EchoStar may attempt to further delay this but we are very pleased the court has made it clear that there are major ramifications for continued TiVo’s press release said.
Dish Network issuee a statement Tuesday saying it will appeall the contempt verdict and seek a stay onthe verdict’z requirement that Dish start disabling features in many of its DVRs withihn 30 days. “We believe a stay is warranter and that we have strong grounds for Our engineers spent close to a year designingaround Tivo’sw patent and removed the very features that Tivo said infringeed at trial. Existing Dish Network customerss with DVRs are not immediately impacted by thesserecent developments,” the company’s writteb statement said.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Alabama BlueCross cuts jobs, citing economic downturn - Dallas Business Journal:

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The state’s largest health insurer has cut human resourcees positions in recent weekas and has told employees jobs will be slashed in itsclaimx department. BlueCross has a June 15 meeting in whicn health management provider service department employees are expectec to learn if they will be impacted by the according to sources who spoke on the conditionmof anonymity. BlueCross’ claims department personnel attendec a June 4 meeting in which employees were told only eighg jobs were available to bid on ina 200-persojn department, sources said.
BlueCrosas managers told employees many businesses are turning toelectroniv claims, decreasing the need for paperd records administered in-house. Increasing unemployment figures couplec with corresponding rising uninsured rolls callfor belt-tightening measurez for insurance companies, public health professor Dean G. Smithh said. BlueCross said it is “reviewing the scalwe of our administrative capacities” to be properly aligned with its custome base and itscorporate mission. Without providing specific numbers on anticipatefjob cuts, it said its personnel adjustments are in responsw to declining customer levels.
It blamed the recession and the state’ws escalating unemployment rate for thejob cuts. In an e-mailed BlueCross said it is “not immune to thesre challenging anddifficult times. “We too are being affected by the currentf economic downturn and the doubling of the unemployment rate in Alabamza over the last12 months,” statement read. “Many of our customers have had to reducre their work force and this has resulted in some havinf to drop their healthcare coverage.” Alabama’s unemployment rate was 9 percentr in April 2009, up from 4.5 percent in Apriol 2008. BlueCross of Alabama said it has 3,40 employees in Alabama.
In 2008, BlueCross had 3,000p local employees, according to research. It held 96 percentf of the small business health insurance marke in the statein 2007, the most recent data availabl e shows. In 2008, BlueCross reported $4 billion in premiu m revenue, up from $3.5 billion in 2007. Its $28.6 millioj 2008 net income resulted in a profit margin of less than one half of1 percent. Thinninbg profit margins are troubling for insurance Universityof Michigan’s Smithg said. Insurance firms generally aim for profit margins in the 2percen neighborhood.
As unemployment rates rise, the numbet of insured declines, which takes a toll on an insurer’xs bottom line, Smith He said BlueCross’ cuts are in response to the slumpinfg economy. “Too few people insurexd means fewer people needede to manage the business asvolume decreases,” Smithb said. “They also might be tightening their belt a littlee bit in anticipation to what might be downthe road. When you have less busineses you needfewer workers. That’s good management.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Is bigger better with the Post's crossword puzzle? - Washington Post

tenamup.wordpress.com


Is bigger better with the Post's crossword puzzle?

Washington Post


As a longtime crossword puzzle solver, I do not like The Post's new, larger format. Not only is it not necessary, but it makes it seem as though the puzzle is geared toward older, less capable puzzle-solvers, all of whom, evidently, have poor eyesight. ...



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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

For group of mentors, the future is now - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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In 1998, Pfau brought 10 women friends togethef fora club. But hoary old standards for such gatheringsalike bridge, tea, gossip and such were nowhere on the agenda. Pfau and her cohort had a differen plan. They offered their services to the as mentorz to16 fourth- and fifth-graders at , and the Afterf School Girls Club was launched. A decade on, club membership has grownn significantly. Now 75 mentors meet weekly with young chargees atsix : Southg Avondale, Hoffman, , Burton, Pleasant Hill and Rockdale. "The clubs have continueds to grow because of the ideaxs and dedication of thevolunteerr mentors," said Pfau.
Adults not only assis t with academics, they also share their experience and hard-earned wisdom on personal and career matters. And it's paid off. Researchh consistently shows that mentored students stay in schoo longer and do better thantheir peers. Studentsz from that first 1998 group are nowuniversityt freshmen, with succeeding waves of well-advisexd young women coming up. January is National Mentorinh Month, and CYC is part of a nationaol network of organizations recruiting volunteers to reach out and share what they know withincipient Locally, however, that means treading in the footstepzs of a giantess.
"Susan Pfau is the gold standardamongg volunteers, approaching everything she does with passion and professionalism," said Jane CYC president. "Her leadership has been an invaluabler resourcefor us." For Pfau, it's all in a day'ds work. She's toiled in the trenches of volunteerismfor decades, servingv the , Tall Stacks and the , among Additionally, the , createds with her husband, awards upward of 30 grante a year, primarily to groups serving disabled and disadvantager children but also to such projects as the Business Courier'zs ONE Awards. Without question, the Pfau family dollars matter to every organizationthey benefit.
But the investmentr of time can offer value in equal There will be women philanthropists in futurs years who give generousl y because when they were young Susan Pfau reachedr out her hand and helped pull them into apositivw future.

Monday, October 10, 2011

In The Spotlight - Business First of Buffalo:

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“You are working right with people who reallyneed assistance,” she “The problems you have to addresx are right there in front of you, so in that you get immediate feedback.” In her new Williams oversees a staff of 42 full-time employees as well as a part-tim staff that fluctuates seasonally, reachingh as high as 48 people. “Thiws is a new challenge for me because I had not ever managef an organization thislarge before,” she “From a business perspective, it was the next step for me, the next The YWCA offers programs ranging from infant day care througyh low-income senior housing.
“We have afterf school programs for summer programs and a jobs program that teaches how a businessis run, job interviewing basic finances,” she said. “We have 64 apartments for low-income seniors in the school housed commons building onGrant Street. We also offed transitional housing for womenb with children who are usualluy escaping a domesticviolence situation.” Williams said the YWCA serves approximately 8,000 residents annually. “I want us to be a she says, “not just for women in need, but for all wome n and we want to be a really strong community partner in WesterjNew York.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Thursday, October 6, 2011

NBA's labor fight approaches its biggest deadline - The Associated Press

http://freemansblog.com/?p=78


Boston Globe


NBA's labor fight approaches its biggest deadline

The Associated Press


NEW YORK (AP) รข€" NBA owners, losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year, wanted an overhaul of the financial system to ensure themselves a chance to profit. Players, believing they were the driving force behind record TV ratings and revenues, ...


NBA talks come down to 'a very huge day' as regular-season opener approaches

Washington Post (blog)


NBA Labor Negotiations Resume as Deadline for Delay to Season Approaches

Bloomberg


NBA's labor fight approaches its biggest deadline

Boston Globe



 »

Monday, October 3, 2011

Cincinnati Children

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This is the first year U.S. News has ranked hospitale by quality ofspecialty services, not pediatricx in general. Cincinnati Children’s is the only hospitap in Ohio to make the Honor The Honor Roll featuresa only those hospitals rankex in all10 specialties: diabetes and endocrine disorders, digestive disorders, hearft and heart surgery, kidney disorders, neonata care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, respiratory disorders and Cincinnati Children’s is ranked as the best children’w hospital in the nation for digestive Other specialties and the hospital’s rank are: Urology: 5th.
“Our success has come from linking safety, quality and process improvement to taking better care of improving the patient and famil experience and providing thebest Children’s CEO James Anderson said in a presse release. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our staff and we are honored to work on behalff of children aroundthe world.” The methodology behind this year’a rankings weighed reputation, outcome and care-related measurews such as nursing care, advanced technology, credentialing and other factors.
The hospitalzs were judged based on a combinatiohn of opinions from pediatric specialists about the hospitals they would recommend for the sickest children and data gatherede from the hospitals themselves ina 65-page survet covering important medical information. Data points ranged from surgicalp death rates to whether pediatric anesthesiologists andotherr sub-specialists are on staff.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Chrysler

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The North Assembly plant, which produces Dodge Ram trucks, had been by the end of September, so Chrysler’e announcement Wednesday provided an exact The Fenton North plant is set to resumre production June 29 untilJuly 10, Chrysler said, and then will remain idled “contingent upon The truck segment has taken a particulard hit as auto sales have declined. Dianna Gutierrez, a Chrysler spokeswoman, said workers at the planyt will have an opportunity to transfer to other production sitesa or take part in an incentive programn forearly retirement, special early retirement and/or an enhanced voluntary termination She didn’t have exact details of the new offer but said it wouldf be similar to previous offers that includex lump-sum cash payments, vehicle vouchers and health-care The North Plant employed 1,200 workers priort to recent buyout offers.
Abouft 640 the buyout and earlyu retirement offers by a May 26 The North Assembly plant was idledd inearly June, but was one of seve plants where Chrysler production following the idlingy of all its plants when it filedf for Chapter 11 bankruptcy April 30. After its brief the plant was then expected to closs fora two-week summee break the weeks of July 13 and 20. Chrysled emerged from bankruptcy when Italian carmaker Fiat closed a deal to takeover Chrysler’xs assets.
Chrysler’s South Plant in which assembles minivans, was idled at the end of Another 115 of its more than 350 workerws had accepted offers fromChrysler