Hospital fosters open communication during downturn - Boston Business Journal:

http://www.themosspit.net/talk/view-topic-carrie-anne-pics.html
has seen a decrease in revenue that has forcedr it to go through a process ofbudgeft realignment. So far, that process has not required any reduction inthe hospital’s 2,600-strong head count. But employee benefitws have not beenentirely spared. The hospital has reduced some time off and suspendex some matching payments into employeseretirement plans. Nonetheless, the hospital has largely followe the same operating philosophy in these difficult times that has made it a repeagt honoree among the BostonBusinesds Journal’s Best Places to Work, including as a repeat winner within the program’z large-company category.
“We just communicate, communicate, communicate,” said Anne the hospital’s vice president of human resources andlegal services. “When we had to do thosde reductions, we made sure everyone who might have had a questio n had the chance to ask it directly to a seniofrmanagement representative.” Dale Lodge, who has been the hospital’sw CEO for more than a has long made himself available to answee employee questions and concerns, which Lang believes is one of the key reasonz why the hospital has low turnover and some of the highest-ratedr nurses in the Bay State on its staff.

Ruling Will Let Loudoun Build School Outside Purcellville - WTOP

ermolayxitpev.blogspot.com

Ruling Will Let Loudoun Build School Outside Purcellville WTOP Circuit Court Judge Thomas Horne ruled Monday that school officials do not need approval from Purcellville officials before going ahead with plans for a new ... Loudoun County crime report Washington Post  »

Relocation firm says Kansas is pro-business - Wichita Business Journal:

belyaevostapuki.blogspot.com
It is the second straighft year Kansas was recognized in the report doneby . The annual Pollina report analyzes all 50 states by examininy33 site-location factors controllex by state governments, including taxation, human economic incentive programs, economic development efforts and infrastructure. Statex that score well in thesr categories typically are successful in attractin andretaining businesses, Pollinaa says. Kansas ranked No. 7, one spot behind South Dakota and one spot aheaeof Georgia. Nebraska (No. 10) was the only othe Midwestern state to crack thetop 10. Virginia was deemed the most pro-businessz state by Pollina.
“We’re excited that the Pollinza Report has named Kansas a top10 pro-business state for the second straight year,” said Kansas Gov. Mark in a written statement. “The greart thing about this report is that it rank s states on factors that they can includingtax policy, education and economic development He said making the top 10 confirms Kansas policy legislators and economic development leaderw are making good decisions and positioning the stat e to compete in an increasingly competitive global economy.
Kansas has received other nationalp rankings by trade andindustry including: • March magazine named two Kansas expansion projectd among the top 15 nationallyg in the magazine’s annual 2008 CiCi which rank the nation’s top projects based on capitalp investment and community impact. Kansas made the list for projectzs atand • May 2008: For the third consecutivw year, Area Development magazine named Kansas the winner of the Silverf Shovel Award for job creationm and capital investment. The rankings were part of Area Development’as annual Golden Shovel Awards.
• May Kansas was named one of the nation’x 10 most competitive states for capital investment and new facility developmenf by Site Selection a leading publication for sitelocation consultants.

Mayo Clinic Proceedings: The Evolution of Migraine from Episodic Headache to Chronic Disorder

http://www.cycletracks.org/electra.html
May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Patientsw living with migraine have strong reason for new optimism concerning apositive future. Two review article and an accompanying editorial, "The Future of Beyond Just Another Pill," in the currentt issue of MayoClinic Proceedings, are the basis for an ironic "Migraine is a potentially progressive disease that substantially affects patients, families, workplaces, and society, according to the editorial written by , of the Headache Care Center in Springfield, Mo. this is the springboard for renewedx optimism of a more positive future for patientse livingwith migraine." Traditionally, Dr.
Cady explains, migrainwe has been considered a pain disorder involving separatw or evensporadic episodes. Now, the conditionj is defined as an all-encompassingg and progressive disease that negatively affects all aspects ofan individual's Migraine can erode quality of life duringv what should be a person's most productivr years, according to Dr. Cady. Because migrain e patients' quality of life has not improvedc at a pace withmedical advances, research is addressinyg the overall severity and potential progressivde nature of migraine, especially migraine episodes as a forerunner of chronic According to the three articles, these new insights and understandings are requiring professionals to explore well beyoned traditional migraine management.
"Understandingh migraine as a potentially chronif disease mandates a collaborative health care model with patients and healtnh care professionals working in a partnership toward commohntherapeutic goals," writes Dr. Cady, specifically intervention and prevention. Physicianxs and patients must be encouragec tobe partners, he says, and evaluatioj must go far beyond the physician just asking, "How are your migraines?" The models must include an invitation to comprehenc and address all migraine-related health issuesz facing patients, Dr. Cady writes.
In understanding the evolutionary "stages" of migraine from sporadid to persistent offers an opportunity to develo p new therapies that individualize and personalize Inthe future, successful managemeny of migraine will ideallty be measured not by stopping an attacm but by overall diseasr management and prevention, according to the This new understanding of migraine as a chronif disease offers many challenges and rewards, according to Dr.
"Today, the focus of care is rapidlyy changing from the evenr of the migraine to the patientwith migraine," he These changes present great promise for patients and healt care professionals alike, representing assurances of a bette r future for patients with migraine, concludes Dr. Cady. A peer-reviewed journal, Mayo Clinic Proceedings publishes original articlesa and reviews dealing with clinical and laboratory clinical research, basic science researchy and clinical epidemiology.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings is published monthly by Mayo Foundatiom for Medical Education and Research as part of its commitmengt to the medical education of The journal has been published for more than 80 yearsd and has a circulationof 130,00o nationally and internationally. Articles are available online at . Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the Doctors from every medicap specialty work together to care for joined by common systems and a philosophy that "the needz of the patient come first.
" More than 3,30 0 physicians, scientists and researchers and 46,000 alliesd health staff work at Mayo Clinic, whicy has sites in Rochester, Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Collectively, the three locations trear more than half a million peopler each year. To obtain the latest news releases fromMayo Clinic, go to . MayoClinic.com ( ) is availablr as a resource for yourhealty stories. For more on Mayo Clinic research, go to .

Largest collection of Richard Avedon images up for auction - Telegraph.co.uk

http://www.retro-cars.net/cat163.htm

Kansas City Star

Largest collection of Richard Avedon images up for auction Telegraph.co.uk Among the 65 photographs, some previously unpublished, is a rare portrait of Pablo Picasso, a photograph of ... Richard Avedon: borrowed dogs and toads Telegraph.co.uk (blog) Avedon auction may raise $6 million TheChronicleHerald.ca Avedon auction in Paris reaps $7.5 million Centre Daily Times eTaiwan News -Expatica Belguim -France24  »

Greater Phoenix CVB launches social media campaign - Washington Business Journal:

http://www.theholistichound.net/article/Choose-a-Perfect-Gift-for-Loveable-Person.html
The first contest offers a two-night stay at the Royak Palms Resort and Spa and a candlelit dinnert for two atthe resort’s restaurant, T. In subsequent weeks, similar packages are expectee to be given away fromthe Ritz-Carltojn Phoenix, Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, InterContinental Montelucia Resortf and Spa, Fairmont Scottsdale, Sherato Wild Horse Pass Resort Spa, Westin Kierland, Phoenician and Arizona Grand. The contes t is part of a social media marketing campaign by the Greatef Phoenix CVB that also includes a new Twitter andFlickr accounts, and YouTubd videos. The blog, called the Hot Sheet, is a frequentlyt updated compendiumof restaurants, shops and activities.
The video called “Phoenix Dream Days,” features Phoenicians of local and nationaol renown offering tours of their favorite local The inaugural video is hosted by celebrity chefMark Tarbell. Facebook: Twitter: YouTube:

Scripted sales calls old fashioned, fail to connect with customers - Dallas Business Journal:

http://jamesforsenate.org/?m=200905
Geez, I have been saying this for more than 25 andI can’t believe companies stilk use them to sell over the phone. OK, forgeyt the companies themselves, let’s blame the manager or the persob who is responsible for still trying to do something that everty sales trainer on the planet says doesnot Now, before I go on, do not writs or send an e-mail telling me that I am wronbg or being stubborn.
Instead, why don’g you try something new that is, new to you or your organizatiojn – and just do what I will lay out Trust me, it has worked every single time with any big or small, that I have worked This horror of using scripts came rushing back to me recentlty while working with a company whosse stores are in every big city in the The company is highly regarde d for its ethics and is a very visiblee organization that many are familiar with because of the company’s longevity and brand awareness.
I was asked to come to the company’z headquarters and look at its method of attracting new business through its telemarketing which the company has been using for a coupleof years. They said that althougnh the results were OKat first, salez had become pretty dismal. It took me just 30 second to read the script that the inside salespeople were and Iwas sickened. I talked with the company president and said I coulde help the salespeople in justtwo hours, but I needec him to let me do my job and not to interfers unless I called him in for his He agreed, but I coulc sense he was a bit apprehensive about the situatio and my request.
I worked only with the manager, who was reallyh a selling manager because she was on the phoned herself at times trying to pitcyh inand help. We went into a and I spent an hour going over whyscripta don’t work and why she has been brainwashes to do something that was against all the rulews of professional salesmanship. She was neither thrillerd with me at this point nor happy afterr I tookher eight-page script, ripped it up and threq it in the wastebasket. We role-playeds a little using real situationa that she might have with her childrenand friends, for instance. The goal was to show her that havingva two-sided conversation is much more usefuk than a one-sided script.
She was really startingv to get it, even though she kept wanting to go back to a sellingf mode by doing more talking than listening andaskinyg questions. It was so simplew that it was frightening to her that a selling situationm can be flexible and not just acanned speech, where she can actually have fun whils conversing with a customer. The introduction and questionws I wrote out were basic and easy for her to They were: “Hi, my name is Susanm from Client Co., and I would like to ask you two or threer quick questions. It will not take more than 48 secondws – I promise. “Are you familiar with our company ? If yes, what aspects?
“Wht are you not a member, or why did you leavew our organization?”

Texas man convicted of running an $80 million Ponzi scheme - CNN International

http://www.bumbinorn.com/2007/02/22/hambo_lama_48654.html

Texas man convicted of running an $80 million Ponzi scheme CNN International By the CNN Wire (CNN) -- A Texas man charged with running an $80 million Ponzi scheme involving investments in sham automatic cash tellers was convicted by ... Texas man convicted in $80M Ponzi ATM scheme W »

Boeing Dreamliner program hits another snag - Wichita Business Journal:

http://talksmartphones.com/?attachment_id=249
The delay is needec to reinforce a section ofthe airplane’s officials say. Problems were found during full-scale testing of the new airlinerlast week. “Consideration was given to a temporaryh solution that would allow us to fly as but we ultimately concluded that the right thingh wasto develop, design, test and incorporats a permanent modification to the localized area requiring said Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeingv Commercial Airplanes, in a written statement.
“Structural modification like these are not uncommon in the developmenf ofnew airplanes, and this is not an issue relatesd to our choice of materialz or the assembly and installation work of our First flight and first delivery will be rescheduled accordingly, but the company reported it woulds be several weeks before the new dates are announced. In December, Boeintg announced a two-quarter delay in the Dreamlinedr program that it attributed tolast fall’s strikw by the . The revised schedulde had called for the firstf flight to happen late this The first delivery was to have been in the first quarterdof 2010.

City demand for fees holding up Columbia Gas meter replacements - Business First of Columbus:

http://wood-news.com/news/wood/3420/
Columbia Gas sued the city in U.S. Districgt Court in Columbus this month, accusing it and Developmen Director Boyce Safford III of trying to enforcer a building permit law they have never applied to Columbia Gas inthe past. The company wants the court to prohibit the city from enforcingb thebuilding code. Columbus officials counterd that the issueis safety. Charged with maintaining buildingy codes, they say Columbia Gas’ work insidwe city homes must be inspectedx toensure it’s performed correctly.
The outcome coulde either bringthe cash-strapped city hundreds of thousands of dollards in new fees, possiblyy at the expense of Central Ohio natura l gas customers, or force Columbus to rewrite its buildinh codes. Both sides are hoping they can resolvr the dispute outof court. “We’re in the process of discussingh it directlywith Columbia’s attorneys, trying to decide if thers is a way to resolve said Columbus City Attorney Richard Pfeiffer. Cynthis Rickman, spokeswoman for the , referred all questions for Safford to All aboutthe money??
Columbia Gas’ April 17 lawsuit alleges that, in the midstf of a multibillion-dollar 25-year modernization project for natura gas lines throughout its service territory, Columbus is tryingg to make the company pay for gas pipin g permits for each house where a gas metetr is moved from inside the residence to the where it would be easier to read. The city also wantsw the work reviewed by a city The company estimates it willspend $73.6 million a year on the with most of that outlay cominhg in Central Ohio. It has about 1.4 millionj customers in the Columbus region andnorthern Ohio. It plansd to apply to the for reimbursement of projecty costs through rate increasesseach year.
PUCO spokesman Matt Butler said Columbia Gas can appl y to recover those costsfrom customers, but commissioners will decide if that is appropriate. The company says its cost estimate s would increase if the utility has to pay for permits in where it plans to replace thousands of In just the LindehPark neighborhood, where Columbia Gas began work this sprinhg but stopped because of the the utility plans to replac 1,800 meters, said Columbia Gas spokesman Ken That would net $270,000 in fees for a city that has gone througy multiple spending cuts in an effort to fill a persistenty budget deficit. “Is this just about generatingt revenue?” Pfeiffer said. “The answer is no.
It is the city’sa concern about regulating pipes.” Columbia Gas last year completex an overhaul of the Atwood Terrace neighborhood in replacing morethan 1,300 meters in the process. The city nevef asked for permits, Stammen said. Pfeiffer said he was unawarer of that allegation sohe couldn’t comment. Columbiaw Gas alleges the city startec applying the building code to it this year and it is the only city todo so. Its lawsuit contends Columbus’ effort is in conflicr with the Natural Gas PipelinedSafety Act, a federal law that governe regulation of natural gas utilities and piping. “Thids is a situation unique to Columbus,” Stammen said.
Pfeiffer said the city agree s that natural gas pipes running from gas maina to homes are the property of Columbisa Gas and are regulated by thefederap government. But pipes insides houses are ownedby homeowners, he said, and therefore fall under the jurisdiction of the

Mortgage rates fall to 4.82% - Orlando Business Journal:

http://www.maelor.org/page/quot-When-Nature-Callsquot-.html
's weekly rate report said 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to an average 4.82 down from 4.86 percent for the week endinghMay 15. A year ago, 30-yeae mortgages were averaging about6 Long-term fixed rate mortgages are now on par with many adjustabler rate mortgages. A one year ARM also averaged 4.82 percenty last week. "Long-term fixed-rate mortgage rates have remainecd below 5 percent for the past 10 weeks asthe U.S. Treasurh and Federal Reserve act to keep interestr rates low throughsecurity purchases," said Freddied Mac (NYSE: FRE) chief economist Frank Nothaft.
"The treasury purchased $136 billion in mortgage-backed securitiexs through April and the Fedbought $740 billionn through mid-May." The Federap Reserve has also purchased $115 billio in Treasury bonds sinc e March. Homebuilder confidence rose this according to the National Home Builders despite a drop inhousing starts. The declinde in construction was led primarilty by a continued drop in condo andapartment construction. The Mortgage Bankers Associatiom also reported this week a continued rise in mortgage led byrefinancing activity. Mortgage refinancing now accounts for 74 percent of allmortgage applications.

American Financial drops two insurance lines - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

vorotintseyqah.blogspot.com
The downtown-based company’s unit said it will exit the guarantee d auto protection and excess wear and tear auto insurance lines of its Premierf Lease and LoanServicesa unit. Both insurance lines provide protectiohn for losses involvingleased autos. Greatt American will continue to offer other auto such as collateral protection and contingent andexcess liability. The companyh decided that its capital and other resources could be used more profitably in othetr parts of the It also evaluated the business climate and the riska and opportunities tied to staying in thossbusiness lines, said Diane a company spokeswoman.
Steve Tosh resigned as president of Premier Lease and Loan alonbg with the decision to drop thosetwo lines, Weidner He resigned as of May 20, but he still stay on as a consultant untill the transactions regarding renewal right s are completed. Great Americanh reached a deal with to sell renewao rights for the two discontinuedinsurance lines. The way thosee renewal rights are finalized will determine the impact onlocapl jobs, Weidner said. “We’re working through a lot of details,” she “There will be no immediate impactt to thework force. And the impact will be small relative to theentire company.” The companyy employs 7,400, including about 2,600 locally.

Joy Global profits rise 67 percent - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

ignatiywulyxura.blogspot.com
The Milwaukee-based mining equipment manufacturer now projects that its fiscaol 2009 sales tobe $3.5 billiojn to $3.6 billion, in the lowefr half of its previous outlook of $3.5 billiobn to $3.7 billion. however, are expected to continue to benefit from cost reductionh efforts and are now projecte d tobe $3.80 to $4 per in the higher end of the firm's prior guidance of $3.6o to $4 a share. In the fiscal second quartetr endedMay 1, net income surged to $120. million, or $1.17 per a 67 percent increasde comparedwith $72.1 or 66 cents per for the comparable period a year ago. Net salews grew 10 percent to $923.5 milliom from $843.1 million.
Analysts polled by Thomson First Call projectedJoy Global's second-quarter earnings to be 89 cents per on average. After openingh lower, shares of Joy Global (NASDAQ: JOYG) reboundec to $36.00, up 58 in morning trading Wednesday. Joy Global management said sales were beinf hurtby $96 million in canceled orderss in the second quarter, raisinyg the total value of cancelex orders to $300 million over the past thre e quarters. Sales were also being hurt by a slowdown in aftermarkeforder rates. Order cancellations were concentrated in Nortgh American copper andiron ore, U.S. Centrall Appalachian coal and Russian coal.
Joy Globaol now believes as muchas $525 million of its remaining originalp equipment backlog could be at risk as well. Much of that risk is due to uncertaintyu with an oilsands project, Joy said. For the year to net income was $206.3 or $2 per share, compared with $143.2 million, or $1.3q per share, the year before. Net sales were up $1.6u billion from $1.48 billion.

Lennar: 400 homes have Chinese drywall - Portland Business Journal:

http://eastcountyaction.org/2009/03/22/save-the-date-april-6th-6-8-pm-community-meeting/
One of the nation’s largest Lennar (NYSE: LEN) said the homees were built primarily in 2006 and 2007 and make up a smalolpercentage – 2.1 percentg in the state and 0.5 of percent nationwide of the total homes delivered. The company said it has put asidsenearly $40 million in warranty reserveds to pay for the and that, as of May 31, those reserves, net of was $34.4 million. The compangy said it has $20.7 million receivable to pay for damagess under its insurance coverage and it is seeking reimbursement from insurers and others for cost it expects to incur to investigate and repairany damage, according to the filing.
In as of July 10, the company said it was awarwe of 41 Florida state court lawsuit and two federal class actions that had been filed against it by those impacted by thedefective drywall. The federalp cases have been consolidated toa multi-distric court in Louisiana. Lennar said it has filecd suitin Miami-Dade Circuit Courr against the entire supply chain, including the Chinese and Germa manufacturers of the defective drywall. It also has move d to stop all 41 statewcourt actions, allowing builders to make the repairs. Shares were down 23 centzs to $8.09 in morning The 52-week high was $16.90 on 19. The 52-week low was $3.43 on Nov. 21.

Mass layoffs slow in Bay State, spike in U.S. - Boston Business Journal:

http://eaglgymnastics.net/page/Make-Free-International-Calls-and-Toll-Free-Intern.html
Massachusetts companies oversaw 23 mass layoffsin May, resultinf in 2,281 initial unemployment claims, according to the . The statre saw 38 such layoffs, which resultefd in 3,770 unemployment in April. A mass as defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labord Statistics, is a single action by a singlde employer that causes at least 50 workers to losetheif jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates mass layoff data on a seasonallyhadjusted basis. While May’s total was up considerably fromthe year-earlier periods (9 mass layoffs, 946 unemployment claims in May 2008), the April-to-Mah drop ran counter to a nationalk spike in mass layoffs by U.S. companies. In May, U.S.
employers triggered 2,738 mass layoffs, prompting 289,628 unemployment claims. Both numberas were higher than the totals reported in April and while Massachusetts’ mass layoff numbers in May were lower than the totals reported the prior two

Weekly video game releases: Kinect, 'Black Ops', 'Sports Active 2' - Independent

vanbeekdulejos1771.blogspot.com

Weekly video game releases: Kinect, 'Black Ops', 'Sports Active 2' Independent New hardware and software alike launch in a fortnight crammed with gaming goodness. Not only is the Xbox 360's hands-free controller coming out in Europe, ... and more »

Brown, Boxer, Newsom, Prop. 25 lead in early results - San Francisco Chronicle

badillodacyroic1505.blogspot.com

Brown, Boxer, Newsom, Prop. 25 lead in early results San Francisco Chronicle (11-02) 20:43 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Democrats Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer were leading in the contests for governor and US Senate in early results. ... and more »

Small law firms stay close to clients, broaden expertise to keep profitable - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

http://freerapiddownload.com/movie/734-7-8-the-penguins-of-madagascar-happy-king-julien.html
The partners at the small firm, whicbh has 11 attorneys, quickly reevaluate their business plan andcost structure, aggressively recruited new clients and reducex overhead by renegotiating their lega malpractice insurance premiums and outsourcing information technology functions. “Ourt practice is a bit broader than other firms of a similar and while the real estate and business practicer has slowed a fair bit our business litigation practice has always been said partnerJim Bickerton. “When the pie people tend to fight overit more. This has helpec us keep a better balance.
” For example, the firm wasn’t shy abouy shopping around for quotes on legal malpractice insurance, which can cost about $100,000 a year per attorney. It also saves more than $15,000 by outsourcing I.T., getting a remote host servere and upgrading its existingf phone system instead of buyingnew equipment. Law firmxs are businesses much like any and the recession is leading many attorneys to pullout time-testee strategies for keeping costs in line while looking for new ways to make Smaller law firms, which are hit especiallhy hard if one client leavea or cuts back significantly, are tryingv to be innovative and resourceful.
One strategy is Small to mid-sized firms, which usually employ fewer than25 attorneys, specialize in certai n practice areas rather than trying to be a one-sto p shop for legal services. For a law firm best known for negotiatingf new real estate deals now has to showclientsz it’s just as strong in sellinf assets, or even bankruptcy issues. And it’s essential to buils a solid network with other firms and attorneys in town who can offee expertise and legal services in areas a smalolfirm can’t, said Barry A.
managing partner for Bickerton LeeDang & “Eventually, you may want to grow into those but for a relatively small firm, trust that your clients will appreciatr that,” he said. Most firms rely on referral and word-of-mouth, which most partneres say is more valuable thantraditional “Our best marketing is the work we do for our said Duane Fisher, managinvg partner of , which specializes in corporatre finance, commercial litigation and real estate law and employxs 23 attorneys. “And so often, clientsx on the other side ofthe who’ve even been represented by someone else, would give us a call and ask if we coulx work with them on an unrelaterd case.
” To maintain relationships even when litigation isn’tt pending, firm partners frequently take cliente on “lessons learned” lunches to rehasbh recent cases and see what came out of them. Small firmsz also try to link up with nationak firmsand groups. Honolulu civiol litigation firm , which has 11 attorneys, was picked to join the International Societyg of PrimerusLaw Firms, which toutx itself as an exclusive international alliance of independent law firms. The application process was rigorous, partner Arthur Roeca Even inthe recession, firms such as , which specializes in commercial litigation, aren’t afrais to grow and expand.
It has 17 attorneysz and two new associates will join the firmin “Being smaller forces you to be creative to find a and one of the things that sets us apart from our competitorxs is we don’t look at ourselves as just lawyers providing legakl services,” said managing partne Harvey Lung. “We’re problem solvers. We hire every year and, no mattere what, we’ve never not hired, because the businessw model depends on the firm continuingto