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Gear of the month

Muscle & Fitness, Dec, 2009

One piece of gym equipment every guy needs is an MP3 player. After all, research shows that listening to music that pumps you up can significantly boost your strength and endurance during workouts. But have you ever performed a set of lateral raises only to have an arm get caught on the cord, ripping the earphones out of your ears and sending your MP3 player clattering werner multi purpose ladders across the floor? The solution is Magneat. This powerful magnetic clip attaches to your shirt or pants, so you can wind the excess wire around it and keep it out of your way.

magneat.com

Cracker Barrel Offers Holiday Meals and Memories

Business Wire, Oct 29, 2009

LEBANON, Tenn. — As the holidays approach, you can rely on Cracker Barrel Old Country
Store to make things easier and more comfortable for you and your
family. Cracker Barrels Holiday Seasonal offerings will provide you
with the opportunity to enjoy a break from all the bustle and activity
by sitting down to one of its delicious and satisfying meals. And you
can also bring some of this comfort home to family and friends with
Cracker Barrels traditional country hams, sugar-cured hams, and
fresh-baked whole pies in four appealing flavors.

Breakfast Feature Served All Day!

So you can feel ready for a busy day as the holidays approach, Cracker
Barrel is offering its pleasing Holiday Breakfast Sampler. Celebrate all
the season has to offer by enjoying two eggs, cooked to order,
hickory-smoked bacon, a sausage patty and your choice of country ham or
sugar-cured ham with Cracker Barrel guest-favorite hashbrown casserole,
and delicious fried apples. This comes with sawmill gravy, grits, and,
just for the holidays, your plate includes a sweet cinnamon biscuit
one of Cracker Barrels signature made-from-scratch biscuits, cut in
half, and baked with a cinnamon sugar glaze. The sweet cinnamon biscuit
is a Cracker Barrel tradition that dates back many a year.

If you want something lighter as you prepare to navigate the day, try
the Fresh Fruit n Yogurt Breakfast, a fresh new favorite. It features
low-fat yogurt topped with honey oat granola mix with pecans and almonds
and is served with a cranberry orange muffin, fresh pineapple chunks
hand cut in the Cracker Barrel kitchen, orange slices, a whole Gala
apple, two farm fresh eggs cooked any way you like them, and
thick-sliced hickory smoked bacon or turkey sausage patties. The full
breakfast is $6.99 or for those looking for something lighter, try the
fresh fruit n yogurt platter by itself for $5.99.

Lunch/Dinner Features Served Daily Starting at 11 a.m.

In keeping with the spirit of holidays and memories, Cracker Barrel is
featuring one of its traditional dishes the popular Roast Beef Dinner.
Traditions make this time of year so memorable, and thats why Cracker
Barrel has prepared their thick-cut USDA Choice chuck roast the same way
for years. Its slow roasted in the pot roast tradition with care and
attention until you can cut it with a fork, and its served covered with
delicious beef gravy and your choice of three country vegetables, plus
biscuits or corn muffins.

Or try the Applefest Grilled Chicken Salad, which is a fresh and festive
salad that starts with marinated grilled chicken tenderloin on a bed of
hand-torn iceberg and romaine lettuce. Then Cracker Barrel adds hickory
smoked bacon, honey-glazed pecans, dried cranberries, and chunks of Gala
apples. Its topped with blue cheese crumbles and served with a side of
apple cider vinaigrette, all for $7.99.

After your meal, make the holidays a little sweeter with a slice of a
fresh baked Cracker Barrel pie topped with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Four
delicious flavors are available: Pecan, Chocolate Pecan, Apple Pecan
Streusel, and No Sugar Added Apple (with No Sugar Added Ice Cream). You
can also take home a whole pie or give one as a gift to help celebrate
the holidays. Pies are available through December 24th.

You can carve out more time for family and friends by bringing home a
Cracker Barrel Ham, Traditional Country Ham, or Sugar-Cured Ham; just
heat and serve so you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with
your family and friends.

While youre at Cracker Barrel for a satisfying meal, think about
getting some of your holiday shopping done. You can select hams, whole
pies, and gift baskets for family and friends. There are three different
gift baskets of Cracker Barrel food racheal ray products that start at $14.99, and
you can also select whatever items youd like from the Cracker Barrel
retail store to make your own custom basket. Cracker Barrel offers free
gift wrapping and will take care of shipping your gifts anywhere you
want them sent so you dont have to do all that packing and carrying
yourself

Actually Preventing the Fragmentation Disease

Market Wire, October, 2009

In the field of medicine, disease prevention is
heavily touted. Such prevention runs from the simplicity of washing your
hands to prevent the spread of germs, to complex suiting of workers to
protect them from carcinogenic chemicals. It includes getting regular check
ups at the doctor, as well as a healthy diet from childhood on to prevent
many issues such as early onset diabetes. Medical professionals and health
care organizations alike fully understand the drastic cost differential
between preventative measures and the treatment of disease.

Within the universe of computing, there are diseases as well, and
prevention of them is also of paramount importance. The first that would
probably leap to mind for anyone would be the wide array of computer
viruses. Today, numerous sophisticated methods exist that routinely scan
computers for viruses and eliminate them when found. It is all too well
known that the only “treatment” for unchecked viruses is to wipe the hard
drive clean and start all over again. Again, treatment is vastly more
expensive than prevention to begin with.

Another computer disease that is just as common, and that causes untold
costs in lost performance and IT overtime, is file fragmentation. Left
unaddressed, it quickly mounts, splitting files and free spaces into
thousands or even tens of thousands of pieces. The I/Os needed to read and
write fragmented files take a serious toll on enterprise productivity and
hardware life.

Interestingly, however, prevention of fragmentation has never been
attained. All manner of handling fragmentation after spyzooka the fact has been
implemented. First came manual defrag, which requires copious amounts of IT
overtime. Then came scheduled defrag, which requires less time but still
means precious IT hours spent in finding and implementing schedules. Fully
automatic defrag was then evolved, allowing defragmentation to occur in the
background, saving considerable time and money in the process.

The one factor all of these methods share in common, however, is that they
all address fragmentation after the fact of its occurrence. The problem is
that by the time fragmentation happens, the system has already wasted I/O
resources by writing fragmented files to scattered spaces on the disk.

It is obvious that fragmentation prevention would be far more efficient

Inside an ecovillage: born of aligned ecological values and design, ecovillages are found in over 70 countries around the world

Alternatives Journal, Nov-Dec, 2009 by Jonathan Taggart

THE SEARCH for a humane and sustainable community is likely as old as humankind itself. The modern-day desire for community was most notably characterized by the communal movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which became more focused and organized in the co-housing and ecovillage movements of the mid-1980s. Then, in 1991, Robert and Diane Gilman co-authored a seminal study called “Ecovillages and Sustainable Communities” for Gaia Trust. Today, there are ecovillages in over 70 countries on six continents.

Ecovillages, which can be located in urban or rural areas, are formed and populated by people who share the environmental and social values of sustainability and low-impact living. According to the Global Ecovillage Network, ecovillage residents live out these ideals by integrating “aspects of ecological design, permaculture, ecological building, green production, alternative energy, community building practices and much more.” Many ecovillages, especially in the industrialized North, are intentional communities, where residents seek to align their ecological values with a strong sense of community.

In his 2006 book Ecovillages: New Frontiers for Sustainability, Jonathan Dawson, the former president of the Global Ecovillage Network, lists five ecovillage principles:

1 They are not government-sponsored projects, but grassroots initiatives.

2 Their residents value and practice community living.

3 Their residents are not overly dependent on government, corporate or other centralized sources for water, food, shelter, power and other basic necessities. Rather, they attempt to provide these resources themselves.

4 Their residents have a strong sense of shared values, often characterized in spiritual terms.

5 They often serve as research and demonstration sites, offering educational experiences for others.

Ecovillage projects in Canada include Yarrow Ecovillage, EcoReality Co-op and O.U.R. Ecovillage in British Columbia; La Cite Ecologique de Ham Nord in Quebec; as well as Whole Village in Ontario, the community photographed here.

Author of Finding Community, a book about ecovillages, Diana Leafe Christian is also the editor of Ecovillages, a free online publication www.ecovillagenews.org. She lives at Earthaven Ecovillage in North Carolina. To learn more, visit her website at www.dianaleafechristian.org.

Salt & Earth

WHOLE VILLAGE, a self-described “intentional community,” is located on an 80-hectare farm in Caledon, Ontario, an hour north of Toronto. Some 30 educators, professionals and farmers live in the 11 suites and large common areas comprising Greenhaven, Whole Village’s newly constructed 1400-square-metre, co-operative residence. Ontario’s only ecovillage, Whole Village is its members’ response to a lack of community in our society, and the sacramento homes increasing impoverishment of Ontario’s farmland. Jonathan Taggart lived and worked on the farm for 18 months, while producing his photo-documentary, Salt & Earth. Visit Whole Village’s website at www.wholevillage.org.

Jonathan Taggart is a photojournalist who documents the environmental and cultural issues of Canada’s Pacific coast

A.M. Best Affirms Ratings of Lloyds Syndicate 33

Business Wire, Oct 29, 2009

OLDWICK, N.J. — A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the Bests Syndicate Rating of A
(Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of a of Lloyds
Syndicate 33, which is managed by Hiscox Syndicates Ltd (HSL). At
the same time, A.M. Best has affirmed the ICR of bbb of Hiscox Ltd
(Bermuda), the ultimate parent holding company of the Hiscox group of
companies, including HSL. The outlook for all ratings remains stable.

Syndicate 33s financial strength is supported by the excellent
consolidated risk-adjusted capitalisation of Hiscox Ltd and internal
group reinsurance provided by Hiscox Insurance Company (Bermuda)
Limited (Hiscox Bermuda). Capacity for the syndicates 2009 year of
account is provided by Hiscox Ltds Lloyds corporate member, Hiscox
Dedicated Corporate Member (HDCM) (72.5%) texas auto insurance quotes and third party capital
providers, including traditional Lloyds Names. HDCMs funds at Lloyds
(FAL) requirement for the 2009 year of account is met in part by its GBP
180 million letter of credit facility. For the 2010 year of account, the
syndicates capacity will increase to GBP 1 billion (2009: GBP 750
million), reflecting the weakening of sterling against the U.S

Certain Software Appoints Olivier Delerm as Chief Marketing Officer

Market Wire, October, 2009

Certain Software, Inc., the leading
provider of on-demand and enterprise solutions for the global meetings and events planning industry , announced
Olivier Delerm as new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Olivier joins Certain
Software to lead the company’s global marketing strategy and execution. He
brings over 18 years of marketing and product leadership experience as a
visionary executive in high growth business software companies.

Olivier’s extensive experience includes hands-on responsibility leading
marketing and product marketing organizations spanning from early stage
private companies to public software companies delivering business software
solutions globally. At Siebel Systems (acquired by Oracle), a $1.5B vendor
of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions, herpes dating Olivier was
responsible for launching several major product lines which generated
hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and established the company as
the leader in eBusiness solutions.

Olivier was also vice president of marketing at Airframe Business Software,
an on-demand business software company. Prior to joining Certain, Olivier
was advising a broad range of software companies as the managing partner of
the Delerm Group, a management consulting firm. Earlier in his career, he
was senior director of engineering at Scopus Technology, and led design and
development projects at CERN, the largest nuclear laboratory in the world.

Olivier received his Master in Economy and Finance from IEP and his Master
in Engineering from ENSAM, both in Paris, France.

Peter Micciche, Certain’s Chief Executive Officer, states, “Olivier brings
global enterprise software experience to Certain. He has a proven track
record in developing global strategic marketing initiatives which produce
exceptional business results. His international perspective and experience
will enhance our already strong presence in global markets, and his product
and technology understanding will help lead Certain’s development of
innovative and impactful solutions for the meetings and events industry.”

Certain serves over 1,800 customers, including an international client
roster of large corporations, institutions, and associations, as well as
high profile international events such as the Olympic Games and the United
Nations World Summit. Certain supports customers in over 50 countries and
delivers over 8 million online
registrations per year.

About Certain Software, Inc.

Certain Software is the leading provider of event management solutions for the global
meetings and events industry. Certain’s innovative solutions deliver to
meeting and event professionals streamlined processes, reduced expenses,
greater return on investments, and improved overall value of meetings and
events

Silicon Valley Venture Capitalists Confidence Holds Steady in Q3

Business Wire, Oct 29, 2009

USF Report Reveals Insights From VC Community

SAN FRANCISCO — The Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index for the third
quarter of 2009 registered 3.37 on a 5-point scale, holding exactly
constant from the previous quarters reading of 3.37. The new Q3 reading
indicates a leveling off of venture capitalists confidence in the
future high-growth entrepreneurial environment in the Bay Area after
rising the previous two consecutive quarters following a five-year low
in confidence in Q4 2008. Authored by Mark Cannice, associate professor
at the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Business and
Professional Studies, this quarterly VC Index (Bloomberg ticker
symbol: USFSVVCI) is based on an October 2009 survey of 35 Silicon
Valley venture capitalists.

The predominant sentiment was cautious optimism that duchess of malfi audio books the worst of the
financial crisis and economic decline was behind us and it is time to
put investment capital to work in at least some of the many attractive
new ventures that are seeking funds, explained Dr. Cannice. For
example, Debra Beresini of invencor shared, I am cautiously optimistic
that the worst is over now we have to build confidence In addition,
Joe Mandato of De Novo Ventures indicated, From a virtual standstill,
we have seen glimmers of light and more deals are getting done. Dag
Syrrist of Vision Capital argued that venture investors are reaching
the point where doing nothing is no longer OK.

Cannice acknowledged that the IPO market is still quite slow

With Nokia, Apple Won’t Give an Inch Despite Huge Risks

The news nikon d300s review that Nokia was suing Apple for patent infringement of its wireless technology was, frankly, surprising. And then when it became clear that Nokia probably only wanted about $200 million total, or 1 to 2 percent royalties, it seemed completely insane, as that is almost petty cash to Apple. But then its easy to [...]

GlobalOptions Fraud & SIU Division Helps Deliver 133 Arrests, $1.5M in Restitution

Business Wire, Oct 27, 2009

NEW YORK — During the past 18 months insurance carriers across the country have
suffered billions of dollars in losses due in large part to a
dramatic increase in insurance fraud. Historically, insurance fraud
rises during economic downturns, as consumers find themselves desperate
to relieve some of their financial burden. Suspicious insurance claims
are up in every category (workers compensation, vehicle, arson,
faked damage, etc.) for the first three quarters of 2009 when compared
with figures from the same period last year. With the dramatic rise in
false claims, insurance companies are looking for reliable ways to keep
fraud from increasing.

GlobalOptions
Group, Inc., (NASDAQ: GLOI), a leading provider of global and
domestic risk mitigation services, uses their GlobalTrak
Case Management System to assist clients around the country with the
investigation of fraudulent claims, often leading to the arrest,
prosecution and conviction of individuals seeking to defraud
insurance companies, third-party administrators, legal firms and public
entities. Based on GlobalTraks arrest records, California, Florida, New
York and New Jersey lead the country in insurance fraud arrests:

[Table Omitted]

Other states that have seen arrests and convictions thanks to GlobalTrak
include Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Alabama and Illinois.

As of August 31, 2009, the GlobalTrak system has lead to a total of 133
arrests, 95 convictions and almost $1.5 million
awarded in criminal restitution, saving millions of dollars for
GlobalOptions clients. GlobalOptions routinely partners with insurance
carriers to combat fraudulent claims and has been working diligently
over the past year to stop the increase in insurance fraud. The
GlobalTrak system offers users an integrated web-based communications
platform that allows GlobalOptions clients to track life insurance quotes the status of
investigations in real time, leading to more efficient management of
assignments, evidence and reporting.

The GlobalTrak solution is instrumental in aiding in the investigation
of insurance fraud across the country, says Frank Pinder, President of
GlobalOptions Fraud & SIU division. We are proud to be working with
law enforcement agencies to combat fraud and confident that our
technology continues to streamline the case management process for our
clients and foster increased communication between our clients and our
Special Investigation personnel.

About GlobalOptions Group, Inc.

GlobalOptions, with headquarters in New York City and offices in 16
cities, is an integrated provider of risk mitigation and management
services to government entities, FORTUNE 1000 corporations and high
net-worth and high-profile individuals throughout the world. We enable
clients to identify, assess and prevent natural and man-made threats to
the well-being of individuals and the operations of governments and
corporations. In addition, we assist our clients in recovering from the
damages or losses resulting from the occurrence of acts of terror,
natural disasters, fraud and other risks

On this day

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Oct 27, 2009

October 27, 1964 Plans for Huddersfield Technical College’s new music department had to be scaled back from pounds 98,000 to pounds 80,000 after the Government refused to fund the higher figure 1904: The New York subway opened.

1914: Welsh poet Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea. 1958: The first edition of the BBC television programme Blue Peter was transmitted. 1967: The Queen launched the new Cunard cruise liner, the Queen Elizabeth 2, at a ceremony on the Clydebank. 1971: The Republic of the Congo changed its name to the Republic of Zaire.

1986: It was Big Bang day on the Stock Exchange, the day the money market was deregulated, but the computer failed and a shambles ensued.