Simmons, known for being a major supplier of bedding, is now working on the launch of its new logo and brand new advertisements, as a means of building the brand even further and featuring the Beautyrest line, which will be the primary focus for the company. The national advertisement campaign will have a lot more focus on the Beautyrest brand above everything else.
Simmons first introduced the Beautyrest brand in 1925 and has recently created an entirely new logo for the brand, which has a new tagline that says, “Living Life Fully Charged.” Research showed that consumers want to feel good in the morning, after having a great night sleep on their bed which is where this tagline originates. Simmons wants to extend the Beautyrest brand to targeted consumers, specifically those who are cranky and tired in the morning and they are doing so by stating that the Beautyrest brand will help consumers feel energized, recharged, and simply refreshed when they awake from such a comforting sleep. This is something that consumers want which is what the company plans to do for them. The new changes are based entirely on the preference of the vast majority of consumers.
Simmons is saying that sleeping on a Beautyrest brand bed will help the consumer to recharge, just like a cell phone or computer would need to be recharged when the battery is low. The CEO for Simmons, Gary Fazio, says that this campaign will be the biggest campaign ever for the company. Fazio did not, however, wish to disclose the amount of money spent on the advertisements and campaign.
This new campaign will be focusing primarily on the new Beautyrest line, TruEnergy, which includes the Recharge Sleep System. The Recharge Sleep System comes equipped with memory foam, Beautyrest Pocketed Coil technology, and an AirCool design which allows consumers remain at their ideal temperature.
The Beautyrest logo will also change colors. Traditionally, the logo was all black but will now be black, granite, and blue. The company is working on making a total transformation and changing the logo helped with the approach.
Fazio says, “This is a complete transformation of the company.” Fazio declared. Fazio says that the whole process began toward the end of 2010 and continues even now. The transformation includes a lot of focus on consumers and what they want, along with developing the products and using strategic approaches to marketing the different products that are offered. This is a 360 degree approach, based primarily on what the consumer wants. The Simmons Company has been focusing on what consumers prefer when they go to sleep, products which include memory foam as well as innersprings that are actually preferred over memory foam beds by the consumers.
2012年1月31日 星期二
2012年1月30日 星期一
Warning over coffee husks as bedding
Coffee husks, often recycled into animal bedding, should not be used with horses because of the risk of poisoning, researchers warn.
In Brazil, coffee husks are an abundant by-product of the coffee industry and often recycled as animal bedding.
Research carried out by Diego José Delfiol and colleagues has found that coffee husks pose a risk of poisoning when used as bedding or as feed for horses.
The work, carried out at the of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science - Univ Estadual Paulista (UNESP), at Botucatu, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was prompted by reports that horses had become intoxicated after eating coffee husks used as bedding.
Six clinically normal quarter horse mares were recruited to the study.
They were observed continually, and examined clinically every 12 hours. They were kept in individual stalls and fed a diet of free-access hay.
Each horse was offered two kilograms of coffee husks. Every 12 hours any remaining husks were taken away and weighed and fresh husks were given. This continued until the horses started to show signs of toxicity, at which stage no further husks were given.
The researchers noted that the horses were not very interested in eating coffee husks during the first hours after they were supplied. However, after ingesting the husks for the first time, the animals generally preferred them to hay.
The study, published in BMC Veterinary Research, lists the most evident toxic signs as excitability, restlessness, involuntary muscle tremors, chewing movements and constant tremors of the lips and tongue, excessive sweating and increased respiration and heart rates.
The authors report that, on average, toxic signs appeared 56 hours after exposure to the coffee husks. However, heart rates and respiratory rates rose 36 hours after access to husks, and only returned to normal 60 hours after removal of the husks.
All six horses showed signs of toxicity. The signs resolved once the coffee husks were removed, taking 12 to 40 hours to wear off. No treatment was necessary.
The researchers excluded other possible causes of toxicity by checking there were no insecticides or fungal toxins in the husks. Analysis of samples of coffee husk found the concentration of caffeine concentration to be 0.9%.
They compared blood and urine taken from the horses before, and 56 hours after, exposure to the husks.
They found significant differences between the before and after samples in the concentrations of caffeine in both urine and blood. Caffeine levels found 56 hours later, when clinical signs appeared, were, on average, 3966 times greater in the plasma and 1300 times greater in the urine.
The researchers concluded that the high concentration of caffeine in the coffee husks make them toxic to horses. They warn that coffee husks should not be used as food or bedding material for horses.
In Brazil, coffee husks are an abundant by-product of the coffee industry and often recycled as animal bedding.
Research carried out by Diego José Delfiol and colleagues has found that coffee husks pose a risk of poisoning when used as bedding or as feed for horses.
The work, carried out at the of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science - Univ Estadual Paulista (UNESP), at Botucatu, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was prompted by reports that horses had become intoxicated after eating coffee husks used as bedding.
Six clinically normal quarter horse mares were recruited to the study.
They were observed continually, and examined clinically every 12 hours. They were kept in individual stalls and fed a diet of free-access hay.
Each horse was offered two kilograms of coffee husks. Every 12 hours any remaining husks were taken away and weighed and fresh husks were given. This continued until the horses started to show signs of toxicity, at which stage no further husks were given.
The researchers noted that the horses were not very interested in eating coffee husks during the first hours after they were supplied. However, after ingesting the husks for the first time, the animals generally preferred them to hay.
The study, published in BMC Veterinary Research, lists the most evident toxic signs as excitability, restlessness, involuntary muscle tremors, chewing movements and constant tremors of the lips and tongue, excessive sweating and increased respiration and heart rates.
The authors report that, on average, toxic signs appeared 56 hours after exposure to the coffee husks. However, heart rates and respiratory rates rose 36 hours after access to husks, and only returned to normal 60 hours after removal of the husks.
All six horses showed signs of toxicity. The signs resolved once the coffee husks were removed, taking 12 to 40 hours to wear off. No treatment was necessary.
The researchers excluded other possible causes of toxicity by checking there were no insecticides or fungal toxins in the husks. Analysis of samples of coffee husk found the concentration of caffeine concentration to be 0.9%.
They compared blood and urine taken from the horses before, and 56 hours after, exposure to the husks.
They found significant differences between the before and after samples in the concentrations of caffeine in both urine and blood. Caffeine levels found 56 hours later, when clinical signs appeared, were, on average, 3966 times greater in the plasma and 1300 times greater in the urine.
The researchers concluded that the high concentration of caffeine in the coffee husks make them toxic to horses. They warn that coffee husks should not be used as food or bedding material for horses.
2012年1月29日 星期日
Expert teams aid dairy farmers in company management
Faced with recurring incidences of mastitis among his herd, Kewaunee County dairy farmer Tony Knorn used a federally funded state program to draw upon the collective knowledge of industry experts to help solve the problem.
Knorn — who owns Junion Homestead Farm with his wife, Peggy, in the town of Luxemburg, and milks about 150 cows — tapped into the Grow Wisconsin Dairy Farm Management Team program.
The program pulls together experts from the field — from livestock specialists and veterinarians, to lenders and dairy equipment manufacturers — to help the state's dairy farmers develop long-term strategies and solutions to help operations thrive in the dairy business, a $26.5 billion industry in the state.
"We probably had eight to 10 people at the meetings," Knorn said last week. "We'd try to come up with an idea of what we thought might be wrong and what we could start to focus on."
The program is offered by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and a joint venture of several agencies including the University of Wisconsin-Extension and state technical colleges
The on-farm team program was started in fall 2009, growing out of a U.S. Department of Agriculture dairy business initiative launched in 2004. It's funded by a mix of federal, state and dairy industry money, said Nicole Breunig, a marketing consultant at DATCP.
The program provides up to $2,000 in cost-sharing to pay for consultant fees and testing related to the topic at hand.
"The program is designed to help farmers look at farm growth, financial success and long-term sustainability," she said. "We wanted a program that was very customizable so a farmer could tap the consultants he needed to work with based on the issue he was experiencing."
Other teams have looked at long-term business planning and transitioning the farm to other family members, production practices, herd health and the viability of expanding an operation or changing the operating structure, Breunig said.
More than 90 farms statewide have been enrolled in the ongoing program, she said.
While the state's milk production "continues to grow, our dairy processors still need more milk," Breunig said. "Ten percent of the milk needed by processors is brought in from out of state because we just don't make enough. It's about helping our dairy farmers combat low milk prices, be profitable and grow milk production to meet the demand of our dairy processors."
That in turn bolsters the overall dairy industry and the state's economy.
In 2010, Aerica Bjurstrom, agricultural agent with Kewaunee County UW-Extension, orchestrated the monthly meetings, which are now quarterly, on the Knorn farm.
"A lot of people were really interested in helping and being part of this," she said. "That's what a lot of them do … they work with the farmer to improve production and improve profitability. The group changed from month to month, but we had a core group."
Bjurstrom said the program allows experts and producers to find solutions through a focused effort, though it can take several meetings before the group hones in on a clear direction leading to action.
"It's something that has to develop over time," she said. "Everybody has to find their place in the group and add their expertise."
Mastitis is an inflammatory reaction in a cows udder caused by an infection that increases the somatic cell count of milk produced by the cow. A higher somatic cell count translates into less money paid for the milk produced by that animal.
The group first had to pinpoint where the issue was. After determining it wasn't feeding or milking procedures, focus turned to the barn.
Knorn — who owns Junion Homestead Farm with his wife, Peggy, in the town of Luxemburg, and milks about 150 cows — tapped into the Grow Wisconsin Dairy Farm Management Team program.
The program pulls together experts from the field — from livestock specialists and veterinarians, to lenders and dairy equipment manufacturers — to help the state's dairy farmers develop long-term strategies and solutions to help operations thrive in the dairy business, a $26.5 billion industry in the state.
"We probably had eight to 10 people at the meetings," Knorn said last week. "We'd try to come up with an idea of what we thought might be wrong and what we could start to focus on."
The program is offered by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and a joint venture of several agencies including the University of Wisconsin-Extension and state technical colleges
The on-farm team program was started in fall 2009, growing out of a U.S. Department of Agriculture dairy business initiative launched in 2004. It's funded by a mix of federal, state and dairy industry money, said Nicole Breunig, a marketing consultant at DATCP.
The program provides up to $2,000 in cost-sharing to pay for consultant fees and testing related to the topic at hand.
"The program is designed to help farmers look at farm growth, financial success and long-term sustainability," she said. "We wanted a program that was very customizable so a farmer could tap the consultants he needed to work with based on the issue he was experiencing."
Other teams have looked at long-term business planning and transitioning the farm to other family members, production practices, herd health and the viability of expanding an operation or changing the operating structure, Breunig said.
More than 90 farms statewide have been enrolled in the ongoing program, she said.
While the state's milk production "continues to grow, our dairy processors still need more milk," Breunig said. "Ten percent of the milk needed by processors is brought in from out of state because we just don't make enough. It's about helping our dairy farmers combat low milk prices, be profitable and grow milk production to meet the demand of our dairy processors."
That in turn bolsters the overall dairy industry and the state's economy.
In 2010, Aerica Bjurstrom, agricultural agent with Kewaunee County UW-Extension, orchestrated the monthly meetings, which are now quarterly, on the Knorn farm.
"A lot of people were really interested in helping and being part of this," she said. "That's what a lot of them do … they work with the farmer to improve production and improve profitability. The group changed from month to month, but we had a core group."
Bjurstrom said the program allows experts and producers to find solutions through a focused effort, though it can take several meetings before the group hones in on a clear direction leading to action.
"It's something that has to develop over time," she said. "Everybody has to find their place in the group and add their expertise."
Mastitis is an inflammatory reaction in a cows udder caused by an infection that increases the somatic cell count of milk produced by the cow. A higher somatic cell count translates into less money paid for the milk produced by that animal.
The group first had to pinpoint where the issue was. After determining it wasn't feeding or milking procedures, focus turned to the barn.
2012年1月19日 星期四
Colwyn Bay shops closing
THE recession has hit several stores in Colwyn Bay as the town has lost three prominent shops in the town centre with another closing in March.
Peacock’s on the corner of Station Road and Conway Road is also under threat as the national chain faces administration.
Last week Dorothy Perkins’ and Burtons’ shared store in the Bay View centre closed, as has the Arkwright’s discount shopping store on Penrhyn Road, as well as Linney Cooper carpet and upholstery cleaners on Abergele Road.
Linney Cooper’s Craig-y-Don shop will remain open.
Home Curtains and Bedding on Sea View Road, managed from Manchester, is also holding a closing down sale before shutting in March.
The Weekly News contacted all businesses, which either declined or were unavailable for comment.
A spokeswoman for Peacock’s did comment: “The board of the Peacock Group and its advisers have been discussing for some time the restructuring of the business with the group’s lenders.
“Unfortunately these talks have now concluded and no agreement has been reached. However, discussions with other potential investors are ongoing. To protect the business whilst discussions with investors are progressed, the directors of the Peacock Group have filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator.”
Phil and Margaret Andrews run the Colwyn Bay Pet and Aquatics store on Sea View Road and said many shops in the town were struggling to compete with larger national chains.
“You can’t stop it, it’s just the way it is at the moment all over the country,” said Phil.
“There is no answer to it, Llandudno is the same. The problem in Colwyn Bay is there are no big shops to pull people.”
Margaret added: “If people used the little shops instead of the big Morrison’s and Tesco the high street wouldn’t disappear.”
Nick Twigg is the franchise holder of Cash Generator on Sea View Road and has reported a very successful pre- and post- Christmas trade. However, Nick said other shops were struggling due to high business rates set by the Welsh Government.
“It is not a surprise, people are struggling with business rates,” he said.
“Rents are coming down, but business rates haven’t yet. Business rates are supposed to be reflective of the rentable value, and although rents are coming down, rates are not following.”
COLWYN Bay’s town centre manager Ingrid Lewis said several schemes in around the town were helping to promote both existing and new businesses in the town centre.
She also pointed to the millions of pounds of investment in the town as part of the ongoing regeneration project.
“With street works undertaken, additional works planned and with an active business support programme that encourages new starts-ups and provides information and advice to existing businesses and a new radio link service directly to the town’s CCTV, the town’s retail future is positive,” she said.
“Colwyn Bay’s Masterplan has given Colwyn Bay a focus, which should see the town develop and thrive in the years to come.”
Peacock’s on the corner of Station Road and Conway Road is also under threat as the national chain faces administration.
Last week Dorothy Perkins’ and Burtons’ shared store in the Bay View centre closed, as has the Arkwright’s discount shopping store on Penrhyn Road, as well as Linney Cooper carpet and upholstery cleaners on Abergele Road.
Linney Cooper’s Craig-y-Don shop will remain open.
Home Curtains and Bedding on Sea View Road, managed from Manchester, is also holding a closing down sale before shutting in March.
The Weekly News contacted all businesses, which either declined or were unavailable for comment.
A spokeswoman for Peacock’s did comment: “The board of the Peacock Group and its advisers have been discussing for some time the restructuring of the business with the group’s lenders.
“Unfortunately these talks have now concluded and no agreement has been reached. However, discussions with other potential investors are ongoing. To protect the business whilst discussions with investors are progressed, the directors of the Peacock Group have filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator.”
Phil and Margaret Andrews run the Colwyn Bay Pet and Aquatics store on Sea View Road and said many shops in the town were struggling to compete with larger national chains.
“You can’t stop it, it’s just the way it is at the moment all over the country,” said Phil.
“There is no answer to it, Llandudno is the same. The problem in Colwyn Bay is there are no big shops to pull people.”
Margaret added: “If people used the little shops instead of the big Morrison’s and Tesco the high street wouldn’t disappear.”
Nick Twigg is the franchise holder of Cash Generator on Sea View Road and has reported a very successful pre- and post- Christmas trade. However, Nick said other shops were struggling due to high business rates set by the Welsh Government.
“It is not a surprise, people are struggling with business rates,” he said.
“Rents are coming down, but business rates haven’t yet. Business rates are supposed to be reflective of the rentable value, and although rents are coming down, rates are not following.”
COLWYN Bay’s town centre manager Ingrid Lewis said several schemes in around the town were helping to promote both existing and new businesses in the town centre.
She also pointed to the millions of pounds of investment in the town as part of the ongoing regeneration project.
“With street works undertaken, additional works planned and with an active business support programme that encourages new starts-ups and provides information and advice to existing businesses and a new radio link service directly to the town’s CCTV, the town’s retail future is positive,” she said.
“Colwyn Bay’s Masterplan has given Colwyn Bay a focus, which should see the town develop and thrive in the years to come.”
2012年1月18日 星期三
A child's room that grows as well
When it comes to children's rooms, we always want to make them the most enjoyable haven we can offer. But have you found yourself changing the décor more often than you would like?
Perhaps it is because children grow through different phases of favorite things and favorite colors. One day your little girl is into Disney fairies, then suddenly and way too soon she's into the latest rock star. Your little boy might have loved everything Disney but has abruptly decided that it is all baby stuff and he wants something more mature. It can be expensive to constantly change the rooms. Let's see if we can come up with some transitional ideas that will make your life easier and still keep the children happy.
To start off, purchase a crib that converts to fit a toddler. There are even kits for cribs that can "grow" to accommodate a teen. Be sure to buy quality furniture if you intend to use it for many years. As they say, you get what you pay for.
What about colors? You know that a young child's favorite hue now may not be later. Instead of doing the entire room in that special purple or red, consider painting the walls a traditional neutral and bring in the favorite color du jour in the bedding and throw rugs. If you find an affordable bedspread in your child's go-to color/character, go for it. Otherwise, keep that a traditional neutral and add to the favorite color with throw pillows in addition to the bedding and rugs.
Storage is really important. Consider the treasured toys, consider the fun things the kids will make in school that must be displayed, consider the special stuffed animal that they might just keep and take to college. What do you do with all this? A bookcase or shelves on the wall allow storage and display at the same time. A wall can be designated as the shelf wall. If there isn't enough room, line the room with one or two rows of shelves close to the ceiling.
What about walls? Removable peel-and-stick wall art might be the answer.
With these suggestions, you can enjoy each phase of a child's "favorites"without breaking the bank.
Perhaps it is because children grow through different phases of favorite things and favorite colors. One day your little girl is into Disney fairies, then suddenly and way too soon she's into the latest rock star. Your little boy might have loved everything Disney but has abruptly decided that it is all baby stuff and he wants something more mature. It can be expensive to constantly change the rooms. Let's see if we can come up with some transitional ideas that will make your life easier and still keep the children happy.
To start off, purchase a crib that converts to fit a toddler. There are even kits for cribs that can "grow" to accommodate a teen. Be sure to buy quality furniture if you intend to use it for many years. As they say, you get what you pay for.
What about colors? You know that a young child's favorite hue now may not be later. Instead of doing the entire room in that special purple or red, consider painting the walls a traditional neutral and bring in the favorite color du jour in the bedding and throw rugs. If you find an affordable bedspread in your child's go-to color/character, go for it. Otherwise, keep that a traditional neutral and add to the favorite color with throw pillows in addition to the bedding and rugs.
Storage is really important. Consider the treasured toys, consider the fun things the kids will make in school that must be displayed, consider the special stuffed animal that they might just keep and take to college. What do you do with all this? A bookcase or shelves on the wall allow storage and display at the same time. A wall can be designated as the shelf wall. If there isn't enough room, line the room with one or two rows of shelves close to the ceiling.
What about walls? Removable peel-and-stick wall art might be the answer.
With these suggestions, you can enjoy each phase of a child's "favorites"without breaking the bank.
2012年1月17日 星期二
Busy lizzy shortage due to disease
Britain’s gardens and hanging baskets may look rather less colourful this year due to a shortage of busy lizzies that mean garden centres, including B&Q and Homebase, will no longer be selling the perennial favourite.
The bedding plants, that come in an array of colours but mainly purples and pinks, have almost been wiped out by a virulent new disease.
In order to stop the fungicide-resistant infection spreading further the main garden centres, including B&Q and Homebase, are not stocking the busy lizzies this year.
It is hoped this will give time to botanists to find a cure to Impatiens Downy Mildew so that busy lizzies once again adorn our borders and baskets once again.
In the meantime gardeners are going to have to find alternatives.
Alan Titchmarsh, the BBC presenter of programmes including Gardener’s World, recommended geraniums, begonias, petunias or marigolds.
“Busy Lizzies are a favourite of many gardeners and hopefully by taking this step the industry can take time to understand and control the problem. In the meantime there are some great alternatives available that will add a splash of colour and grow well in partial shade, such as Begonias, now available in a wider range of leaf and flower colour than ever before. In time I’m sure we will grow to love them just as much.”
B&Q and Homebase usually sell about 35 million busy Lizzies a year, making it the UK's bestselling bedding plant.
But since 2003 the plants have been hit by a disease that makes the leaves go yellow and fall off.
It is thought the infection was imported from cuttings and has now become resistant to strongest fungicides.
It first appears as a white felt-like powder on the underside of leaves and spreads on airborne spores.
The Royal Horticultural Society is advising gardeners who will continue to plant busy Lizzies this
summer to destroy any plants displaying symptoms immediately.
Experts suggest they should also avoid replanting busy lizzies in the same ground for at least a year.
A spokesman said: "We have printed information in our catalogues on how to look after your busy Lizzies to help avoid downy mildew and we are also offering alternatives to them.
"We just felt that it is better to give the consumer all the information so that they can make their own choice as to whether they still buy them or not."
The bedding plants, that come in an array of colours but mainly purples and pinks, have almost been wiped out by a virulent new disease.
In order to stop the fungicide-resistant infection spreading further the main garden centres, including B&Q and Homebase, are not stocking the busy lizzies this year.
It is hoped this will give time to botanists to find a cure to Impatiens Downy Mildew so that busy lizzies once again adorn our borders and baskets once again.
In the meantime gardeners are going to have to find alternatives.
Alan Titchmarsh, the BBC presenter of programmes including Gardener’s World, recommended geraniums, begonias, petunias or marigolds.
“Busy Lizzies are a favourite of many gardeners and hopefully by taking this step the industry can take time to understand and control the problem. In the meantime there are some great alternatives available that will add a splash of colour and grow well in partial shade, such as Begonias, now available in a wider range of leaf and flower colour than ever before. In time I’m sure we will grow to love them just as much.”
B&Q and Homebase usually sell about 35 million busy Lizzies a year, making it the UK's bestselling bedding plant.
But since 2003 the plants have been hit by a disease that makes the leaves go yellow and fall off.
It is thought the infection was imported from cuttings and has now become resistant to strongest fungicides.
It first appears as a white felt-like powder on the underside of leaves and spreads on airborne spores.
The Royal Horticultural Society is advising gardeners who will continue to plant busy Lizzies this
summer to destroy any plants displaying symptoms immediately.
Experts suggest they should also avoid replanting busy lizzies in the same ground for at least a year.
A spokesman said: "We have printed information in our catalogues on how to look after your busy Lizzies to help avoid downy mildew and we are also offering alternatives to them.
"We just felt that it is better to give the consumer all the information so that they can make their own choice as to whether they still buy them or not."
2012年1月16日 星期一
Officials stress safety when using alternate heating sources
With several local fires in recent weeks — two of which were fatal — attributed to heating devices, officials want to remind residents of ways to safely stay warm during the winter season.
New Haven resident Adrian Richardson Jr. died in his home last week in a fire that police believe started in a woodstove or its piping. On Dec. 14, another Oswego County man, Richard Sawyer, died in his Hannibal home after a possible heating device caused the blaze.
Other area fires attributed to space heaters include a Volney apartment fire near the Minetto Bridge on Nov. 12. Volney Fire Chief Ed Weldin said investigators believe that fire was caused by a space heater plugged into an extension cord in one of the building’s downstairs apartments. That building was declared a total loss. A house fire in the city of Oswego at 41 John St., on Dec. 5, was also attributed to a space heater.
According to the most recent data provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the commission estimates that space heaters, including both fixed and portable heaters, are associated with about 21,800 residential fires every year. About 300 people die each year in fires started by these heaters.
”We’re still seeing too many space heater fires,” said CPSC former chairman Thomas Moore in an agency news release on space heater safety. “While CPSC has worked hard with industry to improve safety standards for space heaters, consumers must exercise care in their purchase and use.”
Oswego City Fire Chief Jeffrey McCrobie believes there is a safe way to use portable space heaters, if homeowners follow common sense and read the instructions and the owner’s manual that come with the appliance. “You may be in a jam where you need a portable heating source for a while,” he said, “but it doesn’t mean do it all the time. You’re asking for trouble like that. … They put off an awful lot of heat for a small device. They’re just not meant to be used long term.
“In the right place, for the right purpose and for the right amount of time, also,” the chief added. “If you’re waiting until the furnace is fixed, call the repairman today. Don’t wait three weeks to get it fixed. Within the realm of what they are supposed to be used for, they are fine. Basically it comes down to common sense and proper use.
“Stick to the what the directions say and common sense,” McCrobie said. “If you shouldn’t leave a candle burning, why would you leave a portable heating device on? It’s important to know what you’re doing with it.”
McCrobie noted that portable heaters, space heaters and temporary heaters are made these days with an automatic shut-off when they get tipped over. Despite the safety mechanisms built in, the chief said, “It would be smart not to leave them unattended.”
He stressed that the user should know how far away the device should be from anything combustible.
McCrobie urges users to read the owner’s manual so they can follow the recommended clearance and usage. “It’s common sense. You would almost think that you didn’t have to tell someone to keep their gloves off the heater,” the fire chief added. “But when the instructions say keep it away from combustibles, you shouldn’t be putting your gloves on top of it.”
The CPSC offers the following safety tips for buying and using space heaters:
Select a space heater with a guard around the flame area or heating element. Place the heater on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep the heater at least three feet from bedding, drapes, furniture or other flammable materials.
Choose a space heater that has been tested and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. These heaters meet specific safety standards.
Keep doors open to the rest of the house if you are using an unvented fuel-burning space heater. This helps prevent pollutant build up and promotes proper combustion. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to provide sufficient combustion air to prevent carbon monoxide production.
Never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep. Never place a space heater close to any sleeping person.
Turn the space heater off if you leave the area. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
Have a smoke detector with fresh batteries on each level of the house and a carbon monoxide detector outside your sleeping area.
Be aware that mobile homes require specially designed heating equipment. Only electric or vented fuel-fired heaters should be used.
Have gas and kerosene space heaters inspected annually.
The Port City’s Code Enforcement Director Neal Smith advises residents that, according to the city code, kerosene heaters are not allowed in any structure except for use by owners of one- and two-family dwellings. “Homeowners who want to have a vented kerosene heater, they can do so,” Smith said. But he warned, “Any type of fossil fuel-burning device that is not vented is, in my view, problematic because you have the powers of combustion in your living space.”
Adding to the CPSC recommendations, he said kerosene heaters have to be approved and listed with an independent testing lab such as the Universal Laboratory (UL).
Smith noted that, in the city, the use of electric heaters has different rules. “I couldn’t find any language saying that they are not allowed. just says that heating appliances shall be listed and shall comply with this section: The heating element or combustion chamber shall be permanently guarded so as to prevent accidental contact by persons or materials,” Smith said. “I think the issue with portable electric heating appliances is the fact that because their is so high, they overload the electrical circuits in the building. It’s not so much the device … under certain circumstances if the building has a large electrical capacity you could use them safely. The danger here is that people use these in buildings that are not adequately wired to accommodate them electrically. They draw a lot of power. The cords get hot.”
“(Electric heaters) should be plugged in to a dedicated wall outlet with just the grounded cord,” Smith noted. “Unfortunately many times people use extension cords. The longer the extension cord, the hotter they’re going to get … extension cords are supposed to be temporary. That is in the code.”
Smith also warns not to run appliance cords or extension cords under rugs. “Do not use an extension cord, I’d like to emphasize that,” he said.
Housing inspector Pat Kelly noted that electric space heaters should never be left on when no one is home to monitor them. “Keep them away from clutter and combustibles,” she said. “Do some research on the heater you buy and make sure it’s good quality.”
The CPSC also warns consumers to be aware that older space heaters might not meet the newer safety standards. An automatic shut-off device is now required, which turns off electric or kerosene heaters if they tip over. More permanent shielding or guarding around the heating coils of electric heaters and the burner of kerosene heaters also is required.
New Haven resident Adrian Richardson Jr. died in his home last week in a fire that police believe started in a woodstove or its piping. On Dec. 14, another Oswego County man, Richard Sawyer, died in his Hannibal home after a possible heating device caused the blaze.
Other area fires attributed to space heaters include a Volney apartment fire near the Minetto Bridge on Nov. 12. Volney Fire Chief Ed Weldin said investigators believe that fire was caused by a space heater plugged into an extension cord in one of the building’s downstairs apartments. That building was declared a total loss. A house fire in the city of Oswego at 41 John St., on Dec. 5, was also attributed to a space heater.
According to the most recent data provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the commission estimates that space heaters, including both fixed and portable heaters, are associated with about 21,800 residential fires every year. About 300 people die each year in fires started by these heaters.
”We’re still seeing too many space heater fires,” said CPSC former chairman Thomas Moore in an agency news release on space heater safety. “While CPSC has worked hard with industry to improve safety standards for space heaters, consumers must exercise care in their purchase and use.”
Oswego City Fire Chief Jeffrey McCrobie believes there is a safe way to use portable space heaters, if homeowners follow common sense and read the instructions and the owner’s manual that come with the appliance. “You may be in a jam where you need a portable heating source for a while,” he said, “but it doesn’t mean do it all the time. You’re asking for trouble like that. … They put off an awful lot of heat for a small device. They’re just not meant to be used long term.
“In the right place, for the right purpose and for the right amount of time, also,” the chief added. “If you’re waiting until the furnace is fixed, call the repairman today. Don’t wait three weeks to get it fixed. Within the realm of what they are supposed to be used for, they are fine. Basically it comes down to common sense and proper use.
“Stick to the what the directions say and common sense,” McCrobie said. “If you shouldn’t leave a candle burning, why would you leave a portable heating device on? It’s important to know what you’re doing with it.”
McCrobie noted that portable heaters, space heaters and temporary heaters are made these days with an automatic shut-off when they get tipped over. Despite the safety mechanisms built in, the chief said, “It would be smart not to leave them unattended.”
He stressed that the user should know how far away the device should be from anything combustible.
McCrobie urges users to read the owner’s manual so they can follow the recommended clearance and usage. “It’s common sense. You would almost think that you didn’t have to tell someone to keep their gloves off the heater,” the fire chief added. “But when the instructions say keep it away from combustibles, you shouldn’t be putting your gloves on top of it.”
The CPSC offers the following safety tips for buying and using space heaters:
Select a space heater with a guard around the flame area or heating element. Place the heater on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep the heater at least three feet from bedding, drapes, furniture or other flammable materials.
Choose a space heater that has been tested and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. These heaters meet specific safety standards.
Keep doors open to the rest of the house if you are using an unvented fuel-burning space heater. This helps prevent pollutant build up and promotes proper combustion. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to provide sufficient combustion air to prevent carbon monoxide production.
Never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep. Never place a space heater close to any sleeping person.
Turn the space heater off if you leave the area. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
Have a smoke detector with fresh batteries on each level of the house and a carbon monoxide detector outside your sleeping area.
Be aware that mobile homes require specially designed heating equipment. Only electric or vented fuel-fired heaters should be used.
Have gas and kerosene space heaters inspected annually.
The Port City’s Code Enforcement Director Neal Smith advises residents that, according to the city code, kerosene heaters are not allowed in any structure except for use by owners of one- and two-family dwellings. “Homeowners who want to have a vented kerosene heater, they can do so,” Smith said. But he warned, “Any type of fossil fuel-burning device that is not vented is, in my view, problematic because you have the powers of combustion in your living space.”
Adding to the CPSC recommendations, he said kerosene heaters have to be approved and listed with an independent testing lab such as the Universal Laboratory (UL).
Smith noted that, in the city, the use of electric heaters has different rules. “I couldn’t find any language saying that they are not allowed. just says that heating appliances shall be listed and shall comply with this section: The heating element or combustion chamber shall be permanently guarded so as to prevent accidental contact by persons or materials,” Smith said. “I think the issue with portable electric heating appliances is the fact that because their is so high, they overload the electrical circuits in the building. It’s not so much the device … under certain circumstances if the building has a large electrical capacity you could use them safely. The danger here is that people use these in buildings that are not adequately wired to accommodate them electrically. They draw a lot of power. The cords get hot.”
“(Electric heaters) should be plugged in to a dedicated wall outlet with just the grounded cord,” Smith noted. “Unfortunately many times people use extension cords. The longer the extension cord, the hotter they’re going to get … extension cords are supposed to be temporary. That is in the code.”
Smith also warns not to run appliance cords or extension cords under rugs. “Do not use an extension cord, I’d like to emphasize that,” he said.
Housing inspector Pat Kelly noted that electric space heaters should never be left on when no one is home to monitor them. “Keep them away from clutter and combustibles,” she said. “Do some research on the heater you buy and make sure it’s good quality.”
The CPSC also warns consumers to be aware that older space heaters might not meet the newer safety standards. An automatic shut-off device is now required, which turns off electric or kerosene heaters if they tip over. More permanent shielding or guarding around the heating coils of electric heaters and the burner of kerosene heaters also is required.
2012年1月15日 星期日
Big dry, big wet, now a big wait and the pub's dry
SKIPTON residents, who watched in horror as floodwater drowned dozens of homes and businesses in the western Victorian town last January, never thought they would complain of being dry.
But with the town's only pub - the Skipton Hotel, built in the 1850s - still closed 12 months on, the community is yearning for the return of their much-loved watering hole.
''It's not just about having somewhere to go and drink,'' says Carmel Molloy, who has lived in the town of 600, 50 kilometres west of Ballarat, for the past 45 years. ''It was a place where people got together to talk and de-stress and support each other.
''It's true that the pub is the heart and soul of a country town … Without it, the town feels half dead,'' she says.
Publican Josh Nixon, also the owner of the bluestone building extensively damaged when water from the swollen Mount Emu Creek rose 1.5 metres, is still wrestling with the red tape involved in rebuilding a 150-year-old building to meet modern-day building regulations.
''It's been a very frustrating process,'' he says. ''People ask us every day when it is going to re-open. They really miss the place.''
Mr Nixon is hopeful the pub will open by August. In the meantime, the local footy club is trying to fill the void: For the past year, it has enlisted volunteers to serve meals and drinks on a Friday night.
''We had to do something,'' says John Peters, vice-president of the Skipton Football Netball Club. ''We were concerned if there was no meeting place for the locals, the town would die.''
They now serve between 30 and 80 meals each week, he says. ''People love it. They have a couple of grogs and a decent feed and, most importantly, they get to talk to each other.''
Ben Osborne, who owns the eel factory in Skipton, is still rebuilding 12 months on. The eel farmer lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and stock when the water swept through his factory, taking 3000 eels with it.
Mr Osborne and his wife, Laura, are also building a new home after their newly built one fell victim to the floods.
''It's quite ironic that we had been waiting 15 years for the drought that had been strangling our business to break and when it did it hurt us like this,'' he says.
''The business was hit hard. And we still can't afford to replace all our equipment … but, on the up side, the good rainfall we've been getting has been great for restocking our eels. In that respect, business hasn't been better in 15 long years.''
The childhood home of former Victorian premier Sir Henry Bolte, now owned by Hazel and Gary Robson, was among the worst-affected homes in the Skipton floods.
The couple, who were forced to vacate the 101-year-old home just hours after celebrating Mrs Robson's 70th birthday last January, have spent the past year restoring the property back to its former glory.
And while they are back living in their home, Mrs Robson says there is still ''a good four months' work left to do''.
''It's been a very stressful year,'' she says. ''We've had to replace everything - carpets, furniture, bedding, the lot … We are only just starting to see the light.''
While the supermarket, art gallery and pharmacy have all re-opened, Chrissie's Takeaway - popular with locals and passing truckies - also remains closed because of building permit issues.
''Everyone has been working extremely hard to rebuild the town and we are getting there,'' says Lyall Bond, manager environment and emergency, for the Corangamite Shire, ''but we are always finding out just how slow and frustrating the recovery process can be.''
Skipton is not the only Victorian community still struggling to rebuild after the 2010-11 floods that caused damage valued at $1.3 billion across one-third of the state.
In northern Victoria, Charlton is still waiting for its hospital to be rebuilt, the Buloke Shire Council offices are still under reconstruction, extensive roadworks are yet to begin in some areas of the Campaspe Shire, which is also without council chambers and a library, and dozens of homes are still being repaired across the state.
''A lot of people have done it tough,'' Mr Nixon says. ''There will be a big party when the pub re-opens. It's the heart of this town.''
But with the town's only pub - the Skipton Hotel, built in the 1850s - still closed 12 months on, the community is yearning for the return of their much-loved watering hole.
''It's not just about having somewhere to go and drink,'' says Carmel Molloy, who has lived in the town of 600, 50 kilometres west of Ballarat, for the past 45 years. ''It was a place where people got together to talk and de-stress and support each other.
''It's true that the pub is the heart and soul of a country town … Without it, the town feels half dead,'' she says.
Publican Josh Nixon, also the owner of the bluestone building extensively damaged when water from the swollen Mount Emu Creek rose 1.5 metres, is still wrestling with the red tape involved in rebuilding a 150-year-old building to meet modern-day building regulations.
''It's been a very frustrating process,'' he says. ''People ask us every day when it is going to re-open. They really miss the place.''
Mr Nixon is hopeful the pub will open by August. In the meantime, the local footy club is trying to fill the void: For the past year, it has enlisted volunteers to serve meals and drinks on a Friday night.
''We had to do something,'' says John Peters, vice-president of the Skipton Football Netball Club. ''We were concerned if there was no meeting place for the locals, the town would die.''
They now serve between 30 and 80 meals each week, he says. ''People love it. They have a couple of grogs and a decent feed and, most importantly, they get to talk to each other.''
Ben Osborne, who owns the eel factory in Skipton, is still rebuilding 12 months on. The eel farmer lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and stock when the water swept through his factory, taking 3000 eels with it.
Mr Osborne and his wife, Laura, are also building a new home after their newly built one fell victim to the floods.
''It's quite ironic that we had been waiting 15 years for the drought that had been strangling our business to break and when it did it hurt us like this,'' he says.
''The business was hit hard. And we still can't afford to replace all our equipment … but, on the up side, the good rainfall we've been getting has been great for restocking our eels. In that respect, business hasn't been better in 15 long years.''
The childhood home of former Victorian premier Sir Henry Bolte, now owned by Hazel and Gary Robson, was among the worst-affected homes in the Skipton floods.
The couple, who were forced to vacate the 101-year-old home just hours after celebrating Mrs Robson's 70th birthday last January, have spent the past year restoring the property back to its former glory.
And while they are back living in their home, Mrs Robson says there is still ''a good four months' work left to do''.
''It's been a very stressful year,'' she says. ''We've had to replace everything - carpets, furniture, bedding, the lot … We are only just starting to see the light.''
While the supermarket, art gallery and pharmacy have all re-opened, Chrissie's Takeaway - popular with locals and passing truckies - also remains closed because of building permit issues.
''Everyone has been working extremely hard to rebuild the town and we are getting there,'' says Lyall Bond, manager environment and emergency, for the Corangamite Shire, ''but we are always finding out just how slow and frustrating the recovery process can be.''
Skipton is not the only Victorian community still struggling to rebuild after the 2010-11 floods that caused damage valued at $1.3 billion across one-third of the state.
In northern Victoria, Charlton is still waiting for its hospital to be rebuilt, the Buloke Shire Council offices are still under reconstruction, extensive roadworks are yet to begin in some areas of the Campaspe Shire, which is also without council chambers and a library, and dozens of homes are still being repaired across the state.
''A lot of people have done it tough,'' Mr Nixon says. ''There will be a big party when the pub re-opens. It's the heart of this town.''
2012年1月12日 星期四
Dairy farmers finding cow bedding from recycled manure solids
Stall bedding materials for cows have become increasingly expensive and difficult to find. This situation has prompted many dairy producers to search for more feasible alternatives, such as sand and recycled manure solids.
Although sand can be considered the ideal bedding source for dairy cows, not all producers are willing and able to convert to sand bedding because it presents some manure-management challenges. So, what about recycled manure solids? Is anyone making it work in the Midwest?
Adam Husfeldt (University of Minnesota graduate student) and I conducted an observational study on 38 dairy farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa that were using solids for bedding freestalls. We wanted to find out what management practices and bedding characteristics were associated with bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and evaluate animal welfare in these operations.
We documented various aspects of herd management, including how solids were obtained and managed, their bedding practices, etc. Bedding, milk and feed samples were collected. Cows were scored for hygiene, hock lesions and locomotion, and milking prep procedures were recorded.
Our goal was to collect as much information as possible during the farm visits and from records throughout the year. In the end, 23 variables were used for our analysis of their association with bulk tank SCC.
We concluded that excellent cow preparation at milking time, sanitation of milking equipment, cow hygiene, adequate dry cow housing and bedding/stall management appear to be critical in maintaining a low SCC while successfully using manure solids for bedding. Type of manure solids used—digested, raw or composted—had no association with SCC.
Moisture is one of several factors necessary for bacterial growth in bedding materials. Therefore, it is important to keep stall bedding as dry as possible to minimize exposure to environmental mastitis pathogens. Additional methods to help dry stall bedding (use of a blower, good barn ventilation, adding equipment to remove moisture after separation) could help reduce bedding moisture.
We also learned that lameness prevalence was similar, hock lesion prevalence was slightly higher and cow hygiene was better than in herds using sand for bedding.
Although sand can be considered the ideal bedding source for dairy cows, not all producers are willing and able to convert to sand bedding because it presents some manure-management challenges. So, what about recycled manure solids? Is anyone making it work in the Midwest?
Adam Husfeldt (University of Minnesota graduate student) and I conducted an observational study on 38 dairy farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa that were using solids for bedding freestalls. We wanted to find out what management practices and bedding characteristics were associated with bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and evaluate animal welfare in these operations.
We documented various aspects of herd management, including how solids were obtained and managed, their bedding practices, etc. Bedding, milk and feed samples were collected. Cows were scored for hygiene, hock lesions and locomotion, and milking prep procedures were recorded.
Our goal was to collect as much information as possible during the farm visits and from records throughout the year. In the end, 23 variables were used for our analysis of their association with bulk tank SCC.
We concluded that excellent cow preparation at milking time, sanitation of milking equipment, cow hygiene, adequate dry cow housing and bedding/stall management appear to be critical in maintaining a low SCC while successfully using manure solids for bedding. Type of manure solids used—digested, raw or composted—had no association with SCC.
Moisture is one of several factors necessary for bacterial growth in bedding materials. Therefore, it is important to keep stall bedding as dry as possible to minimize exposure to environmental mastitis pathogens. Additional methods to help dry stall bedding (use of a blower, good barn ventilation, adding equipment to remove moisture after separation) could help reduce bedding moisture.
We also learned that lameness prevalence was similar, hock lesion prevalence was slightly higher and cow hygiene was better than in herds using sand for bedding.
2012年1月11日 星期三
ACCC slams furniture chain for misleading consumers on savings
A Victorian furniture chain has been slammed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for misleading consumers in a number of advertisements.
This is the latest in a string of incidents involving a furniture chain and alleged savings the ACCC have found to be misleading. In 2009 Super-A-Mart, as well as Furniture and Bedding Concepts, were ordered by the watchdog to pay fines and give customers vouchers to make up for misleading ads.
And just last week, the Federal Court ordered an end to a dispute between furniture giants Super-A-Mart and Nick Scali over a particular type of sofa.
In the latest stoush, Furniture Galore has been ordered to pay three infringement notices of $19,800 for misleading consumers about savings, along with an enforceable undertaking.
Furniture Galore was contacted this morning by SmartCompany, but no reply was available prior to publication.
The ACCC has said that between July 2010 and September 2011, Furniture Galore said that some goods in its catalogues and radio ads were on sale at reduced prices so customers could make savings. But it later admitted that it had not sold or offered those goods at the higher usual price for a reasonable amount of time.
The ACCC points out that according to consumer law, any representation about savings consumers are likely to make must be based on prices that have been made available to consumers for a reasonable period of time.
"In the midst of the summer sales period this is a very timely reminder to all retailers that they must ensure that any advertised savings are genuine and not misleading or deceptive," chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.
"Two-price advertising is a powerful marketing tool designed to encourage consumers to make purchases during a sale period because the goods are cheaper than normal.”
Furniture Galore must now print corrective notices in its stores, on its website, and in the Herald Sun newspaper. It will also start a compliance program for trade practices law.
"Retailers who overstate or misrepresent the value of savings offered to consumers during special sales or promotions risk financial penalties or court action by the ACCC."
This is the latest in a string of incidents involving a furniture chain and alleged savings the ACCC have found to be misleading. In 2009 Super-A-Mart, as well as Furniture and Bedding Concepts, were ordered by the watchdog to pay fines and give customers vouchers to make up for misleading ads.
And just last week, the Federal Court ordered an end to a dispute between furniture giants Super-A-Mart and Nick Scali over a particular type of sofa.
In the latest stoush, Furniture Galore has been ordered to pay three infringement notices of $19,800 for misleading consumers about savings, along with an enforceable undertaking.
Furniture Galore was contacted this morning by SmartCompany, but no reply was available prior to publication.
The ACCC has said that between July 2010 and September 2011, Furniture Galore said that some goods in its catalogues and radio ads were on sale at reduced prices so customers could make savings. But it later admitted that it had not sold or offered those goods at the higher usual price for a reasonable amount of time.
The ACCC points out that according to consumer law, any representation about savings consumers are likely to make must be based on prices that have been made available to consumers for a reasonable period of time.
"In the midst of the summer sales period this is a very timely reminder to all retailers that they must ensure that any advertised savings are genuine and not misleading or deceptive," chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.
"Two-price advertising is a powerful marketing tool designed to encourage consumers to make purchases during a sale period because the goods are cheaper than normal.”
Furniture Galore must now print corrective notices in its stores, on its website, and in the Herald Sun newspaper. It will also start a compliance program for trade practices law.
"Retailers who overstate or misrepresent the value of savings offered to consumers during special sales or promotions risk financial penalties or court action by the ACCC."
2012年1月10日 星期二
Recycled manure solids for cow bedding can succeed
Stall bedding materials for cows have become increasingly expensive and difficult to find. This situation has prompted many dairy producers to search for more feasible alternatives, such as sand and recycled manure solids.
Although sand can be considered the ideal bedding source for dairy cows, not all producers are willing and able to convert to sand bedding because it presents some manure-management challenges. So, what about recycled manure solids? Is anyone making it work in the Midwest?
Adam Husfeldt (University of Minnesota graduate student) and I conducted an observational study on 38 dairy farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa that were using solids for bedding freestalls. We wanted to find out what management practices and bedding characteristics were associated with bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and evaluate animal welfare in these operations.
We documented various aspects of herd management, including how solids were obtained and managed, their bedding practices, etc. Bedding, milk and feed samples were collected. Cows were scored for hygiene, hock lesions and locomotion, and milking prep procedures were recorded.
Our goal was to collect as much information as possible during the farm visits and from records throughout the year. In the end, 23 variables were used for our analysis of their association with bulk tank SCC.
We concluded that excellent cow preparation at milking time, sanitation of milking equipment, cow hygiene, adequate dry cow housing and bedding/stall management appear to be critical in maintaining a low SCC while successfully using manure solids for bedding. Type of manure solids used—digested, raw or composted—had no association with SCC.
Moisture is one of several factors necessary for bacterial growth in bedding materials. Therefore, it is important to keep stall bedding as dry as possible to minimize exposure to environmental mastitis pathogens. Additional methods to help dry stall bedding (use of a blower, good barn ventilation, adding equipment to remove moisture after separation) could help reduce bedding moisture.
We also learned that lameness prevalence was similar, hock lesion prevalence was slightly higher and cow hygiene was better than in herds using sand for bedding.
Although sand can be considered the ideal bedding source for dairy cows, not all producers are willing and able to convert to sand bedding because it presents some manure-management challenges. So, what about recycled manure solids? Is anyone making it work in the Midwest?
Adam Husfeldt (University of Minnesota graduate student) and I conducted an observational study on 38 dairy farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa that were using solids for bedding freestalls. We wanted to find out what management practices and bedding characteristics were associated with bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and evaluate animal welfare in these operations.
We documented various aspects of herd management, including how solids were obtained and managed, their bedding practices, etc. Bedding, milk and feed samples were collected. Cows were scored for hygiene, hock lesions and locomotion, and milking prep procedures were recorded.
Our goal was to collect as much information as possible during the farm visits and from records throughout the year. In the end, 23 variables were used for our analysis of their association with bulk tank SCC.
We concluded that excellent cow preparation at milking time, sanitation of milking equipment, cow hygiene, adequate dry cow housing and bedding/stall management appear to be critical in maintaining a low SCC while successfully using manure solids for bedding. Type of manure solids used—digested, raw or composted—had no association with SCC.
Moisture is one of several factors necessary for bacterial growth in bedding materials. Therefore, it is important to keep stall bedding as dry as possible to minimize exposure to environmental mastitis pathogens. Additional methods to help dry stall bedding (use of a blower, good barn ventilation, adding equipment to remove moisture after separation) could help reduce bedding moisture.
We also learned that lameness prevalence was similar, hock lesion prevalence was slightly higher and cow hygiene was better than in herds using sand for bedding.
2012年1月9日 星期一
Challenges for Collie
COLLIE is in for an challenging but exciting year with the recession in Europe and the United States creating uncertainty and caution in industry and retail, according to local leaders.
Perdaman Chemicals and Fertilisers legal tussle with Griffin Coal owners Lanco Infratech about coal supply, which could derail the planned urea plant, is a further destablishing element.
Collie Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer Richard Jackson said this week The new owners of Collie’s coal assets are likely to spend 2012 bedding down their purchases and developing their strategies for growth,.
“We think that it is unlikely for any major decisions to be made until the next federal election has been decided and some certainty gets back into the political arena.” H3e commented.
“At the moment the result of the Perdaman-Lanco dispute looks like residing with the courts.
“If that is so, then Perdaman seems likely to receive some sort of pay out and one wonders whether they will then continue with their project or walk away.
“We understand that there may be a political solution in the wings and if that happens the whole Shotts development could be saved.
Mr Jackson said the chamber expected another challenging year.
“The continuing uncertainty in Europe and the USA will discourage people from making buying decisions and encourage them to pay down debt,” he predicted.
“This, in the long-term, will be a good thing but will create short-term pain in the retail and residential property area.
“That being said, a buyers’ market already exists with plenty of bargains out there for those with cash and the willingness to spend it.
“Smart businesses will recognise the potential of the internet and improve their online sales and marketing capabilities. It is the way for regional businesses to compete with their biggest threat.
“The Chamber will be looking to facilitate training courses for those businesses who are interested.”
The Collie Chamber of Commerce would continue to grow and prosper, he said.
Perdaman Chemicals and Fertilisers legal tussle with Griffin Coal owners Lanco Infratech about coal supply, which could derail the planned urea plant, is a further destablishing element.
Collie Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer Richard Jackson said this week The new owners of Collie’s coal assets are likely to spend 2012 bedding down their purchases and developing their strategies for growth,.
“We think that it is unlikely for any major decisions to be made until the next federal election has been decided and some certainty gets back into the political arena.” H3e commented.
“At the moment the result of the Perdaman-Lanco dispute looks like residing with the courts.
“If that is so, then Perdaman seems likely to receive some sort of pay out and one wonders whether they will then continue with their project or walk away.
“We understand that there may be a political solution in the wings and if that happens the whole Shotts development could be saved.
Mr Jackson said the chamber expected another challenging year.
“The continuing uncertainty in Europe and the USA will discourage people from making buying decisions and encourage them to pay down debt,” he predicted.
“This, in the long-term, will be a good thing but will create short-term pain in the retail and residential property area.
“That being said, a buyers’ market already exists with plenty of bargains out there for those with cash and the willingness to spend it.
“Smart businesses will recognise the potential of the internet and improve their online sales and marketing capabilities. It is the way for regional businesses to compete with their biggest threat.
“The Chamber will be looking to facilitate training courses for those businesses who are interested.”
The Collie Chamber of Commerce would continue to grow and prosper, he said.
2012年1月8日 星期日
Time for beds ... and borders
IT does not take a genius to work out that certain colours will be in demand for summer bedding schemes next year.
Red, white and blue should figure strongly in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
I’d also expect to see the county colours of red and gold welcoming the Olympic Torch as it passes through Northumberland and the whole country might witness displays of gold, silver and bronze as the opening of the games approaches. It all adds up to a great demand for, and possible shortage of, relevant bedding plants.
Half-hardy annuals, raised from seed under cover early in the year or propagated from stem-cuttings the previous autumn, tend to form the bulk of bedding plants.
But there are other options to consider should there be a shortage. Shrubs, herbaceous perennials, tender indoor perennials and hardy annuals are all possibilities.
I anticipate long lists of summer bedding subjects in red, white and blue, gold, silver and bronze appearing in the gardening media over the coming weeks, but hope that some background notes on their capabilities is offered for the sake of beginners.
Ideally they should be capable of standing up to wind, dull days and precipitation should all three decide to rain on our parade. A long flowering period is also desirable.
An extreme example of poor choice would be a full bed of mesembryanthemum (Livingstone daisy) which is native to South Africa. These ground-hugging, multicoloured annuals are a delight in the sun but an absolute disaster in wet summers.
So which plants are best to cover the suggested colour ranges?
Beginning with traditional bedding subjects, the small viola and large pansy just happen to offer choices in red, white, blue and gold.
They also start blooming early, continuing for weeks on end with regular feeding and dead-heading. Petunias, in trailing and upright form, offer the same range of colours.
Begonias in tuberous and fibrous-rooted state are also sound bankers in my experience.
They come in red, white and gold, but if you intend to raise them yourself from tiny seed do not delay, they need time to develop.
Phlox, verbena and nemesia are ingrained in our summer bedding psyche as typical Union Jack plants – they are available in red, white and blue.
The same can be said of lobelia, because we are so familiar with the upright and trailing types in blue and white.
The red is different in that it is a perennial that is easily raised via division of roots.
Lobelia cardinalis ‘Queen Victoria’ is almost revered by floral artists and gardeners alike, but it is rather special in the border.
Growing these plants for floral impact is fine but don’t forget to add a few that have a significant foliage effect – Senecio cineraria for example. ‘Silver Dust’ has almost white, lace-like leaves and the other favourite is ‘Cirrus’.
Plant calibrachoa in a container and masses of small flowers will be there all summer long. It’s an annual that has gained lots of followers in recent years and the garden trade is rightly awash with it around May and June. Better still, it is available in red, white, blue and gold.
Bacopa is also a relative newcomer whose value lies in a trailing habit. Small flowers in white, blue or gold make it a useful option if you’re looking for something different. Expect an avalanche of flowers all summer long from hundreds of blooms.
Red and white is easily covered if you pick antirrhinum, dianthus, diascia, fuchsia or geranium.
All are tried and tested over the years so it’s all down to a personal choice of favourite cultivars. Impatiens (busy Lizzie) can do the same job but I’ve met too many disappointed parks superintendents in recent times to rely on this plant totally.
Best bet for me are the New Guinea hybrids which have proven to be colourful and more disease tolerant.
There are some super dahlias in red, white and gold, and lupins in red, white and blue.
But perhaps this is enough to be going on with. In truth the choice is almost endless.
I expect the small pots of seedlings and packs of plug plants to appear on the market even earlier this year, because the growers will have anticipated that we are keen to put on a special colour display. Be an early bird by all means but do bear in mind that some protective warmth will be necessary to nurture them towards life in the great outdoors.
Hardy annuals represent good value for money when you have no facilities to raise the tender types, because they are sown directly into the open border at the beginning of April.
All you need is a spare patch of land that can be forked over, trodden and levelled out with a rake. Mark out a few irregular-shaped patches with sand, then fashion short drills with the back of a rake. Sow a packet per patch and stand by for colour.
In several trials over the years, I’ve seen the first seedlings appear in 10 days and the earliest blooms within three weeks of sowing.
It all depends upon the weather, warmth and moisture. Reliable early birds are calendula ‘Touch of Red’, convolvulus ‘Blue Ensign’ and cladanthus ‘Golden Crown’.
Hot on their heels are aster ‘Blue Ribbon’, cornflower ‘Double Mixed’ and lettuce ‘Lollo Rossa’ which is red of course. And if the slightly off-beat or spectacular appeals to you, why not go for a patch of sunflowers ranging in height from a front of border dwarf, to the Russian Giant?
One way of keeping the annual spend on bedding plants under control is to introduce a few more sustainable types, perennials that offer the colour of your choice.
When you have them in the garden forming the basis of a display, it only takes a few annual types to bring it all alive.
We have several euonymus cultivars offering striking, year-round silver and golden foliage.
But two-star performers in this garden have quite humble green-leaved counterparts. The lonicera nitida, commonly used as garden hedging hereabouts, has a golden cultivar ‘Baggesen’s Gold’.
This shrub lends itself to topiary like no other, so the shape of your choice can be fashioned very quickly, and when the sun falls on the plant it would not look out of place in El Dorado.
The silver variegated shrub of choice is a pittosporum.
The green form is widely used in sprays turned out by florists but ‘Garnettii’ is as attractive as it is hardy in this garden.
The shrubby red of my choice would be the bark of dogwood and willow that light up the mixed borders.
Red, white and blue should figure strongly in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
I’d also expect to see the county colours of red and gold welcoming the Olympic Torch as it passes through Northumberland and the whole country might witness displays of gold, silver and bronze as the opening of the games approaches. It all adds up to a great demand for, and possible shortage of, relevant bedding plants.
Half-hardy annuals, raised from seed under cover early in the year or propagated from stem-cuttings the previous autumn, tend to form the bulk of bedding plants.
But there are other options to consider should there be a shortage. Shrubs, herbaceous perennials, tender indoor perennials and hardy annuals are all possibilities.
I anticipate long lists of summer bedding subjects in red, white and blue, gold, silver and bronze appearing in the gardening media over the coming weeks, but hope that some background notes on their capabilities is offered for the sake of beginners.
Ideally they should be capable of standing up to wind, dull days and precipitation should all three decide to rain on our parade. A long flowering period is also desirable.
An extreme example of poor choice would be a full bed of mesembryanthemum (Livingstone daisy) which is native to South Africa. These ground-hugging, multicoloured annuals are a delight in the sun but an absolute disaster in wet summers.
So which plants are best to cover the suggested colour ranges?
Beginning with traditional bedding subjects, the small viola and large pansy just happen to offer choices in red, white, blue and gold.
They also start blooming early, continuing for weeks on end with regular feeding and dead-heading. Petunias, in trailing and upright form, offer the same range of colours.
Begonias in tuberous and fibrous-rooted state are also sound bankers in my experience.
They come in red, white and gold, but if you intend to raise them yourself from tiny seed do not delay, they need time to develop.
Phlox, verbena and nemesia are ingrained in our summer bedding psyche as typical Union Jack plants – they are available in red, white and blue.
The same can be said of lobelia, because we are so familiar with the upright and trailing types in blue and white.
The red is different in that it is a perennial that is easily raised via division of roots.
Lobelia cardinalis ‘Queen Victoria’ is almost revered by floral artists and gardeners alike, but it is rather special in the border.
Growing these plants for floral impact is fine but don’t forget to add a few that have a significant foliage effect – Senecio cineraria for example. ‘Silver Dust’ has almost white, lace-like leaves and the other favourite is ‘Cirrus’.
Plant calibrachoa in a container and masses of small flowers will be there all summer long. It’s an annual that has gained lots of followers in recent years and the garden trade is rightly awash with it around May and June. Better still, it is available in red, white, blue and gold.
Bacopa is also a relative newcomer whose value lies in a trailing habit. Small flowers in white, blue or gold make it a useful option if you’re looking for something different. Expect an avalanche of flowers all summer long from hundreds of blooms.
Red and white is easily covered if you pick antirrhinum, dianthus, diascia, fuchsia or geranium.
All are tried and tested over the years so it’s all down to a personal choice of favourite cultivars. Impatiens (busy Lizzie) can do the same job but I’ve met too many disappointed parks superintendents in recent times to rely on this plant totally.
Best bet for me are the New Guinea hybrids which have proven to be colourful and more disease tolerant.
There are some super dahlias in red, white and gold, and lupins in red, white and blue.
But perhaps this is enough to be going on with. In truth the choice is almost endless.
I expect the small pots of seedlings and packs of plug plants to appear on the market even earlier this year, because the growers will have anticipated that we are keen to put on a special colour display. Be an early bird by all means but do bear in mind that some protective warmth will be necessary to nurture them towards life in the great outdoors.
Hardy annuals represent good value for money when you have no facilities to raise the tender types, because they are sown directly into the open border at the beginning of April.
All you need is a spare patch of land that can be forked over, trodden and levelled out with a rake. Mark out a few irregular-shaped patches with sand, then fashion short drills with the back of a rake. Sow a packet per patch and stand by for colour.
In several trials over the years, I’ve seen the first seedlings appear in 10 days and the earliest blooms within three weeks of sowing.
It all depends upon the weather, warmth and moisture. Reliable early birds are calendula ‘Touch of Red’, convolvulus ‘Blue Ensign’ and cladanthus ‘Golden Crown’.
Hot on their heels are aster ‘Blue Ribbon’, cornflower ‘Double Mixed’ and lettuce ‘Lollo Rossa’ which is red of course. And if the slightly off-beat or spectacular appeals to you, why not go for a patch of sunflowers ranging in height from a front of border dwarf, to the Russian Giant?
One way of keeping the annual spend on bedding plants under control is to introduce a few more sustainable types, perennials that offer the colour of your choice.
When you have them in the garden forming the basis of a display, it only takes a few annual types to bring it all alive.
We have several euonymus cultivars offering striking, year-round silver and golden foliage.
But two-star performers in this garden have quite humble green-leaved counterparts. The lonicera nitida, commonly used as garden hedging hereabouts, has a golden cultivar ‘Baggesen’s Gold’.
This shrub lends itself to topiary like no other, so the shape of your choice can be fashioned very quickly, and when the sun falls on the plant it would not look out of place in El Dorado.
The silver variegated shrub of choice is a pittosporum.
The green form is widely used in sprays turned out by florists but ‘Garnettii’ is as attractive as it is hardy in this garden.
The shrubby red of my choice would be the bark of dogwood and willow that light up the mixed borders.
2012年1月5日 星期四
Secret SHO stopper won’t impress the neighbours
The flip side to Ford’s fuel economy claims around EcoBoost – direct fuel injection combined with turbocharging – is the system’s high-performance potential.We are passionate about polished tiles.
And in Ford’s world, only a handful of specialty Mustangs are as high-performance as the Taurus SHO ($48,199). This car is fast. It should be. The SHO stands for Super High Output, though this sedan is a little paunchy and perhaps overloaded with a few too many high-tech gadgets.
The horsepower story from this souped-up V-6 is strong – 365 hp, and all that power comes on with a furious urgency. Better still, the standard all-wheel-drive system forces all that oomph to the road. Yes, you can burn rubber if you turn off the standard electronic stability control, but that’s only if you’re a show-off.
Show-off types should not apply here, though. Not that the 3.5-litre V-6 with its two turbos and fancy fuel injection doesn’t scream,Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. “Oohhhh, wow!” (and 350 lb-ft of torque). The thing is, the SHO’s understated looks make it a sleeper. Your neighbours will never know you have gasoline running through your veins unless you tell them or, as I said, lay a patch down Main Street.
Frankly,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic, this car seems more like a throwback to the old days at the Blue Oval, to a time when every Ford executive wore a bland blue suit and never displayed any sort of cockiness whatsoever. Not in public, anyway.
The new Ford – the one now making fat profits and still quietly strutting about enjoying the afterglow of a turnaround not funded with government money – has a few senior executives who are unabashedly competitive and just a little bit aggressive. Global marketing boss Jim Farley is among them.
Farley isn’t a designer, though, nor is he a product planner. He didn’t make the call to produce a limited-production Taurus with stealth looks – a street racer with a high beltline and acres of sheet metal. Translation: the SHO has small windows. As a design feature, the windows are “Batmobile-ish,” though they do hurt outward visibility.
Someone will care about that, I suppose. But they’d never buy a Taurus SHO. If you are among the handful with a yen to SHO-off, then you’ll crave the car’s tight ride and big brakes and you’ll get some satisfaction out of windows that in other cars would be scary to look at.
Quite honestly, it’s hard to massage any real body roll out of this sedan and the brakes scrape speed in an instant. The electric power-assist steering is properly weighted, too. All told, we’re pointing to a Ford sedan with a big-car ride on the highway (smooth, quiet, stout), but with nimble legs.
This is all the product of some solid engineering. The SHO weighs a hefty 1,916 kg, yet it carves corners like Stephen Harper’s Conservatives dip and roll around Parliamentary traditions. All that with 0-100 km/h times in the six-second range. Impressive.
The problem is, the Taurus SHO suffers from what I’ll call the Reverse Toyota Prius Effect. That is, the Prius has been a successful gasoline-electric hybrid, but Toyota’s other hybrid offerings have been sales duds – as have hybrids from all other auto makers –and the reason why is simple: in the Prius, all your green-The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free,tinted neighbours know what a hero of the planet you are. But if you’re saving the world in a stealth hybrid, whether it’s a Toyota or a Hyundai or a Ford – it’s not so obvious which means you get no image kick from the extra money spent.
In the Taurus SHO, no one knows you’re driving a monster performance car; there is no image boost, which means those of you with low self-esteem need to apply. The uninitiated and the unobservant won’t know you’re roaring about in a killer automobile.
Truth is, the regular Taurus and the SHO are darn near identical, aside from the specially painted rims with high-performance tires, a deck lid spoiler, two chrome exhaust tips and new grille. If you’re picky, you’ll also point to the SHO’s unique parking lamp bezels and there are a handful of SHO badges sprinkled about the car. The point is, if you’re buying an SHO Taurus to boost your image as a racy car buy, don’t bother.
Yes, the people who know what lurks beneath will know what you’re driving and be suitably impressed. Really, this car is quite the impressive performance package, right down to the paddle shifters that manage the smooth six-speed automatic transmission with downshifting rev matches.
Yes, here we’re talking an upscale Taurus with SHO-y add-ons inside and out. The interior is, in fact, almost all Taurus, other than the aluminum pedals and leather-trimmed seats with suede inserts. It’s a cabin roomy enough for five adults and excellent front buckets – supportive and comfortably padded. But nothing overly special.
That goes for the gizmos, too. The Taurus SHO offers a lot of them but you can get them on other Fords, too. Most are standard on the SHO, though extras include adaptive cruise control ($1,You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!500) and voice-activated navigation ($2,300). The former adjusts the car's speed to those in front of it and the latter delivers an upgraded version of Ford’s Sync system.
The Taurus SHO delivers on the promise of Main Street sedan with Daytona 500 looks. What show-off wants that?
And in Ford’s world, only a handful of specialty Mustangs are as high-performance as the Taurus SHO ($48,199). This car is fast. It should be. The SHO stands for Super High Output, though this sedan is a little paunchy and perhaps overloaded with a few too many high-tech gadgets.
The horsepower story from this souped-up V-6 is strong – 365 hp, and all that power comes on with a furious urgency. Better still, the standard all-wheel-drive system forces all that oomph to the road. Yes, you can burn rubber if you turn off the standard electronic stability control, but that’s only if you’re a show-off.
Show-off types should not apply here, though. Not that the 3.5-litre V-6 with its two turbos and fancy fuel injection doesn’t scream,Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. “Oohhhh, wow!” (and 350 lb-ft of torque). The thing is, the SHO’s understated looks make it a sleeper. Your neighbours will never know you have gasoline running through your veins unless you tell them or, as I said, lay a patch down Main Street.
Frankly,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic, this car seems more like a throwback to the old days at the Blue Oval, to a time when every Ford executive wore a bland blue suit and never displayed any sort of cockiness whatsoever. Not in public, anyway.
The new Ford – the one now making fat profits and still quietly strutting about enjoying the afterglow of a turnaround not funded with government money – has a few senior executives who are unabashedly competitive and just a little bit aggressive. Global marketing boss Jim Farley is among them.
Farley isn’t a designer, though, nor is he a product planner. He didn’t make the call to produce a limited-production Taurus with stealth looks – a street racer with a high beltline and acres of sheet metal. Translation: the SHO has small windows. As a design feature, the windows are “Batmobile-ish,” though they do hurt outward visibility.
Someone will care about that, I suppose. But they’d never buy a Taurus SHO. If you are among the handful with a yen to SHO-off, then you’ll crave the car’s tight ride and big brakes and you’ll get some satisfaction out of windows that in other cars would be scary to look at.
Quite honestly, it’s hard to massage any real body roll out of this sedan and the brakes scrape speed in an instant. The electric power-assist steering is properly weighted, too. All told, we’re pointing to a Ford sedan with a big-car ride on the highway (smooth, quiet, stout), but with nimble legs.
This is all the product of some solid engineering. The SHO weighs a hefty 1,916 kg, yet it carves corners like Stephen Harper’s Conservatives dip and roll around Parliamentary traditions. All that with 0-100 km/h times in the six-second range. Impressive.
The problem is, the Taurus SHO suffers from what I’ll call the Reverse Toyota Prius Effect. That is, the Prius has been a successful gasoline-electric hybrid, but Toyota’s other hybrid offerings have been sales duds – as have hybrids from all other auto makers –and the reason why is simple: in the Prius, all your green-The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free,tinted neighbours know what a hero of the planet you are. But if you’re saving the world in a stealth hybrid, whether it’s a Toyota or a Hyundai or a Ford – it’s not so obvious which means you get no image kick from the extra money spent.
In the Taurus SHO, no one knows you’re driving a monster performance car; there is no image boost, which means those of you with low self-esteem need to apply. The uninitiated and the unobservant won’t know you’re roaring about in a killer automobile.
Truth is, the regular Taurus and the SHO are darn near identical, aside from the specially painted rims with high-performance tires, a deck lid spoiler, two chrome exhaust tips and new grille. If you’re picky, you’ll also point to the SHO’s unique parking lamp bezels and there are a handful of SHO badges sprinkled about the car. The point is, if you’re buying an SHO Taurus to boost your image as a racy car buy, don’t bother.
Yes, the people who know what lurks beneath will know what you’re driving and be suitably impressed. Really, this car is quite the impressive performance package, right down to the paddle shifters that manage the smooth six-speed automatic transmission with downshifting rev matches.
Yes, here we’re talking an upscale Taurus with SHO-y add-ons inside and out. The interior is, in fact, almost all Taurus, other than the aluminum pedals and leather-trimmed seats with suede inserts. It’s a cabin roomy enough for five adults and excellent front buckets – supportive and comfortably padded. But nothing overly special.
That goes for the gizmos, too. The Taurus SHO offers a lot of them but you can get them on other Fords, too. Most are standard on the SHO, though extras include adaptive cruise control ($1,You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!500) and voice-activated navigation ($2,300). The former adjusts the car's speed to those in front of it and the latter delivers an upgraded version of Ford’s Sync system.
The Taurus SHO delivers on the promise of Main Street sedan with Daytona 500 looks. What show-off wants that?
Store credit card? No thanks, I’ll go with store debit card
A store credit card isn’t the only way to get exclusive perks.
Although not widely publicized, two major retailers offer store-branded debit cards that draw directly from customers’ checking accounts. The cards from Nordstrom and Target are still a rarity among retailers and haven’t yet hit the radars of most shoppers.
But they also reflect the growing preference for debit cards that consumers have shown in recent years, notes Marshall Cohen, a retail industry analyst with NPD Group. And at a time when consumers are searching for ways to keep debt in check, he said store debit cards could soon find a wider audience.
“If this is successful, everyone else will follow suit,” Cohen said.
Here’s how store debit cards work.
Shoppers who sign up for the cards — which can only be used in the retailer’s stores and online — get the same perks as on the company’s in-house credit cards.Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. At Target, customers get 5 percent off all purchases made with their debit cards.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, Nordstrom debit card holders earn two rewards points for every dollar spent; shoppers receive a $20 store voucher that’s good for one year after they accumulate 2,000 points.
To apply, customers fill out a form and supply a voided check or routing number for a designated checking account.
But store debit cards don’t tap directly into checking accounts in the same way as traditional debit cards. Instead, the cards simply trigger the type of transactions that are used for online or recurring payments, such as mortgage or utility bills.You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!
These transactions take longer to clear, meaning purchases aren’t reflected in accounts right away; Nordstrom and Target both say transactions should appear within about two or three days.
Target declined to comment on how applications for its debit cards have been stacking up in comparison to its store credit cards. But Nordstrom spokesman Colin Johnson said there’s been an uptick in demand for the company’s debit card in recent months, even though the card has been available since 2005. Without providing details, he said a significant portion of new card applications are for debit cards rather than credit cards.
“Customers like having the flexibility and option to take part in the rewards program without taking on another credit card,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic,” Johnson said.
The shift underscores the growing popularity of debit cards in the marketplace. In 2009, consumers charged more to their debit cards than to their credit cards for the first time, according to Visa. The growth of debit card use reflects a movement away from cash and checks. But in an uncertain economy, consumers also see debit cards as a way to manage money and keep debt under control.
The preference for debit has since grown more pronounced; Visa says customers charged $1.We are passionate about polished tiles.137 trillion to their debit cards in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, compared with $867 billion on credit cards. And retailers have reason to prefer debit as well.
A regulation that went into effect in October caps the fees merchants pay banks when customers use their debit cards. Such fees are still unregulated for credit cards, however, meaning retailers pay less when customers use debit cards.
At the same time, many retailers have clamped down on issuing store credit cards after defaults spiked in the downturn. Those shifting factors may eventually prompt additional retailers to offer their own debit cards as an alternative, says Cohen of NPD Group.
“It’s a new twist on the retail credit card,” said Nessa Feddis of the American Bankers Association. “If retailers are able to promote more sales and find more loyal customers from it, you could see it pick up.”
But Feddis noted that growth of retail debit cards will hinge on shoppers’ appetite for adding yet another piece of plastic to their wallets.
And as prudent as a store debit card seems compared with a store credit card, there is a potential downside. Because the transactions on store debit cards take some time to process, there’s an increased risk of shoppers mistakenly overdrawing their accounts.
Customers may not be able to opt out of overdraft programs for such charges either. Banks are required to obtain the consent of customers before enrolling them in overdraft programs for traditional debit transactions. But the rule doesn’t apply to the type of delayed transactions that store debit cards rely on. Overdraft fees at banks are typically around $35.
In addition, Target’s debit card has a return payment fee that ranges from $20 to $40 depending on the state. At Nordstrom, the return payment fee is $25.
As for loss or theft, store debit cards have the same protections as traditional debit cards since they are still accessing customer accounts, Feddis notes. By law, any card that’s used to access a checking account caps liability at $50 as long as the card issuer is notified within two days, or $500 within 60 days.
Although not widely publicized, two major retailers offer store-branded debit cards that draw directly from customers’ checking accounts. The cards from Nordstrom and Target are still a rarity among retailers and haven’t yet hit the radars of most shoppers.
But they also reflect the growing preference for debit cards that consumers have shown in recent years, notes Marshall Cohen, a retail industry analyst with NPD Group. And at a time when consumers are searching for ways to keep debt in check, he said store debit cards could soon find a wider audience.
“If this is successful, everyone else will follow suit,” Cohen said.
Here’s how store debit cards work.
Shoppers who sign up for the cards — which can only be used in the retailer’s stores and online — get the same perks as on the company’s in-house credit cards.Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. At Target, customers get 5 percent off all purchases made with their debit cards.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, Nordstrom debit card holders earn two rewards points for every dollar spent; shoppers receive a $20 store voucher that’s good for one year after they accumulate 2,000 points.
To apply, customers fill out a form and supply a voided check or routing number for a designated checking account.
But store debit cards don’t tap directly into checking accounts in the same way as traditional debit cards. Instead, the cards simply trigger the type of transactions that are used for online or recurring payments, such as mortgage or utility bills.You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!
These transactions take longer to clear, meaning purchases aren’t reflected in accounts right away; Nordstrom and Target both say transactions should appear within about two or three days.
Target declined to comment on how applications for its debit cards have been stacking up in comparison to its store credit cards. But Nordstrom spokesman Colin Johnson said there’s been an uptick in demand for the company’s debit card in recent months, even though the card has been available since 2005. Without providing details, he said a significant portion of new card applications are for debit cards rather than credit cards.
“Customers like having the flexibility and option to take part in the rewards program without taking on another credit card,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic,” Johnson said.
The shift underscores the growing popularity of debit cards in the marketplace. In 2009, consumers charged more to their debit cards than to their credit cards for the first time, according to Visa. The growth of debit card use reflects a movement away from cash and checks. But in an uncertain economy, consumers also see debit cards as a way to manage money and keep debt under control.
The preference for debit has since grown more pronounced; Visa says customers charged $1.We are passionate about polished tiles.137 trillion to their debit cards in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, compared with $867 billion on credit cards. And retailers have reason to prefer debit as well.
A regulation that went into effect in October caps the fees merchants pay banks when customers use their debit cards. Such fees are still unregulated for credit cards, however, meaning retailers pay less when customers use debit cards.
At the same time, many retailers have clamped down on issuing store credit cards after defaults spiked in the downturn. Those shifting factors may eventually prompt additional retailers to offer their own debit cards as an alternative, says Cohen of NPD Group.
“It’s a new twist on the retail credit card,” said Nessa Feddis of the American Bankers Association. “If retailers are able to promote more sales and find more loyal customers from it, you could see it pick up.”
But Feddis noted that growth of retail debit cards will hinge on shoppers’ appetite for adding yet another piece of plastic to their wallets.
And as prudent as a store debit card seems compared with a store credit card, there is a potential downside. Because the transactions on store debit cards take some time to process, there’s an increased risk of shoppers mistakenly overdrawing their accounts.
Customers may not be able to opt out of overdraft programs for such charges either. Banks are required to obtain the consent of customers before enrolling them in overdraft programs for traditional debit transactions. But the rule doesn’t apply to the type of delayed transactions that store debit cards rely on. Overdraft fees at banks are typically around $35.
In addition, Target’s debit card has a return payment fee that ranges from $20 to $40 depending on the state. At Nordstrom, the return payment fee is $25.
As for loss or theft, store debit cards have the same protections as traditional debit cards since they are still accessing customer accounts, Feddis notes. By law, any card that’s used to access a checking account caps liability at $50 as long as the card issuer is notified within two days, or $500 within 60 days.
Iran could be bluffing in the strait of Hormuz
Tehran's vow to stop US warships crossing international waters in the strait of Hormuz, following 10 days of provocative Iranian missile tests and naval exercises, is seen in Washington as evidence that ramped-up western sanctions are finally beginning to bite.
While this conclusion may be correct, there is always the danger of a disastrous miscalculation.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, Iran could be merely sabre rattling, as American analysts suggest. But what if it is not?
Seen from Tehran, the most serious threat to the survival of the regime led by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comes from within, not without – a consideration not sufficiently understood in the west. The political establishment is riven by deep divisions, principally between economic reformers loyal to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and clerical arch-conservatives backed by the Revolutionary Guards and a wealthy, corrupt merchant class that has grown fat on the 1979 revolution.
Khamenei appears to be trying to hold the line between the two factions. What worries him more than the movements of the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier group in the Gulf, or even US and EU oil sanctions, is the thought that crucial parliamentary elections due in March could produce a permanent rupture within the Islamic Republic. Such a split could open the way to a second Iranian revolution.
Memories of the mass demonstrations that shook Tehran and other cities in 2009 after rigged presidential elections have not faded. The Green movement's leaders are dispersed, in jail or under house arrest. But their demands for transparent democracy, freedom of expression and an end to misrule by mullahs have not been forgotten. Millions of young Iranians have been watching the Arab spring unfold and they believe Iran's turn will come.
Khamenei is running scared. As Yasmin Alem noted in a recent commentary, the supreme leader views the coming election as a potential "security challenge". The minister of intelligence,Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. Heydar Moslehi, says the polls will be the "most sensitive elections in the history of the Islamic Republic".
Alem continued: "The regime is now in a quandary. While it has traditionally boasted about high voter participation as the symbol of its legitimacy, Tehran is increasingly concerned that an election boycott or turmoil could adversely affect its standing. In the wake of the Arab uprisings the clerical regime is seeking to project an image of its power and popularity. If the election becomes a dismal affair, however, it will have the reverse effect."
There can be little doubt that new US sanctions penalising dealings with Iran's central bank, announced by Barack Obama last month,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic, and a prospective EU ban on Iranian oil, are adding to the internal pressures – even if habitual Iranian customers such as Japan and Turkey succeed in obtaining waivers.
Food prices are soaring, dollars are being hoarded, and Iran's currency, the rial, has fallen in value by 40% in recent weeks. The prospect of sharp falls in oil export earnings – the oil industry accounts for 60% of Iran's economy – is a dire one. Khamenei and other leaders have indicated that such an outcome would amount to a casus belli.You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!
And this is the point that should worry the west's sanctioneers, fixated by Iran's nuclear programme to the exclusion of other considerations. At the moment the regime's deep internal contradictions could be leading towards a revolutionary climax, the US and its allies are giving Khamenei a possible way out by allowing him to externalise the problem and claim that the Iranian nation is under attack from hostile foreign forces,We are passionate about polished tiles. rather than definitively changing from within.
This is the overlooked domestic backdrop to the strait of Hormuz shenanigans and other provocations, such as the alleged plot against the Saudi ambassador in Washington. Iran, for all its aggressive rhetoric over the past few years, has studiously avoided military confrontation. In fact, it has studiously eschewed an open conflict that it would probably lose, relying instead on time-consuming diplomacy and occasional publicity stunts. But with the regime's back to the wall at home, that may be changing.
"The latest warning by Iran that a US aircraft carrier that recently transited through the strait of Hormuz should not do so again is a sign to the west that should be well-observed. It tells us the regime in Tehran is ready for a fight," warned Vali Nasr of Tufts University. "It wasn't preordained that Iran would opt for battle. For much of the past year its leaders have debated how best to deal with Western pressure … [but] subsequent events seem to have settled the policy debate in Tehran. They included the accusations by the US in the Washington plot; a UN report critical of Iran's record on human rights; the IAEA report articulating 'serious concerns' about a possible Iranian nuclear-weapons programme; and the ensuing fresh sanctions."
In other words, confident statements by the White House and state department that Iran is buckling under sanctions pressure appear to blithely ignore the possibility that the regime is being pushed into a corner from which it will come out punching, not negotiating. One result may be an acceleration of its nuclear activities – the opposite of what Obama wants. And then there is the unpredictable Gulf tinderbox. Fearing fatal insurrection at home and with their oil exports blocked, Khamenei and the mullahs, egged on by trigger-happy Revolutionary Guards, may choose to export chaos instead.
While this conclusion may be correct, there is always the danger of a disastrous miscalculation.The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, Iran could be merely sabre rattling, as American analysts suggest. But what if it is not?
Seen from Tehran, the most serious threat to the survival of the regime led by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei comes from within, not without – a consideration not sufficiently understood in the west. The political establishment is riven by deep divisions, principally between economic reformers loyal to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and clerical arch-conservatives backed by the Revolutionary Guards and a wealthy, corrupt merchant class that has grown fat on the 1979 revolution.
Khamenei appears to be trying to hold the line between the two factions. What worries him more than the movements of the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier group in the Gulf, or even US and EU oil sanctions, is the thought that crucial parliamentary elections due in March could produce a permanent rupture within the Islamic Republic. Such a split could open the way to a second Iranian revolution.
Memories of the mass demonstrations that shook Tehran and other cities in 2009 after rigged presidential elections have not faded. The Green movement's leaders are dispersed, in jail or under house arrest. But their demands for transparent democracy, freedom of expression and an end to misrule by mullahs have not been forgotten. Millions of young Iranians have been watching the Arab spring unfold and they believe Iran's turn will come.
Khamenei is running scared. As Yasmin Alem noted in a recent commentary, the supreme leader views the coming election as a potential "security challenge". The minister of intelligence,Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services. Heydar Moslehi, says the polls will be the "most sensitive elections in the history of the Islamic Republic".
Alem continued: "The regime is now in a quandary. While it has traditionally boasted about high voter participation as the symbol of its legitimacy, Tehran is increasingly concerned that an election boycott or turmoil could adversely affect its standing. In the wake of the Arab uprisings the clerical regime is seeking to project an image of its power and popularity. If the election becomes a dismal affair, however, it will have the reverse effect."
There can be little doubt that new US sanctions penalising dealings with Iran's central bank, announced by Barack Obama last month,A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic, and a prospective EU ban on Iranian oil, are adding to the internal pressures – even if habitual Iranian customers such as Japan and Turkey succeed in obtaining waivers.
Food prices are soaring, dollars are being hoarded, and Iran's currency, the rial, has fallen in value by 40% in recent weeks. The prospect of sharp falls in oil export earnings – the oil industry accounts for 60% of Iran's economy – is a dire one. Khamenei and other leaders have indicated that such an outcome would amount to a casus belli.You can find best china precision Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!
And this is the point that should worry the west's sanctioneers, fixated by Iran's nuclear programme to the exclusion of other considerations. At the moment the regime's deep internal contradictions could be leading towards a revolutionary climax, the US and its allies are giving Khamenei a possible way out by allowing him to externalise the problem and claim that the Iranian nation is under attack from hostile foreign forces,We are passionate about polished tiles. rather than definitively changing from within.
This is the overlooked domestic backdrop to the strait of Hormuz shenanigans and other provocations, such as the alleged plot against the Saudi ambassador in Washington. Iran, for all its aggressive rhetoric over the past few years, has studiously avoided military confrontation. In fact, it has studiously eschewed an open conflict that it would probably lose, relying instead on time-consuming diplomacy and occasional publicity stunts. But with the regime's back to the wall at home, that may be changing.
"The latest warning by Iran that a US aircraft carrier that recently transited through the strait of Hormuz should not do so again is a sign to the west that should be well-observed. It tells us the regime in Tehran is ready for a fight," warned Vali Nasr of Tufts University. "It wasn't preordained that Iran would opt for battle. For much of the past year its leaders have debated how best to deal with Western pressure … [but] subsequent events seem to have settled the policy debate in Tehran. They included the accusations by the US in the Washington plot; a UN report critical of Iran's record on human rights; the IAEA report articulating 'serious concerns' about a possible Iranian nuclear-weapons programme; and the ensuing fresh sanctions."
In other words, confident statements by the White House and state department that Iran is buckling under sanctions pressure appear to blithely ignore the possibility that the regime is being pushed into a corner from which it will come out punching, not negotiating. One result may be an acceleration of its nuclear activities – the opposite of what Obama wants. And then there is the unpredictable Gulf tinderbox. Fearing fatal insurrection at home and with their oil exports blocked, Khamenei and the mullahs, egged on by trigger-happy Revolutionary Guards, may choose to export chaos instead.
Schiffer antiques lead off Pook & Pook auction
Friday night will have a selection of pieces from three collections including Margaret Schiffer of West Chester, Pa.A mold or molds is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid like plastic,, the Studdiford family of Point Pleasant, N.J., and a southeastern Pennsylvania collection.
Margaret B. Schiffer is a well-known Chester County, Pa.,The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, author and expert in the antique field and a specialist in historical needlework, toys and Christmas ornaments. The volume Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania, written in 1958, was a definitive reference book for the time, recording the origins and progression of the art in the 18th and 19th centuries primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania. With her husband, Herbert, and son Peter, Schiffer Publications, printed numerous books on antique furniture and accessories.
The Saturday session will begin at 9 a.m.FIRMAR is a Malaysia Injection Moulding Manufacturer and Plastic Injections Components Manufacturer, with a variety of pieces from Charlene Sussel of Garrett Park, Md. Her father-in-law was the pioneer collector Arthur Sussel. This group of 236 lots will be the beginning of several sales with items from the same collection. This selection includes paintings, furniture, silver, fine porcelain, Asian objects, textiles and accessories.
Furniture highlights include a Chester County, Pa., mahogany tall-case clock by Benjamin Garrett of Goshen Township, Pa.; a William and Mary armchair, circa 1735, early Chester County or southeastern Pennsylvania example with a baluster back and old black painted surface with punched star decorations; a Philadelphia William and Mary mahogany spice or valuables box on frame from the William E. and Johanna Studdiford collection. of Point Pleasant, N.J.; a rare Delaware Valley walnut armchair, circa 1715; and an important Pennsylvania or Maryland lowback Windsor bench.
Also selling in Friday’s session is a Chester County sampler wrought by Mary Graves under the tutelage of Hannah G. Carpenter. It is pictured in Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania by Margaret Schiffer, page 61.
The Kriebel name is well known in the field of Schwenkfelder fraktur drawings. These bright colorful pictures were executed in Montgomery County, Pa., in the mid-19th century. The fraktur in the auction was probably executed by Sarah Kriebel for a family member, Regina Kriebel. This is one of a number of fraktur by various artists in the collection including works by Brechall, Peterman, Krebs, Faber and others.
Paintings will include an oil on zinc scene of the Berks County Almshouse by John Rasmussen, a Pennsylvania itinerant painter; a painting titled Boy with Sheep by John Edward Costigan that was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 118th annual exhibition; a Ghent, Belgium, street scene by Pierre Francois de Noter; an industrial illustration done for the Speakman Co. of Wilmington, Del., by Stanley Massey Arthurs; and the painting of the American side wheeler J.Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services.B. Schuyler by James Edward Buttersworth.
Other artists represented include Fern Coppedge, Antonio Martino, Arthur Meltzer, Samuel Phillips, John Barnes, Hans Bebie, Bruce Crane, Bela De Tirefort, Alfred Bricher and many more.We are passionate about polished tiles.
Miscellaneous lots include a selection of English pearlware; Chinese carved jade; Boston silk on linen needlework memorial by Louisa Nouvse; and a fine group of turned woodenware by the maker Joseph Lehn working in Lancaster County, Pa., in the 19th century.
The sale will continue with items from the estate of Thelma Bennett of Toms River, N.J.; James and Sally Sorber of Chester County, Pa.,; as well as the estates of William Guyton and Richard Cloney.
A vibrantly painted Rhode Island sleigh, circa 1840, the decoration attributed to Thomas Frederick Hoppin will be sold. It was exhibited at the Rhode Island School of Design 1988.
Margaret B. Schiffer is a well-known Chester County, Pa.,The EZ Breathe home Ventilation system is maintenance free, author and expert in the antique field and a specialist in historical needlework, toys and Christmas ornaments. The volume Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania, written in 1958, was a definitive reference book for the time, recording the origins and progression of the art in the 18th and 19th centuries primarily in southeastern Pennsylvania. With her husband, Herbert, and son Peter, Schiffer Publications, printed numerous books on antique furniture and accessories.
The Saturday session will begin at 9 a.m.FIRMAR is a Malaysia Injection Moulding Manufacturer and Plastic Injections Components Manufacturer, with a variety of pieces from Charlene Sussel of Garrett Park, Md. Her father-in-law was the pioneer collector Arthur Sussel. This group of 236 lots will be the beginning of several sales with items from the same collection. This selection includes paintings, furniture, silver, fine porcelain, Asian objects, textiles and accessories.
Furniture highlights include a Chester County, Pa., mahogany tall-case clock by Benjamin Garrett of Goshen Township, Pa.; a William and Mary armchair, circa 1735, early Chester County or southeastern Pennsylvania example with a baluster back and old black painted surface with punched star decorations; a Philadelphia William and Mary mahogany spice or valuables box on frame from the William E. and Johanna Studdiford collection. of Point Pleasant, N.J.; a rare Delaware Valley walnut armchair, circa 1715; and an important Pennsylvania or Maryland lowback Windsor bench.
Also selling in Friday’s session is a Chester County sampler wrought by Mary Graves under the tutelage of Hannah G. Carpenter. It is pictured in Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania by Margaret Schiffer, page 61.
The Kriebel name is well known in the field of Schwenkfelder fraktur drawings. These bright colorful pictures were executed in Montgomery County, Pa., in the mid-19th century. The fraktur in the auction was probably executed by Sarah Kriebel for a family member, Regina Kriebel. This is one of a number of fraktur by various artists in the collection including works by Brechall, Peterman, Krebs, Faber and others.
Paintings will include an oil on zinc scene of the Berks County Almshouse by John Rasmussen, a Pennsylvania itinerant painter; a painting titled Boy with Sheep by John Edward Costigan that was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 118th annual exhibition; a Ghent, Belgium, street scene by Pierre Francois de Noter; an industrial illustration done for the Speakman Co. of Wilmington, Del., by Stanley Massey Arthurs; and the painting of the American side wheeler J.Offering high risk and offshore merchant account with credit card processing services.B. Schuyler by James Edward Buttersworth.
Other artists represented include Fern Coppedge, Antonio Martino, Arthur Meltzer, Samuel Phillips, John Barnes, Hans Bebie, Bruce Crane, Bela De Tirefort, Alfred Bricher and many more.We are passionate about polished tiles.
Miscellaneous lots include a selection of English pearlware; Chinese carved jade; Boston silk on linen needlework memorial by Louisa Nouvse; and a fine group of turned woodenware by the maker Joseph Lehn working in Lancaster County, Pa., in the 19th century.
The sale will continue with items from the estate of Thelma Bennett of Toms River, N.J.; James and Sally Sorber of Chester County, Pa.,; as well as the estates of William Guyton and Richard Cloney.
A vibrantly painted Rhode Island sleigh, circa 1840, the decoration attributed to Thomas Frederick Hoppin will be sold. It was exhibited at the Rhode Island School of Design 1988.
Coast bedding firm fined over wool claim
A SOUTHPORT bedding company has been caught out trying to pull the wool over tourists' eyes.
An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission investigation into the wool manufacturing industry has found that Gold Coast Wool Pty Ltd intended to fleece customers by falsely claiming its products were made of pure wool.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said it was alleged that from November 2010 to August 2011, Gold Coast Wool attached labels to its bedding products with the official Woolmark logo and stated the products were made from "100 per cent wool".
But analytical testing of the bedding products showed quilt fillings consisted of just 58 per cent wool with the remainder found to be polyester.
"Misrepresentations of this nature undermine consumer confidence and warrant action," Mr Sims said.
"Consumers should be able to trust the representations that manufacturers make on their products. "This matter highlights the need for businesses, no matter how small, to be careful when they are promoting their products and to ensure labelling does not represent a product to be something that it is not."
He said the consumer watchdog believed the products were targeted at foreign tourists, who were often willing to pay a premium price for genuine wool products.
While not considered an admission of a breach by authorities, the company in late December paid a $6600 penalty issued by the ACCC.
Efforts to contact a representative of Gold Coast Wool, which makes and sells underlay blankets, quilting and alpaca products at its Jackman St premises, were unsuccessful yesterday.
But its website still claimed to use "pure and new natural wool" in its manufacturing process and displayed the Woolmark symbol, a valued label denoting the use of high-quality fibres.
An Australian Wool Innovation spokesman said the company had been given the green light to use the Woolmark logo again after "all faulty product" was destroyed and tests established the new products met specifications.
"AWI/Woolmark was glad to work with the ACCC to uphold the standards and specifications of the Woolmark and have been doing so for some time," he said.
"We continue to work with equivalent organisations around the world to protect the integrity of the Woolmark logo."
An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission investigation into the wool manufacturing industry has found that Gold Coast Wool Pty Ltd intended to fleece customers by falsely claiming its products were made of pure wool.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said it was alleged that from November 2010 to August 2011, Gold Coast Wool attached labels to its bedding products with the official Woolmark logo and stated the products were made from "100 per cent wool".
But analytical testing of the bedding products showed quilt fillings consisted of just 58 per cent wool with the remainder found to be polyester.
"Misrepresentations of this nature undermine consumer confidence and warrant action," Mr Sims said.
"Consumers should be able to trust the representations that manufacturers make on their products. "This matter highlights the need for businesses, no matter how small, to be careful when they are promoting their products and to ensure labelling does not represent a product to be something that it is not."
He said the consumer watchdog believed the products were targeted at foreign tourists, who were often willing to pay a premium price for genuine wool products.
While not considered an admission of a breach by authorities, the company in late December paid a $6600 penalty issued by the ACCC.
Efforts to contact a representative of Gold Coast Wool, which makes and sells underlay blankets, quilting and alpaca products at its Jackman St premises, were unsuccessful yesterday.
But its website still claimed to use "pure and new natural wool" in its manufacturing process and displayed the Woolmark symbol, a valued label denoting the use of high-quality fibres.
An Australian Wool Innovation spokesman said the company had been given the green light to use the Woolmark logo again after "all faulty product" was destroyed and tests established the new products met specifications.
"AWI/Woolmark was glad to work with the ACCC to uphold the standards and specifications of the Woolmark and have been doing so for some time," he said.
"We continue to work with equivalent organisations around the world to protect the integrity of the Woolmark logo."
2012年1月4日 星期三
Pinal Sheriff Babeu to run for Congress
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu officially announced his intent to run for Congress early Wednesday morning.
Babeu intends to run for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the newly-created District 4 - a sprawling, mostly-rural district that would include the portion of Pinal County that houses most of Apache Junction, Gold Canyon and San Tan Valley, according to the new congressional maps generated last month by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
District 4 would also include some of the more rural portions of Maricopa County to the north and west of the greater Phoenix area,The reason why most kidney stone form is not known. along with all of Gila and La Paz counties, the vast majority of Yavapai and Mohave counties,Thank you for visiting our newly improved DIY chicken coop website! and a large chunk of Yuma county - spanning all the way to the Arizona-California border.
Babeu said he plans to make illegal immigration, high unemployment and the federal deficit the focus of his candidacy.
"As a first responder, I'm trained to run toward dangers that others run away from. Right now, the biggest threats facing our country are from Washington,What are Hemroids?" Babeu said in released statement.As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, "We have record debt and deficit spending, the biggest intergenerational theft in the history of the world. We have a system that punishes job creators and leaves many millions unemployed. We have an unsecured border that allows the drug cartels to operate freely in our country, and results in 400,000 illegal crossings into our state every year.
"How have our leaders responded to these threats? This Congress approved the largest debt ceiling increase in American history. The administration transferred 2,000 high-powered weapons to the most dangerous criminals in North America, punishing whistleblowers and rewarding those responsible for ‘Fast and Furious.' Then they sued Arizona for doing the job they won't do. While Americans watch their savings disappear, we have credible allegations of insider trading by members of Congress."
Babeu, who announced the forming of an exploratory committee to run for the office in October, was elected in 2008 as Pinal County's first Republican sheriff. His ties to the party have not wavered since. He's been a fixture at tea party- and Republican-based events throughout the county and state and on the national TV circuit, appearing periodically on cable news outlets to discuss the rampant illegal immigration and smuggling corridor he says exists in Pinal County.
Prior to his post in Pinal, Babeu was a police officer in Chandler, and served as president of the Chandler police officer's association.
Babeu was named the 2011 National Sheriff of the Year by the National Sheriff's Association.Find everything you need to know about Cold Sore including causes,
Republican State Sen. Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City is exploring a possible candidacy for the 4th District seat.
Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar also may run for the 4th District seat inside of the adjacent 1st Congressional District that includes his current home in Flagstaff.
Babeu intends to run for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the newly-created District 4 - a sprawling, mostly-rural district that would include the portion of Pinal County that houses most of Apache Junction, Gold Canyon and San Tan Valley, according to the new congressional maps generated last month by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.
District 4 would also include some of the more rural portions of Maricopa County to the north and west of the greater Phoenix area,The reason why most kidney stone form is not known. along with all of Gila and La Paz counties, the vast majority of Yavapai and Mohave counties,Thank you for visiting our newly improved DIY chicken coop website! and a large chunk of Yuma county - spanning all the way to the Arizona-California border.
Babeu said he plans to make illegal immigration, high unemployment and the federal deficit the focus of his candidacy.
"As a first responder, I'm trained to run toward dangers that others run away from. Right now, the biggest threats facing our country are from Washington,What are Hemroids?" Babeu said in released statement.As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, "We have record debt and deficit spending, the biggest intergenerational theft in the history of the world. We have a system that punishes job creators and leaves many millions unemployed. We have an unsecured border that allows the drug cartels to operate freely in our country, and results in 400,000 illegal crossings into our state every year.
"How have our leaders responded to these threats? This Congress approved the largest debt ceiling increase in American history. The administration transferred 2,000 high-powered weapons to the most dangerous criminals in North America, punishing whistleblowers and rewarding those responsible for ‘Fast and Furious.' Then they sued Arizona for doing the job they won't do. While Americans watch their savings disappear, we have credible allegations of insider trading by members of Congress."
Babeu, who announced the forming of an exploratory committee to run for the office in October, was elected in 2008 as Pinal County's first Republican sheriff. His ties to the party have not wavered since. He's been a fixture at tea party- and Republican-based events throughout the county and state and on the national TV circuit, appearing periodically on cable news outlets to discuss the rampant illegal immigration and smuggling corridor he says exists in Pinal County.
Prior to his post in Pinal, Babeu was a police officer in Chandler, and served as president of the Chandler police officer's association.
Babeu was named the 2011 National Sheriff of the Year by the National Sheriff's Association.Find everything you need to know about Cold Sore including causes,
Republican State Sen. Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City is exploring a possible candidacy for the 4th District seat.
Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar also may run for the 4th District seat inside of the adjacent 1st Congressional District that includes his current home in Flagstaff.
Local shop owners offer beauty and whimsy to Alden community
Keeping up with the accelerated pace of working as a small business owner can be rough, especially during the holiday season. One needs to stay one step ahead of customer demand while offering a unique supply of goods and maintain a personal rapport with customers.Buy quality Bedding and luxury bed linen from Yorkshire Linen. Married couple Tom and Theresa Shriver of Alden know the techniques for running a smooth business. Their company, Chicken Coop Originals: A Country Gifts and Herb Shop, has been a local favorite for years now.
Chicken Coop Originals, located at 13245 Clinton St., Route 354,Can't afford a third party merchant account right now? features hand-painted country artwork, herbal wreaths, “oldtiques” and collectibles, pine trees, herbs,As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, and perennials in season. The shop is open April through December, and just wrapped up a profitable holiday retail season. Since 1999, the shop has been open; it started off with the sale of perennials,A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. herbs, and eggs 30 years ago. The couple began their business enterprising when they first got married and lived in West Seneca, by selling Christian books and later, little pine trees.
Now, the couple lives on the Alden/Marilla border, and their business has grown into three little buildings, which make up Chicken Coops Originals. The story behind the couple’s business is one of inspiration and true ingenuity.
“My husband and I always liked to make our own gifts, but I never thought I’d be selling them to other people,” Theresa said. “I’m a self-taught artist, and that’s one of the things that got me inspired, when I did a show and people bought my things. We have a creek and chickens and five children, and I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. It was a major choice we made in our marriage.”
Theresa went to school for recreation and took care of the household, while her husband Tom went back to school to become a teacher after he lost his job with a carpet company during their marriage.
“We felt it was important to have stability in the home,” Theresa said. “We would rather live on less than have me gone and the kids home with the babysitter. We learned to live on less and started a business.”
The couple started Chicken Coop Originals by packing up their wares and selling them at home parties, similar to today’s Avon or Tupperware parties. Then Tom got cancer, right after he secured his first teaching job in Buffalo that provided good health care. He almost died and was paralyzed from the waist down.
“We prayed ourselves through that with doctors and friends,” Theresa said. “Him getting better was a two year process and after that, we were so thankful. Now it’s been 17 years cancer free.”
Today, many themed gardens blossom in the sunshine at Chicken Coop Originals. Plus, several art and garden workshop classes are offered to the public. Such classes include learning how to make hand-painted cards and fresh Christmas centerpieces, lessons in herbal table arranging, watercolor painting seminars, and peaceful retreats for gardeners. It is a true marketplace of both beautiful items and creative energy.
“I felt like I needed something for myself and Tom encouraged me,” Theresa said. “He fixed up the chicken coop – he was really the backbone pushing me to do it. Little by little we keep growing. I own the business; the business doesn’t own me. We’ve been married 35 - 36 years and we recognize our differences and complement each other.”
During the off months, Theresa works as a teacher’s aide/substitute teacher and Tom is a full-time teacher. Both teach art lessons and run a summer camp for People of Praise. They host a Christmas open house where they welcome the general public into their home as if they are all old friends.
“We just had this little country home that we paid $28,000 for in 1977, and since then we’ve paid it off, built up the property, and made something of it,” said Theresa. “We burn our own wood to keep the house warm, and my husband started raising turkeys.VulcanMold is a Injection mold and injection molding manufacturer in china. The people we meet, we are so blessed by them.”
Chicken Coop Originals, located at 13245 Clinton St., Route 354,Can't afford a third party merchant account right now? features hand-painted country artwork, herbal wreaths, “oldtiques” and collectibles, pine trees, herbs,As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, and perennials in season. The shop is open April through December, and just wrapped up a profitable holiday retail season. Since 1999, the shop has been open; it started off with the sale of perennials,A Coated Abrasives is an abrasive grain bonded to a flexible substrate using adhesives. herbs, and eggs 30 years ago. The couple began their business enterprising when they first got married and lived in West Seneca, by selling Christian books and later, little pine trees.
Now, the couple lives on the Alden/Marilla border, and their business has grown into three little buildings, which make up Chicken Coops Originals. The story behind the couple’s business is one of inspiration and true ingenuity.
“My husband and I always liked to make our own gifts, but I never thought I’d be selling them to other people,” Theresa said. “I’m a self-taught artist, and that’s one of the things that got me inspired, when I did a show and people bought my things. We have a creek and chickens and five children, and I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. It was a major choice we made in our marriage.”
Theresa went to school for recreation and took care of the household, while her husband Tom went back to school to become a teacher after he lost his job with a carpet company during their marriage.
“We felt it was important to have stability in the home,” Theresa said. “We would rather live on less than have me gone and the kids home with the babysitter. We learned to live on less and started a business.”
The couple started Chicken Coop Originals by packing up their wares and selling them at home parties, similar to today’s Avon or Tupperware parties. Then Tom got cancer, right after he secured his first teaching job in Buffalo that provided good health care. He almost died and was paralyzed from the waist down.
“We prayed ourselves through that with doctors and friends,” Theresa said. “Him getting better was a two year process and after that, we were so thankful. Now it’s been 17 years cancer free.”
Today, many themed gardens blossom in the sunshine at Chicken Coop Originals. Plus, several art and garden workshop classes are offered to the public. Such classes include learning how to make hand-painted cards and fresh Christmas centerpieces, lessons in herbal table arranging, watercolor painting seminars, and peaceful retreats for gardeners. It is a true marketplace of both beautiful items and creative energy.
“I felt like I needed something for myself and Tom encouraged me,” Theresa said. “He fixed up the chicken coop – he was really the backbone pushing me to do it. Little by little we keep growing. I own the business; the business doesn’t own me. We’ve been married 35 - 36 years and we recognize our differences and complement each other.”
During the off months, Theresa works as a teacher’s aide/substitute teacher and Tom is a full-time teacher. Both teach art lessons and run a summer camp for People of Praise. They host a Christmas open house where they welcome the general public into their home as if they are all old friends.
“We just had this little country home that we paid $28,000 for in 1977, and since then we’ve paid it off, built up the property, and made something of it,” said Theresa. “We burn our own wood to keep the house warm, and my husband started raising turkeys.VulcanMold is a Injection mold and injection molding manufacturer in china. The people we meet, we are so blessed by them.”
Bentley Continental GT V8
And here's the thing. In doing this, the twin twin-scroll-turbo, direct-injection V8 uses about 40 per cent less fuel. Not just on the pussyfooting 'Combined cycle' of the fantasyland official economy test, but – says Bentley engineering chief Brian Gush – in the real world.Promat solid RUBBER MATS are the softest mats on the market! Now you can go 40 per cent further on a tankful,As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile, surely an appealing prospect even to those rich enough to buy a Bentley. Which leads you to wonder: where, exactly, did all the fuel slurped by the W12 go?
Here's how that 40 per cent – Bentley's target declared a couple of years ago – has been reached. The biggest chunk comes from downsizing: the W12 has a 6.0-litre capacity, the V8, as reflects its lower cylinder-count, is a 4.0-litre engine . Next comes a ZF eight-speed automatic in place of the six-speed: six per cent. The V8 runs as a V4 under light load, with one bank's outer cylinders and the other's inners deactivated: five per cent.
Now we're into details. Using power-steering energy only when needed, with an electro-hydraulic pump: three per cent. Same saving for some clever recalibration of the engine's electronic control unit. A small (25kg) reduction in weight and aerodynamic drag yields 2.5 per cent. Thermal management, including heating the gearbox oil from the engine's water circuit after a cold start: two per cent. Energy recuperation by electrically connecting the alternator only when slowing brings 1.5 per cent.Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties, Finally, low rolling-resistance tyres yield one per cent.
You'll notice there's no stop-start system, eschewed because drivers find it too annoying and the likely saving was deemed not worth the pain. Nevertheless, this is the closest we've ever got to a frugal Bentley, with provisional stats of 24mpg ('Combined') and 275g/km CO2.
From the outside, you can tell a Continental V8 from a W12 by its black front grille mesh and its more aggressive front valance. Inside, it's fractionally less lavish with, for example, cloth instead of leather for the headlining and a single lid for the central storage box instead of split halves. Rubber mats and vinyl seats, too (only joking). Here is where some of the 10 per cent price reduction over the W12 is achieved, given that the engine and gearbox combination is little cheaper to make than the W12's. Pricing starts around 122,000, sales start in February.
Should the shortfall spoil your sybaritic expectations, the ample options list can be your saviour after which the notional price reduction will have largely evaporated. Will you then feel short-changed? The briefest of drives in a Continental V8 will dispel that notion, and a longer one will astound you.
That fiercer front signals the V8's more sporting intent, with revised suspension and steering settings designed for a keener-feeling drive and making the most of that modest weight loss over the front wheels. As soon as you start the engine, you sense that was a very good move. There's a deep-bass exhaust note, powerful and menacing, increasingly overlaid by a staccato crackle as the revs rise towards the 6000rpm, 500bhp power peak.
Here is Bentley as a maker of a proper, Ferrari- and Aston-rivalling, hard-edged pleasure machine. Maybe it does take 0.3sec longer to reach 62mph than the W12 does, but at 4.Search and purchase original Projector Lamp and bulbs at discounted prices.9sec who, again, is complaining? The way it rockets is far more pleasurable, helped by undetectable turbo lag, swift and definite gearshifts which are still perfectly smooth, and that fabulous soundtrack. In expected Bentley fashion there's huge urge available from very low engine speeds, which continues in a torrent as the musical explosion escalates. Peak torque of 487lb ft arrives at 1700rpm and stays there right up to 5000.
Just as good – maybe even better, actually – is the way the Continental attacks bends. This is a 'fast lorry' no more. On the contrary, it is the lightest-footed, most agile, most interactive Bentley road car there has ever been, and that includes the previous-generation Supersports. This GT feels like a car two-thirds the weight, keen and responsive and easy to place to the nearest inch. Yet on the bumpy, undulating roads around Silverstone it proved supple and resolutely composed, its adaptive dampers best left towards the comfort end of the scale.Offers Art Reproductions Fine Art oil painting reproduction,
Here's how that 40 per cent – Bentley's target declared a couple of years ago – has been reached. The biggest chunk comes from downsizing: the W12 has a 6.0-litre capacity, the V8, as reflects its lower cylinder-count, is a 4.0-litre engine . Next comes a ZF eight-speed automatic in place of the six-speed: six per cent. The V8 runs as a V4 under light load, with one bank's outer cylinders and the other's inners deactivated: five per cent.
Now we're into details. Using power-steering energy only when needed, with an electro-hydraulic pump: three per cent. Same saving for some clever recalibration of the engine's electronic control unit. A small (25kg) reduction in weight and aerodynamic drag yields 2.5 per cent. Thermal management, including heating the gearbox oil from the engine's water circuit after a cold start: two per cent. Energy recuperation by electrically connecting the alternator only when slowing brings 1.5 per cent.Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties, Finally, low rolling-resistance tyres yield one per cent.
You'll notice there's no stop-start system, eschewed because drivers find it too annoying and the likely saving was deemed not worth the pain. Nevertheless, this is the closest we've ever got to a frugal Bentley, with provisional stats of 24mpg ('Combined') and 275g/km CO2.
From the outside, you can tell a Continental V8 from a W12 by its black front grille mesh and its more aggressive front valance. Inside, it's fractionally less lavish with, for example, cloth instead of leather for the headlining and a single lid for the central storage box instead of split halves. Rubber mats and vinyl seats, too (only joking). Here is where some of the 10 per cent price reduction over the W12 is achieved, given that the engine and gearbox combination is little cheaper to make than the W12's. Pricing starts around 122,000, sales start in February.
Should the shortfall spoil your sybaritic expectations, the ample options list can be your saviour after which the notional price reduction will have largely evaporated. Will you then feel short-changed? The briefest of drives in a Continental V8 will dispel that notion, and a longer one will astound you.
That fiercer front signals the V8's more sporting intent, with revised suspension and steering settings designed for a keener-feeling drive and making the most of that modest weight loss over the front wheels. As soon as you start the engine, you sense that was a very good move. There's a deep-bass exhaust note, powerful and menacing, increasingly overlaid by a staccato crackle as the revs rise towards the 6000rpm, 500bhp power peak.
Here is Bentley as a maker of a proper, Ferrari- and Aston-rivalling, hard-edged pleasure machine. Maybe it does take 0.3sec longer to reach 62mph than the W12 does, but at 4.Search and purchase original Projector Lamp and bulbs at discounted prices.9sec who, again, is complaining? The way it rockets is far more pleasurable, helped by undetectable turbo lag, swift and definite gearshifts which are still perfectly smooth, and that fabulous soundtrack. In expected Bentley fashion there's huge urge available from very low engine speeds, which continues in a torrent as the musical explosion escalates. Peak torque of 487lb ft arrives at 1700rpm and stays there right up to 5000.
Just as good – maybe even better, actually – is the way the Continental attacks bends. This is a 'fast lorry' no more. On the contrary, it is the lightest-footed, most agile, most interactive Bentley road car there has ever been, and that includes the previous-generation Supersports. This GT feels like a car two-thirds the weight, keen and responsive and easy to place to the nearest inch. Yet on the bumpy, undulating roads around Silverstone it proved supple and resolutely composed, its adaptive dampers best left towards the comfort end of the scale.Offers Art Reproductions Fine Art oil painting reproduction,
Hepatitis C vaccine hope after cold virus tests
Trials showed it tackled the disease, which causes flu-like effects before badly damaging the liver, in a similar way to people who are naturally immune. The vaccine lasted a year and none of the 41 people studied had side effects.
The findings suggest it may be possible to develop a vaccine although it may take several more years to prove it is safe.
Professor Paul Klenerman, from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at Oxford University, a leading member of the research team, said: “We’ve found that it’s possible to prime large cellular immune responses against hepatitis C that last for at least a year.Buy low price Aion Kinah,
“The immune responses we’ve seen are exciting and we are beginning the next stage of trials. While we are hopeful, it could be a long road to any vaccine that protects people against hepatitis C.”
Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that can remain hidden in the bloodstream for decades before showing any symptoms. It produces mild flu-like effects while inflicting slow damage to the liver which can lead to cirrhosis and cancer.
An estimated 200,Facts and Cures. Cures for all types of Hemorrhoids.000 to 500,000 people are infected with hepatitis C in England and Wales. Because of the lack of symptoms, many do not know of their condition.As a leading company in the plastic card printing industry,
The virus is carried in the blood and to a lesser extent other bodily fluids. It is most commonly transmitted by sharing needles to inject drugs, but can also be passed on via toothbrushes, razors, scissors, tattoos and body piercing. There is a low risk of the virus passing from mother to child or between sexual partners.
Like HIV,What causes TMJ pain? hepatitis C presents a difficult moving target to anyone attempting to challenge it with a vaccine. The virus can easily adopt new disguises that may not be recognised by the immune system. It also comes in six possible strains, each presenting a different vaccine target.
The new trial results are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. A group of 41 healthy adults took part in the Phase One trial,
primarily designed to test safety and obtain dosing information.
The vaccine is designed to provoke a response from immune cells called T-cells that target the inside of the virus rather than its outer coat.
It was created from a modified adenovirus, a member of a family of viruses responsible for the common cold and sore throat infections. Two kinds of adenovirus were tested as vaccine candidates, a rare human version and one found in chimpanzees.
The vaccine triggered a large T-cell response that lasted for at least a year, the length of the trial. No significant adverse effects were reported among the volunteers.
The immune response was of a similar type and size as that reported in people who naturally clear the hepatitis C virus from their bodies, said the scientists. Around one in five people are naturally immune to hepatitis C infection.As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile,
Not only did the T-cells react to a wide range of different elements within the virus, but they seemed to respond to more than one strain.
The findings suggest it may be possible to develop a vaccine although it may take several more years to prove it is safe.
Professor Paul Klenerman, from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at Oxford University, a leading member of the research team, said: “We’ve found that it’s possible to prime large cellular immune responses against hepatitis C that last for at least a year.Buy low price Aion Kinah,
“The immune responses we’ve seen are exciting and we are beginning the next stage of trials. While we are hopeful, it could be a long road to any vaccine that protects people against hepatitis C.”
Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that can remain hidden in the bloodstream for decades before showing any symptoms. It produces mild flu-like effects while inflicting slow damage to the liver which can lead to cirrhosis and cancer.
An estimated 200,Facts and Cures. Cures for all types of Hemorrhoids.000 to 500,000 people are infected with hepatitis C in England and Wales. Because of the lack of symptoms, many do not know of their condition.As a leading company in the plastic card printing industry,
The virus is carried in the blood and to a lesser extent other bodily fluids. It is most commonly transmitted by sharing needles to inject drugs, but can also be passed on via toothbrushes, razors, scissors, tattoos and body piercing. There is a low risk of the virus passing from mother to child or between sexual partners.
Like HIV,What causes TMJ pain? hepatitis C presents a difficult moving target to anyone attempting to challenge it with a vaccine. The virus can easily adopt new disguises that may not be recognised by the immune system. It also comes in six possible strains, each presenting a different vaccine target.
The new trial results are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. A group of 41 healthy adults took part in the Phase One trial,
primarily designed to test safety and obtain dosing information.
The vaccine is designed to provoke a response from immune cells called T-cells that target the inside of the virus rather than its outer coat.
It was created from a modified adenovirus, a member of a family of viruses responsible for the common cold and sore throat infections. Two kinds of adenovirus were tested as vaccine candidates, a rare human version and one found in chimpanzees.
The vaccine triggered a large T-cell response that lasted for at least a year, the length of the trial. No significant adverse effects were reported among the volunteers.
The immune response was of a similar type and size as that reported in people who naturally clear the hepatitis C virus from their bodies, said the scientists. Around one in five people are naturally immune to hepatitis C infection.As a professional manufacturer of China ceramic tile,
Not only did the T-cells react to a wide range of different elements within the virus, but they seemed to respond to more than one strain.
Cambridge bedding firm seeks protection from creditors
A Cambridge bedding company that took on a lot of debt prior to the economic downturn is seeking protection from creditors in order to stay in business.
Natura World Inc. filed a notice of intention with the federal bankruptcy office on Dec. 16 that it plans to make a proposal to creditors within 30 days to pay off some of its debts.
The notice means the company is insolvent but not bankrupt, and is seeking more time to restructure its affairs.
A. Farber & Partners of Toronto has been appointed as trustee in the case.
In the meantime, Natura has reached an agreement with its lender, Callidus Capital of Toronto, to provide $7.8 million in new financing, it said in a news release.
The company, which makes and distributes mattresses, pillows and bedding products, said there will be no disruption to customers, vendors or suppliers during the restructuring process.
Company president Ralph Rossdeutscher said Natura made significant investments three years ago in new products, equipment and technologies just prior to the recession hitting in the U.S., where its largest market is located.
“While we have reduced operating expenses significantly over the past two years and our current run rate is actually profitable, we could not fully right the ship and pay down the debt we amassed several years ago without going through this reorganization process,” he said in the release.
The company, launched in 1994, purchased a Utah-based competitor in 2009 and set up a manufacturing facility in Texas in 2010.
In an interview, Rossdeutscher said the company has trimmed some of its sales force and is attending fewer trade shows. It currently employs 80 at its headquarters on Natura Way in Cambridge and another 80 in Texas.
Almost two years ago. the company employed 120 people in Cambridge.
Rossdeutscher said the company is seeking a 15-day extension on the 30-day protection period because of disruptions caused by the Christmas holidays.
He said he is optimistic Natura will turn things around with the new financing and several large contracts it is bidding on now.
Rossdeutscher said the restructuring proposal was an unpleasant but necessary step. “It sucks but at least we’re still alive and going forward. If we didn’t do that then it would be fully out of our control and we might not be here as we speak.”
Natura World Inc. filed a notice of intention with the federal bankruptcy office on Dec. 16 that it plans to make a proposal to creditors within 30 days to pay off some of its debts.
The notice means the company is insolvent but not bankrupt, and is seeking more time to restructure its affairs.
A. Farber & Partners of Toronto has been appointed as trustee in the case.
In the meantime, Natura has reached an agreement with its lender, Callidus Capital of Toronto, to provide $7.8 million in new financing, it said in a news release.
The company, which makes and distributes mattresses, pillows and bedding products, said there will be no disruption to customers, vendors or suppliers during the restructuring process.
Company president Ralph Rossdeutscher said Natura made significant investments three years ago in new products, equipment and technologies just prior to the recession hitting in the U.S., where its largest market is located.
“While we have reduced operating expenses significantly over the past two years and our current run rate is actually profitable, we could not fully right the ship and pay down the debt we amassed several years ago without going through this reorganization process,” he said in the release.
The company, launched in 1994, purchased a Utah-based competitor in 2009 and set up a manufacturing facility in Texas in 2010.
In an interview, Rossdeutscher said the company has trimmed some of its sales force and is attending fewer trade shows. It currently employs 80 at its headquarters on Natura Way in Cambridge and another 80 in Texas.
Almost two years ago. the company employed 120 people in Cambridge.
Rossdeutscher said the company is seeking a 15-day extension on the 30-day protection period because of disruptions caused by the Christmas holidays.
He said he is optimistic Natura will turn things around with the new financing and several large contracts it is bidding on now.
Rossdeutscher said the restructuring proposal was an unpleasant but necessary step. “It sucks but at least we’re still alive and going forward. If we didn’t do that then it would be fully out of our control and we might not be here as we speak.”
2012年1月3日 星期二
Not All Childhood Rashes are the Same
What holiday vacation would be complete without a trip to the pediatrician? It seems every holiday season one or more children, and sometimes the adults, are sick with some sort of cold or condition. This year, was no different.
My youngest son had the typical runny nose, sore throat but, wait,What are Hemroids? something different—a rash over his entire torso that worsened as I was giving him a bath and getting him ready for bed. My gut reaction was Scarlet Fever.
Up until 5 years ago, I thought Scarlet Fever was something in history books that was eradicated like measles or chicken pox. Having one of my other children experience the itchy sand paper rash, though, I realize it is much more common.
Scarlet Fever is merely Strep Throat with a rash and may occur in children ages 2 – 10. Some of the tell tale signs are a prickly, sand paper like rash on the entire torso, sore throat, yellow coated tongue,The reason why most kidney stone form is not known. fever of 101 degrees and, in the later stages, white peeling fingertips, as my older son experienced.
Scarlet Fever does not always accompany Strep Throat but when it does it can result in complications like middle ear infection, pneumonia and rheumatic fever. An antibiotic gets rid of this bacterial infection.
No two rashes are alike, though, and you can google images of rashes all day on the computer to try to identify what it is. You will come up with scary names like Scarlet Fever, Fifth Disease (Slapped Cheek), Sixth Disease, Hives, Roseola or Impetigo—but, at the end of the day, any of these rashes warrants a visit to the pediatrician so don’t worry yourself over what it might be.
The doctor took a rapid strep test to rule out Scarlet Fever and my son did not have either Strep Throat or Scarlet Fever. He did have an ear infection and culprit of the rash—eczema. He was given an antibiotic and a lot of recommendations for skin care.
“This time of year, with the changes in the temperature and the humidity,” said Dr. Oscar Morffi or Lehigh Valley Pediatric Association, “kid’s skin is sensitive.”
Eczema is an itchy,Find everything you need to know about Cold Sore including causes, red rash that results from some sort of trigger, sometimes allergies, asthma and, in this case,Thank you for visiting our newly improved DIY chicken coop website! hot water drying out the skin.
“Kids with eczema love the bath but a one minute bath every night is better than a 20 minute bath twice a week,” said Dr. Morffi, “The water is soothing but it does more damage than shorter baths.”
The hot baths combined with the dry heat of the fire place at the home we had visited caused the breakout. Dr. Morffi recommended some hydrocortisone cream, much shorter baths and a small dose of Benadryl twice a day. He also recommended using Dove soap for bath time.
Eczema when untreated can lead to scaly, flaky or cracking skin. In the summer, putting on sunscreen does a great deal to lubricate the skin,We are passionate about polished tiles. but, in winter, it is just as important to put a layer of soothing, non-allergenic lotion on your toddler’s skin to avoid these complications. Lesson learned-- moisturize, moisterize, moisterize.
My youngest son had the typical runny nose, sore throat but, wait,What are Hemroids? something different—a rash over his entire torso that worsened as I was giving him a bath and getting him ready for bed. My gut reaction was Scarlet Fever.
Up until 5 years ago, I thought Scarlet Fever was something in history books that was eradicated like measles or chicken pox. Having one of my other children experience the itchy sand paper rash, though, I realize it is much more common.
Scarlet Fever is merely Strep Throat with a rash and may occur in children ages 2 – 10. Some of the tell tale signs are a prickly, sand paper like rash on the entire torso, sore throat, yellow coated tongue,The reason why most kidney stone form is not known. fever of 101 degrees and, in the later stages, white peeling fingertips, as my older son experienced.
Scarlet Fever does not always accompany Strep Throat but when it does it can result in complications like middle ear infection, pneumonia and rheumatic fever. An antibiotic gets rid of this bacterial infection.
No two rashes are alike, though, and you can google images of rashes all day on the computer to try to identify what it is. You will come up with scary names like Scarlet Fever, Fifth Disease (Slapped Cheek), Sixth Disease, Hives, Roseola or Impetigo—but, at the end of the day, any of these rashes warrants a visit to the pediatrician so don’t worry yourself over what it might be.
The doctor took a rapid strep test to rule out Scarlet Fever and my son did not have either Strep Throat or Scarlet Fever. He did have an ear infection and culprit of the rash—eczema. He was given an antibiotic and a lot of recommendations for skin care.
“This time of year, with the changes in the temperature and the humidity,” said Dr. Oscar Morffi or Lehigh Valley Pediatric Association, “kid’s skin is sensitive.”
Eczema is an itchy,Find everything you need to know about Cold Sore including causes, red rash that results from some sort of trigger, sometimes allergies, asthma and, in this case,Thank you for visiting our newly improved DIY chicken coop website! hot water drying out the skin.
“Kids with eczema love the bath but a one minute bath every night is better than a 20 minute bath twice a week,” said Dr. Morffi, “The water is soothing but it does more damage than shorter baths.”
The hot baths combined with the dry heat of the fire place at the home we had visited caused the breakout. Dr. Morffi recommended some hydrocortisone cream, much shorter baths and a small dose of Benadryl twice a day. He also recommended using Dove soap for bath time.
Eczema when untreated can lead to scaly, flaky or cracking skin. In the summer, putting on sunscreen does a great deal to lubricate the skin,We are passionate about polished tiles. but, in winter, it is just as important to put a layer of soothing, non-allergenic lotion on your toddler’s skin to avoid these complications. Lesson learned-- moisturize, moisterize, moisterize.
Cheese mould, a new sanitary sterilizer?
Since the days of the ancient Romans, humankind has relied on mould to craft pungent, tasty blue cheeses like roquefort, gorgonzola and stilton.
Now, researchers have harnessed that edible fungus, Penicillium roqueforti, to create a self-cleaning foil that contains an embedded mould that eats away at food spilled on it.
The product is still rudimentary – it took the mould two weeks to digest half a teaspoon of sugary broth.
But it is one of the first times scientists have combined living organisms and a material component. The researchers foresee complex future applications such as weaving toxin-producing mould into fabric to create a self-sterilizing surface.
The research team, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, has published its findings in the Jan.We are passionate about polished tiles. 3 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
The project’s inspiration was the French cheese camembert,Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. said one of the researchers, Lukas Gerber.
A soft-ripened cheese, camembert has a white, downy rind – or as the research paper calls it, “a living, functional biomaterial.” The rind, which is inoculated with the Penicillium camemberti mould, acts both as a ripening agent and a protective surface against other micro-organisms.
“Now, we want to take such a function from a living body and incorporate it into an artificial material,” Mr. Gerber said in a telephone interview. “It’s the first time [people] have designed a flat surface combining these two domains,Buy low price Aion Kinah, the plastic and the micro-organisms.”
The foil they created was like a three-layered sandwich,VulcanMold is a Injection mold and injection molding manufacturer in china. with two polymer films encasing a thin coating of gelatinous culture holding the fungi.
The layer at the bottom was made with polyvinyl chloride, the material used in plumbing pipes and fake leather. The fungi, suspended in an agar mixture, were spread on that layer, then covered by a porous polycarbonate plastic membrane.
The researchers analyzed two sizes of the self-cleaning material, one about the width of a dollar coin and the other as large as a sheet of letter paper. A sugary broth made from potatoes was dropped on the samples. Within 14 days, the fungi consumed the spill until the sugar dropped “below detection limit,” Mr. Gerber said.
“That was cool; that was what we expected.”
Once the food was consumed, the fungi switched to a dormant state until another spill activated them.
As long as the material was kept from severely drying,Accept all major credit cards using the top rated third party payment gateway. the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology mould remained active, even after the foil was rubbed with alcohol hand disinfectant or scrubbed with dishwashing soap.
This showed that the material had a shelf life and might survive standard hospital washing routines.
The research opens the door to future applications that combine the benefits of micro-organisms with flat surface materials, Mr. Gerber said. For example, penicillin-producing fungi could be used to create antibacterial fabric that would generate antibiotics only in the presence of germs. Or large surfaces such as skyscraper facades could be coated with algae, which transform carbon dioxide to oxygen, to improve air quality.
“We wanted to show how easy it is to combine micro-organisms and polymer science,” Mr. Gerber said.
Now, researchers have harnessed that edible fungus, Penicillium roqueforti, to create a self-cleaning foil that contains an embedded mould that eats away at food spilled on it.
The product is still rudimentary – it took the mould two weeks to digest half a teaspoon of sugary broth.
But it is one of the first times scientists have combined living organisms and a material component. The researchers foresee complex future applications such as weaving toxin-producing mould into fabric to create a self-sterilizing surface.
The research team, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, has published its findings in the Jan.We are passionate about polished tiles. 3 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
The project’s inspiration was the French cheese camembert,Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. said one of the researchers, Lukas Gerber.
A soft-ripened cheese, camembert has a white, downy rind – or as the research paper calls it, “a living, functional biomaterial.” The rind, which is inoculated with the Penicillium camemberti mould, acts both as a ripening agent and a protective surface against other micro-organisms.
“Now, we want to take such a function from a living body and incorporate it into an artificial material,” Mr. Gerber said in a telephone interview. “It’s the first time [people] have designed a flat surface combining these two domains,Buy low price Aion Kinah, the plastic and the micro-organisms.”
The foil they created was like a three-layered sandwich,VulcanMold is a Injection mold and injection molding manufacturer in china. with two polymer films encasing a thin coating of gelatinous culture holding the fungi.
The layer at the bottom was made with polyvinyl chloride, the material used in plumbing pipes and fake leather. The fungi, suspended in an agar mixture, were spread on that layer, then covered by a porous polycarbonate plastic membrane.
The researchers analyzed two sizes of the self-cleaning material, one about the width of a dollar coin and the other as large as a sheet of letter paper. A sugary broth made from potatoes was dropped on the samples. Within 14 days, the fungi consumed the spill until the sugar dropped “below detection limit,” Mr. Gerber said.
“That was cool; that was what we expected.”
Once the food was consumed, the fungi switched to a dormant state until another spill activated them.
As long as the material was kept from severely drying,Accept all major credit cards using the top rated third party payment gateway. the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology mould remained active, even after the foil was rubbed with alcohol hand disinfectant or scrubbed with dishwashing soap.
This showed that the material had a shelf life and might survive standard hospital washing routines.
The research opens the door to future applications that combine the benefits of micro-organisms with flat surface materials, Mr. Gerber said. For example, penicillin-producing fungi could be used to create antibacterial fabric that would generate antibiotics only in the presence of germs. Or large surfaces such as skyscraper facades could be coated with algae, which transform carbon dioxide to oxygen, to improve air quality.
“We wanted to show how easy it is to combine micro-organisms and polymer science,” Mr. Gerber said.
Stuffing Stockings At A New Venue
What do a hockey puck, a string of beads, a Hummel figure,Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties, a Christmas tree ornament and a old box camera have in common? The answer: they are all less than 6 inches tall and therefore fit the bill to be included in Vivien Cord's annual Antique Stocking Stuffers Show & Sale. And all of the aforementioned items were there, joining a countless number of other things to please the 600 visitors who came to the show on Sunday, December 18.
Prior to Sunday, the show spent many years in the Civic Center in Old Greenwich, a venue that, over the years, has been neglected to the point that the roof leaked and the exhibition areas became very worn. "It was time to relocate to a clean and bright location, thus the move to the John Jay High School in Cross River, where we are very happy and welcomed," Cord said.
The show filled the cafeteria,We are passionate about polished tiles. a smaller exhibition area and some of the hallways, making it comfortable and easy to maneuver for both the dealers and the customers. The dealers and visitors concurred with her move. Exhibitor Marcia Chaloux of Newtown, Conn., noted, "I wasn't going to do the show if it was to be held in Old Greenwich again, but with the new venue, it turned out to be one of the best choices I made this year."
The show opened at 10 am to a lobby of early shoppers, and people continued to trickled in all day long. Just inside the front entrance, Nancy Craig of Dover, N.H., was set up, offering memorabilia, a selection of still banks, commemorative buttons and many baskets filled with everything from soup to nuts. "Best show since the recession started," she said, "I couldn't blink for the first 3 hours."
Just the opposite was true for Judy Ravnitzky of Mahopac, N.Y. "I did $65 in the morning, wanted to slit my wrists, but it was a good thing I didn't, because in the afternoon I sold four sets of fine quality stemware, mostly Moser, to a very knowledgeable buyer," she said.
An advertisement for the show,Search and purchase original Projector Lamp and bulbs at discounted prices. appearing in Antiques and The Arts Weekly , featured a Christmas tree made with a stack of words naming the objects one would expect to find at the show. Starting from the bottom with vintage designer costume jewelry, the tree topped off with tins, and in between the list included toys, bells, linens, frames, buttons, folk art, bookends, candlesticks, purses, doorstops, bottles, dollhouse furniture, shakers, figurines, advertising, tokens, molds and clocks,Promat solid RUBBER MATS are the softest mats on the market! just 20 of the 80 different categories mentioned. And, indeed, there were lots more.
Many of the exhibitors rated the show's visitors highly, including Ryan Downer of Wolfeboro Falls, N.H., who said, "Customers flocked in droves and they were serious buyers with good Christmas spirit. They were interested in a variety of things, and were not afraid to spend." Olivia Garay of Whitehouse Station, N.J.In a conductor, electric current can flow freely, in an Insulator it cannot., added, "Awesome show, pleased with clientele. I do a lot of shows, and this one saw well-educated customers who knew their stuff, which made them easy to sell to."
Brenda Perrone of Pound Ridge, N.Y., one of the several dealers who offered early Christmas ornaments and decoration, noted that "people were looking for vintage Christmas and, as always, I did well." Other dealers pleased with the show included Arlene Kahn of New York City, who said, "We did well, just as we have always done in Old Greenwich," and Walter-John Kazeka, Sparta, N.Y., was also pleased, saying, "I'm happy, I did what I wanted to do."
Cord was impressed with several of the visitors who told her that they went to Old Greenwich looking for the show, and when they found it was not there, went home and Googled it and then came up to Cross River. The Stocking Stuffers Show replaces the March Cross River Winter Antiques Fair and is the major fundraiser for the John Jay High School PTO.
Next year the show will be at the same location on Sunday, December 16, and among the dealers you will meet will be Kathleen Otranto of Farmingville, N.Y., who said, "I'm smiling! Will do it again!"
Prior to Sunday, the show spent many years in the Civic Center in Old Greenwich, a venue that, over the years, has been neglected to the point that the roof leaked and the exhibition areas became very worn. "It was time to relocate to a clean and bright location, thus the move to the John Jay High School in Cross River, where we are very happy and welcomed," Cord said.
The show filled the cafeteria,We are passionate about polished tiles. a smaller exhibition area and some of the hallways, making it comfortable and easy to maneuver for both the dealers and the customers. The dealers and visitors concurred with her move. Exhibitor Marcia Chaloux of Newtown, Conn., noted, "I wasn't going to do the show if it was to be held in Old Greenwich again, but with the new venue, it turned out to be one of the best choices I made this year."
The show opened at 10 am to a lobby of early shoppers, and people continued to trickled in all day long. Just inside the front entrance, Nancy Craig of Dover, N.H., was set up, offering memorabilia, a selection of still banks, commemorative buttons and many baskets filled with everything from soup to nuts. "Best show since the recession started," she said, "I couldn't blink for the first 3 hours."
Just the opposite was true for Judy Ravnitzky of Mahopac, N.Y. "I did $65 in the morning, wanted to slit my wrists, but it was a good thing I didn't, because in the afternoon I sold four sets of fine quality stemware, mostly Moser, to a very knowledgeable buyer," she said.
An advertisement for the show,Search and purchase original Projector Lamp and bulbs at discounted prices. appearing in Antiques and The Arts Weekly , featured a Christmas tree made with a stack of words naming the objects one would expect to find at the show. Starting from the bottom with vintage designer costume jewelry, the tree topped off with tins, and in between the list included toys, bells, linens, frames, buttons, folk art, bookends, candlesticks, purses, doorstops, bottles, dollhouse furniture, shakers, figurines, advertising, tokens, molds and clocks,Promat solid RUBBER MATS are the softest mats on the market! just 20 of the 80 different categories mentioned. And, indeed, there were lots more.
Many of the exhibitors rated the show's visitors highly, including Ryan Downer of Wolfeboro Falls, N.H., who said, "Customers flocked in droves and they were serious buyers with good Christmas spirit. They were interested in a variety of things, and were not afraid to spend." Olivia Garay of Whitehouse Station, N.J.In a conductor, electric current can flow freely, in an Insulator it cannot., added, "Awesome show, pleased with clientele. I do a lot of shows, and this one saw well-educated customers who knew their stuff, which made them easy to sell to."
Brenda Perrone of Pound Ridge, N.Y., one of the several dealers who offered early Christmas ornaments and decoration, noted that "people were looking for vintage Christmas and, as always, I did well." Other dealers pleased with the show included Arlene Kahn of New York City, who said, "We did well, just as we have always done in Old Greenwich," and Walter-John Kazeka, Sparta, N.Y., was also pleased, saying, "I'm happy, I did what I wanted to do."
Cord was impressed with several of the visitors who told her that they went to Old Greenwich looking for the show, and when they found it was not there, went home and Googled it and then came up to Cross River. The Stocking Stuffers Show replaces the March Cross River Winter Antiques Fair and is the major fundraiser for the John Jay High School PTO.
Next year the show will be at the same location on Sunday, December 16, and among the dealers you will meet will be Kathleen Otranto of Farmingville, N.Y., who said, "I'm smiling! Will do it again!"
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