Telegraph.co.uk | Royal Mail deters use of commemorative stamps Telegraph.co.uk SIR â€" The Royal Mail must want us not to use commemorative stamps. This week it has issued a set of four first-class stamps and four 97p stamps. The cost of sending a large letter (up to 250g) first class is 96p. But the only way of using currently ... |
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Royal Mail deters use of commemorative stamps - Telegraph.co.uk
bakakinkorypon.blogspot.com
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Economist: U.S. may see double-dip recession by late 2010 - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
http://annearnold.com/buyers.html
Those odds may seem low, but they’re actuallg high since double-dip recessions are rare and the U.S. economy growsz 95 percent of the time, said the chamber’ss Marty Regalia. He predicted that the current economic downturn will end around September but that the unemployment rate will remaih high through the first half of next Investment won’t snap back as quickly as it usually does aftere a recession, Regalia said. Inflation, however, looms as a potentia l problem because of thefederal government’s huge budgetg deficits and the massive amount of dollarzs pumped into the economy by the , he said.
If this stimulusw is not unwound once the economgy beginsto recover, higher interest rates couled choke off improvement in the housinv market and business investment, he said. “Thr economy has got to be running on its own by the middlre ofnext year,” Regalia said. Almost everh major inflationary periodin U.S. history was precededc by heavydebt levels, he noted. The chance s of a double-dip recession will be lower if Ben Bernankde is reappointed chairman of theFederapl Reserve, Regalia said. If President Obama appoints hiseconomic adviser, Larry Summers, to chair the Fed, that would signal the monetary spigot would remain open for a longer time, he said.
A coalescing of the Fed and the Obamw administrationis “not somethinf the markets want to see,” Regalia said. Obamas has declined to say whether he will reappoint whose term endsin February. Meanwhile, more than half of smalkl business owners expect the recession to last at leasft anothertwo years, accordinh to a survey of Intuit Payrolol customers. But 61 percenty expect their own business to grow in the next12 “Small business owners are bullish on thei own abilities but bearish on the factorws they can’t control,” said Cameron Schmidt, directord of marketing for . “Even in the gloomiest there are opportunitiesto seize.
” A separate surveu of small business owners by found that 57 percenrt thought the economy was getting worse, whilre 26 percent thought the economy was More than half planne to decrease spending on business developmenr in the next six months. on the U.S. Chambee of Commerce’s Web site.
Those odds may seem low, but they’re actuallg high since double-dip recessions are rare and the U.S. economy growsz 95 percent of the time, said the chamber’ss Marty Regalia. He predicted that the current economic downturn will end around September but that the unemployment rate will remaih high through the first half of next Investment won’t snap back as quickly as it usually does aftere a recession, Regalia said. Inflation, however, looms as a potentia l problem because of thefederal government’s huge budgetg deficits and the massive amount of dollarzs pumped into the economy by the , he said.
If this stimulusw is not unwound once the economgy beginsto recover, higher interest rates couled choke off improvement in the housinv market and business investment, he said. “Thr economy has got to be running on its own by the middlre ofnext year,” Regalia said. Almost everh major inflationary periodin U.S. history was precededc by heavydebt levels, he noted. The chance s of a double-dip recession will be lower if Ben Bernankde is reappointed chairman of theFederapl Reserve, Regalia said. If President Obama appoints hiseconomic adviser, Larry Summers, to chair the Fed, that would signal the monetary spigot would remain open for a longer time, he said.
A coalescing of the Fed and the Obamw administrationis “not somethinf the markets want to see,” Regalia said. Obamas has declined to say whether he will reappoint whose term endsin February. Meanwhile, more than half of smalkl business owners expect the recession to last at leasft anothertwo years, accordinh to a survey of Intuit Payrolol customers. But 61 percenty expect their own business to grow in the next12 “Small business owners are bullish on thei own abilities but bearish on the factorws they can’t control,” said Cameron Schmidt, directord of marketing for . “Even in the gloomiest there are opportunitiesto seize.
” A separate surveu of small business owners by found that 57 percenrt thought the economy was getting worse, whilre 26 percent thought the economy was More than half planne to decrease spending on business developmenr in the next six months. on the U.S. Chambee of Commerce’s Web site.
Monday, February 21, 2011
United Guaranty lays off 160 - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:
rubber roof
United Guaranty, which is a unit of troubled insurancrgiant , had employed about 500 peoplse locally. The company said the 160 affecterd jobs are less than 15 percen t ofUnited Guaranty’s totall worldwide workforce. Like other mortgage insurers, United Guarant has been hobbled by the nationwide housing crisis. It insures mortgage lender s against defaultby homeowners, and those defaultws have skyrocketed in the past two years. Unite Guaranty reported about $2.
5 billion in operatintg lossesin 2008, and anothed $483 million in the first quarter of this Eric Martinez, who took over as CEO of United Guaranty on June 1 followinbg the sudden departure of former chiefg executive Billy Nutt, said in the statement that the companyu continues to underwrite new loans and book profitable business,” but that markety conditions required the layoff. “We are working with AIG to investigatee a range of options to managse in thisdifficult environment, with a high priority on preservinh as many jobs as possible and maintaining the high-level service that customers have always received,” Martinez Employees affected by the layoff will receive outplacementt services, the company said.
United Guaranty, which is a unit of troubled insurancrgiant , had employed about 500 peoplse locally. The company said the 160 affecterd jobs are less than 15 percen t ofUnited Guaranty’s totall worldwide workforce. Like other mortgage insurers, United Guarant has been hobbled by the nationwide housing crisis. It insures mortgage lender s against defaultby homeowners, and those defaultws have skyrocketed in the past two years. Unite Guaranty reported about $2.
5 billion in operatintg lossesin 2008, and anothed $483 million in the first quarter of this Eric Martinez, who took over as CEO of United Guaranty on June 1 followinbg the sudden departure of former chiefg executive Billy Nutt, said in the statement that the companyu continues to underwrite new loans and book profitable business,” but that markety conditions required the layoff. “We are working with AIG to investigatee a range of options to managse in thisdifficult environment, with a high priority on preservinh as many jobs as possible and maintaining the high-level service that customers have always received,” Martinez Employees affected by the layoff will receive outplacementt services, the company said.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Ask Billboard: Who Could Break "Glee"'s Record? - Billboard
rubber roofing
Billboard | Ask Billboard: Who Could Break "Glee"'s Record? Billboard Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the US Not to diminish this week's history-making chart accomplishments from the "Glee" cast, but I am curious about the crew's now-record 113 Billboard Hot ... The Glee Cast Now Has More Hits Than Elvis 'Glee' Unseats Elvis On Billboard Hot 100 A week of records on US charts |
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Expertise key in picking attorney - Business First of Buffalo:
http://www.mountainx.com/member/112956/
The question of when to hire an attorneyy depends largely on the size of theprospectiver business, said Thomas Stahl, who manages corporatw practice offices in Los Angeles, Denver, Washington and New York for LLC. Stahl said, hiring a corporate attorney in the beginningy stages of establishing a business is the best plan of actio because a good lawyer will set the operation up right thefirst time, preparing for almost every eventuality. And almost every no matter what its needsa lawyer, he said. “What kind of business are you lookinf toestablish – do you want to go public or are you lookinfg to start something smaller?” he said.
“Evejn for a private company, it comes down to whethert or not you areraising money. If you’rse doing that, then there are securities laws that need to beimmediatelu considered, and many new business owners forget about that.” If a company is raising money, its lawyerr needs to have securities experience, Stahl “Most people think that if they are raisingt money through friends and family it is no big but under the Federal Securities Act, if you’rer on the phone raising you are selling shares and are subjecgt to regulatory laws,” he said.
“Ifg you’re running a one- or two-man operatiohn you may not have need of as much legal advice as alargee company, but if you follow the rules from the you will protect yourself and your investors.” In terms of businesses should look for a corporats attorney who can servde as an “issue spotter” and raise red flags when problemsw are on the horizon, said Stevenb Spielvogel, a partner with in New York City and co-founder of the “I used to teach a law schooo class, and one of the things I told my students was, if you’r an in-house counsel, you need to be a trained issu e spotter,” he said.
“For example, your lawyer may not have any expertisew in taxlaw litigation, but he or she needxs to be able to identify and determine who in the firm can handle those matters for you if something crops up. Once you know it is out you can get a trainedlitigator involved.” Spielvogel, who also serve s as president of the International Network of Boutiqu e Law Firms (www.inblf.com), said it’s important to make sure your attornety has expertise in your specific area of businese or type of “Make sure to check that the lawyert handling your case has handled this particular type of matter before,” he said.
“I you have a heart you go to a cardiologist; a brain issue – a The same goes for lawyers. “If you have an issuwe on trademark infringement, check your lawyer’s background. Have they written paperes on this subject? I think thesr things are important.” Stahl said ownerw should to look for an attorney who is familiar witheach state’s “blue laws, as well as federal laws. If a businessx is financed only by thosre working inthe operation, then a simpler framework is “You can do a pretty barebones setupp that won’t cost too much and will protect your he said.
“Some (limited liability can be donevery economically, if they’re done “If you’re just talking about a basiv husband-and-wife operation, the cost for the whole thinvg is in the $1,000 range, dependin on what part of the country you are The operating agreement gets trickier as you add peoplse … forcing the cost up.” Spielvogel and Staho agreed that once a client’s needs have been a law firm always should be able to establish what the costx will be upfront. Both attorneys also agreed that it is paramount to do your researcu on thelawyer you’re considering hiring.
Meet with the person one on one, checi his or her background, and ask to speak to formed clients. “Do your due diligence,” Spielvoge said. “Because if you pick the wrongg lawyer, it could be a very expensive nightmarefor you.”
The question of when to hire an attorneyy depends largely on the size of theprospectiver business, said Thomas Stahl, who manages corporatw practice offices in Los Angeles, Denver, Washington and New York for LLC. Stahl said, hiring a corporate attorney in the beginningy stages of establishing a business is the best plan of actio because a good lawyer will set the operation up right thefirst time, preparing for almost every eventuality. And almost every no matter what its needsa lawyer, he said. “What kind of business are you lookinf toestablish – do you want to go public or are you lookinfg to start something smaller?” he said.
“Evejn for a private company, it comes down to whethert or not you areraising money. If you’rse doing that, then there are securities laws that need to beimmediatelu considered, and many new business owners forget about that.” If a company is raising money, its lawyerr needs to have securities experience, Stahl “Most people think that if they are raisingt money through friends and family it is no big but under the Federal Securities Act, if you’rer on the phone raising you are selling shares and are subjecgt to regulatory laws,” he said.
“Ifg you’re running a one- or two-man operatiohn you may not have need of as much legal advice as alargee company, but if you follow the rules from the you will protect yourself and your investors.” In terms of businesses should look for a corporats attorney who can servde as an “issue spotter” and raise red flags when problemsw are on the horizon, said Stevenb Spielvogel, a partner with in New York City and co-founder of the “I used to teach a law schooo class, and one of the things I told my students was, if you’r an in-house counsel, you need to be a trained issu e spotter,” he said.
“For example, your lawyer may not have any expertisew in taxlaw litigation, but he or she needxs to be able to identify and determine who in the firm can handle those matters for you if something crops up. Once you know it is out you can get a trainedlitigator involved.” Spielvogel, who also serve s as president of the International Network of Boutiqu e Law Firms (www.inblf.com), said it’s important to make sure your attornety has expertise in your specific area of businese or type of “Make sure to check that the lawyert handling your case has handled this particular type of matter before,” he said.
“I you have a heart you go to a cardiologist; a brain issue – a The same goes for lawyers. “If you have an issuwe on trademark infringement, check your lawyer’s background. Have they written paperes on this subject? I think thesr things are important.” Stahl said ownerw should to look for an attorney who is familiar witheach state’s “blue laws, as well as federal laws. If a businessx is financed only by thosre working inthe operation, then a simpler framework is “You can do a pretty barebones setupp that won’t cost too much and will protect your he said.
“Some (limited liability can be donevery economically, if they’re done “If you’re just talking about a basiv husband-and-wife operation, the cost for the whole thinvg is in the $1,000 range, dependin on what part of the country you are The operating agreement gets trickier as you add peoplse … forcing the cost up.” Spielvogel and Staho agreed that once a client’s needs have been a law firm always should be able to establish what the costx will be upfront. Both attorneys also agreed that it is paramount to do your researcu on thelawyer you’re considering hiring.
Meet with the person one on one, checi his or her background, and ask to speak to formed clients. “Do your due diligence,” Spielvoge said. “Because if you pick the wrongg lawyer, it could be a very expensive nightmarefor you.”
Monday, February 14, 2011
Greek metro workers walk off job - Bloomberg
http://accenthomestaging.biz/whobenefits.htm
Sify | Greek metro workers walk off job Bloomberg By AP ATHENS, Greece (AP) â€" Athens metro and rail workers have walked off the job in the latest of a series of almost daily strikes and protests in the run ... Greek strikes against planned job reforms continue as metro workers walk off job Greek transport workers walk off job Workers strike in Greece |
Friday, February 11, 2011
A flood tide in the affairs of banks - Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.8daysaweek.org/events/view/1871
A flood tide in the affairs of banks Sydney Morning Herald Australia's tax system is based on two primary rationales: capacity to pay and government opportunism. Both command that the federal government impose a ... |
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Profiled: Super Bowl Massage Therapist Chris Pikosky - Massage Magazine
evittiebodum1296.blogspot.com
Profiled: Super Bowl Massage Therapist Chris Pikosky Massage Magazine ... Florida, massage therapist Chris Pikosky and two other massage therapists, according to an article in the Naples News (www.naplesnews.com). ... |
Sunday, February 6, 2011
New gas taxes arrive just as Hawaii prices jump - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
vanbeekdulejos1771.blogspot.com
The state Legislature let expir a tax exemption on gas salesa that will add almost 10 cents to a gallonn startingJuly 1. The net gain for the state general fund isabou $40 million annually. Also going into effecgt July 1 — unless Gov. Linda Lingle vetoez it sometime over the nextmonth — is a $1.0r5 surcharge, up from five on every barrel of petroleum sold in the The tax revenue is supposed to help pay for developmenty of clean-energy systems, but some will also make its way into the generall fund. It will add aboutg two cents to a gallonof gas. Whild the average price of a gallomn of regular unleaded has jumped 46 cents a gallon over the past two monthseto $2.
91, that’s still a long way from the $4.50p recorded July 31, 2008. Gas dealers, amongg the first to feel any price pinch, are alreadyt doing the math on thenew “It will easily add 15 centa per gallon,” said Al Gustavson, president of , whicuh has 14 Shell and Tesoroi stations on Oahu, Maui, Kauaj and the Big Island. “That’s huge when you facto in everything else. If gas priceas keep going up it could be 45 centsw overthe summer. That hurts Oahu residents got a break when the recently decide not to raisethe county’a fuel tax three cents to 19.
5 cents a And then there are the less-obvious charges that are drivemn by fuel costs and the new will raise its fuel surcharge to 28 percenf on July 5. That’s far less than the 38.25 percenyt it charged last July but up significantlyh from the 15 percent Matson charged by the end ofNovembed 2008. Other shipping companies will likely follow This week, raised rates, its firsr adjustment since 2001. The increase will add betweenj $4 and $8 to the average residential gas bill for half ofthe company’s 70,00p0 customers. And will raise its fuel-adjustmenft fee this month from 18.15 cents per kilowatgt hour to 18.63.
It’d HECO’s first surcharge hike since September 2008, when it charged 32.5 cents. HECO spokesmann Peter Rosegg said the surcharge reflectsa the changes infuel costs, something the companyh passes directly on to Though it burns between 15 million and 17 million barrels of oil for electricitgy each year (roughly one-third of the totalp number of barrels imported to the Islands), Rosegg said the barrek tax impact will be negligible and that HECO welcomesd the state’s investment in clean-energy development. “Ig oil goes back up to $140 a then you pay attention,” he said. Smal businessmen like Doug Sugidono, who runs in are already paying attention.
“I have had to diversify by amping up my tire said Sugidono. And another producf sold by Sugidono will get a tax increasr July 1 when the cigarette tax goes from 10 cents to 13 centwsa pack. It rises to 14 centa in 2010 and to 15 cent sin 2011. “They can’t help it — peoplw still have to smoke,” said
The state Legislature let expir a tax exemption on gas salesa that will add almost 10 cents to a gallonn startingJuly 1. The net gain for the state general fund isabou $40 million annually. Also going into effecgt July 1 — unless Gov. Linda Lingle vetoez it sometime over the nextmonth — is a $1.0r5 surcharge, up from five on every barrel of petroleum sold in the The tax revenue is supposed to help pay for developmenty of clean-energy systems, but some will also make its way into the generall fund. It will add aboutg two cents to a gallonof gas. Whild the average price of a gallomn of regular unleaded has jumped 46 cents a gallon over the past two monthseto $2.
91, that’s still a long way from the $4.50p recorded July 31, 2008. Gas dealers, amongg the first to feel any price pinch, are alreadyt doing the math on thenew “It will easily add 15 centa per gallon,” said Al Gustavson, president of , whicuh has 14 Shell and Tesoroi stations on Oahu, Maui, Kauaj and the Big Island. “That’s huge when you facto in everything else. If gas priceas keep going up it could be 45 centsw overthe summer. That hurts Oahu residents got a break when the recently decide not to raisethe county’a fuel tax three cents to 19.
5 cents a And then there are the less-obvious charges that are drivemn by fuel costs and the new will raise its fuel surcharge to 28 percenf on July 5. That’s far less than the 38.25 percenyt it charged last July but up significantlyh from the 15 percent Matson charged by the end ofNovembed 2008. Other shipping companies will likely follow This week, raised rates, its firsr adjustment since 2001. The increase will add betweenj $4 and $8 to the average residential gas bill for half ofthe company’s 70,00p0 customers. And will raise its fuel-adjustmenft fee this month from 18.15 cents per kilowatgt hour to 18.63.
It’d HECO’s first surcharge hike since September 2008, when it charged 32.5 cents. HECO spokesmann Peter Rosegg said the surcharge reflectsa the changes infuel costs, something the companyh passes directly on to Though it burns between 15 million and 17 million barrels of oil for electricitgy each year (roughly one-third of the totalp number of barrels imported to the Islands), Rosegg said the barrek tax impact will be negligible and that HECO welcomesd the state’s investment in clean-energy development. “Ig oil goes back up to $140 a then you pay attention,” he said. Smal businessmen like Doug Sugidono, who runs in are already paying attention.
“I have had to diversify by amping up my tire said Sugidono. And another producf sold by Sugidono will get a tax increasr July 1 when the cigarette tax goes from 10 cents to 13 centwsa pack. It rises to 14 centa in 2010 and to 15 cent sin 2011. “They can’t help it — peoplw still have to smoke,” said
Friday, February 4, 2011
Geithner: GOP plan to avoid debt default 'quite harmful' - The Hill (blog)
efimtsovavadan.blogspot.com
Politico | Geithner: GOP plan to avoid debt default 'quite harmful' The Hill (blog) ... on the debt limit are incorrect, saying that a GOP proposal to avoid default without raising the limit is "unworkable" and would be "quite harmful. ... Tim Geithner to Pat Toomey: Debt-ceiling ideas 'unworkable' Geithner Says Toomey Debt Proposal Would Be 'Harmful' Republican debt repayment bill "unworkable": Geithner |
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Goodwill seeks $1M emergency fund for job training - San Francisco Business Times:
http://kaiser-gaia.com/servicios/consultor%C3%ADaonline.html
So far, four Bay Area foundations have seeded the effor twith $80,000. The lead foundations are ($20,000), ($10,000) and ($25,000). Since starting the “Jobds for Our Community” campaign in Goodwill has raised $325,000 toward its $1 million goal, but it needsa to raise the remaining $675,000 by June 30, the end of this fiscakl year. In all, Goodwill hopes to amasxs $200,000 from foundations, and conversations with five more Bay Area foundations areundeer way, said Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez, Goodwill’s president and CEO.
“As we witnesse the growing demand for services during the it is important to investf in organizations such as Goodwil to ensure it remains a vital resource to those most in saidSandra Hernandez, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, whichn provided a lead grant to the campaign. The economiv crisis has hit Goodwill hard. Deman for services has spiked at the same time that individualo and foundation donationshave slowed.
The organizatiobn has made budget cuts and trimmed operatinv expenses to the tuneof $2 An expected $1 million in foundation grantsw did not come in, so in all, Goodwillp has $3 million less in its budget to meet that increasedc need this fiscal This $1 million campaign will allow Goodwill to stretchh to serve new clients seeking help. Already, the organization has expanded its hours to include some nightsand Saturdays. “Wd feel we have got to find a way to meet the needaout there,” Alvarez-Rodriguez said. “I’ve cut Last Monday I laid off eigh t people in mymanagement level. But I have not cut anythin on theservices side, and we’vw expanded.
” Goodwill used up its smalpl financial reserve in Alvarez-Rodriguez said she expects to make this year’ss budget, provided Goodwill completes this $1 million campaign by the end of this fiscalo year. Goodwill also has a $2 million line of creditg from . Goodwill has never used it, but Alvarez-Rodriguex said the bank assured her it is there shouldc itbe needed. Goodwill is simultaneously unveilinv a new pro bono ad campaign by BBDO West that aims to help the publid better understand that Goodwill is more than athrift it’s a job training organization that helpz people get out of poverty.
Alvarez-Rodriguez acknowledges that there aren’t as many jobs availablde these days, especially for some of Goodwill’s hard to place but she said thateach week, several employers come to Goodwillo looking to hire. “We’re really proud of the foundationss that have stepped up to said Alvarez-Rodriguez. “All of thosse foundations have taken afinancial hit. Yet when we went to them and said we need to dosomethingf together, not one of them hesitated.
”
So far, four Bay Area foundations have seeded the effor twith $80,000. The lead foundations are ($20,000), ($10,000) and ($25,000). Since starting the “Jobds for Our Community” campaign in Goodwill has raised $325,000 toward its $1 million goal, but it needsa to raise the remaining $675,000 by June 30, the end of this fiscakl year. In all, Goodwill hopes to amasxs $200,000 from foundations, and conversations with five more Bay Area foundations areundeer way, said Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez, Goodwill’s president and CEO.
“As we witnesse the growing demand for services during the it is important to investf in organizations such as Goodwil to ensure it remains a vital resource to those most in saidSandra Hernandez, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, whichn provided a lead grant to the campaign. The economiv crisis has hit Goodwill hard. Deman for services has spiked at the same time that individualo and foundation donationshave slowed.
The organizatiobn has made budget cuts and trimmed operatinv expenses to the tuneof $2 An expected $1 million in foundation grantsw did not come in, so in all, Goodwillp has $3 million less in its budget to meet that increasedc need this fiscal This $1 million campaign will allow Goodwill to stretchh to serve new clients seeking help. Already, the organization has expanded its hours to include some nightsand Saturdays. “Wd feel we have got to find a way to meet the needaout there,” Alvarez-Rodriguez said. “I’ve cut Last Monday I laid off eigh t people in mymanagement level. But I have not cut anythin on theservices side, and we’vw expanded.
” Goodwill used up its smalpl financial reserve in Alvarez-Rodriguez said she expects to make this year’ss budget, provided Goodwill completes this $1 million campaign by the end of this fiscalo year. Goodwill also has a $2 million line of creditg from . Goodwill has never used it, but Alvarez-Rodriguex said the bank assured her it is there shouldc itbe needed. Goodwill is simultaneously unveilinv a new pro bono ad campaign by BBDO West that aims to help the publid better understand that Goodwill is more than athrift it’s a job training organization that helpz people get out of poverty.
Alvarez-Rodriguez acknowledges that there aren’t as many jobs availablde these days, especially for some of Goodwill’s hard to place but she said thateach week, several employers come to Goodwillo looking to hire. “We’re really proud of the foundationss that have stepped up to said Alvarez-Rodriguez. “All of thosse foundations have taken afinancial hit. Yet when we went to them and said we need to dosomethingf together, not one of them hesitated.
”
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