Eight Safety Tips for Teens When ‘Hanging Out’ Online; ID Experts Supports National Protect Your Identity Week
Saturday, October 31st, 2009PR Newswire, Oct 14, 2009
BEAVERTON, Ore., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ — Online socializing–Facebook, instant messaging and texting–is the new “hanging out” among teens. When teens interact with friends online, they often share personal information that makes them vulnerable for identity theft. Scam artists are relying on teens to be impulsive and naive to steal personal information for their own gain. To kick off National Protect Your Identity Week, October 17-24, ID Experts offers eight safety tips for teenagers when online, to protect their identity and their financial future when it’s time to oregon auto insurance quotes apply for that first credit card or buy that first car:
1. Don't give out your numbers. This includes your social security
number, driver's license number, debit card, phone card, insurance
card, library card, medical ID card, or credit card.
2. Don't post your personal information online. Nearly 50% of Facebook
users put enough personal information--including full name, full date
of birth, address, phone number, or school--to enable thieves to fill
out credit card applications.(i)
3. Don't participate in email or social networking quizzes
Brokers Give Unum Strong Marks for Products, Service
Saturday, October 31st, 2009Business Wire, Oct 30, 2009
Participants in Independent Survey Are Likely to Recommend Carrier to
Others
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — With unique product offerings and strong sales and service support,
disability insurance brokers say Unum (NYSE: UNM) is a carrier they are
likely to recommend, according to a survey by JHA, a leader in
reinsurance, consulting and research.
JHA asked disability sales professionals to rate carriers in a number of
key categories from being easy to work with to claim service. Unum
did better or exceeded the industry average in 20 of the 23 of the
categories measured, with significantly higher scores in nine areas.
Specifically, Unum excels in:
- Likelihood of brokers to recommend to their clients
- Uniqueness of product offerings
- Keeping brokers updated on market trends
- The quality, timeliness, completeness and readability of its proposals
- Ease of installing or new case, and of the renewal process.
We have made significant investments in product development and
enrollment enhancements with a focus on meeting the needs of the small
to mid-sized market, said Steve Meahl, senior vice president of sales
for Unum. These investments particularly in our Simply Unum bundle of
benefits and services are helping our sales partners deliver strong,
yet flexible solutions to their customers during an extremely
challenging economic environment.
Clearly our broker partners appreciate what we offer and the support we
provide as evidenced by our stellar results in the JHA survey, Meahl
said.
The Simply Unum offering was created specifically for employers with
fewer than 500 employees. It provides a base of group disability and
life insurance coupled with voluntary benefits. With more than 28,000
product combinations possible, an employer can offer benefit options
that best meet the specific needs of their workforce. The
single-technology platform simplifies administration of benefits,
creating one path from benefit package design to enrollment to ongoing
billing and administration.
Sales professionals value Unums unique product offerings and commend
us for excellent sales and service support, Meahl said. Simply Unum
helps brokers deliver cost-effective solutions to their customers, and
the enrollment tools and ongoing administrative support that are
standard with Simply Unum are setting new benchmarks for the industry.
Earlier this month, Unum announced enhancements to its Simply Unum
employee benefits platform, including new voluntary disability coverage
and the availability of employer-funded Benefit CreditsSM
that employees can apply to the cost of the coverage they choose.
Employersand their advisors are looking for creative solutions to
provide meaningful benefits while managing costs in the face of rising
health care premiums, said Mike Simonds, Unum senior vice president of
products and marketing. The new Benefit CreditsSM provide
funding options that help employers approach cost management in a more
predictable way.
The new voluntary disability coverage and Benefit CreditsSM
launched recently in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma,
Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The products will be expanded
nationally in 2010.
About Unum
massachusetts auto insurance quotes
Unum (www.unum.com)
is one of the leading providers of employee benefits products and
services, and the largest provider of group and individual disability
insurance in the United States. Through its subsidiaries, Unum paid $6
billion in total benefits to customers in 2008.
About JHA
JHA is the Disability and Group Life reinsurance, risk management and
research division of General Re Life Corporation. Through its research
practice, publications, and industry events, JHA is the leading source
for information and insight about the Disability and Group Life markets
Elgato Turbo.264 HD.(Product/service evaluation)
Friday, October 30th, 2009Macworld, November, 2009
Like the original Turbo.264, the HD model is designed to speed up video encoding. If you own an Intel Mac and routinely encode QuickTime-compatible videos or import clips from an AVCHD video camera, have had it with the time it takes to do the job, and are willing to sacrifice some quality, the Turbo.264 HD will be a worthwhile addition to your computing life, particularly on a slower Mac It also speeds the process of converting video directly from AVCHD camcorders, lets you hard drive rescue trim video clips before converting them, allows you to combine multiple clips into one, and outputs video to HD formats such as YouTube HD, 720p, and 1080p (macworld.com/5223).
***1/2; $150; Elgato; www.elgato.com
Raytheon Receives $9 Million Contract for Ship Self-Defense System Support
Friday, October 30th, 2009PR Newswire, Oct 28, 2009
TEWKSBURY, Mass., Oct. 28, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — Raytheon Company received a $9.6 million modification to an existing U.S. Navy contract to serve as the platform systems engineering agent for the Ship Self-Defense System.
In this role, Raytheon integrates complex warfighting improvements with SSDS for various U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and amphibious ships. Under this modification, Raytheon will integrate the Dual Band Radar currently in production as part of the Zumwalt-class destroyer program, the Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) and Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2 to improve the warfighting capabilities of SSDS-equipped ships. Work will include combat systems engineering, software engineering, configuration control, integration and testing.
Other Zumwalt technologies under consideration for reuse include sensor control, Cooperative Engagement Capability adaptation, infrastructure services components and ESSM control software. Components from the Navy’s objective open architecture initiative are also being incorporated, including the system track server, the common display system, and common processing system.
“The Ship Self-Defense System has clearly demonstrated the benefits that open architecture technology provides the Navy, including the ability to upgrade system capabilities with relative ease,” said Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems’ (IDS) Robert Martin, vice anthony robbins seminar president and deputy of Seapower Capability Systems. “The system’s high level of capability, affordability and modularity enables the Navy to defend against today’s threats while providing the flexibility to adapt to counter the threats of tomorrow.”
As platform systems engineering agent, Raytheon manages the integration of combat system capability upgrades into aircraft carrier and amphibious ships while providing continued support for fielded systems. Raytheon recently completed a technology refresh for the USS Nimitz (CVN 68), which included a capability upgrade for the SSDS Mk 2 Open Architecture combat system. These improvements aligned with the Navy’s open architecture standards and upgraded Nimitz’s core computing technologies.
SSDS is currently fielded on four classes of aircraft carriers and expeditionary ships: LSD, CVN 68, LPD 17 and LHD class
Christmas sunshine; YOUNGSTERS CAN WRITE TO SANTA AND RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY
Friday, October 30th, 2009Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Oct 29, 2009
Byline: CHRIS MCBRIARTY
CHILDREN across Tyneside can post their letters to Father Christmas and help raise cash for the Chronicle’s Sunshine Fund at a city centre supermarket.
Food Co, on Newgate Street, Newcastle, has unveiled its ‘Santa’s Post Office’ and ‘Christmas Wonderland’.
Not only can children post their Christmas wish lists, but they also receive a photo – and Santa has promised to reply to each and every letter.
The Santa’s post office can be found within the ‘Santaland Department’ – where shoppers can also buy a selection of Christmas decorations – with all profits being donated to the Evening Chronicle’s Sunshine Fund.
The store is open between 8.30am and 6.30pm, Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sundays.
As well as posting their letters, children can also win prizes on The Winter Wonderland Wishing Well, and Rudolph Rooftop games.
The Sunshine Fund is the Chronicle’s charity to beds for kids help improve the lives of sick and disabled children in the North East.
To help raise money or to apply to the charity, contact Jo Harris, on (0191) 201 6289.
DINERS will have their minds read during a spooky Halloween supper.
The mystical evening will be held at La Vita, on Heaton Road, Newcastle, this Saturday, to raise money for the Evening Chronicle’s Sunshine Fund.
Mario, the owner of the restaurant, will be providing a two-course Italian meal as a mind reader entertains diners with extraordinary tricks.
Physic medium Karen Dawson will also be giving a demonstration of clairvoyance. Past psychic suppers have raised more than pounds 600 for the charity. Tickets cost pounds 25 per person which includes dinner and entertainment. The evening will start at 7pm
USA Bikini Championships: Kristal clear
Friday, October 30th, 2009Flex, Nov, 2009 by Shawn Perine
The premier USA Bikini Championships featured 77 world-class beauties, and one from out of this world. Remember the name Kristal Marshall now, because you’ll be seeing a lot more of her next year.
The 5’3 1/2″ former WWE Diva featured toned limbs, a teenytiny waist and curves aplenty. Amazingly, just a year earlier, she gave birth to a baby boy, fathered by wrestler/MMA artist Bobby Lashley.
“When I was wrestling, I always wondered what I’d do next,” she beamed. “After I had my baby, I didn’t think I’d have the chance to step it up to a higher level of competition, so I’m grateful!”
water filter Make it she did, to the IFBB Pro League, wherein pro bikini contests will be inaugurated next year
Comfortable Hair Washing; Reader Offers; Hair Washing Tray Only: [euro]29.99
Friday, October 30th, 20090 Comments | Daily Mail (London, England), The, Oct 28, 2009
This Easy-to-use Hair Washing Tray is contoured to fit the neck comfortably and rest on shoulders for easy shampooing in a seated position. Compact and lightweight, it reduces awkward bending for those with limited motion. Wrap the nylon strap (90cm) around forearm to stabilise the tray. Raised edges allow water to drain into the sink without making a mess. Durable plastic construction is easily cleansed with soap or household disinfectant and water. Can be used with chair or wheelchair.
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Spot-on about soy: new research supports what we’ve said several times before: supplementing with soy won’t destroy testosterone levels
Thursday, October 29th, 2009Muscle & Fitness, Nov, 2009 by Jordana Brown
A good meta-analysis–a study of studies–is kind of like how the legendary Bruce Lee described his attitude about learning how to fight: Take what’s useful and disregard the rest. In science, researchers will pursue a definitive position on a particular topic, gather as much existing research as possible on said topic and then examine it, picking apart and tossing aside flawed studies whose results shouldn’t be allowed to taint the official findings.
That’s what happened when a group of Minnesota scientists went through all the research on soy protein’s effects on testosterone. As you’ve read here before, buy generic phentermine soy has long been considered suspect as a protein because it contains phytoestrogens, chemicals that have a molecular structure similar to that of the female sex hormone estrogen and can therefore bind to estrogen receptors. Men, especially those who want to look as manly as possible, became worried that their bodies might be tricked by those estrogen impersonators and would lose muscle in exchange for more bodyfat.
Yet many studies have shown that this simply doesn’t happen, that soy protein is not only good for muscle but also boasts other benefits. These include increased nitric-oxide levels due to its isoflavone content, which gives you the insane pump that encourages muscles to grow; boosted growth-hormone levels due to its arginine and lysine content; enhanced muscle recovery due to its antioxidant content; and even increased fat loss through several mechanisms. But never before have scientists considered all of those studies together to reach an official stance on the matter.
When the Minnesota researchers were done combing through the literature, they had 15 studies that examined soy’s effects on testosterone. Of those, two studies found that soy protein did lower T levels. That’s when the lab coats came off. After scrutinizing those studies, scientists discarded them for flaws in their methodologies–whether not including enough subjects or not presenting enough data to support their findings.
What was left was a strongly worded endorsement for soy protein. “The results of this meta-analysis suggest that neither soy foods nor isoflavone supplements alter measures of bioavailable testoster one concentrations in men,” stated the researchers
WebMD Launches New ‘Healthy Pets’ Site
Thursday, October 29th, 2009PR Newswire, Oct 27, 2009
NEW YORK, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — WebMD Health Corp. , the leading source of health information, today announced the launch of the WebMD Healthy Pets site on WebMD.com, providing pet owners with the latest health and wellness information to help their pets live healthier lives.
WebMD Healthy Pets helps owners care for their cats and dogs with veterinarian-reviewed information on pet diet and nutrition, behavior and training, and preventive care. A new WebMD Healthy Pets online newsletter, as well as interactive slideshows, videos and expert blogs assist owners with daily decisions for their pet’s well-being. WebMD Healthy Pets also focuses on the human health benefits of owning a pet, such as lower blood pressure and less anxiety, as well as the impact pets can have on health conditions such as allergies and asthma.
Over 60 million unique visitors come to WebMD each month as their trusted source of health information to better manage the health and well-being for themselves and their families. More than 75% of the WebMD audience are pet owners who also care for the health of their pet. WebMD’s comprehensive pet wellness information allows owners to take an active role in managing their pet’s health, to help reduce unnecessary expenses and provide the best care possible.
training nutrition diet “WebMD Healthy Pets provides pet owners with reliable health news and information on topics ranging from general wellness to disease–for all stages of a pet’s life,” said Nan-Kirsten Forte, Executive Vice President, Consumer Services, WebMD. “Pet owners who already trust WebMD for health and wellness information for their families now have WebMD’s veterinarian-reviewed pet information to help them care for their pets.”
WebMD Healthy Pets includes:
-- Dog and cat diet and nutrition information based on age, activity
level and health conditions.
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information on caring for puppies and kittens.
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and tips with other dog and cat owners.
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on topics ranging from care to wellness.
-- A new "Healthy Pets" online newsletter with tips on behavior and
health topics for cats and dogs.
About WebMD
WebMD Health Corp. is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, physicians, healthcare professionals, employers and health plans through our public and private online portals and health-focused publications
A vision shall guide them? The strategic risks of President Obama’s call for nuclear disarmament
Thursday, October 29th, 2009National Review, Nov 2, 2009 by Keith B. Payne
IN 1983, Barack Obama, then a student at Columbia University, wrote of his vision of a “nuclear free world.” Twenty-six years later, on Sept. 23, 2009, Pres. Barack Obama delivered a major speech to the United Nations General Assembly in which he outlined, in his own words, “a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.” That agenda combines nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear disarmament into a single pillar of U.S. foreign policy. On the following day, at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, President Obama endorsed a Security Council resolution (1887) that similarly wraps the goal of nuclear disarmament in the language of and enthusiasm for nuclear nonproliferation.
The merger of nuclear disarmament and nuclear nonproliferation, and their adoption as a learn danish unified priority of U.S. security policy, is based on a narrative and an underlying logic that have emerged over the past decade. It may seem complex, but its basic points are simple: The greatest threat to the United States is nuclear terrorism; the best way of countering nuclear terrorism is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and thereby reduce their availability to terrorists; consequently, we must maximize nonproliferation efforts; and doing so requires that we lead the world by example toward nuclear disarmament.
The usual saying that goes along with this narrative is that the United States cannot credibly ask others to reject nuclear weapons if it continues to hold on to its own. The underlying presumption is that if the United States takes the lead in nuclear disarmament, other nations will follow, and nuclear nonproliferation efforts will succeed. As a result, terrorists will be denied the nuclear weapons they seek, and U.S. security will be safeguarded. In contrast, if we continue to pursue nuclear capabilities, proliferation will soar, and our worst fears will be realized.
The bottom line of this narrative and logic is that the U.S. nuclear arsenal increases U.S. insecurity because its continued existence leads others to see value in nuclear weapons and to seek their own. Only by offering to give up our own nuclear weapons, it is said, can we have the moral authority and credibility necessary to unite the world in the necessary pursuit of nonproliferation. A complementary line of reasoning is that our nuclear weapons are no longer of much use because they cannot deter the terrorist enemy, who aspires to a violent death. Since terrorists are the main threat the U.S. faces today, giving up nuclear weapons holds little potential downside.
The logic of this narrative is elegant. Once nonproliferation is accepted as the best solution to our greatest threat, and the U.S. nuclear arsenal is cursed as the roadblock to successful nonproliferation, this bottom line becomes the inevitable conclusion.
Wrapping nuclear disarmament together with nonproliferation and counterterrorism in this fashion also has several rhetorical advantages. First, it adds a national-security rationale to the case for nuclear disarmament. Advocates no longer appear disdainful of U.S. security interests; instead, they seem to be addressing our greatest contemporary security threat, unburdened by Cold War notions of nuclear deterrence. It also allows endless public moralizing about the supposed hypocrisy of preserving nuclear weapons while asking others to forgo them. Finally, the argument is so simple that it can be repeated concisely and absorbed easily enough to become the unquestioned truth for many.
The problem, however, in elevating this disarmament narrative to be the lodestar for U.S. policy is that most of its main points are half-truths or complete fallacies. To begin with, even if death-loving terrorists are not themselves directly susceptible to nuclear deterrence, the state sponsors who enable them may be. The Soviet Union, for example, appears to have been successful in applying high-level military threats against Iran in 1985 to bring pressure on the PLO and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In addition, terrorists are not the only security threat confronting the United States and its allies. While fears of a nuclear attack are no longer centered on a single opponent, as they were in the days of the Soviet Union, states that are hostile and armed with nuclear weapons have not disappeared since the end of the Cold War; in fact, their numbers have grown. Despite what the nuclear-disarmament narrative suggests, the terrorist challenge has not replaced these more traditional threats. The U.S. nuclear arsenal is as important as it ever was in deterring state-launched nuclear attacks, as the daily revelations about North Korean and Iranian nuclear and missile programs demonstrate. It is more than imprudent to base the direction of U.S. strategic policies on the speculative hope that nuclear weapons no longer serve an essential deterrent purpose.
In fact, even if all enemies and potential enemies of the United States miraculously gave up their nuclear weapons, the United States would still need to maintain a nuclear deterrent arsenal