NSW: Main stories in today's Sydney newspapers=4

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2008
NSW: Main stories in today's Sydney newspapers=4

THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW:

Page 1: The soaring global price of steel and a national supply shortage is threatening
budget blow-outs for Australian projects. Defence has been forced to recall a bungled
$1.6-billion truck tender.

Page 3: Australian companies with securities on issue in the US are set to enjoy lower
accounting costs.

Page 5: The likelihood of a cut in official interest rates should become clearer today
with the RBA's quarterly statement on monetary policy.

World: (NEW YORK) Falling home prices are adding to the woes of mortgage funder Fannie Mae.

Markets: Xstrata Nickel is examining more acquisitions as the price of nickel falls.

AAP kd/rs

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS NSW 4 SYDNEY

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Parents of truanting kids could go to jail

AAP General News (Australia)
04-01-2008
NSW: Parents of truanting kids could go to jail

SYDNEY, April 1 AAP - Parents who repeatedly fail to ensure their children attend school
will face jail time as part of a NSW government crackdown on truancy.

Premier Moris Iemma has announced a range of new measures to ensure children aged six
to 16 are attending school.

The new laws include allowing independent medical experts to assess if a child is too
sick to be enrolled at school, rather than relying on the advice of parents.

The Department of Education will also be given powers to seek a court order to force
a parent to enrol their child at a recognised school.

MORE nr/wjf/maur/de

KEYWORD: TRUANCY

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: High Court dismisses appeals by four convicted killers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2007
Vic: High Court dismisses appeals by four convicted killers

The High court has dismissed an appeal by four convicted killers over a controversial
Victoria Police technique used to extract their confessions.

The killers challenged the legality of the Canadian model .. where undercover police
recruit a suspect into a phony crime gang .. win their trust and persuade them to confess
to past wrongdoings.

Two of the applicants were child killer .. MALCOLM JOSEPH THOMAS CLARKE who killed
six-year-old BONNIE CLARKE in 1982 .. and SHANE JOHN HILL .. a heroin addict who beat
his step-brother to death with a brick.

The two others were ALIPAPA TOFILAU .. who killed his girlfriend .. and MATTHEW JOSEPH
MARKS .. who murdered his great aunt.

All were convicted after making admissions to undercover police who befriended them
months or years after initial investigations.

In a majority of six to one .. the full bench of the High Court .. sitting in Canberra
.. dismissed the appeals .. finding the confessions were voluntary and admissible as
evidence.

The court held the confessions of all four were procured by inducements .. but the
people holding out the inducements .. police officers posing as criminals .. were not
persons in authority.

The court found although the confessions were obtained by deception .. there was no
duress or intimidation .. and the confessions were voluntary.

AAP RTV mok/ce/imc/bart

KEYWORD: CONFESSIONS (MELBOURNE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Measures to ban race-hate DVDs could be in place in weeks

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2007
Fed: Measures to ban race-hate DVDs could be in place in weeks

SYDNEY, April 16 AAP - Censorship laws could be widened within three weeks to include
a ban on pro-terrorism films, federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says.

Mr Ruddock has instructed officials to seek agreement from the states as soon as possible
to change the censorship laws so that hate films praising terrorists could be banned.

The move follows revelations that children can gain access to a race hate DVD which
urges them to martyr themselves.

The film, contained in a package of DVDs prepared by exiled Australian-born Islamic
cleric Sheik Feiz Mohammed, also calls for the murder of "infidels" and describes Jews
as "pigs".

It received a PG rating from the Office of Film and Literature Classification, making
it suitable for viewing by children.

Mr Ruddock said today the states had previously delayed the censorship matter until
July but agreed on Friday to deal with it.

"In my view we've got to deal with this urgently," Mr Ruddock told Macquarie Radio.

"The officials could meet this week, we could go through the consultation that's necessary
and we could endorse this within three weeks and have the code in place, if they're prepared
to co-operate."

He said he had spoken to some of the censors, who were required to work within the
law, about why they had given the film a PG classification.

"I asked them why they came to this view and they said `we've looked at the these (Sheik
Feiz Mohammed's) sermons and we thought they were just ranting'," Mr Ruddock said.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff has called for a review of
the film and literature classification system.

"One has to ask serious questions about classification guidelines which deem it acceptable
for such grotesque material to be brought into our country and made publicly available,"

he said today.

"Even if this particular issue is resolved and the material is proscribed, there is
a glaring need for a review of the film and literature classification system."

NSW Christian Democrats MP Fred Nile says he has introduced a bill into state parliament
calling for the censorship of material which incites terrorism.

"Any public distribution of this offensive material has the potential for immense harm,
including loss of life," he said in a statement today.

AAP krc/wjf/jt/mn

KEYWORD: FEIZ

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Greens MP promises to give 'em curry

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2006
Vic: Greens MP promises to give 'em curry

By Nick Lenaghan

MELBOURNE, Dec 14 AAP - Colleen Hartland once served it up to MPs as a kitchenhand
in the Victorian parliamentary restaurant.

From next week, she'll have a chance to dish it out to them in her new role as one
of the state's first batch of Greens parliamentarians.

A recount of upper house votes overnight gave Ms Hartland a Legislative Council seat
along with two other newly-elected Greens.

Ms Hartland's last job in parliament, more than 15 years ago, was as a kitchenhand
during the previous Labor Cain-Kirner government.

And she clearly relishes the opportunity to "give `em curry" on her return to parliament.

"Green curry, yes definitely," she told reporters outside the public housing estate
where she works as a community worker.

"I know where the cups and saucers are and I know where the kettle is. This is going
to be a really different role for me.

"I served probably a number of members who are still there or who were parliamentary officers."

It was during her earlier role at parliament that Ms Hartland was propelled into environmental
activism when Melbourne's Coode Island chemical storage facility went up in flames in
1991.

She became a prominent campaigner on pollution issues and later a Greens councillor
in the inner western suburb of Maribyrnong.

The daughter of a working class Catholic Labor family, Ms Hartland has devoted herself
to social justice and welfare issues in the city's less prosperous west.

She has vowed to give voice to those struggles as a Greens MP.

"There's going to be someone who will actually stand up to government and say (that)
what gets dished out here is not good enough," she said.

She was once a card-carrying ALP member but left the party and finally stopped voting
for them, disgusted by their weak position over the Tampa refugee issue.

With their three MPs, the Greens share the balance of power in the upper house with
two Nationals and one Democratic Labor Party MP.

During the election campaign, Labor accused the Greens of doing grubby deals with the
Liberals to win lower house seats.

But since then, Labor's own preference swap with the socially conservative DLP have
come under scrutiny after the deal helped knock out a Greens candidate.

"They do these deals and I don't really understand why. They did it with (Family First's)
Senator Fielding. They put him in. They choose to preference incredibly conservative people.

"I think sometimes we embarrass the ALP because our views are probably the views of
many of their members."

But while Ms Hartland promises spice, she won't be wasting her time on revenge.

"We're not about vengeance. It's about working cooperatively. Vengeance is too time-consuming.

We want to get on with the job."

AAP nl/ce/evt/de

KEYWORD: POLLVIC HARTLAND (PIX AVAILABLE)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: China trade deal will be tricky: Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2006
Fed: China trade deal will be tricky: Downer

CANBERRA, Aug 7 AAP - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has acknowledged it will be
difficult to negotiate a free trade agreement with China, amid reports of divisions within
the government over plans to cut tariffs on some goods.

Labor says a rift has developed in cabinet over the potential tariff cuts associated
with the agreement.

The claim follows a report in The Australian newspaper which says Industry Minister
Ian Macfarlane and Finance Minister Nick Minchin are challenging Deputy Prime Minister
and Trade Minister Mark Vaile's plans for the deal.

Mr Downer today said there were difficulties on both sides, but stressed negotiations
had a long way to go.

"We'd like to negotiate a free trade agreement with China but ... it's going to be
very difficult from both sides," he told Sky News.

"From the Chinese side there's a lot of sensitivity over opening up agricultural markets
and also services.

"For Australia the sensitivities are in the areas where we have ... relatively high
levels of protection, like in the textiles, clothing, footwear and passenger motor vehicle
industries."

Mr Downer said a free trade agreement with China would deliver substantial gains to
Australia in the financial and education services sectors, but it was early days in the
negotiation process.

"We're going to have to work all of that through, and how both sides are going to make
offers and how we're going to negotiate," he said.

"We're in the early stages of the negotiation so ... we'll have a look at what we can negotiate.

"That will be a year or two from now and we'll make decisions on whether we'll accept it."

AAP dcr/sb/apm/jlw

KEYWORD: TRADE CHINA DOWNER

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: P&O to increase security on ships after Brimble death

AAP General News (Australia)
04-01-2006
FED: P&O to increase security on ships after Brimble death

Passengers travelling on P-And-O cruise liners will reportedly be checked by sniffer
dogs under a new security regime introduced after the death of Queensland woman DIANNE
BRIMBLE.

Queensland's Sunday Mail says there will also be closed-circuit cameras throughout P&O vessels.

The paper says the company has vowed to do everything possible to ensure no other passenger
goes through the ordeal suffered by Mrs BRIMBLE.

The 42-year-old mother-of-three was found dead on the floor of a cabin on the Pacific
Sky less than 24 hours after boarding the cruise liner on September 23 .. 2002.

She allegedly died of an overdose of a date rape drug while on a holiday with family and friends.

AAP RTV jas/rj/wz

KEYWORD: BRIMBLE SECURITY (SYDNEY)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Labor calls on A-G to say Hicks trial process will be fair

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2005
Fed: Labor calls on A-G to say Hicks trial process will be fair

CANBERRA, Aug 1 AAP - Labor today challenged Attorney-General Philip Ruddock to declare
whether he still believes David Hicks will receive a fair trial following claims the military
commission system was rigged.

Opposition legal affairs spokeswoman Nicola Roxon said Labor had repeatedly expressed
serious concerns about the US military commission process and emails, leaked by former
prosecution officials, confirmed the worst.

"The attorney-general must say whether he stands by his repeated assertions that David
Hicks will receive a fair trial, in light of emails saying the exact opposite from insiders
in the Military Commission process," she said in a statement.

"When he visited Washington two weeks ago was Mr Ruddock briefed on these emails?"

David Hicks was detained in Afghanistan in 2001 while fighting with the Taliban regime.

He has since been detained at the US facility at Guantanamo Bay and will eventually face
trial before a military commission on terror-related charges.

The ABC today reported that emails, from two former prosecutors to their superiors,
outlined grave concerns about the fairness of the military commission process.

It was described as a half-hearted and disorganised effort by a skeleton group of relatively
inexperienced lawyers to prosecute low-level defendants in a process that appears to be
rigged.

Ms Roxon said Mr Ruddock had stated that the government had investigated the process
and was certain it would be fair.

She asked what steps Mr Ruddock had taken to satisfy himself the process was fair and
had he or anyone else ever sought the views of prosecution staff such as the email authors
Major Robert Preston and Captain John Carr.

"He has shown that Australian citizens cannot trust their attorney-general to stand
up for their rights to a fair trial," she said.

AAP mb/sw/cat/de /

KEYWORD: HICKS ROXON

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

accounting rate of return

accounting rate of return (ARR) An accounting ratio that expresses the profit of an organization before interest and taxation, usually for a year, as a percentage of the capital employed at the end of the period. Variants of the measure include using profit after interest and taxation, equity capital employed, and the average of opening and closing capital employed for the period. Although ARR can be used to forecast return on an investment project, discounted cash flow measures are acknowledged to be superior for this purpose.

TAKING MICROSOFT TO THE WORLD PIETER KNOOK, A CORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT, GIVES THE SOFTWARE MAKER AN INTERNATIONAL EDGE.(Business)

Byline: DAN RICHMAN P-I reporter

When most people think of Microsoft, they think of personal computers. Pieter Knook's mission is to help them think of phones, too. And personal digital assistants, the small handheld computers that are becoming increasingly popular.

Knook, perhaps the most thoroughly international executive on the Microsoft Corp.'s staff, is a corporate vice president, heading efforts to forge corporate relationships with cellular and conventional phone companies worldwide.

In January he also became responsible for developing and marketing personal digital assistants powered by Microsoft's Windows CE operating system.

But for Knook, 44, the pleasure of life at Microsoft doesn't lie strictly in doing deals.

"What I get a kick out of is productively affecting someone's life," he says in his mild British accent. "If we do a good job, we make your life more productive, whether it's helping to write a press report or remembering someone's birthday."

That kind of far-reaching effect can also occur at a national level.

"In Asia, when we met with (South Korean President) Kim Dae Jung in 1998, the dialogue was extraordinary," he recalled in a recent interview.

"We figured out how to help the country move from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge-based economy. I'm not saying it's making that transformation because of our efforts, but the notion that we could make a difference to an economy is so incredibly powerful. It really excites me."

The excitement began in 1990, when Knook came to the British subsidiary of Microsoft as a consultant. He built up Microsoft's consulting business, then became general manager of the company's customer-systems group. In a later role, he was responsible for the Microsoft.com Web site, which under his direction became the third-largest site on the Internet.

For four years, starting in 1997, Knook was president of Microsoft Asia, overseeing sales, marketing and support. Microsoft Asia, with 3,000 people and 20 locations, has 12 subsidiaries, in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and India.

Under his leadership, the region more than doubled revenue expectations, becoming Microsoft's highest growth area for several consecutive years.

Living in Tokyo with his English-born wife, their young son and daughter was a challenge, he recalls.

"For the first six months, we didn't understand whether we were buying toothpaste or shoe polish," he said.

But the family developed a deep affection for Japanese culture, manners and lifestyle. And living abroad was a "super-rich" experience for his children, similar to his own, he said.

In January 2001, Knook was asked to create a new group focusing on building partnerships with phone companies throughout the world. The idea was to sell Microsoft's software to the phone companies for use in both their own offices and their cellular handsets. Microsoft also wants to partner to provide Internet access domestically, and to sell e-mail, news, stock prices and other information and services through its MSN Web site.

Knook says he was the logical choice for the job because of his background. As one of "maybe four or five" employees who has worked in all three of the major regions where Microsoft does business - Europe, the Americas and Asia - he says he could "navigate the complexities of setting up a sales structure that crosses those geographies."

Knook is a native of Holland who moved to France at the age of 2, then back to Holland at 5, and then to England at age 8.

Knook's training was also important. Telecommunications companies are highly technical, and few people in Microsoft's sales organization come from a background that prepares them to understand the details. But Knook studied engineering at Cambridge University and later learned to program.

Under his watch, Microsoft has signed multimillion-dollar deals with several overseas phone companies, including Japan's DoCoMo, Korea's KT and Germany's Deutsche Telekom, the largest telecommunications company in Europe.

When Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer formalized the deal with Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Ron Sommer in March, "I hadn't done all the work, but my group certainly did, and as the leader of that group I can take a certain sense of pride," Knook said.

In his new role, he reports directly to Ballmer, with whom he says he has a good relationship.

"That's not to say we agree on everything, but I think basically he has a level of trust," Knook said.

Microsoft's relationship with phone companies remains a small part of the company's business. But that's a challenge to which he plans to rise.

"Our big growth opportunity is to persuade them that the PC platform, rather than their traditional Unix, has a lot to offer inside their data centers," Knook says.

The timing for that pitch is perfect, he says, because the phone companies are under such intense cost pressure that "when we say things are much cheaper on a PC platform, they really listen now."

The companies have plenty of room to expand their market for simple cell phones in the United States, where the penetration rate is only about 50 percent, compared with 80 percent in many European countries. Naturally, Microsoft is trying to persuade the companies to back phones powered by its Windows CE operating system.

Personal digital assistants - some of which now include phones - are a tiny category compared with cell phones, with 10 million to 15 million shipped each year as against 400 million cell phones. But because they retail for between $200 and $600, they bring in much higher revenue.

Microsoft "started off floundering a little bit" with its PocketPC-brand personal digital assistants, Knook says, because it advertised based on the fact that the devices were powered by Microsoft's operating system.

"The reality is people don't care about the operating system. They care about what it can do for you," Knook said. "Once we focused on that, it was a breakthrough."

Over the past six months, PocketPCs have gained momentum in their battle against Palm and Handspring, which dominated the market. Personal digital assistants just coming onto the market in Europe have not just cell-phone capability but also wireless Local Area Network connectivity, giving them high-speed Internet access at airports, coffee shops and other locations that have installed the necessary equipment.

Knook says he has become the "official career guidance counselor" to any Microsoftie contemplating living abroad, because he so strongly advocates that experience. But his own experiences adapting to new countries haven't always been easy.

When he arrived in England, at age 8, he didn't speak a word of English. A resident of the United States since 1994, Knook now speaks four languages - Dutch, French, English and German - plus a little Japanese, and he's learning Swedish so he can speak with his wife's mother. He and his family live in Medina.

Brian Boruff, a general manager supervised by Knook, moved his wife and two girls from Philadelphia to Paris based on his boss' urging.

"He is a great leader, great with customers and extremely smart," Boruff said recently. "He can look where Microsoft is headed, look where a telco is headed, and crisply articulate a five-year plan on how they can work together."

Having leaders like Knook - sensitive to the effect Microsoft has on international economies, "battling somewhat our 500-pound gorilla image" - could help Microsoft rise to the challenge of being a world organization, not a U.S. organization, says Fredrik Winsnes, a general manager who works for Knook.

"Pieter's smooth edges are the type of thing Microsoft sorely needs," Winsnes said.

P-I reporter Dan Richman

can be reached at 206-448-8032

or danrichman@seattlepi.com.

Jostens Reports Full-Year EBITDA of $143.4 Million, Up 12.7 Percent Over 1999.

Business Editors

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2001

Jostens, Inc. reported today EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for the year ended Dec. 30, 2000, of $143.4 million. The results exclude transaction costs, special charges, and the write down of Internet investments. The Company's EBITDA for 2000 increased 12.7 percent over the $127.2 million realized in 1999, excluding the special charge.

Jostens sales for 2000 and 1999 were reclassified in accordance with new accounting standard EITF 00-10 pertaining to shipping and handling. This accounting change resulted in increases in both sales and cost of goods sold of $19.5 million in 2000 and $18.8 million in 1999. In 2000, Jostens also adopted SAB 101, the new accounting standard for revenue recognition. Its impact on EBITDA was a negative adjustment of $0.8 million in 2000. The 1999 results have not been reclassified per SAB 101. As a result, year-over-year results for the fourth quarters are not comparable.

The Company's sales were $805.0 million in 2000 compared to $801.3 million in 1999. Gross profit margin for the full year improved to 55.7 percent, compared with 54.0 percent in 1999. The Company reported a net loss of $18.7 million for the full year compared to net income of $43.2 million in 1999. The net loss for the year included the after tax costs related to the transaction ($38.8 million), the cumulative effect of accounting changes ($5.9 million), and a non-cash write down of investments ($6.7 million). Net income was $32.8 million before these adjustments.

In the fourth quarter of 2000, Jostens recorded EBITDA of $39.8 million, excluding transaction costs, special charges, and the write down of Internet investments. This is a 9.9 percent increase in EBITDA over the $36.2 million reported in the fourth quarter of 1999, excluding the special charge. Sales were $188.4 million versus $191.7 million in the fourth quarter in 1999. Gross profit margin was 61.4 percent in the quarter, compared to 62.3 percent in the same period in 1999. The declines in sales and gross margins were related mostly to the Recognition Segment. The Company's net loss in the fourth quarter was $0.6 million compared with a net income of $3.0 million in the same period a year earlier.

Capital spending for the year was $22.2 million, down from $27.8 million in 1999. Additionally, Jostens voluntarily retired $16 million in debt at the end of the fourth quarter 2000. This prepayment was applied against its Term Loan A ($15.2 million) and its Term Loan B ($0.8 million). This reduces the face amount of Jostens' total debt to $704 million. The Company's cash position was $26.6 million at year-end 2000.

In addition, Jostens' investment in net operating working capital at year-end (prior to SAB 101 adjustment) declined by more than $14.1 million versus the prior year as a result of better accounts receivable and inventory management in 2000.

"We achieved our EBITDA goal through solid performance in our School Products Segment, improving our plant efficiencies and implementing tighter cost controls, said Robert C. Buhrmaster, Chairman, CEO and President. "In 2001, we are focused on investing meaningful marketing dollars into growing the school products business, and working aggressively to improve the financial performance of our Recognition business."

School Products Segment

The School Products Segment - composed of Printing & Publishing, Jewelry, Graduation Products and North American Photography - reported sales of $715.6 million, compared with $691.3 million in 1999. Operating income for the full year was $148.6 million, up from $146.7 million in 1999. Sales in the fourth quarter were $168.6 million, compared to $167.7 million in 1999. Operating income in the quarter was $40.0 million, compared to $43.4 million in 1999. The School Products Segment's annual and quarterly operating income for 1999 excludes a special charge of $4.8 million taken in the fourth quarter.

Recognition Segment

Full-year sales were $80.3 million, compared with $99.8 million in 1999. The segment reported an operating loss of $4.2 million versus a loss of $0.4 million in 1999. The decline was primarily due to the loss of certain customers after the Segment experienced problems following the installation of information systems in 1999. Sales in the fourth quarter were $17.9 million versus $22.0 million in 1999. During the quarter, the segment had an operating loss of $1.3 million, compared to a loss of $1.5 million in 1999.

Other Segment

The Other Segment - which includes international business and corporate expenses - reported full-year sales of $9.1 million versus $10.2 million in 1999. The segment reported an operating loss of $30.0 million, excluding transaction costs and special charges of $46.6, compared to an operating loss of $44.5 million, excluding a special charge of $15.4 million, in 1999. The operating improvement of $14.5 million is attributable primarily to savings realized from the actions implemented as a result of the special charge taken in fourth quarter 1999. Sales in the fourth quarter were $1.9 million compared to $2.1 million in the same period in 1999.

During the quarter, the Segment reported an operating loss of $7.2 million, excluding transaction costs and special charges of $0.8 million, compared to a loss of $12.0 million, excluding a special charge of $15.4 million in 1999.

Jostens is a provider of products, programs and services that help people celebrate important moments, recognize achievements and build affiliation. The Company's products include yearbooks, class rings, graduation products, school photography, and awards for employees, athletes and fans.

Certain information in this news release does not relate to historical financial information and may be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual future results to differ materially from its historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. The factors that could cause the company's results to differ materially from those contained in its forward-looking statements are included in documents the company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                       JOSTENS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES             CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS                          Three months ended                            (unaudited)              Years ended                     -------------------------  -----------------------                     December 30,   January 1,  December 30, January 1, In thousands           2000          2000         2000        2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Net sales           $192,063      $191,705     $803,909    $801,286 Cost of products  sold                 72,947        72,218      355,254     368,539 ----------------------------------------------------------------------   Gross profit       119,116       119,487      448,655     432,747 Selling and administrative  expenses             85,020        89,633      334,134     330,895 Special charges          237        20,194          237      20,194 Transaction costs        523            --       46,373          -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating income      33,336         9,660       67,911      81,658 Net interest expense  22,107         2,521       58,932       6,999 Write-off of  investments           6,730            --        6,730          -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------    Income before income     taxes              4,499         7,139        2,249      74,659 Provision for income  taxes                 3,556         4,135       15,032      31,480 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Income (loss) before  cumulative effect of  accounting change       943         3,004      (12,783)     43,179 Cumulative effect of  accounting change, net  of tax                1,737            --        1,737 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Net income (loss)      $(794)       $3,004     $(14,520)    $43,179 ====================================================================== EBITDA excluding  transaction costs   $42,283       $36,164     $143,460    $127,192                       JOSTENS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES                  CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS                                       December 30,        January 1, In thousands                            2000               2000 ----------------------------------------------------------------------                             ASSETS                             ------ Current assets Cash and cash equivalents             $26,552            $38,517 Accounts receivable, net               81,741            107,638 Inventories                            85,814             87,839 Other current assets                   48,273             52,315 ----------------------------------------------------------------------     Total current assets              242,380            286,309  Other assets                           72,834             37,222  Property and equipment, net            79,345             84,640 ----------------------------------------------------------------------                                      $394,559           $408,171 ======================================================================              LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)             ---------------------------------------------- Current liabilities Short-term borrowings                   $--             $117,608 Accounts payable and accrued expenses 231,736            239,534 Current portion of long-term debt      14,974                 -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------     Total current liabilities         246,710            357,142  Long-term debt net of current  maturities                           669,807              3,600 Other noncurrent liabilities           11,382             10,919 ----------------------------------------------------------------------     Total liabilities                 927,899            371,661  Redeemable preferred shares            48,841                 --  Shareholders' equity (deficit)       (582,181)            36,510 ----------------------------------------------------------------------                                      $394,559           $408,171 ======================================================================                       JOSTENS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES             CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS                                              Years ended                                   ------------------------------------                                       December 30,       January 1, In thousands                             2000              2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Operating activities Net income (loss)                     $(14,520)           $43,179 Depreciation and amortization           31,703             25,338 Deferred income taxes                    4,221             (2,671) Special charge (non-cash portion)           --             14,101 Write-off of investments                 6,730                 -- Changes in assets and liabilities        7,379             45,272 ----------------------------------------------------------------------   Net cash provided by operating    activities                           35,513            125,219 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Investing activities Purchases of property and equipment    (22,158)           (27,830) Equity investments                       3,572            (10,611) Other                                      421              1,262 ----------------------------------------------------------------------   Net cash used for investing    activities                          (18,165)           (37,179) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Financing activities Net short-term borrowings (repayments)(117,608)            15,281 Repurchases of common stock           (823,660)           (39,853) Principle payments on long-term debt   (19,600)                -- Proceeds from issuance of long-term  debt                                  700,139                 -- Proceeds from issuance of common  shares                                208,693                 -- Net proceeds from the issuance of  preferred shares                       43,000                 -- Proceeds from the issuance of warrants  to purchase common shares              24,733                 -- Dividends paid to common shareholders   (7,331)           (29,998) Debt financing costs                   (36,459)                -- Other                                   (1,220)             2,452 ----------------------------------------------------------------------   Net cash used for financing    activities                          (29,313)           (52,118) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Change in cash and cash equivalents    (11,965)            35,922 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning  of period                              38,517              2,595 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and cash equivalents, end  of period                             $26,552            $38,517 ======================================================================                       JOSTENS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES          FINANCIAL INFORMATION BY REPORTABLE BUSINESS SEGMENT                          Three months ended                            (unaudited)              Years ended                     -------------------------  -----------------------                     December 30,   January 1,  December 30, January 1, In thousands           2000          2000         2000        2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Sales From  External Customers School Products     $173,386      $167,670     $714,506    $691,252 Recognition           16,811        21,971       80,265      99,800 Other                  1,866         2,064        9,138      10,234 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Consolidated        $192,063      $191,705     $803,909    $801,286 ======================================================================  Operating Income (Loss) School Products      $42,745       $38,609     $148,704    $141,947 Recognition           (1,490)       (1,529)      (4,157)       (361) Other                 (7,919)      (27,420)     (76,636)    (59,928) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Consolidated          33,336         9,660       67,911      81,658 Net interest expense  22,107         2,521       58,932       6,999 Write-off of  investments           6,730            --        6,730          -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Income before income  taxes                $4,499        $7,139       $2,249     $74,659 ====================================================================== 

Vizacom Inc. to Acquire E-Business Technology Developer, Silk Road Interactive.

TEANECK, N.J., May 17 /PRNewswire/ --

Vizacom Inc. (Nasdaq: VIZY) today announced that it has entered into a letter of intent to acquire the business of Silk Road Interactive Corp., a privately-held e-business technology developer and consulting firm based in New York City.

"The acquisition of Silk Road is expected to add a significant dimension to the Company's e-commerce solutions business, augmenting those services being provided by the recent acquisitions of Renaissance Multimedia, Junction 15 and PWR Systems. Combining Silk Road's services with those of our other e-commerce solutions companies is expected to allow our e-commerce solutions business to develop solutions designed to meet our clients' e-business requirements," said Mark E. Leininger, President and CEO of Vizacom Inc. "We believe that Silk Road will provide our operations with expertise in interactive-related technologies, an impressive client roster, a business process dedicated to customized service, and a vibrant 'boutique' culture that motivates and retains employees."

The acquisition of Silk Road is intended to significantly add to the range of technology integration and consulting services that Vizacom currently provides through its interactive companies.

"We believe that our planned acquisition by Vizacom will allow Silk Road to provide additional, synergistic services to our clients," said Peter Friedman, President of Silk Road. "We also look forward to integrating our services with those of Vizacom's other interactive subsidiaries to provide the complete solutions that the market is demanding to build successful e-businesses."

Under the terms of the non-binding letter of intent, Vizacom expects to acquire the operating assets of Silk Road Interactive in a common stock and cash transaction. The terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. Silk Road's principals, Peter Friedman and Kenneth Friedman, are expected to assume management roles.

About Silk Road Interactive Corp.

Silk Road Interactive, which also goes by the name of Silk Road i, is a privately-held e-business technology developer and consultant that helps companies develop bold new approaches to business through the strategic use of information technologies. The company specializes in designing Internet-based business systems: including e-commerce sites, corporate extranets and intranets, procurements systems, and web publishing systems. Services include technology development, database architecture, legacy integration, and systems analysis. Silk Road also develops comprehensive security architecture, web systems, and customer relationship management systems. Clients include the White House Historical Association and 365biz.com. Silk Road is headquartered in Silicon Alley in New York City, and is expected to combine its offices with Vizacom's subsidiary Renaissance Multimedia upon its acquisition by Vizacom Inc.

About Vizacom Inc.

Vizacom Inc. is a holding company of e-commerce solution providers and software publishing companies. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Renaissance Multimedia, Junction 15 Ltd. and PWR Systems, the Company provides interactive design and systems integration services. Additionally, Vizacom operates web-enabled and traditional call center services, and publishes the award-winning Harvard Graphics(R) and Serif(TM) software products. Founded in 1992, Vizacom Inc. is headquartered in New Jersey, U.S., and operates in the U.S. and Europe.

Safe Harbor

Matters set forth herein may include forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the market acceptance and amount of sales of the Company's interactive e-commerce services and solutions, and software and hardware products; the Company's ability to expand into the markets for Internet-related services, including e-commerce solutions and web-enabled customer service; the Company's ability to develop, acquire or license marketable products, services and successful businesses; the Company's ability to support the growth of its businesses; the Company's ability to integrate or coordinate the operations of its businesses; the Company's ability to integrate or coordinate the services provided through its interactive and e-commerce companies; the Company's ability to hire, train, motivate and retain employees; the competitive environment within the Company's industries; the Company's ability to raise additional capital; the success of the Company's VisualCities.com Internet commerce network; and the extent that the Company's direct marketing operations achieve satisfactory response rates. Investors are directed to consider other risks and uncertainties as discussed in documents filed by the Company with the SEC.

MidAmerican Chooses Council Bluffs as the Pilot City for Electric Competition.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- MidAmerican Energy (NYSE: MEC) and the Iowa Utilities Board have chosen Council Bluffs, Iowa, to be the participating community for the MidAmerican Electric Choice project, in which at least 15,000 Iowa families and 2,000 small businesses will have the chance to test competition among electricity providers.

The MidAmerican Electric Choice project is Iowa's first test program for competition in the residential and small-business market. The program, which is scheduled to last for two years, will allow customers in Council Bluffs to choose among several electricity providers, including MidAmerican, and to have that energy delivered by MidAmerican.

Customer sign-up will begin in April, 1999, after a program to educate customers on how competition will work. Part of the customer education process will include a special MidAmerican web site that will contain information about the program and answer frequently asked questions about the pilot.

Businesses in Council Bluffs will be eligible for the program if their annual peak demand is less than four megawatts. Earlier this year, the IUB approved MidAmerican Energy's pilot project offering large industrial and commercial customers the opportunity to choose their energy provider. That plan is only for businesses requiring more than four megawatts of electric load. The plan, which is Iowa's first open access electric retail project, currently requires the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

"We are pleased to be able to extend an invitation to residents and businesses to participate in the MidAmerican Electric Choice project," said Stanley J. Bright, chairman and chief executive officer of MidAmerican Energy. "Council Bluffs will be an excellent test market because it provides a good customer mix."

Bright noted that the purpose of a competitive energy market is to provide savings and other benefits to customers. That concept is best tested through initiatives like this one, he said.

"This project will help MidAmerican Energy and our customers prepare for competition," Bright said. MidAmerican supports competitive choice and is actively working toward the passage of legislation in Iowa to allow competition in the electric industry.

"Board staff has worked closely with MidAmerican to develop this pilot project," said Allan T. Thoms, chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board. "We are especially interested in three aspects of this pilot: the customer's response to the opportunity to choose their electric supplier, testing the electric system reliability in a competitive choice situation and determining the interest of alternative suppliers."

"This project is exciting because it gives our residents the first chance to test competition," said Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan. "Being the pilot city puts us on the map and we're looking forward to it."

Although expected to last at least two years, the project could be extended or expanded to other cities in the event that legislative action opens the electric industry to competition.

MidAmerican Energy Company, Iowa's largest energy company, provides electric service to 648,000 customers and natural gas to 619,000 customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. Company headquarters are in Des Moines, Iowa. Information on MidAmerican is available on the Internet at http://www.midamerican.com

Prose in the Key of Life.(Book review)

Roland P. Joseph (author); PROSE IN THE KEY OF LIFE; CreateSpace (Fiction: General) ISBN: 9781453848166

Byline: Andi Diehn

Even with global connectivity -- Internet, satellite television, cell phones -- quite often the best way to become immersed in another culture is through a book.

Prose in the Key of Life attempts to showcase life on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where wealth, poverty, hope, and despair drive wedges between those people trying to live an honest life and their neighbors who seek to make fortunes off the bad luck of others.

In "The Kidnap Miracle", Roland P. Joseph introduces his readers to Pearl Rampersand who tries to make her own life a little more bearable by seducing a younger man. Lust has consequences, however. Her lover arranges to have her daughter kidnapped and Pearl's world is nearly demolished. Meanwhile, the ransom money falls into the hands of a young girl who uses it to provide better for her baby, the son of the kidnapper.

In "Secrets of a Frantic Housewife," Chandra Lutchman will stop at nothing to secure a spot in the inner social circle of her neighborhood. When a face from her past moves onto the block, her social future is threatened by a dirty little secret.

Whether he's writing about a young man on the path to stardom or an older housewife dissatisfied with her marriage, Joseph has obvious empathy for his characters. He also has the remarkable ability to slip into and out of the persona of each character and maintain voice and tone, even when several different points of view enter into a story. All of which adds richness to the stories.

However, a few structural problems may impair complete enjoyment of Prose in the Key of Life. The plot of the stories often feels jagged; events suddenly jump with little or no transition and readers may be left feeling discombobulated while they try to catch up.

"The Kidnap Miracle," for example, begins with a description of a woman being kidnapped. She is snatched from bed, thrown into a hole, and left on another bed. A man leaves her a newspaper. Before readers can make much sense of the events, the plot jumps to two friends with a secret, and then to the bored housewife who decides to have an affair. The story never returns to the girl held captive, never reveals her identity except to later point out that she was Pearl Rampersand's daughter. If readers were welcome to linger in between narrative transitions they might form stronger attachments to the characters. As it is, the quick transitions and dangling plot lines inspire frustration.

Though Prose in the Key of Life has some textual issues, Joseph should be encouraged to continue his writing career and to share the stories of his islands with the rest of the world. It's voices like his that help our global community evolve into an entity better than the sum of its parts.

Some arts is forever.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

There are many of us who have woken up the morning after a messy night asking, "what have I done?"

And while most foolish behaviour is easily forgiven and forgotten, there are some things that are not so easy to erase. A shotgun wedding Vegas-style may be the worst case scenario, but a strong contender for second is the tattoo. Call it what you will - body art, self-expression or a testament to love - the truth is, scrawling 'Pedro Forever' across your lower back is not the best (nor the classiest) idea.

Considering the statistics on divorce rates and failed relationships it's pretty delusional to think that a permanent etching on your body is any guarantee of long-lasting love. And questionable judgement aside, it is the lack of aesthetic value of many tattoos that makes us wonder why anyone would be willing to put needle to skin, scarring themselves for all eternity. The good news is, tattoos are not necessarilyAa permanent anymore, thanks to the option of removal by laser. Lucky for ladies, as a new study shows that women are more likely to regret getting their body art and now opt to erase their mistake (oh that bad boyfriend choices could be zapped away so easily).

While tattoos have become extremely popular with the 18 to 30 age group, Myrna Armstrong, the study's author, says that they are still far from socially acceptable. "You can't go to a wedding these days without seeing one bridesmaid with a tattoo on her back. But there are still a lot of people in our society who have problems with that. "So anybody with a tattoo takes a social risk," Armstrong told Reuters.

According to her study, an estimated six per cent of people eventually undergo a procedure to erase tattoos, two-thirds of which are women. They cited embarrassment, problems with finding the appropriate clothes to hide their scribbles and attracting negative comments as some of the reasons why they chose to go the removal route. An ill-advised decision to get a tattoo will cost you however, both financially and in terms of pain. Olimpia Carmen, a laser specialist at Dubai Cosmetic Surgery, regularly treats patients looking to get their tattoos removed for a variety of reasons. She says religious concerns are top of the list for removal requests, although many others claim their body art is a result of being young and foolish or the result of being drunk. "I have treated patients who wanted to remove the name of a partner who doesn't exist anymore; others who simply got them when they were young and now do not find that it fits them quite the same," she says.One man, she says, who is now 25, had a Tweety Bird tattooed on his shoulder when he was 14. Weighing in at 180 pounds today, he realised it was not the right choice for him anymore. Getting a tattoo done may be painful, but it doesn't compare to the pain of removing it. Repeated laser sessions are required and just how many depends on the depth of the ink and the size of the tattoo.

"The removal process is layer by layer of the skin, where a specific kind of laser is used to remove the ink. We cannot predict how many sessions it will take - the patient must come in regularly for treatment until it disappears," Carmen adds.What makes the process unpredictable is the number of factors there are to consider. "It depends on how deep the tattoo artists has inserted the ink and what kind of ink they've used. Regulated, FDA approved ink is uniform and so we know what we're working with and whether it has spread deeply into the tissue. But for tattoos that are unprofessional, it is more difficult to treat, but not impossible," Carmen explains.And while the majority of inks used respond to the treatment, if the composition has iron oxide in it, removal can be very difficult and in some cases, impossible.Depending on how many sessions you have, your tattoo mistake can disappear entirely, but for those with sensitive skin, hypo pigmentation (the lack of melanin) may occur, leaving the treated area with a lighter skin tone."From a dermatological perspective, a small tattoo is not terrible for the skin, but it is advisable to avoid getting the more extensive ones that cover up large parts of your body," Carmen says, adding that the injection of a foreign object in the tissue will cause trauma and the removal process adds more trauma so people really need to think about getting a tattoo - not just act on a whim.Aa And with each laser-removal session setting you back dhs1,000 (and that's just the starting rate), is it really worth that whim?

A[umlaut] 2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Focus Antitrust - 15 June 2011.

Competition Weekly Email Alert

In the News

The ECJ has delivered a judgment on a reference from a German court regarding third party access to documents provided under a leniency programme. The Court held that Regulation 1/2003 does not prevent a person who has been adversely affected by a breach of EU competition law from being granted access to documents relating to a leniency application by the perpetrator of the breach. It is for the member states to determine under national law, by balancing the interests protected under EU law, whether or not to allow access to the documents. Click here.

European Commission officials and their counterparts from the relevant national competition authorities have conducted unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in the supply of car seat belts, airbags and steering wheels on the basis that there may be reason to believe that the companies may have engaged in anticompetitive practices in breach of Article 101 TFEU. Click here.

The High Court has ruled in a dispute between Arqiva, the communications-infrastructure owner, and mobile-network operators with whom it had contracted, on issues relating to the merger between T-Mobile and Orange, now known as Everything Everywhere. The case raised various issues, including questions about what is meant by "roaming" and what constitutes a valid transfer of a radio-spectrum licence under section 30 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006. Click here.

EU

Article 101

Compana Espanola de Tabaco en Rama (Cetarsa) is appealing against a judgment of the General Court that largely upheld the European Commission's decision to fine it for participation in a cartel on the Spanish raw tobacco market. A notice of appeal to the ECJ has been published. Click here.

Details of an appeal by the Ordre national des pharmaciens, the Conseil National de L'Ordre des Pharmaciens and the Conseil Central de la Section G de L'Ordre national des Pharmaciens against the European Commission's decision to fine them EUR5 million for issuing decisions that infringed Article 101 TFEU have been published in the Official Journal. Click here.

Mergers - Cleared

Parmalat/Lactalis. Click here.

Trevira/Indorama/Sinterama. Click here.

Pfizer/Ferrosan's Consumer Health Care Business. Click here.

Speeches

Neelie Kroes: "Spectrum must be backbone of internet revolution, not the bottleneck." Click here.

UK

CAT

The CAT has refused BT permission to appeal against its judgment dismissing the appeal by BT against a final determination by Ofcom to resolve disputes between BT and each of Cable & Wireless, THUS, Global Crossing, Verizon, Virgin Media and COLT about BT's charges for partial private circuits. Click here.

The CAT has refused Emerson Electric Co and others (the claimants) leave to appeal against a judgment in which it struck out the claims for damages brought against Mersen UK Portslade Ltd, formerly Le Carbone (Great Britian) Ltd. Click here.

Competition Commission

The CC has published its final report clearing the acquisition by Ratcliff Palfinger Limited of the commercial tail lift spare parts business of Ross & Bonnyman Limited. Click here.

OFT

The OFT has issued a consultation on its provisional decision that proposals by ITV to modify the geographic basis on which it sells ITV1 advertising airtime are compatible with ITV's Contract Rights Renewal Undertakings, which were accepted in 2003 as a condition to the merger of Carlton Communications Plc and Granada plc. Click here.

The OFT and CC have published their responses to the BIS consultation on options for reforming the UK competition regime. Click here and here.

Mergers cleared: Capita Group plc/the health and government consulting business of Tribal Group plc; European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company NV/Vector Aerospace Corporation; Rentokil Initial plc/the pest control, fire and water businesses of Connaught plc; Pearson plc/Education Development International plc; Danone Holdings (UK)/Complan Foods Limited. Click here.

Mergers - undertakings in lieu: Integrated Dental Holdings/Associated Dental Practices. Click here.

Mergers - Invitation to Comment: Smiths News plc/Dawson Holdings plc; Diamond Foods Inc/the Pringles business of the Procter & Gamble Company; Kingfisher plc/ of stores from Focus (DIY) Limited (in administration) and Do It All Limited (in administration). Click here.

Other

Ofcom has published a consultation document on whether to make a market investigation reference to the CC in relation to the TV advertising market. Click here.

Ofcom has published an updated version of the guidelines that it will apply when imposing penalties under the Communications Act 2003. Click here.

Ofcom has published for consultation a draft determination to resolve a dispute between BT and each of Digital Region Limited and Thales UK Limited concerning certain BT charges for three sub-loop unbundling wholesale connection and rental products Click here.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Mr Paul Stone

Charles Russell LLP

5 Fleet Place

London

EC4M 7RD

UNITED KINGDOM

Click Here for related articles

(c) Mondaq Ltd, 2011 - Tel. +44 (0)20 8544 8300 - http://www.mondaq.com

PayPal Deploys Digital River World Payments Solution in Brazil.

Digital River, Inc., a provider of global e-commerce solutions, announced that PayPal, an eBay company, is leveraging its Digital River World Payments solution to support local online payment processing in Brazil and Mexico.

In a release, the Company said that this geographic expansion adds to its existing relationship, which now includes payment services across multiple continents.

"Digital River World Payments is a very important part of our payments program and will definitely offer a key structure support for the expansion of the company in Brazil," said Mario Mello, PayPal's general manager for Brazil.

"PayPal has one of the most recognized brands on the Internet. We are pleased to expand our relationship, which spans nine years. By leveraging the Digital River World Payments infrastructure, PayPal has been able to rapidly and efficiently localize its services in new geographies," said Paul Bridgewater, vice president of World Payments for Digital River. "With proven technologies and worldwide banking relationships in place, our payment solutions are designed to help companies enter online markets quickly and cost effectively."

In addition to offering relevant payment options in more than 190 countries and over 170 transaction and display currencies, the Digital River World Payments solution features a wide range of customizable services for managing the complete payment lifecycle. These services, which work through a single payments connection, include checkout page optimization, real-time fraud detection, solutions to manage PCI exposure and currency risk, as well as advanced back-office reconciliation services and business intelligence tools.

((Comments on this story may be sent to health@closeupmedia.com))

The internet police are on my trail for a terrible crime I didn't commit.(Letters)

Byline: MIKELOFTUS

Excuse me if I come across a bit edgy at the moment. The fact is I have just had my collar felt by the internet police.

Like many a generally upright citizen any encounter with the boys in blue can leave me just a bit nonplussed - and the internet police (the boys in electric blue?) do that with knobs on. You never knew about the internet police? My friend, I've just been blacklisted by them.

Blacklisted! All a bit 1984 plus a touch of Franz Kafka and just a dash of simple, homespun, nightmare.

Lets begin at the beginning. Of course, I get email messages returned undelivered.

With my enthusiastic but less than accurate keyboard skills its more of a miracle that anything actually ever goes through. I spend a lot of time resending - if they still don't go my usual conclusion is to suspect a fault at the other end and try to remember to have another try later.

Then a couple of months ago an email is returned (from the University of Birmingham - to which I am eternally grateful) that along with some usual jumble of code ( which I had seen on a few other returns) also told me in much plainer English that I was on their blackist as a spammer. Which I am not. Thankfully it also explained how I might get off the hook - by fessing up to the internet police.

And thereby I learned enough about some of the darker intricacies of the internet to earn my very own quilted anorak.

First of all - and I think I knew this - as far as the internet is concerned my carefully crafted, poetically perfect, email address is a dull old string of numbers (the IP address). My internet address 'lives' on a server - in Chicago as it happens. The folk in Chicago sell the server space on at least twice before I do a deal to hire it.

But while I thought that I was the only tenant at my very own shiny palace with its IP address, I find that in fact is more a house in very, very multiple occupation and I am - like - sleeping on the sofa of a friend of friend. Because dozens of people might share a single IP address.

Now enter the boys in electric blue (from California, of course). Their job - which all decent folk applaud - is to stop the net being ground to a halt with spam. Basically they shut the spammer down by putting the offending IP on a blacklist and then systems simply refuses to accept their email. Which is what has happened to me. (Anguished whimper from the cells "I never done nuffink, guv'nor").

But given the multi-occupancy issue it's as if the police (the real ones, this time) respond to a complaint about a noisy party by shutting off the power to the entire house leaving the innocent lodger on the sofa in the cold and the dark too.

So I go to the electric boys in blue with my concern and they shake their head firmly but sternly and say not our problem, sonny Jim - take it up with the landlord. He has to stop the noisy parties.

But the guy in Chicago says it's nothing to do with him, the guys I pay my rent to say no one has complained to us and the guys in the middle seem very co-operative but never actually do anything.

I spin around this loop for a couple of frustrating and fraught weeks. Increasingly my real dread is that this blacklisting is, in short order, going to spread like a contagion across the entire web - leaving my infant enterprise expiring from a virtual form of the plague.

So I go back to the stern but helpful electric blue boy. "Move house, sonny to somewhere the landlord takes an interest".

So I did, despite anxieties about making myself "virtually" homeless in the process and now pay rather more than before but get a real service.

But my real issue is that in of my tramping of the highways and byways of the internet trying to get out of this mess I didn't find any hint that any of this could even happen.

That someone sitting in California could in effect close me down for an alleged offence without telling me and with no appeal - and no one cares. Enter hand in hand Kafka and George Orwell . I am hoping against hope to avoid any repetition but rest assured have got my 'Free the News from the Future 1" banners painted up - just in case.

Mike Loftus is director of News from the Future Ltd.

Chatham Lodging Completes Acquisition of Homewood Suites by Hilton - Carlsbad, CA.

PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on upscale extended-stay hotels and premium branded select-service hotels, today announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of the 145-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton - Carlsbad, Calif., in suburban San Diego, for approximately $32.0 million. The acquisition was funded with borrowings under Chatham's secured revolving credit facility. Chatham has now acquired 13 hotels since its April 21, 2010 IPO.

"This is Chatham's first acquisition in California, a market we know very well and where we have extensive experience," said Jeffrey H. Fisher, Chatham's chief executive officer. "We continue to seek other West Coast properties and have an active acquisition pipeline of premium-branded upscale extended-stay and select-service hotels in areas with high barriers to entry."

Located at 2223 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad, Calif., 35 miles north of downtown San Diego, the three-story upscale extended-stay Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel opened in 2008, features 145 suites with fully equipped kitchens and complimentary high speed Internet access. The hotel is convenient to the many leisure activities in the surrounding San Diego area, especially Legoland, as well as many commercial demand generators and the McClellan-Palomar Airport. "Carlsbad, Calif., is considered the golf equipment capital of the United States and, quite possibly, the world," Fisher noted. "As the epicenter of the golf industry, more than 15 golf companies reside within a 50-mile stretch, including Acushnet, Callaway and TaylorMade."

The hotel will be managed by Island Hospitality Management, a hotel management company 90 percent-owned by Fisher.

About Chatham Lodging Trust

Chatham Lodging Trust is a self-advised real estate investment trust that was organized to invest in upscale extended-stay hotels and premium-branded select-service hotels. The company currently owns 13 hotels with an aggregate of 1,650 rooms/suites in eight states. Additional information about Chatham may be found at www.chathamlodgingtrust.com.

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about Chatham Lodging Trust, including those statements regarding acquisitions, capital expenditures, future operating results and the timing and composition of revenues, among others, and statements containing words such as "expects," "believes" or "will," which indicate that those statements are forward-looking. Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance to differ materially from those discussed in such statements. Additional risks are discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:	Jerry Daly, Carol McCune	Peter Willis
	Daly Gray Public Relations	Chief Investment Officer
	(Media)	(Acquisitions)
	jerry@dalygray.com	pwillis@cl-trust.com
	(703) 435-6293	(561) 227-1387

SOURCE Chatham Lodging Trust

Union Labor Life's Private Capital Fund Invests $5.5 Million in Campuslink Communications Systems, Inc.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Union Labor Life Insurance Company today announced that it has become a principal investor in Campuslink Communications Systems, Inc., of Ann Arbor, Michigan, a new company that gives colleges and universities the ability to offer students and faculty the latest network communications, including Internet access, voicemail, and cable television. Union Labor Life's investment totals $5.5 million.

The investment was made through Union Labor Life's Private Capital Fund, an alternative financing program that marries the needs of small to mid-sized companies for capital and the desire on the part of jointly managed trust funds to invest pension assets in American companies and American jobs.

Campuslink, which has recently formed a business alliance with IBM, is a dedicated, integrated provider of telephone, video, data, and other communication services to higher education. Through the IBM/Campuslink agreement, institutions will be able to upgrade, expand, or replace outdated communications systems and infrastructure with customized network systems.

"The demand by schools for new technology and integrated, or one-stop, communications services is expected to expand significantly over the next five years," said Michael R. Steed, senior vice president, Investment Services, ULLICO Inc. "Campuslink has the expertise and the management talent to meet that demand, and we believe that the outlook for the company is very positive," he said.

There are more than 3,500 public and private colleges and universities in the United States. They enroll more than 14 million students and employ about 2.6 million people. Campuslink targets schools with 500 to 10,000 students, representing a market of more than 2,300 schools and 6.7 million students.

Campuslink is currently providing telecommunications services to approximately 6,500 subscribers in 10 schools, including Tufts University, Texas Christian University, Manhattanville College, and Sarah Lawrence College.

Introduced in 1996, the Private Capital Fund (or Separate Account P, Union Labor Life) includes among its investments a $240 million project to build five environmentally superior tankers at a U.S. shipyard. During construction and after delivery in 1998, the tanker project will provide thousands of jobs for union shipyard workers and seafarers.

A major goal of the Private Capital Fund is to maintain and create jobs for union members, while at the same time achieving superior returns for the pensioners of client jointly managed trust funds. With respect to Campuslink, the company has agreed not to oppose any attempt to organize its employees and to employ unionized contractors and subcontractors for the construction and installation of network systems at all future sites.

Union Labor Life is a subsidiary of ULLICO Inc., a diversified insurance and financial services corporation based in Washington, DC.

SOURCE Union Labor Life Insurance Company

     -0-                             12/19/96 

/CONTACT: John Rodgers of Union Labor Life Insurance Company, 202-682-4907/

CO: Union Labor Life Insurance Company, Campuslink Communications Systems,

Inc. ST: District of Columbia IN: INS TLS SU:

JA -- DCTH022 -- 7410 12/19/96 11:39 EST http://www.prnewswire.com

Mio Technology Showcases Mio C620 Car Navigation System with Tele Atlas 3D Landmarks and 3D Elevation Model of Europe at CES 2008.

- 3-D map content with detailed landmark graphics and road elevations offer travelers an intuitive way to explore new surroundings -

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- A leading worldwide supplier of personal GPS products, Mio Technology Corporation is showcasing its new 4.3-inch C620 car navigation system equipped with the latest Tele Atlas 3D map content in its booth (LVCC South Hall 4, Booth 35344) at CES 2008.

The newest 3-D European map content from Tele Atlas sports life-like 3-D representations of major landmarks so users can navigate European cities with an unparalleled sense of realism. Users can preview hundreds of famous European landmarks -- such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or Coliseum in Rome -- on the C620, and see them come to life.

For an enriched user experience, the latest maps also offer new graphical point-of-interest (POI) icons right on the map, allowing easy identification and location of nearby POIs, such as gas stations, parking facilities and more. The C620 also displays road and land elevations through the Tele Atlas(R) Digital Elevation Model, helping users differentiate ground-level roads from elevated roads and see the contours of the surrounding landscape. The device also features convenient 3-D junction views, which allows users to clearly see the details of complex intersections and interchanges.

With its 4.3-inch widescreen display and intuitive split-screen interface, the C620 is easy to use and hassle-free to operate. There is no need for users to shuffle through a multi-layered operating menu to access different functions. Using the split-screen interface users can scroll through maps, view driving instructions, manage song lists and receive incoming hands-free calls simultaneously.

The Mio C620 with Tele Atlas(R) 3D Landmarks and Elevation Model is currently available in select Western European markets.

   Key Features:   -- Intuitive split-screen interface   -- Realistic 3-D junction views   -- Life-like 3-D representations of major European landmarks   -- 3-D land and road elevations   -- Graphical POI icons right on the map     About Mio Technology Corporation  

Mio Technology develops and markets products that enable users to take advantage of the latest developments in mobile services. The company was established in May 2002 and now has operations in Taiwan, mainland China, Europe, North America, Australia, Japan and South Korea. Mio Technology has more than 1,200 employees worldwide and sells and markets its products in over 47 countries and territories. The company offers a wide array of mobile navigation products, which today includes car navigation systems, handheld navigation systems, GPS PDA phones and GPS PDAs, all designed to enable people to explore and discover the world around them. Mio Technology is among the world's top three vendors of mobile devices with integrated GPS. The company is online at http://www.mio.com/.

About Tele Atlas

Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power some of the world's most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). The information is the foundation for a wide range of personal and in-car navigation systems and mobile and Internet map applications that help users find the people, places, products, and services they need, wherever they are. The company also works with business partners who trust its digital map data to deliver critical applications for emergency, business, fleet, and infrastructure services. Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers digital map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The company was founded in 1984 and today has approximately 2,500 full-time staff and contract cartographers at offices in 24 countries and uses a sophisticated network of professional drivers, mobile mapping vans, and more than 50,000 data resources to deliver highly accurate and up-to-date digital maps. Tele Atlas is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (TA6) and on Euronext Amsterdam (TA). For more information, visit http://www.teleatlas.com/.

Tele Atlas and the Tele Atlas logo are registered trademarks of Tele Atlas. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Debby Chen, PR and Event Marketing Team of Mio Technology Corporation, +886-2-2627-1188, ext. 5964, debby.chen@mio.com; or Tracy Kather, Account Executive of Text 100 Public Relations for Mio Technology Corporation, +1-585-802-8393, tracyk@text100.com; or Erin Delaney, PR Manager of Tele Atlas, +1-617-721-1923, erin.delaney@teleatlas.com

Web site: http://www.teleatlas.com/ http://www.mio.com/

A slice of real life still exists in east Orange.

Byline: Jeannette Rivera-Lyles

Jun. 14--Giusseppe LaRosa and Dorin Arroyo grew weary of New York's tight spaces and congestion, so eight years ago they packed their bags and moved to a quiet cul-de-sac in suburban east Orange County. It was almost idyllic -- until the very things they had escaped up North caught up with them here. "I saw all the construction and said to my wife, 'Baby, pretty soon this is going to be like New York,' " LaRosa said. So they started to pack again, looking for a home in an area that wasn't so crowded -- and at a price that fit their working-class budget. They found it less than 15 miles east of their Rouse Road home, in Bithlo. As open space and affordable housing become harder to find in Orange County, the rural community of Bithlo quietly has emerged as one of the last bastions of low-cost, low-density living. This has brought an influx of new residents who are diversifying what traditionally was known as an enclave of predominantly white native Floridian families. Alongside Bithlo's pastures and narrow country roads, buyers can still find a mobile home on an acre of land for $75,000. A manufactured home with a pool on 2.3 acres just went for $190,000, a recent price-check in the area showed. "That is the largest area [in east Orange County] where you can still get an affordable home," said Dean Gonzalez with Watson Real Estate in Orlando. Bithlo has a land area of 10.7 square miles and nearly 5,000 residents. Gonzalez and other real estate professionals estimated Bithlo's median home price at $125,000. Most are mobile homes or manufactured homes on single-acre lots. Meanwhile, April's median home price for the Orlando area was $248,000, according to Internet database wikibroker.com. Bithlo's affordability, open spaces and longtime reputation for independence have drawn new residents searching for a simpler way of life than that found in Central Florida's busy cities and suburbs. Sue Ryan knew it was time to go when subdivisions began to sprout all around her Chickasaw Trail home back in 2000. "We just weren't used to being stacked like pancakes," she said. Ryan is from Vermont, and she missed the openness of her home state. So she and her husband started looking for a home on a nice lot within their budget. Even six years ago, this proved harder than they had anticipated. The couple searched for six months without success until they discovered Bithlo. "We found two acres, with green grass and tons of nice trees. We didn't care that it was a mobile home. It was the privacy and openness that we valued most," Ryan said. Although jokes about Bithlo's rednecks and junkyards have circulated for years, some say the newcomers are changing the face of the area and erasing the stereotypes. Neighborhood cars may sport the Confederate battle flag, but Puerto Rican, Cuban and Mexican emblems can be spotted as well. "People think that we are all rednecks, that we are gun-toting, and that we don't get along with anybody," longtime resident Brenda Rogers said. "Well, we have proven otherwise. We have accepted change." The 2000 census showed minorities made up about 13 percent of Bithlo's population and 9.3 percent were of Hispanic origin. These numbers could be on the rise, judging from Bithlo's public school student data. At Columbia Elementary, nearly 25 percent of the students are minorities. Most are Hispanic. At Corner Lake Middle School, the numbers are even higher. Almost one third of the students are Hispanic. Overall, nearly 44 percent are minorities. The U.S. Census does not have updated statistics for the area. There is a limit, however, to how much change the community is willing to accept, Rogers cautioned. "We will keep our community rural. Development, massive changes would destroy what we have out here," she said. "That won't happen as long as there's breath in me." Newcomers Arroyo and LaRosa are part of the change in Bithlo. She is Puerto Rican; he is Italian-American. Arroyo's car window boasts a sticker of the Puerto Rican flag. When she told friends where she was moving, their jaws dropped. "Why are you going over there with all of those rednecks?" she remembered being asked. LaRosa heard the remarks too. "I didn't care, because I'd fallen in love with the property," he said of his three-bedroom manufactured home on a little more than 3 acres. Their neighbors, they say, could not have been more accepting. "We haven't had one single problem," LaRosa said. "It's been the opposite. When we had to call an ambulance for my mother-in-law, the neighbors came by to see what had happened, and some even brought us dinner." And if Bithlo's new wave of residents raised concerns of a potential clash of cultures -- it hasn't occurred. The Orange County Sheriff's Office has heard of no hate crimes reported in the area. Rogers is not surprised. Bithlo has gained popularity, she said, because its people are friendly and not bothered by new or different things. "We don't complain if someone paints their house bright pink with a green trim," she said. "We look at it, go our way, and then use it as a landmark."

Jeannette Rivera-Lyles can be reached at jrivera@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5471.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business

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