Written by admin on Monday, March 19th, 2012 ( Start discussion ) Tags: Available, Customer, Demand, from, Mastery, Service, Technologies, Training
Novi, MI (PRWEB) March 16, 2012
Mastery Technologies has expanded its catalog of workplace training to include business-skills content from the most respected brand in customer service training, Telephone Doctor. Seven of the first courses, now available in Masterys Video On Demand, focus on specific customer service skills imperative to service providers in any industry.
The importance of customer service is well known to most organizations and recently the media has drawn more attention to the need for careful hiring and training of customer service professionals. US News reports the customer service profession will see significant job growth in the next decade based on a Bureau of Labor Statistics projection that 338,400 customer service jobs will need to be filled by 2020. In addition to training customer service representatives on products and services, companies also need to provide basic skills training to ensure their corporate service standards are met.
I love how Nancy Friedmans coaching and the video dramatizations engage the learner, keeping them entertained while providing the skills needed to use these best practices on the job, says Bill Marker, President of Mastery Technologies.
Masterys robust course selection includes titles such as Business Friendly Customer Service and The Service Mentality that set the tone for an organizations service culture; a defined service point of view sets a higher standard for the organizations representatives. Additional skill-specific courses such as Essential Telephone Skills and Proactive Customer Service impart the needed knowledge and tools for customer service representatives to uphold the service culture.
Each course includes rich video content, a leader guide for the organizations trainer, a participant guide for the employee, and an interactive quiz to confirm the learners acquisition of knowledge and reinforce the concepts they should apply on the job. All seven of these titles are now available online on any of Masterys web sites:
The Service Mentality: 7 Characteristics of Excellent Service Providers
Five Forbidden Phrases (3.0)
Six Cardinal Rules of Customer Service (3.0)
Proactive Customer Service (3.0)
Essential Telephone Skills: 10 Core Skills to Delivering Excellent Service Over the Phone
Business Friendly Customer Service
Influencing The Interaction: 6 Practices for a More Satisfying Customer Experience
About Mastery Technologies Inc.
Mastery Technologies, founded in 1974, has partnered with leading video content providers to co-produce the largest interactive multimedia training library available to the workplace health, safety and environmental marketplace. Today, Mastery is extending their model to encompass all areas of workplace training. Mastery has helped thousands of companies develop greater competency and have created safer and secure workplaces. By expanding the scope of training Mastery believes it can enhance customer benefits, and help build more successful and effective organizations. Masterys ultimate vision is to help reach every working individual with quality training.
In case you are trying to lose weight, you simply can\?t overlook your own regular routines, because these add up to decide your quality of life and exactly how considerably you weigh. It is not just large items, nevertheless small ones that have to become resolved if you wish to help make any significant modifications in your life. Why don\?t we start discovering some of the habits along with procedures you have to be aware of to lose weight naturally.
The actual calories an individual drink supplment your everyday full approximately the people consume. It is easy to ingest all kinds of large caloric drinks all day long without having to be very mindful of this. An additional category you must think about is whatever you buy with a restaurant -do that suits you caffeine products filled with sugar and milk? A few of such products each day is a lot like owning an further dinner. Normal water is definitely the particular best as well as minimum poor beverage there\?s. Tea on its own is okay in moderation, however watch whatever you add to it. Genuine juice is healthy throughout a small amount too, nevertheless actually it is energy due to substantial concentration of berries sugar -much way more compared to consuming true fruit.
Eating spicy food could be a approach to slow up the level of calorie consumption you eat. Sodium won\?t count in this regard -in fact the opposite is valid, as it making you need to keep ingesting. Virtually any various other spruce, nonetheless, via garlic for you to warm peppers, will makes you are feeling content after enjoying a smaller or perhaps average sum. The simplest way to discover a larger selection of spices or herbs is always to test out food via numerous elements of the world, and turn into prepared to test brand new ones. You won\?t need to employ an excessive amount a single piquancy; often, all it takes is a new pinch possibly even to provide a great deal of flavour.
Probably the largest one barrier in order to slimming down could be the practice of taking in a lot of unfilled calories every single day. Junk foods, deep fried food items and quite a few candy, as an example, could possibly be tempting, however they aren\?t undertaking a person any good. These are generally unhealthy food which might be lacking in real health written content. They\?ve also been planning to have trans fatty acids, that happen to be poor in many ways.
With any luck , this article has assisted one to recognize how essential your routine is with regards to losing weight. Doing something similar to exercising just once shortly won\?t assist much, but when it is a consistent behavior, this is a distinct tale. Dieting on and off is just not worthwhile, but healthy diet plan will make an actual difference with time. Work with transforming 1 routine during a period, and you will at some point see a actual difference..
The true technique to shedding pounds is to pay attention to the routines you are acquainted with along with creating a number of adjustments. Although it\?s great to be able to exercise and find a good diet, this isn\?t typically ample for too long term outcomes. Many people, for instance, look closely at whatever they visit his or her primary meals but not the way they snack or even the substantial gram calorie drinks they will consume.
The body advantages of movements, which is wherever you happen to be anytime, so it\?s certainly not confined to times when you happen to be formally working out.
If we maneuver around much more in your house, function as well as in in between regular actions, we are really not depending entirely about our standard workouts, which too often are not that will constant. The body won\?t proper care what your location is, just that you might be productive -so stroll or run once you hold the possibility, as well as be dependent a smaller amount about technology for example vehicles, lifts along with escalators. Irrespective of where you\?re working, you\?ll be able to probably fit into a walk or perhaps a pair of throughout breaks or perhaps lunch time. As opposed to just sit down while watching Television as well as pc in the home, perform some training when you enjoy.
Take into account the psychological theory that it\?s easier to target introducing good stuff in your diet plan instead of letting go of poor issues. When you might have to lessen your intake of calories, it\?s a wise idea to focus more about healthy foods you need to be consuming as opposed to on what you must eliminate from your daily diet. The reason why this really is powerful is that you can simply purchase along with consume a great deal foods daily -and by simply focusing on what\?s healthy for you instead of harmful, visitors additional, significantly less sensible food is going to be less noticeable.
When you find yourself at the shop, will not even let your self take into consideration junk food or perhaps puddings right up until you\?ve gotten your current way to obtain generate, grain and other items which are ideal for an individual. Gain as much data as you possibly can about the features of greens, fruit, healthful fats, grain and the like, and you should want to eat these things.
If shedding pounds will be your target, it is organic to wish to have results at once, which is why collision along with celebrity diets may sound being a good idea. Though these kind of diets typically speak about the pain you are allowed to take in -such like a particular food package or maybe even cookies- once you examine, you find that you are simply allowed to take in few calories from fat each day. By simply reducing your calorie consumption to abnormally lower levels, these diets result in a slowdown within your bodies fat burning capacity (if you really would like the alternative that occurs), as you go into survival function. If you ultimately stop this diet, one\?s body, not used towards the elevated quantity of calories from fat, can gain pounds quickly and will also be time for where you started -or worse.
Your purpose ought to be to locate a proper diet that is sensible over a long time, not just one that you\?ll certainly need to cease.
If you possibly could modify your current habits inside healthful methods, losing weight will likely be more simple. The first task for making greater selections in each and every section of life is to become fully conscious of what you\?re doing the whole day. Attaining the target bodyweight may take a while, however fresh daily habits will help you get their slowly and gradually..
Want to know weight loss plans: The Secrets On How To Lose Weight ?
Home ? Pets ? Tips And Basic Advice For Promoting Your Pet Dog?s Dental Health
March 18, 2012
Posted by Trade Tips
under
Pets
As your dogs age, plaque build-up collects on their teeth. Unless you have been brushing your dog?s teeth since he was a puppy, it is likely that he will at least have bad breath and discolored teeth. As soon as you notice this take him to your veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis. If your dog doesn?t have bleeding gums, gingivitis or any other periodontal disease which would require professional cleaning and a high-cost bill, thank your lucky stars and begin taking care of his teeth at home.
This procedure can take some time to perfect. Some dogs may take to it quickly and easily, others will more resistant and need plenty of patience and praise. By the way, all of this info applies to cat teeth cleaning too.
The goal is to remove the plaque from their teeth before it?s had a chance to mineralize into calculus. It is not true that dry dog food prevents tartar, or that various chews and bones will remove it. The best way to clean your dog?s teeth is with daily brushing. There are gels, sprays and dog toothpaste available now, as are toothbrushes for the size of your dog?s muzzle. It is important to note that only the outside of the tooth needs brushing, unlike humans as well as when you are cleaning cat teeth also.
Once your dog is relaxed and sitting close to you, put a little gel or toothpaste on your finger, and with the other hand life and pull back his upper lip. Swipe all the teeth quickly and then stop and praise him. Repeat this on the lower lip and also the other side. This is best done after his last drink for the evening. When you feel your dog is comfortable with this new habit, introduce the soft brush and gently clean one or two teeth in a circular motion, making sure the bristles get as far under the gum-line as possible. If your dog is reluctant to allow the toothbrush into his mouth, try a finger brush. It is important to use a brush in order to give the gel or toothpaste the best chance to work with his saliva and break down the plaque.
Frequent brushing followed by praise and a play time will become quality time. Your dog will look forward to the cleaning and this new habit will benefit you both. Periodontal disease can spread harmful bacteria to different parts of his body if neglected, and will cause major ill-health. You wouldn?t want this for your best buddy.
How to brush dog teeth is detailed more on our website, Cactus Canyon. We offer tips and advice for how to correctly clean canine teeth safely.
Have we been pouring over the travel market looking with charter a private jet however aren?t sure what company or alternatively route with take? PBJ can be a private jet charter broker specializing in freedom of choice, value and even accessibility. It has usually been our belief that customers must be the focus of any lucrative company as well as which can be why we all currently have such a firm emphasis on customer service not to mention affordability. We all employ travel specialists who have a passion for aviation and a breadth of knowledge within the business and also we all make them that you can buy to you at any kind of time. We in addition implement transparent pricing schemes thus that our clients won?t be surprised by any hidden bills or perhaps commission rates, creating a refreshing change for those who happen to be too frequently landed with extra costs at the last minute. By emphasizing the actual importance of your individual satisfaction we aim with build a long-term excellent relationship with you and in addition support you within the future with almost all your travel needs.
We all fully understand that flying on jet typically is not everyone?s ideal method of travel due in order to fear of heights plus general travel anxiousness. For this reason we take additional care of our customers or perhaps any of their passengers who can currently have anxiety regarding flying by assuring all the people which we all take your own protection extremely seriously. Underneath the particular luxury, comfort and in addition efficiency of our private charter service, we all have built upon a foundation of safety. Whilst being held accountable for all the of our own exacting safety measures, each single it of our employees, operators plus aircraft are in addition rigorously subjected in order to the actual FAA Part 135 rules plus regulations. Let a mind be put at ease knowing which you re in the safest hands in the industry in the course of each and every step of your journey.
Based found on the number of passengers we happen to be planning to be able to take with we aboard your flight not to mention how far you are generally travelling, our expert aviation consultants will certainly support we inside selecting the ideal aircraft model for your individual requirements out of an enormous selection of the actual 15,000 aircraft we all provide. We all even take any kind of time restrictions into consideration thus which we can provide we the particular best cruising speeds and in addition altitudes with receive you where you have to go because swiftly as possible. Arrangements may be made for extra baggage space, ground transportation and in addition even hotel reservations. Our onboard amenities offer a diverse array of options including elegant dining not to mention beverage service, full leisure systems, totally stocked office areas with wireless internet access plus even full beds. In the event you may dream it, we will bring it with everyday living.
If perhaps you would like to charter a private jet now and / or would merely like to be able to gain more information and facts about Paramount Business Jets, please do not hesitate in order to call us at +1-877-727-2538. We happen to be accessible to be able to aid you 24/7, all the year round. We happen to be happy to be able to answer any kind of questions or simply concerns you can have so which together we can easily commence to create a travel plan of the particular highest standards.
If you want to charter a private jet with PBJ and want further info, please contact us here.
If you do not have a good estate plan, Uncle Sam, your state treasurer or an attorney may be the happiest beneficiaries when you die. Estate, estate planning and trusts are ways of avoiding unnecessary taxation and your family high payments to an attorney that can erode your. Proper estate planning does not have to cost a fortune and it puts you in control of the division of assets. It gives you control from the grave on the disposition of your items besides saving dollars that you want to go to your family.
The most important part of estate planning is the creation of a will. If you die intestate, without a will, your state has a plan on how to dispose of your property. The state?s scheme uses blood relationships to deter mine who gets the assets of the estate. While you might have a specific person in mind for a treasured item you know they?d love and cherish, the state?s plan might give it to another who would never value it as much. Depending on the family that remains when you pass, it could then pass your estate to family members you do not really like and bypass those that really care about you or took care of you. If you have dependent , it?s important to select children guardians for them if something should happen to you and your spouse. Make certain that you ask the party before you name them as the guardian. While they may be the perfect choice, not it?s a big responsibility that they may be ready to handle. You name so to executor or Executrix for the estate in the will. This is the person in charge of distributing the property at your demise. It is best to name alternate in the event that at the primary executor is unable to do the job. You can use a spouse or a trusted for this child. This person looks over the work of the attorney at the time of your death and Arranges for the distribution of your property. If you worry about finding someone else you?ll want later, do not. You can change any part of your will at any time. For those starting on the road to estate planning, you?ll need an estate planning checklist. The first item on the list is an assessment of all your assets. You need to identify the type of ownership of all the assets on the list. For instance, if you own the property in joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, JTWROS, the joint owner Receives the property when you pass. Most married people own their homes and other large items together. In those cases, tenancy by the Entirety is the normal type of ownership. The final type of joint ownership is tenancy in common where each person owns a specific percentage of the property and can sell it. Of course, for own individually owned property, you need to list the owner of the property. list all the life insurance policies on your life or those you. You also need to list the beneficiary of the policies for your estate planning checklist, the cash value, face value and ownership of each policy. Since life insurance becomes part of your estate, in most states and for federal taxation, all of these factors become important for larger estates. List all other assets you own real property as search, automobiles, personal property, antiques , seeking bank products as checking accounts, CDs or savings accounts, brokerage accounts and other liquid assets. If you do not have a joint owner, use a POD designation for bank products, meaning payable upon death or TOD for investment accounts, meaning transfer upon death. This gives no ownership to the recipient until you pass and you can change it at any time. The benefit of using these designations is that the asset does not pass through your estate, meaning it does not go through probate and releases immediately to the POD or TOD. Do not forget to list the name of the institution that holds the asset and the account number. The final items to list on your estate planning checklist are pension plans, annuities, IRAs and other retirement plans. While these items are not included in your will unless you name your estate as your beneficiary, they are part of your estate and increase the value of your estate. You do not use a will for these types of accounts since you name a beneficiary. Unlike a will, there is no delay on asset the recipient receiving the. It does not go through probate and is uncontestable. Many people do not want their assets listed in the paper and want to make transfer easier for their heirs. To accomplish this, they use a trust. Estate planning and trusts not only make it easier and faster for the transfer, but you also maintain more control on the disposition of assets and use a professional manager to protect your heirs from Themselves or increase the value of the estate. So trusts are a way to minimize federal and state estate taxes when properly used. Often people with special needs children use trusts to make certain that there is adequate money available for their benefit. If your adult child is a special needs child, make certain that you work closely with an attorney that Sun does not make them your forethought ineligible for Medicaid or other benefits Necessary for their care. One reason for listing all the items on your estate planning checklist and estate planning and considering the trusts is to avoid unnecessary estate tax or state inheritance tax. estate tax is a portion of the money, after Certain exclusions, subject to taxation. While the federal exclusion is quite high, $ 3.5 million, many of the states have much lower limits. People in special situations, seeking as cohabitation, should speak with an attorney if they want their life partner to receive their estate since exclusions are very low for this type of situation at most state levels, Which causes of increase in taxation.
The federal estate tax includes life insurance policies, even though some of the states exclude life insurance, so the use of estate planning and trusts can be very beneficial to those with large amounts of life insurance. Estate planning and trusts can reduce the amount of tax paid by a Considerable amount, simply by changing ownership of the policy or through the use of an irrevocable life insurance trust.
While not everyone has a large estate, no matter what the size, it?s best to do estate planning and trusts if a trust is necessary. The initial phase of estate planning and filling out an estate planning checklist can take a while. However, once you have an estate plan, you?ll find that it?s easy to update it every four or five years if there are any changes.
Congratulations to Arc_ID instructor Steven Drucker and SAA Interiors and Architecture for winning the 2011 IIDA Southern California Calibre Award ? Large Office.
SAA/Shlemmer Algaze Associates
NIGRO KARLIN SEGAL AND FELDSTEIN
Los Angeles
Full service design for a two floor Accounting and Business Management firm relocating to new facilities in Westwood. The project features interconnecting stair, conference and training facilities as well as high efficiency glazed perimeter offices and open office solutions to service the firm?s Audit, Tax and Business Consulting practices. The project was also designed to feature the firm?s large photography collection which provides a gallery-like experience while moving through the space.
Visit the website
About Steven Drucker
Steven Drucker, AIA, MArch, is an architect and designer whose work encompasses architectural, interior, graphic, and furniture design. Mr. Drucker has been involved in retail, institutional, and commercial projects with particular emphasis on corporate and office design and space planning. He will be joining the Arc_ID instructional team once again this Spring Quarter to teach Master?s Project Research & Programming, the first in a 3-course sequence that focuses on independent research and the development of a project type, concept and program on an individual basis. In addition to the research component of the class, students will develop the program and initial concept for their Master?s Studio Project, which follows the Research and Programming class in the MIA degree sequence.
E business, Ibis, E Commerce, Edom and there are more of these terms that are broadly used as acronyms or interchangeable terms. However in the Internet Language eBusiness or E biz and eCommerce or E com are two differentiated terms.E commerce refers to online transactions ? buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet involving transaction of monetary nature.
Electronic commerce or eCommerce are on-line business activities for products and services, be it business to business or business to consumer through the Internet. This is categorized in two broad heads:
Online Selling - An online selling activity includes and provides the consumer with the information they might need to make a buying decision in favor of the product or service offered in the website.
Online Purchasing ? An eCommerce site with the help of technology infrastructure buys product over the Internet. It also included providing or being provided with online quote requisition, order placement and payment procedures.
E Business refers to online transactions including interactions with business partners, customers and vendors. eBusiness interactions are aimed at improving business processes and efficiency. In the present time most organization realize the importance of Internet and transforming the businesses into an eBusiness one to maintain the competitive edge.
In literal meaning words Commerce and Business don?t differ much in English dictionary. These two words are written and meant to describe organizations carrying out businesses. The difference between eCommerce and eBusiness is artificial and necessarily covers electronically transactions or information?s. While an eCommerce is the conclusion to a sale or purchase activity through internet with the help of internet banking or credit card gateway, eBusiness is a continuous process right from initiation of sale offer to after sales customer caring.
It even does not end there and initiate another phase of the sale. Customer educating, Internet Marketing, researching etc all come under eBusiness. While an eCommerce activity can be done by just with a website that accepts Credit / Debit cards and similar on line purchase instruments, eBusiness scope is lot more than just buying and selling over the Internet, it goes into much depth of procedures and cultures of an organization. It gives the site owner the power to connect directly to the customers, vendors, employees, partners, using the web. EBusiness activities are result of much more organized effort and a wholesome system through internet.
To conclude, it can be summarized that an eBusiness uses the Internet for all of its business activities, while eCommerce is only one domain of an eBusiness.
FILE - In this March 9, 2012 file photo, NFL football quarterback Peyton Manning, center, takes a tour with executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos John Elway, left, and Broncos coach John Fox, rear right, at the Broncos' training facility in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, John Leyba) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET OUT
FILE - In this March 9, 2012 file photo, NFL football quarterback Peyton Manning, center, takes a tour with executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos John Elway, left, and Broncos coach John Fox, rear right, at the Broncos' training facility in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, John Leyba) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET OUT
FILE - In this March 10, 2012 file photo, an electronic billboard is displayed over a sports memorabilia store in north Denver. The Denver Broncos seem to be headed for another meeting with Peyton Manning. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Fans wait outside the Tennessee Titans NFL football team offices for a glimpse of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning while Manning meets with team officials inside on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
NFL football quarterback Peyton Manning, right, leaves the offices of the Tennessee Titans with Titans head coach Mike Munchak, front left, Wednesday, March 14, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/The Tennessean, Sanford Myers) NO SALES
Quarterback Peyton Manning waves to fans as he leaves the offices of the Tennessee Titans NFL football team on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/The Tennessean, Sanford Myers) NO SALES
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) ? Denver Broncos executive John Elway and coach John Fox traveled to North Carolina on Friday to watch Peyton Manning work out at Duke, while the Miami Dolphins dropped out of the running to sign the NFL's only four-time MVP.
The Broncos officials landed at Raleigh-Durham airport about 1:15 p.m. EDT and got into a white van near the plane. They arrived at Duke about 30 minutes later and drove through a gate outside the football team's practice facilities.
A person told The Associated Press that Manning was going to work out at Duke facilities Friday afternoon for the Broncos. He was seen leaving the Blue Devils' indoor facilities wearing blue shorts, a gray t-shirt and no helmet heading to the outdoor practice field followed by Elway and Fox.
The view of the practice field from the parking lot where reporters were gathered is partially obscured by a building that houses the visiting team's locker room and a nine-foot, black gate.
Manning has been rehabilitating in North Carolina after a series of neck surgeries.
Another person confirmed to the AP that Manning phoned the Miami Dolphins on Thursday to advise them he'll sign elsewhere. The team has now turned its attention to free agent quarterback Matt Flynn.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Manning's workouts have remained private and the Dolphins haven't talked publicly about their negotiations.
Duke coach and longtime Manning friend David Cutcliffe told The Tennessean that Manning has made good progress throwing the football following operations that forced him to miss the entire 2011 season.
Manning's uncertain health led the Indianapolis Colts to balk at paying a $28 million roster bonus to the 35-year-old quarterback, which in turn started a race for the most prized free agent of the offseason and maybe ever.
Along with the Broncos, the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals remain in contention for Manning.
But not the Dolphins, who met with the record-setting QB for several hours Monday in Indianapolis and made signing him their top priority. Now the Dolphins will court Flynn, who visited the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday. Flynn was the backup last year for Green Bay and has a good relationship with new Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, the Packers' offensive coordinator the past five seasons.
Time is a factor for the Cardinals, who must decide by 4 p.m. EDT on Friday whether or not to release quarterback Kevin Kolb. He's due $7 million if he is on the roster Saturday.
Manning's whirlwind free agency tour officially kicked off soon after he bid farewell to the Colts in an emotional press conference last week.
The Broncos had the first crack at wooing him, rolling out the red carpet for his visit. Team officials flew him in and he spent the spent the day chatting with Elway, the Hall of Fame QB turned team executive. Manning also was escorted around the team's building by coach John Fox and general manager Brian Xanders as he listened to their sales pitch.
After that, Manning journeyed to nearby Castle Rock, Colo., and spent the evening with good friend Brandon Stokley, who played catch with Manning the next morning and spoke highly of his former teammate in an interview on a local radio show.
Manning's next stop was Arizona, where he met with the Cardinals for nearly 6? hours.
Then Tennessee entered the picture. Manning has a big fan in 89-year-old Titans owner Bud Adams, and the former Tennessee Volunteer spent nearly eight hours with team executives on a plane and at the club's headquarters.
The NFL Network reported that Manning was expected to work out for the Titans, but there was no immediate confirmation from the team or word on when that would happen.
___
AP Sports Writers Steve Wine in Miami and Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.
Novel plastics and textiles from waste with the use of microbesPublic release date: 16-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Merja Penttila merja.penttila@vtt.fi 358-407-000-163 Academy of Finland
New biotechnological and chemical methods will facilitate efficient production of chemicals, materials and fuels from renewable natural resources. The Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence (CoE) in White Biotechnology Green Chemistry Research focuses on the research and development of microbial cells, or cell factories, for producing new useful compounds from sugars in plant biomass. These compounds can be used, for example, for manufacturing bioplastics or in medical applications.
"By means of gene technology, we can modify microbial metabolism and thereby produce organic acids for a wide range of industrial applications. They can be used, among other things, for manufacturing new plastic and textile materials, or packaging technologies," explains Merja Penttil, Research Professor and Director of the Centre of Excellence from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
New methods play a key role when various industries are developing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient production processes. Use of renewable natural resources, such as agricultural or industrial waste materials, to replace oil-based raw materials will make industries less dependent of fossil raw materials and, consequently, reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
The CoE also develops highly sensitive measuring methods and investigates microbial cell functions at molecular level. "We need this information to be able to develop efficient bioprocesses for the future. For instance, we build up new micro- and nanoscale instruments for measuring and controlling microbial productivity in bioreactors during production."
Alternatives for oil
The metabolism of microbes is modified so that they will convert plant biomass sugars into sugar acids and their derivatives. These compounds can potentially serve as raw materials for new types of polyesters, whose properties such as water solubility and extremely rapid degradation into natural substances can be used, for example, in medicine. By modifying sugar acids, it is also possible to produce compounds that may replace oil-based aromatic acids in the manufacture of thermosetting plastics and textiles.
"Sugar acids can be used to produce biodegradable technical plastics, including polyamides, or functional components that increase the ability of cellulose to absorb water. Novel materials could replace the currently available non-biodegradable absorbent components in hygiene products. Sugar acids are also a source of hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, whose oxygen-barrier properties make it suitable for food packaging," explains Professor Ali Harlin, the head of the CoE Green Chemistry team.
In order to be able to replace, in the future, industrial production that is based on petrochemicals with new production processes based on waste biomass, such new processes must be extremely efficient. "A major challenge is how make the production organisms used in bioprocesses, that is, the microbes, to utilise the sugars of the biomass and to convert them into desired compounds in the most effective manner. This development work calls for multidisciplinary competence ranging from biosciences to engineering."
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More information
Research Professor Merja Penttil, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, tel. +358 40 7000 163, merja.penttila(at)vtt.fi
Academy of Finland
Communications Manager Riitta Tirronen
tel. +358 9 7748 8369, riitta.tirronen(at)aka.fi
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Novel plastics and textiles from waste with the use of microbesPublic release date: 16-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Merja Penttila merja.penttila@vtt.fi 358-407-000-163 Academy of Finland
New biotechnological and chemical methods will facilitate efficient production of chemicals, materials and fuels from renewable natural resources. The Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence (CoE) in White Biotechnology Green Chemistry Research focuses on the research and development of microbial cells, or cell factories, for producing new useful compounds from sugars in plant biomass. These compounds can be used, for example, for manufacturing bioplastics or in medical applications.
"By means of gene technology, we can modify microbial metabolism and thereby produce organic acids for a wide range of industrial applications. They can be used, among other things, for manufacturing new plastic and textile materials, or packaging technologies," explains Merja Penttil, Research Professor and Director of the Centre of Excellence from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
New methods play a key role when various industries are developing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient production processes. Use of renewable natural resources, such as agricultural or industrial waste materials, to replace oil-based raw materials will make industries less dependent of fossil raw materials and, consequently, reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
The CoE also develops highly sensitive measuring methods and investigates microbial cell functions at molecular level. "We need this information to be able to develop efficient bioprocesses for the future. For instance, we build up new micro- and nanoscale instruments for measuring and controlling microbial productivity in bioreactors during production."
Alternatives for oil
The metabolism of microbes is modified so that they will convert plant biomass sugars into sugar acids and their derivatives. These compounds can potentially serve as raw materials for new types of polyesters, whose properties such as water solubility and extremely rapid degradation into natural substances can be used, for example, in medicine. By modifying sugar acids, it is also possible to produce compounds that may replace oil-based aromatic acids in the manufacture of thermosetting plastics and textiles.
"Sugar acids can be used to produce biodegradable technical plastics, including polyamides, or functional components that increase the ability of cellulose to absorb water. Novel materials could replace the currently available non-biodegradable absorbent components in hygiene products. Sugar acids are also a source of hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, whose oxygen-barrier properties make it suitable for food packaging," explains Professor Ali Harlin, the head of the CoE Green Chemistry team.
In order to be able to replace, in the future, industrial production that is based on petrochemicals with new production processes based on waste biomass, such new processes must be extremely efficient. "A major challenge is how make the production organisms used in bioprocesses, that is, the microbes, to utilise the sugars of the biomass and to convert them into desired compounds in the most effective manner. This development work calls for multidisciplinary competence ranging from biosciences to engineering."
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More information
Research Professor Merja Penttil, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, tel. +358 40 7000 163, merja.penttila(at)vtt.fi
Academy of Finland
Communications Manager Riitta Tirronen
tel. +358 9 7748 8369, riitta.tirronen(at)aka.fi
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Discussing the White House's stance on energy, saying there is plenty of federal land approved for drilling and open for bidding, with David Hayes, Deputy Interior Secretary, who explains the amount of federal lands that are open and are not being expl...
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) ? An Iranian man held in Malaysia and accused of involvement in an alleged terror plot in Bangkok resisted extradition on Thursday, claiming he had been in Thailand only for a vacation.
A handcuffed Masoud Sedaghatzadeh appeared briefly in a Kuala Lumpur court, saying through an interpreter that he had nothing to do with the accusations and wanted to know why has was there.
Sedaghatzadeh was arrested at a Malaysian airport soon after an apparently accidental explosion rocked a residential Bangkok neighborhood Feb. 14. Thai police say bombs were found in the house where the blast occurred, and that Sedaghatzadeh and two Iranian men now in Thai custody were seen leaving the building.
Thai officials have said Israeli diplomats may have been the target of the alleged plot.
Sedaghatzadeh's Malaysian lawyer, Nashua Hussin, said he insists he was in Malaysia to buy automobile parts and then flew for a holiday in Thailand, where he went to the beach town of Pattaya.
"He met a lot of Iranians there, took pictures, said hello and goodbye," Nashua told reporters. "He does not know any of them, he can't remember anyone. He is incriminated by the pictures."
The court scheduled a hearing for April 16 after government lawyers said they were waiting for photos and security camera footage from Thailand.
Sedaghatzadeh's parents attended Thursday's hearing but refused to speak to reporters.
Israel has blamed Iran for the Feb. 14 explosion, as well as two incidents the day before: a bombing in India that wounded an Israeli diplomat's wife and driver, and an attempted bombing in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Iran has denied involvement.
Thai authorities want Sedaghatzadeh to be handed over, but Malaysia has said the process must go through the courts because the countries have no formal extradition agreement.
As the Canon Pixma MX372 Office All-in-One?s $79.99 (direct) price suggests, it's very much a personal printer. It's also one of Canon's office inkjets?as indicated by the MX designation. Aimed primarily at home and micro offices, but also a potential choice for one person's use in any size office, it delivers a lot more capability than you might expect from a sub-$100 MFP. However, its high running cost makes it much less attractive than it would otherwise be.
Like most inkjet MFPs today, the MX372 can serve in a dual role for home and home office, or even as a strictly home printer. However, much like the Editors' Choice Brother MFC-J430w ($100 street, 4 stars), it's unusual for the price in focusing more on the office side of that dual role.
In addition to printing from and scanning to a PC, it can fax from a PC and work as a standalone copier and fax machine. And unlike typical home-oriented printers, it can scan multi-page documents and legal-size pages easily thanks to a 30-page automatic document feeder (ADF) that supplements the letter-size flatbed. Missing from the MX372 are such photo-centric features as the ability to print directly from memory cards and PictBridge cameras.
Also missing is both Wi-Fi and wired network support, which makes it hard to share the printer easily, and largely limits it to personal use. The paper handling is also best reserved for a single person's use, with only a 100-sheet paper capacity, manual duplexing, and no paper handling upgrade options.
Setup and Speed Setting up the MX372 is standard fare. For my tests, I installed it on a Vista system using a USB connection?the only choice. The speed is best described as lackadaisical even for the price, but not too much slower than most of its competition.
On our business applications suite I timed the MX372 (using QualityLogic's hardware and software for timing) at an effective 2.0 pages per minute (ppm). That?s essentially a tie with the HP Officejet 4500 All-in-One ($99.99 direct, 3.5 stars) at 2.1 ppm, but a bit slower than the Editors' Choice Kodak ESP C310 All-in-One Printer ($99.99 direct, 4 stars) at 2.7 ppm. It's also a lot slower than the Brother MFC-J430w , at 4.3 ppm, but keep in mind that the Brother printer's fast speed for business applications is a big part of why it is Editors' Choice.
Photo speed for the MX372 was more definitively slow, averaging 2 minutes 9 seconds for a 4 by 6. The Brother MFC-J430w wasn't much faster, at 1:59, but most of the competition leaves both printers in the dust, with the HP Officejet 4500 clocking in at 1:15, for example, and the Kodak ESP C310 taking just 44 seconds.
Output Quality and Other Issues The MX372's overall output quality is below par, but not enough to be an issue. Text quality in particular is well below par, which translates to few fonts scoring well at sizes below 8 points. As long as you don't have an unusual need for smaller fonts, however, you shouldn't have any complaints.
Graphic output does better, at only slightly below par, but still good enough for any internal business need including PowerPoint handouts and the like. On the other hand, it's a bit short of what I'd want for output going to an important client or customer who I needed to impress with a sense of my professionalism.
Photos were par for an inkjet MFP overall, except for an obvious tint in black and white output. Color photos were generally at the low end of what I'd expect from drugstore prints, making the output acceptable for snapshots. If you want your photos to look their best, you'll want to look elsewhere, but that's pretty much expected from a printer that claims to be office-centric.
One other issue that can matter a lot or a little, depending on how much you expect to print, is the high claimed cost per page, at 6.3 cents for a mono page and 13.8 cents for a color page. That's 2.5 cents more per page than the MFC-J430w for both mono and color. Given the $20 difference in price between the two, you only have to print 800 pages before you've made up the difference. Beyond that, the total cost for the MX372 would be higher than for the Brother MFC-J430w, and the difference would increase with every page you print.
For many people, the high running cost will be enough reason to look elsewhere, since it's hard to imagine anyone printing fewer than 800 pages over the life of a printer. But if you don't expect to print much more than that, or don't mind the cost, or what you really need is some combination of an ADF equipped scanner, fax machine, and the ability to fax files from your PC's hard drive, the Canon Pixma MX372 Office All-in-One can do the job.
More Multi-function Printer Reviews: ??? Canon Pixma MX372 Office All-in-One ??? Brother MFC-9125CN ??? Panasonic KX-MB1500 ??? HP LaserJet Pro M1217nfw MFP ??? Epson Artisan 730 ?? more
ScienceDaily (Mar. 13, 2012) ? Recent studies by a UT Dallas researcher aim at finding better ways to diagnose young children with language impairments.
Dr. Christine Dollaghan, a professor at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders and the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, is author of a paper in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. The study evaluated data collected from a large sample of about 600 children. Some of the participants had specific language impairments, or SLI. She wanted to deterimine whether SLI should be regarded as a discrete diagnostic category.
"One of the most basic and long-standing questions about SLI is whether children with the disorder have language skills that differ qualitatively and nonarbitrarily from those of other children or whether their language skills simply fall at the lower end of a continuous distribution, below some arbitrary threshold but not otherwise unique," she wrote in the October article titled "Taxometric Analyses of Specific Language Impairment in 6-Year-Old Children."
Dollaghan previously reported on this sample of children when they were 3 and 4 years old. The new study included some test results that were not available at the earlier ages. She focused on four common indicators of SLI -- receptive vocabulary, expressive utterance length, expressive vocabulary diversity and nonsense word repetition.
As in the earlier investigation, she found the 6-year-olds with SLI did not represent a distinct group with unique characteristics Instead, they fell at the lower end of a continuous distribution of language skills.
The results of the study could help in developing diagnostic protocols for children with language impairment and tailoring treatments to the characteristics of individual children. Dollaghan said the categorical-continuous question is being examined by investigators interested in many other diagnostic categories, including autism, schizophrenia and ADHD.
Dollaghan also co-authored an article in the November edition of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine with colleagues from UT Dallas' Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, including lead author Keyur Gabani, Yang Liu and Khairun-nisa Hassanali. The team examined the use of automated machine learning and natural language processing methods for diagnosing language impairment in children based on samples of their language.
In "Exploring a corpus-based approach for detecting language impairment in monolingual English-speaking children," the team reported that automated methods performed well. The findings suggested future collaborations between researchers in computer science and communication disorders will likely be useful, Dollaghan said.
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STARKVILLE, Miss. & MUNICH, Mar 12, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Investment will spur continued growth of clean-tech jobs in Mississippi SemiSouth Laboratories, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-voltage silicon-carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices, today announced a second major capacity expansion within 18 months. The expansion will help drive the continued growth of SemiSouth's SiC fabrication facility and better serve customers who are rapidly adopting the company's diode and industry-leading power transistor products. The adoption of SemiSouth's SiC technology enables ultra-efficient power conversion for solar and wind inverters, hybrid/electric vehicles, traction-drive and other applications that benefit from exceptionally high energy efficiency. "Today's announcement is a testament to SemiSouth's success with existing customers in solar inverter and industrial power supply market segments," commented Jeff Casady, President of SemiSouth. "We are ramping with our customers' demands for our industry-leading SiC power JFET and power diode products, and this new expansion will allow us to expand our volume another 50% for these customers and new ones starting up with us." Dieter Liesabeths, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at SemiSouth, added, "SemiSouth is continuously being recognized by its customers for having world-record, cost-effective, energy-efficient power semiconductor electronic products based on our proprietary SiC technology. We have many customers in production with even more in development for our products in energy-sensitive markets such as solar inverters, server power supplies, wind inverters, and electric vehicle development." This is the second major expansion of SemiSouth's fab facility in Starkville, MS headquarters within the past 18 months. About SemiSouth Laboratories, Inc. SemiSouth, a privately owned corporation with its main offices and foundry in Starkville, Mississippi, (USA), focuses on silicon carbide (SiC) power devices and electronics, targeting applications such as: solar inverters; power conversion in computing and network power supplies; variable-speed drives for industrial motors and hybrid electric vehicles; and products used in high-power, harsh-environment military and aerospace environments. The company was formed in 2000, has sold products globally through direct sales or distributors since 2005, and received a major growth investment from Power Integrations?POWI?-0.61%?in 2010. It introduced the world's first commercial, cost-effective normally-off SiC JFETs in 2008, which have enabled world-record energy efficiencies for its customer's products. SemiSouth has ~ 30 U.S. patents in the emerging field of high-efficiency silicon-carbide power devices. The company operates a 20,000-square-foot facility at its Starkville headquarters, where it employs more than 115 people. SemiSouth products are available through a global distribution network of several high-quality reps/distis, listed at (?http://www.semisouth.com/contact/salesreps-distributors.html?). More information is available atwww.semisouth.com?. SOURCE: SemiSouth
SemiSouth Laboratories, Inc. Brenda Temple, Director of Inside Sales and Contracts Tel: +1 (662) 324 7607 ext. 29 E-mail: brenda.temple@semisouth.com or For press enquiries: Nick Foot, PR Director Billings Europe Tel.: +44-1491-636 393 E-mail: nick.foot@billings-europe.com
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If you are a smoker you ought to realize that to be able to live a healthy life these two things don?t mix, and you should stop smoking immediately. One thing which will actually help you decide to quit would be the fact that you?re seven times more likely to suffer from a stroke than men and women who don?t smoke. You of course will also understand that there are various other health conditions related to smoking for instance various cancers, and this is precisely why smoking is so dangerous.
One thing that?s rather simple to make sure you?re getting enough of is water, as many people do not get nearly as much as they should be drinking each day. Many men and women believe that mainly because they drink one or two liters of soda each day and have eight or nine cups of coffee that they?re getting plenty of water, but we are actually talking about drinking straight water. You will discover that water is not only going to help you digest your food properly but it can also end up flushing harmful toxins from your system.
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Buying a home has developed into a whole lot more cost-effective in recent years. Home prices have fallen tremendously along with the interest levels on mortgages are in historically low levels. This is the time to find the property of your dreams and there exists an excellent probability to get it in a great selling price.
Compose a list of all the features you want your newly purchased the place to find have before you begin shopping. In this way, you?ll have got a very clear image of the things you need in the household and what you?d want. Going out blindly looking at homes might be tiring until you take a moment and write out precisely what you want.
Ask your real estate property agent if he or she is a realtor or a realtor. A realtor has already established a lot more schooling than a property agent, though a realtor could have much more encounter. In most states in the usa, real estate agents help the realtor who has the license. Either will help you find a home, however you might choose one on the other.
One of the traps that very first time investors run into is because they have a tendency to remodel attributes depending on their desires and demands (that?s fine if you plan on trying to keep the property or home for 10 years or more). This may result in a considerably more substantial purchase compared to what was primarily envisioned. It is actually more essential to focus on the kichens and bathrooms, and also to select fixtures which are affordable and fairly neutral, while continue to adding on the cosmetic look in the property.
Before going to a realtor to begin property searching, a good thing to accomplish is figure out exactly what you are interested in. You may then get directly to looking as an alternative to wasting your time and efforts and the realtors by have your hope record already mapped out. Consider the quantity of bedrooms, toilet, and what square feet you would like.
Develop a strict group of goals when selling or shopping for your real estate property. This will help you to determine boundaries in not merely financial conditions, and also in other areas such as spots or capabilities. It will likewise help you set-up due times for achievement. In the long run, this will allow you along with the other get together to ?get on a single web page.?
As stated ahead of, investing in a new house can be a severe expense and another by which you should try to conserve all the dollars as you possibly can. In the event you follow the suggestions in this post, finding a whole lot available in the market will be effortless. With any luck you will find an excellent residence at a cost that won?t split the bank.
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It is some of the worst news that any parent could receive that there child has a life-threatening cancer.
That news may now be made worse because of shortages of cancer drugs, which could make treatment more difficult.
Unfortunately this is something that is extremely concerning to parents.
You expect to see young children out on a playground, not being forced to deal with cancer. What we discovered is this is not just a problem for childhood cancers, but potentially for cancer drugs of all kinds.
We are very concerned about drug shortages, as are a number of cancer organizations because our patients are affected, commented the Leukemia and Lymphoma Societys Elizabeth Mihmet.
We had our patients reach out to us and say I am really worried, Mihmet added.
One of the drugs that are now in short supply is methotrexate, which is used to treat acute lymphoblasitic leukemia. The form of leukemia usually strikes young kids between two and five.
These are expensive drugs to manufacture, realized Mihmet.
One of the nations largest producers of methotrexate had to shut down because of significant manufacturing and quality concerns.
Survival rates for leukemia are up over 90 percent, Mihmet did tell CBS 21.
But, not if you dont get the drugs you need and money can definitely be a key ingredient.
If you were at CML patient and you were put on Gleevec, which is a targeted oral cancer therapy that has a wonderful cure rate, that could be upwards of $50,000 a year.
In order to help, Mihmet says, Were asking all of our patients to reach out to their legislators and them know that there are drug shortages and potential drug shortages and how important it is that they and their loved ones have access to the best and most targeted therapies.
Penn State Hershey told CBS 21 that their oncology and pharmacy staffs are working hard to navigate this problem with creative solutions, they are looking for alternate suppliers of the drugs and when appropriate even alternate treatment methods.
Penn State also wanted us to stress this is a problem that all hospitals are facing across the country; it is not an issue that is just confined to here in PA.
This is an evolving story and one that we certainly will keep you updated on.
Tiger Woods grimaces after he hit off the 12th tee during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament on Sunday, March 11, 2012 in Doral, Fla. Woods withdrew from the tournament, and was driven away in a cart. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tiger Woods grimaces after he hit off the 12th tee during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament on Sunday, March 11, 2012 in Doral, Fla. Woods withdrew from the tournament, and was driven away in a cart. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tiger Woods is driven away in a cart after hitting off the 12th tee during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament on Sunday, March 11, 2012, in Doral, Fla. Woods withdrew from the tournament. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tiger Woods grimaces after hitting from the 12th tee during the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament Sunday, March 11, 2012, in Doral, Fla. Woods withdrew from the tournament, and was driven away in a cart. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
DORAL, Fla. (AP) ? Tiger Woods' road to the Masters took a surprising detour Sunday when he withdrew after 11 holes in the Cadillac Championship because of soreness in his left Achilles tendon.
It's the same Achilles that he injured last year at Augusta National, which eventually caused Woods to miss two majors last year.
The severity of this injury won't be known until Woods has it evaluated.
He was 3-over par in the final round at Doral, 10 shots out of the lead, when he hit a 321-yard tee shot on the par-5 12th hole, shook hands with Webb Simpson and left in a cart.
"I felt tightness in my left Achilles warming up this morning, and it continued to get progressively worse," Woods said in a statement. "After hitting my tee shot at 12, I decided it was necessary to withdraw. In the past, I may have tried to continue to play, but this time, I decided to do what I thought was necessary."
NBC Sports showed Woods behind the wheel as he drove away from Doral in a black sedan.
"I didn't really notice anything," Simpson said. "I wasn't paying much attention, but it looked like he made a swing on 12 that really hurt. But didn't say a whole lot. Class act. Shook my hand. Off he went.
"He just shook my hand and said, 'I've got to go in.' You could feel he was hurting. He didn't say a whole lot, but his expression was enough that he was in enough pain to end it."
Woods is to play in two weeks at Bay Hill, his last tournament before the Masters. Woods is a four-time champion at Augusta National, and with an ordinary game, he still has tied for fourth the last two years.
"It's a shame because he looked like he was coming out this year, swinging it really well, playing good, getting himself into contention," said Rory McIlroy, who held off Woods' charge last week at the Honda Classic. "It's probably just precautionary, but I really hope he's healthy for the Masters, because obviously it would be a great week with him there. He can spark an interest in golf that no one else can."
Doral was Woods' third straight tournament. He lost in the second round of the Match Play Championship, then shot 62 to tie for second in the Honda. When asked after the third round Saturday at Doral how is body was holding up through this stretch, he replied, "It feels great."
Steve Stricker played with him in the third round Saturday and said he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
"He always walks with a limp a little bit," Stricker said. "I noticed it a little bit again. I thought maybe that's something he always has, like a habit."
Woods changed shoes at the turn and was lifting his left leg, slightly flexing his ankle. His limp became more pronounced, especially after he pulled his second shot on the par-5 10th, leading to bogey. The limp grew worse, and moments later, Woods was gone.
"I think maybe his heel was bothering him, or something with his foot," Simpson said. "I don't think it's anything serious. Like I said, we didn't talk or anything, so I'm not sure exactly what it was."
It's the third time in three years that Woods has withdrawn from a tournament. The most recent was at The Players Championship last May, when he hobbled off the TPC Sawgrass after a 42 on the opening nine holes.
He then took three months off to let his left leg fully heal, returning at the Bridgestone Invitational. Woods said he wanted to make sure he didn't come back until he knew there would be no more issues with his leg. Since then, he has been able to practice more and adjust to swing changes, and from tee-to-green his golf has looked solid.
Woods has had four surgeries on his left knee dating to when he was at Stanford. The most significant was in June 2008, when he had reconstructive surgery to repair ligaments just a week after winning the U.S. Open for his 14th major. Woods has not won a major since then, and he has missed four majors because of injuries.
Woods attracted the largest galleries of the week, even starting the final round eight shots out of the lead. When he left, so did most of the crowd.
"It was a bit weird," Simpson said. "It went from one extreme to the other, from playing with all the people to playing with no people. I wasn't playing too good, so I didn't really care."
In my interview with Eric King, I was asked what Bert would do in the middle of the conflicting information concerning the ISDA and the size of the situation. My answer was to go flat. You need to recall he was not an off the floor trader, but a market maker type specialist since the time he sat in the window of a gin mill hand signaling his partner trading on the outdoor Curb Exchange which became the American Stock Exchange. He was a businessman and not a gambler. When there was no clear definition of an event he would not accept risk. That does NOT mean sell gold.
In fact Bert held his core personal physical gold position taken in 1968 all the way until 1980. He never sold an ounce of his core position. If he was long or short something was more a matter of what time of day it was since he would be on the right side of his markets, whatever they did. The man traded like a master painted. I am ok, but I do not have his talent. It was rare and unique. It was more an art than a science. He was a born merchant.
Bert, when he retired, lived in Lugano, Switzerland and was a Swiss citizen. He was a guest of the UBS trading department, and spent his retirement trading still. UBS then was the true conservative Swiss banking institution of the grand old tradition. Bert also spoke the language.
One of the nine times he fired me, I asked him why. His answer was simple. He said; "We are in business to make money, not to lose it." It is hard to argue with that. Yes, we drove home together in silence, and ate dinner the same way. Mother was the peace maker. Add to this Mom was an Irish chef. It is no wonder why I still have acid reflux.