Mike Fishman: Out of the 9/11 Tragedy, a Legacy and a Goal

After the 9/11 attacks, a spirit of hope, determination and unity took hold of our city and nation; a palpable feeling that together no challenge was too great for us to tackle.

We all knew the attacks that killed thousands and shattered lives had changed our way of life forever. But we also came through it with a sense of our own resilience as a people, city and nation. As we buried our dead, took care of the injured and focused on rebuilding, one of the lessons that emerged was a need for better security.

A report by the national 9/11 Commission pointed out that 85% of our country's infrastructure is protected by private-sector security rather than police or other government agencies.

It became clear that in our efforts to guard against terrorism, the hard-working men and women in private security perform a vital function. They serve as our eyes and ears, forming a key first line of defense.

It also became evident that in a field so key to the public's security and safety, training for officers was often inadequate or spotty, and turnover was unacceptably high. Top-quality training along with fair compensation levels was needed to ensure a professional and stable work force in this vital industry.

In response to this challenge, the Thomas Shortman Training Fund, a joint labor-management organization, spearheaded an effort to raise industry standards by working in conjunction with the New York City Police and Fire Departments, the Realty Advisory Board, the Partnership for New York City, the Office of Emergency Management, John Jay College, and others to develop a state-of-the-art security training program. Many officers have since completed this 40-hour program in which topics covered include emergency preparedness, identification of suspicious packages, security technology, and support for police, fire and emergency operations.

Much progress has been made. But more remains to be done.

To ensure a high level of security and safety across our city - at commercial buildings; residential complexes; transportation centers, tourist sites and public and educational institutions where New Yorkers work and live, all private security officers need to receive both the best possible training and recognition for the vital role they play.

This issue hits close to home for 32BJ. Ten years ago, when the planes hit the Twin Towers, 350 of our members were at work there. Twenty-four died. Ten were security officers.

That loss deepened our sense of resolve and responsibility to raise standards in the security industry. Making sure that people and institutions are safe and secure is our way of helping to meet one of the pressing challenges to come out of this tragedy.

None of us needs to be reminded that since 9/11, other terrorists have targeted and threatened our city. We also know that making our city safe and secure can't happen overnight. But by ensuring that all security officers are provided with the professional training they need to keep us secure, by raising standards in the industry, we move closer toward achieving this critical goal.

On this, the 10th anniversary, let us recapture our sense of unity and determination to tackle the challenges that remain.

Mike Fishman is President of 32BJ, which represents 120,000 workers in eight states, including more than 10,000 security officers in New York City.

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Follow Mike Fishman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/32bj_SEIU

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-fishman/out-of-the-911-tragedy-a-_b_953800.html

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Things To Consider With Regards To Home Improvement | LeClair ...

There are many things to consider with regards to home improvement. Everyone knows that you need to pay attention to the security of your home and also to make regular repairs and improvements but you can benefit if you pay due consideration to how you approach this.

Security is very important so help yourself out by consulting the experts. Those who specialize in this field are always happy to offer advice and guidance when it comes to matters of improving the security of your household and are on hand to talk over the best choice of alarms and locks available to you as well as offering other useful tips to make you feel safer.

If you are a skilled DIY enthusiast then you will know all about repairs. When looking at the approach to take in this regard it is better for you to be structured in the way that you go about things. List repairs that need to be made and outline the best time for these to be carried out.

In making the necessary preparations for these repairs to be performed always try to buy the finest tools on the market. It is never a good idea to invest in those which are cheaper and obviously of a lower standard. To get the job done properly you?ll need access to the right tools.

This is really important when you are considering making any upgrades to the home so be clever and get the type of equipment that is of a high standard. They usually endure for longer and this means savings in the long term.

You should always talk matters over with other householders when thinking about making changes and improvements and base your decisions on practical considerations and not just personal taste. A good guideline is to keep living spaces looking light and filled with space.

Want to find the best information online for angies list? Then visit HomeFellas.com and see for yourself what a great resource on service magic we are!

Source: http://www.leclairenterprises.com/2011/09/things-to-consider-with-regards-to-home-improvement/

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Stocks slide after Bernanke offers no new stimulus

In this Aug. 29, 2011 photo, traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks advanced for the second day running Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, amid hopes that global policymakers will enact more measures to shore up ailing economic growth.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

In this Aug. 29, 2011 photo, traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks advanced for the second day running Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, amid hopes that global policymakers will enact more measures to shore up ailing economic growth.(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

(AP) ? Stocks slid Thursday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offered no hints that the central bank may take steps to help the ailing economy.

Some investors have anticipated that the Fed will soon take additional steps to stimulate the economy at its two-day meeting that begins Sept. 21.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 71 points, or 0.6 percent, to 11,344 at 1:45 p.m., 15 minutes after Bernanke started speaking. The Dow and other indexes moved between small gains and losses in earlier trading.

The Standard and Poor's 500 index fell 9, or 0.7 percent, to 1,190. The Nasdaq composite dropped 12, or 0.5 percent, to 2,537.

Cisco Systems led the 30 Dow stocks with a 2 percent gain. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America Corp and Boeing each fell 3 percent to pull the average lower.

Bernanke's was one of two speeches that will be closely watched on Wall Street Thursday. President Obama will lay out his jobs plan at a joint session of Congress tonight. He is expected to announce a $300 billion package that includes tax cuts, additional state aid and spending on infrastructure.

Investors received mixed economic data before the market opened. First-time applications for unemployment benefits rose last week to 414,000. Economists had expected 405,000. The prior week's estimate of new claims was also revised higher.

The weekly report on unemployment applications is an important economic signal for investors. Rising claims can add to concerns that the job market is stalled and the U.S. economy is headed for another recession. Applications need to fall below 375,000 to indicate sustainable job growth. Last week the government reported there was zero job growth in the U.S. economy in August.

Not all of the economic news Thursday was negative. American exports of cars, airplanes and other goods reached an all-time high in July, the Commerce Department reported. Economists said the jump in exports suggest future growth in the U.S. economy.

"The market is sitting around and trying to piece it all together, "said Rob Stein, the founder and global head of asset management at Astor Asset Management. "For all the volatility that we've had recently, the market is going nowhere."

In corporate news, Google rose 0.1 percent, to $534.89, after it announced that it will acquire dining guide Zagat.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-09-08-Wall%20Street/id-73019cf8c7664ce881470a2e95db0d73

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Diamond, Streep among 5 honored by Kennedy Center (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The good times never seemed so good for Neil Diamond.

Known for his songs that have become anthems at ballparks and bars, Diamond was chosen Wednesday to receive the Kennedy Center Honors this year along with some of the biggest names from Broadway, jazz, classical music and Hollywood.

Diamond will be honored with Broadway singer Barbara Cook, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, saxophonist Sonny Rollins and actress Meryl Streep for their contributions to American culture through the arts. President Barack Obama will salute the artists and others will perform in their honor at a ceremony at the Kennedy Center. CBS will broadcast the show Dec. 27.

Diamond said he was "flying way above sea level" when heard about the honor.

"I've watched, and I've seen, and I've even dreamed that someday that would happen to me," he told The Associated Press. "But I never really believed that it would."

Diamond said he used to get distracted when people sang along with him to hits like "Sweet Caroline," which was written for presidential daughter Caroline Kennedy.

"But I realized pretty quickly that it was a compliment and I had no choice in the matter anyway, so I got with the program and just learned to love it," said Diamond, who earlier this year was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 70-year-old Diamond also tweeted Wednesday that he was engaged to a woman named Katie ? but wouldn't tell AP who she was so that she wouldn't "change her mind."

Streep, 62, has made more than 45 movies and has won two Oscars in a career that spans from Shakespeare to ABBA with the movie "Mamma Mia!" Some of her biggest hits have come in recent years with "The Devil Wears Prada," "Julie & Julia" and "It's Complicated." In the upcoming biopic "The Iron Lady," Streep will play British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

The actress said she is deeply honored by the Kennedy Center's nod and wishes her parents were alive to see it.

"All that education, allowance, tuition, voice lessons, summer jobs, scholarship application deadlines and loving care and discipline ? all that they gave me, bore fruit in a way they never dreamed," she said in a statement.

Ma is one of the best-known classical musicians. He played for President John F. Kennedy and President Dwight D. Eisenhower at age 7 at a fundraiser for a national cultural center that would later become the Kennedy Center. The 55-year-old said he feels too young to be receiving such an award for lifetime achievements.

The son of Chinese parents who lived in Paris and moved to New York said some of his musical heroes have won the Kennedy Center Honors, including Mstislav Rostropovich and Leon Fleisher, so he was stunned to be joining their ranks. He said the honors are an important moment to nurture the arts each year.

"The whole nation gets together to celebrate essentially the accomplishments of the human spirit," he told AP. "It really is to celebrate, in a sense, what people who are passionate are capable of doing."

Rollins, who turned 81 on Wednesday, has shared the stage with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, among others.

"I definitely feel that this award is not so much for me as it is for some of the great, great jazz artists that preceded me," he said. "I'm very happy that it's an honor for jazz because I think jazz is such an important spiritual force all over the world."

Cook made her Broadway debut in 1951 and later was cast in Voltaire's "Candide" and Meredith Wilson's 1957 hit musical "The Music Man." The Beatles later recorded the song she made popular, "Till There Was You." Cook said she cried when she received the letter informing her of the Kennedy Center Honors.

"It's a kind of validation for me, for my whole life," she said. "Because when I sing, I put my whole life, the good part, the bad part, I put that into my work."

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Follow Brett Zongker at http://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110907/ap_en_ot/us_kennedy_center_honors

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Google Docs Stumbles, Goes Down

docslogoYep, Google Docs is down, and has been for at least the last thirty minutes. I've been trying to access the site in Chrome and am met with a white screen and?an endless 'waiting' message in the status bar (a refresh just got me a 404 page, which I suppose is an improvement). Google's status site indicates that a "Service disruption" is affecting Google Docs List, Google Docs, and Google Drawing. Update: As I wrote this post Docs started working again for me, but according to Twitter plenty of other users are still suffering issues. This isn't the first time Docs has gone down, but it's generally reliable.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/LvBreOk85FU/

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Droid Bionic review

It's been said that absence makes a heart grow fonder, so it was with very willing and eager hands this week that we received the Droid Bionic, Motorola's latest high-octane, robot-themed assault on Verizon Wireless subscribers. The phone was first announced at CES in the beginning of 2011 and we got to see it in the flesh just an hour later... but then the story took a tragic turn. The Bionic was attacked, killed and then reborn with all new internals.

Phoenix-like, the thing is now available for purchase on Verizon Wireless, $300 for a supposedly top-shelf device that packs both LTE connectivity and a dual-core processor. That makes it a first for Verizon, and it also happens to be the thinnest LTE handset yet to cross that carrier's airwaves. Oh, and it has the biggest battery yet, too. Was it was worth the wait, then? Maybe.

Continue reading Droid Bionic review

Droid Bionic review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/0inUlavSADM/

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Jerry Chautin: It's Construction, Stupid! It's Home ... - Industry News

Huffington Post?

In Thursday?s address to Congress, I want President Barack Obama to emphasize that fixing the home-building and construction industries is necessary to jump-start our lame economy. That is because, in my recollection, home building and construction have led us out of every recession since the 1960s, when I financed land acquisition, development and construction of tract homes. ?It?s the economy, stupid.? That was Senator Bill Clinton?s mantra in 1992, when he was vying for the presidency. His opponent, the incumbent George H. W. Bush, danced around the edges of our country?s economic woes and lost the election. More recently, Clinton offered his suggestions to fix the economy . But resolving the loss of construction and home-building jobs was not front and center. Unless Obama gets specific and tells the American people that he knows how to fix the foundering construction and home-building industries, he will also lose ? and so will we. ?The history is that housing has led the country out of recessions until this one,? said John Wieland , the award-winning founder of John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, a major Southeastern residential developer, in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . ?It didn?t happen this time because of the air coming out of the housing bubble.? He continues: ?We have this tremendous amount of resale homes, short sales, that just flooded the market.? So the sooner we solve the housing problem and get the building trades back to work, the sooner our economy will be off life supports. Wieland told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the lack of new ?housing has kept us in this recession.? Obama has to tell Congress how to resolve the shadow inventory of homes being dumped on the market. He needs to address the two-year backlog of houses in the foreclosure process and the groundswell of litigation against lenders. In a March presentation to Congress, David Crowe , chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders, said, ?Without access to credit, the residential construction industry will lose more small businesses and experience more job losses, with these impacts being widely spread across the nation.? That is because housing represents a huge part of the nation?s Gross Domestic Product. ?When you consider the enormity of the total number of jobs attached to housing, a sector that accounts for 15 percent of our nation?s GDP,? Crowe says, ?now is hardly the time to step back from our nation?s long-standing commitment to homeownership.? Although Congress is not stepping back from its commitment to homeownership, there is serious talk going on about reducing or eliminating the homeowner interest deduction . ?A rollback of the mortgage interest deduction as proposed by the commission would have a devastating impact on both present and future homeowners in this country,? said Michael Berman , chairman emeritus of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. ?It would immediately stop in its tracks any stabilization we are seeing in the housing market and would effectively increase the cost of homeownership for millions upon millions of people.? Furthermore, if implemented at this time, provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act could exacerbate the tight credit markets, as well. Even though the legislation was intended to prevent future real estate debacles and financial abuses by the lending industry, the same financial institutions that got us into this mess can help get us out of it. More specifically, Berman says that the requirement for mortgage-backed securities issuers to retain a five-percent stake against potential losses to investors will keep private capital on the sidelines ? just when we need it most. He is also concerned that Dodd-Frank will cause borrowers to flock to the Federal Housing Administration?s low down-payment loans because they will not be able to cough up 20 percent for the conventional alternatives. The Mortgage Bankers Association ?is concerned that the FHA programs will be over-utilized,? he says . Advanced reports of Obama?s Thursday speech suggest that he will tinker around the edges by asking Congress to increase spending on infrastructure projects, extend unemployment benefits and provide tax incentives for businesses to hire more employees. ?The executive branch has certain things it can do,? White House spokesman Jay Carney says without being specific. ?I don?t want to ruin the surprise.? But unless the surprise includes stimulating the home-building and construction industries, the unemployment rate will remain untenably high for an extended time. Jerry Chautin is a volunteer SCORE business counselor, business columnist and SBA?s 2006 national ? Journalist of the Year ? award winner. He is a former entrepreneur, commercial mortgage banker, commercial real estate dealmaker and business lender. You can follow him on Twitter @JerryChautin .

More here:
Jerry Chautin: It?s Construction, Stupid! It?s Home Building, Stupid!

Find our Weekly Commercial Real Estate, Private Equity and Fund Newsletters at www.WeeklyBrief.net

Source: http://industry-news.org/2011/09/05/jerry-chautin-its-construction-stupid-its-home-building-stupid/

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Online Lead Generation for Ecommerce Retail Business | Sales ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Online Lead Generation for Ecommerce Retail Business. This prospect comes with an interest, ... To produce a Internet business System cost per action marketing targeted traffic closely It's a must to Execute a Somewhat work. Manufacture A ...

Source: http://www.zgfn.net/online-lead-generation-for-ecommerce-retail-business

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Euro Finance 9th Annual Conference on cash, treasury & Risk ...

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Euro Finance 9th Annual Conference on cash, treasury & Risk management

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Mumbai, September 07, 2011: Euro Finance is organizing 9th Annual Conference in Mumbai at Taj lands End, on 15-16 November, 2011. The conference addresses issues on Cash, Treasury and Risk Management in India which will help finance professionals to achieve their goals by showing how they can deploy cutting-edge strategies to reposition their treasury, raise funds from alternative finance providers around the world, embrace the best corporate governance practice, recruit and retain the best people and take a firm grip of manageable risks .The conference provides delegates with exposure to treasury through leadership and share solutions with regulators, service providers and industry counterparts.

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The agenda for India?s foremost treasury forum, is based on in-depth discussions with local experts, consultants and many highly-regarded heads of finance and treasury. Their immensely valuable input has helped Euro Finance create a high value-adding programme of presentations, case studies and panel discussions. Our esteemed speakers will offer perspectives that help in taking business in India to the next level. The India?s entrepreneurs are moving at the forefront setting their sights on the world stage for funding, treasury best practice and corporate governance. Their counterparts in many other emerging markets are scrambling to keep up, but the on-going difficulties in mature markets continue to upset the competitive landscape. For corporate India to achieve its ambitions, it needs the kind of cash, treasury, trade and risk managers that can make global visions a reality.

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Highlights for 2011

  • The world looks to India: Should India look to the world?
  • Restructuring treasury in response to new requirement
  • Doing business the right way
  • Optimising capital structures: the sweet spot in the balance sheet
  • Capitalising on India?s capital market evolution
  • Finance and mobile phone technology for the ?unbanked?
  • The science of compliance
  • Tax and reporting update
  • PLUS pre-conference training

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Why should you attend?

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  • Update on the current and future issues in cash, treasury and risk management
  • Put your queries to our expert panel of speakers
  • Know real-life, tried and tested treasury solutions
  • Engage in lively debate with your peers
  • Gain insights and solutions that will give you a competitive advantage
  • Hear from leading international and regional corporations
  • Learn the latest advances in cash management technology
  • Meet face-to-face with leading suppliers and service providers

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Who should attend?

The conference is designed for finance and treasury professionals part of

corporations in India. It is also open for bankers, professional advisers and other service providers operating in the corporate cash management market.

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About Euro Finance

Euro Finance is the leading global provider of conferences, training and research on cash management, treasury and risk. Running more than 50 events worldwide every year, Euro Finance enables treasurers and CFOs to exchange innovative strategies, best practice and expert opinion. Through in-depth research with over 2,000 corporate treasurers every year, Euro Finance has a unique insight into the trends and developments in cash management and treasury, and an unrivalled

global viewpoint. Euro Finance is an Economist Group business. To see all of Euro Finance?s global events go to www.eurofinance.com

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For more details please contact: Riyaz? Ahmed? at Orion PR on 022-42751424, 9820742668

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Source: http://your-story.org/euro-finance-9th-annual-conference-on-cash-treasury-risk-management-265254/

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Affiliate Internet Business Marketing Promotion Online | PDK Internet ...

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M?y? gro?up is ?A?ffilia?t?e?_Fo?rum??. It? is a? re?so?urce? gro?up fo?r W?e?bm?a?st?e?rs, De?ve?lo?pe?rs, Ne?t?re?pre?ne?urs & T?e?ch?no?lo?gy? E?nt?h?usia?st?s. Ke?e?p up t?o? da?t?e? o?n ke?y? int?e?rne?t? issue?s, a?nd pro?m?o?t?io?n o?ppo?rt?unit?ie?s t?h?a?t? co?uld ch?a?nge? t?h?e? w?a?y? y?o?u do? busine?ss o?nline?.
T?o? j?o?in, ple?a?se? e?m?a?il: a?ffilia?t?e?_fo?rum?-subscribe?@y?a?h?o?o?gro?ups.co?m?

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Source: http://www.pdkinternethomebusiness.com/130/affiliate-internet-business-marketing-promotion-online/

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