Friday, July 31, 2009

U.S. Demonstrates High Confidence in Intercepting Missiles From North Korea and Iran

31 Jul 2009 08:32 Africa/Lagos

U.S. Demonstrates High Confidence in Intercepting Missiles From North Korea and Iran

BARKING SANDS, KAUAI, Hawaii, July 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On July 30th, off the north west coast, a few hundred miles from Kauai on a breezy warm afternoon, the USS Hopper ( DDG 70 ) destroyer successfully tracked, discriminated and intercepted an ARAV ballistic missile target in its ascent phase. Time of interception was at 5:43 pm HST, 3 minutes after the target missile was launched from the Pacific Test Range Facility (PRMF) located on Barking Sands, Kauai. The target missile represented a ballistic missile similar in speed, acceleration and burn of the same short range missiles fired by North Korea on July 2nd and 4th of this year. This intercept marks a first by a U.S. Aegis Destroyer and the second intercept in the ascent phase by the Aegis missile defense system.


The ascent phase intercept is a concept of striking a missile after its initial boost phase as it continues to climb to its apogee, and that is what the current administration and the Missile Defense Agency are emphasizing as one of their future growth areas. They believe it will add another important layer to the mid-course and terminal layer defenses deployed today.


Another ARAV target ballistic missile was launched approximately an hour later from PRMF in Barking Sands that was tracked and discriminated by the newest software upgrade 4.0. 1 of the current Navy Aegis system and its SPY radar installed on the USS Lake Erie (CG 70). This new sensoring capability enables the Aegis Missile Defense to expand and enhance its existing radar capability so that it can have more range and be more effective in its early ascent phase defense mission as well as the mid-course mission, to do more than the current deployed versions. This system will be used with the future SM3 block1b and the SM3 block 2 missiles, and that will allow the United States more reach into North Korea and Iran from the adjacent seas.


The USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and the USS Hopper (DDG 70) were accompanied by the USS Destroyer Kane (DDG 77). The USS Destroyer Kane was also involved in the test as it simulated tracking and interception of the target ballistic missile. The U.S. Navy Aegis system is one of the most successful missile defense systems that the U.S. has developed and deployed. The Aegis missile defense systems has had 19 successful intercepts over the recent years.


This demonstration of U.S. technical prowess in a system that is in place today in the oceans and seas of the world brings high confidence to the U.S. military and our allies to defend and protect against ballistic missile threats from North Korea and Iran. It is has been a great investment by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Congress, the current Administration and past Administrations that is making our world safer.


Riki Ellison is available for on-the-record interviews to share his perspectives on the importance of this test. Call Mike Terrill at 602 885-1955 to arrange.


Source: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance

CONTACT: Mike Terrill for Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance,
+1-602-885-1955,


Web Site: http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/


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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Obama More Popular With Investors Outside U.S.: Bloomberg Poll

23 Jul 2009 14:32 Africa/Lagos

Obama More Popular With Investors Outside U.S.: Bloomberg Poll

NEW YORK, July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- President Barack Obama has overwhelming support among the world's most influential investors outside of his own country, according to the first-ever Bloomberg Global Poll, a quarterly survey of economic, financial and political attitudes among Bloomberg users around the world.


The first Bloomberg Global Poll interviewed a random sample of 1,076 subscribers to the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL(R) service, a universe of more than 300,000 decision makers in finance, the markets and economics. The survey provides a window on how this valuable community of investors views the prospects for economic recovery, investment opportunities and risks in the wake of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.


87 percent of investors surveyed in Europe and Asia say they approve of Obama, compared to just 49 percent in the U.S. Obama's standing among American investors is even lower on economic matters: Only a quarter of respondents rate his policies favorably, compared with more than half in Europe and Asia. Climate change also ranked differently for investors in the U.S. than investors elsewhere. 61 percent in Asia said higher global temperatures and sea levels are a major problem and 56 percent in Europe agreed, while almost two-thirds in the U.S. say climate change is a minor danger or no real threat, according to survey results, which are available at www.bloomberg.com.


The Bloomberg Global Poll was conducted by Selzer & Company, whose survey of Iowa Caucus voters in 2008 was the only one to accurately predict Barack Obama's victory. The firm has conducted surveys for more than two dozen major newspapers in the U.S., and was named the best of 32 polling firms ranked by polling Web site FiveThirtyEight.com.


About Bloomberg


Bloomberg is the source of critical information and tools with which to analyze, customize and use it. The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service and Bloomberg's media services deliver data, news and analytics that create transparency and allow users to transform knowledge into success.


The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL Service


The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service combines the best market intelligence and powerful analytics, allowing users to view, compare and contrast information in a way that they can tailor to their needs. The all-inclusive BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service delivers instantaneous data, prices, charting, searchable documents, workflow utilities and critical news integrated with analytics, trading, communication and order management tools. Subscribers can access their BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service from their desktops, laptops and mobile devices.


Bloomberg Media Services


Bloomberg's media services cover the world with more than 2,200 news and multimedia professionals at 145 bureaus in 68 countries. Five hundred media organizations subscribe to BLOOMBERG NEWS content, which is integrated onto the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service. The BLOOMBERG TELEVISION 24-hour network reaches more than 200 million homes around the world. BLOOMBERG RADIO services broadcast via XM, Sirius and WorldSpace satellite radio globally and on WBBR 1130AM in New York. The award-winning monthly BLOOMBERG MARKETS magazine, the BLOOMBERG.COM financial news and information Web site and BLOOMBERG PRESS books provide news and insight to investors. For more information, please visit http://www.bloomberg.com/.


The BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service and data products are owned and distributed by Bloomberg Finance L.P. (BFLP) except that Bloomberg L.P. and its subsidiaries (BLP) distribute these products in Argentina, Bermuda, China, India, Japan and Korea. BFLP owns and distributes Bloomberg Markets Magazine. BLP provides BFLP with global marketing and operational support and services. Bloomberg Tradebook is distributed by Bloomberg Tradebook LLC and its subsidiaries. BLP owns and distributes Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, the Bloomberg Website and Bloomberg Press.


BLOOMBERG, BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL, BLOOMBERG MARKETS, BLOOMBERG NEWS, BLOOMBERG ANYWHERE, BLOOMBERG TRADEBOOK, BLOOMBERG BONDTRADER, BLOOMBERG TELEVISION, BLOOMBERG RADIO, BLOOMBERG PRESS and BLOOMBERG.COM are trademarks and service marks of Bloomberg Finance L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, or its subsidiaries. BTV is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. All rights reserved.


Source: Bloomberg

CONTACT: Angela Martin of Bloomberg LP, +1-212-617-1211,
angelamartin@bloomberg.net


Web Site: http://www.bloomberg.com/

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Intersolar North America 2009 Supports US Market Growth

Conference and exhibition attendance records surpass expectations



SAN FRANCISCO, July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Intersolar North America, the most diverse global business-to-business exhibition in the United States dedicated to the transformation of the solar marketplace, showed continued growth with 2009's exhibition and conference. The co-located Intersolar North America and SEMICON West events, which took place last week in San Francisco, presented more than 560 solar exhibitors to approximately 17,000 trade visitors, exceeding organizers expectations for the second straight year. Intersolar North America alone featured 444 exhibitors, up from 210 exhibitors a year before - a 111 percent increase.



Further reinforcing the importance of Intersolar North America's international platform for exchange, trade visitors came from circa 90 countries with companies exhibiting from 23 countries, reflecting the incredible internationality of the solar market


"We are extremely excited about the growth of Intersolar North America," said Markus Elsaesser, CEO of Solar Promotion International GmbH, exhibition and conference organizer. "The US solar market has incredible potential, and with the support of industry associations, including the SEMI PV Group, ASES and CALSEIA, we are creating an opportunity for solar professionals to come together and discuss continued development for the US market."


While the exhibition alone was a draw for many, the conference and accompanying programs of Intersolar North America were heavily attended attracting more than 2,000 visitors. The conference portion featured more than 170 speakers presented at 25 conference tracks like the "Solar Start-ups Forum," "The Role of Public Policy in U.S. PV Market Development," and "Solar Gigawatts Symposium - Learning from European Success and American Ambition."


The "Solar Gigawatts Symposium" demonstrated the international roots of the Intersolar show, bringing together leaders from the European and American solar markets. Highlights included a high-level debate between policy and industry leaders on the appropriate policy tools for sparking market growth. An additional panel discussed the financing and residential installation trends in the US, as well as perspectives on European and US market growth.


In the extensive session "The Role of Public Policy in U.S. Market Development" a high-end range of speakers, from organizations and institutions such as the U.S. Department of Energy, CALSEIA, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy Systems (ISE), came together to discuss the current challenges in creating a growth climate for solar technology in the United States. Discussions centered on how to optimize and carry forward the current programs in existence. During this track traditional incentives such as tax credits were discussed and compared with the highly debated topic of Feed-in-Tariffs (FiT) which was proposed as a crucial mean to support the continued development of solar technology and further stimulate solar energy growth in the US.


Intersolar North America 2010 will take place from July 13-15 in San Francisco.


For video highlights of Intersolar North America 2009, Intersolar TV can be found at: http://intersolar.us/index.php?id=441&L=1

www.intersolar.us >> Intersolar TV


Photos from the exhibition and conference can be downloaded at: http://intersolar.us/index.php?id=108&L=1&tx_ttnews[pointer]=0&cHash=fa2006870b

www.intersolar.us >> Press Services >> Download


About Intersolar North America

Intersolar North America is the most diverse international business-to-business trade show in the United States for the global solar industry. As the only solar trade show in North America dedicated to recruiting companies across the solar supply chain from around the world, Intersolar helps the industry improve global supply, distribution, training, regulation and business issues in order to accelerate market transformation and advance solar as a significant part of the global energy supply. Intersolar North America 2009 and SEMICON West featured more than 560 exhibitors and approximately 17,000 attendees in San Francisco on July 14-16. Intersolar North America was created in 2008 as a sister event to Intersolar in Munich, the world's largest and longest-running solar technology trade show. Intersolar North America is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH and Freiburg Management and Marketing International (FMMI) GmbH and is co-organized with PV Group - the global photovoltaic initiative of SEMI. http://www.intersolar.us/


Related Link:

Intersolar North America




SOURCE Intersolar North America



Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Half of Americans Could Last Just One Month Without Income

21 Jul 2009 11:00 Africa/Lagos

COUNTRY Survey: Half of Americans Could Last Just One Month Without Income

Despite lack of Cushion, Confidence in Job Security Remains Stable

BLOOMINGTON, Ill., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- With unemployment continuing to rise in the midst of the recession, Americans do not have much of a financial cushion should they suddenly lose their income. According to a new survey by COUNTRY Financial, nearly half (49 percent) say they wouldn't be able to pay their bills on time if they went more than one month between jobs.


While they might not be able to sustain their financial well-being for very long, Americans are feeling slightly more confident about their job security. Twenty-seven percent say it is very or somewhat likely they could lose their job in the next 90 days, compared to 29 percent who said this in April.


Priorities in the right place


Half of employed American adults say they would tap their savings to cope with a shortfall in income if they lost their job rather than relying on retirement accounts (16 percent) or short term vehicles like credit cards (7 percent) and bank loans (8 percent).


"While no one wants to have to dip into their savings, it's encouraging that many Americans realize savings is a better place to tap to get by than their retirement account or credit cards," says Keith Brannan, vice president of Financial Security Planning for COUNTRY Financial. "With some economists predicting the U.S. unemployment rate could rise to 10 percent, it is more important than ever to have a cushion against lost income. It's important for all of us to review and adjust our financial plans to build a level of emergency savings sufficient to carry us for several months."


Spouses' income helps some get by


Of those who are married, nearly half (47 percent) say they would be able to get by on just their spouse's income if they lost their job. Men (39 percent) are less likely to feel secure in relying on their spouse's income than women (57 percent).


"When developing your financial plan and budget, try to cut your expenses so all of your monthly bills could be covered by one spouse's salary," adds Brannan. "Doing so will help you become more confident in your ability to maintain your financial security should something unexpected occur and free up income to build emergency or long term savings when times are good."


Maintaining financial security under threat of a job loss


Brannan recommends these tips for people looking to protect themselves in a time of high unemployment:


-- Live frugally, no matter your employment situation. Most advisors
recommend stashing away three to six months of income in an emergency
fund.
-- If you are in a job you think might be downsized, polish up your job
skills. Take a course at a community college or consider an industry
designation to make yourself more marketable and keep your resume up
to date.
-- If you have lost your job, the best advice is to do everything
possible to limit expenses. Eat at home, grow a garden, shop with
coupons, and take advantage of inexpensive entertainment, like a free
concert in the park or attending a AA baseball game instead of a major
league game.

-- If you are in between jobs, consider ways to boost income, like
getting a part-time job. Even a lower-level or temporary job can help
cover expenses while you look for permanent work. Having a garage sale
or selling old items on the Internet can also put more money into your
wallet.



For more information on Americans' sentiments about financial security, please visit www.countryfinancialsecurityindex.com.


The July COUNTRY Job Loss and Financial Security survey is based on a national telephone survey of more than 1,900 Americans who are currently employed and is compiled by Rasmussen Reports, LLC (www.rasmussenreports.com), an independent research firm. The margin of sampling error for this survey is approximately +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.


About COUNTRY


COUNTRY Financial (http://www.countryfinancial.com/) serves about one million households and businesses throughout the United States. It offers a full range of financial products and services from auto, home and life insurance to retirement planning services, investment management and annuities.


Source: COUNTRY Financial

CONTACT: Emily Reed of Ogilvy Public Relations, +1-312-397-6056,
emily.reed@ogilvypr.com, for COUNTRY Financial; or Jay Verner of COUNTRY
Financial, +1-309-821-3372, jay.verner@countryfinancial.com


Web Site: http://www.countryfinancial.com/
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/


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Thursday, July 16, 2009

U.S. News Media Group Announces 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals

16 Jul 2009 13:00 Africa/Lagos

U.S. News Media Group Announces 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals

-20th annual edition includes top hospitals 'Honor Roll,' rankings in 16 specialties, and exclusive web video series-

WASHINGTON, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News Media Group, the nation's leading source of rankings and service journalism, today announced the 2009-10 publication of America's Best Hospitals, accessible today online at www.usnews.com/besthospitals and on sale at newsstands Tuesday, July 21.


Now in its 20th year, the multi-platform 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals guide is the most extensive hospital ranking to-date. It includes rankings of 174 medical centers nationwide in 16 specialties -- with full data available online for another 1,500 unranked hospitals. In addition, the Best Hospitals "Honor Roll" highlights 21 medical centers that were ranked at or near the top in at least six specialties.


The 16 ranked specialties are cancer; diabetes & endocrine disorders; digestive disorders; ear, nose, and throat; geriatric care; gynecology; heart and heart surgery; kidney disorders; neurology and neurosurgery; ophthalmology; orthopedics; psychiatry; rehabilitation; respiratory disorders; rheumatology; and urology.


"When the stakes are high, you want the best care you can get for someone close to you," said Avery Comarow, health rankings editor. "These are hospitals that are used to getting the sickest patients."


The 2009-10 Best Hospitals guide also includes a web video series on USNews.com where visitors can watch HealthiNation Chief Medical Editor Dr. Holly Atkinson interview Comarow and Dr. Bernadine Healy, U.S. News health editor, to capture their expertise and insight into the Best Hospitals ranking process. The videos take viewers behind the scenes of the rigorous selection process, include profiles of top winners across categories, and reveal what it takes for a hospital to be named one of "America's Best."


"Over the past two decades, America's Best Hospitals has proven to be an essential resource for consumers facing difficult healthcare decisions," said Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News & World Report. "With this year's Best Hospitals video series, we're not only bringing this topic to life, but also highlighting examples of hospital excellence and quality care."


Of the medical centers ranked in the 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals, 21 earned Honor Roll status, demonstrating excellence and breadth of expertise by ranking at or near the top in at least six specialties. The top hospitals in the 2009-10 Honor Roll* are:


1. Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore)
2. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN)
3. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles)
4. Cleveland Clinic
5. Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston)
6. New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell
7. University of California, San Francisco Medical Center
8. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
9. Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University (St. Louis)
10. Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston)
10. Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC)

*For the full "Honor Roll" list, visit www.usnews.com/besthospitals.


In addition to the hospitals that appear in one or more specialty rankings in the print magazine, the 2009-10 America's Best Hospitals package includes an online consumer guide where readers can find information on more than 1,500 hospitals that qualified for rankings, but did not score high enough to be ranked (fewer than one-third of the 4,861 U.S. hospitals evaluated did qualify).


Methodology


The rankings in 12 of the 16 specialties -- all but ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology -- are predominantly driven by hard data. There are four components: reputation, death rate, patient safety (new this year), and care-related factors such as nursing and patient services. In these 12 specialties, hospitals have to pass through several gates to be ranked and considered a Best Hospital:


1. The first gate determines whether a hospital is eligible to be ranked at all by requiring that it must meet any of three conditions: be a teaching hospital; have at least 200 beds; or have at least 100 beds plus at least four out of eight key medical technologies such as current-generation CT scanners and precision radiation therapy.


2. The second gate determines whether a hospital is eligible to be ranked in a particular specialty. To be eligible, the hospital had to either have at least a specified volume of certain procedures and conditions over three years, or had to have been nominated by at least one physician in the last three years of our annual specialist survey.


3. The third gate is whether a hospital does well enough to be ranked, based on its reputation, death rate, patient safety, and factors like nurse staffing and technology.


In the four other specialties -- ophthalmology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and rheumatology -- ranking is based solely on nominations from the three most recent physician surveys.


About the U.S. News Media Group


The U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform digital publisher of news and analysis, which includes the monthly U.S. News & World Report magazine, the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com, and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Money & Business, Education, and Public Service/Opinion, the U.S. News Media Group has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. The U.S. News Media Group's signature franchises include its News You Can Use brand of journalism and its "America's Best" series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, health plans, and more.


Source: U.S. News Media Group

CONTACT: Liz Putze, U.S. News & World Report, +1-202-955-2136,
eputze@usnews.com, or Lucy Byrd, U.S. News & World Report, lbyrd@usnews.com


Web Site: http://www.usnews.com/



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Monday, July 13, 2009

Michael Jackson: Homicide or Suicide?



There are members of the family of Michael Jackson and his fans who suspect that there was a conspiracy to kill him and the LA police chief is not ruling out the suspicion that Michael Jackson was murdered!

The following press release also suspected that he was thinking of suicide!

Could the death of Michael Jackson be homicide or suicide?‎

9 Jul 2009 02:06 Africa/Lagos

Michael Jackson 'Suicide' Lyrics to Come to the Auction Block

STAMFORD, Conn., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- International autograph auctioneers Alexander Autographs Inc. of Stamford, Ct. will offer in their August rock and entertainment auction a telling set of lyrics handwritten by Michael Jackson indicating that the late singer may have been in a suicidal frame of mind at the time of their composition.


The hastily-scribbled lines were written in pencil on a white sheet and include several erasures and some underlining. They include such phrases as: "...I hurt my backbone... I start to givin' up...The bills are pilin' up...This stuff ain't good for me...Life's an Aggravator...I plan to give it up." The manuscript contains even more relevant content. At the bottom of the page, Jackson drew a portrait of himself forlornly gazing up at his own words.


Especially revealing in Jackson's notes is the quote "This stuff ain't good for me." Drugs are widely suspected to have been a cause of Jackson's death. Indeed, Jackson family attorney Brian Oxman confirmed Jackson was heavily medicated for a range of ailments stretching back to 1984. If Jackson's reference to "stuff" meant medication, he may have foreseen his own end. Jackson also refers to his "backbone," and today it is also believed he was heavily medicated for spinal pain.


Alexander Autographs' president, Bill Panagopulos, undertook extensive research of Jackson's notes. Evidence suggests that the late singer wrote this manuscript in about 1986 for what eventually became a song which incorporated only a few lines of this text. The song was ultimately rejected from inclusion in his smash album "Bad." Panagopulos speculates: "It was in the mid-1980's that Jackson's physical appearance first started to change - he had rhinoplasty surgery, rapidly lost weight and his skin had begun to lighten. These 'modifications' could have been a result of a great deal of mental anguish or struggle, and frankly, that's what I see in these notes. No doubt the finished song was cut from the album because of its utter negativity."


Jackson's "suicide" lyrics were obtained along with other items from an aide to Jackson in 1993 when they were discarded by the singer. They have been carefully examined for authenticity and are being offered fully guaranteed.


Alexander Autographs will also offer a signed two-page legal agreement in which Jackson releases to USA for Africa all of his rights and royalties to the epic single "We Are the World." Also coming to the block will be a Jackson-style "Bad" era black leather jacket replete with buckles, straps, and steel ornaments, nearly identical to the jacket he wore on the "Bad" album cover and video, and bearing within a label from the famous Western Costume Co. with Jackson's name.


The 1,000 lot auction, scheduled for late August, will include additional Jackson material as well as other premier items including an Elvis Presley stage-used guitar from his last filmed tour, two Jimi Hendrix guitars, Hendrix handwritten lyrics, a Prince stage-used "Purple Rain" outfit, and hundreds of other rare rock and entertainment collectibles.


Alexander Autographs, Inc. (www.alexautographs.com) is located in Stamford, CT and can be reached via email at info@alexautographs.com or telephone 203-276-1570.


Source: Alexander Autographs, Inc.

CONTACT: Bill Panagopulos, Alexander Autographs, Inc.,
info@alexautographs.com, +1-203-276-1570


Web Site: http://www.alexautographs.com/


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Drawings Of Michael Jackson. ibeatyou Competition

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Video: US Government Places 6 Million USD Order Related to Precise Match-on-Card(TM) for Cyber Security Program



US Government places 6 Million USD order related to Precise Match-on-Card™ for Cyber Security program

Lund, Sweden/Washington, DC (July 9, 2009) /PRNewswire/ — Precise Biometrics has been awarded an order worth more than 6 million US dollar to supply fingerprint readers and software to the US Government, as a step in continued deployment of Precise Match-on-Card™ in multiple agencies. Delivery will start immediately and the order will be delivered and invoiced before end of 2009.

The solution delivered by Precise Biometrics is related to US Government security and cyber defense programs to prevent hostile infiltration of government systems within critical infrastructure.

Thomas Marschall, CEO at Precise Biometrics, comments on the order:

– With an order of this magnitude, we are reaching an important milestone in the industry. We are confident that our track record of successfully combining cost-efficient and advanced biometric technology with a positive user-experience is now leading to significant volume orders such as this one. Government customers are demanding higher security and we are most honored to once more be a trusted supplier. This solution addresses important areas such as cyber defense, in addition it generates significant cost-savings. Therefore, I see great opportunities for extension into further similar programs.

System breaches from attackers are prevented by requiring localized and user-dependent security, which is introduced by biometric Match-on-Card authentication. Precise Match-on-Card™ provides strong authentication and proof of identity, which secures networks and computers by linking a user to an access protocol.

Precise Biometrics has more than 20 million deployed card licenses and close to 100 million contracted licenses for its Match-on-Card technology today. The company has for several years successfully supplied its products to US customers such as the Department of State, NASA and FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).



For further information, please contact
Thomas Marschall, CEO, Precise Biometrics AB
Tel: +46 46 31 11 10 or +46 734 35 11 10
E-mail thomas.marschall@precisebiometrics.com


Precise Biometrics is a market-leading provider of solutions for fingerprint recognition to prove people's identities. With top-of-the-line expertise in fingerprint verification, Precise Biometrics offers fast, accurate and secure authentication of a person.

For more information, please visit www.precisebiometrics.com.


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Death of Michael Jackson

Monday, July 6, 2009

Americans Say Jackson's Death is Receiving Too Much Media Coverage



2 Jul 2009 19:57 Africa/Lagos

Americans Say Jackson's Death is Receiving Too Much Media Coverage

- More than one-third (39%) believe Farrah Fawcett's death is not receiving enough coverage -

FLEMINGTON, N.J., July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national media study among 1,850 Americans revealed that the majority of respondents (63%) believe that Michael Jackson's death is receiving too much media coverage in comparison to the coverage of Farrah Fawcett's death.


(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071204/NYTU133LOGO )


The study was conducted by HCD Research using its MediaCurves.com(R) website on July 1, to obtain Americans' perceptions of recent celebrity deaths, with regard to the amount of media coverage they are receiving. To view detailed results go to: www.mediacurves.com.


While the majority of respondents (63%) reported that Michael Jackson's death is receiving too much media coverage, an even larger majority (80%) reported that they are engaged in the topic when they are exposed to it by the media. However, a slightly higher percentage of respondents (84%) indicated that they are engaged with the topic of Fawcett's death when they are exposed to it by the media.


Among the study findings:


"With regard to the topic of Michael Jackson's death, indicate whether or not you feel the media coverage is appropriate."


Total
Too much coverage 63%
Appropriate coverage 36%
Not enough coverage 2%


"Please indicate how engaged you are in this specific topic (Michael Jackson's death) when you are exposed to it in the media."


Total
Extremely engaged in the topic 13%
Engaged in the topic 29%
Somewhat engaged in the topic 38%
Not at all engaged in the topic 20%


"With regard to the topic of Farrah Fawcett's death, indicate whether or not you feel the media coverage is appropriate."


Total
Too much coverage 5%
Appropriate coverage 56%
Not enough coverage 39%

"Please indicate how engaged you are in this specific topic (Farrah Fawcett's death) when you are exposed to it in the media."


Total
Extremely engaged in the topic 11%
Engaged in the topic 32%
Somewhat engaged in the topic 41%
Not at all engaged in the topic 17%

About MediaCurves.com

MediaCurves.com(R) (www.mediacurves.com) is a media measurement website that provides the media and general public with a venue to view Americans' perceptions of popular and controversial media events and advertisements. MediaCurves.com is a service of HCD Research, a marketing and communications research company headquartered in Flemington, NJ. The company's services include traditional and web-based research. For additional information on HCD Research, access the company's web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393.


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071204/NYTU133LOGO
Source: HCD Research

CONTACT: Vince McGourty of HCD Research, +1-908-483-9121,
vince.mcgourty@hcdi.net; or Barbara Taylor, director of MediaCurves.com,
+1-908-483-9146, barbara.taylor@hcdi.net.


Web Site: http://www.mediacurves.com/


NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information on the study, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research, please contact Vince McGourty, HCD Research, at (908) 483-9121 or (vince.mcgourty@hcdi.net). You can also receive updates from MediaCurves.com by following us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mediacurves and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flemington-NJ/MediaCurves/86691908820


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