(ARA) - For centuries, people have expressed their words of love and affection through love letters, a meaningful tradition that continues to this day. Though much has changed since the days of Shakespearean sonnets, love letters are still a personal and inexpensive way to show someone special you care this Valentine's Day. Today, jobs, family and jam-packed schedules mean that not everyone has time to sit down and pen the perfect sonnet - which helps explain the recent trend of love letters going digital.
A recent survey of busy young professionals (ages 22-35) conducted by Microsoft indicates that more people are trading in calligraphy and scented stationery for e-mail and even text messages. In fact, 79 percent of busy young professionals surveyed have sent or received an e-mail love letter within the past two years, with more than 77 percent reporting that they love receiving e-mail love letters, since e-mail is their primary means of communication.
Sending a love letter online doesn't mean that it's less sincere or romantic than a handwritten note. In fact, there are major advantages to sending or receiving a love letter via e-mail, including the ability to refer back to it easily, and from anywhere. Eighty-six percent of people surveyed who have received an e-mail love letter say they saved them in their inbox. With very large storage limits available through free e-mail providers like Windows Live Hotmail, it's especially simple to access an old love letter from any computer, a Web-equipped mobile phone, or print them out as a permanent keepsake, as one survey respondent did. "I saved all of the [e-mail] love notes that my boyfriend-at-the-time wrote while we were in a long-distance relationship - now he's my husband. I printed them out and have them in a binder that I look at on occasion."
A love letter doesn't necessarily have to be a lengthy soliloquy professing your eternal love - it can be a simple "I love you" - in fact, more than 27 percent of people surveyed report that they've been told "I love you" for the first time over e-mail or instant messenger programs like Windows Live Messenger - or a short note recalling a fond memory you share. Another survey respondent recalled a particularly sentimental love note she received: "The day after my husband asked me to marry him, he sent me a beautiful e-mail saying how great he felt asking me, seeing the ring on my finger on the way in to work the next morning, watching how excited I was to show it off to everyone and how excited he was to spend the rest of his life with me."
Thanks to the convenience of e-mail, you don't have to be Casanova to send a memorable love letter that will make someone's day. With the recent trend of love letters going digital, these five simple tips will have you well on your way to sending a memorable e-mail love note that your significant other will cherish for years to come.
1. Set the mood: Find a quiet place and a dedicated time to write your love letter. Be sure to minimize distractions so you can focus your thoughts on your loved one and put your emotions into words.
2. Be your most romantic self: A well-written love letter should make your beloved fall more in love with you, so think personal. Focus on the other person and express your emotions, dreams and vulnerability. Never be negative, but try to avoid being too funny. A love letter shares deep and often difficult-to-express feelings and should always sound like it comes from you.
3. Be specific and sincere: Highlight unique quirks or characteristics you love about the person, recall special memories you've shared, or write about the reasons why you fell in love with him or her in the first place. Don't be too casual and don't be afraid to let your true feelings show.
4. Spice up the presentation: Try adding color, special photos of the two of you or graphics. Using e-mail features like Hotmail Quick Add, you can easily search for and add images without leaving your inbox. If your relationship is long distance, or if you're looking to add some more creativity to your letter, you can make and edit a short movie of yourself, a recent trip, or a favorite outdoor spot using free movie-making programs like Windows Live Movie Maker, available at download.live.com.
5. Double-check details before hitting "send": Don't let writing errors distract from the meaning of your words. Read over your letter to make sure it conveys what you really mean and check for spelling and grammar errors. Most importantly, before sending an e-mail love letter, double-check that the "to" line is correct - 1 out of 10 people surveyed have sent love letters to the wrong person by mistake!
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Overlooked Coosawattee River Draws Deserved Attention
The Etowah and Conasauga rivers are known for rare fish and biological diversity. Recent research reveals that the river between them – the Coosawattee – is in the same league.
Last summer, staff from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame and Fisheries sections sampled the north Georgia river from Ellijay to Carter’s Lake and the stream’s two largest headwater tributaries, the Cartecay and Ellijay rivers. Results included new records for federally threatened goldline darters – documented in Georgia only in the Coosawattee – and field data critical to fleshing out a GIS-based analysis of the watershed.
The work labeled the Coosawattee as one of Georgia’s top three rivers for imperiled fishes, part of a Southeastern Fisheries Council assessment aimed at helping prioritize U.S. waterways for conservation. Each participating state relied on a recently published list of imperiled fishes recognized by the American Fisheries Society’s endangered species committee. Statewide analysis ranked the Coosawattee third with nine of the listed fishes (including two species last seen in the 1960s). The Etowah led with 14 imperiled fishes. The Conasauga followed with 12.
All three rivers are in the Coosa River basin. The Coosawattee rates data-poor, however, compared to studies of rare species and common threats on its neighbors. The project “allowed us to look a lot more closely at the Coosawattee,” said leader Brett Albanese, a senior aquatic zoologist with the Nongame Conservation Section.
Crunching details ranging from aerial snapshots to land-cover statistics marked expected threats such as riverside deforestation for vacation homes and farm runoff. Yet there were also surprises, like the 660 dams in the watershed. Dams block free-flowing stream habitat and fish movement.
GIS specialist Thom Litts of Wildlife Resources’ Fisheries Section used GIS and Maxent species habitat modeling software to develop a computer model that identifies stream sections in which threatened and endangered fishes might be found. “We’re thinking of this as a probability of suitable habitat,” Litts said.
Next comes fieldwork to vet the modeling, plus additional analysis to determine conservation remedies. Albanese lists protecting important populations of goldline darters and state-endangered holiday, trispot and bridled darters as priority.
There is a silver lining. Sampling showed that goldline darters are “doing pretty well” in the Coosawattee, Albanese said.
The challenge: Making sure this river receives the conservation attention its rank commands.
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Last summer, staff from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame and Fisheries sections sampled the north Georgia river from Ellijay to Carter’s Lake and the stream’s two largest headwater tributaries, the Cartecay and Ellijay rivers. Results included new records for federally threatened goldline darters – documented in Georgia only in the Coosawattee – and field data critical to fleshing out a GIS-based analysis of the watershed.
The work labeled the Coosawattee as one of Georgia’s top three rivers for imperiled fishes, part of a Southeastern Fisheries Council assessment aimed at helping prioritize U.S. waterways for conservation. Each participating state relied on a recently published list of imperiled fishes recognized by the American Fisheries Society’s endangered species committee. Statewide analysis ranked the Coosawattee third with nine of the listed fishes (including two species last seen in the 1960s). The Etowah led with 14 imperiled fishes. The Conasauga followed with 12.
All three rivers are in the Coosa River basin. The Coosawattee rates data-poor, however, compared to studies of rare species and common threats on its neighbors. The project “allowed us to look a lot more closely at the Coosawattee,” said leader Brett Albanese, a senior aquatic zoologist with the Nongame Conservation Section.
Crunching details ranging from aerial snapshots to land-cover statistics marked expected threats such as riverside deforestation for vacation homes and farm runoff. Yet there were also surprises, like the 660 dams in the watershed. Dams block free-flowing stream habitat and fish movement.
GIS specialist Thom Litts of Wildlife Resources’ Fisheries Section used GIS and Maxent species habitat modeling software to develop a computer model that identifies stream sections in which threatened and endangered fishes might be found. “We’re thinking of this as a probability of suitable habitat,” Litts said.
Next comes fieldwork to vet the modeling, plus additional analysis to determine conservation remedies. Albanese lists protecting important populations of goldline darters and state-endangered holiday, trispot and bridled darters as priority.
There is a silver lining. Sampling showed that goldline darters are “doing pretty well” in the Coosawattee, Albanese said.
The challenge: Making sure this river receives the conservation attention its rank commands.
-----
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Toyota Dealers Nationwide Have Begun Fixing Accelerator Pedals on Recalled Vehicles
/PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. today announced that Toyota dealers nationwide have received the parts, information and training they need to fix accelerator pedals in recalled Toyota Division vehicles, and that repairs on involved vehicles have begun. The actual repair requires about 30 minutes of work.
The company also announced that it has begun mailing letters to owners of recalled vehicles to let them know when to bring their vehicles into a dealership. Owners will only receive a letter if their vehicle is involved in the recall. Upon receipt of a notification letter, owners will be asked to contact a local Toyota dealership to schedule an appointment to have their vehicle fixed.
"Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive, and we are determined to live up to the high standards people have come to expect from Toyota over the past 50 years," said Jim Lentz, president and Chief Operating Officer, TMS. "Everyone at Toyota is focused on making this recall simple and trouble-free for our customers," he said.
"We're working hard to ensure that our dealers have the resources and support they need to make sure our customers get their cars fixed quickly," Lentz added. "The parts have been shipped, the dealers are trained, and they are already making the repairs. Many of our dealers are working extended hours - some 24/7- and adding service technicians and other staff to complete the recall campaign as conveniently as possible. I appreciate the efforts that our dealers are making to take care of Toyota owners."
Toyota's engineers developed and rigorously tested a solution to address the potential for sticking accelerator pedals that is both effective and simple. A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the accelerator pedal assembly on affected vehicles, thereby eliminating the excess friction that has caused pedals to stick in rare instances.
Toyota Dealers Going Above and Beyond to Take Care of Customers, Rebuild Confidence and Trust
Toyota dealers across the country are taking extra steps to support customers during this recall.
Many Toyota dealers will offer extended service hours, and some are planning to stay open 24 hours a day until all customer vehicles have been fixed. Others are adding greeters to their service drives, dedicating body shop capacity to expedite repairs, providing free car washes and oil changes, increasing owner communication and providing complimentary maintenance service, among other customer-focused activities.
To support these efforts, Toyota is sending checks of between $7,500 and $75,000 to its dealers in acknowledgement of the additional costs they are assuming to make it easier for customers to have the necessary repairs done quickly and conveniently.
About the Recall to Address Sticking Accelerator Pedals
On January 21, Toyota announced its intention to recall approximately 2.3 million select Toyota Division vehicles equipped with certain accelerator pedal mechanisms that may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position. Toyota vehicles affected by the recall include:
-- Certain 2009-2010 RAV4
-- Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
-- 2009-2010 Matrix
-- 2005-2010 Avalon
-- Certain 2007-2010 Camry
-- Certain 2010 Highlander
-- 2007-2010 Tundra
-- 2008-2010 Sequoia
No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are involved in these actions. Also not involved are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Highlander hybrids and certain Camry models, including Camry hybrids, all of which remain for sale.
Further, Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) that begin with "J" are not affected by the accelerator pedal recall.
In the event that a driver experiences an accelerator pedal that sticks in a partial open throttle position or returns slowly to idle position, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes. The brakes should not be pumped repeatedly because it could deplete vacuum assist, requiring stronger brake pedal pressure. The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.
Separately from the recall for sticking accelerator pedals, Toyota is in the process of recalling vehicles to address rare instances in which floor mats have trapped the accelerator pedal in certain Toyota and Lexus models (announced November 25, 2009), and is already notifying customers about how it will fix this issue. In the case of vehicles covered by both recalls, it is Toyota's intention to remedy both at the same time.
Detailed information and answers to questions about issues related to these recalls are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
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The company also announced that it has begun mailing letters to owners of recalled vehicles to let them know when to bring their vehicles into a dealership. Owners will only receive a letter if their vehicle is involved in the recall. Upon receipt of a notification letter, owners will be asked to contact a local Toyota dealership to schedule an appointment to have their vehicle fixed.
"Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive, and we are determined to live up to the high standards people have come to expect from Toyota over the past 50 years," said Jim Lentz, president and Chief Operating Officer, TMS. "Everyone at Toyota is focused on making this recall simple and trouble-free for our customers," he said.
"We're working hard to ensure that our dealers have the resources and support they need to make sure our customers get their cars fixed quickly," Lentz added. "The parts have been shipped, the dealers are trained, and they are already making the repairs. Many of our dealers are working extended hours - some 24/7- and adding service technicians and other staff to complete the recall campaign as conveniently as possible. I appreciate the efforts that our dealers are making to take care of Toyota owners."
Toyota's engineers developed and rigorously tested a solution to address the potential for sticking accelerator pedals that is both effective and simple. A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the accelerator pedal assembly on affected vehicles, thereby eliminating the excess friction that has caused pedals to stick in rare instances.
Toyota Dealers Going Above and Beyond to Take Care of Customers, Rebuild Confidence and Trust
Toyota dealers across the country are taking extra steps to support customers during this recall.
Many Toyota dealers will offer extended service hours, and some are planning to stay open 24 hours a day until all customer vehicles have been fixed. Others are adding greeters to their service drives, dedicating body shop capacity to expedite repairs, providing free car washes and oil changes, increasing owner communication and providing complimentary maintenance service, among other customer-focused activities.
To support these efforts, Toyota is sending checks of between $7,500 and $75,000 to its dealers in acknowledgement of the additional costs they are assuming to make it easier for customers to have the necessary repairs done quickly and conveniently.
About the Recall to Address Sticking Accelerator Pedals
On January 21, Toyota announced its intention to recall approximately 2.3 million select Toyota Division vehicles equipped with certain accelerator pedal mechanisms that may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position. Toyota vehicles affected by the recall include:
-- Certain 2009-2010 RAV4
-- Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
-- 2009-2010 Matrix
-- 2005-2010 Avalon
-- Certain 2007-2010 Camry
-- Certain 2010 Highlander
-- 2007-2010 Tundra
-- 2008-2010 Sequoia
No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are involved in these actions. Also not involved are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Highlander hybrids and certain Camry models, including Camry hybrids, all of which remain for sale.
Further, Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) that begin with "J" are not affected by the accelerator pedal recall.
In the event that a driver experiences an accelerator pedal that sticks in a partial open throttle position or returns slowly to idle position, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes. The brakes should not be pumped repeatedly because it could deplete vacuum assist, requiring stronger brake pedal pressure. The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.
Separately from the recall for sticking accelerator pedals, Toyota is in the process of recalling vehicles to address rare instances in which floor mats have trapped the accelerator pedal in certain Toyota and Lexus models (announced November 25, 2009), and is already notifying customers about how it will fix this issue. In the case of vehicles covered by both recalls, it is Toyota's intention to remedy both at the same time.
Detailed information and answers to questions about issues related to these recalls are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Justice Department Obtains $160,000 Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit Against Atlanta Area Realtors
/PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta real estate firms Coldwell Banker Joe T. Lane Realty Inc., Coldwell Banker Bullard Realty Company Inc. and Rodney Lee Foreman, one of their former real estate agents, have agreed to pay $160,000 to settle allegations that they illegally steered prospective homebuyers toward and away from certain neighborhoods based on race and color, the Justice Department announced today.
The agreement, subject to approval by a federal court in Atlanta, resolves the Justice Department's Jan. 25, 2009, lawsuit which originated from a complaint filed by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Testing conducted by NFHA of Coldwell Banker Joe T. Lane Realty Inc. in 2003 and 2004 revealed that Foreman had steered white testers towards areas that are predominately white and away from areas that are predominately African-American because of race or color, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
According to the complaint, before showing the tester any homes, Foreman told the tester that he did not know where to take the tester because he could not tell from talking on the telephone whether the tester was white. Foreman said words to the effect that "I didn't know if you were a Caucasian or not over the phone." After an investigation, HUD found reasonable cause to believe that unlawful discrimination had occurred and referred the matter to the Justice Department.
"People have the right to make fully informed housing choices. Unlawful steering by real estate agents frustrates this right and perpetuates segregated communities," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The work undertaken by NFHA and HUD is critical to our efforts to eliminate such discrimination. Real estate agents nationwide should take note that the Department of Justice works vigilantly to combat this type of discrimination."
"This case demonstrates that racial steering is not a relic of the past. Effective civil rights law enforcement, including testing, can and must put an end to housing discrimination," said John Trasvina, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
Fighting illegal housing discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Persons who believe they have experienced or witnessed unlawful housing discrimination may call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777. More information about the Fair Housing Act can also be found at www.justice.gov/fairhousing or www.hud.gov/fairhousing.
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The agreement, subject to approval by a federal court in Atlanta, resolves the Justice Department's Jan. 25, 2009, lawsuit which originated from a complaint filed by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Testing conducted by NFHA of Coldwell Banker Joe T. Lane Realty Inc. in 2003 and 2004 revealed that Foreman had steered white testers towards areas that are predominately white and away from areas that are predominately African-American because of race or color, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
According to the complaint, before showing the tester any homes, Foreman told the tester that he did not know where to take the tester because he could not tell from talking on the telephone whether the tester was white. Foreman said words to the effect that "I didn't know if you were a Caucasian or not over the phone." After an investigation, HUD found reasonable cause to believe that unlawful discrimination had occurred and referred the matter to the Justice Department.
"People have the right to make fully informed housing choices. Unlawful steering by real estate agents frustrates this right and perpetuates segregated communities," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The work undertaken by NFHA and HUD is critical to our efforts to eliminate such discrimination. Real estate agents nationwide should take note that the Department of Justice works vigilantly to combat this type of discrimination."
"This case demonstrates that racial steering is not a relic of the past. Effective civil rights law enforcement, including testing, can and must put an end to housing discrimination," said John Trasvina, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
Fighting illegal housing discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Persons who believe they have experienced or witnessed unlawful housing discrimination may call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777. More information about the Fair Housing Act can also be found at www.justice.gov/fairhousing or www.hud.gov/fairhousing.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
Hungarian Ambassador to Visit Clayton State as Part of Two-Day Trip to Atlanta
When His Excellency Béla Szombati, Hungarian Ambassador to the United States, makes his first trip to Atlanta on Thursday, Feb. 11 and Friday, Feb. 12, he’ll be stopping by Clayton State University to speak to Dr. Michael Deis’ Global Business class.
The Ambassador’s visit to Clayton State shouldn’t be a total surprise, since John E. Parkerson, Jr., director of International Programs for Clayton State, has been the Honorary Consul of Hungary for the states of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina since 2007. Indeed, Parkerson has been working closely with the Hungarian Embassy to arrange a full schedule of meetings for the Ambassador on Feb. 11. Also visiting Atlanta for meetings with the Georgia Legislature, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Governor, the Atlanta Mayor’s office, the Carter Center and the Georgia Tech European Union Center of Excellence, will be commercial and cultural attaches from the embassy.
Szombati’s visit to Deis’ Clayton State class will run from 6:30 p.m. until approximately 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 11 and will be held in room 101 of the University’s Harry S. Downs Center. Other Clayton State business students will also be sitting in on the Ambassador’s presentation, which is open to the public as well.
On Friday, Feb. 12, the Ambassador will take part in a business seminar at the World Trade Center, a VIP dinner, and the first Atlanta Hungarian Carnival, also at the World Trade Center.
“Hungary is a key member of the EU and NATO and the U.S. has a large NATO airbase in western Hungary at Papa,” reminds Parkerson. “Hungary also recently inked a deal with President Obama to accept Guantanamo prisoners.”
Clayton State’s ties to Hungary also include an agreement of collaboration with the University of Pannonia in Veszprem, Hungary, that will result in numerous opportunities for the two institutions, including study abroad, student and faculty development exchanges, and research collaboration. Parkerson
is guest lecturing in International Business and Global Logistics at the University of Pannonia during the last two weeks of February, and a professor from Pannonia will lecture in the Clayton State School of Business in March.
Additional information about the Ambassador is available at: http://www.huembwas.org/Staff/Ambassador.htm.
A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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The Ambassador’s visit to Clayton State shouldn’t be a total surprise, since John E. Parkerson, Jr., director of International Programs for Clayton State, has been the Honorary Consul of Hungary for the states of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina since 2007. Indeed, Parkerson has been working closely with the Hungarian Embassy to arrange a full schedule of meetings for the Ambassador on Feb. 11. Also visiting Atlanta for meetings with the Georgia Legislature, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Governor, the Atlanta Mayor’s office, the Carter Center and the Georgia Tech European Union Center of Excellence, will be commercial and cultural attaches from the embassy.
Szombati’s visit to Deis’ Clayton State class will run from 6:30 p.m. until approximately 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 11 and will be held in room 101 of the University’s Harry S. Downs Center. Other Clayton State business students will also be sitting in on the Ambassador’s presentation, which is open to the public as well.
On Friday, Feb. 12, the Ambassador will take part in a business seminar at the World Trade Center, a VIP dinner, and the first Atlanta Hungarian Carnival, also at the World Trade Center.
“Hungary is a key member of the EU and NATO and the U.S. has a large NATO airbase in western Hungary at Papa,” reminds Parkerson. “Hungary also recently inked a deal with President Obama to accept Guantanamo prisoners.”
Clayton State’s ties to Hungary also include an agreement of collaboration with the University of Pannonia in Veszprem, Hungary, that will result in numerous opportunities for the two institutions, including study abroad, student and faculty development exchanges, and research collaboration. Parkerson
is guest lecturing in International Business and Global Logistics at the University of Pannonia during the last two weeks of February, and a professor from Pannonia will lecture in the Clayton State School of Business in March.
Additional information about the Ambassador is available at: http://www.huembwas.org/Staff/Ambassador.htm.
A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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FedEx to Transport Giant Pandas from United States to China Onboard Its New 777F Aircraft
(BUSINESS WIRE)--FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, is donating its logistical services to transport two giant pandas from the United States to China on February 4, 2010. Working in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and Zoo Atlanta, FedEx Express will fly the pandas non-stop from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to Chengdu, China.
“FedEx is uniquely qualified to make this special delivery given our long history connecting the U.S. to China and our extensive global experience in shipping precious cargo, from packages to pandas”
Tai Shan, a 4-and-a-half-year-old male panda born at the National Zoo, and Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female panda born at Zoo Atlanta, will travel onboard a custom-decaled FedEx Express 777 Freighter (777F) – known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”
“FedEx is uniquely qualified to make this special delivery given our long history connecting the U.S. to China and our extensive global experience in shipping precious cargo, from packages to pandas,” said David J. Bronczek, president and CEO, FedEx Express. “It is a privilege to serve as the trusted carrier of these rare pandas, and we are proud to support the preservation efforts of this endangered species.”
Currently, conservationists estimate that only 1,600 pandas remain in the wild. Both Tai Shan and Mei Lan are part of global, giant panda conservation programs.
FedEx Express will fly Mei Lan from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., where she will join Tai Shan in preparation for the trans-Atlantic flight. Onboard the 777F aircraft – which is solely dedicated to the pandas’ journey – Tai Shan and Mei Lan will travel in two custom-built transport containers provided by FedEx Express. The pandas will depart Washington, D.C. late morning on February 4 and arrive in Chengdu late afternoon on February 5, approximately 14 ½ hours between take-off and landing.
The pandas’ flight will be shorter than ever before possible as a result of the fuel-efficient 777F aircraft, the world’s largest twin-engine cargo aircraft and the newest addition to the FedEx global fleet. In early January 2010, FedEx launched the 777F into international service with a direct connection from Shanghai to the U.S.
In addition to donating all the necessary air transportation, FedEx Express is also providing ground and logistical support in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. In both cities, caravans of FedEx vehicles will deliver the pandas to the airport. Local law enforcement will be on hand to ensure a smooth ride for the pandas. FedEx pilots and drivers selected to transport the pandas are some of the company’s most seasoned team members.
FedEx Express, the National Zoo, Zoo Atlanta and the China organizers in Chengdu have worked collaboratively to ensure all necessary precautions have been taken to provide a safe and comfortable flight for the pandas. Animal care experts from both zoos have been granted special flight privileges to accompany the pandas onboard the aircraft.
Upon arriving in Chengdu, Tai Shan will be received by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens will take delivery of Mei Lan. Tai Shan will reside at the China Conservation and Research Center’s Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China and Mei Lan will reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Due to security regulations, the departure and arrival events for both pandas will be closed to the general public. However, FedEx will provide updates about the pandas’ journey online at news.fedex.com/pandas.
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“FedEx is uniquely qualified to make this special delivery given our long history connecting the U.S. to China and our extensive global experience in shipping precious cargo, from packages to pandas”
Tai Shan, a 4-and-a-half-year-old male panda born at the National Zoo, and Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female panda born at Zoo Atlanta, will travel onboard a custom-decaled FedEx Express 777 Freighter (777F) – known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”
“FedEx is uniquely qualified to make this special delivery given our long history connecting the U.S. to China and our extensive global experience in shipping precious cargo, from packages to pandas,” said David J. Bronczek, president and CEO, FedEx Express. “It is a privilege to serve as the trusted carrier of these rare pandas, and we are proud to support the preservation efforts of this endangered species.”
Currently, conservationists estimate that only 1,600 pandas remain in the wild. Both Tai Shan and Mei Lan are part of global, giant panda conservation programs.
FedEx Express will fly Mei Lan from Atlanta to Washington, D.C., where she will join Tai Shan in preparation for the trans-Atlantic flight. Onboard the 777F aircraft – which is solely dedicated to the pandas’ journey – Tai Shan and Mei Lan will travel in two custom-built transport containers provided by FedEx Express. The pandas will depart Washington, D.C. late morning on February 4 and arrive in Chengdu late afternoon on February 5, approximately 14 ½ hours between take-off and landing.
The pandas’ flight will be shorter than ever before possible as a result of the fuel-efficient 777F aircraft, the world’s largest twin-engine cargo aircraft and the newest addition to the FedEx global fleet. In early January 2010, FedEx launched the 777F into international service with a direct connection from Shanghai to the U.S.
In addition to donating all the necessary air transportation, FedEx Express is also providing ground and logistical support in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. In both cities, caravans of FedEx vehicles will deliver the pandas to the airport. Local law enforcement will be on hand to ensure a smooth ride for the pandas. FedEx pilots and drivers selected to transport the pandas are some of the company’s most seasoned team members.
FedEx Express, the National Zoo, Zoo Atlanta and the China organizers in Chengdu have worked collaboratively to ensure all necessary precautions have been taken to provide a safe and comfortable flight for the pandas. Animal care experts from both zoos have been granted special flight privileges to accompany the pandas onboard the aircraft.
Upon arriving in Chengdu, Tai Shan will be received by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens will take delivery of Mei Lan. Tai Shan will reside at the China Conservation and Research Center’s Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China and Mei Lan will reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Due to security regulations, the departure and arrival events for both pandas will be closed to the general public. However, FedEx will provide updates about the pandas’ journey online at news.fedex.com/pandas.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
Governor Perdue Announces Executive Appointments
Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the following executive appointments. Brief biographies are provided below:
Board of Commissioners of the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund
P. Homer Bryson, 50, Flowery Branch, State Peace Officer Representative – Bryson is the Colonel and acting Chief of Law Enforcement with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. He is also a specialized Peace Officers Standards and Training Instructor. He is the legislative chair and past president of the Peace Officers Association of Georgia. He was the state coordinator for water security for the 2004 Group of Eight Economic Summit in Sea Island. He has received numerous honors such as the DNR Law Enforcement Supervisor of the Year and the Coastal Conservation Association of Georgia Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. He earned an associate’s degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State College and a master’s degree from Columbus State University. He is married to Lisa Casey Bryson and has two children, and one stepchild.
Council on Aging
Kenneth P. Brooks, 57, Cochran – Brooks is an associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Cochran. He is the co-director of Pulaski-Bleckley Associational Senior Adult Ministries, and is the volunteer ombudsperson with Heart of Georgia. He is a Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief team member and serves on the Unit 1-F Rehoboth Association where he is a certified leader/director of the feeding unit. He is a trustee and vice chairman of the executive committee of Baptist Village Retirement Communities. Brooks earned an associate’s degree from Brewton Parker College, a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southwestern College, and a master’s degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Rebecca, have two children.
Victoria L. Collier, 39, Scottdale – Collier is an attorney and the owner of The Elder and Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC. She has been admitted to the United States Supreme Court and to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. She served as vice chair of the State Bar of Georgia’s elder law section, and as both the chair and vice chair of the Atlanta Bar Association’s elder law committee. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and a member of the Georgia Chapter of NAELA, of which she was also the chair. Collier earned an associate’s degree from Georgia Military College, a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University, and a law degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law.
Maria “Mimi” D. Dennis, 62, Eastman – Dennis is the director of student services for the Dodge County Board of Education. She is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma International Honor Society and is a National Beta Club Council Member. She is president-elect of the Dodge Retired Educators Association and serves on the Eastman-Dodge County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Dodge County Hospital Foundation Board, and the Ocmulgee Regional Library Board. She is on the board of directors of the Student Assistance Professionals of Georgia (SAPA), of which she is also past president. Dennis earned an associate’s degree from Middle Georgia College, and a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Gene, have two children and seven grandchildren.
L. Bruce Nance, 82, Chickamauga, Consumer Representative – Nance is the owner of Nance Jewelry. He is a member of the Chickamauga Lions Club and the American Legion of Chickamauga and he is involved with the Crawfish Springs Masonic Order and the Royal Arch Masons. Nance is a graduate of the School of Horology. He and his wife, Elma, have one child and one grandchild.
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Kenneth “Ken” M. Smith, Sr., 70, LaGrange, County Representative – Smith serves on the Troup County Board of Commissioners. He is active with Troup Family Connection Authority and serves on the board of directors. He is a member of the LaGrange Shrine Club and is involved with Troup County Crime-Stoppers. Smith worked in construction for forty years prior to his retirement. He and his wife, Velna, have three children.
Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission
Donald “Don” P. Geary, 53, Lawrenceville – Geary is chief assistant district attorney in the DeKalb County District Attorney’s office. Prior to his legal career, he served as a pilot and flight instructor in the United States Marine Corps. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the USMC. Geary earned two bachelor’s degrees from East Carolina University, a master’s degree from National University, and a law degree from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Robin, have five children and two grandchildren.
Ben L. Kiker, 62, Dalton – Kiker is a karate instructor and director of United Karate Studio. He is a seventh degree black belt in United Karate and has hosted over sixty karate tournaments and a number of full contact fights. He has served as an ISKA Southeast Representative at numerous officiating clinics and has assisted ISKA in developing rules for competition. He also served as an assistant football coach at Haralson County High School. Kiker earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Vicki, have one child.
Georgia Composite Medical Board
Alice A. House, M.D., 48, Warner Robins – House is an assistant professor of family medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine. She is a board member of the Georgia Medical Directors Association and is past president of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians. She is active in the Bibb County Medical Society, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Directors Association. She is also a member of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and is the board president of the Middle Georgia Concert Band in which she plays the flute and piccolo. House earned two undergraduate degrees from Macon State College and a medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. She has three children and five grandchildren.
Georgia Public Service Commission Advisory Committee
Jeffrey Stair, 56, Atlanta, PSC Representative and Chairman – Stair serves as staff attorney for the Georgia Public Service Commission. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and is active with “Everybody Wins!”, a national literacy and mentoring nonprofit oganization. Stair earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Debbie, have two children.
Governor’s Office for Children and Families Advisory Board
Brittany D. Jean, 23, Atlanta, Youth Representative – Jean is a student at Georgia State University where she is pursuing a master’s degree. She previously worked as an account executive for the Georgia TeenWork Program in the Department of Human Resources’ Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). She has interned with the Comprehensive Child and Family Assessment Program (DFCS) as well, and in the office of Congressman John Lewis. She is a youth advocate with Georgia EmpowerMEnt Group and is the founder and past president of Uplifted Hands. Jean earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University. She is married to Moise Jean.
Shaquita S. Ogletree, 23, Clarkston, Youth Representative – Ogletree is an after-school counselor with the City of Decatur Children and Youth Services. She is active with Georgia EmpowerMEnt. She is also an AmeriCorps Alum and a Foster Care of America Alum. Ogletree earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University.
W. Duane Whitley, 60, Baxley – Whitley is president and owner of Independent Office Services, Inc. He serves on the board of trustees for the Baxley Wilderness Institute and is an executive board member of its parent company, the Associated Marine Institute. He is also a member of the Workforce Investment Board of Claxton and is former chairman of the Appling County Board of Commissioners. Whitley earned an associate’s degree from South Georgia College. He is married to Margaret Whitley.
Professional Standards Commission
André B. Mountain, 34, Augusta – Mountain is a teacher on special assignment in the Department of Curriculum with the Richmond County School System. He was appointed as a Georgia TAPP Ambassador and was a Richmond County Public School Teacher of the Year finalist. He previously taught reading/language arts at Monte Sano Elementary School. Mountain earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University, a master’s degree from Wesleyan College, and a specialist’s degree from Augusta State University. He and his wife, Tanesha, have one child.
State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Michael “Mike” S. Fletcher, 59, Marietta, Structural Engineer Representative – Fletcher is director of the Atlanta Office of Halvorson and Partners, P.C. He has over 30 years of experience in structural engineering and is licensed as a structural engineer in Illinois, an architect in Texas, and as a professional engineer in Georgia and five other states. He is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Structural Engineers Association of Georgia, and the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations. Fletcher earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Linda, have two children.
State Board of Registration of Used Car Dealers and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers
Alexander R. Grovenstein, 30, Pembroke, Consumer Representative – Grovenstein is assistant director of alumni relations at Georgia Southern University. He is a member of the Statesboro Kiwanis Club and the Georgia Southern University Alumni Association. He is also currently a member of the Georgia Southern University Public Relations Advisory Board and a member of the Sons of the American Legion. Grovenstein earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University. He and his wife, Angela, have two children.
J. Michael “Mike” Rosser, 57, Monroe, Salvage Pool Representative – Rosser is the owner of Newton Auto Salvage, Inc. in Covington. He served as secretary/treasurer of Georgia Automotive Recyclers Association. Rosser earned a bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Fran, have one child.
Jonathan “Jon” W. Shoemaker, 54, McDonough, Consumer Representative – Shoemaker is facilities manager at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church. He has over 30 years combined experience in civil engineering and construction consulting and is past president of C.B.S Motorsports, Inc. Shoemaker earned a bachelor’s degree from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Debra, have three children and one grandchild.
State Workforce Investment Board
Eunice M. Glover, 64, Atlanta, Business Representative – Glover is the president of the Center for Enhancing Organizational Learning and Development, LLC. She is the president of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Georgia State Council and is a member of the SHRM Expert Panel on Organizational Development. She is also president of the Audubon Forest Neighborhood Association and the chair of the NPU-I Safety Committee. Glover earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. She and her husband, Hamilton, have four children and sixteen grandchildren.
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Board of Commissioners of the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund
P. Homer Bryson, 50, Flowery Branch, State Peace Officer Representative – Bryson is the Colonel and acting Chief of Law Enforcement with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. He is also a specialized Peace Officers Standards and Training Instructor. He is the legislative chair and past president of the Peace Officers Association of Georgia. He was the state coordinator for water security for the 2004 Group of Eight Economic Summit in Sea Island. He has received numerous honors such as the DNR Law Enforcement Supervisor of the Year and the Coastal Conservation Association of Georgia Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. He earned an associate’s degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State College and a master’s degree from Columbus State University. He is married to Lisa Casey Bryson and has two children, and one stepchild.
Council on Aging
Kenneth P. Brooks, 57, Cochran – Brooks is an associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Cochran. He is the co-director of Pulaski-Bleckley Associational Senior Adult Ministries, and is the volunteer ombudsperson with Heart of Georgia. He is a Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief team member and serves on the Unit 1-F Rehoboth Association where he is a certified leader/director of the feeding unit. He is a trustee and vice chairman of the executive committee of Baptist Village Retirement Communities. Brooks earned an associate’s degree from Brewton Parker College, a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southwestern College, and a master’s degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Rebecca, have two children.
Victoria L. Collier, 39, Scottdale – Collier is an attorney and the owner of The Elder and Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC. She has been admitted to the United States Supreme Court and to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. She served as vice chair of the State Bar of Georgia’s elder law section, and as both the chair and vice chair of the Atlanta Bar Association’s elder law committee. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and a member of the Georgia Chapter of NAELA, of which she was also the chair. Collier earned an associate’s degree from Georgia Military College, a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University, and a law degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law.
Maria “Mimi” D. Dennis, 62, Eastman – Dennis is the director of student services for the Dodge County Board of Education. She is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma International Honor Society and is a National Beta Club Council Member. She is president-elect of the Dodge Retired Educators Association and serves on the Eastman-Dodge County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Dodge County Hospital Foundation Board, and the Ocmulgee Regional Library Board. She is on the board of directors of the Student Assistance Professionals of Georgia (SAPA), of which she is also past president. Dennis earned an associate’s degree from Middle Georgia College, and a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Gene, have two children and seven grandchildren.
L. Bruce Nance, 82, Chickamauga, Consumer Representative – Nance is the owner of Nance Jewelry. He is a member of the Chickamauga Lions Club and the American Legion of Chickamauga and he is involved with the Crawfish Springs Masonic Order and the Royal Arch Masons. Nance is a graduate of the School of Horology. He and his wife, Elma, have one child and one grandchild.
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Kenneth “Ken” M. Smith, Sr., 70, LaGrange, County Representative – Smith serves on the Troup County Board of Commissioners. He is active with Troup Family Connection Authority and serves on the board of directors. He is a member of the LaGrange Shrine Club and is involved with Troup County Crime-Stoppers. Smith worked in construction for forty years prior to his retirement. He and his wife, Velna, have three children.
Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission
Donald “Don” P. Geary, 53, Lawrenceville – Geary is chief assistant district attorney in the DeKalb County District Attorney’s office. Prior to his legal career, he served as a pilot and flight instructor in the United States Marine Corps. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the USMC. Geary earned two bachelor’s degrees from East Carolina University, a master’s degree from National University, and a law degree from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Robin, have five children and two grandchildren.
Ben L. Kiker, 62, Dalton – Kiker is a karate instructor and director of United Karate Studio. He is a seventh degree black belt in United Karate and has hosted over sixty karate tournaments and a number of full contact fights. He has served as an ISKA Southeast Representative at numerous officiating clinics and has assisted ISKA in developing rules for competition. He also served as an assistant football coach at Haralson County High School. Kiker earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Vicki, have one child.
Georgia Composite Medical Board
Alice A. House, M.D., 48, Warner Robins – House is an assistant professor of family medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine. She is a board member of the Georgia Medical Directors Association and is past president of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians. She is active in the Bibb County Medical Society, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Directors Association. She is also a member of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and is the board president of the Middle Georgia Concert Band in which she plays the flute and piccolo. House earned two undergraduate degrees from Macon State College and a medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. She has three children and five grandchildren.
Georgia Public Service Commission Advisory Committee
Jeffrey Stair, 56, Atlanta, PSC Representative and Chairman – Stair serves as staff attorney for the Georgia Public Service Commission. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and is active with “Everybody Wins!”, a national literacy and mentoring nonprofit oganization. Stair earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Debbie, have two children.
Governor’s Office for Children and Families Advisory Board
Brittany D. Jean, 23, Atlanta, Youth Representative – Jean is a student at Georgia State University where she is pursuing a master’s degree. She previously worked as an account executive for the Georgia TeenWork Program in the Department of Human Resources’ Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). She has interned with the Comprehensive Child and Family Assessment Program (DFCS) as well, and in the office of Congressman John Lewis. She is a youth advocate with Georgia EmpowerMEnt Group and is the founder and past president of Uplifted Hands. Jean earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University. She is married to Moise Jean.
Shaquita S. Ogletree, 23, Clarkston, Youth Representative – Ogletree is an after-school counselor with the City of Decatur Children and Youth Services. She is active with Georgia EmpowerMEnt. She is also an AmeriCorps Alum and a Foster Care of America Alum. Ogletree earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University.
W. Duane Whitley, 60, Baxley – Whitley is president and owner of Independent Office Services, Inc. He serves on the board of trustees for the Baxley Wilderness Institute and is an executive board member of its parent company, the Associated Marine Institute. He is also a member of the Workforce Investment Board of Claxton and is former chairman of the Appling County Board of Commissioners. Whitley earned an associate’s degree from South Georgia College. He is married to Margaret Whitley.
Professional Standards Commission
André B. Mountain, 34, Augusta – Mountain is a teacher on special assignment in the Department of Curriculum with the Richmond County School System. He was appointed as a Georgia TAPP Ambassador and was a Richmond County Public School Teacher of the Year finalist. He previously taught reading/language arts at Monte Sano Elementary School. Mountain earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University, a master’s degree from Wesleyan College, and a specialist’s degree from Augusta State University. He and his wife, Tanesha, have one child.
State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors
Michael “Mike” S. Fletcher, 59, Marietta, Structural Engineer Representative – Fletcher is director of the Atlanta Office of Halvorson and Partners, P.C. He has over 30 years of experience in structural engineering and is licensed as a structural engineer in Illinois, an architect in Texas, and as a professional engineer in Georgia and five other states. He is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Structural Engineers Association of Georgia, and the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations. Fletcher earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Linda, have two children.
State Board of Registration of Used Car Dealers and Used Motor Vehicle Parts Dealers
Alexander R. Grovenstein, 30, Pembroke, Consumer Representative – Grovenstein is assistant director of alumni relations at Georgia Southern University. He is a member of the Statesboro Kiwanis Club and the Georgia Southern University Alumni Association. He is also currently a member of the Georgia Southern University Public Relations Advisory Board and a member of the Sons of the American Legion. Grovenstein earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University. He and his wife, Angela, have two children.
J. Michael “Mike” Rosser, 57, Monroe, Salvage Pool Representative – Rosser is the owner of Newton Auto Salvage, Inc. in Covington. He served as secretary/treasurer of Georgia Automotive Recyclers Association. Rosser earned a bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Fran, have one child.
Jonathan “Jon” W. Shoemaker, 54, McDonough, Consumer Representative – Shoemaker is facilities manager at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church. He has over 30 years combined experience in civil engineering and construction consulting and is past president of C.B.S Motorsports, Inc. Shoemaker earned a bachelor’s degree from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He and his wife, Debra, have three children and one grandchild.
State Workforce Investment Board
Eunice M. Glover, 64, Atlanta, Business Representative – Glover is the president of the Center for Enhancing Organizational Learning and Development, LLC. She is the president of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Georgia State Council and is a member of the SHRM Expert Panel on Organizational Development. She is also president of the Audubon Forest Neighborhood Association and the chair of the NPU-I Safety Committee. Glover earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. She and her husband, Hamilton, have four children and sixteen grandchildren.
---
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New Research Reveals Georgia Companies Lack Social Media Engagement
/PRNewswire/ -- Georgia's top public and private companies scored a D for social media engagement in 2009, according to a new study by Wunderkind Public Relations, an Atlanta-based communications strategy and services company. The Social Media Engagement (SME) scorecard reflects the activity of corporations and their chief executives in social media channels for Georgia's top 25 public and top 25 private companies, as determined by revenue and published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle 2009 Book of Lists. Wunderkind Public Relations established a company's score based on its use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and a corporate blog.
"Clearly, there are corporations in the study that are effectively using social media marketing and networking on a daily basis, but the data shows the large majority of companies in Georgia are still evaluating social media as a business tool," said Steve McAbee, president and founder, Wunderkind Public Relations. "We expect this to change in 2010 as more companies seek to employ tools and technology to further extend their marketing budgets including social media, which provides businesses with an affordable content distribution option to supplement higher-cost initiatives."
Companies received a point for each of the five social media tools they employ, for a maximum score of five, where a perfect score is equivalent to an A grade. Data from the Georgia SME scorecard shows business-to-consumer (B2C) companies are more than twice as engaged with customers and prospects online than their business-to-business (B2B) counterparts. Private B2C companies had the highest SME score (3.2), followed by public B2C companies (3.0), public B2B companies (1.76), and finally private B2B companies (1.6). Omitting LinkedIn, a popular professional networking service, less than 20 percent of the companies researched appear to have an ongoing social media effort, though data was insufficient to conclude whether or not the channels were utilized with any frequency or as part of an integrated marketing plan.
Four Georgia companies received perfect scores: AGCO Corp., the Coca-Cola Company, Delta Airlines, and Infor Global Solutions. These companies utilize a variety of channels to create an interactive dialogue with customers, prospects and employees. On the other hand, thirty-one companies received a score of 2 or less, and all but one company is using some channel of social media. Data also concluded that public companies as a whole, whether B2C or B2B, are more engaged (2.36) than private companies (1.92).
Worldwide, companies are utilizing the emerging medium to strategically and methodically establish or reinforce their influence, reputation and brand within communities of existing and potential customers, prospects and other supporters. Most effective when integrated with more established marketing channels, social media is being embraced by companies of all sizes for its low-cost content distribution model and as a powerful catalyst for viral marketing. On social media sites, groups of individuals with different points of views are empowered to collectively determine the value or importance of content disseminated throughout the community. In most cases, users are given the editorial power to influence the visibility of content, providing significant insight to companies regarding their brand, products and services.
Highlights of the Georgia Social Media Engagement Scorecard:
-- LinkedIn is the most popular social networking service; 96% of all
companies have a LinkedIn page, followed by Facebook (42%) and Twitter
(38%)
-- Only 9 companies received a SME score of 4 or better
-- CEOs lack engagement with an average SME score of .26
-- 12 companies have a dedicated YouTube channel while only 7 have a blog
-- Only 1 CEO contributes to the company blog
Georgia CEOs Use LinkedIn More Than Other Channels
Among the chief executives of Georgia's top companies, data showed CEOs of private companies are more engaged than those of public companies, though almost all of that is attributed to their LinkedIn profiles. Thirty-two percent of private CEOs maintain a profile on LinkedIn, compared to only 16 percent of their counterparts in public enterprise. None of Georgia's top CEOs maintains a public-facing Facebook account.
Outside of Georgia, some CEO early-adopters, like Tony Hseih of Zappos, Virgin Group's Richard Branson, Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures and AllTop, and Jonathan Schwartz of Sun Microsystems, are engaged with the public through a wide spectrum of social media tools from Twitter to blogs.
A new generation of corporate leadership is emerging and the C-suite is being occupied by an increasingly more digitally connected network. For B2C companies this means another touchpoint to the customer--a personal connection between company leadership and the consumer. In B2B circles, the rise of the social CEO means their customers, the executives who make purchasing decisions, will be dramatically more engaged and will seek to connect with vendors or research the brand's reputation through online channels.
"We certainly aren't advocating that all CEOs jump on the social media bandwagon - there are too many variables for social media to be one-size-fits-all - but the extremely low adoption rate among CEOs in Georgia is interesting given the explosive growth of social media in 2009," said McAbee. "This medium can provide CEOs an open line of communication with customers, investors and partners to start a constructive, long-term and transparent dialogue. However, before the CEO becomes involved with social media, the brand itself should get it right."
In the wake of a worldwide recession, many companies have recognized how the broad use of online tools can help attract and retain customers and have embraced social media out of an appreciation for the power online customers wield over brands, corporate reputations and public opinion. Additionally, younger generations of workers and college students are well connected and digitally engaged, making social media an effective tool for talent recruiting. These factors, combined with social media's low cost of entry, demonstrate social media's growing importance and are among the reasons analyst firms predict social media marketing budgets will quadruple over the next five years.
"The Georgia study found the majority of companies are participating in one-way conversations where they have complete control," said McAbee. "The real impact social media can have on an organization will only be fully realized when a company engages with its audiences by monitoring and managing the online conversation and participating in two-way communication. We look forward to following the progress of social media usage among Georgia's businesses and updating the results in next year's study."
Additional Information:
-- Wunderkind Public Relations' Georgia Social Media Engagement Scorecard
SlideShare
-- Georgia Social Media Engagement Scorecard Methodology
-- Georgia Social Media Engagement Company Index
-- Whitepaper: Is Social Media Right for B2B Companies?
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"Clearly, there are corporations in the study that are effectively using social media marketing and networking on a daily basis, but the data shows the large majority of companies in Georgia are still evaluating social media as a business tool," said Steve McAbee, president and founder, Wunderkind Public Relations. "We expect this to change in 2010 as more companies seek to employ tools and technology to further extend their marketing budgets including social media, which provides businesses with an affordable content distribution option to supplement higher-cost initiatives."
Companies received a point for each of the five social media tools they employ, for a maximum score of five, where a perfect score is equivalent to an A grade. Data from the Georgia SME scorecard shows business-to-consumer (B2C) companies are more than twice as engaged with customers and prospects online than their business-to-business (B2B) counterparts. Private B2C companies had the highest SME score (3.2), followed by public B2C companies (3.0), public B2B companies (1.76), and finally private B2B companies (1.6). Omitting LinkedIn, a popular professional networking service, less than 20 percent of the companies researched appear to have an ongoing social media effort, though data was insufficient to conclude whether or not the channels were utilized with any frequency or as part of an integrated marketing plan.
Four Georgia companies received perfect scores: AGCO Corp., the Coca-Cola Company, Delta Airlines, and Infor Global Solutions. These companies utilize a variety of channels to create an interactive dialogue with customers, prospects and employees. On the other hand, thirty-one companies received a score of 2 or less, and all but one company is using some channel of social media. Data also concluded that public companies as a whole, whether B2C or B2B, are more engaged (2.36) than private companies (1.92).
Worldwide, companies are utilizing the emerging medium to strategically and methodically establish or reinforce their influence, reputation and brand within communities of existing and potential customers, prospects and other supporters. Most effective when integrated with more established marketing channels, social media is being embraced by companies of all sizes for its low-cost content distribution model and as a powerful catalyst for viral marketing. On social media sites, groups of individuals with different points of views are empowered to collectively determine the value or importance of content disseminated throughout the community. In most cases, users are given the editorial power to influence the visibility of content, providing significant insight to companies regarding their brand, products and services.
Highlights of the Georgia Social Media Engagement Scorecard:
-- LinkedIn is the most popular social networking service; 96% of all
companies have a LinkedIn page, followed by Facebook (42%) and Twitter
(38%)
-- Only 9 companies received a SME score of 4 or better
-- CEOs lack engagement with an average SME score of .26
-- 12 companies have a dedicated YouTube channel while only 7 have a blog
-- Only 1 CEO contributes to the company blog
Georgia CEOs Use LinkedIn More Than Other Channels
Among the chief executives of Georgia's top companies, data showed CEOs of private companies are more engaged than those of public companies, though almost all of that is attributed to their LinkedIn profiles. Thirty-two percent of private CEOs maintain a profile on LinkedIn, compared to only 16 percent of their counterparts in public enterprise. None of Georgia's top CEOs maintains a public-facing Facebook account.
Outside of Georgia, some CEO early-adopters, like Tony Hseih of Zappos, Virgin Group's Richard Branson, Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures and AllTop, and Jonathan Schwartz of Sun Microsystems, are engaged with the public through a wide spectrum of social media tools from Twitter to blogs.
A new generation of corporate leadership is emerging and the C-suite is being occupied by an increasingly more digitally connected network. For B2C companies this means another touchpoint to the customer--a personal connection between company leadership and the consumer. In B2B circles, the rise of the social CEO means their customers, the executives who make purchasing decisions, will be dramatically more engaged and will seek to connect with vendors or research the brand's reputation through online channels.
"We certainly aren't advocating that all CEOs jump on the social media bandwagon - there are too many variables for social media to be one-size-fits-all - but the extremely low adoption rate among CEOs in Georgia is interesting given the explosive growth of social media in 2009," said McAbee. "This medium can provide CEOs an open line of communication with customers, investors and partners to start a constructive, long-term and transparent dialogue. However, before the CEO becomes involved with social media, the brand itself should get it right."
In the wake of a worldwide recession, many companies have recognized how the broad use of online tools can help attract and retain customers and have embraced social media out of an appreciation for the power online customers wield over brands, corporate reputations and public opinion. Additionally, younger generations of workers and college students are well connected and digitally engaged, making social media an effective tool for talent recruiting. These factors, combined with social media's low cost of entry, demonstrate social media's growing importance and are among the reasons analyst firms predict social media marketing budgets will quadruple over the next five years.
"The Georgia study found the majority of companies are participating in one-way conversations where they have complete control," said McAbee. "The real impact social media can have on an organization will only be fully realized when a company engages with its audiences by monitoring and managing the online conversation and participating in two-way communication. We look forward to following the progress of social media usage among Georgia's businesses and updating the results in next year's study."
Additional Information:
-- Wunderkind Public Relations' Georgia Social Media Engagement Scorecard
SlideShare
-- Georgia Social Media Engagement Scorecard Methodology
-- Georgia Social Media Engagement Company Index
-- Whitepaper: Is Social Media Right for B2B Companies?
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Consumers Use Over $3.5 Billion in Coupons, Drive 27% Increase in Redemption for 2009
(BUSINESS WIRE)--Inmar, the nation’s leading promotion transaction settlement provider, reported today that annual coupon use is on the rise for the first time since 1992 and coupon distribution hit the highest level recorded since the company began tracking trends in 1988. For the first time in 17 years, consumers used more coupons than they did the year before, with 3.3 billion consumer packaged goods coupons redeemed, an explosive 27% increase over the 2.6 billion redeemed in 2008.
“Brands saw coupons as a key to maintaining brand strength”
The rise in coupon use started in October of 2008, coinciding with news of the U.S. financial crisis. That has led to five consecutive quarters of double-digit growth (based on percentage change from the same period of the previous year).
The increase in redemption goes hand-in-hand with an increase in distribution. Despite the tight economy, marketers invested heavily in coupons, boosting the number available to the highest level in over 30 years. Brands issued 367 billion coupons, at an average face value of $1.44, indicating that they were committed to promotions in 2009.
News America Marketing, the company behind the SmartSource Magazine coupon inserts and consumer coupon site www.smartsource.com, says the data supports what they saw last year.
“There has been a noticeable increase in page count over the past year,” said News America Marketing EVP of Marketing, Jesse Aversano. “Manufacturers understand that in a tough economy, coupons are an effective and efficient way to spend their advertising dollar.”
“Brands saw coupons as a key to maintaining brand strength,” adds Matthew Tilley, Director of Marketing for Inmar’s promotion services division. “If they reduced their promotional presence, they stood to lose sales to lower priced competitors and store brands – so they doubled down hoping to create brand loyalty once the economic dust settles.”
News America Marketing also reported an increase in retailer promotion pages in its free-standing insert (FSI), driven primarily by the shift in advertising and promotion dollars to Shopper Marketing initiatives, according to Aversano.
Online coupons also contributed to the rise in coupon distribution and redemption, with Internet distribution up 92% and consumer redemption of these coupons up over 360%.
“The weekly prints from SmartSource.com are more than double what we saw a year ago, which was double what our 2007 numbers were,” said Aversano. “However, in spite of the meteoric rise in online and digital couponing, the traditional newspaper-distributed FSI still accounts for 89% of all coupons distributed and over half of the coupons redeemed. Consumers expect to find coupons in their Sunday papers, and we’ll continue to be there for them. But they’ll also find us online, in stores, on cell phones and anywhere else that they want to find them.”
As coupon numbers across the board were on the rise in 2009, brands were forced to mitigate the cost of increased redemption by maintaining face values and keeping expiration periods in check. In 2009, face values declined by a penny, reversing a multi-year trend of increasing values. Expiration periods were shortened by 10% last year, despite years of virtually no change.
“This is an exciting time to be in the coupon business,” said Tilley. “Of course, we don’t know how long this upward trend will continue, but it is evident that coupons are back on shoppers’ radar; the economic downturn has instilled a drive to be smart and frugal about spending and coupons definitely have a role in fulfilling it.”
-----
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“Brands saw coupons as a key to maintaining brand strength”
The rise in coupon use started in October of 2008, coinciding with news of the U.S. financial crisis. That has led to five consecutive quarters of double-digit growth (based on percentage change from the same period of the previous year).
The increase in redemption goes hand-in-hand with an increase in distribution. Despite the tight economy, marketers invested heavily in coupons, boosting the number available to the highest level in over 30 years. Brands issued 367 billion coupons, at an average face value of $1.44, indicating that they were committed to promotions in 2009.
News America Marketing, the company behind the SmartSource Magazine coupon inserts and consumer coupon site www.smartsource.com, says the data supports what they saw last year.
“There has been a noticeable increase in page count over the past year,” said News America Marketing EVP of Marketing, Jesse Aversano. “Manufacturers understand that in a tough economy, coupons are an effective and efficient way to spend their advertising dollar.”
“Brands saw coupons as a key to maintaining brand strength,” adds Matthew Tilley, Director of Marketing for Inmar’s promotion services division. “If they reduced their promotional presence, they stood to lose sales to lower priced competitors and store brands – so they doubled down hoping to create brand loyalty once the economic dust settles.”
News America Marketing also reported an increase in retailer promotion pages in its free-standing insert (FSI), driven primarily by the shift in advertising and promotion dollars to Shopper Marketing initiatives, according to Aversano.
Online coupons also contributed to the rise in coupon distribution and redemption, with Internet distribution up 92% and consumer redemption of these coupons up over 360%.
“The weekly prints from SmartSource.com are more than double what we saw a year ago, which was double what our 2007 numbers were,” said Aversano. “However, in spite of the meteoric rise in online and digital couponing, the traditional newspaper-distributed FSI still accounts for 89% of all coupons distributed and over half of the coupons redeemed. Consumers expect to find coupons in their Sunday papers, and we’ll continue to be there for them. But they’ll also find us online, in stores, on cell phones and anywhere else that they want to find them.”
As coupon numbers across the board were on the rise in 2009, brands were forced to mitigate the cost of increased redemption by maintaining face values and keeping expiration periods in check. In 2009, face values declined by a penny, reversing a multi-year trend of increasing values. Expiration periods were shortened by 10% last year, despite years of virtually no change.
“This is an exciting time to be in the coupon business,” said Tilley. “Of course, we don’t know how long this upward trend will continue, but it is evident that coupons are back on shoppers’ radar; the economic downturn has instilled a drive to be smart and frugal about spending and coupons definitely have a role in fulfilling it.”
-----
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Friday, January 22, 2010
When to Take Social Security: Questions to Consider
/PRNewswire/ -- Monthly benefits will be higher for the rest of your life and you can get as much as a 76% boost in monthly retirement benefits if you delay claiming Social Security benefits, according to a new National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) brief released today. "When to Take Social Security Benefits" asks (and answers) questions that people should consider while deciding when to claim Social Security benefits.
"When to stop working and when to take Social Security are two of the most important financial decisions that people make," said Virginia Reno, co-author of the brief and Vice President for Income Security and the National Academy of Social Insurance. "Conventional wisdom often favors taking Social Security at the earliest opportunity. Yet waiting to claim benefits can bring the greatest financial security to a retiree over the long-term."
The brief addresses the following questions:
Q: How much difference does it make to wait?
A: Your benefit will be about 76 percent greater if you wait until age 70 to claim Social Security than if you had claimed benefits at age 62.
Q: What should I consider in deciding when to take Social Security?
A: Consider that:
-- Social Security is one of the few sources of retirement income that is
guaranteed to last for as long as you live;
-- Social Security is automatically adjusted to keep up with the cost of
living; and
-- Social Security does not put individual recipients at risk of
volatility in stock market returns.
Q: Is there a risk in waiting? Will Social Security still be there?
A: There is no risk in waiting. Social Security's finances are much stronger than many people fear. Small changes will ensure that benefits will be paid on time for the next 75 years and beyond.
Social Security is the safest and most secure source of retirement income most people have and it grows more important at older ages. According to the brief, nearly six in ten elders get half or more of their income from Social Security. "An important principle in deciding when to take benefits is to avoid unnecessary financial hardship caused by reducing the secure income one has available in the final years of one's life," said Janice Gregory, President of the National Academy of Social Insurance. "Delaying receipt of Social Security benefits recognizes the value of Social Security as insurance against the common financial risks retirees face."
To download the brief, visit the NASI website at www.nasi.org. Financial support was provided by The Actuarial Foundation in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Its mission is to promote understanding of how social insurance contributes to economic security and a vibrant economy.
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"When to stop working and when to take Social Security are two of the most important financial decisions that people make," said Virginia Reno, co-author of the brief and Vice President for Income Security and the National Academy of Social Insurance. "Conventional wisdom often favors taking Social Security at the earliest opportunity. Yet waiting to claim benefits can bring the greatest financial security to a retiree over the long-term."
The brief addresses the following questions:
Q: How much difference does it make to wait?
A: Your benefit will be about 76 percent greater if you wait until age 70 to claim Social Security than if you had claimed benefits at age 62.
Q: What should I consider in deciding when to take Social Security?
A: Consider that:
-- Social Security is one of the few sources of retirement income that is
guaranteed to last for as long as you live;
-- Social Security is automatically adjusted to keep up with the cost of
living; and
-- Social Security does not put individual recipients at risk of
volatility in stock market returns.
Q: Is there a risk in waiting? Will Social Security still be there?
A: There is no risk in waiting. Social Security's finances are much stronger than many people fear. Small changes will ensure that benefits will be paid on time for the next 75 years and beyond.
Social Security is the safest and most secure source of retirement income most people have and it grows more important at older ages. According to the brief, nearly six in ten elders get half or more of their income from Social Security. "An important principle in deciding when to take benefits is to avoid unnecessary financial hardship caused by reducing the secure income one has available in the final years of one's life," said Janice Gregory, President of the National Academy of Social Insurance. "Delaying receipt of Social Security benefits recognizes the value of Social Security as insurance against the common financial risks retirees face."
To download the brief, visit the NASI website at www.nasi.org. Financial support was provided by The Actuarial Foundation in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Its mission is to promote understanding of how social insurance contributes to economic security and a vibrant economy.
------
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
Clayton State’s Black History Month Observance Runs from February 2 to February 25
February is designated as Black History Month to celebrate the culture and lives of African Americans. This year, Clayton State University will focus on the achievements and foundations of historical icons who changed the course of Black history and created opportunities for future generations. A total of eight events are planned from Feb. 2 to Feb. 25, highlighted by the Walk of Dreams on Wednesday, Feb. 3 and the Black History Month Super Bowl on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The African American Read-In on Tuesday, Feb. 2, will feature students reading from selections of their favorite African America authors. The Read-In is sponsored by the Clayton State English Department and The National Council of Teachers of English and will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room 272 of the James M. Baker University Center.
The Walk of Dreams will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the Student Activities Center ballrooms A and B. This theatrical presentation will be a special tribute to the lives and legacies of prominent African Americans during slavery, Civil Rights Movement, Harlem Renaissance and beyond. The Walks of Dreams is sponsored by the Department of Campus Life and DEEP Peer Educators.
On Tuesday, Feb. 9, “The Conversation: Relevance and Purpose of BGLOs in the 21st Century,” a dialogue on the evolution and significance of Black fraternities and sororities (Black Greek-Letter Organizations, or BGLOs) sponsored by: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in ballroom C of the Student Activities Center.
Actress Greta Glenn will portray “Marian Anderson: A Song for My Country,” in Spivey Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at both 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Presented by the Capitol City Opera Company, this one-woman opera-play features Glenn portraying the famous Philadelphia-born opera singer Marian Anderson – the first black woman to sing at the Metropolitan Opera and one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century. Written by Theatre Gael’s John Stevens, this program gives the audience an insightful look at Marian’s life, including the challenges she overcame and the triumphs she achieved.
Tickets to the show are only $1. Those wishing to attend either performance must call the Spivey Hall Education Department at (678) 466-4481 or email educationmanager@spiveyhall.org to reserve a ticket in advance. Any walk-ups on the day of the show will not be guaranteed a seat and will be subject to a $2 ticket price. For more information on this and other education programs, visit www.spiveyhall.org/education.
On Tuesday, Feb. 16, “The Hotseat” is a program is designed to provide participants with a safe environment to discuss controversial topics regarding the opposite sex including communication, dating, and relationships. Sponsored by the African American Male Initiative, “The Hotseat” will start at 6 p.m. in the Laker Hall multipurpose room.
The Black History Month Super Bowl is a game show designed to test the participants’ knowledge of African Americans. Scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 18 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Student Activities Center Ballrooms A and B and sponsored by the Campus Events Council, Campus Life, and DEEP Peer Educators, the winning team in the Super Bowl will walk away with the grand prize of $200.
The Third Annual Black History Month Gospel Explosion will be held on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. in the Student Activities Center ballroom. Sponsored by the Appointed Generation Gospel Choir, the Gospel Explosion will feature local artists, collegiate choirs and liturgical dancers from the surrounding area.
The Black History Month Cultural Connection is an opportunity to learn more about the African American culture through entertainment, refreshments, and much more. Sponsored by the Campus Events Council, the Black History Month Cultural Connection will be held on Thursday, Feb. 25, in Student Activities ballroom C, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
The African American Read-In on Tuesday, Feb. 2, will feature students reading from selections of their favorite African America authors. The Read-In is sponsored by the Clayton State English Department and The National Council of Teachers of English and will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in room 272 of the James M. Baker University Center.
The Walk of Dreams will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the Student Activities Center ballrooms A and B. This theatrical presentation will be a special tribute to the lives and legacies of prominent African Americans during slavery, Civil Rights Movement, Harlem Renaissance and beyond. The Walks of Dreams is sponsored by the Department of Campus Life and DEEP Peer Educators.
On Tuesday, Feb. 9, “The Conversation: Relevance and Purpose of BGLOs in the 21st Century,” a dialogue on the evolution and significance of Black fraternities and sororities (Black Greek-Letter Organizations, or BGLOs) sponsored by: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in ballroom C of the Student Activities Center.
Actress Greta Glenn will portray “Marian Anderson: A Song for My Country,” in Spivey Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at both 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Presented by the Capitol City Opera Company, this one-woman opera-play features Glenn portraying the famous Philadelphia-born opera singer Marian Anderson – the first black woman to sing at the Metropolitan Opera and one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century. Written by Theatre Gael’s John Stevens, this program gives the audience an insightful look at Marian’s life, including the challenges she overcame and the triumphs she achieved.
Tickets to the show are only $1. Those wishing to attend either performance must call the Spivey Hall Education Department at (678) 466-4481 or email educationmanager@spiveyhall.org to reserve a ticket in advance. Any walk-ups on the day of the show will not be guaranteed a seat and will be subject to a $2 ticket price. For more information on this and other education programs, visit www.spiveyhall.org/education.
On Tuesday, Feb. 16, “The Hotseat” is a program is designed to provide participants with a safe environment to discuss controversial topics regarding the opposite sex including communication, dating, and relationships. Sponsored by the African American Male Initiative, “The Hotseat” will start at 6 p.m. in the Laker Hall multipurpose room.
The Black History Month Super Bowl is a game show designed to test the participants’ knowledge of African Americans. Scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 18 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Student Activities Center Ballrooms A and B and sponsored by the Campus Events Council, Campus Life, and DEEP Peer Educators, the winning team in the Super Bowl will walk away with the grand prize of $200.
The Third Annual Black History Month Gospel Explosion will be held on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. in the Student Activities Center ballroom. Sponsored by the Appointed Generation Gospel Choir, the Gospel Explosion will feature local artists, collegiate choirs and liturgical dancers from the surrounding area.
The Black History Month Cultural Connection is an opportunity to learn more about the African American culture through entertainment, refreshments, and much more. Sponsored by the Campus Events Council, the Black History Month Cultural Connection will be held on Thursday, Feb. 25, in Student Activities ballroom C, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
Mystery/Secret Shopper Schemes
The IC3 has been alerted to an increase in employment schemes pertaining to mystery/secret shopper positions. Many retail and service corporations hire evaluators to perform secret or random checks on themselves or their competitors, and fraudsters are capitalizing on this employment opportunity.
Victims have reported to the IC3 they were contacted via e-mail and U.S. mail to apply to be a mystery shopper. Applicants are asked to send a resume and are purportedly subject to an extensive background check before being accepted as a mystery shopper. The employees are sent a check with instructions to shop at a specified retailer for a specific length of time and spend a specific amount on merchandise from the store. The employees receive instructions to take note of the store's environment, color, payment procedures, gift items, and shopping/carrier bags and report back to the employer. The second evaluation is the ease and accuracy of wiring money from the retail location. The money to be wired is also included in the check sent to the employee. The remaining balance is the employee's payment for the completion of the assignment. After merchandise is purchased and money is wired, the employees are advised by the bank the check cashed was counterfeit, and they are responsible for the money lost in addition to bank fees incurred.
In other versions of the scheme, applicants are requested to provide bank account information to have money directly deposited into their accounts. The fraudster then has acquired access to these victims' accounts and can withdraw money, which makes the applicant a victim of identity theft.
Tips
Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of employment schemes associated with mystery/secret shopping:
*
Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
*
Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
*
Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Virus scan all attachments, if possible.
*
Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
*
Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link you are actually directed to and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.
*
There are legitimate mystery/secret shopper programs available. Research the legitimacy on companies hiring mystery shoppers. Legitimate companies will not charge an application fee and will accept applications online.
*
No legitimate mystery/secret shopper program will send payment in advance and ask the employee to send a portion of it back.
Individuals who believe they have information pertaining to mystery/secret shopper schemes are encouraged to file a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
-----
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Victims have reported to the IC3 they were contacted via e-mail and U.S. mail to apply to be a mystery shopper. Applicants are asked to send a resume and are purportedly subject to an extensive background check before being accepted as a mystery shopper. The employees are sent a check with instructions to shop at a specified retailer for a specific length of time and spend a specific amount on merchandise from the store. The employees receive instructions to take note of the store's environment, color, payment procedures, gift items, and shopping/carrier bags and report back to the employer. The second evaluation is the ease and accuracy of wiring money from the retail location. The money to be wired is also included in the check sent to the employee. The remaining balance is the employee's payment for the completion of the assignment. After merchandise is purchased and money is wired, the employees are advised by the bank the check cashed was counterfeit, and they are responsible for the money lost in addition to bank fees incurred.
In other versions of the scheme, applicants are requested to provide bank account information to have money directly deposited into their accounts. The fraudster then has acquired access to these victims' accounts and can withdraw money, which makes the applicant a victim of identity theft.
Tips
Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of employment schemes associated with mystery/secret shopping:
*
Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
*
Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
*
Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Virus scan all attachments, if possible.
*
Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
*
Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link you are actually directed to and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.
*
There are legitimate mystery/secret shopper programs available. Research the legitimacy on companies hiring mystery shoppers. Legitimate companies will not charge an application fee and will accept applications online.
*
No legitimate mystery/secret shopper program will send payment in advance and ask the employee to send a portion of it back.
Individuals who believe they have information pertaining to mystery/secret shopper schemes are encouraged to file a complaint at www.IC3.gov.
-----
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Sunday, January 17, 2010
President Obama Tasks Former Presidents Bush and Clinton with Fundraising for Haiti Recovery
/PRNewswire-/ -- The U.S. Fund for UNICEF today applauded the joint efforts of President Obama and Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in ensuring that the American response to the crisis in Haiti is sustained over the long-term.
"On behalf of Haiti's children, we applaud the joint initiative of President Obama and Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to provide leadership, resources and visibility to the long term recovery effort," said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
"When the media spotlight fades from the initial disaster relief, UNICEF and its partners will still be on the ground, working to build Haiti back and this cannot be accomplished with out sustained support. Though we cannot undo the damage of Tuesday's earthquake, we can decide to make Haiti's children a priority and work to ensure their childhoods are not irrevocably destroyed by its aftermath."
Efforts are underway to unload and deliver UNICEF emergency supplies and equipment that arrived in Port-au-Prince by plane in the early hours this morning. This first UNICEF shipment included water tanks, water purification tablets and rehydration salts. Clean water and sanitation are amongst the most important emergency relief needs following most emergencies, in particular to protect against the serious health risks posed by diarrheal infections and diseases.
Two more planes loaded with relief are planned for the weekend, carrying some 70 metric tons of tents, tarpaulin, and medicine.
Many of Haiti's public buildings and utilities have been destroyed. There is severe damage to hospitals, schools and the city's two seaports. This infrastructure damage has resulted in large scale displacement of people from their homes, into makeshift and overcrowded shelters.
As communications systems and infrastructure damaged by the earthquake that hit near Port au Prince on January 12 are slowly being repaired, precise information about the damage is still not available. According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) some 3.5 million people are estimated to be in the areas affected by the earthquake and its aftershocks. Thousands are feared dead, many more injured and unknown numbers still buried under the rubble.
UNICEF efforts to assist with life-saving and recovery operations in Haiti will focus on clean water and sanitation, therapeutic food for infants and small children, medical supplies and temporary shelter.
To donate to the ongoing emergency relief efforts in Haiti and the Caribbean region, please visit: www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call 1-800-4UNICEF.
-----
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"On behalf of Haiti's children, we applaud the joint initiative of President Obama and Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to provide leadership, resources and visibility to the long term recovery effort," said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.
"When the media spotlight fades from the initial disaster relief, UNICEF and its partners will still be on the ground, working to build Haiti back and this cannot be accomplished with out sustained support. Though we cannot undo the damage of Tuesday's earthquake, we can decide to make Haiti's children a priority and work to ensure their childhoods are not irrevocably destroyed by its aftermath."
Efforts are underway to unload and deliver UNICEF emergency supplies and equipment that arrived in Port-au-Prince by plane in the early hours this morning. This first UNICEF shipment included water tanks, water purification tablets and rehydration salts. Clean water and sanitation are amongst the most important emergency relief needs following most emergencies, in particular to protect against the serious health risks posed by diarrheal infections and diseases.
Two more planes loaded with relief are planned for the weekend, carrying some 70 metric tons of tents, tarpaulin, and medicine.
Many of Haiti's public buildings and utilities have been destroyed. There is severe damage to hospitals, schools and the city's two seaports. This infrastructure damage has resulted in large scale displacement of people from their homes, into makeshift and overcrowded shelters.
As communications systems and infrastructure damaged by the earthquake that hit near Port au Prince on January 12 are slowly being repaired, precise information about the damage is still not available. According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) some 3.5 million people are estimated to be in the areas affected by the earthquake and its aftershocks. Thousands are feared dead, many more injured and unknown numbers still buried under the rubble.
UNICEF efforts to assist with life-saving and recovery operations in Haiti will focus on clean water and sanitation, therapeutic food for infants and small children, medical supplies and temporary shelter.
To donate to the ongoing emergency relief efforts in Haiti and the Caribbean region, please visit: www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call 1-800-4UNICEF.
-----
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Fayette Front Page
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Friday, January 15, 2010
Georgia Power's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Volunteer Service Projects Focus on Energy Efficiency
/PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"
For the past 10 years, Georgia Power and Southern Company (NYSE:SO) have urged their employees to honor Dr. King's legacy by volunteering on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Since beginning the volunteer service endeavor several years ago, hundreds of employees have participated in activities statewide to beautify neighborhoods and support community programs.
This year, in addition to the company's traditional volunteer activities, Georgia Power and Southern Company are teaming up with the city of Atlanta and the King Center to focus on energy-efficiency projects.
"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a vision to do everything possible to help those less fortunate in our community improve their standard of living," said Georgia Power President and CEO Mike Garrett. "This is a golden opportunity to make good on his vision by helping people save money, and use energy more efficiently."
One project involves replacing the shower heads and faucet aerators at all city of Atlanta natatoriums with new, efficient ones that save water and energy. Additionally, an energy-audit assessment and improvements will be made to the MLK natatorium.
"Georgia Power is one of the city's most valued corporate partners, and we appreciate their continued efforts to honor the legacy of Dr. King," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "This effort to improve energy efficiency in city facilities and in the Atlanta community is not only symbolic of King's vision, but represents a real contribution to people's livelihoods."
Georgia Power employees also will be giving away 6,000 compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and staffing interactive displays at the King Center on Monday to educate attendees on energy efficiency.
"Taking the small step of replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient CFLs can make a large impact on preserving the environment," Garrett continued. "It's also a smart and easy way for consumers to save money and energy at the same time."
Upon taking the ENERGY STAR® Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR pledge, which asks each recipient to replace at least one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR-qualified CFL, visitors will receive a free CFL. Georgia Power leads the nation in generating these pledges.
"Dr. King made such a remarkable impact on our nation through his service, it is only fitting that we honor his legacy with our own service," said David Ratcliffe, President and CEO of Southern Company. "Dr. King once said, 'Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.' The King Holiday affords the ideal opportunity to remember the legacy of a great American by being one yourself."
In addition to the displays and give-a way's at the King Center, the company has coordinated with volunteers from the King Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church to distribute or change out inefficient light bulbs in a low-income housing development and to residents in Atlanta's Fourth Ward.
Georgia Power employees and their family members also will volunteer at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Lutheran Towers, Mary Ann Manley House, South Bend Park and Bellwood Boys & Girls Club.
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For the past 10 years, Georgia Power and Southern Company (NYSE:SO) have urged their employees to honor Dr. King's legacy by volunteering on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Since beginning the volunteer service endeavor several years ago, hundreds of employees have participated in activities statewide to beautify neighborhoods and support community programs.
This year, in addition to the company's traditional volunteer activities, Georgia Power and Southern Company are teaming up with the city of Atlanta and the King Center to focus on energy-efficiency projects.
"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a vision to do everything possible to help those less fortunate in our community improve their standard of living," said Georgia Power President and CEO Mike Garrett. "This is a golden opportunity to make good on his vision by helping people save money, and use energy more efficiently."
One project involves replacing the shower heads and faucet aerators at all city of Atlanta natatoriums with new, efficient ones that save water and energy. Additionally, an energy-audit assessment and improvements will be made to the MLK natatorium.
"Georgia Power is one of the city's most valued corporate partners, and we appreciate their continued efforts to honor the legacy of Dr. King," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "This effort to improve energy efficiency in city facilities and in the Atlanta community is not only symbolic of King's vision, but represents a real contribution to people's livelihoods."
Georgia Power employees also will be giving away 6,000 compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) and staffing interactive displays at the King Center on Monday to educate attendees on energy efficiency.
"Taking the small step of replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient CFLs can make a large impact on preserving the environment," Garrett continued. "It's also a smart and easy way for consumers to save money and energy at the same time."
Upon taking the ENERGY STAR® Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR pledge, which asks each recipient to replace at least one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR-qualified CFL, visitors will receive a free CFL. Georgia Power leads the nation in generating these pledges.
"Dr. King made such a remarkable impact on our nation through his service, it is only fitting that we honor his legacy with our own service," said David Ratcliffe, President and CEO of Southern Company. "Dr. King once said, 'Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.' The King Holiday affords the ideal opportunity to remember the legacy of a great American by being one yourself."
In addition to the displays and give-a way's at the King Center, the company has coordinated with volunteers from the King Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church to distribute or change out inefficient light bulbs in a low-income housing development and to residents in Atlanta's Fourth Ward.
Georgia Power employees and their family members also will volunteer at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Lutheran Towers, Mary Ann Manley House, South Bend Park and Bellwood Boys & Girls Club.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
NASA Caught in Climate Data Manipulation; New Revelations Headlined on KUSI-TV Climate Special
/PRNewswire/ -- Climate researchers have discovered that NASA researchers improperly manipulated data in order to claim 2005 as "THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD." KUSI-TV meteorologist, Weather Channel founder, and iconic weatherman John Coleman will present these findings in a one-hour special airing on KUSI-TV on Jan.14 at 9 p.m. A related report will be made available on the Internet at 6 p.m. EST on January 14th at www.kusi.com.
In a new report, computer expert E. Michael Smith and Certified Consulting Meteorologist Joseph D'Aleo discovered extensive manipulation of the temperature data by the U.S. Government's two primary climate centers: the National Climate Data Center (NCDC) in Ashville, North Carolina and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) at Columbia University in New York City. Smith and D'Aleo accuse these centers of manipulating temperature data to give the appearance of warmer temperatures than actually occurred by trimming the number and location of weather observation stations. The report is available online at http://icecap.us/images/uploads/NOAAroleinclimategate.pdf.
The report reveals that there were no actual temperatures left in the computer database when NASA/NCDC proclaimed 2005 as "THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD." The NCDC deleted actual temperatures at thousands of locations throughout the world as it changed to a system of global grid points, each of which is determined by averaging the temperatures of two or more adjacent weather observation stations. So the NCDC grid map contains only averaged, not real temperatures, giving rise to significant doubt that the result is a valid representation of Earth temperatures.
The number of actual weather observation points used as a starting point for world average temperatures was reduced from about 6,000 in the 1970s to about 1,000 now. "That leaves much of the world unaccounted for," says D'Aleo.
The NCDC data are regularly used by the National Weather Service to declare a given month or year as setting a record for warmth. Such pronouncements are typically made in support of the global warming alarmism agenda. Researchers who support the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also regularly use the NASA/NCDC data, including researchers associated with the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia that is now at the center of the "Climategate" controversy.
This problem is only the tip of the iceberg with NCDC data. "For one thing, it is clear that comparing data from previous years, when the final figure was produced by averaging a large number of temperatures, with those of later years, produced from a small temperature base and the grid method, is like comparing apples and oranges," says Smith. "When the differences between the warmest year in history and the tenth warmest year is less than three quarters of a degree, it becomes silly to rely on such comparisons," added D'Aleo who asserts that the data manipulation is "scientific travesty" that was committed by activist scientists to advance the global warming agenda.
Smith and D'Aleo are both interviewed as part of a report on this study on the television special, "Global Warming: The Other Side" seen at 9 PM on January 14th on KUSI-TV, channel 9/51, San Diego, California. That program can now be viewed via computer at the website http://www.kusi.com/. The detailed report is available at http://icecap.us/images/uploads/NOAAroleinclimategate.pdf.
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In a new report, computer expert E. Michael Smith and Certified Consulting Meteorologist Joseph D'Aleo discovered extensive manipulation of the temperature data by the U.S. Government's two primary climate centers: the National Climate Data Center (NCDC) in Ashville, North Carolina and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) at Columbia University in New York City. Smith and D'Aleo accuse these centers of manipulating temperature data to give the appearance of warmer temperatures than actually occurred by trimming the number and location of weather observation stations. The report is available online at http://icecap.us/images/uploads/NOAAroleinclimategate.pdf.
The report reveals that there were no actual temperatures left in the computer database when NASA/NCDC proclaimed 2005 as "THE WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD." The NCDC deleted actual temperatures at thousands of locations throughout the world as it changed to a system of global grid points, each of which is determined by averaging the temperatures of two or more adjacent weather observation stations. So the NCDC grid map contains only averaged, not real temperatures, giving rise to significant doubt that the result is a valid representation of Earth temperatures.
The number of actual weather observation points used as a starting point for world average temperatures was reduced from about 6,000 in the 1970s to about 1,000 now. "That leaves much of the world unaccounted for," says D'Aleo.
The NCDC data are regularly used by the National Weather Service to declare a given month or year as setting a record for warmth. Such pronouncements are typically made in support of the global warming alarmism agenda. Researchers who support the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also regularly use the NASA/NCDC data, including researchers associated with the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia that is now at the center of the "Climategate" controversy.
This problem is only the tip of the iceberg with NCDC data. "For one thing, it is clear that comparing data from previous years, when the final figure was produced by averaging a large number of temperatures, with those of later years, produced from a small temperature base and the grid method, is like comparing apples and oranges," says Smith. "When the differences between the warmest year in history and the tenth warmest year is less than three quarters of a degree, it becomes silly to rely on such comparisons," added D'Aleo who asserts that the data manipulation is "scientific travesty" that was committed by activist scientists to advance the global warming agenda.
Smith and D'Aleo are both interviewed as part of a report on this study on the television special, "Global Warming: The Other Side" seen at 9 PM on January 14th on KUSI-TV, channel 9/51, San Diego, California. That program can now be viewed via computer at the website http://www.kusi.com/. The detailed report is available at http://icecap.us/images/uploads/NOAAroleinclimategate.pdf.
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