Sunday, November 11, 2012

Outsourcing Payroll | Back Office Solutions

by Vincent in News on Nov. 9, 2012

Outsourcing your payroll may be one of the most important decisions you make in 2013. Soon 1 out of every 3 businesses will be outsourcing their payroll. Here are a few reasons why.

1. Free Up Your Time

Payroll processing by hand is a time-consuming process. Outsourcing payroll can free up staff time to pursue more important value-added and revenue-generating activities. Inc. magazine recently identified payroll as the #1 task for small business to outsource, along with most accounting tasks.

2. Reduce Costs

The direct costs of processing payroll can be greatly reduced by working with a payroll provider. Our research indicates that a small business with 10 employees will typically save 20% per year in direct labor costs associated with payroll.

3. Avoid IRS Penalties

According to the IRS, 40 percent of small businesses pay an average penalty of $845 per year for late or incorrect filings and payments. Most national payroll services provide a tax guarantee, ensuring that customers will incur no penalties because the providers take responsibility for penalties when they do occur. In many instances, this cost-saving immediately justifies outsourcing payroll.

4. Alleviate The Worry

Manual payroll is a headache in the best case and a nightmare in the worst case. Business owners who outsource payroll eliminate a tiresome source of personal pain.

5. Offer Direct Deposit

Providing direct deposit is difficult if a company doesn?t use an outside payroll service. Increasingly, small businesses recognize that employees want direct deposit. Not having to make a trip to the bank is an important convenience for them. More importantly for business owners, direct deposit eliminates time-consuming and error-prone paper handling and the need to reconcile individual payroll checks every month.

6. Avoid Technology Headaches

A constant question for small business owners is whether they have the latest version of their payroll software and the most recent tax tables installed on their computer. Using the wrong tax tables can result in stiff penalties. Outsourcing payroll removes those headaches and keeps payroll running smoothly.

7. Leverage Outside Payroll Expertise

Most business owners and controllers don?t have time to keep up with constantly changing regulations, withholding rates, and government forms. By outsourcing payroll, a small business can take advantage of expertise that was previously available only to big companies.

8. Avoid Payroll Knowledge Walking Out the Door

If your bookkeeper or controller gets a new job, they will walk out the door with their knowledge of the payroll process and how you do it. Using an outside service eliminates that business risk.

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Source: http://bosusa.com/?p=1833

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    How To Avoid Hearing Aid Fitting Problems

    One of the most common complaints about a hearing aid is that it does not fit right. This is often a problem not so much because the device cannot fit well, but rather because it may not be right for you. When you visit a specialist, he or she will conduct a test to determine what specific type of mechanism is right for your situation. Then, there is a process of properly fitting the device into your ear. If this did not happen or it did not happen properly, then that is where the problem with an ill-fitting device stems from. There are some options for fixing this problem, though.

    Proper Initial Fitting

    The first step in avoiding fit problems with a hearing aid is to have a proper fitting conducted at the onset. This means you will need to work with your specialist to determine what potential needs you may have and then find the right solution. The biggest problem in this process is an individual rushing to decide that one option is right for them when it may not be. If you have the ability to choose from the fit of several, take the time to do so. You want to get this right. Do not allow any provider to encourage you to choose something that is not right for you or that feels out of place.

    Consider Devices for the Exterior of the Ear

    In some cases, the device does not or cannot go within the ear. This is common in situations where the level of loss is significant. The device is then worn on the outer portion of the ear or earlobe. In positioning it here, it is unlikely to cause any type of discomfort for you in the long term. Most people struggle with discomfort only when the device is placed into the inner ear canal. If it is bothering you, ask for a different model.

    Replace It When Needed

    You cannot expect your ear not to change over the next five to ten years. Your device will need to be updated from time to time. If it has been a while since your last appointment with a specialist, schedule one now. It could help you to see a significant improvement in the way your ears feel with a new device in place.

    A hearing aid should fit well and feel comfortable. Over time, you may not even realize it is there. Keep in mind that you will need to select a device that is well fitted for your specific needs. This can help to make the process easier for you to deal with as soon as you select a device to use.

    For all of your seattle, wa hearing aid needs, you should visit the trusted professionals if you live in the area and need recommendations for auditory devices. Visit http://www.miracle-ear-seattle.com today to learn more.

    Source: http://toddsblogs.com/healthandfitness/2012/11/10/how-to-avoid-hearing-aid-fitting-problems/

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    Saturday, November 10, 2012

    Here's What's Wrong With The Economy - Business Insider

    ">Yepoka Yeebo / Business Insider

    AS YOU pull out of Washington's Union Station on a north-bound train, you glide through a thicket of construction cranes erecting new offices and residential buildings.

    The view couldn't be more different some 45 minutes later, as one passes block after block of decaying rowhouses in Baltimore's inner-city neighbourhoods. Indeed, for much of the journey to New York, the main view on offer is one of industrial decline?like the sad slogan "Trenton makes, the world takes", dating from 1935, visible on a bridge over the Delaware River in Trenton, New Jersey?that is the residue of an old American economy.

    And then one approaches New York City, where cranes again dominate the skyline, building, among other things, a soaring skyscraper that will be home to just tens of billionaires.

    In an interesting piece at the New York Times, Adam Davidson explores this geography between Washington and New York, chronicling some of the stories of those left behind by today's economy. His framing of the changing geography of the northeastern corridor is a little problematic, however. He writes:

    For most of the 180 or so years of the train line?s existence, the endpoints of this journey ? New York and D.C. ? were subordinate to the roaring engines of productivity in between. The real value in America was created in Newark?s machine shops and tanneries, Trenton?s rubber and metal plants, Chester?s shipyard, Baltimore?s steel mills...

    This model was flipped inside out as Wall Street and D.C. became central drivers, not secondary supports, of the nation?s economy. Now, on its route between them, the train passes directly through or near 8 of the 10 richest counties in the United States, but all of this wealth is concentrated near the endpoints of the journey...

    [I]n the case of those areas surrounding the capital, wealth has gravitated to the exact spot where government regulation is created. Why? Because many businesses discovered that renegotiating the terms between government and the private sector can be extraordinarily lucrative. A few remarkable books by professors at N.Y.U.?s Stern School of Business argue that a primary source of profit for Wall Street over the past 15 to 20 years could be what I call the Acela Strategy: making money by exploiting regulation rather than by creating more effective ways to finance the rest of the economy.

    It is unquestionably true that some of the recent economic strength of Washington and New York can be traced to unhealthy rent-seeking. The rise of the defence-contractor economy of Northern Virginia is troubling, as is the unholy relationship between Wall Street and Washington regulators. Yet to pin the broad changes in the geography of the northeastern corridor (and similar shifts across the nation and rich world as a whole) on an explosion in rent-seeking is a mistake. The real story is more interesting: the economic role of the city itself has changed.

    The great cities of the northeastern corridor boomed to their massive size during the industrial revolution. Between 1790 and 1860 the population of New York City (which, contrary to the implication of the Times piece, has been the behemoth of the Northeast for two centuries) rose by at least 50% per decade. New York, and the other industrial cities of the corridor, were built on a very straightforward economics. At the time, shipping by sea was cheap while shipping (or indeed traveling) over land was prohibitively expensive. Port cities therefore became factory cities. Raw materials were shipped into ports like New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, transformed by the local industry, and then shipped back out to destination markets. These industries provided direct employment for hundreds of thousands of workers, and fueled the growth of other sectors as well, from retail to finance and insurance.

    But over the course of the 20th century, the pattern of transport costs that held this world together changed dramatically. Highways and the automobile allowed richer residents to move out of central jurisdictions to nearby suburbs. That robbed central places of an important source of tax revenue and led to declining public services, which encouraged still more suburbanisation. Highways, and new shipping technologies, also allowed manufacturers to escape the high real-estate and labour costs of port cities. Industry began to migrate to suburbs, then to the American South, and then abroad. For some time these trends seemed to spell doom for the Northeastern cities. But in fact, they created a different sort of economic gravity, which has in turn led to renewed growth across the region.

    Falling transport and communication costs raised the return to ideas by expanding the global market over which good ones could be exploited. In doing so, they made clusters conducive to idea generation and new business formation more lucrative. Just as important, shifting space-hungry manufacturing elsewere enabled a reshaping of cities around human rather than bulky physical capital. A piece in a recent special report describes this evolution:

    You might imagine that the dramatic fall in the cost of communications and computing would have pushed firms in the information-technology industry (among others) farther apart. Natural resources do not matter to them; all they need is a good internet connection. The ease of online communication should reduce the need for their people to be close together in order to work, to deal with customers and suppliers or to swap ideas. Young companies really can pick their spot. That would seem to count against Silicon Valley, where premises are costly, and against London and New York, which are not only expensive but also lack California?s high-tech history. Berlin is cheaper, but there are plenty of places all over Europe where costs are lower.

    Yet although you can find tech companies of all shapes and sizes almost anywhere, the smaller ones especially have a fondness for huddling together. Jed Kolko, Trulia?s chief economist, puts this down mainly to the continuing attraction of a deep pool of skilled labour. ?The less an industry needs to be near natural resources, its suppliers or its customers,? he says, ?the more it?s likely to cluster where its workers want to live.?

    Research in economic geography turns up a strong relationship between city size and productivity in cities with high levels of human capital. The northeast is changing from city-as-factory to city-as-executive-suite and city-as-research-lab. As Matt Yglesias notes here, the resulting prosperity is hardly confined to Washington and New York, most of the corridor's large metropolitan areas are rich relative to the rest of the country. When passing through Baltimore and Philadelphia, one can look up from rows of vacant homes to see gleaming towers and new condo developments. The big story in these places is the change in the return to skills. It's one that shows up in national income data as well as along northeastern train routes.

    The difficulty this creates for the northeastern corridor is that this kind of clustering creates a demand for a different set of workers (and often a different infrastructure) than was necessary a century ago. Adjustment to this shift in labour demand has been taxing for major cities, but more importantly it has placed a great deal of stress on middle-income workers, whose talents are no longer needed. Cities continue to serve as engines of wealth-creation, but they are less effective as engines of broad economic mobility than they once were.

    It's interesting to think about the history of the ports of New York in this context. (See Marc Levinson's book The Box for more on the subject.) Once upon a time, New York's port was in New York. Docks stretched along the Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfronts, providing work for thousands of longshoremen who earned a good living loading and unloading breakbulk cargo more-or-less by hand. Over the second half of the last century, however, the rise of container shipping led to an explosion in trade and huge declines in the cost of many goods. Across New York's harbor in Newark, New Jersey, one now sees massive container-port operations, shipping vastly more cargo than New York City previously managed with far fewer workers. Back in Manhattan, the old dock areas are now home to gleaming towers full of skilled professionals. Technological change transformed the economy of the New York area and made both it and the country vastly richer. But that change also helped hollow out the middle of the labour force, in New York itself and across the country. The middle-class dock workers who once occupied charming townhomes in neighbourhoods in Brooklyn or Baltimore have too often become poor residents of those cities or have left altogether.

    I think there is room to blame rent-seeking in cities for the fate of some middle-income workers. The dynamic that troubles me, however, is that of the NIMBY, who restricts access to the best neighbourhoods or?by fighting development and therefore raising housing costs?to the most productive cities, thereby discouraging marginal workers from locating in such places and taking advantage of the opportunities that are available. But the story of the recent remaking of the northeast corridor is just a continuation of the long interaction between industry, technology, and geography that has characterised rich economies since the earliest days of the industrial revolution. It's a broadly positive thing that ought to be accommodated, rather than evidence of the parasitic growth of Washington and New York.

    Click here to subscribe to The Economist

    Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-whats-wrong-with-the-economy-2012-11

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    Democrat Jay Inslee elected Washington state governor

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    News Summary: ECB warns of weak economic growth

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    Chrysler recalls over 900,000 Jeeps for airbag issue

    6 hrs.

    Chrysler is recalling over 919,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty SUVs worldwide due to a potential defect that can cause their airbags to unexpectedly inflate while the vehicles are being driven.

    A total of 775,000 older versions of the two Jeep models will be impacted in the U.S., along with 49,000 sold in Canada, 22,000 in Mexico and the rest distributed to other global markets.? While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the problem has not led to any accidents there have been a number of minor injuries caused by the inadvertent airbag deployments.

    The latest recall adds to the growing tally of safety actions related to airbag safety defects. Ford, Honda and Hyundai are among the list of other makers who have been affected in recent years.

    NHTSA reports that the Jeep problem involves Grand Cherokees produced in the 2002 through 2004 model-years, and Liberty SUVs produced in 2002 and 2003. According to the safety agency, the problem has been linked to a defective part in the computer used to control the airbags.

    Under normal circumstances, airbags rely on a network of sensors that indicate when and where a collision has occurred ? and on more recent models, sensors also detect the severity of a crash and where occupants are sitting in the vehicle.? The Jeeps involved in the recall may see their front or side-impact airbags inflate even if they aren?t involved in a collision. Pre-tensioning seatbelts may also be triggered.

    A Chrysler spokesman noted that the problem has occurred in less than three-hundreths of a percent of the Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee models on the road.

    Nonetheless, after completing a year-long investigation, NHTSA determined the problem occurred 215 times, causing 81 minor injuries ? but while the inadvertent airbag deployments have not been linked to any crashes, the safety agency warns that drivers could be startled into losing control of their vehicles.

    Chrysler says it plans to notify owners by January and repairs will be made to the electrical system at no charge to consumers.

    Automotive manufacturers have seen a number of airbag issues pop up in recent years forcing them to recall large numbers of vehicles.? In July, Hyundai recalled 220,000 Sonata sedans and Santa Fe SUVs from the 2007 to 2009 model-years because sensors designed to protect small children in an airbag deployment might not work.? The maker also recalled nearly 23,000 late-model Sonatas for a separate airbag problem.

    Ford announced the recall of 154,000 Fiesta models due to airbag problems last month, and the maker previously called back 1.5 million vehicles ? including 1.2 million F-Series pickups ? due to unexpected airbag deployments.

    Honda, meanwhile, has recalled over 2.5 million vehicles sold through the Honda and Acura brands because they could deploy with too much force, sending deadly shrapnel into the passenger compartment. The problem was linked to at least two deaths.

    Because of the potential dangers, NHTSA has put a high priority on discovering and fixing airbag problems.?

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/chrysler-recalls-over-900-000-jeeps-airbag-issue-1C6970850

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    A DNA Test Can Predict How Good Beef Will Taste

    One cow looks much like another, but some provide meltingly tender meat while others are as tough as old boots. Fortunately, a team of researchers has devised a series of DNA tests that can predict how good beef will taste by the time it hits your plate. More »


    Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bcjM4TcBvEw/a-dna-test-can-predict-how-good-beef-will-taste

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    Friday, November 9, 2012

    "This Is Why You Don't Buy an iPad From Walmart"

    This video, posted to YouTube yesterday, purports to show three Walmart employees shuffling stock in the warehouse of a store in Pikeville, KY. While it's unclear how representative it is, it may be enough to put you off buying electronics from that particular store. More »


    Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ysV52ZbNAX4/this-is-why-you-dont-buy-an-ipad-from-walmart

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    Big stores opening even earlier on Thanksgiving

    1 day

    Skip the second helpings.

    It used to be just called Thanksgiving. Now the day is increasingly called Black Friday Eve or Black Thursday, as retailers double down on early opening hours for the kickoff of the holiday shopping season.

    This Thanksgiving, some retailers, including the world?s largest, are opening earlier than ever, before the dishes are even cleared from the table.

    ?This is actually something we?ve seen really take off with consumers in recent years,? said Kathy Grannis, spokeswoman at the National Retail Federation. Last year, 24 percent of shoppers said they were at a store at midnight on Black Friday. Just two years earlier, Grannis said, that number was only 9 percent.

    Wal-Mart will start the first of three Black Friday sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, followed by 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Last year, Wal-Mart opened at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving night."Our customers told us that they loved our Thanksgiving event earlier last year and asked for it again," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sarah Spencer. "Our highest customer traffic was during the 10 p.m. hour."

    Sears is opening its stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, too. ?Last year, it opened at 4 a.m. on Black Friday. Like Wal-Mart, it is spacing out its sales: one at the opening, the second at 4 a.m. on Friday. Kmart stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., then will close and reopen from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. They will reopen for a second time at 5 a.m. on Black Friday.

    Macy?s, Best Buy and Kohl?s all will open at midnight this year.

    Target, J.C. Penney and Toys ?R? Us haven?t announced when they will open their stores for Black Friday. Last year, Target was one of many retailers that opened at midnight. Penney opened its doors at 4 a.m., while Toys ?R? Us was an early adopter of the ultra-early trend, opening at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving night.

    Some fans posted complaints to Wal-Mart?s Facebook page in response to the news of the Thanksgiving night sales, but analysts say the payoff prompts companies to risk the backlash.

    Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at NPD Group, said that last year, stores that extended their hours to open earlier saw an average 22 percent increase in sales. So, shoppers might complain about the sales encroaching on Thanksgiving dinner, but they?re still turning out to buy things anyway.

    ?It?s proved to be a very important strategy,? he said. ?Retailers are clearly willing to take on whatever wrath they may get by breaking tradition.?

    ?It helps them manage their traffic flow better,? said Barbara Wyckoff, an analyst with CLSA/Credit Agricole Securities (USA). By expanding the shopping window and staggering sales times, retailers like Wal-Mart are trying to avoid being overwhelmed with a wave of shoppers all at once, which contributes to a poor customer experience.

    While it may give traditionalists heartburn, analysts say Black Friday Eve isn?t going away.?This will continue as far as they can push it,? Wyckoff said. ?I think it?s going to continue to be earlier and earlier.?

    What people are actually buying on Black Friday is also good for retailers. ?What we learned last year is a lot of that early business is self-purchase and impulse buys,? Cohen said. ?It creates a whole new dynamic of retail opportunity.?

    The one thing that could put a halt to stores? temporal arms race would be a resurgent economy.

    ?We didn?t see these types of promotions before 2008 and 2009,? Grannis said. ?If we?re no longer at a point where people are looking for extreme discounts... and they?re really back to just looking for great gift ideas, there could be a shift in how many people want to be out there at midnight.?

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/thanksgiving-itll-be-dine-dash-stores-open-earlier-1C6929092

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    Ford builds plug-ins, "wild Focus" at flexible Michigan plant

    DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co marked on Thursday the production launch of its latest plug-in hybrid at a former SUV factory that now serves as a model for the second-largest U.S. automaker's global manufacturing strategy.

    With production of the C-Max Energi, the Michigan Assembly Plant is now the only factory in the world to build gas-powered, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars all on the same production line, according to the company.

    "In the future, globally, we'll have plants that produce multiple platforms, multiple powertrain choices and multiple body styles," said Jim Tetreault, head of manufacturing in North America.

    Michigan Assembly is the latest illustration of Ford's strategy to retool plants and train workers to build a wider range of models. The move lowers Ford's production costs, while allowing it to adapt more quickly to changes in consumer demand.

    The flexibility at Michigan Assembly, which can build five body styles on two platforms, is key as Ford offers electric and hybrid cars whose sales have been unpredictable.

    "We didn't want to get trapped in having dedicated lines for electrified vehicles and dedicating all that capital to a single line of vehicles," Tetreault said.

    Ford announced in May 2009 that it was spending $550 million to overhaul the 55-year-old plant, which made the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator full-size SUVs. Now, Ford makes the C-Max hybrid and plug-in as well as electric and gas-powered versions of the Ford Focus compact car.

    This includes a sport version of the Focus that gets 252 horsepower, which Tetreault calls the "wild Focus."

    "SURGICAL PRESENTATION"

    More than 80 percent of the tooling at Michigan Assembly's body shop can weld a variety of body styles, while the layout of the trim area has been revamped so workers have more time to install complex high-voltage wires or EV batteries.

    At the start of 2010, Ford created a matrix chart dubbed "the plan for every person" that tracked the training needs of every worker. Some workers went through months of training to learn how to repair models with different powertrain systems.

    Ford also brought the design and production of key electrified components in house this year. The Van Dyke Transmission Plant started building hybrid transmissions, while the Rawsonville Plant assembles battery packs.

    These changes shaved 20 percent from development costs and the costs will likely fall further as the factories become more efficient. In Rawsonville, for example, workers were able to go from nine jobs an hour to 19 jobs over the last two weeks.

    This boost partly was partly because workers were given two nail guns, instead of one, to secure the fixtures around the battery pack cover. Each bolt was a different size and a second tool cut down on time needed to adjust the gun for his bolt.

    "We want to get to surgical presentation almost," Tetreault said. "A surgeon reaches out and someone slaps an instrument in his hand. That's what you want the operators doing. You don't want the operators moving a single step to get a part."

    MOVING GOAL POSTS

    Ford's strategy differs from those of General Motors Co and Nissan Motor Co , which created standalone platforms for the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. Lackluster sales prompted GM to halt Volt production earlier this year.

    "They over-reached," Tetreault said, of his rivals. "When you're integrated the way we are, it doesn't matter."

    Under its "One Manufacturing" strategy, Ford is working to build more flexibility at its plants worldwide. Within three years, Ford expects each of its assembly plants to make an average of 4.5 models by 2015, up from 3.6 currently.

    Over time, Ford aims to equip more of its plants to handle multiple vehicle platforms. This is easier to do at plants that build cars, sedans and crossovers, because trucks have different design and build requirements, Tetreault said.

    Ford's plant in Oakville, Ontario can handle three body styles on two platforms and in Louisville, Kentucky, Ford can build six styles on three platforms. Ford is working to make other plants capable of building multiple platforms, but changing fuel economy and safety requirements are a challenge.

    "The objective to make (platforms) stronger, lighter, is always out there," Tetreault said. "The real challenge is trying to meld all of that together into a cohesive strategy. The goal posts keep moving."

    (Reporting By Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by Matt Driskill)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ford-builds-plug-ins-wild-focus-flexible-michigan-050903844--finance.html

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    Thursday, November 8, 2012

    Burgers Flipped | Daily Nutmeg

    A tall thin woman, wearing a white chef?s hat emblazoned with her nickname, beckons from a big white truck parked on York Street between Chapel and Elm.

    She?s offering free samples of her delectable ?Blazin? Burgers with all the fixin?s.? She says she just read in a local magazine how some restaurant or other has won a prize for Best Hamburger. She begs to differ. She?d like the burger judges to sample hers. She?s confident she?s got the best burgers in town.

    And they?re not really hamburgers at all. No meat in them whatsoever.

    Gwen Robinson?better known to hungry vegans as Ms. G?is making inroads into the New Haven lunchtime scene with her big white handpainted truck. Robinson started Ms. G?s Tastys (?Where Good Food Equals Better Health?) just weeks ago in September, digressing from a long career as a school teacher in Hamden. She?s still registered as a teacher?for ?middle school everything!??and gets called in as a substitute from time to time. But her new calling is a different sort of teaching. As her website has it, Ms. G?s Tastys is ?Where Education About Your Health is the Key to Your Wealth.?

    ?For years, I cooked for people because they asked me to,? she says. ?It made sense to start my own cooking business. I bought a truck from somebody and I painted it myself.? It was already equipped with a grill and a freezer, as well as a deep-fryer she doesn?t need to use.

    sponsored by

    Knights of Columbus Museum

    Robinson has been a vegetarian since the age of 19. Now in her 50s, she?s spreading the gospel of meat-free eating. Until she cracks the permit-required lunchwagon hotspots near Yale-New Haven hospital or the Yale Whale, she?s found a ready market for her fare along York Street, where she parks for two hours a day in a regular metered city parking space. ?I have regulars already,? Ms. G gushes, ?and I?ve only been out a couple of weeks.? Some of those stalwarts come from the Yale School of Drama, where acting students are often known for their healthy, low-fat eating habits. The truck?s also had success at College and Wall streets, near Woolsey Hall. Some undergraduate fans arranged for the truck to serve a block party on campus last week. She also does catering, with a more extensive list of foods ranging from pasta dishes to casseroles to fruit baskets.

    A lot of the demand is due to the meatlessness of her endeavor. ?Vegetarian and vegan is all I do,? Robinson says. She?s the sole staff of Ms. G?s Tastys, and uses her own recipes.

    She?s particularly proud of her vegan burgers, made with an oatmeal base. They?re pre-cooked at a separate location, then grilled on the truck so they?re crispy. Special burgers, distinguished by their toppings, have been named in honor of Ms. G?s family and friends. There?s also a Smiley Burger for kids.

    Besides burgers, Ms. G offers such delicacies as her ?Flavorful Flying Disks,? pizza-like meals consisting of homemade whole-grain tortillas with tomato sauce, a vegan white sauce, roasted broccoli, peppers, red onions and sunflower seeds. The white cheese has a soft, creamy taste that blends neatly with the crunchy roasted veggie and the chewy crust.

    The menu can change daily, but desserts have included various cobblers (apple, peach, sweet potato or carob), carrot cake and ?Phenomenal Peanut Butter Cookies.??And, though Robinson?s never drunk coffee in her life, she?s created her own non-caffeinated grain drink from ground roasted soy beans.

    From her effervescent personality and inviting manner to her one-of-a-kind recipes, Ms. G?s vegan-friendly vehicle is driving a new flavor into the downtown lunch scene. Pull over for the Blazin? Burgers.

    Ms. G?s Tastys
    Parked near York and Chapel, New Haven (map)
    11am-1pm Mon-Fri (approximate)
    www.msgtastys.com

    Written and photographed by Christopher Arnott.

    Tags: burgers, Christopher Arnott, feature, food trucks, Gwen Robinson, Ms. G's Tastys, vegan, vegetarian

    Source: http://dailynutmeg.com/2012/11/07/ms-gs-tastys-burgers-flipped/

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    Head-to-head trial of two diabetes drugs yields mixed results

    ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2012) ? A direct, head-to-head comparison of two of the newer treatments available for type 2 diabetes yielded mixed results.

    The 26-week, multicenter DURATION-6 clinical trial found that daily injections of liraglutide (Victoza) were slightly more effective than weekly injections of exenatide (Bydureon) in lowering blood sugar and promoting weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the patients taking exenatide suffered fewer negative side effects such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.

    "Both of these agents are very exciting diabetes products and really good blood sugar-lowering drugs," said John B. Buse, MD, PhD, first author of the study, division chief of endocrinology and metabolism in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, director of the UNC Diabetes Care Center and a a PI Extender of the UNC NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA).

    "The results of this study will be helpful to both doctors and patients in shared decision-making about which of these two drugs is better suited for a particular patient," Buse said. "For example, for some patients the additional weight loss advantage provided by liraglutide might tip the scales in favor of that drug. For other patients, though, the greater convenience of once-weekly injections and the more favorable side effects profile of exenatide would be extremely appealing."

    Results of the study were published online ahead of print on Nov. 7, 2012 by The Lancet.

    In the study, 912 patients from 105 sites in 19 countries were randomized to receive injections of once-daily liraglutide or once-weekly exenatide for 26 weeks. The primary endpoint of the study was the overall reduction in HbA1c (blood sugar) levels from baseline to 26 weeks.

    Both drugs produced a clinically significant decrease in blood sugar levels. By the end of the study, 60 percent of the patients taking liraglutide had achieved HbA1c levels of less than 7 percent, vs. 53 percent of patients on exenatide. Both drugs also produced progressive decreases in bodyweight, but patients taking liraglutide lost about 2 pounds more weight than those on exenatide.

    Patients in both groups reported having side effects on occasions over the six month trial. The most common were nausea (21 percent in the liraglutide group vs. 9 percent in the exenatide group), diarrhea (13 percent vs. 6 percent) and vomiting (11 percent vs. 4 percent). The occurrence of side effects lessened in both groups over time. Five percent of patients on liraglutide and 3 percent on exenatide dropped out of the study because of side effects.

    The study was funded by Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals. Amylin is the manufacturer of Bydureon, the exenatide preparation that was used in this study.

    In addition to Dr. Buse, other authors were Michael Nauck, Thomas Forst, Wayne H-H Sheu, Sylvia K. Shenouda, Cory R. Heilmann, Byron J. Hoogwerf, Aijun Gao, Marilyn K. Boardman, Mark Fineman, Lisa Porter and Guntram Schemthaner.

    Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

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    Story Source:

    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

    Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


    Journal Reference:

    1. John B Buse et al. Exenatide once weekly versus liraglutide once daily in patients with type 2 diabetes (DURATION-6): a randomised, open-label study. The Lancet, 7 November 2012 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61267-7

    Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

    Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/Zvj2Yak1GG0/121106201036.htm

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    Kirsten Baesler To Lead North Dakota Education Department

    In the race to win North Dakota's top education post, Kirsten Baesler was poised to defeat Tracy Potter, with 91 percent of precincts reporting at press time.

    Baesler was ahead with 144,260 votes, or 55 percent of the total, compared to Potters' 117,222 votes, or about 45 percent, when 388 of 426 precincts, or 91 percent, had reported. A total of 1,013 write-in votes had been cast.

    Superintendent of Public Instruction Wayne Sandstead, who did not seek re-election, has been in the job for 26 years.

    Baesler said her campaign was successful because of its "focus on the kids and the issues that were going to impact them and prepare them for success."

    After battling her opponent's "strong name recognition" early in the contest, she said, the "combination of thoughts and ideas" she presented resonated with voters.

    "As people understood my qualifications and realized I had a long history of experience as an administrator and teacher and parent, they knew I could hit the ground running," she said.

    "Education is very important to North Dakotans... They realized I really care about students, to live the life they want to lead and be as happy and successful as possible."

    She said she's "humbled" and "very grateful" to North Dakotans for "allowing me to be the next superintendent... We have great work to do and we have a great opportunity in North Dakota."

    Baesler, of Mandan, is assistant executive director of the North Dakota School Boards Association. She received endorsement from the North Dakota Education Association.

    She has 20 years experience as a teacher, media specialist and administrator. For the past seven years, she has served as president of the Mandan School Board.

    Potter, Bismarck, has served as executive director of the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation for 19 years.

    A former teacher, he headed up North Dakota's tourism department and has served as a state senator from 2006-10. He was the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee in 2010.

    North Dakota's superintendent of public instruction serves a four-year term and receives an annual salary of $102,868.

    Although the office is nonpartisan, North Dakota's political parties offer letters of support to their endorsed candidates. Baesler was endorsed by North Dakota Republicans. Potter, who ran as an independent, did not seek a letter of support from a political party.

    Max Laird, who was endorsed by the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, did not receive enough votes in the June primary to qualify for the general election.

    Call Knudson at (701) 780-1107; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1107; or send e-mail to pknudson@gfherald.com.

    More from around the web ___

    (c)2012 the Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.)

    Visit the Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.) at www.grandforksherald.com

    Distributed by MCT Information Services

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    Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/newcomer-kirsten-baesler-_n_2087247.html

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    Wednesday, November 7, 2012

    Nancy Duarte Shows How to Give a Persuasive Presentation

    If you have time to only watch one presentation about giving persuasive presentations, make it Nancy Duarte?s recent TEDx East presentation.

    After watching it, read the TED blog interview with Nancy Duarte where she describes the 3 keys to giving a great presentation and how she prepared her presentation.

    Seeing is believing

    Here are just a few of the highlights to look for while watching Nancy Duarte?s How to Give a Persuasive Presentation:

    • Engagement. See how quickly Nancy Duarte engages your interest by disarmingly presenting her core idea?one that relates to everyone, everywhere?in a matter-of-fact voice while standing on an empty stage.
    • Relevance. The impact of the initial lofty idea is multiplied by showing the relevance of the idea in a manner than everyone can relate to, i.e., lesser ideas get accepted because better ideas aren?t presented as effectively.
    • Visuals. The visual techniques that Nancy Duarte described in her bestselling books, Slide:ology: the Art and Science of Giving Great Presentations and Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences, is demonstrate by minimalist visuals often consisting of simple short words and phrases against a colored background?but, that, later, communicate more complex ideas.
    • Pacing. At no point during the presentation was there a feeling of information overload, yet the presentation summarizes key ideas that have entertained millions and changed the course of history over and over again. Yet, I never felt that I was being ?taught,? I never felt rushed.

    It?s hard to reconcile the information density of the presentation with the actual elapsed time of just 18 minutes and 9 seconds.

    Nancy Duarte?s How to Give a Persuasive Presentation at TEDx East has important lessons for you, whether you?re an author, coach, consultant, entrepreneur, or self-employed professional. Regardless of how much you already know about storytelling and presentation techniques, you?ll come away from Nancy?s video and interview with a better understanding of how to structure your marketing messages, in person and on SlideShare. Share your favorite parts of the presentation, below.

    Source: http://blog.publishedandprofitable.com/2012/11/07/nancy-duarte-shows-how-to-give-a-persuasive-presentation/

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    Jack Nicholson on pancakes, being a 'sex legend'

    Mario Anzuoni / Reuters file

    Jack Nicholson in Los Angeles in 2010.

    By Kurt Schlosser, TODAY

    At 75, with a successful and celebrated Hollywood career under his belt, there can't be a lot that Jack Nicholson wishes he could change about his life.

    But when asked what he wishes he knew when he was 18, the three-time Oscar winner opened up to The Sun newspaper about a couple of?things -- pancakes and sex.

    "What I wish I knew at 18? Everything -- from wishing I learned a foreign language to becoming a good chef," Nicholson said before launching into a story about his kitchen credentials.

    "I was a short order cook for a while in New Jersey in between acting jobs. One day, a woman came in to ask for pancakes and my pancake came out about 3 inches thick. She said: 'What the hell is this?' I lost my temper, hit the pancake and said, 'Make your own damn pancakes!'

    "So you can add wishing I knew how to control my temper to that list."

    With the restaurant and temper scenario top of mind, we can't help but show this classic diner scene from the 1970 film "Five Easy Pieces." The man just wanted some toast.

    Nicholson also addresses what the article refers to as his reputation as a womanizer.

    "I am an extreme person," the actor told The Sun. "If someone says, 'Jack, you are a womanizer,' I don?t deny it. But the life of a gigolo always ends badly. That is one of the reasons I feel uncomfortable about all that 'sex legend' stuff.

    "I no longer have the energy to both work and fool around. So the last few movies I?ve done, I have hardly left the hotel at nights."

    More Entertainment news:

    Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/11/06/14973566-jack-nicholson-on-making-pancakes-and-being-a-sex-legend?lite

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    Poll challenges, phony instructions could mar vote

    (AP) ? Persistent reports of robocalls incorrectly telling voters they can cast ballots over the phone and fears of aggressive challenges by monitors at polling places threaten to mar Election Day in many key states, voting rights advocates said Monday.

    The fake phone calls, some of which involve live callers, continued to crop up in Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, primarily among African-American voters, said Barbara Arnwine of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The group has mounted a counteroffensive of tens of thousands of calls reminding voters they can't cast ballots over the phone.

    "That is really dirty," said Arnwine, who added that the callers' identities remain a mystery. "It's a very sophisticated operation and it's very widespread, and it's very troubling to us."

    The last-minute telephone tactics are only the latest in months of legal and political battles over more restrictive voter ID and other laws, mostly fruitless hunts for supposedly ineligible people on voting rolls in many states and sustained claims that African-American and Hispanic voters are being targeted for intimidation and suppression.

    Many of these issues could resurface in the courts after Tuesday, particularly if the presidential race is too close to call or heads for a recount in states such as Ohio or Florida.

    "Each of these problems can lead to post-election litigation and gum up the election works," said Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice.

    Voting-rights advocates pointed with particular concern to the tea party-linked True the Vote organization, which has pledged to dispatch thousands of monitors to polling places to guard against potential voter fraud. True the Vote President Catherine Engelbrecht rejected suggestions that the group would be overly aggressive or issue false challenges.

    "Contrary to various interest groups' statements, True the Vote has never been investigated or charged with intimidating voters," she said. "A poll watcher's sole purpose is to monitor the process of our elections. They are trained to never speak with voters, only authorities within the poll."

    The Justice Department will have at least 780 observers at key polling places in 23 states to ensure compliance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act and look into any allegations of voter fraud.

    In Florida, where Democrats unsuccessfully tried to extend early voting by an extra day, election officials in most of the state's biggest jurisdictions were accepting in-person absentee ballots on Monday. A chaotic scene Sunday in Miami-Dade County, where the election office opened, closed and then opened again, was not repeated Monday. There were still long lines of people but a much more orderly process.

    About 200 people were waiting in line at midday Monday at the main Miami-Dade election office. Olga Vila said she only waited about 10 minutes to cast hers.

    "I figured the lines were going to be worse tomorrow," said the 47-year-old accountant. "We Latin people wait until the end. That's why I'm here today. I should have mailed it a week ago. I could've mailed it on Saturday, but then I thought if the post office didn't do their thing then my vote wouldn't count."

    Provisional ballots were the latest legal skirmish in the critical battleground state of Ohio, where Secretary of State Jon Husted's latest decision on how they can be cast was challenged in federal court. Advocates and lawyers for labor unions contend that Husted's order would lead to some provisional ballots being wrongly rejected because the burden of recording the form of ID used on a provisional ballot is being placed on voters, not poll workers as in the past.

    A decision was not expected before Election Day, but the judge overseeing the case planned a ruling before Nov. 17, when provisional ballots can begin to be counted in Ohio. Provisional ballots are used more often in Ohio than most states, with experts predicting between 200,000 and 300,000 will be cast there.

    "That could be a huge problem after Election Day for counting ballots," Weiser said. "There's really tens of thousands of voters in Ohio whose votes could be at risk."

    Other issues that have surfaced include confusion among voters about what kind of identification is required to cast a ballot, particularly in states such as Pennsylvania where new ID laws were delayed or blocked by protracted legal battles. Arnwine, of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said people must learn the laws affecting voting in their state and not allow themselves to be intimidated by challengers.

    "Should an individual come up to you and try to question you, you have to remember you have no obligation to talk to them," she said. "We just want to make sure that people remember to stand your ground, don't be intimidated. Be sure to insist on your right to vote."

    ___

    Associated Press writer Suzette Laboy in Miami contributed to this report.

    ___

    Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-11-05-Voting%20Troubles/id-0dbc7e24bb6d4e799c1d72d8081ce83e

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