Mass. firm in meningitis case: Officials inspected

AAA??Oct. 23, 2012?6:55 PM ET
Mass. firm in meningitis case: Officials inspected
By JAY LINDSAYBy JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press??

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick gestures during a news conference regarding the Massachusetts pharmacy responsible for the meningitis outbreak during a news conference at the Statehouse in Boston, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. The outbreak of meningitis, an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, has sickened nearly 300 people, including 23 who died, in more than a dozen states. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick gestures during a news conference regarding the Massachusetts pharmacy responsible for the meningitis outbreak during a news conference at the Statehouse in Boston, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. The outbreak of meningitis, an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, has sickened nearly 300 people, including 23 who died, in more than a dozen states. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Dr. Madeleine Biondolillo, Director of the Mass. Bureau of Healthcare Safety, right, leaves at the conclusion of a news conference regarding the Massachusetts pharmacy responsible for the meningitis outbreak during a news conference at the Statehouse in Boston, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. The outbreak of meningitis, an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, has sickened nearly 300 people, including 23 who died, in more than a dozen states. From left are Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, Mass. Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigby and Biondolilo. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick arrives for a news conference regarding the Massachusetts pharmacy responsible for the meningitis outbreak during a news conference at the Statehouse in Boston, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. The outbreak of meningitis, an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, has sickened nearly 300 people, including 23 who died, in more than a dozen states. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Dr. Madeleine Biondolillo, Director of the Mass. Bureau of Healthcare Safety, addresses reporters during a news conference regarding the Massachusetts pharmacy responsible for the meningitis outbreak during a news conference at the Statehouse in Boston, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. The outbreak of meningitis, an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, has sickened nearly 300 people, including 23 who died, in more than a dozen states. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON (AP) ? An attorney for a Massachusetts company linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak says it's "hard to imagine" state regulators didn't know the scale of its operations because it's worked so closely with them.

The statement by New England Compounding Center attorney Paul Cirel (sih-REL') came Tuesday after Gov. Deval (deh-VAL') Patrick announced the state has moved to revoke the company's operating license.

State officials say they found unclean conditions at the company and evidence it was making drugs for general distribution, a violation of its license.

Patrick says he's ordered regulators to conduct surprise inspections at similar types of pharmacies.

The company's attorney says regulators have always had complete access to the facility and inspected it last summer. He says the company's transparency shows its good-faith intention to operate within the bounds of its license.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-10-23-Meningitis%20Outbreak/id-d3368804484b4caf9b368eee9f313165

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SolarCity to bring solar energy to 26 L.A. schools

SolarCity Corp. said it is planning a 7.4-megawatt solar power project that will bring renewable energy to 26 Los Angeles Unified School District schools.

The project will allow the school district to save more than $776,000 in the first year and more than $25 million over the next 20 years, San Mateo-based SolarCity said.

The company has already installed solar panels at 17 schools and has contracted with LAUSD to install systems at another nine schools by the first half of 2013. Financial terms of the deal weren?t disclosed.

The solar power systems will provide clean electricity for schools during the day and reduce the need for expensive peak power utility production and lowering transmission costs, SolarCity said.

?SolarCity?s 26-school solar project will help LAUSD achieve its ambitious renewable energy goals while preserving budget dollars for teachers and student services,? SolarCity Chief Executive Lyndon Rive said in a statement. ?The LAUSD project will teach future generations about the environmental benefits of solar, and help ensure that the city of Los Angeles remains a leader in solar adoption.?

SolarCity said the solar projects will provide students with firsthand demonstrations of how solar technology works and of solar energy?s benefits. SolarCity has developed a ?solar walking tour? featuring educational signage illustrated with graphics and descriptions of the projects. Each school will be equipped with a solar demonstration kit.

?Los Angeles Unified School District strives to be the most sustainable and environmentally friendly large urban school district in the country,? said Kim Kennedy, senior facilities project manager for LAUSD.

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As unconventional U.S. oil, gas boom, so do jobs: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. oil and gas rush is cutting into jobless numbers, supporting a total of 1.7 million jobs this year, a number that will swell to almost 3 million by 2020, a leading consultant said in a study released on Tuesday.

The report by forecaster IHS Global Insight is part of a series attempting to quantify the impact that booming production of so-called "unconventional" oil and gas has had on the American economy.

Using new technology to blast fossil fuels trapped in shale rock has transformed the U.S. energy sector.

After five years of rapid growth, unconventional oil accounts for about 2 million barrels per day of U.S. production in 2012, IHS said. Total U.S. crude oil production is expected to average 6.3 million barrels per day, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Unconventional oil will outpace conventionally drilled oil by 2015 and reach close to 4.5 million bpd by 2020, representing close to two-thirds of total U.S. crude and condensate production, IHS said.

"At which point do you stop calling this unconventional?" said John Larson, a vice-president at the firm and lead author of the study, in an interview.

"This is going to become the convention."

Oil, gas and chemical lobby groups helped pay for the study but did not influence its independent, data-driven results, Larson said.

OBAMA CITED EARLIER REPORT

President Barack Obama cited an earlier report in the IHS series on the campaign trail and in a State of the Union address that documented 600,000 jobs created by the natural gas sector.

That natural gas employment estimate has since swelled to 900,000 jobs, Larson said, noting more data is now available about new "plays" where companies are drilling.

By 2020, IHS forecasts about 1.3 million additional jobs in unconventional oil and gas, with the sector contributing more than $416 billion to the economy.

Of the 3 million total jobs, IHS said about 20 percent would come directly from the upstream oil and gas industry, with more than 900,000 people employed by suppliers and about 1.5 million "induced" jobs from spending by workers in the sector.

With 12 million Americans unemployed and about 23 million underemployed, the growth in unconventional oil and gas jobs is helping take some slack out of the jobs market, Larson said.

"This is really overwhelmingly net new jobs being added to the economy," he said.

BIG POLICY DECISIONS AHEAD

The report comes as the Environmental Protection Agency considers what role it should play in regulating hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," the technology used by drillers to blast sand, water and chemicals into shale rock to unleash the oil and gas.

Environmental groups have raised concerns that fracking can pollute groundwater and air, but the industry says the practice is safe so long as wells are properly built.

The projections in the report assume the industry remains regulated mainly at the state level, and also assumes that most growth in drilling continues to happen on privately owned land, Larson said.

The sector currently contributes more than $61 billion in revenues to government, rising to more than $111 billion by 2020, assuming no changes to the industry's tax incentives.

However, both Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney have talked about rolling back those tax breaks as U.S. policy makers look for ways to boost revenues to help avert massive spending cuts and personal income tax increases that are part of the "fiscal cliff" looming at the end of the year.

In February, IHS is planning another report in the series looking at how the energy boom has led to a "renaissance" in the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Part of that report will forecast jobs created by proposed exports of liquefied natural gas, Larson said.

IHS currently assumes exports of 4 billion to 6 billion cubic feet per day by 2035, Larson said -- far less than what companies have proposed to build.

Even if the Energy Department gives a green light for exports, IHS does not believe the global market is strong enough to support all the proposals, Larson said.

"It's really hard for us to see how all those (terminals), even if they were approved, end up being built," he said.

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unconventional-u-oil-gas-boom-jobs-report-040337029--sector.html

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Do You Believe in Premonitions?

Oct 22, 2012 11:05am

This Friday, ?20/20? will report on the surprising stories of people who say they?ve sensed the future through premonitions. Do you believe in premonitions? Tell us how you feel by voting below and watch ?20/20: The Sixth Sense? Friday at 10 p.m. ET.

?

SHOWS: 20/20

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/10/22/do-you-believe-in-premonitions/

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Photos: National Geographic auctioning famous images

National Geographic Society has chronicled scientific expeditions, explorations, archaeology, wildlife and world cultures for more than 100 years, amassing a collection of 11.5 million photos and original illustrations. A small selection of that massive archive ? 240 pieces spanning from the late 1800s to the present ? will be sold at Christie's in December at "The National Geographic Collection: The Art of Exploration" auction, and is expected to bring in about $3 million, the first time any of the institution's collection has been sold.

Gallery View:National Geographic to auction famous art

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/national-geographic-to-auction-famous-art-slideshow/natgeo-auction-photo-1350929872.html

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5 Myths About The Price For Your Brand | Business 2 Community

How do you determine a price for your goods and services?

This is actually a very complex questions because price has an enormous impact on how much product you?ll sell. And, the whole issue of pricing is ripe with myths. Use 1 of these myths to price your brand and you may be hurting rather than helping your brand.

Pricing myths

Price myth #1 ? use a standard mark-up

Using a standard mark-up is one of the most common strategies for pricing your brand probably because it?s so easy. To use this strategy, you simply add up all the costs associated with your product or service, then add 20% or 50% or some other amount (commonly you?re targeted ROI ? Return on Investment) to come up with the final price.

Pricing using a standard mark-up is common for retail businesses and manufacturing ? situations where you can easily determine how much each product costs.

Price myth #2 ? you should price your brand lower than competitors

Pricing based on what competitors charge is also a common pricing strategy. And, for some goods, lower prices look very attractive. For instance, many people have little brand loyalty to their soft drink and commonly buy either Coke or Pepsi depending on which brand is cheaper this week. If Coke were CONSISTENTLY higher priced than Pepsi, it is likely Coke would see a decrease in the amount of product they sold.

That?s WalMart?s strategy ? to feature lower prices than their competitors such as Target or Kroger?s. Of course, lower prices come at a cost ? and one that consumers pay. WalMart can only keep prices lower by paying less for the items they stock. WalMart pays less because they buy huge quantities of a select number of options in each product category. This reduces the options consumer find in their local WalMart store.

Price myth #3 ? consumers prefer the cheapest products

This is actually a dangerous myth because it leads businesses to make bad pricing decisions ? it?s also the reason marketing broke off from economics 85 years ago this month. Sure, when it comes to buying a commodity like apples, consumers want the cheapest ones around. If you charge more than everyone else, you won?t sell a single apple.

But, when products are different (branded), consumers vary in their responses to price. Apple is an excellent example of this. Apple products sell for a significant premium price over all their competitors ? from iPhones, to tablets, to computers, to iPods. Are their products so technologically superior that they do tasks better or last longer? Don?t even get me started on THAT debate. But, the reality is that their price premium has little to do with their technology and everything to do with their brand image and brand loyalty. Apple owners would rather fight than switch (to borrow the slogan from a cigarette company). Buying Apple products is a symbol of coolness that Apple owners are willing to pay for.

Price myth #4 ? companies that charge more make more money

This is categorically untrue. In fact, LOWERING your price may actually generate more income than a higher price. That?s because income is a function of both price and quantity and consumers will buy more at a lower price than a higher price. So, when lowering your price leads to enough additional sales, you can make MORE money by lowering price.

In fact, it may be better for a firm to lower their price rather than spend a lot of money advertising their brand. Of course, this only works for brands that already have sufficient advertising to make consumers aware of their products in the first place. Firms can use sensitivity analysis to determine when lowering their price makes sense.

Pricing myth #5 ? you should charge the lowest price you can

This is a corollary to myth #3 which assumes consumers buy the lowest priced brands. In fact, especially in cases where it?s hard to determine how ?good? something is, consumers often use price to tell them something is good or better than something else. Cialdini tells a story in the first version of his book Persuasion about a store selling jewelry. The store owner leaves word to discount the jewelry by 50% so she can get rid of the slow moving inventory and replace it with something that might sell better. She comes back from a trip to discover her strategy worked ? all the jewelry is GONE. In discussions with her manager; however, she discovers the manager misunderstood her instructions and doubled the price of the jewelry.

So, how do you explain that the jewelry sold better at twice the price?

Easy. At twice the price the jewelry appeared to be genuine, while at half the price, the jewelry appears to be cheap costume junk.

Of course, this pricing strategy only works with products that consumers find difficult to judge (determine their true value) ? jewelry, professional services ? and items that only show their value over a long time ? cars, major appliances, furniture.

Price versus value

These myths exist because firms fail to understand that consumers exchange money for benefits. If your brand provides better or more benefits, it can charge more and still provide excellent value. And, remember, some of the benefits might be psychological rather than tangible benefits.

Hausman and Associates

Hausman and Associates, the publisher of Hausman Marketing Letter, strives for superior value for our clients by providing a virtual agency that eliminates overhead. Every dime a client spends goes directly into services that make their brand SIZZLE. We are not the cheapest agency out there, but we provide cutting edge services by the best people in the business. Please, take a minute to explore some of our service options or subscribe to our newsletter to discover more at the intersection of marketing and social media.

Be sure to subscribe to our email newsletter, where you?ll get even more insights to make your marketing SIZZLE Hausman Marketing Letter

Author: Angela Hausman, PhD???? Angela Hausman, PhD on the Web Angela Hausman, PhD on Facebook Angela Hausman, PhD on LinkedIn Angela Hausman, PhD on Google Plus

I?m a marketing professor at Howard University, Associate Editor for the European Journal of Marketing, a guest blogger, and the mother of 3 grown kids, 2 dogs, and 3 cats.? I operate Hausman & Associates, a full-service marketing firm operating at the intersection of marketing and social media?. View?full?profile

Source: http://www.business2community.com/branding/5-myths-about-the-price-for-your-brand-0312447

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Pre-caffeine tech: Mayan apocalypse, Mark Zuckerberg!?

3 hrs.

Helen A.S. Popkin , NBC News

Our?pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.

Two months 'til doomsday? Mark?your calendar -- the?Mayan apocalypse is?set for Dec. 21!

Speaking of the?Armageddon:?How much will HDTVs cost on Black Friday??A lot less, says this one?expert.

In big cities, cellphones are turning into top targets for robbers:?Stealth, force and sometimes guns are?part of a ubiquitous crime wave striking coast to coast.

Here's how to kill time without staring at your dang phone!?

Talk about overshare!?Mark Zuckerberg says we'll be sharing 1,000 times as much as we do now. Ugh.

And if you think Facebook is suddenly all about the money, you're not alone.?

Why do Twitter memes go so viral so quickly these days??Thank mainstream media!?

In related news, Google and the French media are having a big fight!?

According to a new, very scary report,?there?s a growing danger that grandpa?s heart rhythm device, or, say, a child?s insulin pump ? any implantable device that can be accessed remotely -- ?could be susceptible to hacking.

In closing: 30 awesome costumes at the Tompkins Square Dog Halloween Parade in New York City!

Compiled?by?Helen A.S. Popkin,?who invites you to?join her on?Twitter?and/or?Facebook. Also,?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/pre-caffeine-tech-mayan-apocalypse-mark-zuckerberg-1C6601762

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