Arkansas is the Mecca for Retail Startups - Business Opportunities ...

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June 29, 2012 by Dane Carlson | 0 Comments

Fast Company

?And then there?s always Arkansas,? Kiefer recalls discussing over dinner one night. That might sound a little strange if you know nothing about retail. But Northwest Arkansas is America?s undisputed epicenter of selling stuff. Walmart, the world?s largest retailer, is based there, as is Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt, the trucking giant that moves everyone?s merchandise. Over the last decade, as Walmart has encouraged its suppliers to huddle close to its Bentonville hive, hundreds of other companies have set up offices in Arkansas, too.

?Where better to go than this kind of retail bubble of the universe?? says Kiefer, who now runs her startup, Red Clay, out of Bentonville (as for Kober, he?s now Clorox?s national account manager for Walmart). ?Everybody who sells something knows of this place, and a lot of them have an office here, and lot of them have connections here. It was like holy crap, it would be perfect.?

Outside of Arkansas, this corner of the state is best known for its most famous adopted son, Walmart?s Sam Walton. But the burgeoning startup scene Red Clay has joined is turning this place into something else: not just the home of Walmart, but the home of an array of innovative retail/tech companies that got their start in part because Walmart is here.

Photo by Walmart Stores.

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Tags: arkansas, walmart

Source: http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2012/06/29/arkansas-is-the-mecca-for-retail-startups/

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A Happier and More Efficient Residence with Skylights or Roof ...

Surviving in the current technological world, it's no real shock that a significant portion of your monthly expenses is allocated for settling your power expenses. Energy Star, a government-based agency designed to determine whether or not a particular item is energy-efficient lately documented by means of one study that over $2000 is being spent by a household yearly to fork out for power alone. The majority of these expenses are accounted for by your home's heating and cooling systems.

Throughout the summer season, Orlando's morning temperature can surge to around 32 to 37 degrees Celsius. An increase in wetness can often pump the heat index to over 43 degrees. Because most Orlando property owners battle this heat with air conditioning, they generally experience an upturn in utility bills in the summertime. If you live in Orlando, you'll see your electricity bill rising proportionately with the increase in temperature. A smart way to combat the warmth this summer months, save on monthly charges, and provide your residence a brilliant fresh look is by installing skylights.

Countless people think that skylights are simply for high-class property or are very expensive to assist for your pocket. Nonetheless, contrary to this belief, modern skylights are cost-effective fittings for your home as they are intended for better insulation, increased ventilation, and natural lighting in the daytime. Setting up these vents into your roof covering, will allow you to decrease power costs and attain a better mood in your home. They come in different shapes and sorts including domed, flat, vented, or fixed. As their name shows, fixed skylights can't be opened, while vented skylights can-usually by using an electric motor.

The majority of skylight installations you need to have are often offered by Orlando roofing and window contractors. These firms have workers who are capable of properly installing skylights into the roof covering of your residence. Roofing companies are generally ideal because of the framing and drywalling mixed up in work. They can do a detailed task and perhaps enable you to opt for a suitable skylight for your residence.

When Orlando roof repair and home builders are asked about which window supplier delivers the ideal skylights, they'd probably tell you to look into the Energy Star rating tag. Energy Star certified roof windows can lessen your power charges by 7-15 percent. These Energy Star assessed items likewise lessen your greenhouse emissions, as they reduce the necessity for energy from power factories.

The costs of skylights offered by Orlando roofers or window contractors cover anything from $300-$1,000 each, depending on the sort utilized. Taking into consideration their long-term effects to your budget and the environment, skylights are worth every penny. Find out more on these home improvers at homerenovations.about.com.

If you have questions, please visit us at www.sunsationalroofing.com for complete details and answers.

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Kitsap Credit Union to absorb North Peninsula Credit Union

The board of directors of the Port Townsend based Quimper Community Federal Credit Union has signed a letter of intent to merge with much-larger Kitsap Credit Union.

?Through a partnership with Kitsap Credit Union, this merger will provide the economies of scale and resources to provide products and services that our members have been asking for but we could not provide as a small credit union,? said Quimper CEO Debbi Greenspane in a statement. ?I am thrilled that through this venture our members will have increased access with 17 additional branch locations and 52 ATMs throughout the Peninsula area and availability of thousands of ATMs through the national Coop network.?

Charlie Arthur, Quimper?s board chairman, will join the nine-member Kitsap Credit Union board of directors after the merger.

A member of the current Quimper Supervisory Committee will join Kitsap?s four-member Supervisory Committee.

Auther said discussions with Kitsap Credit Union had been underway since February with the goal to ?provide more services, more loans? and also deal more effectively with the challenges of the economy and ?increasing pace and expense of new regulatory requirements.?

The merger would rebrand Quimper as branches of Kitsap Credit Union and give the credit union its first offices in Jefferson County.

The merger vote by the Quimper membership is expected to take place in late September or early October. No action is needed by the Kitsap Credit Union membership.

?The necessary steps between now and then are formalizing the merger agreement, gaining approval from the National Credit Union Administration and the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions and providing Quimper members more in-depth information about the merger,? said Leah Olson, Kitsap?s vice president of marketing.

Kitsap Credit Union, which has $901 million in assets, 326 employees, 17 offices and 85,000 members, was established in Bremerton in 1934, five years before Quimper, which has $47 million in assets and 18 employees.

Membership eligibility is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Washington state and their immediate family members. Kitsap Credit Union more than 30 years ago absorbed the assets of a small credit union in Bremerton at the request of federal regulators.

?One of our goals is to keep the close community ties that Quimper has established ? one thing we?ve always tried to do is to stay local. We?ve always been involved with the local community,? said Elliot Gregg, Kitsap?s president and CEO.

Signing the letter of intent was the first step in the formal merger due diligence process, which will also include approval by QCFCU members and federal and state regulators.

A board vote is expected in September.

?

Source: http://feeds.soundpublishing.com/~r/patnews/~3/NsIu8iOFdfM/160708185.html

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The Next Generation of Video Game Consoles

June 28th, 2012 at 5:00 am -

This Christmas we will reach 7 years since the launch of the Xbox 360 and 6 since the launch of the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii. Now since it?s clear that Nintendo are going in a completely different direction, we will concentrate on Microsoft and Sony who are likely to do something a little more radical in their development of their next generation consoles. Here are the key points that both Microsoft and Sony will have to cover:

Going Digital

Retail stores are still a major part of sales for the video game industry but the recent problems with UK retailer Game have exposed their vulnerabilities. Ultimately the major companies in the video game industry would benefit from no longer relying upon retailers, as a digital copy of a game cannot be traded in and resold as a second hand game. For example, a game which is purchased and downloaded direct from a console?s marketplace benefits from a lack of manufacturing costs, no disc, case or manual needs to be produced. This also cuts out the retailer, who would normally take a share of the sales, increasing the profit margin for both the developer and publisher. Perhaps the biggest reason why digital downloads are the future of the industry however, is the fact that a digital copy cannot be traded in and resold as a second hand game. When a second hand game is sold by a retailer, the publisher and developer does not get any money from the sale, this cuts into their profit margin and is especially harmful to small-medium sized companies.

Keeping up with PC Gaming

The big advantage that a PC still has over a console is the ability to keep up with modern advances in graphics and PC power by swapping graphics cards in and out. Games such as Battlefield 3 and Crysis just look better and run smoother on high end PC?s.? If Sony or Microsoft can find a way to keep their hardware up to date, then that could be a major selling point for their next console. It?s unlikely that there will be as big an improvement in visuals as there was between the PS2 and the PS3 for example, but there is going to have to be some sort of improvement if consumers are going to be tempted to upgrade to new hardware. Game developer Epic games has become one of the first companies to show what they might be able to do in terms of visuals in the future, showing off their next version of the Unreal Engine at E3 2012.

The price point

Sony made a big mistake when they released the PS3 with a ?500 RRP just a year after Microsoft had launched the Xbox 360 for ?280. Sony?s initial struggles were largely a result of their failure to convince consumers that their console was significantly better than Microsoft?s. As a result they lost out on a number of exclusives due to the 360?s much larger install base. While sales of the PS3 have since picked up pace, especially in Europe, Sony would have been in a much healthier position if their launch had been stronger. It is then, vitally important for both companies to get the price point right first time round or risk failing to entice consumers to invest in new hardware.

Release date

For Microsoft, releasing a whole year earlier than the PlayStation 3 proved to be a big advantage. When they released the Xbox 360 they had no competition, with the PlayStation 2 nearing the end of its life cycle, this meant that consumers only had one choice to make, whether to buy an Xbox 360 or buy nothing at all. For Sony this caused many issues when they released the PS3, many gamers had already invested in an Xbox 360 and were not willing to spend a significant amount of money on yet another console. On top of this, Microsoft had already built up a solid library of games and had many more ready for release, making their product far more attractive. Something that they will both have to also keep in mind when deciding upon a release date is when making sure that there are no major current generation games being released around the same time, as this would devalue the need for buying a new console altogether. If Rockstar release the next Grand Theft Auto on current systems, it could be argued that they still have plenty to offer.

Games

Having an attractive selection of games is a big selling point for a console, if you give gamers titles which have unique features which can only be run on a new console then you give them a reason to go out and buy it. Making existing games for current gen consoles compatible with next gen machines is also important. If consumers know that they can still play the games they already own on the new system, there will be less hesitation in moving on. Shortly after Microsoft launched the Xbox 360, they had big games like Halo 3 and new franchises like Gears of War available to consumers. On the other hand Sony had several great games, such as Resistance: Fall of Man and Motorstorm, but didn?t have any major titles to drive sales.

So it is clear that both Sony and Microsoft are going to have to make sure they consider a number of different factors when releasing new hardware. They will need to ensure that they have a unique selling point to make their products attractive to the consumer. Sony especially simply cannot afford to get it wrong a second time round as the company is already struggling to cope with slumping sales in its other product lines. While Microsoft will be desperate to continue the momentum gained by the Xbox 360.

VN:F [1.9.18_1163]

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

The Next Generation of Video Game Consoles, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

Source: http://www.thegamerschallenge.com/tgc/the-next-generation-video-game-consoles/

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French consumer spending up, though taxes weigh

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RIM Hits 78 Million BlackBerry Subscribers, Up From 70 Million In September 2011

Today on RIM's Q1 2013 conference call, CEO Thorsten Heins admitted that "this was a challenging quarter for the company," but announced 78 million subscribers with "churn remaining high." He admitted particular success with the BlackBerry Bold product. For a little context, RIM hit 70 million global subscribers all the way back in September of 2011.

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Newark TSA workers fired for sleeping on the job

Eight screeners at Newark Airport in New Jersey were fired Wednesday morning after they were caught on video sleeping on the job or failing to follow standard operating procedures for screening checked bags, authorities said.

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Wine & Spirits: Liquid RAMMY Winners | Washington Life Magazine

D.C.?s annual culinary awards gala not only celebrates the best in food, but wine and beverages too. And lucky guests got to sample all the luscious libations.

The VirGINia is for Lovers Cocktail created by Gina Chersevani and team was just one of the cocktails to sample at the RAMMYs Sunday night. Photo credit Kelly Magyarics.

Mixologists from the five restaurants nominated for ?Best Beverage/Mixology Program? were on hand at beverage stations for guests to sample their nominated libations. Spanish small plates hotspot Estadio took home top honors for its beverage program headed by Adam Bernbach. (I have long been a huge fan of Bernbach?s creative drinks, from his housemade riffs on tonic, to the refreshing frozen Slushitos, and his innovative use of Sherry in cocktails.) His aromatic D?a de Descanso cocktail (the name means ?Day of Rest?) in Spanish, mixes the green and black tea botanicals in Beefeater 24 Gin with a housemade saffron and grapefruit syrup, lime and sparkling wine, garnished with lime and mint. Since this drink combined so many of my favorite cocktail ingredients, it was a can?t miss sip in my mind?mouth watering, balanced and multi-layered.?Accepting the RAMMY award, Bernbach cited the synergy of the team at Estadio as the key to the success of their beverage program, including chef Haidar Karoum, wine director Max Kuller and general manager (and fellow mixologist) Justin Guthrie. He shared a variation of the recipe with me:

D?a de Descanso / Haidar?s Day Off

Courtesy of Adam Bernbach, Bar Manager of Estadio and Proof

1 oz. Beefeater 24 gin

1/4 oz. lime juice

3/4 oz. saffron syrup (see Note)

Sparkling wine

Soda water

Orange twist, for garnish

Combine gin, lime and saffron syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake vigorously to chill, and double strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice. Top with equal parts sparkling wine and soda water, and garnish with an orange twist.

Note: For the Saffron syrup, boil 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and add a few saffron threads. Steep to taste. Strain out solids and store syrup in the refrigerator.

Greg Engert created a light and refreshing beer-tail for the event. Photo credit Kelly Magyarics.

ChurchKey / Birch & Barley beer director Greg Engert created a fun hop-tail for the event. His Farmhouse Punch used Russian Standard vodka, lemon, grapefruit and peppercorn syrup, served in an absinthe-rinsed glass, topped with Belgian-style Pale Ale Rayon Vert, and garnished with fresh tarragon. The drink was crisp and light, with a touch of appealing bitterness and great aromatics from the fresh herb topper?it was my go-to sip at the end of the evening when everyone hit the dance floor.

Todd Thrasher of EatGoodFood Group ladled out punch bowl cocktail 42 and Cloudy. This 12 ingredient drink mixed Cruzan White Rum, honey vodka, passionfruit vodka, Sazerac rye, Brandy, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, sencha green tea, water, passion fruit juice, fresh lemon juice, Luxardo cherries, topped with Champagne. A laundry list of ingredients that take time to prep, for sure. But as with all punches, the already-tasty and complex creation only gained flavor as it was stirred and served all evening. Dan Searing of Room 11 also presented a punch. Conquistador?Punch was a blend of Sauva Hornitos Tequila, Gonzalez Byass Solera 1847 Oloroso Dulce, lime and clementine juices clementine zest syrup and fresh clementines, served over a large ice block. Summery and citrus-y, the drink also picked up attractive hints of cocoa and cinnamon from the sweet Sherry. Finally, mixologist Duane Sylvestre of Bourbon Steak created The Huntress. This drink used Red Stag Bourbon, a Jim Beam sweet cherry-flavored Bourbon, as well as cold black tea, housemade sarsaparilla syrup and lemon, served in an absinthe-rinsed glass and garnished with a lemon twist. RAMMY nominees for ?Best Wine Program? were Adour, Cork Wine Bar, Dino, Marcel?s and Plume. Neighborhood wine bar Cork, owned by Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts, took home the prize for its user friendly wine program. Gross seemed genuinely surprised by the win, and pointed out that a few short years ago, she and Pitts knew nothing of the restaurant business. Being recognized by her peers was a definitely honor, she said. The third beverage-related RAMMY was for the ?Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene.? Nominees were The Hamilton, Hill Country Barbecue Market, Mad Fox Brewing Company and Marvin, but?Fourteenth Street Corridor lounge Black Jack (located on the second floor above Pearl Dive Oyster Palace), took home the prize. The swanky lounge?s setting, which evokes turn-of-the-century circus with a touch of vaudeville, no doubt brings in guests; the masterful mixology of brothers Ari and Micah Wilder keeps them on their stools.

Guests at the reception prior to the award presentation were treated not only to the nominated cocktails, but to a selection of wines from Chile, and a Chilean Pisco cocktail

Rachel Sergi of Jack Rose mixed up a Pisco Punch with rose, Campari and bitters for the pre-RAMMY Awards reception. Photo credit Kelly Magyarics.

from Rachel Sergi of Jack Rose Dining Saloon?the potently pretty in pink cocktail uses dried rose petals, Campari and Burlesque Bitters. At the dinner reception following the awards, we could sample wines from Australia, Spain and Virginia (locally, Barboursville, Boxwood,??Tarara and Veritas were represented.) I was also digging the VirGINia is for Lovers cocktail created by Gina Chersevani, Stu Ellis and Michael Saccone, which had a healthy dose of locally distilled Catoctin Creek Watershed Gin along with rose water and creme de violette.

I am proud to have been covering D.C.?s beverage scene for about six years, for publications both national and regional. To watch it grow over this time period has been thrilling, and I continue to be impressed with the talent and drinks that are coming out of our fair city. Congratulations and cheers to all nominees and winners! I can?t wait to see what upcoming surprises you have in the shaker, on the wine rack and in the taps.

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The Health Great things about Including Yoga and fitness Training In ...

Establishing this thirty day period, find out for yourself here of Congress will be wanting closely in U.S. spending because they work with the particular White Residence to build the particular 2012 finances. One area that has come under improved scrutiny is usually U.S. spending on world wide health programs. A number of groups a couple weeks ago announced your petition () in search of support pertaining to global health shelling out through the United States Global Health Initiative. Many fearfulness that perhaps flat shelling out in this area could jeopardize critical programs throughout vaccine research plus treatment.

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Acquiring peak fitness may improve your intellect, body plus health. And these Physical Fitness tips will encourage you to achieve amazing results.

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Housing Price Index Finally Bumps Up | Daily Business News

Home
> Business, Economy, News Item, Trends > Housing Price Index Finally Bumps Up

OriginationNews reports, although it is down two percent from April 2011, Standard & Poor?s Case-Shiller housing price index (HPI) rose 1.3% in April in 19 of the 20 cities it surveys, the first increase since August. Detroit is the only city where prices fell, dropping 3.6% in April. Published by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and based on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchase mortgage transactions, the seasonally-adjusted HPI is three percent higher than April a year ago. The National Association of Realtors tells MHProNews the median sales price of an existing home has increased four successive months, rising to $182,600 in May 2012, an increase of 7.9% over May 2011.

(Photo credit: mattheafey)

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The Good Work Of An Insurance Auto Auction | After All Auto

Insurance auto auction is very popular among motor vehicle dealers due to profitable conditions that they offer and several vehicles that the buyer may choose from. This type of auction usually deals with salvaged vehicles, boats, bikes and trucks from different accidents. Due to the fact that these auctions usually get the orders straight from the insurance companies, the numbers of vehicles that are on offer are always likely to be very high.

The main reason for existence of the salvage vehicle auctions is usually to sell trade vehicles that have been reposed by the indemnity firms and other organizations for different reasons. However, some auctioned motor vehicles also come from vehicle rental firms that may be interested in upgrading their fleet. One is always likely to find all kinds of buyers at these auctions.

Entry to the auctions is never restricted. This means that any interested buyer even those who do not posses any special license are always free to take part in the auctions. This means that any public member who wishes to buy cars can always buy them.

It may also be worth noting that vehicles usually end up in salvage vehicle auctions for different reasons and not necessarily to salvage them. Vehicles with expired mileages are also likely to be found at indemnity vehicle auctions. Because of this, an individual is always likely to find vehicles with clean title and in good working condition.

This type of auctions is also the most suitable for sellers who need to find buyers within short time. This is because there are always ready and willing buyers. It will also save the seller advertising costs.

Going with the auctions also allows an individual to optimize means by which they can get the best possible returns. This will in away reduce the losses that they are likely to incur. Even if the selling price would be very low, it still reduces the amount of loss.

Because of the stiff competition for customers that normally exist between different insurance auto auction operators, they always aim to improve the quality of service to clients. Some of them even provide transportation for the cars from salvation venues to the auctions site. Others also provide stores for the vehicles where mechanics can attend to them. All these are done to attract and retain customers.

Find out how to take part in a car auction yourself at http://www.carauctionsinfo.org. Read about how insurance car auctions work at http://www.carauctionsinfo.org/insurance_auto_auction.html.

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NASA Spacecraft Spies 'Alien' Prominence on the Sun

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Technology | Joomla Development- Highly Customizable CMS ...

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?Essentials To Consider A Joomla Web Development Company
Website designing and development is becoming a popular trend in all types of businesses. Various industries such as retail, marketing, finance & insurance, agricultural, real estate, IT and many others are now creating their websites to have a unique online identity. Therefore, they hire some or the other website development company that can offer them best services. These companies own skilled team of developers who are expert in developing customized web solutions as per the client?s needs...

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Drupal was developed by Dries Buytaert as a bulletin board in 1999 and back then, there accept been innumerable changes to its software. Immediately the software got its own association in the year 2001 and has acquired force anytime since. Also, it has already gained the interest of masses because of its open source technology and is broadcast beneath the GNU authorization that lets anybody to download it and deliver it to others. Drupal development enables the companies to create their...

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Egypt's Morsi in talks to select premier

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Berkeley Study: For MBAs, Happiness Isn?t About the Money

"Well after the point that Facebook's valuation passed $1B, Mark still lived in a small, crappy apartment and slept on a mattress on the floor. All he really cared about was work and he spent most of his waking hours at the office," wrote?Facebook's first product manager, Ezra Callahan. Entrepreneurs have a peculiar habit of bucking the capitalistic expectation of easy money for long hours hunched over a laptop, leaving cushy jobs to start a risky new company, dedicating their time to charity, or simply working enough hours to make their equivalent hourly salary less-than-minimum-wage. A new longitudinal study of business students has an explanation: happiness isn't about the money.

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Must See HDTV (June 25th - July 1st)

Louie
Comedian Louis CK's offbeat comedy show returns to FX this week for its third season, and while it's not distributed via a PayPal-supported downloadable honor system, we'll watch anyway. The show's been among the funniest selections out there for the last few seasons and we expect it to remain there. The only difference is the packed lineup FX has arranged around it, with fellow returnee Wilfred and new series premieres from Charlie Sheen in Anger Management and Brand X with Russell Brand.
(June 28th, FX, 10:30PM)

Weeds
Nancy Botwin is back (?). After the up and down last few seasons, that statement isn't at interesting as it used to be, but after the cliffhanger finale, we'll tune in to at least see what's going on. Drugs are bad, kids, mmmkay?
(July 1st, Showtime, 10PM)

XIII
We don't point out that ReelzChannel HD is reairing this French / Canadian thriller series from last year because we think it will be good -- we have no idea. We're just pointing it out because we're in it (well, our source code is). Flattery will get you everywhere.
(June 29th, ReelzChannel HD, 9PM)

Continue reading Must See HDTV (June 25th - July 1st)

Must See HDTV (June 25th - July 1st) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grievance Debate ? University of Western Sydney, Broadband

Mr HUSIC (Chifley?Government Whip) (21:09): A few months ago I was given the honour of addressing the graduating students of the schools of engineering, computing and mathematics from the University of Western Sydney. It was special on a number of fronts. UWS is a university I was proud to graduate from back in the early 1990s, but it occupies a valued place in our region for this formidable fact: more than half of all commencing students from UWS are the first in their family to attend university, and certainly that was the case in my family. And I am enormously proud of the fact nearly 8,000 students from across UWS campuses, a record 23 per cent of total enrolments, come from lower income backgrounds. This institution has positively and profoundly shifted the futures of so many in Western Sydney.

The other reason that I was pleased to be there was because of the potential that sat in that room. They were young people, eager to get their hands on their degrees, but they will be the people who will be at the forefront of our nation?s response to the major challenges demanding our intellect and imagination, the people who, for instance, will be opening our eyes to better ways of wisely using our energy resources and assets, who think of ways to move people more freely across urban landscapes within the infrastructure they may help design and construct and who will also help to connect us across cities and continents. The development of IT skills in Western Sydney and the opportunity for our region to lever off the early rollout of the NBN in our area is truly exciting. As I reflected in my UWS speech, so much of our lives will rest on the pulse of light travelling down optic fibre, that signal that travels through the air or bounces through our homes and workplaces?that pulse, that vessel for data, the lifeblood of the internet, transforming societies in the way that it travels quickly.

I recently read that radio broadcasts took 38 years to reach an audience of 50 million people, TV took 13 years and the internet took just four. In the electorate I am proud to represent, the NBN is starting to reach westwards from Blacktown, dragging suburbs out of the broadband dark ages. With it, residents and businesses will have the chance to reap significant transformative benefits. I have previously quoted the stats. I will quote them again. According to research commissioned for Google by Deloitte Access Economics, the direct contribution of the internet to our economy is predicted to bloom seven per cent over the next five years, increasing from $50 billion now to $70 billion. As 20 per cent more Australian homes get connected to the internet in that time, the value of the net will bump up our economic growth by one per cent. That was reinforced by some terrific work authored by leading forecaster and researcher, IBISWorld Chairman, Phil Ruthven, in a recently released report, A snapshot of Australia?s digital future to 2050, undertaken for IBM Australia and New Zealand. The report contained the outstanding figure that, for this year alone, ICT enhanced by emerging high-speed broadband and online information is expected to deliver a phenomenal $131 billion in Australia. Based on this report, by 2050 this could ramp up to $1 trillion. The report bluntly states:

Broadband is now one of the core economic indicators across the world, and is considered a human right by the United Nations. ? High-speed broadband has pervasive usefulness that extends across businesses, governments, households and individuals.

Getting high-speed broadband is one thing; extracting the most from it and developing our digital economy is the next exciting challenge. We are seeing some terrific investment by the sector in Australia, with direct benefit to our region, Western Sydney.

Two weeks ago, Minister Stephen Conroy officially opened Hewlett-Packard?s Aurora data centre at Eastern Creek. I congratulated David Caspari, HP?s South Pacific managing director, on his company?s $200 million investment in our region and our nation?s ICT future, an investment that will facilitate, for example, the growth of cloud computing in this nation. The benefit of cloud computing cannot be understated, according to work commissioned by the Australian Information Industry Association, which said that embracing cloud computing across 75 per cent of ICT spending would result in an increase in long-run economic growth of GDP, after 10 years, of $3.32 billion per year.

According to the AIIA, the report shows that Australian businesses across many industries could reap substantial benefits through reduced capital and labour costs by adopting public cloud services. So, Western Sydney, through HP?s investment, is placed firmly at the forefront of this tech development.

I would also hope to see greater ICT research and development in Western Sydney, potentially through the establishment of cooperative research centres established within UWS. These, along with other developments, will help us to powerfully expand our contribution to Australia?s digital economy. It is worth noting that one of our government?s aims through the National Digital Economy Strategy is that, by 2020, Australia will be among the world?s leading digital economies, aiming, for example, for Australia to be in the top five OECD countries in relation to the proportion of businesses and not-for-profit organisations using online opportunities to drive productivity improvements, expand their customer base and enable jobs growth. This is a mighty agenda. It is doing what is absolutely right for the nation?s longer term interests by levering off our investment in renewing in its entirety our country?s technological infrastructure but also by taking advantage of our relative economic strength to make this investment now and open opportunities for businesses large and small.

This agenda reflects a recognition by this government that long-term social and economic benefit requires a deep and thorough commitment today. Reflecting that, I am pleased to advise the House that today we established the Labor Digital Economy Group, comprising members and senators from the federal parliamentary Labor Party. The group has attracted strong support and interest within our caucus. It will help to provide a focus on initiatives to advance the interests of the sector within policy-making circles. In working with the sector this group will also help with issues, like ICT skills shortages, that need to be addressed now if we want to ensure that we get the full benefit from our investment in superfast broadband.

Elsewhere, I have pointed to the work of the Australian Computer Society, which has flagged serious concerns about skill needs in the ICT area. We are confronting major shortages in ICT industry professionals, which is compounded by contracting ICT university enrolments, reduced skilled migration, an ageing workforce and community misconceptions about the opportunities and rewards associated with ICT careers. Alan Patterson, from the Australian Computer Society, said:

The critical role of ICT professionals in enabling our digital economy means that the highest policy priority must be directed at education and workforce planning.

To give you a sense of that pronounced decline, the ACS points to the VET sector, where a decade ago 75,000 people received an ICT qualification. By 2010, that had declined to 46,000. So, given the statistics, it is no surprise that the 457 visa grants for the information, media and communications industry grew by 49 per cent between 2011 and 2012, to 30 April 2012, compared with the same period in the previous year. This industry comprised 12 per cent of the 457 program over that period, and three specialist ICT occupations feature in the top 15 users of the 457 program, with developer-programmer the second-most-sponsored occupation. We have been presented with a massive opening where we can encourage young Australians to enter this sector and meet an urgent need. Having Skills Australia tasked to develop sector-specific plans will be critical, helping funnel students through vocational and tertiary pathways.

Taking a step back, we should think laterally. For example, we have made a great investment in trade training centres across the country. Located in secondary schools, these centres are helping meet skills needs as flagged by industry but they are also finding a way to capture the interests of students to maintain their schooling, putting them on a course that could enormously boost their long-term employability. In my area, they have been enthusiastically embraced, with a number of schools opening up these centres. In an electorate where roughly one-third of residents are under the age of 19, a demographic that consumes and adopts technology with remarkable ease, this is an opportunity too good to pass up. In Western Sydney, having trade training centres focused on ICT skills would provide terrific vehicles to open up pathways into VET or tertiary study, which is something I have already discussed with Minister Peter Garrett and I am hoping to progress in the months ahead.

I want to end with these words from Andrew Stevens, IBM?s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, who said:

To make this digital future a reality, businesses and government must decide how best to leverage our increasingly ubiquitous digital infrastructure, and how to help Australia shift from a natural resources-dependent economy to a more diverse ?developed resources?-oriented economy.

We need to confront this challenge and champion this sector to make sure we remain one of the world?s smartest nations an innovative country with a richer, longer term future for our community and our economy.

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Illinois Lesbian Couple Denied Use Of Reception Hall Because Of Manager's Religious Beliefs

An Illinois-based lesbian couple is searching for a new wedding venue after the manager of one historic banquet hall told them she wouldn't help "celebrate that sin."

As ABC 7 News is reporting, Kristen Stewart, the manager of the University Club in downtown Moline, says she won't host a reception for Taylor Shumaker and her partner of three years -- or any other same-sex couple, for that matter -- because of her religious beliefs.

"Because marriage is a covenant that God created for man and woman, then, as a biblical Christian, I cannot help them enter into or celebrate that sin," Stewart told the news channel.

Schumaker claims Stewart offered to take her on a tour of the club this week, but first asked if ''he" (meaning her fianc?) would be accompanying her. Notes Schumaker: ?I said, it?s a woman, and she said oh, we don?t rent to homosexual couples.?

Schumaker then added she was more hurt than angry over the experience. ?I cried when I got off the phone because, honestly, I wouldn?t have called there if I knew it was their policy," she said. "If it would have been on the website from the very beginning, I wouldn?t have wasted my time."

Though same-sex marriage is not legal in Illinois, the state does ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, suggesting Stewart?s decision is unlawful, Think Progress blogger Zach Ford points out.

Interestingly, Stewart's husband Perry has since clarified to WQAD, via Fox News 8, that his wife "mis-spoke" and there is no ban on same-sex marriages at his banquet hall.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Post Match Reaction: South Africa 14 England 14

Plusses:
Commitment, team spirit, Marler, Johnson, Robshaw, Youngs, Care, Cole, Tuilagi, Brown, Goode, Foden, Palmer, Waldrom (just) and May.

Not so good but worth persevering:
Farrell, Morgan, Haskell, Hartley, Joseph, Ashton (much better today).

Fail:
Attack strategy, kicking game, Strettle, Botha, Mears, Parling.

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5 Wounded Warriors Attempt Mount McKinley Summit

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Five wounded warriors with a self-described total of four good legs among them are gaining ground in their assault on Alaska's formidable Mount McKinley, North America's tallest peak.

The five soldiers ? four are retired ? range in age from 31 to 64. All but one lost limbs in American conflicts stretching from Vietnam to Afghanistan.

After nine days on the 20,320-foot mountain in the Alaska Range, the expedition was resting at 14,200 feet Thursday and was being warned by guides the climb only gets more difficult.

"Obviously, I don't have to worry about losing my feet to the cold," said Stephen Martin, who calls himself a desert rat from suburban Phoenix who hates being cold. "I've already lost my feet. I don't want to lose my hands to frostbite."

Martin and one other member of the expedition are double amputees.

Another fear for Martin is that a prosthetic leg might break in the unforgiving conditions. "I brought a spare pair of feet," said the retired Army corporal who went back to Afghanistan as a contractor. He was injured by a roadside bomb. Martin returned to Phoenix and tried for 14 months to save his legs before undergoing amputation in November 2009.

The team says the climb is not only for them, but for others severely wounded in wars, including those to follow.

"We want to show in this project ... how active and how independent these wounded warriors can be, even with very severe injuries," said Kirk Bauer, climber and executive director of Disabled Sports USA, the group behind the climb with its Warfighter Sports program.

Bauer, a retired Army sergeant who lives in Baltimore, lost his left leg above the knee to a grenade in Vietnam.

The climb is also a fundraiser to help the organization raise money to help other wounded soldiers.

The climbers are scaling McKinley with crampons, climbing poles and ice axes to find firm footing on ice. They're moving single file, tethered to each other by rope, each carrying a heavy backpack of supplies and taking turns pulling a sled with more gear.

Besides narrow, treacherous paths, they will have to contend with potential blizzards, winds that can reach 100 mph, glaring heat during the day and frigid nights. They're navigating razor-thin ridges while also having to keep an eye upward for falling rock.

These climbers face additional challenges, including maintaining their energy ? with their carbon and fiber prosthetics they use more. They're concerned about abrasions where their skin meets the prosthetic and about how the artificial limbs will react to the cold. The above-the-knee amputees also must worry about solar charges for batteries that power the prosthetic knee unit computer, which ensures the knee doesn't buckle.

"If something happens there the leg stiffens up and we become like Peg Leg Pete climbing the mountain, so it's going to be much more difficult," Bauer said.

Others coming back from Afghanistan may be inspired, he said, and know that despite their injuries they can be active and productive and can lead full and healthy lives.

Ret. Army Capt. Jesse Acosta has all his limbs, but the Austin, Texas, native now working on Wall Street sustained permanent damage to his hip, leg, arm and back from a roadside bomb in Iraq.

He said the climb is meant "not only to prove to ourselves just what is (possible) given our own limitations, but hopefully and probably more importantly, inspire in others ... that this is very much an obstacle which can be overcome."

The climb started June 11, and as was expected climbing with prosthetics, it's been a slow slog. Daily short updates via satellite phone are posted on the Internet, provided by either the climbers or members of their guiding group, Mountain Trip. The group spent three days at 11,200 feet, first to rest and then wait out a snowstorm and high winds. They've so far reported no problems.

If all goes according to plan, they hope to summit the mountain on June 28, and are scheduled to fly home July 3.

But success is far from guaranteed.

The park service says 1,191 people have registered to climb Mount McKinley this year. Of those, 795 have completed their attempts, with 295 people ? or 37 percent ? making the summit. There are 283 people currently climbing the mountain.

So far this summer, six people have died on McKinley. Four of those deaths occurred last week when an avalanche caught a team of five Japanese climbers, pushing them into a 100-foot crevasse. One member was able to climb out.

The wounded warriors learned of the deaths, and posted this on their website Saturday: "Thoughts & prayers to the Miyagi Workers Alpine Fed. Expedition."

The combat veterans were chosen for the climb because of their attitude, their mental and physical fitness and the desire to improve themselves, Bauer said.

The group went through six months of training before the ascent attempt. Three climbers ? Bauer, Acosta and Ret. Army Sgt. Neil Duncan of Denver, the other double amputee ? previously climbed Tanzania's 19,336-foot Mount Kilimanjaro.

If successful, they wouldn't be the first with physical challenges to make the ascent on Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, an Alaska Native tribal word meaning "the great one."

According to statistics provided by Denali National Park and Preserve, Sarah Doherty was the first full leg amputee to summit Mount McKinley without an artificial limb in 1985. Ed Hommer was the first double leg amputee to reach the top of Denali in 1999.

If the soldiers are fortunate enough to summit, some have celebratory moments planned.

Martin, an Arizona Highway Patrolman, wants two pictures taken at the top of Mount McKinley. One is of the team, and the other will be of him displaying a patch from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

"I want to show them that I do appreciate (them) sticking with me, not just saying, `Hey, we're really sorry it happened to you, good luck in the future,'" he said. "But not only that, but had faith in me that I can do the job."

The expedition's only active duty military member, Marine Capt. David Borden of Hanover, Pa., had his right leg amputated above the knee after an attack by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2008.

"Obviously I was injured, but my family and friends were also injured. Making the top is for them as well," Borden said, "and my way of thanking them for everything they did for me and the support they gave me."

___

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