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Source: Pittsburgh Post-GazetteAug.儲存 23--When John Manzetti came aboard as Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse CEO in 2006, the organization had a major hole in its portfolio -- not a single investment in the emerging field of health care information technology."We had zero companies, because we didn't have anybody to chase" the money, Mr. Manzetti said.Follow the money isn't just a Watergate catchphrase -- it's the guiding rule when it comes to soliciting investor capital. And for the last several years, investors in the health market have been telling the South Side greenhouse to invest in health care IT.Greenhouses like these solicit money from potential investors and then steer seed capital to start-ups. Since its formation in 2001 as a joint partnership among the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, UPMC, Pittsburgh's regional foundation community and the state of Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse has invested $19 million in more than 80 companies."The money wants to follow something that has a little more certainty [and] clarity as to how that gets to commercialization," Mr. Manzetti said. The biggest chunks of the organization's $19 million portfolio -- medical devices, therapeutics, biotech tools -- usually need Food and Drug Administration clearance before they can get to market.Apps and software, on the other hand, do not. That's why, at least when it comes to the greenhouse's investments, biotech tools, devices and diagnostic technology segments are stagnant, while health IT is growing.It's one of the only segments that is attracting new venture capital, here or nationally, leading to tough times all around for life sciences.Venture capital is fleeing the segment thanks to poor returns -- therapeutic medicines in particular can take a decade, plus a billion dollars in research and trials, before they get to market. Most don't even make it that far, given the sector's failure rates. As a result, life science start-ups as well and the greenhouses that fund them are scrambling for money, particularly since the recession.That's one reason the Pittsburgh greenhouse is downsizing, announcing this summer that it would cut four staff positions and shed half of its office space.For life sciences research and development, "a lot of things changed after the crash," said Stephanie Marrus, director of the Entrepreneurship Center at the University of California, San Francisco. She said 2007 was the peak and 50 percent of the venture capital in the life sciences realm has disappeared since then.With diminished resources available, investing in IT looks safer and cheaper."Digital health [is] an easier way to play in this game," Ms. Marrus said. If someone can build a new health app, they can "escape the challenges of developing a new drug."Today, the Pittsburgh greenhouse has about $2 million tied up in various companies in the health IT realm, a sector that is broadening by the day. Top of mind, health information technology might suggest the t新蒲崗迷你倉ols that connect doctors, insurers and hospitals, allowing them to share records -- but there's far more to it than that.Just look at three of the greenhouse's seven most recent investments, totalling $315,000 in the first half of 2013.PHRQL Inc. (pronounced "freckle," meaning Personal Health Recording for Quality of Life) is a software and records company working on a new technology that will allow dietitians to track a patient's eating habits via grocery store purchases.NewCare Solutions is working on sensors that can monitor senior citizens remotely for caregivers or even adult children, tracking kitchen usage, water consumption, utilities, even lighting and TV use, in home or institutional settings.And Wellbridge Health is a small Pittsburgh company working on technology to better track patient care in order to reduce costly hospital readmissions.The life sciences research field generally breaks down into five broad categories: therapeutics (drugs and medicines), diagnostics (tools and tests to diagnose diseases), biotech tools (devices to cure and monitor diseases), medical devices (such as implants, joints and prosthetics) and health IT (hardware, software and health-related mobile devices and apps).Mr. Manzetti noted the shift toward funding more health care IT technologies was a decision made more easily in Pittsburgh, given the strength of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University spin-offs.Other, separate greenhouses may have their own regional strengths: The Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania can still invest in lots of medical devices coming out of Penn State, while BioAdvance, the life science greenhouse in Philadelphia, has a lot of therapeutics to choose from.On the whole, health care information technology looks promising, even if that promise has not yet rewarded investors with reliable returns."The giant sucking sound you hear is money moving from life sciences into social media," said Steve Blank, author and expert on Silicon Valley entrepreneurship and start-ups.He, like many in the field, say the federal government, which spends more than $100 million on applied research every year, needs to likewise invest in the commercialization of that research -- otherwise, the U.S. cedes the life sciences and therapeutics field to China and Singapore, while our own capital pursues "fad-based investment.""Congress doesn't understand that 9 out of 10 start-ups fail," Mr. Blank said, referencing Solyndra, the California manufacturer of solar panels that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, costing taxpayers $385 million in unreturned load money. "They'd rather play gotcha."As for Pittsburgh's decision to take a harder look at health IT, Mr. Blank said it was an inevitable choice."Why would they continue to push Jell-o uphill?" he said.Bill Toland: btoland@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2625.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at .post-gazette.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage

KANSAS CITY, Mo.新蒲崗迷你倉, Aug. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dream Big America, the first-ever live nationally syndicated radio show pitting start-up business ventures against each other, and broadcast on Doug Stephan's Good Day Show (.dougstephan.com) each Tuesday at 9:10 am EDT, announced today the winner from the August 20 show. Sanitation Creations, from Raleigh, North Carolina (.sanitationcreations.com), and presented by Founder and CEO Liz Morris, received the most votes from the nationwide audience. Sanitation Creations has created an odorless, waterless, and sanitary portable toilet that can potentially help save lives around the word.Voting was brisk from the outset for the third preliminary round in August, which included two other contestants, Hot Straw, from Denver, Colorado, (.hotstraw.com), and Bid On My Job from Johnston, Iowa (.bidonmyjob.com)."Three amazing entrepreneurs that America really rallied behind," said Doug Stephan, host of Dream Big America. "Congratulations to Sanitation Creations, who won a spirited race over Hot Straw and Bid On My Job. It is now onto the Finals Show on August 27th. The three weekly top voters now square off and it is going to be exciting to see who earns America's support."Immediately after the announcement of this week's winner, Dream Big America announced the three finalists for the Finals Show on July 30th. The winners from the three weekly shows in August who earned the right to advance to the Finals Show are:Qurate (qurate.net/), based in St. Louis, Missouri, is a mobile-first iPhone application that lets you better connect with each of your closest friendships. Founder Ryan O'Neil will present Qurate's two-minute pitch. Qurate won the August 6 competition.Shea Radiance (.shearadiance.com), based in Columbia, Maryland, is an eco-luxury beauty brand using key ingredient shea butter. Products positively impact lives of women in Africa. Presenting Shea Radiance's two-minute pitch will be President and Founder Funlayo Alabi. Shea Radiance won the August 13 competition.Sanitation Creations (.sanitationcreations.com), based in Raleigh, North Carolina, created the Dungaroo to provide an odorless, waterless, healthful, clean, and enjoyable bathroom experience. Presenting Sanitation Creation's two-minute pitch will be Founder and CEO Liz Morris. Sanitation Creations won the August 20 competition.The Prize package for the Finals Show winner includes cash and support valued at over $19,000 from ten different sponsors.Dream Big America (.DreamBigAmerica.us) airs each Tuesday at 9:10am to 9:40am EDT on Doug Stephan's Good Day Progmini storageam, syndicated to 485 markets across the United States with a weekly listening audience of 3.5 million. In addition to being broadcast on the radio, the Dream Big America Show can be heard via live podcast on the DreamBigAmerica.us website.Voting begins immediately after the show at approximately 10:00 am EDT and continues for 28 hours until 2:00 pm EDT each Wednesday. Voting is by text (Text DBA to 612-22-DREAM (612-223-7326) once voting is live or via the DreamBigAmerica.us website. The winner of each weekly show is announced every Thursday on the Good Day Show at 9:50am EDT.Each weekly winner faces off in the Finals Show on the last Tuesday of each month. The national audience again votes for its favorite business venture, and the Finals winner receives cash, support and resources for their business.The Dream Big America Show features three entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas for two minutes each, followed by an expert panel who offer feedback and suggestions. Tapping into the surging entrepreneurial movement spreading across the country, Dream Big America strives to educate and support start-ups, all while providing an exciting venue for America to choose which new businesses it wants to see hit the market.In addition to questions from the expert panel, listeners can submit their questions for the entrepreneurs during the live show via Twitter. One question, submitted by a listener, is asked of each contestant.Dream Big America partners with the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (.kauffman.org) and its 1 Million Cups (.1millioncups.com) startup education program, and the San Diego-based Nutritional Capital Network (.nutritioncapital.com). Each organization supports the show by providing vetted start-up ventures for consideration to the Dream Big America selection committee.Dream Big America online: .DreamBigAmerica.us .facebook.com/DreamBigAmerica .twitter.com/DreamBigUSA .youtube.com/watch?v=Z9alwsNLvasDoug Stephan Show: .dougstephan.com .facebook.com/gooddayshow .twitter.com/GoodDayShowQurate: qurate.net/ .facebook.com/Qurate .twitter.com/qurateShea Radiance online: .shearadiance.com.facebook.com/shearadiance.twitter.com/shearadianceSanitation Creations online: .SanitationCreations.com .facebook.com/SanitationCreations twitter.com/BestToiletMedia Contacts: Beth Chapman, 816.835.0306, Email, Dream Big America Barbara Pruitt, 816.932.1288, Email, Kauffman Foundation Thomas Aarts, 619.295.7685 ext. 18, Email, Nutrition Capital NetworkRead more news from Dream Big AmericaDream Big AmericaWeb site: .dreambigamerica.us/self storage

美股昨天中段靠穩，mini storage雖然上月新屋銷售遠遜市場預期，樓市復蘇勢頭蒙上陰影，但科技藍籌股微軟宣布高層變動後股價急升，為大市帶來支持。道指昨天開市一度受微軟帶動上揚，但樓市數據公布後掉頭回落，中段上升15點，報14979點；納指上升12點，報3651點；標指上升3點，報1660點。全球最大軟件商微軟宣布，行政總裁巴爾默（Steve Ballmer）待繼任人選有定案後，將於12個月內離職。消息刺激微軟股價急升近9％。新屋銷售遠遜預期美國商務部公布，7月新建獨立屋銷售下跌13.4％，以年率計跌至39.4萬家，遠低於市場預期的49萬家。6月數字亦大幅self storage下修訂。自聯儲局5月公布退市策略後，按揭利率節節上升，或打擊美國人置業意欲。以7月銷售數字計算，當前新盤供應足以應付未來5.2個月的需求，較6月的4.3個月延長。上月新屋售價中位數為25.72萬美元，高於去年同期的23.74萬美元。歐洲股市尾段上揚，英國富時指數及德國DAX指數收市分別上升0.68％及0.23％；法國CAC指數微升0.3％。歐盟委員會昨天公布，歐羅區消費信心由7月的-17.4改善至8月的-15.6，不僅優於市場預期的-16.5，更是兩年來最高水平，進一步佐證歐洲經濟有望守得雲開。但經濟持續造好，官方托市態度或不如早前積極。迷你倉

Source: Tulsa World, Okla.迷你倉新蒲崗Aug. 23--American Airlines and US Airways want a November trial date to fight the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit, three months earlier than the government wanted.The airlines Thursday requested that the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., schedule a Nov. 12 trial date. According to their motion, the Department of Justice was hoping to be in court as early as Feb. 10, but the airlines want to speed up arguments, move on with their merger and save on legal costs.The airlines' filing notes that the Justice Department's lawsuit has delayed American's bankruptcy case and contends that every extra day creates another $500,000 in legal fees for American in that case alone."The urgency to complete their transaction is far greater here than in ordinary merger cases," the airlines' lawyers state in their filing. "The government cannot justify its unprecedentedly slow trial schedule."In its lawsuit filed last week, the Justice Department alleges that a merger would violate antitrust law and cost consumers billions of dollars in higher ticket prices.The merger would create the world's largest airline and further consolidate the industry in the U.S. into just four dominant airlines.US Airways CEO Doug Parker would be president and CEO of the new carrier, which would be called American Airlines."Along with our colleagues at American Airlines, we are looking forward to proving in a court what all of us have known all along -- that this merger is good for competition and as a result, extremely good for consumers," Parker said in a letter to US Airways employees Thursday.American Airlines has some 6,300 employees in Tulsa, mainly at its Maintenance & Engineering Center at Tulsa International Airport. The facility is the company's primary jet engine迷你倉出租overhaul and maintenance base."The request for a November trial date also reflects our strong, unwavering belief in our merger with US Airways and in our legal case," American Airlines CEO Tom Horton said in a memo to employees. "Simply put: We're ready to go."Lawyers for both the Justice Department and the airlines have vowed to take the lawsuit to trial and have refused to make settlement offers.In his letter to workers, Horton said American wants to finish its reorganization, which began with a bankruptcy filing in November 2011.In the wake of the Justice Department's lawsuit, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane of New York has asked that American Airlines and other groups in the case explain how the lawsuit could alter the carrier's reorganization plan.A November trial date could also preempt a provision in the airlines' merger agreement that allows either side to abandon the deal as of Dec. 13 if regulatory hurdles have not been cleared.What's new in the antitrust case?The lawsuit: The Justice Department is suing to block the merger of American Airlines and US Airways, which would create the world's largest airline. Government antitrust lawyers say the merger would hurt competition and cost consumers billions in higher fares.What happened Thursday?: American and US Airways asked a federal court to set a Nov. 12 trial date, three months earlier than the Justice Department wanted.Why it matters?: The airlines want to speed up the antitrust case, finish American's bankruptcy reorganization and, eventually, close the merger. Delays will cost millions in legal fees, they say.Kyle Arnold 918-581-8380kyle.arnold@tulsaworld.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) Visit Tulsa World (Tulsa, Okla.) at .tulsaworld.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存倉

Source: The Beaumont Enterprise, TexasAug.迷你倉沙田 22--Wooden roads, a couple of big oil strikes and some sick goats are all part of the history of the tiny community of Orangefield, and all were honored in centennial celebration on Saturday, when the Orange County Historical Commission dedicated a historical marker commemorating its oil boom roots.The celebration included a frontier gunfight reenactment, gusher replica, live music, barbecue dinner and events for the kids, with festivities in and around the Orange County Museum.Dr. Howard C. Williams, chairman emeritus of the Orange County Historical Commission, said the organization had been working toward getting the state historic marker for at least two years.According to the text on plaque, the No. 1 Bland well, drilled by Rio Bravo Oil Co. in 1913 produced about 150 barrels of oil per day. At 3,207-3,223 feet deep, the "wonder well" was the deepest well in Texas at that time.But in 1921, an even bigger gusher came in at Chesson No. 5, drilled by Humble Oil. The well, on a hill on the west side of Cow Bayou near the old bridge, produced 15,000 barrels a d迷你倉價錢y.This is where the goats came in, when Oscar Chesson wouldn't sell his farm "for all the oil in the oil field" because he wouldn't abandon his ailing goats.The wildcatting set off by the massive success of Chesson No. 5 let to the discovery of the Orange oil field, and the subsequent boom led to the growth of the town. Wooden roads were built to allow heavy oil field equipment to be hauled into the marshy coastal plains of Orange County.The Orangefield Post Office opened in 1922.But the next few years were difficult for the community, which was hit by fires and a tornado, and by 1925, most of the drilling crews were gone.Hurricanes Audrey, Rita and Ike subsequently obliterated all that was left of the old derricks along Cow Bayou -- but the waning of the oil boom wasn't the end of the community, which is now centered on the Orangefield Independent School District, the churches, businesses and homes of the residents.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Beaumont Enterprise (Beaumont, Texas) Visit the Beaumont Enterprise (Beaumont, Texas) at .beaumontenterprise.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉庫

Source: The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.迷你倉出租Aug. 21--Craig Petties is used to being in control.Before his arrest, the infamous drug lord, believed to be one of the richest and most deadly dealers in Memphis history, had an organization of people who followed his orders or paid the price, sometimes with their lives.Petties, a high school drop out who grew up in the impoverished Riverside neighborhood in South Memphis, emerged as a multimillionaire and ran an international trafficking empire that funneled hundreds of kilos of cocaine and more than a ton of marijuana from Mexico into Tennessee and other Southern states. Anyone who was perceived as a threat to the business -- including one of Petties' beloved cousins -- was silenced with bullets.Now, through two lawyers, the 36-year-old is angling for control of his court case, a dozen years after his initial arrest.The man who remained a federal fugitive for five years is asking a judge to force prosecutors to shave time off his sentence because he spared them the expense of a trial by pleading guilty in 2009 to racketeering and murder charges, and because he spilled secrets about other crimes to aid other investigations.U.S. Dist. Judge Samuel "Hardy" Mays is expected to sentence Petties, who faces life in a federal prison, during a hearing Thursday.Prosecutors are fighting back, arguing during previous court hearings that while Petties has cooperated to some extent, he still isn't revealing all he knows about murders and other crimes in Memphis or in Mexico.For instance, Petties claimed he was in bed asleep on April, 21, 2002 when one of his hit men fired 10 shots at Petties' cousin, Antonio Allen, outside a South Memphis home. Investigators say they're sure Petties gave the orders to kill Allen, erroneously thinking Allen had become a government witness.Petties and the hit man served as pallbearers at the victim's funeral.Another problem for Petties, because he remained a federal fugitive for years, is that much of what he has said came too late -- after his minions disclosed many of the same details about the drug ring to reduce their own sentences.Through the years, more than 40 Petties' associates have pleaded guilty and received prison stints, causing members who were friends since childhood to turn against one another.Many secrets of their underworld still remain hidden in sealed court documents, further protected when Mays closed portions of hearings to reporters and the public. Yet a glimpse has been gradually revealed during the past decade in police reports, hearings and unsealed court records.Organization members have testified how they followed Petties' orders to kill an associate who became a key government witness. And police listened in on jail phone calls between drug-ring members who were discussing plans to kill the lead investigators, Abe Collins, a special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Memphis police detective Therman Richardson.A jury convicted two of Petties' enforcers, the only ones who demanded a trial, last year, and both were sentenced this summer to life sentences in federal prisons. A sign of the volatile nature of the drug ring: jurors' names were shielded even from the judge, and armed deputy U.S. Marshals escorted them from an undisclosed location before and after court each day of the six-week trial.Spectators, including the mother of a victim who was kidnapped, tortured for days and murdered, watched the trial eight floors below the courtroom in a r儲存倉om protected by an additional security checkpoint and rigged with video conference equipment that never showed jurors' faces.Prosecutors had to wait to prosecute one lingering associate, Christopher Hamlett, a childhood friend of Petties who became part of the drug leader's inner circle. Hamlett, 36, who spent five years in a Mexican prison, was sentenced in Memphis earlier this month. As part of his plea deal, which landed him a 15-year sentence, he connected several murders in Mexico to Petties, Asst. U.S. Atty. David Pritchard said. Those are murders Petties didn't tell prosecutors about.A third factor that could have hurt Petties' chances at a reduced sentence: He has caused problems behind bars.He was initially held at a federal jail in Memphis, but was caught with a 6-inch shank hidden in the mattress in his jail cell. Even while standing before the judge in December 2010, he tried to minimize the crime -- saying it was a piece of "plastic off my tray," before agreeing with prosecutors' assertions that it was made of metal and sharpened into a crude knife. Petties was moved to a jail in Atlanta, but prosecutors filed a request, in a document that still remains sealed, to move him. According to a copy of the judge's September 2012 order, Mays agreed there was "good cause" Petties should be sent to a federal jail in New York, where he was placed in solitary confinement.Petties, caught by Memphis police with an estimated $300,000 worth of marijuana in 2001, fled the country in 2002. He lived a life of luxury in Acapulco and central Mexico under the protection of his drug suppliers, the violent and powerful Beltran Leyva cartel, and had a personal trainer, chef, maid, nanny, driver and armed security detail. When police in the country pulled him over for any reason, after Petties made a quick call to the cartel, the officers ended up apologizing to him.Despite landing on the U.S. Marshals Service 15 Most Wanted list, Petties could avoid capture by keeping on the move and bribing corrupt Mexican officials. But in January 2008 he feared his phone calls were being intercepted so he threw the phone away, preventing any officials from tipping him off.The military blocked off streets, sent snipers crawling on rooftops of area homes, positioned a helicopter to hover above and stormed Petties' homes in the upscale suburb of Queretaro, 136 miles northwest of Mexico City. Petties, speaking Spanish, tried to bribe his way free, but was arrested. Four of his children, twin 4-year-old boys and girls ages 10 and 16, were taken to a facility. The children's mother, Latosha Booker, 35, who was taking their 10-month-old girl to the nanny at the time, eventually returned to the U.S. with her children.Petties was quickly deported to Houston before being brought to Memphis.He immediately began to cooperate with federal prosecutors, who initially had considered pursuing the death penalty against him. In exchange for his cooperation, Petties wanted help safeguarding Booker and his children from a vengeful cartel.Petties pleaded guilty to 19 charges, including ordering four murders, during a secret hearing in 2009. Much of the court case remains sealed.His sentencing will end the 12-year-old case of a drug-trafficking organization believed to be one of the largest and most deadly in Tennessee history.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) Visit The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) at .commercialappeal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉沙田

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.文件倉, Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the growing need for companies to conduct online customer relations more effectively, Axosoft announces the latest release of Pure Chat, a free live support and sales software that simplifies communication. Pure Chat usage has grown an average of 60 percent per month for the past 10 months and with the new features, Axosoft expects to reach an even wider audience.According to an ATG Global Consumer Trend study, 90 percent of customers consider live chat helpful and a Forrester Research report discovered 44 percent of online consumers feel it's one of the most important features a website can offer.Pure Chat's new features focus on streamlining the operator experience for better conversation management and boosting quality assurance with downloadable transcripts. Heightened capabilities include: a revamped interface, reorganized chat queues, autocomplete for canned responses, backed structural changes that support scalability, OnTime Helpdesk integration, audio notifications, operator availability updates and chat filters that allow operators to reorganize their conversations. Best of all, even with these improvements, Pure Chat remains 100% free!Axosoft CEO Hamid Shojaee states, "We've been amazed by the growth Pure Chat has experienced so far. Now we want to enhance the power and elegance of the core features so that any company can take their sales and customer service to the next level."Pure Chat was developed during Axosoft's 30 Day Challenge in 2012, where employees were given the 存倉pportunity to take a break from current projects and devise a new, fully-functional product. This intensive, incubated brainstorming and development process is what allowed Pure Chat to launch in just one short month."It was a rewarding experience for us to exercise our entrepreneurial freedom and really come up with a product we thought people would love," lead developer Chad Golob said. "To see the growth it has achieved validates our vision."Clients who have used Pure Chat appreciate the ease of use and ability to respond to their customer quickly, "It's an excellent mode of communication for our customers to ask a quick question or receive immediate assistance," Chelsea Rowles, support communications specialist from CircuiTree Solutions, said, "A lot of people don't want to take the time to call, but Pure Chat expedites our support services...increased our customer satisfaction and client retention. It makes us personal to them."Get Started with Pure Chat now - It's Free!Watch how it works .youtube.com/watch?v=cVxPT-ZWyFA&feature=c4-overview&list=UUqYarI0avGozOjvpN3y1l7A.ABOUT AXOSOFT LLCSince its founding in 2002, Axosoft has become a leader in the development of agile tools and made a name for itself by producing the #1 selling Scrum software, OnTime. The company's portfolio of business tools also includes TransferBigFiles.com - one of the fastest cloud-based file delivery services on the web and more recently, Pure Chat, a free application that integrates sales or support chat into websites.Contact:480-773-3586Photos:.prlog.org/12197842Axosoft自存倉

Proposals to raise the age at which Chinese people are entitled to a pension, in order to help ease the country’s financial burden, have renewed debate over changes to the retirement age.儲存倉A scheme proposed by academics from Tsinghua University in Beijing suggests raising the pension age for both men and women to 65 from 2030 — up from the current ages of 60 for men and 50 for women.This proposed age is based on the pace of aging in China, said Yang Yansui, director of the Tsinghua Center for Employment and Social Security.Yang added that raising the age at which someone can claim a pension does not imply an adjustment to the retirement age.It would mean, however, that retirees wouldn’t receive a pension until they turn 65.In response, Tang Jun, secretary-general of the social policy research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wrote an essay this week arguing that most people cannot work until 65, and adding that employment opportunities for younger workers would also be affected.“It will trigger resentment among older workers and anger from the young when they can’t find jobs,” Tang predicted.China has been considering r迷你倉沙田ising its retirement age since 2008 to cope with its shrinking workforce and aging society, which together are placing a growing burden on the pension system.The Tsinghua scheme and Tang’s essay stirred renewed debate online — with few in favor of any raise.“What will we rely on to sustain daily life during the gap from retiring at 50 until we receive a pension 15 years later?” asked microblogger Song Chi.Song’s confusion and anger were echoed by many users on Sina Weibo microblog.“If implemented, subways and buses of the future will be crowded with gray-haired people dreaming of retirement, while jobless twenty-somethings strolling in parks yearn for employment,” said Xiaoyu Shasha on Sina Weibo.Meanwhile, many urged reform of the much-criticized dual pension mechanism, which solicits endowment insurance from non-government workers, while excusing government staff from the fees.“It is difficult to expect a fair and well-recognized retirement and pension proposal unless the pension system is reformed, as the delay may benefit some people at the expense of others,” wrote a microblogger using the name Urban Nomads. 迷你倉價錢

Source: Bangkok Post, ThailandAug.儲存 23--Marketers should quickly adjust their strategies in order to respond to today's consumers, whose behaviours are dominated by online technology, says Mindshare Thailand, the global marketing and media agency.A fast and flexible marketing approach should be used to integrate database and resources and comply with consumer insights in terms of all aspects of marketing, enabling marketers to respond to consumer behaviours and environmental changes and create a more customised brand experience.Managing director Nilufar Fowler said Mindshare Thailand mines useful online data from the personal information of 3,254 people each week.As well, IBM, the world's biggest computer-services provider, said 90% of all online data today has been collected in the past two years.Consumers receive general and specific content from their networks and friends amid the proliferation of satellite TV and online channels.Adaptive marketing comprises three main areas. First, consumer behaviours should be "personalised" by live marketing campaigns.Second, media technology and marketers should have greater access to online channels and consumers' digital devices such as mobiles, tablets and augmented-reality digital te新蒲崗迷你倉hnology platforms.Third, marketers should communicate widely spoken issues with their target groups, particularly through online channels, thereby creating buzz including in other media.Pathamawan Sathaporn, the head of business planning, said brands can receive a better return on investment from adaptive marketing.For example, when consumers bought a product before, they may have made their decision after receiving information from one media outlet.But now consumers obtain product information from many channels before making a buying decision, so media planners should put product information on many channels.A good media plan can change mindsets based on a good understanding of brand objectives and dynamics across all media, be they online or offline."Marketers should monitor and report on their campaigns on a continuing basis to improve results. Audiences always move more quickly than advertisers can reach them in a meaningful manner," said Ms Pathamawan.She said adaptive marketing is a way to maintain or raise sales among the country's economic slowdown.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) Visit the Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand) at .bangkokpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage

信息來源於四川新聞網 / Cited from .newssc.org/德國大閘蟹網上開賣　　　　@華西都市報:日前，存倉網上銷量最高的一款德國大閘蟹3對裝價格不足200元，而同等規格的陽澄湖大閘蟹則要300元左右。對於打、飛的來搶生意的德國兄弟，陽澄湖大閘蟹的網商們表現得十分淡定，“德國大閘蟹由於運費高昂等問題，低價也只是暫時的，對陽澄湖大閘蟹的銷量影響不會長久。”　　中秋是傳統的吃蟹時節，在今年的中秋蟹市場上，原本一統天下的陽澄湖大閘蟹威風不再。華西都市報記者發現，在淘寶、京東等網購平台上，貼著純野生、無汙染等標簽的德國大閘蟹佔領了江湖霸主的地位。憑借單店最高11747單的成交量，德國大閘蟹將傳統的陽澄湖大閘蟹踩在腳底。難道，這真的是“外來的和尚好念經麼”？德國大閘蟹是“海歸”　　據瞭解，德國大閘蟹與陽澄湖大閘蟹一樣，都是純正的“中國種”，學名“中華絨螯蟹”。據德國科學家研究發現，早在百年前，中國的大閘蟹通過商船的壓艙水來到歐洲。由於德國北部水域與大閘蟹的故鄉??長江中下游水域環境類似，這些漂洋過海的大閘蟹開始在德國的Elbe、Wester等河流安營紮寨，由於缺乏天敵等原因，這些大閘蟹已經成為了德國唯一的淡水蟹種。套用一位淘寶賣家的話，目前進軍中國的德國大閘蟹並非“外國留學生”而是“中國海歸派”。“海歸”回國有市場　　目前，網上銷量最高的一款德國大閘蟹3對裝價格不足200元，而同等規格的銷量高的陽澄湖大閘蟹則在300元左右。是什麼原因導致德國大閘蟹漂洋過海後價格反而相對低廉呢？　　此前，有分析稱，德國大閘蟹價格低廉的原因在於德國根本沒人吃，並且由於“愛挖洞，不挑食”的特性，大閘蟹給德國當地的生態造成嚴重的破壞，因此，當地人正愁不知如何解決這些“入侵者”。　　在成都攻讀中文的德國小伙Jonas向記者認可了這種說法，“德國人沒有吃大閘蟹這種河蟹的習慣。要吃蟹都是海蟹。”而據在慕尼黑開了7年中餐館的主廚陳錦文介紹，大閘蟹在德國的價格確實非常低廉，“一般是8歐元每斤左右，早些年還有漁民送給我們，不過這些年已經有點漲價的趨勢了。”　　不過，面對目前中國吃貨團旺盛的消費潛力，精明的德國人已經發現了隱藏在大閘蟹中的商機。在德國大閘蟹的主要產區，已經有德國水產公司從事專門的大閘蟹捕撈和機械化的加工業務。德自存倉大閘蟹已經徹底告別從前搭賣或者贈送的方式，目前在中國的電商平台上，經過市場運作，已經賣出了3000多元每斤的天價。德國大閘蟹虧本賣　　水產商曾先生給記者算了一筆賬，他認為德國大閘蟹進口成本高昂，以目前的熱銷價格，必虧本無疑。“我曾打過進口德國大閘蟹的主意，還專門飛抵德國考察過。目前大閘蟹在德國本土的售價雖然低廉，但加上空運的費用，以及海關各種檢疫和手續，德國大閘蟹的價格應當在600-1000元人民幣每斤左右。”記者隨後聯繫淘寶賣家，該賣家稱：“目前這款不足200元每斤的德國大閘蟹，確實是賠本的，只是為了走量，而且這是我公司第一次在網上賣進口大閘蟹，主要還是為了打造出德國大閘蟹的名聲，更重要的是，我們是網絡賣家，本次針對中秋的走量銷售是為了沖店鋪的成交量。”該賣家最後補充道，“雖然我們這款德國大閘蟹是虧的，但是如果成交量上去了，今後可以用別的產品的利潤慢慢彌補。”本土蟹不懼洋兄弟　　雖然廉價的德國大閘蟹暫時取代了陽澄湖大閘蟹銷量第一的地位，但陽澄湖大閘蟹賣家表示並無壓力。記者隨機採訪了銷量前五的陽澄湖大閘蟹網商。賣家“曉風依依”表示，廉價德國大閘蟹雖然對銷量有影響，但不大。“我們並沒有將之列為最主要的競爭對手。因為目前僅在淘寶銷售陽澄湖大閘蟹的賣家少說也有數千家，與之相比，德國大閘蟹並不構成足夠的規模。”賣家“青青331”則認為德國大閘蟹的低價戰略不可能持久。“據我瞭解，德國大閘蟹由於運費高昂等問題，成本擺在那，低價也只是暫時的，雖然短期內銷量會對陽澄湖大閘蟹造成影響，但是這種影響不會長久，目前我們的主要競爭對手，還是銷售同樣產品的陽澄湖大閘蟹的賣家。”　　據記者瞭解，目前在淘寶、京東等網絡平台上，德國大閘蟹的價格一般在一斤500-1500元。而陽澄湖大閘蟹的價格在一斤250元左右。有業內人士表示不看好德國大閘蟹在國內的長期銷量。“如果按照正常價格，德國大閘蟹比最好的陽澄湖大閘蟹還要貴上3-4倍，我國本身每年就有30-40萬噸的蟹產量，為什麼還要花大價錢吃德國大閘蟹呢？”就記者瞭解，500元每斤以上的德國大閘蟹少有人問津。而相關賣家表示產品定位不同，“在本店銷售的德國大閘蟹是選用最優質，完全沒有受過任何汙染的，因此針對的是注重健康，願意為高品質綠色食品花錢的人群。”　　華西都市報見習記者袁慧君迷你倉新蒲崗

Fear that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will pull back on purchasing federal debt triggered manic selling in Asian markets on Tuesday as several economies in the region saw their currency and stock markets fall by big margins, with the Hong Kong stock market losing 493 points to close at 21,970 for the steepest drop in seven weeks.新蒲崗迷你倉 The capital exodus prompted by worries that the Fed is cutting back debt purchase also gave some pundits a reason to sound the alarm on the prospect of emerging economies. However, this is not the first time international speculators played the scare tactic to profit from panic selling and certainly will not be their last. The latest fall in Asian markets was apparently another example of overreaction to unsubstantiated hearsay. Given the fact that the leading economies (the US, EU and China) are doing relatively well at the moment, the financial market is in a good place in terms of growth and investors should think twice before falling for such scare tactics. Huge amounts of cheap capital have flooded emerging markets since leading Western economies led by the US began quantitative easing (QE) to stimulate their own recovery, bringing temporary prosperity as well as growing risk of an asset bubble burst to the developing countries. The Fed is expected to begin reducing debt purchases as early as next momini storageth, triggering a mass return of capital back to developed nations that shook emerging economies as well as their financial markets and exchange rates quite violently. Some fortune-tellers went so far as to predict another financial Asian financial storm could be on the way, contributing to the panic-driven market fall in the region, including Hong Kong’s. It should be noted that several economic indicators showed better than expected results in recent months while the US and European economies continue to stabilize. The mainland economy in particular is improving and gives neighboring economies a good reason to feel confident about their own prospects in the near future. Speculators thrive in market fluctuations and will never stop trying to induce ups and downs for their own benefit. The US cannot afford to abandon QE all of a sudden, which means speculators can reuse the scare tactic as often as they feel like it until its “magic” wears off. Investors here should be on guard against overreaction and losing money in “Fed-fear” games. This is an excerpted translation of a Wen Wei Po editorial published on Aug 21. The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily. Readers’ comments are welcome. Please send your e-mail to opinion@chinadailyhk.com. China Daily reserves the right to edit all letters.self storage

八月十五日晚間，迷你倉被留置超過二十四小時的知名廣告人葉兩傳，終於籌出兩百萬元保釋金，步出台北地檢署大門。儘管步伐依舊昂然從容，但面對再熟悉不過的媒體鏡頭，他不再像從前那般有求必應，從頭到尾緊抿雙脣、不發一語；一雙圓眼少了招牌玳瑁框眼鏡修飾，在鎂光燈照射下更顯疲憊。去年三月，葉兩傳高調成立「巴哈地集團」，整合旗下高檔餐飲及髮飾、服裝等品牌；同時宣布將引進法國精品鑽石，將珠寶業納入事業版圖。當時他曾意氣風發地宣示，「今年將是爆發的一年」，樂觀預估集團營收將以倍數成長。未料，過去一年多來，葉兩傳際遇急轉直下，不僅在去年八月正式讓出頂級法國烘焙沙龍Paul的股份及經營權；近期更遭比利時珠寶商控告侵占市值約一億三千萬元的二十七顆鑽石，被檢方認定涉嫌詐欺、侵占，向法院聲請羈押。一向以光鮮亮麗面目示人的創意達人，一夕間險些淪為階下囚，墜落速度之快，令人不勝唏噓。新新人類 打開百億茶飲市場葉兩傳出生於台北大稻埕，父親從事木材交易，自幼家境富裕，屏東農專畢業後，曾短暫當過銷售業務員，隨後就與友人合組廣告公司。從小鬼點子就多的他，一直認定包裝茶飲有極大市場潛力，因此極力鼓動屏東農專學長、信喜實業董事長陳清林投資；並以無償提供廣告製作，只從銷售收入抽佣的條件作誘因，終於讓陳清林點頭推出開喜烏龍茶。一九九○年起，開喜烏龍茶靠著充滿喜感與親和力的角色「開喜婆婆」，以及「新新人類」廣告一炮而紅，連續多年創下年營收超過五十億元佳績，打開國內百億元茶飲商機；一系列廣告的幕後推手葉兩傳，據傳抽取了銷售收入一成作為佣金，但他本人從未證實。而充滿破碎、拼貼等強烈後現代風格，卻又不失詼諧的「新新人類」系列廣告，一九九三年入圍坎城影展最佳廣告作品決選，更讓他成為急速崛起的創意新貴。二○○四年，與信喜實業結束合作關係的葉兩傳，成立「老子曰實業公司」（Lao Tsu Say），推出精品茶飲，搶占法國與歐洲頂級市場。儘管一罐五百ＣＣ的茶飲，價格硬是比可樂高出一倍，但憑藉「道」、「無為而治」等充滿中國風的品牌意象，仍成功帶起歐洲飲茶風氣。此後，葉兩傳奪下享譽全球的頂級麵包沙龍Paul的台灣獨家代理權；一○年底引進法國兩百年老字號餐廳「松露之家」；隔年再成功說服有「巧克力之神」封號的馬歌尼尼（Pierre Marcolini）來台開設專賣店。每次出手必定引起風潮，逐步建立「食尚教父」的響亮名號。說話帶點閩南語口音的葉兩傳，常戲稱自己是道地的「台灣土雞」，但幾乎所有與他接觸過的人都說，他的公關手腕與口才是一等一。業界人士舉例，Paul剛進台灣時，正好遇上金融海嘯，有媒體問葉兩傳，是否擔心消費緊縮影響高檔食品市場？他當場回答，金融海嘯確實讓消費者更加謹慎，但這也意味著「鑑賞力」的提升；品質卓越的法式糕點，此時更容易成為力求精準之下的消費目標。這番巧妙的應對，讓該人士至今仍讚歎不已。擊敗統一集團、微風廣場強敵，取得Paul的台灣獨家代理權，更是葉兩傳將「溝通優勢」發揮得淋漓盡致的一場光榮戰役。當年簡報時，葉兩傳不像其他競爭者，將所有力氣花在經營計畫等細節上，反而以不太靈光的法語反覆訴說：「台灣是我的母親，法國是我的情人。」強調將以談戀愛的心情文件倉呵護進軍台灣的Paul，以另類方式，成功打動浪漫卻挑剔的法國人。另類創意 打動歐洲頂級品牌說服巧克力之神來台設專賣店時，葉兩傳簡報秀出的第一張投影片，竟然是他那輛被拆解作為行動藝術品的千萬賓利跑車，令眼睛發亮的馬歌尼尼直呼：「這太酷了！」當場就同意合作。「談代理權不是比誰的鈔票大疊，是要讓歐洲人知道，你懂他們的文化。」葉兩傳事後談起這些成功案例，話說得輕描淡寫。為什麼一位才華洋溢、事業成功的創意人才，會捲入詐欺疑雲？相識多年的友人認為，比起廣告人，葉兩傳的個性更像是企業家，「從不滿足於手上擁有的，永遠都在尋找下一個機會」，很可能是過度自信下的過度投資，導致資金周轉不靈。另一位前工作夥伴則直言，葉兩傳在事業上有強烈的冒險性格，寧可以小搏大，也不願輕言放棄；偶有資金困難或營運狀況吃緊時，他則習慣將目標轉向新的事業，藉令人眼花撩亂的創意度過眼前難關，「只是他的眼光很好，總是可以cover（應付）過去。」然而，再怎麼炫目的創意，也總有cover不過去的一天。讓出Paul 事業急轉直下二○一二年，這個葉兩傳口中的「爆發年」，意外成為他事業急轉直下的關鍵。葉兩傳同居人賴郁芬卸下「邦保羅公司」董事長身分，改由大股東和興製衣第二代接手；讓出經營權後，兩人也同時釋出手中股權，正式揮別這家曾由葉兩傳創造無數話題的法國麵包店。儘管Paul經營權易手�面上的理由是：「為積極展店並開發多元商品，藉調整經營團隊，為企業帶來更多新能量。」但知情人士透露，雙方拆夥的真正原因，是葉兩傳一直想在Paul既有的麵包糕點外，增加具有台灣特色的創意商品；然而在海外已有一百多個據點的Paul總公司，不容許台灣擅自更改經典目錄，雙方關係一度緊張。此時大股東不願力挺葉兩傳，才決定收回經營權。離開Paul之後，葉兩傳寄望能藉手中的松露之家與巧克力專賣店，再闖出一番天地。但前者開業兩年多來，還持續與國人飲食習慣磨合；後者則因裝潢、定位等問題，營收也未如預期長紅。葉兩傳再次將目光向外探索後，決定跨足寶石業，引進法國鑽石品牌卡洛夫（Korloff），並請來在影集《慾望城市》中飾演Mr. Big的男星來台宣傳，果然再次炒熱話題。然而，閃亮的鑽石終究未能在短期內替葉兩傳帶來耀眼的收益。去年底，業界首度出現葉兩傳財務吃緊的風聲，農曆年前更傳出積欠員工薪水；今年開始陸續有重要幹部離職，也讓人懷疑，葉兩傳的龐大事業是否亮起紅燈。即使傳言不斷，這次比利時珠寶商跨海控告葉兩傳，以辦展名義商借市價上億元的鑽石，事後未悉數歸還，反而自行典當變賣換現，仍讓不少人深感錯愕。一位前事業夥伴就說，葉兩傳一向以亮眼姿態現身，實在很難和財務吃緊聯想在一塊。業界人士分析，葉兩傳能不斷取得優質國際品牌授權，除了歸功於良好的公關能力，也是因為他的茶飲事業在歐洲頗負盛名；取得代理權後，能在國內找到實力雄厚的金主投資，靠的則是一次又一次創造話題所累積的亮眼媒體光環。換句話說，「個人形象」一直是葉兩傳能長期活躍的關鍵，這次捲入侵占疑雲，無論能否全身而退，對事業的強烈衝擊，不言可喻。在重新證明個人誠信之前，葉兩傳四處穿梭、宣揚各國美食文化與絢麗夢想的自信身影，短期內恐將難以得見。存倉