Sakamoto Yakuhin Kogyo (Osaka) says it has started production at a 2,000-m.t./year brominated epoxy flame retardants plant at Batangas, the Philippines. Capacity can be raised to 6,000 m.t./year, subject to demand growth, the company …
Monday, March 5, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
ARROYO GETS SECOND CHANCE.(Sports)
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- He's the bad boy of the New York racing circuit, a troubled athlete whose riding career has miraculously survived his turbulent past. Call it luck, call it talent, call it what you may. At Saratoga this season, Norberto Arroyo Jr. will get a second chance.
"I'm taking things a lot more serious than I ever have," Arroyo said Thursday, 10 victories away from notching his 1,000th career win. "I've had my problems in life, but this time I hit the bottom."
"This time" was his latest absence from racing, a six-month penalty levied in 2008 by the New Jersey Racing Commission. It has been three-and-a-half weeks since the 32-year-old Puerto …
Celebrex study finds benefits and risks.(Main)
WASHINGTON - Is a drug that might lower the risk of colon cancer worth taking if it also raises the risk of heart problems?
Two studies on the arthritis drug Celebrex found that the drug cut the chances of developing precancerous growths called polyps by 33 percent to 45 percent in people who already had such growths removed.
However, experts said the extra heart problems seen in those taking the drug mean that it can't be recommended for preventing cancer in people at average or slightly higher risk.
"We are all concerned about cardiovascular events," said Dr. Nadir Arber of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel, who led one of the studies. …
FORMER DMV OFFICIAL WINS VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD.(CAPITAL REGION)
Byline: MARV CERMAK - Staff writer
Albert M. Danzig was recently named winner of the third annual Grump Club Barney McGuire Award.
The award is presented to persons involved in community volunteer service in memorial to McGuire, a career police officer.
Danzig was a long-time deputy commissioner of the state Department of Motor Vehicles. He was an appointee of the late Republican Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller.
During his state employment he was considered the "voice of the DMV" because he made almost daily speaking appearances throughout the state.
A gifted public speaker, he still is called upon to speak at testimonials, …
Dedicated followers of fashion: Morag Cuddeford Jones asks if religion needs as much help with its brand image as commercial institutions. Would adding a bit of gloss increase the conversion rate or do the spiritual and secular worlds simply not mix?(Religion)
It is well established, with a universal brand, outlets in every community, many city centre sites with car parks and excellent goodwill. It has a visually well defined logo, with staff wearing easily identifiable uniforms. Although many of its outlets are dated they are still functioning, and remain open all flay. It attracts and retains many part-timers in addition to its full-time staff and is an equal opportunities employer.
Competition and fashion have had a marked effect however. This has forced it to address style issues, sell off some of its outlets and repackage its product to appeal to niche markets. Although it does not offer refunds and will not accept returns, its after sales service remains a key positioning feature. We're not talking about McDonald's or a hotel chain, but Christianity--the brand.
If you were to categorise religions in commercial terms, they would belong to a category of uber brands. For many, they enjoy 100% brand awareness and customer loyalty, little staff turnover and global reach. According to the US-based World Education Almanac Group, 95% of the world's 6.3 billion people belong to a religion. But the inherently spirtual nature of religion understandably leaves many of its leaders a little queasy about drawing parallels with branding.
For many, the issue of branding means using commercial marketing techniques, something religious leaders feel is already responsible for a number of the world's ills. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, made his feelings about branding very clear during his New Year message this year:
"Businesses and charities seem obsessed with rebranding themselves. You wonder how much difference it really makes. Perhaps [they think] if we changed the image we'd be trusted and relied on. Perhaps people trust us even less when we change the brand name? It can be an infallible recipe for anxiety--permanent, restless concern about how we look."
He went on to dismiss branding using the example of the church itself, claiming: "But in reality Christians, like other religious people, believe that God doesn't change. If God doesn't change, there's something in us that doesn't change. No need for constant makeovers."
But perhaps this queasiness is a European, or British phenomenon? In the US, the attitude is completely different. "All the religions in the US are tied up in a competitive spiritual marketplace," claims Boston University's chairman of the department of religion, Stephen Prothero. "Religious people like to imagine that they're not involved in the commercial …
Biden defends White House compromise on tax cuts
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden defended the Obama administration for its willingness to extend tax cuts for the richest Americans, despite earlier promises that he and the president would fight against the Bush-era policy.
"We got to the end, we couldn't get it done, and we had to make a decision," Biden said about President Barack Obama's compromise with Republicans to allow tax cuts across the income scale to continue.
The vice president told NBC television's "Meet The Press" in an interview broadcast Sunday that he and Obama still believe tax cuts for the wealthiest are "morally troubling" and that they would fight to avoid renewing the cuts when they expire in …
Will Smith makes 'Hancock' tolerable: ; Movie opens with promise, but predictable twist adds little depth
"Hancock"
(PG-13) HH 1/2
"Hancock" demonstrates why Will Smith gets paid the big bucks.
The guy has owned Fourth of July weekends with huge debuts forsome passable but not-so-great movies ("Independence Day," "Men inBlack II"), and he'll likely do it again with this foul-mouthed-misanthrope-as-superhero flick.
"Hancock" has a crisp, entertaining set-up - Smith as a superherowho hates everyone and is hated in turn for the chaos he causes.With nowhere to go after that, the filmmakers let the story devolveinto a lame variation of the very action genre they aimed to flip onits head.
But none of that matters. It's Will Smith and it's anotherpassable …
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