Matt Gurney on Marois' vision of an independent Quebec, that someone else …

Posted on June 29, 2012 by admin

Matt Gurney on Marois' vision of an independent Quebec, that someone else …
Now that Pauline Marois has been sworn in as the Premier of Quebec, she's gotten right down to work. She had a busy Day 1, with plenty of announcements. She's moving fast to deliver on her election promises and keep the base happy. There's something to …
Read more on National Post

Independent clobbered with Republican attack ads as US Senate race heats up …
The campaign cash, more than $ 1 million in attack ads, comes from Republicans trying to paint front-runner Angus King, a former two-term independent governor, as an unpredictable spender of taxpayer money. "Mainers can't afford to send this King to …
Read more on Minneapolis Star Tribune

Zondervan Partners with World Vision and Biblica to “Share Not Shred” Gently Used Bibles and Books

Posted on June 24, 2012 by admin

Grand Rapids, MI (PRWEB) May 23, 2012

Zondervan has announced plans to donate 40 pallets of gently used Bibles and books to World Vision and Biblica for distribution overseas. Through these donations, Zondervan hopes to promote Christianity and get books into the hands of those eager to know more about the Bible. This will bring the total number of pallets donated since July 2010 to 89, a retail value of $ 1.63 million dollars.

This program reflects Zondervans desire to giveaway product rather than destroy it, or share, not shred. For the past thirty years, Zondervan has given excess and returned product to missions as an extension of their mission to meet the needs of people with resources that glorify Jesus Christ and promote Biblical principles. The World Vision partnership came about recently due to their ability to reach areas of the world where populations are most in need of these valuable educational resources.

It feels very wasteful to throw out products that have been returned to our warehouses, said Scott Macdonald, President and CEO of Zondervan. We are very excited to partner with World Vision because they are able to reach areas in the world with the most need to place these books in the hands of those who can benefit from the Word of Christ.

About Biblica

Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God’s Word to meet their spiritual need. From immigrants streaming through the gates of Ellis Island to refugees in Sudan and orphans in Romaniafrom Hindi speakers in India to Swahili speakers in Africa to Quichua Indians in the Andes of Latin America, Biblica is there, presenting God’s Word. Visit http://www.Biblica.com to learn more or make a donation.

About World Vision

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve the world’s poor regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information on their efforts, visit WorldVision.org/press or follow them on Twitter at @WorldVisionNews.

About Zondervan

Zondervan, a HarperCollins company, is a world leader in Christian communications and a leading Christian publishing brand. For more than 75 years, Zondervan has delivered transformational Christian experiences through general and academic resources by influential leaders and emerging voices, and been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with additional offices in Miami, Zondervan publishes its bestselling Bibles, books, audio, video, curriculum, software, and digital products through its Zondervan, Zonderkidz and Editorial Vida brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online, and by Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries. Visit Zondervan on the Internet at http://www.zondervan.com.

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See a Better Tomorrow Campaign to Prevent Vision Loss Launched by AHAF

Posted on June 4, 2012 by admin

(PRWEB) May 04, 2012

Beginning in May, Healthy Vision Month, the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) is launching See a Better Tomorrow, a public education campaign that encourages people to schedule comprehensive eye exams to help protect against irreversible vision loss.

AHAF, which funds research and provides public information on glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, attests that early diagnosis is key to limiting or preventing vision loss from these two degenerative diseases, which affect 16 million Americans.

Many people are unaware that they have these diseases until they start to experience symptoms, after irreversible vision loss may have occurred, says AHAF President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. The good news is that with detection and treatment, eye doctors can often slow or stop the progression of these diseases and help protect against blindness.

A regular, comprehensive eye exam with pupil dilation allows a doctor to examine the back of the eye for signs of eye disease before symptoms appear.

Hercules is thrilled with his New Vision

Posted on May 23, 2012 by admin

Los Angeles, Ca (PRWEB) April 26, 2012

Renowned and respected actor Kevin Sorbo is best known for his role in the hit television series Hercules as well as the recently buzzed about film, Soul Surfer. Kevin Sorbo has acted professionally for over twenty years and has gained critically acclaimed success through his acting. Although most Americans are familiar with Kevin and his popular feature films many are not aware that he had been suffering from the eye disorder known as, pterygium.

Pterygium is a common eye aliment, which acts as an unnatural growth in the eye. The texture of the growth is similar to that of a piece of skin or a callous growing on to the cornea of the eye. The causes of pterygium can vary from; sun radiation, UV light, dust, and also genetic dispositions. Treatment is necessary for pterygium patients and if no action is taken, the pterygium will continue to grow, completely cover the surface of the eye, and eventually cause blindness. Not only will it ultimately cause blindness if left untreated, but pterygium also negatively affects vision. The pterygium itself can be compared to a piece of string dangling in the eye, unnaturally pulling and pushing the eye, this causes irregular refraction and poor vision.

As an actor, Kevins vision is a necessity. Actors are responsible for reading and memorizing lines, and trying to read small print from a teleprompter can be quite difficult for someone suffering from pterygium. Kevin came to realize that his vision was becoming a major problem and he discovered that surgery was the best way to treat his condition and improve his vision. Kevin was introduced to Board certified corneal surgeon, and renowned ophthalmologist, Dr. Rajesh Khanna M.D. Dr. Khanna has successfully treated thousands of patients suffering from pterygium and was confident that he could drastically improve Kevins vision.

After surgery with Dr. Khanna, Kevin cannot stop boosting about his new vision. He says that his pterygium growth was discolored, yellow, red and very unattractive and caused by him not wearing sunglasses when he was outside. Kevin is now very happy with his vision and says that Dr. Khanna is phenomenal, great, and amazing! Kevin says he should have had the surgery years ago, he wanted to get it done, he needed to get it done, and he is extremely happy with the results.

Khanna has used his skill and expertise to restore the vision of world-class athletes and well-known celebrities around the world. He won the Ventura County Stars Readers Choice Award for Best LASIK Surgeon for four consecutive years, from 2009-2012. Voted Best LASIK Surgeon in 2009 by the Los Angeles Daily News, hes also been named as the team ophthalmologist for the Mens USA Water Polo Team. An internationally acclaimed vision specialist and surgeon, Khanna is providing a cure for those suffering with keratoconus through Intacs rings segments, cornea transplants and cornea cross linkage. The procedures offer new hope and vision restoration for those who previously had no other long-term options, and patients have peace of mind knowing the treatment is performed by a pioneer and innovator in the field of sight problems.

Khanna can be reached by phone at 805-230-2126 or via email with the convenient form on the website. For more information, visit the website at http://www.thekeratoconus.com.

About Rajesh RAJESH Khanna

Dr. Rajesh Khanna is an internationally recognized LASIK and refractive vision care specialist, and the team ophthalmologist for the Mens USA Water Polo Team. He graduated among the top of his class in medical school and is a member of the UCLA faculty. Utilizing his skills to instruct a new generation of eye surgeons on the safest and most effective techniques and procedures, he pioneered many of todays techniques in LASIK and refractive surgery. Khanna invented a variety of instruments to aid in surgeries and speaks at a myriad of national and international professional venues each year. He participates in refractive surgery conferences and wet labs worldwide. Featured extensively in print and broadcast media, hes received prestigious awards and honors from the World Health Organization. Hes a member of the American Medical Association, the prestigious American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Novus Origo Launches New Website: Vision and Execution for Success

Posted on April 25, 2012 by admin

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) March 31, 2012

Novus Origo LLC (http://www.novusorigo.com), a San Diego based Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) firm providing Strategy Consulting, Outsourcing Consulting, and Program and Project Management services, announces the launch of its newly designed website. The site, which includes a comprehensive Knowledge Center (with access to white papers, brochures and documentation, and blog), Contract Vehicles, Services, Careers and other information, also has quick links to social media and news stories about Novus Origo.

“Our new site is an easy-to-navigate and educational resource for a variety of professionals, including: chief procurement officers, government representatives, consultants, training officers and others,” said Paul Cevolani, Novus Origo’s Chief Executive Officer. “The website further showcases our articles and white papers, which are an excellent primer about Novus Origos innovative and effective approach to issues like organizational change management, cloud computing, hiring and customized services. I encourage people to visit http://www.novusorigo.com to learn more about our areas of expertise and proven success in the marketplace.”

“The website for Novus Origo is an interactive and informative destination for people who want to know more about specialties and commitment to service. We also have a wealth of content about topics that directly impact management, strategic consulting and ways for organizations to innovate and succeed. We further welcome visitors to contact us, or post their feedback about our blog posts, Facebook updates and other timely commentary.”

About Novus Origo

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Novus Origo is the leader in the next generation of hybrid service firms, dedicated to the success of clients by designing innovative strategies, implementing new processes and technologies, identifying cost reductions, and training organizations which result in improved operational performance and ongoing business excellence. Novus Origo specializes in Strategy, Management, Sourcing/Acquisition, and Training Consulting Services with a focus in the areas of Information Technology (IT, SaaS, Cloud, ITO, and HRIT), Systems Integration, Business Process Management & Re-Engineering (BPM, & BPR), and Business Process Outsourcing (ERP, HRO, FAO, & RPO) services.

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Steven Nerayoff’s Vision Pays Off with Latest in Long Line of Business Successes

Posted on March 24, 2012 by admin

Hackensack, NJ (PRWEB) January 29, 2010

At a time when many businesses are struggling to stay profitable and grow, serial entrepreneur, Steven Nerayoff, Esq., LL.M., has another notch on his belt of business success. The latest in a long line of successful ventures, Steven Nerayoff most recently positioned Freedom Eldercare for acquisition by Webster Capital, a private equity group based in Waltham, MA, with a focus in home health care and senior services. The acquisition was awarded the Health Care Deal of the Year award to The Braff Group for its representation of Freedom Eldercare.

When I started Freedom Eldercare, I envisioned a company with an innovative approach to serving clients, families and professionals, commented Steven Nerayoff, former owner of Freedom Eldercare.

“Using the vision of a seamless delivery system, I wanted Freedom to stand out as one of the first comprehensive geriatric care companies in existence. I believe it is the unique combination of quality home health care, geriatric care management and industry wide educational offerings that has established Freedom as the gold standard for elder care. My passion is building successful companies as this is the fifth company I have founded and with the recent acquisition of Freedom, I am looking forward to the next venture that comes my way, continued Steven Nerayoff.

Regarding the significance of the transaction, Steve Braff, Managing Director of The Braff Group for Home Care and Hospice, said that “Steven Nerayoff built Freedom Eldercare into one of the largest stand-alone private home care providers in the country. This deal was particularly noteworthy to the private pay home care industry. Not only was it a high profile transaction involving a sizable, well-known company, but it was also completed by a private equity firm, which may have been one of the first investments of its kind in a non-franchise organization.”

About Steven Nerayoff:

In addition to building Freedom Eldercare into one of the largest stand-alone private home care providers in the country, Steven Nerayoff is a co-founder of three Silicon Valley companies: iOffer (one of the largest Internet marketplaces for goods), eWanted (the Internet’s first and largest reverse auction site), and FleetwoodOwen (one of the leading entertainment memorabilia auction companies in cooperation with partner Mick Fleetwood from FleetwoodMac). Nerayoff was also the founder of Inside/Out Guides, a leading guidebook publisher for several U.S. cities. Mr. Nerayoff successfully sold Inside/Out Guides to a larger publishing company. In addition to these operational endeavors, Mr. Nerayoff has been instrumental in raising over $ 50 million in equity financings for these companies and others. Previously, Mr. Nerayoff was an attorney with Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP, an international law firm with over 1000 attorneys on issues related to initial public offerings, private placements, structured finance, tax and partnerships.

Mr. Nerayoff holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from The American University, a law degree from Tulane School of Law and a Masters of Law from New York University School of Law.

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Jama Contour 3.4 Brings Shared Vision to Align Development Activities with Business Priorities

Posted on February 11, 2012 by admin

Portland, OR (PRWEB) February 07, 2012

Jama Software, the leader in collaborative requirements management solutions, today announced Contour 3.4, the latest version of its software that provides a centralized collaboration hub for enterprise organizations to execute complex projects successfully throughout the development process. New features in Contour 3.4 include visual diagramming, Review Center flexibility and an integration with Rally, a leading Agile software development solution.

Building a great product is naturally a very social process that requires a team to take action daily to respond quickly to change, make smart decisions and execute on a shared vision of the project, explained Eric Winquist, CEO of Jama Software. With Jama Contour 3.4, we continue to make it easier for the worlds largest and most sophisticated organizations to manage their complex development projects from initial customer needs through to delivered releases.

How Contour Works:

Jama Contour captures and tracks the ongoing flow of feedback, decisions and changes to the details of a project that occur during the development process. Delivered through a flexible and easy-to-use Web application, Contour provides all of the core functionality expected for requirements management, including traceability, coverage, change control, and reporting, but without the heavy overhead and steep learning curves of traditional enterprise tools. Contours unique value is in delivering actionable collaboration across all stakeholders from product executives and project managers to business analysts, developers and QA teams keeping everyone in sync through real-time communication and decision making. Its flexibility allows teams to customize Contour to fit their unique development processes, whether they are using Waterfall, Agile or a hybrid of methodologies. Also, through integrations with other leading development tools, Contour provides a best-of-breed solution that ensures requirements are properly managed and, if modified, communicated instantly across the enterprise to ensure that development activities are aligned with business priorities..

New Enhancements in Contour 3.4 include:

Visual: Contour’s new in-line diagramming feature helps visualize complex concepts to communicate your ideas faster and eliminate ambiguity. Create flowcharts, org charts or story boards online using a library of pre-built shapes and fonts. With the images stored in-line within Contour, your diagrams are accessible and fully editable with no need to import or export files across applications.

Social: Contours enhanced Review Center provides a fast and agile way to review plans to gain agreement among a group of distributed stakeholders. Team members can initiate reviews, gather feedback, monitor social interactions and manage an approval process that updates Contour and notifies all team members that requirements are ready for development. For regulatory compliance and contractual commitments, it tracks time invested and keeps a detailed audit trail of approvals and changes to requirements. Contour is the only requirements management solution on the market with Review Center.

Agile: With Contour 3.4, Jama also announces the availability of the Jama Connector for Rally. Contours integration with Rally creates an ongoing feedback loop, which gives product owners and management confidence that development activities map back to customer expectations and priorities. This integration is an ideal solution for WaterScrumFall organizations practicing a hybrid approach to Agile, where Agile development teams are working in real-time with remote stakeholders, and must formally document requirements to meet regulatory compliance and contractual commitments.

Learn more about whats new in Contour 3.4: http://www.jamasoftware.com/newcontour

Pricing and Availability:

Contour 3.4 is available now as an on-site solution companies self-host or as a secure, on-demand solution hosted by Jama. Flexible licensing options are available and pricing starts at $ 700 per named user per year, which equates to less than $ 59 per month. The Jama Connector for Rally is sold separately, pricing available upon request. For more information please visit http://www.jamasoftware.com/contour/how-to-buy.php or call toll-free 1-800-679-3058.

About Jama Software

Jama Software is the leader in collaborative requirements management solutions for enterprise organizations managing complex product development projects. Jama was recently honored as a top 20 software company in the Inc. 500 and named one of the Most Promising Companies in America by Forbes magazine. Its Web application, Jama Contour, helps organizations manage the entire requirements management lifecycle through an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that brings people, teams and ideas together to ensure business value is delivered as specified. Customers, from agile start-ups to the largest and most sophisticated technology and IT organizations in the world, turn to Jama to help drive innovation, improve the decision-making process and harness the collective genius of all stakeholders involved in building great products. For more information please visit http://www.jamasoftware.com.

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Tachyon Releases the Tachyon OPS HD Night Vision Camera

Posted on February 11, 2012 by admin

Lewisville, Texas (PRWEB) January 11, 2012

The Tachyon OPS Night Vision camera is designed to film in the dark and in extreme low-light situations such as those encountered by police, SWAT, special forces, border control, and hunting. The OPS HD Night Vision can record in daylight, although with reduced color saturation.The Tachyon OPS HD Night Vision also works as a surveillance camera for the home or business. It boasts a 125 degree field of vision and works with both the visible 850nm and the invisible 940nm infrared light sources. It has infinite recording loop technology with which it will begin to record over old footage after it fills its memory of up to 32GB.

The OPS HD Night Vision has a time-lapse photo mode that takes 1 photo every 2 seconds. Each photo is time and date stamped, which comes in very useful when using the camera for surveillance.

Like all Tachyon cameras, the OPS HD Night Vision couldnt be easier to use. It is ready to go right out of the box and has a simple, one-button operation. For stealth considerations, it is set to make no sound when turning on and off. At the back of the camera is a small, dim LED to let you know when it is turned on. The cameras are also plug-and-play with a PC or a Mac.

Optional accessories include a cable for plugging into a 110v and 12v outlets and external chargers for continuous charging and recording. Another is a water-resistant, silicon rubber cover which makes the camera weatherproof, a great benefit for outdoor monitoring and activities.

The OPS HD Night Vision is the same size and weight as the current OPS HD camera (1.2 OZ, 2.9 X 1 X 1 Inches) It also boast the same patented 8-way mounting system that gives the user an unparalleled range of mounting positions, where the user can rotate the camera inside it’s mounts from the 12 to the 9 to the 6 to the 3 o’clock positions.

Standard mounts that come with the camera include the contour mount, for mounting to curved surfaces such as the side or tops of helmets. A standard tripod mount that will attach to any

“The Information Age Has Taken a Toll on Our Eyesight,” Says Jeffrey Anshel, an Optometrist in Carlsbad, Calif., and President of Corporate Vision Consulting

Posted on February 9, 2012 by admin

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) December 12, 2011

Many people need reading glasses as they age. But, reading glasses don’t work well on computers- they are designed to magnify objects at a distance of around fourteen inches. Fine for reading a printed page, but, not for people who are multi-tasking: Reading, looking at a computer or smart phone, i-Pad and any number of devices.

Developed in France to specifically address the shortcoming of traditional reading glasses, SightLine Proximity Readers feature a unique lens design which provides three levels of magnification in one lens.

The strongest magnification is placed strategically on the lower portion of the lens
Less magnification is needed to view a computer monitor
Still less magnification is needed to view objects and people in close proximity

Even office workers who don’t need distance or reading glasses now may be taxing their eyes unknowingly. “People may not realize that their eyes are working really hard to give them that vision,” says Rachel Bishop, chief of the Consult Services Section at the National Eye Institute. “Mid-range glasses for working at the computer can make an enormous difference.”

SightLine Proximity Readers are available on-line at http://www.Amazon.com and http://www.sightlinereaders.com.

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Pearle Vision Selects Balihoo for Local Marketing Automation

Posted on February 6, 2012 by admin

Boise, ID (PRWEB) October 04, 2011

Pearle Vision (http://www.pearlevision.com), North Americas largest optical franchise, has selected Balihoo (http://www.balihoo.com), the premier provider of Local Marketing Automation technology and services to national brands, to strengthen their marketing support for franchisees.

Strong local marketing is essential for franchisee success, said Alexis McLaughlin, Marketing DirectorPearle Vision at Luxottica Retail. As part of our Franchise First philosophy, we are committed to providing our franchisees with a solution where they can focus on patient and customer care and let us take care of the rest. Balihoos Local Marketing Automation solution enables our franchisees to leverage the heritage of the Pearle Vision brand, customize marketing to meet their unique needs, and successfully engage with patients in their local markets.

Pearle Vision will be implementing Balihoos Local Website solution across all franchisee-owned stores in their network. For the national brand, they expect this solution will help deliver a consistent brand image across all geographies and significantly decrease the administrative workload associated with their current solution. For the local stores, the solution gives them the ability to quickly and easily update their local content in real time within the context of a SEO-optimized microsite and customer friendly navigation.

Balihoo is delighted to help Pearle Vision extend their national marketing to the local level and enhance their support of franchisees and corporate stores. By combining the critical elements of local marketing, Pearle Visions local stores will execute sophisticated campaigns and expand their brand awareness in hundreds of markets, said Pete Gombert, Balihoos CEO. Given the complexity of the local marketing landscape and the opportunity for geographic customization, local marketing automation is a key enabler for local marketing success.

To learn more about Pearle Vision franchise opportunities, check out pearlevisionfranchise.com or download the Franchise Opportunity Kit. To learn how Balihoos Local Marketing Automation Solution can help companies translate national strategies into local execution download Balihoos latest whitepaper, The Local Web: The Linchpin to Successful Local Marketing.

Pearle Vision is wholly owned by Luxottica Group S.p.A.

Luxottica Group is a leader in premium fashion, luxury and sports eyewear, with approximately 7,000 optical and sun retail stores in North America, Asia-Pacific, China, South Africa, Latin America and Europe and a strong and well balanced brand portfolio. Luxottica’s key house brands include Ray-Ban, the best known sun eyewear brand in the world, Oakley, Vogue, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Arnette and REVO, while license brands include Bvlgari, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Polo Ralph Lauren, Prada, Tiffany and Versace. In addition to a global wholesale network covering 130 countries, the Group manages leading retail brands such as LensCrafters and Pearle Vision in North America, OPSM and Laubman & Pank in Australasia, LensCrafters in Greater China, GMO in Latin America and Sunglass Hut globally. The Group’s products are designed and manufactured in six Italy-based manufacturing plants, two wholly-owned plants in China and a sports sunglass production facility in the U.S. In 2010, Luxottica Group posted consolidated net sales of approximately EUR5.8 billion. Additional information on the Group is available at http://www.luxottica.com.

About Balihoo

Balihoo is the premier provider of Local Marketing Automation technology and services to national brands with local marketing needs. By automating local marketing, Balihoo gives national brands unprecedented control over local marketing execution and the ability to control the customer experience closer to the point of purchase.