Archive for November, 2009

Hotel Guests Are the Same Shade of Green at Home and Away

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
Hotel Guests Are the Same Shade of Green at Home and Away

Market Wire, November, 2009

Jurys Inns has polled its guests to find out just how green they really are when staying at a hotel. Seven out of 10 guests claim they don’t forget to pack their eco-conscience when staying at a hotel and make an effort to follow the same green practices they would at home when they’re away.

One in 5 people said they ‘check-out’ a hotel’s green credentials before checking-in, claiming that in addition to location, service and value for money, it is a high priority when deciding which hotel to book. This supports other recent research from Samsung claiming that more than half (54%) of consumers think that hotels should use sustainable energy sources.

In an effort to save electricity, an overwhelming 9 out of 10 guests said they wouldn’t dream of leaving the television on when they leave the hotel room. However, 8 out of 10 said they are more likely to run a bath whilst staying at a hotel because they want to enjoy “moments of indulgence” when on holiday or travelling for business, even if it means using more water than they usually would when showering at home.

Jurys Inns is known for its warm service and genuinely striving to make the everyday exceptional
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Transamerica Insurance & Investment Group Launches iPipeline’s iGO e-App for Life Business

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
Transamerica Insurance & Investment Group Launches iPipelines iGO e-App for Life Business

Business Wire, Nov 23, 2009

Term Market Leader Accelerates e-App Deployment

EXTON, Pa. — iPipeline, the leader in on-demand software that supports marketing,
selling, and processing solutions for the nations top insurance
carriers, distributors and producers, today announced that Transamerica
Insurance & Investment Group (TIIG) is launching iGO e-App, an
intelligent fillable form and clean technology, that eliminates agent
error and reduces processing time. Under the agreement, TIIG will be
deploying full iGO e-Apps for their Term Life business throughout the US.

The nations leading carriers are rethinking how to best process
insurance applications, avoid the pitfalls associated with paper-based
solutions, and improve consumer satisfaction. iGO e-App is iPipelines
response to our carriers requests for a solution that simplifies
completion, accelerates review and approval, and streamlines
underwriting and policy issuance, said Tim Wallace, CEO, iPipeline. We
are pleased about Transamericas decision to deploy iGO e-App for their
Term Life business and welcome them to the iPipeline Network.

We are committed to enhancing the producer experience by offering
next-generation application processing technology, said Joy Shigekawa,
Vice President of Strategic Management & Sales Technology Services for
TIIG. The deployment of iGO e-App for our Term Life business will
deliver new efficiencies and increase productivity via straight-through
processing. By minimizing paper-based tasks for distributors and
producers and accelerating policy issuance, we can reduce the cost of
sales, speed underwriting, and increase placement ratio.

To learn how you can implement iGO e-App to support the marketing,
selling and processing of insurance, contact sales@ipipeline.com
or call 1-800-758-0824, option 2.

About iPipeline

iPipeline leads its industry in providing the next-generation suite of
sales distribution software as a clean technology to the insurance and
financial services markets through its on-demand service. iPipeline’s
channel solutions for carriers, distributors, and producers automate
activities for quoting, forms processing, illustrations development,
agency management, requirements ordering, contracting, and content
distribution, enabling the insurance industry to market, sell, and
process faster. iPipeline provides the process automation
and seamless integration needed to make a sale by aggregating over 160
carriers, 1,200 distributors, and 600,000 agents in a single, Web-based
environment the iPipeline Network.

With headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania, iPipeline has offices in
Atlanta, Charlotte, Hartford, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Salt Lake
City. Visit us at www.ipipeline.com.

About Transamerica

Transamerica Insurance & Investment Group, a marketing unit for
Transamerica Life Insurance Company (TLIC), offers an array of
innovative financial services and products designed to help individuals,
families, and businesses build, protect, and preserve their assets
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Catalogs.com and Nasco Reveal Winners of National 'Tools for

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
Catalogs.com and Nasco Reveal Winners of National ‘Tools for

0 Comments | Wireless News, Nov 24, 2009

Teachers nationwide are struggling to buy school supplies, but third grade teacher Christine Rivan of Thomas Jefferson Primary in Peoria, Ill., hit the educational jackpot, winning the grand prize for her entry in Catalogs.com and Nasco’s “Tools for Teaching” contest.

The contest asked teachers to tell why their class deserves to win a gift certificate for supplies.

A committed teacher for 17 years, Rivan described the overwhelming need for assistance due to a devastating fire that destroyed her school.

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“The community and district have been very kind attempting to donate or purchase whatever possible, which is difficult in these economic times,” Rivan wrote. “If I won this money, I would simply turn it over to the principal so that all of our teachers could share the winnings because this fire happened to our school, and we all lost a lot.”

As the “Tools for Teaching” grand prize winner, Rivan receives $2,500 worth of school supplies from Nasco.

“We were overwhelmed by the touching stories we received, almost 1,000 entries in all,” said Leslie Linevsky, co-founder of Catalogs.com. “Christine’s earnest plea to help her school survive a tragic fire and her selfless wish to share the winnings with every teacher at Thomas Jefferson Primary is what won her the grand prize. We wish her luck rebuilding the school and helping all of these students succeed in their education.”

Catalogs.com and Nasco also announced the runner-up and three finalists:

Second Place $1,500: Kathryn Quigley, Dillard High School, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Finalist $500: Bhavna Rawal, Northbrook High School, Houston, Texas

Finalist $500: Kekai Bryant-Williams, George Washington Preparatory High School, South Los Angeles, Calif.

Finalist $500: Geri Ellner Krim, Brooklyn Collegiate, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Entries were judged on persuasiveness, creativity, clarity and demonstration of need.

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

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Westfield '12 Days of Shopping' Season of Celebration Kicks Off November 27

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
Westfield ‘12 Days of Shopping’ Season of Celebration Kicks Off November 27

Market Wire, November, 2009

With the most wonderful time of the year
approaching, Westfield embraces the spirit of the season and kicks off the
Westfield ‘12 Days of Shopping’ season of celebration at its more than 50
shopping centers across the US. Throughout the ‘12 Days of Shopping,’
holiday joy will fill the air as Westfield shoppers are treated to
enter-to-win shopping sprees, car and jewelry giveaways, merry holiday
music, charitable giving opportunities, savory food samplings, great prices
on holiday gifts and much more. The celebration begins Friday, November 27
and takes place every Friday through Sunday concluding Sunday, December 20.
Also beginning on November 27 is Real Simple magazine’s ‘15 Gifts and
You’re Done’ program, a gift with purchase promotion that will extend
through the holiday season. In celebration of its launch, Real Simple will
offer a free gift to the first 500 Westfield shoppers on Black Friday.

“We know our customers count on the Westfield brand for all of the extras
that make shopping at our centers special, and the 12 Days of Shopping is
sure to meet their expectations,” said Alan Cohen, executive vice president
of marketing and partnership marketing with Westfield. “Each of the12 days
of promotions and events delivers something unique to our customers. Our
goal is to make this holiday shopping season exciting and memorable for the
whole family and successful for our retailers partners.”

Highlights of the “12 Days” include exclusive savings with “five golden
deals” (on the “5th day of shopping”), fifty percent off of photos with
Santa, complimentary gift wrap and free gifts with purchase. Exciting
contests offer the chance to win a car, shopping sprees and trips, jewelry
and electronics. Each center will also provide shoppers the opportunity to
help local people in need through charitable donations.

Here is a glimpse of what’s in store:

-- On the first day . . . one shopping spree!           Friday, November 27
Free gift from Real Simple magazine for the first 500 shoppers
Register to win one of twelve $5,000 shopping sprees.

-- On the second day . . . two ways to connect! Saturday, November 28
Shoppers can win a laptop and a Smart Phone.

-- On the third day . . . three tasty treats! Sunday, November 29
Savor the season with samplings throughout the center.

-- On the fourth day . . . four smiles with Santa! Friday, December 4
Fifty percent off on photos with Santa.

-- On the fifth day .
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Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA – Beverly's Fine Fashions shuts doors after 13 years

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
Beverly’s Fine Fashions shuts doors after 13 years

0 Comments | The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA, Nov 21, 2009 | by JAMESETTA M WALKER

By Jamesetta M. Walker

The Virginian-Pilot

VIRGINIA BEACH

Popular women’s clothier Beverly’s Fine Fashions is hanging up its hat .

“There comes a time when you have to make a tough decision,” said Beverly Bates, owner of the boutique in the Hilltop North Shopping Center in Virginia Beach. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Bates said Friday she wasn’t going to blame her decision on any one thing. She would not say it was the economy.

Earlier this year, Bates established a consignment corner in the store to capitalize on increased bargain-hunting by fashion shoppers.

Bates described herself as a hope-springs-eternal type of person. “There are so many times you can pull a rabbit out of the hat,” she said.

Bates operated Beverly’s Fine Fashions for 13 years. She moved the store from Chesapeake to the bustling Hilltop retail area five years ago.

The store specialized in boutique-quality special occasion, resort and day wear. Consumers have voted the store gold in the Best Ladies Apparel/Boutique and Best Formalwear categories in The Virginian-Pilot’s annual Best of Virginia Beach awards.

The store started as a fashion house for plus-sized fashions, but Bates expanded her stock to include distinctive apparel for sizes 4- 24.

Beverly’s has three part-time employees, Bates said. She’d earlier cut back from six or seven.

The closure widens the void for independently owned stores specializing in special occasion wear. Karen Eagle, a bridalwear and special occasion shop in Hilltop North, closed in 2007.

On Friday at a fashion show benefitting Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Bates distributed invitations to a private closing sale that will run from Nov
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Endeca Reports Increase in Chip Online's Site Traffic

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
Endeca Reports Increase in Chip Online’s Site Traffic

0 Comments | Wireless News, Nov 20, 2009

Endeca Technologies, Inc., a search applications company, announced that Chip Online, an online buying guide for computers, communication and home entertainment products, has reported a 20 percent increase in site traffic since the September 2008 launch of the Endeca Publishing Suite.

According to a release, Chip Online reports an increase in user engagement, with a 20 percent rise in the number of page impressions in one month, bringing monthly page impressions to nearly a quarter of a billion.

“We partnered with Endeca because of the company’s market- leading Guided Navigation technology and its ability to offer real- time interaction with information at an immense scale – a requirement for a media enterprise like ours,” said Mathias Plica, managing director of Chip Online. “While a better user experience and increased advertising revenues were key motivators in selecting a technology partner, what we didn’t realize was the enormous effect that search application technology could have on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) capabilities – until we implemented Endeca. Its solution far surpasses traditional database products and other search tools.”

The company said Chip Online relies on external advertising – display ads (CPM), performance ads (CPC) and price comparisons (CPC) – to drive revenue because it provides all of its content for free.

“Endeca not only brought us significantly more traffic, but has strengthened our Web presence and extended our market leadership in the digital lifestyle segment,” said Plica. “CHIP Online is now the number one ranked site in this category and Endeca helped us achieve this accomplishment.”

“As consumer expectations become more sophisticated and online competition continues to grow, CHIP Online is realizing the benefits of differentiating its online presence to effectively engage customers,” said John Andrews, vice president, solutions marketing & product management at Endeca. “Traditional search engines don’t give users the capability to search for information in an friendly way, which means within content-rich sites such as CHIP Online, there could be lots of engaging material that most visitors never find
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Glen can become Euro star – Benitez

Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Glen can become Euro star – Benitez

0 Comments | Daily Post; Liverpool (UK), Nov 20, 2009 | by IAN DOYLE

GLEN JOHNSON has returned from revolutionary treatment in Belgrade with Rafael Benitez confident the Liverpool defender can prove himself one of the best right-backs in Europe.

Johnson made a flying visit this week to radical therapist Mariana Kovacevic in an attempt to rectify the hamstring injury that caused him to miss England’s friendly against Brazil in Doha last weekend.

The full-back travelled to Belgrade along with team-mate Fabio Aurelio to see Kovacevic, who has become famous for treating sportsmen with the liquid from horse placenta, after the fitness of both Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera improved noticeably after visiting the specialist earlier in the week.

And Johnson, also recently troubled by groin and calf problems, is now expected to be available for tomorrow’s Premier League visit of Manchester City.

The 25-year-old has had a promising start to his Anfield career following a pounds 17m summer move from Portsmouth, despite criticism of his defending while on international duty.

But while Benitez admits Johnson can improve, he is convinced the right-back is already among Europe’s finest in his position.

“I am surprised that everybody is still asking about Glen,” said the Liverpool manager. “I think he is a very good player, he is keen to learn so he knows he can improve in defence, but if you analyse the balance between his attack and defence then he is a very good player.

“He is a threat for the other team all the time. He has to improve in defence but if he continues attacking then he will be more difficult for the opponent.

“How do we improve him? The first thing is to understand the game and the problems and then afterwards he will improve. But he is keen to learn so we will see how he progresses in this time.

“He is one of the best in Europe, 100%. When you analyse the strengths and weaknesses in his game he is really good.”

Benitez added: “The problems he has are not as bad as people think. Going forward he is a threat and we have to develop his defence
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Verizon Wireless Offers Tips to Prepare for Severe Weather

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Verizon Wireless Offers Tips to Prepare for Severe Weather

0 Comments | Wireless News, Aug 25, 2009

As the 2009 Tropical Hurricane Season heats up in the Southeast, Verizon Wireless said it is offering tips to be safer during strong weather and other emergencies:

— Keep wireless phone batteries fully charged — in case local power is lost — well before warnings are issued.

— Have additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters available for back-up power.

— Keep phones, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location.

— Keep a list of emergency phone numbers, including police, fire, and rescue agencies; insurance providers; and family, friends and co-workers, programmed into your phone.

— Distribute wireless phone numbers to family members and friends.

— Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you will be away from your home or have to evacuate.

If a storm already is striking or threatening, Verizon Wireless suggests these tips:

— Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free up wireless networks for emergency agencies and operations.

— Send brief text messages rather than voice calls for the same reasons as above.

— Check weather/news reports available on wireless phone applications when power is out.

“Thorough preparation is the key to staying safe and in touch during emergencies,” said Jerry Fountain, Carolinas/Tennessee region president for Verizon Wireless. “Residents should take prudent steps now, just as our teams have been in preparing the network to provide strong coverage and services to residents and emergency responders, no matter the situation.”

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

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Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. Prices Debt Public Offering

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. Prices Debt Public Offering

Business Wire, Nov 19, 2009

NEW YORK — Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. (the Company) (NYSE: TRH) announced today
that it priced a registered offering (the Offering) of $350,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its 8.00% Senior Notes due 2039 (the
Notes). The Notes are being sold to the public at a price of 97.234%
of principal. The Offering is expected to close on or about November 23,
2009, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company intends to
use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes
which, depending on market conditions, may include repurchases of the
Companys common stock and its 5.75% Senior Notes due 2015. Goldman,
Sachs & Co. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are underwriters for the
Offering.

The Notes are being offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration
statement that has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC). A prospectus and prospectus supplement related to
the Offering have been filed with the SEC and are available on the SECs
website at http://www.sec.gov.
Copies of the prospectus for the Offering can be obtained from the
Investor Relations Department at: Transatlantic Holdings, Inc., 80 Pine
Street, New York, New York 10005, Telephone: (212) 365-2292, E-mail: investor_relations@transre.com
or from the underwriters at: Goldman, Sachs & Co., Prospectus
Department, 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004, telephone:
1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com
or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 301 South College Street, Charlotte, NC
28288, Prospectus Delivery Department, Telephone: 1-800-326-5897.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, nor shall there be any sale
of the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would not be permitted.

Transatlantic Holdings, Inc. is a leading international reinsurance
organization headquartered in New York, with operations on six
continents. Its subsidiaries, Transatlantic Reinsurance Company, Trans
Re Zurich and Putnam Reinsurance Company, offer reinsurance capacity on
both a treaty and facultative basis structuring programs for a full
range of property and casualty products, with an emphasis on specialty
risks.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may include, and the Companys officers and
representatives may from time to time make, statements which may
constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S.
federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are
identified, including without limitation, by their use of such terms and
phrases as intend, intends, intended, goal, estimate,
estimates, expect, expects, expected, project, projects,
projected, projections, plans, anticipates, anticipated,
should, think, thinks, designed to, foreseeable future,
believe, believes, scheduled and similar expressions.

These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the
Companys belief regarding future events and financial performance, many
of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the
Companys control. These statements may address, among other things, the
Companys strategy and expectations for growth, product development,
government and industry regulatory actions, legal matters, financial,
credit and industry market conditions, financial results and reserves,
as well as the expected impact on the Company of natural and man-made
(e.g., terrorist attacks) catastrophic events and political, economic,
legal and social conditions. It is possible that the Companys actual
results, financial condition and expected outcomes may differ, possibly
materially, from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements
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where to get Your free standard [Edition 3]

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
where to get Your free standard [Edition 3]

0 Comments | Evening Standard; London (UK), Nov 18, 2009

Your London Evening Standard is now available through more than 500 retailers in an effort to meet overwhelming demand. It is also available at a range of Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Morrison, Asda and independent stores as well as branches of WH Smith. There are more than 300 distributors outside or near all main line and Tube stations, and keep a lookout at self-pick-up distribution points. To find out the latest on where the Evening Standard is available ring our freecall helpline or go to our online map at the link shown.

n freecall helpline: 0800 141 2629 n www.standard.co.uk/findme n help@standard.co.uk

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