Lofty Matters

If this is your first visit, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed. That way you'll be sure not to miss a thing!

Weekend Greetings!

Here are a few GOOD news stories to help start your weekend off right…

Mexico City is planting rooftop gardens on public buildings as part of a program launched on Thursday. The goal is combating their pollution problems and in so doing, taking a stab at global warming as well.

The smoggy city plans to reform 100,000 square feet of publicly owned roof space each year with grass and bushes that will absorb carbon dioxide.

Most of their children don’t have access to green places to play. The city boasted blue skies and ample greenery as recently as the 1960s. But it has become overrun by traffic and pollution as the population exploded.

---

California officials have abruptly canceled a state program that planned to spray chemicals to fight crop-eating moth in urban areas. There has been months of public uproar over these plans.

The state secretary of food and agriculture announced Thursday that California has stopped plans to send up pesticide-spraying planes to fight the light brown apple moth in cities.

Instead the plans are to keep the invasive pest from reproducing by releasing sterile moths that will render eggs useless.

---

The mission of one kindly, 67-year-old barber is a great one. Rueben Martinez owns three bookstores - but he’s not just selling books. His goal is to sell kids on a life-changing experience. He goes to schools preaching reading as the solution to drop out rates.

He reads to children in his bookstore. One of his mottos is: “The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the more you grow!”

Another great line of his: “Write down your goals and dreams! Be a teacher, singer, dancer, make money! Make lots of money! Learn so you can earn.”

Rate this:

2.5

Joseph Baniak is a professional manager, project manager and natural leader. He served tours of active duty in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq and retired from the military with the rank of Major. He has a military record that is without a blemish.

During his active duty tours, Mr. Baniak developed a strong knowledge and love for the culture of the middle east. He has an MBA degree and is an expert in military hardware and engines. He also has a strong devotion to Harley Davidson motorcycles! How’s that for well-rounded? LOL

Joseph Baniak is seeking a position in industry where he can use these important leadership abilities that he has aquired. He will make a strong contribution with his experience and skills.

Rate this:

2.5

Food prices could rise even more unless the mystery surrounding the honeybees is solved lawmakers were told yesterday by farmers and businessmen.

About three-quarters of flowering plants rely on pollinators (including birds and bees) to help them reproduce. Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion yearly in crop value.

In 2006, beekeepers began reporting losing 30 percent to 90 percent of their hives. This phenomenon has become known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Scientists don’t know how many bees have died.

Food prices have gone up 83 percent in three years according to the World Bank.

The cause behind the disorder remains unknown. Possible explanations are pesticide contamination, a new unknown parasite or pathogen, and a combination of stresses including poor nutrition, contaminated water supplies, and the need to relocate bees long distances for pollination.

The House Appropriations Committee approved $780,000 on Thursday for research on the disorder and $10 million for bee research. The money is waiting for approval by the full House and Senate.

Rate this:

2.5

Report Buyer has just added a new report which forecasts that the global market for telemedicine will increase to over $13.9 billion by 2012.

What is telemedicine? Telemedicine technology is expected to become part of the mainstream soon because it reduces costs and improves clinical outcomes.

Reading the Telemedicine: Medical and Electronic Providers report should answer all your questions and this report is available from Report Buyer.

Press Release:

Report Buyer, the online destination for business intelligence for major industry sectors, has added a new report which forecasts that the global market for telemedicine will increase to over $13.9 billion by 2012, showing a compound average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19%.

“Telemedicine: Opportunities for Medical and Electronic Providers”, which is available at http://www.reportbuyer.com/go/BCC00185 finds that telemedicine is more than a buzzword in the healthcare industry today. Healthcare players are evaluating telemedicine technology as it is expected to be part of the mainstream as telemedicine reduces costs and improves clinical outcomes.

The telemedicine market is broken down into two segments- telehospital/clinic and telehome. Of these, says the report, the telehospital segment has the largest share of the market, worth an estimated $4.4 billion in 2007. Its value is expected to reach $8.8 billion by 2012,with a CAGR of 14.7%. The telehome market, which currently accounts for 22% of the market, is expected to capture almost 37% of the telemedicine market by 2012 and be worth $5.1 billion, up from an estimated $1.4 billion in 2007.

In addition, authors of the report say that the telemedicine market is also divided into technology and service segments. The telemedicine technology market consisting of hardware, software, telecom and network, is expected to grow from $2.2 billion in 2007
to $5,610 million in 2012, with a CAGR of 24.8%.

Analysts say that the telemedicine service market is expected to grow from $3.6 billion in 2007 to $8.3 billion in 2012, and will be mainly driven by the telehospital service market. The telehospital market will be the largest market for both the technology and service segments. The service market will grow from $3.6 billion in 2007 to $8.3 billion in 2012 at a CAGR of 18.3%.

“Telemedicine: Opportunities for Medical and Electronic Providers” is available from Report Buyer.

For more information go to: http://www.reportbuyer.com/pharma_healthcare/ehealth/telemedicine_opportunities_medical_electronic_providers.html

Report Buyer product ID: BCC00185

About Report Buyer.
Report Buyer is a UK-based independent online store supplying business information. The website now carries over 79,000 business information products, including market reports, studies, books and events. Subscribers receive a free monthly newsletter and email alerts on new titles in their areas of interest. A regularly updated blog provides information on the latest market trends.

Rate this:

2.5

The idea of facing a storm at sea is a pretty scary thing. Look at this storm as it appears from the position of this ship! Absolutely frightening!

Rate this:

2.5

Summer means very full schedules with lots and lots of activity. For us it means baseball, swimming, lots of yardwork, bike rides, camping, hiking, rock climbing. You name it and my kids are either really good at it or would like to be. They want to do it all.

This means that either my husband or myself or both of us are right there doing all of these things as well. We’re not getting any younger, either! Thankfully, we have both been blessed with excellent overall health and we also are very careful about our diets and other environmental affects on our health. You know the saying, if you don’t have your health you don’t have anything. Everything rests on good health. This is why it is so important to guard your health and energy and wellbeing so carefully. Sometimes you don’t get second chances to do it right where this is concerned.

I always feel so sad for people who struggle with health issues. Especially folks who are relatively young and should still be feeling youthful and vigorous. I have done some reading, and I think if I were suffering with health issues, I would probably give vitamin B-12 a try. It is a natural supplement that helps many people with a variety of health issues feel more energetic and healthy. Try Sublingual B-12 from Trivita today.

Rate this:

2.5

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has just released a large report containing its plans to build a mega bio-defense lab for scientists to study the Earth’s deadliest diseases. It seems it will be a real-life version of The Andromeda Strain.

Amazing? Exciting?

There is one small problem…leaks from the lab are expected to happen according to the report.

The department has also assessed the possibility of a terrorist attack resulting in the release of pathogens from the lab. This would involve the most infectious animal disease (Foot and Mouth) and those most deadly to humans (Hendra and Nipah viruses).

The overall risk assessment for a release at the five mainland sites was “moderate” because of “the potential easy spread of a disease through livestock or wildlife” nearby, according to a statement.

Plans are for the new lab to be built in 2010 and it will replace an existing bio-defense lab on Long Island. That lab is called the Plum Island Animal Disease Center and is considered outdated and no longer useful.

DHS wants its researchers to study “zoonotic diseases.” These are diseases that travel from animals to people (”bird flu”?). To do that they need a facility rated “bio-security level 4,” (the highest level). Plum Island is a level 3. Approximately ten percent of the new facility will be at level 4.

DHS is currently considering five possible sites in the mainland United States.

Rate this:

2.5

I had no idea what metaRL was until this morning. Allow me to share…

MetaRL is a portal for everyone who enjoys visiting virtual worlds online. You can participate in games, surveys, tasks, and even contests and earn virtual world currency. This currency can then be utilized in your account for free second life lindens, free peds for Etropia, or free imvu credits for IMVU.

So…now you’re wondering how much you might earn?

You can earn as much as you want! There are tons of options for earning points. You can participate in surveys, play games, participate in contests, optimize your myspace account, submit a coke code, and a much more.

If earning some extra virtual world money sounds interesting, check this out!

Rate this:

2.5

The studies and survey conducted by Australian Health Research Institute indicates that due to billions of times more volume of electromagnetic radiation emitted by billions of mobile phones, internet, intranet and wireless communication data transmission will make almost one-third of world population (about two billion) people sick with ear, eye and brain cancer.

The tissues of children are especially sensitive and are likely to be more effected by use of any wireless devices and they should not be encouraged to use mobile phones. These dangerous effects have been confirmed repeatedly by many leading medical and scientific research institutions around the world.

Rate this:

2.5

I have a good friend in North Carolina that I would love to get down to visit one of these days. As I actually think about putting together a vacation itinerary and heading down to see my friend, I have begun to think about lodging and other details. One rental property that I have had recommended to me is Wilmington NC vacation rentals. This is a full service vacation rental company that seems to be able to take care of everything a vacationer would need or want.

With the help of a rental company like this, I may just be able to make this trip a reality!

Rate this:

2.5