As the showdown between Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and the state's public sector unions continues, Americans are taking a closer look at these unions -- their future, how other states will address them, and how they affect taxpayers. With crippling budget deficits in many states, the debate on public sector unions may have only just begun. In his latest edition of "Klavan on the Culture", prolific best-selling author, Hollywood screenwriter, and conservative social commentarian Andrew Klavan (andrewklavan.com) takes a humorous but controversial look at the battle ...

Irvine-based print company Kestrel Press has succeeded in having its ISO9001 accreditation renewed for a 12th successive year. ISO9001 is by far the world's most established quality framework, currently being used by 1,064,000 organizations in 178 countries worldwide, and sets the standard not only for quality management systems, but management systems in general. It helps all kinds of organizations to succeed through improved customer satisfaction, staff motivation and continuous improvement. Kestrel Press is the only printing company in Ayrshire to have achieved ...

Secret Compass is a unique expeditionary company that pioneers exploratory journeys to some of the most remote and wild places on earth. Each one-off expedition has a cultural, historical or geographical focus. This year's expeditions include following in the footsteps of the great explorers to the source of the Oxus in Afghanistan, a diving exploration of the ancient underground water systems in Mexico and a pioneering safari into the world's newest country, South Sudan, to see a previously unknown game migration. The Secret Compass team are highly experienced ex-military ...

Vantage Point Recruiters, a Florida based national Search firm specializing in recruiting top talent in the engineering and manufacturing sector, has expanded its' headhunting services and expertise into the commercial construction arena, http://www.vprecruiters.com This is a result of the increasing demand nationwide, for senior level, key impact players within the industry. "The demand for Project Managers, Senior Estimators, and Directors is on the rise. A number of the largest companies in the commercial construction segment are turning to various search firms, including ...

'France Information' info has recently been added at TravelFranceForFree.com, a website that shows travelers how to travel to France for free. Shawn J. Atwell, a member of TravelFranceForFree.com, has shared her wonderful experience of traveling to France. "I went to a small information center and was weary of my poor French so I spoke mostly in English," says Atwell of TravelFranceForFree.com, a site that helps travelers get 85% discounts on any plane flight to France. "I was able to book my hotel room for one night. It cost $66 per night in what I learned was the ...

Women in business and professions all across the country, who want to overcome financial challenges, build real wealth and get on the road to financial independence have a new resource available to them in the comfort and privacy of their own homes or offices. The Achieving Financial Mastery teleconference program begins March 16, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. The AFM Program covers "6 Steps to Building Wealth and a Richer Life" and is co-presented by "Dolly & Eliza," two professional coaches with a combined 40+ years of background in healthcare, law and business who also ...

A seminar focusing on building a strategy and a long term plan for your company's distribution operation is being sponsored by TriFactor, LLC, (www.trifactor.com) a leading provider of integrated material handling systems. With experience in material handling engineering and project management, TriFactor Chief Operating Officer JJ Phelan, P.E. will be presenting the seminar at two locations; Wednesday, April 13 at the TriFactor Learning Center, Lakeland, FL, and Thursday, April 14 at the Radisson Hotel, Jacksonville, FL. The program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ...

Correctional Medical Services, Inc. (CMS), the nation's leading provider in correctional healthcare services, was recently awarded a contract with the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections (LMDC) in Louisville, Ky. Valued at more than $5 million annually, the contract is for one year with the potential of being extended for four additional one-year contracts. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with CMS," said Mark Bolton, Corrections Director at Louisville Metro Government. "Among the five organizations that bid on this contract, CMS was selected based ...

When Perspective Magazine decided to launch a dedicated North American edition of its acclaimed timeshare and fractional industry publication, it was in response to the demand from business professionals who insisted on more content specific to the region. Now, one year after its introduction, the magazine is the most successful of the four regional brands with 80 pages of content and more advertisers than ever in the March/April issue, to be initially distributed this month at the Ragatz Fractional Interest Conference in San Francisco, CA and the ARDA Convention in Orlando, ...

Having cold toes, cramped feet and wet socks is no way to start the day. Unfortunately, for many foster children who enter a foster home with only the clothes on their back, this may be a reality as they are given hand-me-down shoes, or funds get allocated to replenish the many other items a growing child needs. That's why Sleep Train strives to put a spark in their step with its annual Shoe Drive for Foster Kids. Starting today, March 14, the company is seeking donations of new sneakers, boots and dress shoes for area foster children at any Sleep Train store. "For ...

Attend the third annual E-Book, Independent Publisher and Graphic Novel Expo on Friday April 8, 2011 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. Meet more than 100 e-book, small-press, comic, manga and graphic novel authors who will be selling and signing their latest books at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles. Get up close and personal with the trendsetters in these emerging markets. Also meet the leading e-book and small-press publishers, including Carina Press, Samhain, and Sourcebooks as they showcase their upcoming releases. Learn the latest technology to market books online. ...

Pregnancy is meant to be a joyous time however some women experience overwhelming 'baby blues' before the birth of their child. Anxiety and depression during pregnancy can result in premature birth, or low birth weight, and impact the child's health even into early school years. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Public Health shows that a bad relationship with their husband or partner is the strongest predictor of maternal emotional distress. A Norwegian study involving almost 50,000 mums-to-be looked at how these women felt about their ...

Tamoxifen, taken by certain women as a preventive measure against breast cancer, saves lives and reduces medical costs. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results suggest that the benefits of tamoxifen to prevent cancer can sufficiently compensate for its side effects in post-menopausal women under age 55 years who have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Research has shown that tamoxifen can protect against breast cancer for years after treatment ends, ...

Turf Care Supply Corporation, one of the nation's largest providers of agronomic services and blended products to the professional turf, ornamental, and grass seed industries, announced today that they will be featured in an upcoming episode of American Farmer. The episode will focus on granular and liquid fertilizers, as well as granular control products, including insecticides, pre-emergent herbicides, post-emergent herbicides and fungicides. These products play a major role in crop production and crop protection, from the fields to our plates. Broadcast is scheduled ...

Consumers need to know the true perils of purchasing artwork or luxury goods on the Internet, say statisticians in a paper published today in Significance, the magazine of the Royal Statistical Society and the American Statistical Association. Currently the operators of internet auction sites are not required to guarantee the authenticity of items listed. Today's Significance article, which is a preview of a more detailed article to be published in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society – Series A: Statistics in Society, shows that statistical methods used previously ...

Theologian and author Dr. Paul Enns has considered the famous axiom, "Don't be so heavenly minded that you're no earthly good" ... and found it wanting. "I've reflected on it. That statement is wrong, decidedly wrong," he says. "We could transpose the statement to read correctly: 'Unless you are heavenly-minded you won't be any earthly good'." It is only as we fixate our thoughts on our future hope in heaven that we will be strengthened and enabled to live wisely in this life, he explains in his latest book, Heaven Revealed: What Is It Like? What Will We Do? And 11 Other ...

Planning to enter an office pool during this year's NCAA March Madness tournament? Be careful. You might not enjoy the games very much if you bet, says a researcher at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. Predictions become more aversive when the outcome of the event is highly uncertain," as in the upcoming basketball tournament, says Stephen M. Nowlis, PhD, the August A. Busch, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Marketing. Nowlis is co-author of a 2008 paper in the Journal of Consumer Research titled "The Effect of Making a Prediction ...

Los Angeles dentist, Dr. Bijan Afar, invites all area residents to celebrate the North Hollywood Dental Group open house March 18th through March 20th. Local residents have responded positively to the opening of NOHO Dental Group by referring new patients and family members to receive high quality dental care. Any new patient that signs up for an appointment at the open house is eligible to choose from several special offers. During the open house days, the NOHO Dental Group team of dental professionals will be available to provide: free dental implant consultations, ...

Record breaking Olympic gold medallist and I'm A Celebrity star Linford Christie has today announced that he is to come out of retirement in a bid to add a rather more unusual championship title to his collection. In an exclusive interview released today, the 50-year-old sprinting star revealed that he misses the challenge of competition and has launched himself back into a rigorous training regime in preparation for a world championship with a difference. Linford may have three Olympic Golds and 23 Championship medals to boot thanks to his skills on the running ...

Preparing for Divorce Can Ease the Transition Divorce can be emotionally and financially taxing. But, considering key decision areas such as finances, health insurance and property division in advance can help reduce the stress of divorce. Finances The impact of changing from a two-income household to a single-income home can be significant. A divorce may have an even greater effect if one spouse was the breadwinner and the other was not employed during the marriage. One divorce-preparation strategy entails making a complete list of the assets (bank accounts, ...

Clearing Up Your Criminal Record Criminal convictions can carry additional consequences that exceed the sentences imposed by judges and juries. People with misdemeanor or felony offenses on their records frequently have difficulty getting jobs and finding housing, often because they are asked to disclose any criminal convictions on the application forms. For some people, however, it may be possible to clear their records and lessen the negative impacts that criminal record may bring. In California, some convictions may be removed from a person's record through a dismissal ...

Juvenile Court Proceedings: An Overview Juvenile Court proceedings can be intimidating, but if you or your child has been charged with an offense or received a citation, it is helpful to be acquainted with the steps of a case in California Juvenile Court. In general, you and your child must attend all court appearances and hearings. Detention and/or Arraignment Hearing If a minor child is held in custody, there will be a detention hearing within three business days of his or her booking date. During the detention hearing the judge reads the charges against the ...

New Jersey Takes Strong Approach against Child Pornography Providing Substantial Penalties for the Offense Crimes involving child pornography, found in the prohibition against "Endangering the Welfare of Children," can lead to significant penalties for offenders in the "Garden State." Recently, a Branchburg man was found to be in possession of child pornography after undercover officers located downloaded files of children under the age of 16 engaged in prohibited sexual acts at his home in N.J. As a result, he was charged with second and fourth-degree endangering ...

When a North Carolina resident was accused of his second Driving While Under the Influence (DWI) charge in two years, he turned to criminal attorney Patrick Roberts of the Roberts Law Group PLLC. Mr. Roberts was able to rely on his in-depth knowledge of North Carolina DWI law to obtain a more positive result for his client. Mr. Roberts' client was convicted of his first DWI less than two years ago and this time around, based on all of the facts, his client decided to plead guilty to his second Wake County DWI charge. The plea agreement involved substantial negotiations ...

On March 16, more than 600 advertising executives will join Laura Desmond, CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group, Ted Harbert, chairman, NBC Broadcasting, David Levy, president, Turner Entertainment Ad Sales & Marketing and Turner Sports and other senior executive "toasters" at the New York Hilton to celebrate Advertising Women of New York's (AWNY, www.awny.org) 45th Advertising Woman of the Year -- Donna Speciale, MediaVest President, Investment & Activation & Agency Operations. Designed to recognize women who have made significant, ongoing, contributions to the advertising ...