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Fire reported at One HSBC Center in downtown Buffalo, New York

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Buffalo, New York —According to scanner frequencies of the Buffalo, New York fire department, smoke was reported on at least five floors at the northeast side at One HSBC Center in downtown Buffalo. The call came in around 10:50 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Friday January 18, not long after the ending of the NHL hockey game: the Sabres versus the Atlanta Thrashers which was held at HSBC Arena, a few blocks away from the tower.

According to firefighters communications the people that were on the 22nd floor made it out of the building safely. Firefighters saw “white smoke of varying intensities, believed to have been electrical” on floors 9 through 13. The source of the smoke was not identified, but the first alarm was on the 13th floor, followed by the 10th then the 9th.

Because of the cold temperatures and wind chills in the 10’s, workers at the tower were allowed back into the first floor, which has been cleared by firefighters earlier in the call.

At 11:41 p.m., firefighters gave the all clear to begin packing up with no conclusion as to where the smoke originated. They used ventilation fans to clear the floors of smoke and then shut them off to see if anymore smoke would reappear, which it did not. Remaining employees and personnel have since been allowed back to work. No damage is reported.

The tower, built in 1970, is the tallest in Buffalo and is home several agencies including the Consulate General of Canada. HSBC currently occupies 75% of the tower which has 40 floors. It stands at 529 feet (161.2 meters) tall.

US stocks see 9% drop before making recovery

Friday, May 7, 2010

US stock markets saw an unusually turbulent day yesterday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) losing almost a thousand points in thirty minutes, although later recovered somewhat to end the day with a smaller loss.

The DJIA had its worst fall since 1987, a drop of 9% or 998.50 points, before going back up a bit to close with a loss of 3.30% or 347.80 points to a level of 10,520. The Nasdaq fell 82.65 points or 3.44%, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index dropped 3.24% or 37.75 points.

According to some reports, the quick loss happened because a trader mistyped an order to sell a large amount of stock, causing the stock price to go down enough to trigger orders to sell elsewhere in the market. (By the following day this theory had been abandoned.) Other reports suggested that the biggest markets “slowed” their executions when it became clear that computerized errors were occurring; as a result, the vast majority of buy orders were briefly withdrawn, allowing the free-fall to continue for several minutes.

We don’t know what caused it. We know that that was an electronic trade […] and we’re looking into it

Stock for the Procter & Gamble company fell almost 37% during the sell-off, about 75 minutes to the closing bell. An investigation started into whether any erroneous trades happened.

Procter & Gamble spokeswoman Jennifer Chelune spoke about the incident: “We don’t know what caused it. We know that that was an electronic trade […] and we’re looking into it with Nasdaq and the other major electronic exchanges.”

The Reuters news agency reports that, at their height, the losses cause equity values to lose $1 trillion.

Some stocks saw extreme, but short, changes; for instance, consulting firm Accenture saw its shares plummet from about $42 to four cents, although it later rebounded to close the day at $41.09.

Meanwhile, oil prices also dropped to lows not reached since February. Benchmark crude was down $2.86 to $77.11 in New York.

“The potential for giant high-speed computers to generate false trades and create market chaos reared its head again today,” said Delaware senator Edward Kaufman. “The battle of the algorithms — not understood by nor even remotely transparent to the Securities and Exchange Commission — simply must be carefully reviewed and placed within a meaningful regulatory framework soon.” Kaufman, along with senator Mark Warner from Virginia, called on Congress to investigate the cause of the mass sell-offs.

Nasdaq, meanwhile, says that all trades of stocks at prices 60% higher or lower than the preceding price at or around 2.40 PM “or immediately prior” are to be cancelled; it noted that it coordinated its move with the other exchanges.

Chief investment officer at Fort Pitt Capital Group Charlie Smith said: “I think the machines just took over. There’s not a lot of human interaction. We’ve known that automated trading can run away from you, and I think that’s what we saw happen today.”

In the past three days, the DJIA has lost 631 points, or 5.7%, mainly over concerns about Greece’s ailing, debt-burdened economy. Peter Boockvar an equity strategist for Miller Tabak, commented: “The market is now realizing that Greece is going to go through a depression over the next couple of years. Europe is a major trading partner of ours, and this threatens the entire global growth story.”

Parts And Accessories

If You Have Shaky Legs It Might Not Be What You Think

My legs used to be SO tired and the muscles felt, well wierd and uncoimfortable. I called it shaky legs but later learned that what I had was restless leg syndrome. It would look normal when I walk but it feelt so wierd. Kind of like a wet noodle (if that makes sense). I used to think maybe there was some crazy degenerable disease afflicting me and that I would have to feel this way forever.

Thankfully I was wrong on both counts.

I also had a strong urge to move my legs which it felt like I could not resist. This was often accompanied by uncomfortable creeping sort of sensatons. All this together with my shaky legs made me feel terrible. I went to the doctor (of course) and he gave me some muscle relaxers that I really did not like! I tried a massuse, and felt better for a little while after, but at $60 a session, this was just too much.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKjZOHj3wTA[/youtube]

I tried supplements and crazy diets. I even prayed about it. I was so angry that I could not get any relief, it was a very miserable time for me that lasted almost two years. I finally got mad enough to really look into what was going on with me, that’s when I found out that my shaky legs were really a form of RLS.

I wish I could say that I went to the doctor, told him what the issue was and that he made it all better – did not happen. See most conventional RLS treatments do nothing to treat the actual cause of the condition. The main reason for this is that it is a misubnderstood condition.

What I found is that I needed to treat this holistically and naturally. I did not come to this conclusion on my own (I wish I was that smart). I am so grateful that I learned a simple 2 step process that has cured me of so called shaky legs. An all natural process that does not require that I take drugs that make me feel sick or see doctors or therapists that drain my bak account.

I found a solution to my problem and if you have any of the symptoms I described I urge you to do the same. There really is relief waiting for you.

Article Source: sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/if-you-have-shaky-legs-might-not-what-you-think-65714.html

About Author:

Worried about your shaky legs? Stop your shaky legs in 8 minutes (sounds unreal but it is true!)Author: Tim K Thomas

Wal-Mart cuts ties with PR consultant over controversial Republican TV ad

Monday, October 30, 2006

Wal-Mart severed links with Terry Nelson, a Republican strategist, last night because he had connections to a controversial Republican Party advertisement in Tennessee. The ad’s purpose was to blast Democratic Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr, who is running against Republican Bob Corker.

A blonde woman in the ad says, “I met Harold at the Playboy party”. As the spot ends, she winks and says breathily: “Harold, call me!”. The ad also “criticised” Canada. “Canada can take care of North Korea,” a man in the television ad says. “They’re not busy.”

Nelson and his company, CrossLink Strategy Group, were hired by Wal-Mart last year in an attempt to help the company.

Jesse Jackson, an American politician, and other leaders signed a letter distributed by WakeUpWal-Mart.com, asking the company to end its relationship with Nelson.

In an interview with the Associated Press Nelson said, “There was no intention to offend anybody and it’s unfortunate if people took offense. That was certainly not what people planned for or hoped for.”

A spokesman for Wal-Mart, David Tovar, issued a statement saying Nelson’s company had “sent a letter to Wal-Mart ending its working relationship with our company.”

Dance

Things You Need To Know For Effective Singing Lessons}

Submitted by: Sarah C. Tan

All the things you learn from your voice lessons are meant to be applied in a practical setting. Everything would turn worthless if you are not able to translate your learning into singing skills. For your singing lessons to be more effective, you have to complement the things you learn with your own effort.

Moreover, your teacher will probably give noteworthy tips such as practicing, performing warm-ups, and taking care of your health to help you become a better singer and attain your goals. These pointers are often taught in singing schools, but you have the liberty to follow or reject them.

Yet, going an extra mile than what is required in your lessons can help you advance faster in your goal of becoming a singer. Here are the important pointers that you need to keep in mind to make your lessons more effective:

A Good Vocal Coach Will Bring You a Long Way

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtp8qqo3qm8[/youtube]

When starting out as a singer, your first mission to scout for singing schools which house competent and personable vocal teachers. It is important that your teacher communicates well and inspires you. No matter how good the voice of the teacher is, if she is not able to help you get the proper techniques in singing, it would be futile studying with her.

You have to find teachers whose expertise and experiences are aligned with your goals as a singer. If you want to audition for a musical play, you have to look for a teacher who has background in theatres or musicals. If your interest is singing on stage and getting record deals, look for a vocal coach who has exposure on this side of the music industry.

Practice is as Important as Your Lessons

Your singing lessons will give you the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques from your teacher. But an hour or two of singing class is not enough for you to hone the skill you just learned and continue improving on it. As a student, it is your duty to practice what you have just learned so you can advance faster in your goal. If you just learned a new song or breathing technique from your latest lesson, continue practicing this new skill at home to develop the technique.

You have to keep in mind though that you do not necessarily have to practice for a long time. Short but regular practice is more effective. You can practice for several times a day for a few minutes each session, but remember to avoid exhausting your voice.

Respect Your Health

Your voice is your only tool and you have to take care of it. Unlike musical instruments, which can be easily replaced, the voice is quite difficult if not impossible to salvage. There are a lot of things you have to avoid if you want to keep your voice fit and beautiful. Smoking and caffeine are not only bad for your body, but they both ruin the quality of your voice.

You will also learn from your singing lessons that enough sleep and sufficient water are important if you want to keep the singing quality of your voice for a longer time.

About the Author: Sarah Tan is a music instructor in Singapore who loves to share her extensive knowledge of music and the art of performing to her students and blog readers. Visit her site at

singinglessonssingapore.com

or call 8168 8251.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=1892012&ca=Entertainment}

Candidates walk out of Afghan election audit

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Afghanistan’s two presidential candidates, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew their observers from the ongoing audit of votes yesterday, following the June presidential election.

Abdullah’s observers declined to participate, claiming fraudulent ballots were not being thrown out and questioning the legitimacy of the process. Ghani’s observers were later asked to withdraw by the United Nations monitors overseeing the process. They agreed, describing the decision as prudent.

The audit was continued in the afternoon.

The process of checking each of the eight million votes is part of a deal brokered by the US. The recount started a month ago. A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai has said the delay is affecting the country’s security, as the Taliban continue to launch attacks across the country. Analysts suggest it is also affecting the Afghan economy.

Both candidates have previously agreed to form a unity government involving the other. Abdullah’s side, trailing before the recount, is looking for more powers and responsibilities for the losing side, while their opposition apparently don’t want to weaken presidential power. Both candidates also agree US forces should stay in the country after 2014.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales announces cooperation between KDE Group and Wikimedia

Thursday, June 30, 2005

This article mentions the Wikimedia Foundation, one of its projects, or people related to it. Wikinews is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation.

A co-operation between the KDE group – makers of a free desktop for Linux – and the Wikimedia Foundation has been announced at the LinuxTag Conference in Karlsruhe. They intend to build a protocol which will make it possible to access Wikimedia project’s data from any application, but especially from the KDE suite.

The KDE Group will try to integrate some of the applications from the package with Wikimedia data. For example, AmaroK, media player, will use Wikipedia data to show information about music being played at the moment. Some other applications, including chemical database Kalzium, a database of information about the sky KStars and office suite KOffice will use data from Wikipedia, or from its sister projects.

It will be based on SOAP/WSDL technology, which is already used by the Google API. It could be used on almost every platform and programming environment.

It is also possible to include the Wikipedia archive in some of KDE’s CD editions to make it possible to use the data from Wikipedia on machines without an internet connection.

Pet Tags

What To Do If You Suffer A Dog Bite

byAlma Abell

A dog bite is often not a serious injury, but even with a small dog significant damage can occur. In extreme cases of dog attacks substantial injury that has long term health risks and requirement of ongoing treatment or therapy can be a very real possibility. Instead of trying to resolve the issue yourself, contact a dog bite attorney in Lincoln NE and get them working for you right from the start.

Insurance Coverage

Most dog owners do not have insurance that covers the injury or damage that can occur if their dog bites someone and there is a significant claim. However, even if there is a small claim that the homeowner insurance will cover, the insurance company going to do everything in their power to avoid paying the maximum amount you request and can prove through a settlement.

Your dog bite attorney in Lincoln, NE will be able to inform you of your options for settlement and what is reasonable given the injuries you have sustained. These injuries can include both physical and psychological damage due to the bite or attack. Without an attorney on your side your chances of collecting for anything but provable medical expenses can be very difficult.

What You Should Do

Your dog bite attorney in Lincoln, NE will outline for you what types of claims you can make. In all cases you must be able to prove that the dog bite occurred. This starts with documenting the incident, gathering information from witnesses, informing the dog owner of the bite and seeking medical attention if there is any damage or injury.

In addition you should also make a police report and usually you will be interviewed to determine if the dog is a danger. In some areas this interview may include working with the Animal Control Officer.

In some cases the dog owner may agree to pay your medical bills, out of pocket expenses and other fees you may have incurred. Your dog bite attorney in Lincoln, NE will be able to assist in this type of settlement, usually through direct negotiation or mediation, as an alternative to a lengthy court process.

Wendy’s surpasses the King

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Despite having over 1,300 locations more than Wendy’s, Burger King bumped down to the number three ranking of United States hamburger chains. In 2011, Wendy’s sales came out on top with $8.5 billion with Burger King close behind at $8.4 billion.

Wendy’s edged Burger King out of the number two spot for the first time since Dave Thomas founded the company in 1969.

McDonald’s still holds the number one spot, squashing both Wendy’s and Burger King with sales of more than $34 billion from 14,098 U.S. locations. Around the globe, Burger King clutches onto the number two ranking among hamburger joints.

Since 2006, the restaurant business has had a make-over in the top five competitors. According to Technomic, the top three restaurant chains used to be comprised entirely of hamburger chains: including McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s, respectively. Today, Subway is ranked second with $11.4 billion — a 48 percent jump, with Starbucks right behind with $9.8 billion — a 39 percent jump.

According to Technomic, Five Guys Burgers and Fries is creeping up on the other chains by making the largest leap last year.

Earthmoving Equipment

The Situations That Require Residential Air Duct Cleaning In Wichita, Ks

byAlma Abell

When you look at the various types of services that are typically required for a residential air conditioning system, you’ll see some of the things that you would likely expect to see. Things like checking coolant levels and inspecting the system for leaks is important. Cleaning off air conditioning coils as well as changing air filters regularly are all things that need to be done on a regular basis to ensure that your system is working properly. However, when it comes to Residential Air Duct Cleaning in Wichita KS, you may hear about this type of service, but it’s likely you don’t know how often this service should be performed. Here are a few things to remember.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0agzTZGUWA[/youtube]

The first thing to understand with air duct cleaning is that it doesn’t have to be done as regularly as checking for coolant leaks or cleaning coils. In fact, most experts will recommend that you only have your air ducts inspected every 2 to 3 years and only have them cleaned when the inspection requires it.

Many people have been told that if regular Air Duct Cleaning isn’t performed, they could have a situation where the airflow in their air conditioning system is greatly reduced. The fact of the matter is that even with smaller air duct systems, the amount of dust, dirt and other contaminants would have to be tremendous in order to severely restrict airflow. What tends to be more of a problem is the quality of the air that is coming out of a duct that may need to be cleaned.

With different temperature levels, the levels inside of the duct as well as the levels outside of the duct work can lead to condensation. If this condensation doesn’t dry up on its own, it can lead to mold growth. Mold and mildew can not only make your house smell unpleasant, but it can also lead to potential medical issues.

If you notice that your vent is pushing out a lot of dust, your vents may need to be cleaned. If you notice the smell of mold or mildew coming out of your vents, it may be time for Professional Residential Air Duct Cleaning in Wichita KS. In any event, it’s best to have an HVAC company inspect your duct work every few years and perform cleanings as necessary.