Kodak replaces chief restructuring officer

Kodak replaces chief restructuring officer - Eastman Kodak Co replaced its chief restructuring officer on Monday in a surprise move coming just days after it filed for bankruptcy protection.

James Mesterharm, who works for the consultancy firm AlixPartners and was chief restructuring officer for Parmalat USA during the dairy company's bankruptcy, will replace Dominic DiNapoli of FTI Consulting Inc , who was chosen last week.

Kodak said in a statement that there was no "disagreement or difference of opinion" with DiNapoli and provided no further explanation for the change.

The company also said FTI would continue to work alongside AlixPartners on certain matters during the bankruptcy.

"This is a very unusual move," said Ted Gavin of turnaround consultants NHB Advisors Inc. "Typically the relationship of CRO is one, especially in large corporate bankruptcies like Borders or Kodak, that is vetted early enough that you have a chance to make sure that anything that gives rise to a replacement is addressed early in the process."

AlixPartners also replaced FTI during the restructuring of book store chain Borders Group Inc.

A Kodak spokesman said the company was not aware of any conflict of interest involving DiNapoli.

Kodak, the photography icon that invented the hand-held camera, filed for bankruptcy protection last Thursday, capping a prolonged plunge for one of America's best-known companies.

The Chapter 11 filing makes Kodak one of the biggest corporate casualties of the digital age, after it failed to quickly embrace more modern technologies such as the digital camera -- ironically, a product it invented.

The change of restructuring officers was announced as Citigroup Inc was beginning to syndicate a bankruptcy loan it had agreed to provide Kodak to fund its operations while in Chapter 11.

The loan, for up to $950 million, requires Kodak to hire a restructuring officer that is approved by Citigroup.

Kodak's noteholders objected to the company's plans to take on such a large bankruptcy loan, arguing that the company does not have a viable turnaround plan.

Michael Stamer, a lawyer who represents the noteholders, did not return a call for comment. ( Reuters )

READ MORE - Kodak replaces chief restructuring officer

Row over Indonesia atheist Facebook post

Row over Indonesia atheist Facebook post - An Indonesian man who said that God did not exist in a posting on a Facebook page for atheists could face jail.

Civil servant Alexander Aan, 31, is now in protective police custody after he was attacked by an angry mob.

He may also lose his job over his posting on the social networking site.

Atheism is a violation of Indonesian law under the founding principles of the country and carries a jail sentence of up to five years.

Indonesia - the world's most populous Muslim nation - recognises the right to practice five other religions aside from Islam, says the BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta.

Local media said a mob attacked Mr Aan when he arrived for work at a government office on Wednesday.

Police said that according to Indonesian criminal law, anyone who tried to stop others believing in a faith could face up to five years in prison

The Facebook page where he made his comments remains up and supporters have condemned police action against Mr An, calling for him to be released. ( bbc.co.uk )

READ MORE - Row over Indonesia atheist Facebook post

Library janitor finds 'unassuming' wooden box and discovers treasure hoard of ancient Roman coins worth 'millions'

Library janitor finds 'unassuming' wooden box and discovers treasure hoard of ancient Roman coins worth 'millions' - Find described as 'real bonanza' for library - Janitor promoted to curator after discovery - Coins belonged to prince-bishops in 19th century

A library janitor made a historic discovery after unearthing a collection of Ancient Roman coins which could be worth 'millions'.

Custodian Tanja Hols discovered the unopened wooden box in an archive of the historic state library in Passau, southeast Germany, but thought it looked 'fairly unspectacular' in first glance.

But on closer inspection she found the 'unassuming' box contained 172 well-preserved gold and silver coins dating back thousands of years.

Rare find: German library janitor Tanja Hols poses with her valuable discovery, which she found on a fourth floor archive

She informed library bosses, who found the hoard belonged to local prince-bishops who hid the treasure in the library in the early 19th century to avoid paying taxes.

Experts believe the coins were hidden in the library around 1803 during Germany's secularisation, when such church assets were handed over to the state.

The coins themselves, which are have originated in ancient Rome, Greece and the Byzantine empire, were forgotten because they were undervalued by past library workers.

The rare coins are thought to have originated from ancient Rome and are said to be worth at least a 'six figure sum'

Janitor Ms Hols said she frequently visits the fourth floor archive where the coins were found, in order to retrieve books for customers.

The archive is also home to old furniture and even a stuffed crocodile, but her most recent discovery has been the most valuable in the library's history.

The discovery has since been described as a 'real bonanza' for the library in the Bavarian city.

Reports have suggested the box contents could be worth 'millions', while internet research showed the find to be worth at least a 'six-figure sum'.

Ms Hols, 43, said last week: 'I had no idea that I'd found a treasure.

'The box itself was fairly unspectacular, it looked like a big jewlery box, with lots of little drawers inside.'

The wooden box containing the coins had even been periodically dusted by fellow custodians who had no idea of its valuable contents.

Library bosses are now set to give janitor Ms Hols a promotion following her unlikely discovery.

A spokesperson said 'she was very honest, a brilliant historian and a great detective.'

The official added: 'We are certainly going to promote her to the curating side of the museum and we're discussing a suitable reward for her.' ( dailymail.co.uk )

READ MORE - Library janitor finds 'unassuming' wooden box and discovers treasure hoard of ancient Roman coins worth 'millions'

Rare golden 'doubloon' which was one of America's first dollar coins sells for $7.4million

Rare golden 'doubloon' which was one of America's first dollar coins sells for $7.4million - Special golden doubloon one of only seven ever made - 1787 coin thought to be first ever struck by the U.S.

Rarity: The 1787 doubloon is stamped with Ephraim Brasher's unique 'EB' hallmark and is one of only seven ever made

An incredibly rare 200-year-old golden 'doubloon' has sold for $7.4million, the highest price ever paid for a gold coin.

The 'Brasher' 1787 doubloon contains 26.66g of gold and is considered the first American-made gold coin denominated in dollars.

Its name comes from Ephraim Brasher, the goldsmith and neighbour of George Washington who minted the coin and whose trademark stamp was taken as proof of a coin's weight and fineness.

As the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia did not begin striking coins until the 1790s, the doubloon's huge historical significance saw it sell for the record sum.

The coin is marked with Brasher's 'EB' hallmark, which the highly-regarded goldsmith only stamped on his own coins.

He mainly struck copper coins from 1787 onwards, but also put his unique stamp on a small number of gold coins.

It is thought the already-extremely rare coin has even greater significance as records show that only seven golden doubloons were made by Brasher.

All the other six each have the 'EB' stamp on the eagle's wing, whereas the latest coin to sell is the only one with the 'EB' stamp on the eagle's breast, which may explain the world record fee.

The latest auction has smashed the previous record for a similar sale. where three varieties of Brasher doubloons were sold for a combined $6.1million in 2005.

Trademark: The 'EB' stamp was Brasher's hallmark when he began minting coins in 1787

The coins fetched $2,415,000 for the New York Style EB Punch on Wing NGC AU55, $2,990,000 for the unique New York Style EB Punch on Breast NGC XF45 and $690,000 for the rare but less iconic Lima Style Doubloon.

Blanchard and Co, the New Orleans-based coin and precious metals company that brokered the deal, said the doubloon was purchased by a Wall Street investment firm. Identities of the buyer and seller were not disclosed.

Worth about $15 (£10) when it was minted, the gold value today would be more than $1,500 (£965). ( dailymail.co.uk )

READ MORE - Rare golden 'doubloon' which was one of America's first dollar coins sells for $7.4million

Australian sentenced to 500 lashes in Saudi Arabia

Australian sentenced to 500 lashes in Saudi Arabia - An Australian man has been sentenced to 500 lashes and a year in jail by a court in Saudi Arabia after being found guilty of blasphemy, Canberra said on Wednesday.

Reports said Mansor Almaribe, 45, was detained in the city of Medina on November 14 while making the hajj pilgrimage and accused of insulting companions of the prophet Mohammed.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said he was sentenced on Tuesday and Canberra's ambassador in Saudi Arabia had been in touch with authorities to plead for leniency.

"The Australian ambassador has been in touch with Saudi authorities after a 45-year-old Australian man was sentenced by a court in Saudi Arabia to one year in jail and 500 lashes," a DFAT spokeswoman said.

Saudi security personnel stand guard in Riyadh. An Australian man has been sentenced to 500 lashes and a year in jail by a court in Saudi Arabia after being found guilty of blasphemy. (AFP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A consular official attended the sentencing, where the Shiite Muslim was initially slapped with a two-year jail term that was subsequently reduced, the spokeswoman added.

The Melbourne Age has previously said the father-of-five from Shepparton in Victoria state, who could not afford a lawyer, suffers from diabetes and heart disease, with grave fears for his health.

His eldest son, Jamal, told the newspaper this week that his father had been reading and praying in a group when accosted by religious police and arrested.

Another son, Mohammed, said Wednesday his father would not survive 500 lashes, given his health issues.

"Five hundred lashes on his back, and he has back problems. I wouldn't think he'd survive 50," he told ABC radio. ( AFP )

READ MORE - Australian sentenced to 500 lashes in Saudi Arabia

Pakistani woman suspected of killing, cooking husband

Woman suspected of cooking husband

Pakistani woman suspected of killing, cooking husband -- A Pakistani woman is being held on suspicion of killing her husband, cutting him up and trying to cook the pieces, Karachi police said Friday.

Zainab Bibi, 32, was arrested in connection with the murder Tuesday of her husband Ahmad Abbas, police said.

Her 22-year-old nephew, Zaheer Ahmed, is accused of helping Bibi stab Abbas to death and carve his body into small pieces.

Police said she wanted to cook her husband's body parts so she could dispose of them without being caught.

Neighbors raised the alert when they detected a foul odor in the neighborhood, police said.

Pakistan's domestic satellite channel ARY News spoke to Bibi in the police station where she is being held in the southern city of Karachi.

In an interview broadcast late Thursday, she claimed to have killed her husband because he wanted a physical relationship with their daughter -- and said she did not regret her actions.

"I killed my husband before he dared to touch my daughter," she told ARY News. ( cnn.com )

READ MORE - Pakistani woman suspected of killing, cooking husband

Indian farmers dump bags of snakes in tax office

People climb onto chairs and tables to avoid themselves from snakes scattered in an office room in Basti, southeast of Lucknow, India, on Wednesday. (AP)

Indian farmers dump bags of snakes in tax office - Two farmers fed up with bribery demands emptied three bags filled with slithering snakes in a busy tax office in northern India, an official said Wednesday.

The 40 or so snakes of different sizes and species — including at least four deadly cobras — sent clerks and villagers climbing atop tables and scurrying out the door to escape the office in Basti, about 186 miles (300 kilometers) southeast of Lucknow, said Uttar Pradesh state official Ramsukh Sharma.

“Snakes started climbing up the tables and chairs,” he said. “There was total chaos. Hundreds of people gathered outside the room, some of them with sticks in their hands, shouting that the snakes should be killed.”

No one was bitten or injured in the incident Tuesday afternoon, and police and forest officials captured the snakes.

The farmers had been asking for tax records for their land in nearby Narharpur village, but tax officials withheld the files for weeks while allegedly demanding bribes.

Police said they were searching for the farmers, who were identified as Hukkul Khan and Ramkul Ram. Khan is also known locally as a snake charmer. ( arabnews.com )

READ MORE - Indian farmers dump bags of snakes in tax office

The 10-year-old Mexican who gave birth

The 10-year-old Mexican who gave birth - Authorities are investigating whether the young girl was raped in a case that, unfortunately, isn't unique in recent years

A 10-year-old Mexican girl recently gave birth to a baby boy after a life-threatening, 31-week pregnancy. Sadly, there have been several similar cases in the last two years. Here, a brief guide:

A crying newborn in a Texas operating room: A 10-year-old Mexican girl gave birth to a 3.3-pound baby boy last month, and her troubling case is now being investigated. Photo: ERproductions Ltd/Blend Images/Corbis

First, are the girl and her baby OK?

So far. The unidentified girl faced dangerous complications, including seizures, when she arrived at Women's Hospital in the city of Puebla, Mexico, on Oct. 22. The baby was delivered safely by Caesarian section, and the girl was able to return home. The infant, who weighed just 3.3 pounds, is in the intensive care unit recovering from pneumonia. His mother goes to the hospital every day to breastfeed.

How are authorities investigating this troubling case?

Hospital workers alerted the Puebla State Attorney General's Office, which is conducting an investigation to determine whether the child was raped. The state's legal age of consent is 12.

Was abortion considered?

Apparently not. In 2009, state lawmakers passed a measure protecting the right to life "from the moment of conception to natural death, except in cases foreseen by law." So doctors could not have performed an abortion unless they were sure the girl had been raped.

And there have been other cases like this?

Yes. Last year, an 11-year-old girl identified in news reports only as Amalia gave birth to a child two weeks prematurely. Amalia told her mother she had been raped repeatedly by her stepfather when she was 10. She thought she couldn't get an abortion under the city of Cancun's strict abortion laws. But women's rights groups said that was only because doctors failed to tell Amalia and her family that there was an exception for rape victims. In another case — perhaps the most widely publicized of the bunch — a 13-year-old rape victim in Baja California was denied an abortion by medical authorities in 1999, even though the law should have given her that option. She had the baby, and the government eventually paid the young mother $32,000 in reparations. ( theweek.com )

READ MORE - The 10-year-old Mexican who gave birth

Are You Prepared for a Natural Disaster?

Are You Prepared for a Natural Disaster? - No matter where you live, we are all susceptible to a natural disaster. It could be a fire, a tornado, a blizzard or even something more treacherous like a tsunami or hurricane. No matter what the disaster is there is nothing that you or I can do to stop it. All we can do is be prepared.

When preparing for any natural disaster, its best to keep it to the basics. Make sure you have enough food, water, and supplies for at least three to five days. When I made my survival kit for myself and my family, I did three separate kits. The first is a large kit that is in a rubber tote. Then I made two backpacks, one for the kids and another for me and my husband. I also made one to keep in the back of my van, because you never know where you will be when disaster strikes.

In each kit I have basically the same things just on different scales. In the tote there is water, canned food, rice, beans and a few other nonperishable foods. There is a flashlight for each member of the family as well as extra batteries. There is a large first-aid kit, blankets, and a change of clothes for everyone. I also have a few garbage bags, gloves, small tool kit. A knife, can opener, waterproof matches, fire extinguisher and copies of any important documents, like birth certificates and social security cards. And to top it off I have hand sanitizer, bleach and soap. I keep this kit in our hallway closet.

Deputy Eddy Mathews - Deputy Eddy Mathews of the Mayes County, Okla., Sheriff's Department hands off a dog to volunteer Mike Hughey of Ozark, Mo., after rescuers found a pair of dogs in the rubble of a destroyed home near the St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., Monday, May 23, 2011. A destructive tornado moved through the city on Sunday evening, killing at least 89 people and injuring hundreds more

Now in the back packs there are similar things like copy of important documents first aid kits flashlights change of clothes and soap. But instead of having a large amount of food and water, there are a few energy bars and a couple of bottles of water. This kit would most likely be used if a fire or tornado broke out and you had to get away quickly but had the possibility of coming back home.

Now the one I keep in my car has a little of both of the other kits in it. Food water clothes first aid kit tool kit. But I also have a roadside car kit pillows blankets local maps and a bag with books and games for the kids. You never know where you will be when you might not be able to return home. So it's best to be prepared.

www.ready.gov says it's best to have a kit and to make a plan. Planning for the unknown insures you are ready for whatever disaster may come your way. Make sure you keep the kits up to date. Rotate out food. Change the size of clothes as needed. And most importantly make sure it is done. ( yahoo.com )

READ MORE - Are You Prepared for a Natural Disaster?

A day in the life of Lu Hao, the four-year-old toddler who weighs nine-and-a-half STONE

A day in the life of Lu Hao, the four-year-old toddler who weighs nine-and-a-half STONE - As he struggles to haul his massive bulk from the ground, it is clear four-year-old Lu Hao is no ordinary toddler.

The obese Chinese child's parents told last week how their son - who is five times the size of children his age - eats a staggering three bowls of rice for dinner each day.

And as these pictures show, Lu Hao's daily routine revolves heavily around sitting, sleeping and - less surprisingly, eating.

Finding his feet: Lu Zao struggles to stand up as his mother buckles under his nine-and-half-stone frame

His father Lu Yuncheng and mother Chen Yuan remain mystified why he has grown so big, after being born weighing a perfectly healthy 2.6kg (5.7lbs).

His weight has dramatically ballooned from three months old when his near-insatiable appetite grew by the week.

According to Lu Hao's parents, their son gains weight no matter how hard they restrict his diet or push him to move about.

He has gained 10kg in the past year, despite all attempts by his mother and father to take keep him active.

Lu Hao walks with his parents and even works up a sweat playing with a basketball.

Unsurprisingly however, even when attempting exercise the enormous toddler chews on a lollipop.

More please: Hao, with a piece of food apparently stuck to his face, demands an extra serving during kindergarten class

Having a ball: Hao stretches to reach a basketball while sucking on a lollipop near his home

Pictured at kindergarten near his home in Foshan, Guandong province, the rice-loving boy clearly enjoys one of his favourite parts of the day as he waves an empty food bowl at a teacher.

Some of the shots of Lu Hao's daily routine raise concerns about whether his sight is impaired by his chubby cheeks.

His parents are worried he may be bullied when he becomes older and more self-aware, though pictures show that Lu Hao is already an object of fascination for his kindergarten classmates.

Later in the day he is seen napping during a break in class after clearly tiring from his earlier activities.

Since Hao was one-year-old his parents have tried to keep a careful eye on his diet.

Time out: The four-year-old 'hates walking to school' and is instead taken there on his mother's motorcycle

Hao strolls near his home with his mother Chen Yuan, left and father Lu Yuncheng

However, Lu Hao - who hates walking to school and often gets a ride there by motorcycle - has now grown so big that his mother is unable to pick him up.

Chen Yuan said: 'We have to let him be as if we don't feed him he will cry non-stop.

'He is quite happy that I could ride him to kindergarten instead of walking him there.'

To push Hao to do more sports, the family installed a basketball hoop in the yard and often take him to swim in a local river.

But the exercise just make him hungrier and results in him putting on more weight.

His father Yuncheng said: 'We took him to three hospitals and one said he has a tumour in the head, while the other two said there is no tumour in the head.

'Doctors said his hormones are at a normal level. It's hard to know why he could be so big.'

'We now worry the most about his health. As if he continues to grow at this rate his heart could fail,' said Yuan.

'Our biggest hope is one day Hao could get slim.

Nap time: After having his energy sapped from a busy morning at kindergarten, Hao takes takes a snooze

The four-year-old is five times bigger than children his age and faces being bullied when he is older according to his family ( falymail.co.uk )

READ MORE - A day in the life of Lu Hao, the four-year-old toddler who weighs nine-and-a-half STONE

Outrage, remorse after Rutgers student's death

Outrage, remorse after Rutgers student's death - The death of a Rutgers University freshman stirred outrage and remorse among classmates who said they wished they could have stopped the teen from jumping off a bridge after secret video of his sexual encounter with a man was streamed online.


Tyler Clementi, 18, jumped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River last week. His body was identified Thursday after being found in the river a day before.

"Had he been in bed with a woman, this would not have happened," said Rutgers student Lauren Felton, 21, of Warren. "He wouldn't have been outed via an online broadcast, and his privacy would have been respected and he might still have his life."


Clementi had just started at Rutgers, which bills itself as the state university of New Jersey, and was a talented violinist whose life revolved around music, friends and mentors said.


"Musically, Tyler was destined for greatness," childhood friend Mary Alcaro, who played in a summer music academy with him, said Thursday in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "I've never heard anyone make a violin sing the way he did."


Ed Schmiedecke, the recently retired music director at Ridgewood High School, from which Clementi graduated this year, called Clementi "a terrific musician, and a very promising, hardworking young man."


Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, and fellow Rutgers freshman Molly Wei, both 18, have been charged with invading Clementi's privacy. Middlesex County prosecutors say that they used a webcam to surreptitiously transmit a live image of Clementi having sex Sept. 19 and that Ravi tried to webcast a second encounter on Sept. 21, the day before Clementi's suicide.


Collecting or viewing sexual images without consent is a fourth-degree crime, and transmitting them is a third-degree crime with a maximum prison term of five years. A lawyer for Ravi, of Plainsboro, did not immediately return a message seeking comment, and it was unclear whether Wei, of Princeton, had retained a lawyer.


A spokesman for the Middlesex County prosecutor's office didn't return messages inquiring whether there could be additional charges, and experts diverged on the potential for the pair to face more severe charges in light of Clementi's apparent suicide.


Parry Aftab, who runs the website WiredSafety, said it's possible the classmates could be prosecuted for violating Clementi's civil rights.


"If these kids could get away with one privacy law violation, that would be a sin," she said.


But former assistant Essex County prosecutor Luanne Peterpaul said such a prosecution was unlikely because the federal government doesn't recognize sexual orientation as a protected class.


Peterpaul, vice chairwoman of the gay rights group Garden State Equality, said prosecutors might be able to pursue the case as a hate crime if they could establish that the defendants were motivated to act because they perceived Clementi as gay. But that can be hard to prove, she said.


A lawyer for Clementi's family has not responded to requests for comment on whether Clementi was open about his sexual orientation.


Gov. Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor, said he would let Attorney General Paula Dow decide whether to prosecute two classmates on civil rights charges. But he sent a warning to students who taunt or pull pranks on others.


"You don't know the feelings of the people on the receiving end of that," he said. "You can't possibly know. There might be some people who could take that type of treatment and deal with it, and there might be others, as this young man obviously was, who are much more greatly affected by it."


His death also stirred outrage at his new school, even if he wasn't very well known.


"The notion that video of Tyler doing what he was doing can be considered a spectacle is just heinous," said Jordan Gochman, 19, of Jackson, who didn't know Clementi. "It's intolerant, it's upsetting, it makes it seem that being gay is something that is wrong and can be considered laughable."

Other students who knew Clement were upset that they didn't do more to help him.


"I wish I could have been more of an ally," said Georges Richa, a freshman from neighboring New Brunswick.


"No person should have to endure such shame and humiliation," said Alcaro, who grew up with Clementi in Bergen County, west of New York City. "I'm disillusioned that in a generation that prides itself on acceptance and tolerance, people can still be so closed-minded and downright hateful."


About 100 people gathered Wednesday night for a vigil on campus. They lay on the ground and chanted slogans like, "We're here, we're queer, we're not going home."


Rutgers University President Richard McCormick wrote in a letter to the campus, "If the charges are true, these actions gravely violate the university's standards of decency and humanity."


Coincidentally, the university this week launched Project Civility, designed to get students thinking about how they treat others.


Gay rights groups say the suicide makes Clementi a national example of a problem they are increasingly working to combat: young people who kill themselves after being tormented over their sexuality.


On Tuesday, a 13-year-old California boy died nine days after classmates found him hanging from a tree. Authorities say other teens had taunted the boy, Seth Walsh of Tehachapi, for being gay.


Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, said in a statement that his group considers Clementi's death a hate crime.


"We are heartbroken over the tragic loss of a young man who, by all accounts, was brilliant, talented and kind," Goldstein said. "And we are sickened that anyone in our society, such as the students allegedly responsible for making the surreptitious video, might consider destroying others' lives as a sport." ( Associated Press )

READ MORE - Outrage, remorse after Rutgers student's death

Finding Work After the Military

Finding Work After the Military. Men and women who leave the military might put dangerous missions behind them, but they face a host of other challenges when they return to civilian life. In addition to adapting to a comparatively calm daily routine and dealing with other effects of service, military leavers have to find work with a new employer.

With 23.7 million veterans in the country and 11.1 million of them under the age of 65 in the work force, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, these men and women comprise a large portion of workers.

"The key to success, as a veteran, in finding your feet when you return to the civilian environment is to understand yourself: who you are, what you value, where you can improve yourself," says Ken Betterton, a government and military consultant. "There are some simple tests you can take to establish your psychological preferences."

Your next step is to decide if you want to continue down the career path you began in the military or if you want to make a switch.

"If your current path in the military lights the passion in you and you are experiencing pleasure and growth instead of pain and chaos, stick with it. But if not, don't be afraid to step outside the box and discover careers in new and different fields," Betterton advises.

Where the jobs are

As more men and women in the service return from their tours of duty, trends have begun to emerge signaling industries that make for easy transitions to the work force.

Military personnel who have experience driving large vehicles in the service are finding work as truck drivers. Companies like Con-way Truckload are actively working with the Department of Veteran Affairs to recruit active and post-service military personnel to the company.

Police departments are welcoming veterans, too, according to Betterton. In the military, you learn to work as a team, endure physical obstacles and develop strategies -- all assets to police work.

Plenty of service experience lays the groundwork for a consulting position. Scott Laliberte, a former information systems security officer for the Coast Guard, is now an expert on data security and managing director for Protiviti, a consulting and internal audit firm. After all, military personnel often have access to some of the world's most sophisticated technology before anyone else, so they would be the authorities on how to use it.

Other veterans capitalize on the soft skills they learned in the service rather than on their specific duties and become entrepreneurs. The discipline and leadership qualities they developed give them a base to be their own bosses, as long as they have some business know-how, of course.

Pizza chain Little Caesars offers discounts and training to veterans to franchise their own locations. Honorably discharged after five years of service, Steve Yoho decided to leave his work in the auto industry to have his own business.

He's just one of several following this trend.

Stacie Rine, a retired Navy combat pilot, depended on massage therapy in her most challenging moments, so she started her own Massage Heights franchise. Debi and Rick Lajti, both Air Force veterans, opened a TSS Photography franchise.

How to make the change

Wendy Enelow, author of "Expert Résumés for Military-to-Civilian Transitions," has some suggestions for veterans entering the work force:

1. If you do want to continue down the career path you've already begun, itemize your skills so that you can look for related work.

"Military personnel must clearly understand the skills and knowledge they have and where the opportunities exist in the civilian marketplace for individuals with their particular skill sets," Enelow says. Once you've done this, you can target your job search to the right employers.

2. Translate your experience for employers by using terms and descriptions relevant to their needs. Like any other job seeker, you can't expect the hiring manager to do the work for you.

Enelow suggests translating military ranks into job titles that make sense to them. "Don't use the names of specific military technologies which mean nothing outside of that realm; rather, talk about advanced electronics technologies. Don't make people have to study the résumé to understand; spell it out."

3. Use keywords that appeal to hiring managers to get your résumé noticed. "Command and control" won't help you get hired, but "advanced communications technologies" will, Enelow says. ( msn.com )

READ MORE - Finding Work After the Military

Ten Things that Scream, "Don't Hire Me!"

Ten Things that Scream, "Don't Hire Me!". You just don't get it. You've applied to numerous jobs, been to countless interviews and made several new contacts in your network -- yet here you are -- still sitting on the unemployment list. What gives?

Well ... have you ever stopped to consider that what gives might in fact be ... you?

It's a hard concept that most job seekers have trouble wrapping their heads around, but applicants frequently -- inadvertently -- raise red flags to hiring managers that immediately scream, "Don't hire me!" But, it might not be entirely your fault.

"Most companies don't give direct feedback about areas people are weak in while they are employed. They are enabling poor performance and lack of accountability," says Tom Gimbel, president and CEO of The LaSalle Network, an executive recruiting firm in Chicago. "The same mentality exists when people interview. They feel they did 'great' on the interview and never look at themselves for if they feel that the interviewer was looking for something different."

Not sure if you're unknowingly blowing your chances at scoring your dream job? Here are 10 red flags to be wary of during your next job hunt:

Red flag No. 1: You don't have any contact information on your résumé

When you're crafting your résumé, you should focus on highlighting relevant skills and accomplishments that are in line with the position for which you are applying. But what good is an impressive résumé if hiring managers have no way to get in touch with its owner? If they can't find you, they can't hire you. Always provide a home address, phone number or e-mail address so employers can get in touch with you easily.

Red flag No. 2: You have long gaps between jobs on your résumé

Even if your long departure from the work force is valid, extended lapses of unemployment might say to an employer, "Why weren't you wanted by anyone?" Gimbel says. Anytime you have more than a three-month gap of idleness on your résumé, legitimate or otherwise, be prepared to explain yourself.

Red flag No. 3: You aren't prepared for the interview

There are many ways to be unprepared for an interview: You haven't researched the company, you don't have any questions prepared, you didn't bring a copy of your résumé, etc. Plain and simple, do your homework before an interview. Explore the company online, prepare answers to questions and have someone give you a mock interview. The more prepared you are, the more employers will take you seriously.

Red flag No. 4: You didn't provide any references

By omitting references in your application, employers could infer that you don't know anyone who has any positive things to say about you -- when in fact, you just forgot to provide them with people who can vouch for you. No references also shows employers that you aren't prepared for people to call them, Gimbel says. Always make sure the hiring manager has at least one person to contact who can speak on your behalf.

Red flag No. 5: You only have negative things to say about previous employment

We know how tempting it is to want to tell anyone who will listen how much of a (insert expletive word here) your old boss was -- but a hiring manager for a coveted job is not that person.

There are hundreds of ways to turn negative things about an old job into positives. Thought your last job was a dead end? Spin it by saying, "I felt I had gone as far as I could go in that position. I'm looking for something with more opportunity for advancement." Couldn't get along with your co-workers? "I really need to work in an environment where I feel like I'm part of a team and my last position didn't allow for that kind of atmosphere."

Red flag No. 6: You've held seven different jobs -- in the past six months

Job hopping is a new trend in the working world. Workers are no longer staying in a job for 10-20 years; they stay for a couple and move on to the next one. While such a tactic can further your career, switching jobs too often will raise a prospective employer's antenna. Too many jobs in too little time tells employers that either you can't hold a job or you have no loyalty, Gimbel says. Pick and choose the jobs you include on your résumé or prepare to explain yourself.

Red flag No. 7: You give inconsistent answers in your interview

One tactic hiring managers use during the hiring process is to ask you the same question in several different ways. This is mostly to ensure that you're genuine with your answers and not just telling an employer what he or she wants to hear. Keep your responses sincere throughout the entire process and you should be good to go.

Red flag No. 8: You lack flexibility

Most people know what they want in a job as far as benefits, compensation, time-off, etc. If you're unable to be flexible with some of your (unrealistic?) expectations, however, you're going to have a difficult time finding a job. Have a bottom line in terms of what you want before you start the hiring process and be willing to bend a bit if necessary.

Red flag No. 9: Your application was, in a word -- lazy

Only doing the bare minimum of what's asked of you won't get very far -- in life or in your job search. Applying to jobs with the same résumé and the same cover letter (or none at all) is pure laziness. And as Gimbel points out, if you won't spend extra time on yourself and your application materials, you sure as heck won't do it for a client.

Red flag No. 10: You lack objective or ambition

If you have no long-term goals, then you really have no short-term goals either, Gimbel says. "Long-term goals may change, however you need to have some concept of where you want to go." Know where you want to go and how you plan to get there. Otherwise you seem unfocused and unmotivated, which are two big no-no's for an applicant. ( msn.com )

READ MORE - Ten Things that Scream, "Don't Hire Me!"

Unseen Jobs

Unseen Jobs. In the book "The World Without Us," Alan Weisman hypothesizes what would happen to Earth if humans suddenly disappeared. We would leave behind skyscrapers, roads and pollution. Two days after human disappearance, Weisman speculates, the New York subways would flood because no crew would be underground pumping water out of the tunnels. Skyscrapers would eventually crumble to the ground without someone to keep steel from rusting and bolts from loosening.

Millions of workers are responsible for making our daily lives run smoothly. From the things we can't live without, like clean streets and transportation, to the luxuries that make our days bearable, such as prepared meals, we have a lot of people to thank. Here are just some of the unseen workers helping you throughout the day.

6:30 a.m. -- Alarm rings

Who: Electrical line installers and repairers

The annoying buzz that wakes you up each the morning can happen only because you have electricity running through the wires in your home. Electrical power-line installers and repairers get power from electric plants to your home.

7:15 a.m. -- Grab your morning bagel

Who: Maintenance workers, bakers

While you stand in line at the coffee shop to get your morning jolt and a bagel, take a glance up at the ceiling. Someone had to change the light bulbs in the fixtures at the crack of dawn so you wouldn't be standing there in the dark. Another person was up early baking pastries for the rush of morning customers.

7:35 a.m. -- Catch the bus

Who: Vehicle maintenance workers

So the bus is late and you're standing with someone's armpit in your face because, as always, there are more riders than seats. Still, you're getting to work (almost) on time because the bus has good tires and a working engine that is checked regularly.

8:00 a.m. -- Sit down at your desk

Who: Building cleaning workers

If your coffee still hasn't taken effect, you might be cranky and not thinking clearly. So you probably sulked down the hall, to your desk, unaware that the walkway is clear and free of trash. Last night after you left, a cleaning crew had to pick up the balled up candy wrapper you poorly tossed at the trash and tidy up the snack room and restrooms.

12:00 p.m. -- Order lunch

Who: Fishers

At lunch, your boss orders the catch of the day. That means the salmon isn't a processed fishstick that came in a box and was thrown in the deep fryer. The chef had to go down to the market and select the freshest available fish, which someone caught and put on ice.

2:15 p.m. -- Have a meeting

Who: Tree trimmers

You're bored out of your mind in a conference room, looking out the window at a city employee who trims the trees lining streets. Without these workers, cars and buses would be knocking unkempt branches into the roads and onto sidewalks.

5:45 p.m. -- Pick up the mail

Who: Mail sorters, processors and processing machine operators

You grab your mail as you walk into your home. Even though you toss the bills on the table and choose to read the latest issue of your favorite magazine, you're glad your letters and credit card statements got to you. Postal workers get the mail from the trucks into the machines that sort your correspondences and hand them over to the letter carriers.

11:30 p.m. -- You're snoring

Who: Street sanitation crew

While you dream about the fun you'll have this weekend, a street sanitation truck roars down your block to get the discarded cigarette butts and mysterious stray shoe off the road before morning rush hour.

5:00 a.m. -- You pretend you're not awake

Who: Journalists, newspaper editors, printers, drivers

You woke up to use the restroom and now you can't fall back asleep. Still, with 90 minutes left until the alarm rings, you won't budge from that bed. Meanwhile, a delivery person is putting your newspaper at your front door. To make that newspaper happen, reporters had to file stories, editors cleaned them up, printers ran them and someone else put them on the truck to deliver to businesses and subscribers. ( msn.com )

READ MORE - Unseen Jobs

The mystery of MS and its prevalence in Canada

The mystery of MS and its prevalence in Canada. Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world, according to an international survey.

The 2008 Atlas of Multiple Sclerosis showed MS strikes 133 people out of every 100,000 in Canada, the fifth highest rate among countries surveyed between 2004 and 2005.

Prevalence was higher in the United States, Germany, Norway and Hungary, according to the World Health Organization and the Multiple Sclerosis International Foundation, which published the report.

Some people with MS experience little disability during their lifetime. But up to 60 per cent are no longer fully able to walk 20 years after onset, which has major implications for their quality of life and costs to society, the report said. Symptoms appear around 30 years of age on average.

Gael Hepworth holds her dog Gregory in her Toronto home. Hepworth suffers from multiple sclerosis and attends a support group which provides therapy to help people deal with the emotional aspects of having a chronic illness. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

"The Atlas of MS reveals how these implications impact women more than men, by at least two to one, at an age when they are starting a family and developing a career," said Dr. Benedetto Saraceno, director of the WHO's department of mental health and substance dependence.

Canada has been a leader in terms of diagnosing, treating and working to improve the quality of life of people with MS. But keeping people with MS employed remains a challenge, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada said.

Canadian women are more than three times more likely to get multiple sclerosis than men, according to a major study published in November 2006. Among those born in the 1930s, about two women contracted MS for every one man, at a ratio of 1.9 to 1. For those born in the 1980s, the incidence has grown to exceed 3.2 cases for every one case among men.

Why the sudden increase in the neurodegenerative disease, which attacks the brain and spinal cord, causing inflammation and damage that can lead to paralysis and sometimes blindness?

We don't know. We don't know what causes MS. We don't know what cures MS. The whys and wherefores of this mysterious disease have bedevilled scientists, health-care workers and victims for nearly 200 years.

Recent speculation about the cause has ranged from genetics to environment to vitamin deficiencies to even the birth control pill.

An Italian vascular surgeon — Dr. Paolo Zamboni of the University of Ferrara — has been exploring the theory that MS is caused by blocked veins in the neck or chest, preventing blood from draining properly from the brain. He has developed a surgical technique to treat the problem.

A team at the University of Buffalo — led by Dr. Robert Zivadinov, who worked on an earlier study with Zamboni — has recruited hundreds of patients in Canada and the U.S. to explore the theory further. The patients will undergo specialized neck scans to look for narrowed veins.

MS rates higher in northern lattitudes

Health officials consider a country to have a "high" rate if they have more than 30 cases per 100,000.

The incidence among the provinces varies, from a high of 340 cases for every 100,000 people in the Prairies to a low of 180 cases per 100,000 in Quebec, according to a 2005 study by researchers at the University of Calgary.

Those aged 15 to 40 are most at risk. One out of every two Canadians know someone with MS.

People who live closest to the equator have the lowest incidence of MS.

However, that doesn't explain why the disease is nearly absent among Canada's Inuit in the High Arctic and among indigenous people in North America and Australia, or why it is rarely found in Japan.

Study suggests MS is environment-based, preventable

The study on the rising incidence of women with MS was done by a team of researchers led by George Ebers, a professor of neurology at the University of Oxford. It appears in the November 2006 issue of the journal Lancet Neurology.

The higher incidence of MS among women may not be bad news, according to the researchers — because it may help to shed light on what causes the disease.

"What is going on here is something presumably that is preventable," said Ebers, who was the lead author of the study.

"We just need to find out what it is in the environment. Because it has to be in the environment: your genes don't change over two generations, three generations."

Higher estrogen levels, less sunlight blamed

There has also been speculation that because MS is generally more prevalent in colder climates far north of the equator and far south of the equator, it may be due to vitamin D deficiencies.

The body produces the vitamin in response to sunlight and so vitamin D levels fall off in colder countries and in winter because the sun's rays aren't intense enough.

Because of the rising incidence of MS among women and because it seems to have started in the 1960s, many others have speculated that the cause may be connected to higher levels of the hormone estrogen due to the introduction of the birth control pill.

But Ebers, who spent 22 years at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont., before going to Oxford, rejects these factors as likely explanations.

"I think one of the things one thinks of here is either that it's going to be something in the environment or it is going to be an environmental interaction with genes." ( cbc.ca )

READ MORE - The mystery of MS and its prevalence in Canada

public banking available to all

Public banking available to all. Keri Noonan, an expectant mother in Brantford, Ont., first heard about umbilical cord blood banks from a work colleague who had used a private bank when her baby was born. When the topic came up again in her prenatal class, she began investigating to see if cord blood banking was something she wanted for her family.

From pamphlets in her midwife's office, Noonan learned that cord blood — which is rich in stem cells — could be stored at a private bank for her baby and used if necessary to treat some childhood cancers and other diseases. Another family member could also use the blood if the need arose.

Cord blood is painlessly collected at birth with no risk to the mother or baby, and then stored so that it's ready for use at any time. (Luis Enrique Ascui/Reuters)

That storage service came at an average cost of about $1,000 up front, with an annual storage fee of about $100.

"I didn't like how the private banks marketed their service to me," adds Noonan. "It was as if they were implying 'if you love your baby, you will do this.'"

The reality is that most privately banked cord blood will never be used by the child or family members, according to Dr. John Doyle, program director of blood and marrow transplant at Sick Kids in Toronto. "It's a very slim chance you will use it if there's no identified cancers or conditions in the family."

That said, Doyle believes that private banking is a good choice for families who have a history of cancer, or where a child has cancer and the mother is expecting another baby. "Without the private banks, I don't have that option," he says, referring to guaranteed access to stored stem cells that could be used for treatment.

Upon further investigation, Noonan decided family banking wasn't something she wanted to do. "We don't have a history of cancer in my family and the cost was a barrier," she says.

Public banking

Still, Noonan had mixed feelings about letting this potentially valuable source of stem cells go to waste. Then, when reading a pregnancy book supplied by her local health unit, she learned there was another option — donating the cord blood to a public bank.

The biggest difference between a private or "family" bank and a public bank is that the cord blood stored in the latter is available to anyone who needs it, not just the family that donated it. And while some of the cord blood is used to treat patients, much of it is also used by researchers to develop new treatments.

"I was really surprised about the public option, because my midwife never mentioned it and not one person in my prenatal class talked about it," she says.

Noonan is not alone. Across Canada, expectant parents are hearing more and more about the benefits of cord blood, but many are unaware of what options exist for storing or sharing this valuable resource.

"It hasn't been easy for me to find the information that I want," Noonan says.

Cells for Life is a family cord blood bank based in Toronto that also collects for its public non-profit bank, called Victoria Angel Registry of Hope. The public bank currently has 200 samples stored and waiting for use.

Although it would seem family banks are competing with public banks for cord blood, this isn't the case, according to Jane Virro, administrative director of both Cells for Life and the Victoria Angel Registry of Hope. With about 360,000 births in Canada each year and only about 10,000 cords stored privately, there's no reason for private and public banks to feel like they are competing, says Virro.

"There are more than enough samples to support both family and public banking," she says.

"What we're saying is that if you aren't going to bank privately, please, please consider donating that cord blood for someone to use who needs it — either sick patients or researchers," she adds.

Still, even for those who want to donate it's sometimes simply not possible because of where they live. While there are three public banks in Canada — one each in Alberta, Quebec and Ontario — there is no nationally funded public bank at the moment. In fact, Canada is one of the few developed nations without a national public cord blood bank program.

Victoria Angel Registry of Hope is funded by private and corporate donations, and the profits from Cells for Life. However, it has limited resources to put towards collecting samples from willing donors.

"Unfortunately, due to limited funding, some willing pregnant donors are turned away," says Virro.

"You might want to donate to a public bank, but unless you live near one of these three public banks, the reality is that with the current system you're not going to be able to," she adds.

National program

That could be about to change. In June, the deputy ministers of health from the Canadian provinces met and determined that plans for a national cord blood bank should move forward. It is now a matter of obtaining funding to establish a national bank, which would cost about $5 million to set up and $3 million in annual operating costs.

Until a stable source of funding is worked out, though, Canada's public banks simply lack the resources to gather and store large numbers of donated cord blood samples. As a result, Canadian doctors must look to foreign banks to find matches for their patients.

Last year, in all, Canada imported 86 cord blood samples for treatments at an average price $30,000 per sample, which covers the expenses of collecting, cataloguing and storing the stem cells.

This is why Virro believes it makes sense for the government to fund a national cord blood program. She points to Australia, which has three public cord blood banks and used 222 samples last year, either within that country or exported to another nation.

"That would give them about $7 million in revenue," she says. "So if you look at that, a nationally funded cord blood bank could be self-sustaining."

"We just need to receive the funding to collect the samples and get them stored," she adds. ( cbc.ca )

READ MORE - public banking available to all

Organ donations up, but demand outstrips supply

Organ donations up, but demand outstrips supply. The number of organs donated each year in Canada has risen in the past decade but hasn't kept pace with demand, according to a new report.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information released a report Tuesday on organ donor activity from 1998 to 2008.

More than two-thirds of the increase in organ donations over the decade under study came from the living. (Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press)

In the first year of the decade, 812 organs were donated, the authors found. By 2008, the number had increased to 1,038.

But last year, about 215 Canadians died while waiting for an organ transplant.

"There are many factors that explain why the need is increasing," said study author Jean-Marie Berthelot, vice-president of programs at the institute.

Improvements in medical care are keeping people alive longer, and older people are more susceptible to organ failure, Berthelot said. Obesity, because of its impact on diabetes, has also played a role, he said. Patients with diabetes can suffer renal failure and need new kidneys.

These patients are often treated with dialysis, which cleans the blood and removes waste from the body, until a kidney becomes available for transplant. The incidence rate of end-stage renal disease increased from 149 to 168 per one million people over the decade.

Incomparable gift

More than two-thirds of the increase in organ donations over the decade under study came from the living, Berthelot said.

Gordon Allan of Vancouver has benefited from both types of gifts. The 57-year-old was born with a heart defect and 10 years ago received a heart from a deceased donor. Two years later, when he needed a kidney to survive, his sister gave him one of hers.

"Nobody's going to get under their tree this year what I got from her," Allan said. "When you are a person in congestive heart failure, or renal failure, our life is just basically getting by."

Allan said he walked the afternoon after the kidney transplant.

"I felt unbelievably well," he said.

Berthelot said he believes greater public awareness is the key to getting more people to sign their organ donor cards.

"In many cases, you can imagine a situation where someone's critically ill, the doctors are focused obviously on doing the best for the patient, and the thought of organ and tissue donation doesn’t enter into the discussion, and so it doesn’t take place," said Dr. John Gill of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, who contributed to the report.

A single deceased donor can provide up to six organs to save lives.

Canadian Blood Services is now co-ordinating organ donation at the national level, which will increase the availability organs, Berthelot said.

In Ontario, the Trillium Gift of Life Network noted that since 2002, it has successfully conquered a stagnant level of donations from deceased donors. For example, the number of deceased donors in the last six years has averaged 177 in Ontario, an increase of 26 per cent compared with the average of the previous five years, which was 141.

Berthelot said Quebec has out-performed other regions of the country for deceased donations but has under-performed in the number of living donors. ( cbc.ca )

READ MORE - Organ donations up, but demand outstrips supply

News Corp throws down the Google gauntlet

News Corp throws down the Google gauntlet. The war of words between the news media industry and Google makes for a great spectacle, and this week did not disappoint.

According to a report in the Silicon Alley Insider blog, Associated Press CEO Tom Curley is meeting with Google on Friday to press for the creation of a “news registry.” Here’s SAI on the AP’s move:

It hopes such a registry would propel its content to a higher rank in general search than the blogs that the news agency accuses of lifting its content.

Curley said the AP — which intends to form landing pages and a social-media desk, among other survival strategies — is “getting paid for about 12% of our content on the web.”

It was not clear what information SAI was basing its report of the AP-Google meeting on - the blog post didn’t specify whether one of its bloggers had spoken to Curley directly, or whether it was picking-up Curley’s comments from another report; nor did it have links to any other articles on the subject.

A Google representative emailed a statement that said the company regularly meets with its publishing partners to discuss a variety of initiatives. “We’re not going to comment on the specifics of any particular conversation at this time.”

One would hope Google is also having conversations with News Corp, which is ratcheting up the rhetoric of late.

Earlier this week, News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch told his own Sky News Australia in an interview that he was considering blocking Google from indexing its Web sites once the company begins charging people to read its articles on the Web.

On Friday, News Corp chief digital officer Jonathan Miller expanded on Rupert’s anti-Google gambit and stuck a timeline on the move, according to a report in Telegraph:

When asked how long it would be before Mr Murdoch took the step to block Google, which every media company relies upon to send them high levels of web traffic, Mr Miller said it would be soon - “months and quarters - not weeks”.

The story later quotes Miller dismissing the benefits that come from have its content accessible through Google:

“The traffic which comes in from Google brings a consumer who more often than not read one article and then leaves the site. That is the least valuable of traffic to us… the economic impact [of not having content indexed by Google] is not as great as you might think. You can survive without it.”

There’s been plenty of sabre-rattling from the news media when it comes to Google in the past. If News Corp doesn’t follow-through with its threat in the next couple of months, will it have proven itself to have no real clout in this fight? ( reuters.com )

READ MORE - News Corp throws down the Google gauntlet