The Adobe Foundation and The Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation today unveiled a new public service announcement called “Plant Inspiration.” The PSA promotes the launch of Adobe Youth Voices, a non-profit that stresses the power of technology to engage middle- and high school–age youth. Adobe Youth Voices provides breakthrough learning experiences using video, multimedia, digital art, web, animation, and audio tools that enable youth to explore and comment on their world. Through their collaboration, the Peapod Foundation and Adobe Foundation have launched two Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academies that will give kids access to use video, dance, music, and art to spark social change in their communities. “As a group, music has given us amazing opportunities. With the Peapod Foundation, we want to give back to inner-city kids so they can realize their potential through artistic and digital expression,” says will.i.am, who grew up in the projects in Boyle Heights, Calif. “Together with the Adobe Foundation, we are giving more kids a chance at a better future.” The academies will incorporate a high-tech curriculum developed by Adobe Youth Voices with the latest professional-grade multi-media production software – including Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Master Collection Suite, donated by Adobe Systems Incorporated, and professional music studio tools for a state-of-the-art recording facility donated by the Peapod Foundation. In addition to mentoring in the performing arts, youth participants will receive structured multi-media training in video, audio, photography, design and art, enabling them to creatively express their points of view on vital issues and contribute to social change in their communities. The aim of the campaign is to nurture self-expression, creativity, community involvement, and digital literacy among young people — the kind of education these organizations feel is critical for today's youth. “The Adobe Foundation and the Peapod Foundation share a vision for empowering youth to address social issues that directly affect them,” said Michelle Mann, executive director of the Adobe Foundation. “The launch of these two academy sites is just the beginning of our journey. It’s exciting to make such a direct, tangible impact by inspiring youth to demonstrate their potential and take action in their communities.” Visit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ9WFXs34T8) to view the Adobe Foundation and The Black Eyed Peas new public service announcement. Visit http://plantandinspire.org/ to learn more about Adobe Youth Voices.
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Answering increasing demand for specialized treatment of severe eating disorders, Eating Recovery Center (www.eatingrecoverycenter.com), a behavioral hospital focused on comprehensive and sustainable treatment of eating disorders, today announced that it will double its patient capacity, expanding its inpatient facilities from 12 beds to 24. Eating Recovery Center is the only treatment center in the Rocky Mountain region providing extensive inpatient care for severe eating disorders alongside outpatient services.Currently, the center serves 12 patients in overnight inpatient and residential programs and additional patients in partial hospitalization and outpatient programs. Once expansion is completed, the newly expanded Denver eating disorder treatment center and its staff will comfortably accommodate 24 inpatient and residential patients.“Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illness and have increased demand for inpatient programs across the country,” explains Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, medical director and co-founder of Eating Recovery Center. “We feel a responsibility as the only center in the region offering this level of specialized care to completely utilize our space and expand our areas of treatment for severe eating disorders by increasing from 12 to 24 inpatient beds.”With an expected completion date of November 2009, expansion will not go without some rearrangements within the center itself. Currently located on the fifth floor of 1830 Franklin Street in Denver, Eating Recovery Center will relocate its administrative offices to the fourth floor and transition all fifth floor areas to accommodate patient care.“Allowing a patient to begin treatment and step down through different levels of care in the same setting – all with one treatment team – can dramatically increase their chances at a long-term recovery,” explains Weiner. “The Center’s expansion will help us give more people the opportunity to achieve sustainable recovery from their eating disorder.”Eating Recovery Center, the newest Eating Disorder Center in Denver, was founded in October 2008 by renowned experts Dr. Kenneth L. Weiner and Dr. Emmett R. Bishop, who have separately founded numerous other treatment centers throughout the country. Eating Recovery Center proves to be the culmination of the two doctors’ efforts and expertise.
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Rep. Primavera to be Honored by Brain Injury Association35 Years of Work in the Field and Advocacy at the CapitolDENVER – State Representative Dianne Primavera (D-Broomfield) will be honored by the Brain Injury Association of Colorado (BIAC) for her contributions to the brain injury community during an awards ceremony at their Annual Conference on Thursday, October 8th, at 7:30 pm at the Marriott Denver Tech Center.“Dianne has done so much for the brain injury community as a representative in the General Assembly, especially this last session with the passage of three significant bills (SB 5, SB 133 and HB 1026)* that increase access to Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund resources,” said William Levis, President of BIAC. After earning a master's degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling from UNC in 1975, Primavera was a case manager for the Weld County Community Center Board. She later was employed as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and a supervisor in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Colorado Department of Social Services. In 1990, Primavera joined the Rocky Mountain Regional Brain Injury Center as an Education & Training Coordinator.“After decades of working in the field of brain injury, the issue will always be a top legislative priority for me,” said Rep. Primavera. “In 2007, I led the fight for HB1117 which required kids under 18 to wear helmets on a motorcycle.”“I know the lifetime costs of a brain injury are millions of dollars and often this expense is borne by the taxpayer after the insurance runs out. Preventing injury is much more cost effective than the long-term care.”“I’ve had a lot of jobs in my life, but the most meaningful have always been working with people who have sustained a traumatic brain injury,” Rep. Primavera continued. “The triumph of the human spirit is overwhelming; helping and watching these people, including veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, learn to walk again, swallow again, and talk again is testament to their strength and determination. Sadly, traumatic brain injury is the signature injury of these wars.”“I am always happy to promote bills that help people who have sustained a traumatic brain injury; I am honored and touched by the award from the Brain Injury Association of Colorado. I’ll keep on fighting, arm in arm with BIAC!”*Senate Bill 133 increases funding for the Colorado Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Fund. The new law is expected to allow 250 more Coloradans to receive critical services, including veterans who have received TBIs in Iraq or Afghanistan.The TBI Program and Trust Fund were created in 2002 to help those affected by severe brain injuries, providing services, research and education.
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Over 65 community leaders in northern Colorado came together this week to discuss sustainability opportunities at the latest in a series of regional roundtables by the non-profit Alliance for Sustainable Colorado (“the Alliance”). The meeting, hosted by New Belgium Brewing Company (an Alliance sponsor), gave representatives from businesses, nonprofits, local and state government agencies and academic institutions the opportunity to exchange valuable ideas. “The folks in northern Colorado are leaders in Colorado’s sustainability movement,” said Janna Six, Education & Outreach Director, Alliance for Sustainable Colorado. “Examples range from the Fort Zed smart grid goals to the Colorado State University research programs to educational outreach of the Sustainable Living Fair, to business leadership of New Belgium.” Participants at the Fort Collins roundtable engaged in rich discussions about which sustainability efforts are working well and which opportunities are ripe for development. Discussions revealed that the leadership in northern Colorado has been key in making sustainability concepts and practices an integral part of the entire community. To move sustainability forward, the group agreed that encouraging local and community-supported agriculture is an objective which would benefit from collaborative leadership. Growing and eating food that is produced locally achieves multiple sustainability goals: offers more self sufficiency of food supplies, keeps closer tabs on food quality, provides green jobs, reduces transportation impacts, encourages protection of open lands, fosters a sense of community, and brings consumers closer to the land so they’ll have a better understanding of related topics like changes in climate. A number of next steps were recommended to expand local food production and consumption . The Larimer Land Trust, CSU Extension Office, and AgriCorps (like the Peace Corps) were recognized as having leadership roles. Other organizations, not traditionally focused on agriculture, suggested valuable ways to expand involvement. For example, Poudre School District buys local produce and sends classes on fieldtrips to urban farms. The roundtables are designed to increase collaboration by engaging regional leaders to share best practices and identify areas where more collaborative efforts might overcome challenges to sustainability at the regional and state level. Hundreds of sustainability leaders are getting plugged into a sustainability network that spans the state. The Fort Collins roundtable was the fifth Alliance Roundtable this year. Other communities that have hosted a roundtable include Pueblo, Durango, Grand Junction, and Steamboat Springs. “The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado Roundtables are a great opportunity to identify priorities that will advance the goals of Colorado’s New Energy Economy,” said Mona Newton, Regional Director for the Governor’s Energy Office. “The information the Alliance is able to gather will provide a fact-based foundation for building sustainable communities across Colorado.” Notes are available from each of the 2009 roundtable meetings. Watch for a summary report to be issued after December 1, 2009. For more information on the Fort Collins roundtable and Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s statewide initiative, go to http://www.sustainablecolorado.org/programs/outreach.php.
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College Hunks Hauling Junk has gone from a part-time summer gig to a thriving nationwide operation in only five years. This year College Hunks Hauling Junk has been recognized as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies on Inc. Magazine’s 28th annual Inc. 500.“To be acknowledged by Inc. Magazine is a great honor for our company,” said Nick Friedman, President of College Hunks Hauling Junk. “We aspire to be the most preferred junk hauling company in the nation. To be among the most dynamic, innovative, powerhouse companies is a testament to our business model, employees and growth.”Originally founded in 2005 by Friedman and college friend Omar Soliman, this entrepreneurial success reported a revenue growth of over 1,170%. The company ranked 12th in Consumer Products and Services, and second in the Tampa metro area.“If you want to know which companies are going to change the world, look at the Inc. 500,” said Jane Berentson, Inc. editor. “These are the ones finding solutions to problems and creating smart systems.”A tribute to their ambition, Friedman and Soliman were previously named “Top 30 Entrepreneurs in America Under the Age of 30” by Inc. Magazine. At only 27-years old, Friedman has been invited to an “Under 35” panel with Donna Fenn, author of Upstarts: How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business. He will share insight on the strategies he’s used to successfully grow College Hunks Hauling Junk at the Inc. 500|5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony on Friday, September 25 in National Harbor, Maryland.About College Hunks Hauling JunkThe College Hunks Hauling Junk concept began in 2003. Today, it is a multi-million dollar enterprise that provides commercial and residential junk removal by dialing 1-800-Junk-USA nationwide. As the largest US-based junk hauling company, College Hunks Hauling Junk donates a portion of revenue from every job to a college scholarship program. The environmentally-friendly company continues to make green look good by recycling or donating more than 60% of items collected. College Hunks Hauling Junk focuses on diverting items from the landfill and increasing the amount of donations to non-profits in need.
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I meander my way from Eben G. Fine Park along Boulder Creek to the Farmers Market on 13th Street. I could have parked closer, but sometimes it’s hard to get a spot and today the weather is glorious, so a walk along the creek sounded perfect to me. Arching boughs of many trees frame the water in shades of yellow and orange along the wooded path, as I make my way, carrying my empty grocery bag. It’s a Wednesday in September and the trail is active with packs of runners and an occasional cyclist. I arrive early and watch the vendors set up the blue and white canvas pavilions. I am grateful that the growers make the effort to come out twice a week, Saturday and Wednesday.I sit in the shade on a green picnic bench while I wait for the fun to begin. I see a man and his dog nearby, and three girls sitting on the grass chatting amiably and a young man with a back pack taking a nap with his hat pulled down over his eyes. I feel strangely nervous about this type of shopping, it’s very personal. I get to meet the people who grew that food that I’m going to eat and I can only hope I don’t violate some unknown etiquette. I’ve been so used to the impersonal shopping that meets me at the grocery store. I can’t see much of the chain of people, plants and animals that brought me my food. There might be a produce clerk but it’s rare that I talk to them. Getting in touch with my food this way has made me more appreciative of the people who grow it and of the food too.My hope is to get more of the astonishing carrots that I bought just last Saturday. I know it’s rare that anyone gets excited about carrots, but I do. I’ve been juicing them for breakfast and they get my day started better than a cup of coffee. I’ve been reading the Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan lately and at least so far it’s pretty depressing. I’m learning about the cost of our conventional food chain not only in the amount of petroleum that is used but also the unsustainability of the our current system.So when I walk the street looking for Honey Crisp Apples and Leafy Dino Kale I can’t help but smile. This food was grown locally and just tastes better. All these people have come out to do something right. They are here to get good food but also to support local agriculture. I remember in my travels abroad, how I envied the Italians their gorgeous tomatoes and I wondered not for the first time how it is possible that Italy has gotten so many things right, especially in the food department. But when I see what is going right at the Farmers Market it makes me proud to live here.I stroll the street and see the Oxford Gardens stand and smile to see the bunches of carrots with the greens still attached. I know they are not open yet but I don’t think Peter will mind if I buy my Carrots early. He charges me $3.50 a bunch which I happily pay. I get four bunches total and put them in my canvas bag. I walk off with the greens poking up out of my bag and feel strangely proud, just buying carrots makes me happy.I’m not a 100% localvore, at least not yet, but with the end of the season coming soon I know I will be shopping at Whole Foods as usual, but next year I will grow more and make it a point to shop the Farmers Market as much as possible. The Wednesday Market ends Oct 7th and the Saturday Market ends Nov. 7th. The more I learn about where my food comes from the more I’m sure I will be found rubbing elbows with a lot more people at the Farmer’s Market.
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Posted by Cliff Richard on October 2, 2009 at 6:23am
After the completion of my graduation degree, I eagerly took admission in MBA thinking that I would do it as I did my graduation. But it was quite wrong when I was assigned to write MBA dissertation. And I realized it that MBA dissertation was the last stumbling block in my way to get MBA degree. I started writing MBA dissertation because I was waiting to get closer and closer to get through MBA and start my professional career. Well, my dreams shattered when I faced the reality. Yes, I admit that MBA dissertation writing made toil till I completed. I almost became a social outcast while I was writing my MBA dissertation. But it really gave me valuable information and experience and I gathered quite comprehensive guidelines while researching through different sources.1. Consider the area of study in which you are most interested.2. Get others’ MBA dissertations to read relating to your MBA dissertation topic.3. Choose the style you would like to follow in you MBA dissertation such as a business plan, report, case study or a blend of these themes.4. Define the topic or problem precisely which you will elaborate in your MBA dissertation.5. Research is the basic tool to succeed in writing your dissertation. Therefore you need to lay special emphasis on 6. research methods. Learn accurate guidelines of qualitative and quantitative research methods.7. Outline the whole MBA dissertation with a logical sequence such as introduction, body and conclusion.8. Finalize what research methodology you would use and what resources your need to do the research.9. Make questionnaires. They are extremely useful to examine and gather good literature and elaborate in the 10. discussion part of your MBA dissertation.10. Collect all the research data and take out the irrelevant data so you can focus only on what is useful and needed.11. It is time to utilize the narrowed down collected data in the discussion part of the MBA dissertation. Here you have to present the assessment of it.12. Under the light of assessment, you need to give possible solutions of the discussed problem.13. The next task is to make a conclusion.14. It is time to revise and edit your MBA dissertation so that you can make it error-free dissertation.15. Write the bibliography in one particular format such as APA or MLA.Make the appendices.I hope these tips will help you complete your MBA dissertation right on time. But you also need to take quick actions. Procrastination will never let you complete your MBA dissertation ever.
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Firm’s Research Concludes That Optimizing for Diversification Outperforms Traditional Risk ApproachGravity Investments (Gravity), a premier financial engineering firm responsible for the Gsphere visual asset allocation platform, today issued a paper on portfolio optimization and the comparative value of optimizing specifically for diversification.The paper, entitled How True Diversification™ Preserves Capital, concluded that optimizing portfolios for diversification provides a positive impact to bear market returns at entirely no cost to bull market returns, resulting in dramatically better performance across a full market cycle. Diversification, not risk, is thus warranted according to Gravity as the focus of portfolio optimization for asset allocation.“We’ve known for some time that True Diversification is a primary enabler of achieving higher returns,” said James Damschroder, Founder of Gravity Investments and the firm’s chief financial engineer. “Now we know precisely why. With True Diversification, there really is such a thing as a free lunch.”Gravity conducted research on 95 actual Registered Investment Advisor portfolios in place between the years 2002 and 2009. The firm examined the portfolios across three time periods--bull market, bear market, and the full cycle, grading each portfolio--using Gravity’s proprietary diversification measurement.IPC, Gravity’s patented measurement of diversification, produces the weighted average of all unique correlations in a portfolio and provides a measurement of diversification specifically tuned to systematic risk. Gravity calls this advancement in the science of diversification measurement and optimization “True Diversification”.The results of Gravity’s research indicated that every extra percent of IPC was responsible for protecting 98 basis points of capital in a down market. By comparison, similar changes in standard deviation showed a much weaker relationship to returns in both bull and bear markets.“Based on these results, it’s reasonable to infer that the traditional practice of using a Markowitz efficient frontier as a menu of portfolios may be of dubious merit,” says Damschroder. “It’s hard to argue the logic of True Diversification when it protects capital in down markets without sacrificing gains in up markets.”Gravity’s innovative approach to portfolio construction will benefit virtually every sponsor of investment product, including broker/dealers, RIAs, insurance companies, mutual fund companies, hedge funds, pension plans, bank trust groups, 401(k) providers, fund consultants, family offices, foundations, and endowments.
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Photo Courtesy of: Erik S. Keith PhotographyHundreds of Coloradoans Launch LiveWell Colorado’s Statewide Campaign with Coordinated Three-City Exercise RoutineSeemingly spontaneous aerobics astounded lunch-goers across the state today when flash mobs broke out at 12:10 p.m. on the streets of Denver, Greeley and Grand Junction. More than 100 flash mobbers exercised their enthusiasm for healthy eating and active living in each city when they suddenly disrobed to display retro, 1980’s-inspired workout gear and performed a coordinated aerobics routine.LiveWell Colorado (http://www.livewellcolorado.org), a non-profit organization committed to reducing obesity by inspiring healthy eating and active living, coordinated the flash mobs to ignite enthusiasm for the launch of its statewide “Challenge,” campaign which encourages Coloradoans to challenge each other and their communities to live well.The campaign will kick off this weekend with billboards, television commercials and non-traditional, out-of-home tactics.Editor’s note: Video and photos are available for download at http://www.livewellcolorado.org/flashmobs.To learn more about LiveWell Colorado or the campaign, visit http://www.livewellcolorado.org.
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Posted by Deb McNeill on October 1, 2009 at 11:55am
Kudos to you for trying to get this bill through in Colorado! I live in Massachusetts and was the person instrumental in getting our "Cure Breast Cancer" license plate on the road. The special plate fee here is $40 every 2 years. All proceeds from the plate go to Tufts Medical Center in Boston for breast cancer research.
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