Kushalini blog

GSG Vincent Furniture Restoration is in the "House", The United States House of Representatives that is.

House",restoring furniture for The United States House of Representatives.With over 15 years experience in furniture restoration, including wood refinishing, reupholstery, repairs, spindle fabrication, and lamination, GSG Vincent has the expertise to complete virtually any furniture restoration project.The United States House of Representatives is just one of their many satisfied customers.

Cortland, NY (PRWEB) March 28, 2011

After completing a 5 year contract with the United States House of Representatives in August 2010, GSG Vincent Furniture Restoration has recently been awarded the contract for another 6 year term.With a partnership that started in 2005 and has continued to flourish, GSG Vincent is honored to be given the opportunity to restore furniture for the House of Representatives for an additional 6 years.

The House of Representatives recognizes the benefits of furniture restoration both from a money savings perspective and from a recycling point of view.The cost of restoring furniture is far less than the cost of purchasing new and by restoring furniture it aids in the environmental arena by keeping unwanted furniture out of our landfills.In addition, restoring furniture requires less energy than that of building new.Double and single pedestal desks, various tables, upholstered and wood chairs, fully upholstered chairs and sofas make up the majority of the furniture restored for the House.

Additionally, GSG Vincent has renewed the contract they have held since 2005 with NYSID (New York State Industries for the Disabled) allowing GSG Vincent to be a preferred source vendor for furniture restoration forNew York State agencies, political subdivisions, and public benefit corporations.GSG takes great pride in holding this contract and also prides itself in providing jobs to people with various disabilities that may otherwise have difficulty obtaining work.President and owner Eric Vincent states that"the employees are GSG Vincent'sgreatest asset.”

GSG Vincent’s commercial customer base continues to expand throughout the northeast and beyond.Their customer base is primarily made up of colleges, universities, courts and government entities and also branches out to the hospitality, health care and business markets as well as residential customers.

For over 15 years, GSG Vincent Furniture Restoration has been specializing in top quality commercial and residential furniture restoration and continues to be a leader in furniture Refinishing, Reupholstery,Repairs and Lamination Services.Restoring over 20,000 pieces of furniture annually, GSG is one of the largest and most skilled companies of its kind.

For more information about GSG Vincent Furniture Restoration and to see images of their work go to .

Contact information:Julie FroioSales and Marketing Managerjfroio (at) gsgvincent (dot) com607-758-6120

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Julie FroioGSG Vincent Furniture Restoration607-758-6120 ext. 224Email Information

Celebrate Earth Month 2011 with a Free Tree Courtesy of Green Mountain Energy Company

s leading competitive retail provider of clean energy and carbon offset solutions, will be in Houston, Dallas, and McAllen during April to celebrate Earth Day by giving away free trees. Beginning April 1, the company will give away approximately 1,500 Red Oak Tree Liners and Live Oak trees to people attending Earth Day events where Green Mountain will have a presence. As trees are limited at each event, visitors should come to the Green Mountain booth(s) as early as possible.

“Earth Day is our favorite holiday as we can focus on our shared goal of a cleaner environment, and we are thrilled to be able to educate and give away trees to people that live in the communities we serve,” said Paul Markovich, president, Residential Services, Green Mountain Energy Company. “We hope local residents and customers will come out to the Earth Day events in their cities in April to learn more about our company, pick up a tree, plant it in their neighborhoods, and continue to help us fulfill our mission ‘to change the way power is made.’”

Markovich added that Green Mountain looks forward to having additional visitors at its booths and giving away as many free trees as possible to residents in North Texas, Houston and the Rio Grande Valley. For more information about Green Mountain’s Earth Month tree giveaway, visit: .

Residents can pick up their free trees from Green Mountain booths at the following Earth Day events on a first-come, first-served basis:

McAllenRio Grande Valley Home and Garden Show, McAllen Convention CenterFriday, April 1 (3pm to 8 pm)Saturday, April 2 (10am to 6 pm)Sunday, April 3 (11am to 6 pm)100 Live Oak trees will be given away to the first visitors to the Green Mountain booth.

Vida Verde Earth DayQuinta MazatlanSaturday, April 16 (9 am. to 4 pm)Trees for first 10 people to finish the Run Wild 5K190 free Live Oak Trees will be given away to the first visitors to the Green Mountain booth

DallasEarth Day DallasAT&T Plaza and Pioneer Plaza - Downtown Arts DistrictFriday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23 (10 am. to 5 pm) 600 Red Oak Liners will be given away. First 300 people to visit the Green Mountain boothwill walk away with a free tree.

HoustonEarth Day HoustonDiscovery Green Park - Downtown HoustonSaturday, April 23 (10am to 4pm)600 Red Oak Liners will be given away. First 300 people to visit the Green Mountain booth will walk away with a free tree.

The trees are native to their respective areas and not only do they allow people to hone their gardening skills, but they also absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and may even help save money on future energy bills. A full grown Red Oak tree absorbs approximately 903 pounds of CO2 each year while a full grown Live Oak tree absorbs about 1,569 pounds of CO2 each year. Strategically placed, trees provide shade and can increase home energy efficiency. Additionally, trees also contribute to air quality and property value. The trees will come with planting tips and care instructions to ensure that they grow tall and strong.

Each Earth Day event will feature arts and crafts, demonstrations, eco-expos, and cuisine demonstrating the use and application of environment-friendly practices and lifestyles. Green Mountain is an official sponsor of Earth Day Houston, Earth Day Dallas, and the Rio Grande Valley Home and Garden Show.

The History of Earth Day:

When did Earth Day start in the U.S.?    20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day on April 22nd, 1970.

Why did it start?     Senator Gaylord Nelson wanted the environment to be a higher priority for the American people and politicians.

When did Earth Day go global?     People from 140 countries participated in the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in 1990.

What is Earth Day like today?    Earth Day has turned into a month-long celebration when people all over the world attend events, participate in helping the Earth, and put the environment at the top of their priority lists.

About Green Mountain Energy CompanyGreen Mountain, the nation’s leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, was founded in 1997 to “change the way power is made.” The company is the longest serving green power marketer in the U.S. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of clean electricity products from renewable sources, such as wind, as well as a variety of carbon offset products. Green Mountain’s largest customer is the “world’s most famous office building,” the Empire State Building in New York City. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 11.3 billion pounds of CO2 emissions. As a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy, Green Mountain is back by one of the nation’s largest renewable power producers. For more information, visit

Sources:

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Marci GrossmanGreen Mountain Energy Company602-694-8972Email Information

Asian shares fall after China rate rise; dollar eases

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Asian shares fell on Wednesday after China's latest interest rate rise, but government bond yields rose and the dollar and Swiss franc eased as investors bet Beijing's policy tightening would not derail hopes of a sustained economic recovery.

Developed equity markets outperformed emerging ones, continuing a rotation of funds that has been in place since the start of the year, although some analysts predicted strong Asian growth would reverse the trend eventually.

U.S. S&P 500 futures fell 0.3 percent and financial spreadbetters were calling major European markets to open flat-to-lower. On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) notched a seventh straight day of gains, rising 0.6 percent, as surprisingly strong sales by McDonald's (MCD.N) boosted optimism about consumer spending.

Technical indicators show the average is overbought after a strong run-up that began in September, leaving U.S. markets prone to a pullback or a correction.

China raised interest rates by 25 basis points late on Tuesday, its second increase in just over six weeks. The timing was a surprise, coming on the final day of the Lunar New Year holiday, but investors had been expecting further tightening from Beijing to rein in stubbornly high inflation.

"Chinese policymakers' efforts to rein in overheating pressures are now seen in a relatively more positive light by global investors in that they will help slow growth to a more sustainable pace, while other engines of growth in the region begin to rev up," said Samarjit Shankar, analyst at BNY Mellon.

Japan's Nikkei (.N225) hit a 9-month high before retreating to close down 0.2 percent as bank shares were hit by profit-taking, but Australia's benchmark index (.AXJO) rose 0.3 percent and New Zealand shares also gained. (.T) (.AX)

MSCI's index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.8 percent, weighed down by a 1.2 percent decline in South Korean stocks (.KS11), with market players citing weakness in firms such as Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) that are most exposed to China and a stronger won.

"The Chinese rate hike had been expected for some time," said Lee Sun-yeb, a market analyst at Shinhan Investment Corp in Seoul. "However, investors are reacting to it by offloading issues that are sensitive to forex swings and Chinese demand."

Chinese shares also fell, with the mainland market (.SSEC) down 1 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng (.HSI) off 0.6 percent.

Japan has been Asia's best performing market so far this year as healthier corporate profits and worries about building inflationary pressures have encouraged investors to switch money from fast-growing emerging markets -- last year's star performers -- to developed market equities.

"I expect developed markets to outperform for a few months but Asia and emerging markets should come back with a vengeance in the second-half of the year," said Khiem Do, chairman of the Asia multi-asset team at Barings Asset Management in Hong Kong.

While monetary policy in the rich world remains ultra-loose, central banks in emerging markets, especially in Asia, have been tightening policy to rein in inflation fueled by rising commodity and energy prices and strong domestic growth.

Indonesia raised rates last week and South Korea is expected to announce a back-to-back rate increase on Friday, while central banks in India and Brazil both hiked last month.

Traders said markets were positioned for more rate hikes in China and Indonesia, but some others such as India and Korea are beginning to look attractive from a fixed income perspective as markets may be bracing for a lot more rate increases than what may be ultimately delivered.

INFLATION STILL IN FOCUS

The Swiss franc, seen as a safe-haven currency, fell across the board on Wednesday and the dollar index (.DXY), which measures the U.S. currency against a basket of major currencies, slipped 0.1 percent.

Foreign exchange strategists said China's rate rise could support Asian currencies by underscoring policymakers determination to keep a lid on inflation.

"The recent moves by China will give more room for other Asian countries to raise rates and regional equity markets will react negatively to this," said Wilfred Sit, Head of Asia Pacific Investment Strategy, Mirae Asset Global Investments (HK) Limited. "Other more freely floating Asian currencies will continue to appreciate."

Increased investor appetite for riskier assets was evident in the bond market, with the five-year Japanese government bond yield climbing to a 15-month high and 10-year U.S. Treasury yields at a 9-month high, continuing a global trend of rising yields on government debt on expectations of an improving economy.

"The market seems to want to price in a rate hike by the Federal Reserve," said a trader at a Japanese bank.

Gold, often seen as an inflation hedge, was little changed around $1,363 an ounce, after rising around 1 percent in the previous session.

U.S. crude oil futures rose 44 cents to $87.38 a barrel after U.S. data showed an unexpected drawdown in stocks.

News of China's rate hike hit commodities markets in London and New York initially, but prices soon rebounded as investors felt the size of the increase was not enough to stifle China's voracious demand for raw materials.

(Additional reporting by Vikram Subhedar, Jongwoo Cheon and Saikat Chatterjee; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Boehner rejects C-SPAN request for cameras in House

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) this week officially rejected C-SPAN's request to allow the cable network to operate its own video cameras in the House of Representatives, Michael O' Brien .

The only video of the House available to the public comes through cameras the chamber itself controls. And those cameras aren't supposed to focus on anyone but the individual speakingwhich means the public never gets to see anything else happening in the chamber.

No speaker has allowed a private entity to set up video feeds of the House, but C-SPAN continues to make the request, fighting for access and transparencyand (so say network executives) a better news product.

"We continue to feel that the public is best served by seeing a more complete picture of the legislative process than what's delivered by Congressionally-controlled cameras and will continue to work with Speaker Boehner and other leaders in the House in hope of one day gaining access on behalf of the media," C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb said in a statement, O'Brien reported.

Boehner did announce his support for for broadcast correspondents who report from the House.

(Photo of Boehner: Charles Dharapak/AP)

Super Bowl fans welcomed by sun, security, but no seats

DALLAS (Reuters) – Sun, security and missing seats welcome thousands of Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers fans as they poured into Cowboys Stadium for Super Bowl XLV on Sunday.

The sleet, ice and bitter cold that had threatened to derail the Super Bowl party disappeared as more seasonal temperatures returned to North Texas, bringing with them the festive atmosphere that had been missing during the game's frost-bitten buildup.

But not everyone was in a party mood, particularly the fans who arrived to find workers scrambling to install temporary seating. Approximately 850 fans were affected and were relocated to similar or better seats.

The NFL said that 400 fans in other sections could not be accommodated with seats inside the stadium and would each receive a refund of triple the cost of the face value of their $900 tickets.

"There are a limited number of temporary seating areas inside the stadium that have not been fully completed," the NFL said in a statement issued two hours before the 5:30 p.m. CST kickoff.

"We are working to resolve the matter and expect that by game time most of the fans affected will have been accommodated in their seats or relocated to similar or better seats."

Long lineups at security checks, elevators and washrooms also had fans grumbling as an expected record crowd of over 100,000 filled the state-of-art $1.2 billion stadium.

After a week of miserable weather, Mother Nature finally cooperated and allowed workers time to remove snow from the roof of Cowboys Stadium after massive chucks of ice slid off the biggest domed stadium in the United States Friday injuring several people.

Packers and Steelers fans along with dozens of celebrities made their way to the stadium early Sunday and playfully taunted each other with hours to go until kickoff.

Hollywood A-listers including Jennifer Aniston, Harrison Ford. Hugh Jackman and Adam Sandler joined in the fun waving to the crowd of fans, many waving Steelers 'Terrible Towels' or wearing Packers 'Cheeseheads.

Tight security was in place around the sprawling facility.

Fans were warned to arrive early and be prepared for long lines as they passed through airport-type security, including metal detectors, body searches and bomb-sniffing dogs.

(Editing by Frank Pingue)