|
Post n°11 pubblicato il 22 Gennaio 2011 da mdasvkocne
Tag: tasse
WASHINGTON – The U.S. government awarded a no-bid, $266 million contract for a lucrative electricity project in southern Afghanistan despite promising last year to seek competitive bids from other companies, The Associated Press has learned. The U.S. Agency for International Development quietly made the change despite criticism over how it has managed billions of dollars spent on reconstruction contracts. In January 2010, USAID said companies would compete for the electricity project, awarded to Black & Veatch Corp. of Overland Park, Kan., a company that the agency earlier had chastised for big cost overruns and busted deadlines on a diesel-fueled power plant in Kabul. But the government let 10 months pass before deciding to award a contract without competitive bids, saying that it couldn't spend more time seeking offers. A rival company that was interested in bidding, Symbion Power LLC of Washington, D.C., said USAID broke its promise and spent more than it should to expand electricity into war-ravaged Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southern Afghanistan. "I was stunned because of the cost of it," Symbion chief executive Paul Hinks said. The no-bid contract comes as the independent Commission on Wartime Contracting is examining how wisely billions of U.S. tax dollars are being spent and how well contractors are being supervised in Afghanistan. USAID and Black & Veatch executives are scheduled to testify Monday at a commission hearing. USAID opted against seeking competitive proposals "to meet the tight timelines required to have an urgent impact," the agency said in a statement to the AP. Black & Veatch defended its selection for the work without competition. "The cost of this contract is entirely reasonable" and includes multiple projects in a large area subjected to intense conflict, the company said in a statement. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama criticized the Bush administration for awarding contracts without competition, a practice he said cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars each year. But once in office, Obama didn't prohibit sole-source contracts, saying agencies needed the flexibility to tailor contracts to meet their needs. Hinks, who has previously fought against Black & Veatch over contract issues on the troubled power plant in Kabul, said his company successfully completed more energy projects for less money at the height of fighting in Iraq. Symbion handled about $250 million in Defense Department projects in that country, including building 11 power substations and nearly 300 miles of transmission lines. Hinks said USAID could have received a better deal. The agency had to discuss the project for months with Black & Veatch to craft a no-bid agreement and should have sought proposals at that time from other companies working in the region, he said. Agency officials told Hinks in several e-mails last year that Symbion and other companies would have the chance to bid on the work. "USAID intends to procure services through a full and open competitive procurement process and Symbion is invited to submit a proposal," William Frej, then the agency's Afghanistan director, wrote to Symbion in February 2010. In November, USAID changed course, saying Black & Veatch would receive the no-bid contract because the company already was working on USAID energy projects. Under the latest contract for work in southern Afghanistan, Black & Veatch will upgrade electrical distribution in Kandahar city, install diesel generators, rebuild power substations and install a third hydro-electric turbine generator to the Kajaki Dam in Helmand province. ___ Online: U.S. Agency for International Development: Download Live at Skyrock (240207).Natural Elements the Studio Session .Essential mix .Addicted to Pavulon .Ferro
Post n°10 pubblicato il 22 Gennaio 2011 da mdasvkocne
Tag: partenza
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Johnson & Johnson, already under fire for a string of product recalls, has another public relations issue on its hands after its o.b. tampons temporarily disappeared from stores and little was said about what happened. O.b. users, many of whom have a cult-like loyalty to the product, said they were outraged when they could not find the brand in stores late last year. They asked clerks why shelves were empty and demanded answers from J&J's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit, already under fire for recalling over 200 million bottles of Tylenol and other medicines. J&J has not said much about why o.b., its line of applicator-free tampons, went missing. Meanwhile, users of the Ultra version in particular, which J&J has discontinued, have complained online in blogs and through social media such as Facebook. "I know to some this issue may seem trivial but to me this is like taking my right to breathe," said Dawn Allyn, a 44-year-old sign language interpreter from College Station, Texas, who used to use Ultra o.b. tampons. The company said that dropping Ultra tampons, the most absorbent version, was a business decision. There were no health issues, such as reports of toxic shock syndrome, that led to the decision, which was made last September. "To discontinue a product with huge loyalty is a surprising move when you're already getting negative press for other issues," said Tim Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. LATEST SNAFU J&J admitted that it had experienced a temporary supply interruption with o.b., apologized to women inconvenienced by it and has started shipping the goods again. It has not said exactly what happened. This is just the latest product glitch at J&J. In 2010, it recalled millions of bottles of medications such as infant Tylenol. Earlier this month, it recalled nearly 50 million more packages of medicines, blaming cleaning procedures and other problems at a manufacturing plant. "J&J has had an astonishing series of snafus; there's been one problem after the next," said Calkins. "So far it seems like the J&J brand is still holding up okay. But at some point you do begin to think that there's going to be a long term impact." Store shelves sit empty where J&J's recalled products and missing tampons had stood, or they are filled with other goods. In the 52 weeks ended on December 25, 2010, U.S. shoppers spent $830.1 million on tampons and more than 90 percent of those sales came from branded goods, according to Nielsen Co. While o.b. is a small brand in the overall U.S. tampon category and accounts for a tiny fraction of J&J's $61.9 billion in annual revenue, J&J has already seen McNeil's recalls hurt its bottom line. U.S. sales of J&J's consumer brands plunged 25 percent in the third quarter of 2009. "OHNE BINDE" O.b. has a loyal customer base among women who find the tampons fit them best or who want an environmentally-friendly option without a plastic or cardboard applicator. The product was first made in the 1940s. Gynecologist Dr. Judith Esser is credited with creating o.b. and naming it to stand for "ohne binde," or "without napkins" in German. Now much of its loyal following is looking elsewhere. "You force customers to buy your competitor's products and that's always a dangerous approach," Calkins said. Allyn, who had used only o.b. since her teens, tried to find creative ways to source the product after she could not find her beloved brand. Even her ex-husband went from store to store and made phone calls trying to find them. Allyn was going to buy them online, where individuals are capitalizing on the supply shortage, but she balked at paying high prices for a product that usually retails for less than $7 a box. On eBay, a dozen people have already submitted bids for one of several boxes of Ultra o.b. tampons up for sale, with the price currently at $28.75. Third-party sellers who advertise their wares on Amazon.com have priced boxes of o.b. tampons as high as $79.99. In the United States, o.b. ranks behind Procter & Gamble Co's Tampax, Energizer Holdings Inc's Playtex, Kimberly-Clark Corp's Kotex and even private label, or store branded, tampons, according to data from SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm. J&J's o.b. rang up about $38.7 million in sales in the 52 weeks ended December 26, 2010, excluding sales at Wal-Mart Stores Inc, club stores such as Costco Wholesale Corp, gas stations and convenience stores, according to SymphonyIRI. Tampax Pearl, the top-selling brand, posted $178.6 million in sales. With Ultra o.b. gone for good, Allyn switched to Playtex tampons, which she said do not work as well for her. "I loved o.b. and their design," she said. "I am peeved big time. This was a huge marketing mistake and should be set right." (Reporting by Jessica Wohl, editing by Gerald E. McCormick) Rhythm 2000 CD .The Archives of Ron Carroll .Download S Filessampler.Rarities volume H . Complete Prestige and Vogue Studio Masters
Post n°9 pubblicato il 02 Dicembre 2010 da mdasvkocne
Tag: dalla
PHILADELPHIA – John D'Agostino Sr., whose work in comic books ranged from Archie and Jughead to the Incredible Hulk and G.I. Joe, among others, has died. He was 81. D'Agostino died Sunday of bone cancer in Ansonia, Conn., publisher Archie Comics said Tuesday in a statement. Born in Italy in 1929, D'Agostino emigrated to the United States and got his first job as head colorist at New York City's Timely Comics, the forerunner of Marvel. He worked with Stan Lee, who went on to co-create numerous memorable super-heroes, including Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. While working at Timely, D'Agostino — his nickname was "Jon" — helped supervise another artist, Stan Goldberg, who later become synonymous with the high school adventures of Archie, Reggie, Veronica and Betty at Riverdale High School. D'Agostino later joined Goldberg, hired in 1965 by Archie Comics managing editor Richard Goldwater, and began a long and enduring career drawing numerous characters until his death, becoming one of the company's most prominent artists. Besides Jughead, D'Agostino also drew for titles like "My Little Margie," "G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero," "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" and "Sonic The Hedgehog," among others. D'Agostino also did the letters for the first three issues of Marvel's "The Amazing Spider-Man." "Jon was concerned about doing the best job possible. He would always be available to help young artists improve their artwork and draw the Archie cast of characters," Archie co-president and editor-in-chief Victor Gorelick said. "He was very dedicated to his work and Archie Comics. I had the privilege of working with Jon for over 40 years and considered him a good friend. I will truly miss him." D'Agostino's latest work in comics is scheduled to be published in the December issue of "Jughead Double Digest (number)166" and several of his covers will be seen through 2011. "He came into the offices every week to work with other artists and continued to visit the offices even in the recent weeks before his passing," Archie co-CEO Jon Goldwater said. D'Agostino is survived by his second wife, Vivi Test D'Agostino; three sons; two sisters; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday. mp3 Jammin Session.Download Action Painting songs.Download In Motion album.Zuco 103 mp3 download.Soul Clappin
Post n°8 pubblicato il 02 Dicembre 2010 da mdasvkocne
Tag: woman
Many of Congress' incoming freshmen are not searching for a place in D.C. to call home -- 15 percent plan to sleep in their Capitol Hill offices and never find a residence,љ . In the mid-'80s, bedding down on the Hill was discouraged because it mixed business with personal life. But that changed with the 1994 Republican-wave election. Speaker Newt Gingrich blessed the practice, and it grew in popularity. So why do they do it? Washington is an expensive city for real estate, so fiscally conservative members argue that the decision saves money. Other lawmakers sleep in their offices because they feel it maintains their outsider status. And some members say it's just the most practical choice since their lives revolve around the Hill. (AP video still: Rep. Jason Chaffetz displays his office cot) 1ere Classe.Video Rockets downloads.Download Promo Only Urban radio May tracks.Not Too Shabby mp3.Various Artists
Post n°7 pubblicato il 22 Novembre 2010 da mdasvkocne
Tag: aglio
Discount retailerreportedly has 16GB WiFi iPads in stock--and they're giving them away for $399. that a tipster named Aaron discovered Apple's prized tablet selling for $100 off the asking price at a T.J. Maxx in Vernon, New York. Engadget says that it called some other T.J. Maxx's across the country and found a few stores with iPads in stock--Ohio and New Jersey included--while other outlets reported no such deal. At least one store said they'd be holding back their stock for Black Friday, so you don't necessarily have to rush out to your local T.J. Maxx right this second. Quantities are, obviously, limited (one of the pictures the tipster sent in shows just seven iPads lined up behind the register), but otherwise it looks like the real deal. The iPad isthis year--after all, it is the , ever--and while T.J. Maxx's deal sounds pretty good, it may not be better than Apple's Black Friday deal ( between 25 and 30 percent off of Macs and iPods, although we have no idea where the iPad stands). Still, if you're lucky enough to pick up an iPad from T.J. Maxx for $399, good for you--and let us know how it works! (Hey, most of the clothes I buy from T.J. Maxx have something off about them...I'm definitely curious to see if this is the case with the iPads.) Follow Sarah on Twitter (@) or atandon Twitter. Nile (Sucker DJ) music.Live at Radio1 Big Weekend Dundee (14 may 2006) mp3 downloads.Sleep Walking download mp3 albums.Shiva Space Japan 001 song.8 Point Agenda (vinyl) mp3 downloads
|
Cerca in questo BlogUltime visite al BlogUltimi commentiChi può scrivere sul blog
Solo l'autore può pubblicare messaggi in questo Blog e tutti gli utenti registrati possono pubblicare commenti.
|
|||||||||||
|
|
Condividi e segnala 
Inviato da: tattoosupplies888
il 07/09/2010 alle 10:30