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Purveyors of hosted software have long touted the virtues of their distribution model. There are plenty, too. A rented application, delivered direct to desktop via the Internet, reduces the need for IT staff. Monthly subscription fees are relatively cheap — at least when compared with a million-dollar software license and a 20 percent annual maintenance charge. And the rollout time is short, often weeks rather than months. Now, add one more plus: hosted apps can help lighten the regulatory load.
Indeed, users are discovering that hosted applications — also known as software as a service (SaaS) — are uniquely suited for businesses in highly regulated sectors. Why is that? Because many Web-hosted applications and processes have already been vetted by regulators.
That eliminates the need for customers to individually validate systems, as is often the case with onsite technologies. "If it's a SaaS application, the responsibility to get this software authenticated relies on the vendor," says John Hagerty, an analyst with AMR Research, a Boston-based technology research firm. "That takes a lot of the hassle off the clients."
The Flipping Point
Consultants say medical and pharmaceutical operations, in particular, can benefit from SaaS's pre-approved status. In pharma, for example, a company is required to maintain "validated systems," meaning the technology has been blessed by regulators and is in compliance with all mandates. "If you're using a third-party provider," says Hagerty, "you should be able to inherit its validation."
That's how it works for Ventana Medical Systems. A maker of medical-diagnostics equipment, the Tucson-based company must regularly certify its systems with the Food and Drug Administration. "In a regulated industry [like ours], you spend most of your time validating and updating software," notes Anthony King, vice president and chief information officer at Ventana. "It really doesn't add value to your business."
Web-hosted software flips most of that responsibility onto the software provider — in Ventana's case, Salesforce.com. "We don't have to validate the Salesforce.com tool, only the way we're using it," says King. "That becomes a pretty straightforward validation." King believes that Web-hosted technology cuts Ventana's business validation work "from man-years to man-hours."
Corporate customers say rented applications also help them do a better job of managing crucial regulatory information. This is a bit surprising, given that many managers have steered clear of rented software because of concerns about data security. But in reality, companies that use more-traditional onsite software and data-storage tools often spread key data across multiple systems. "In a regulated industry, if you have data in two places, you can almost guarantee that it's going to be wrong in one place," says Jim McGeever, CFO of NetSuite, a SaaS provider.
Southwest Windpower, a maker of turbines, relies on NetSuite and other SaaS technologies to host crucial corporate databases. Southwest uses the data, among other things, to document hazardous materials used in the construction of its windmills. The hosted approach ensures that the information, which is sent to U.S. and European regulators, is kept secure and consistent. It also means Southwest's employees and business partners can view relevant data from any location. "The information is available 24/7 worldwide," says Susan Casebeer, Southwest's CFO. "That's what I love about SaaS."
Carbon Copies
This is not to say that hosted programs solve all regulatory problems related to software. Compliance rules and procedures vary widely across sectors — and regulatory bodies. Thus, a potential adopter needs to carefully examine a Web-based application to determine if it applies specifically to the company's industry. And no matter how secure a hosted piece of software is, regulators will still hold customers accountable for poor recordkeeping or lax internal controls.
Those caveats have not deterred many clients. Users say rented apps help solve a world of compliance problems, including regulatory reporting requirements. Chemical giant DuPont, for instance, uses a SaaS-driven compliance system developed by Enviance to streamline its toxic-waste reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency. (For more on environmental reporting, see "Cleaning Up Carbon.") The technology collects toxic-release inventory data from 63 U.S. sites and then sends the information to the EPA. Says Aldo Morell, DuPont's director, safety, health, and environment: "It automatically generates the form that is submitted to the EPA from the site."
The system has also helped DuPont slash the time it takes to enter and process data into the reports. Equally valuable: Enviance monitors EPA regulatory changes and modifies the reporting software accordingly. That frees DuPont from having to alter the application. Says Morell, "That saves us money."
John Edwards, a frequent contributor to CFO, is author of The Geeks of War.
A hosted application helps one insurer keep up with a welter of state regulations.
Making sure employees are legally qualified to perform their tasks can be a huge headache in highly regulated industries. It's a particularly vexing problem in the insurance business, where sales representatives must be certified in each state in which they work. "States have differing rules and regulations," explains Dan Simpson, chief information officer at Physicians Mutual Insurance. "We don't want to appoint someone and have them sell insurance in a state that they're not licensed in. That would cause regulatory issues for us."
Eager to ease the compliance burden, the Omaha-based carrier turned to Compliance Express, a hosted application from Sircon Corp. The product, a browser-based program that requires no upfront investment in software, allows users to electronically submit appointments and terminations to state insurance departments. The approach provides fast — usually immediate — electronic-transaction confirmation. The software also tracks license renewals.
The hosted program means Physicians Mutual no longer has to physically track rule changes in individual states. The application also keeps the company current with appointment and termination filing procedures and fee schedules. "We were contacting the same information sources as the Sircon database, but we were doing so in an inefficient way," says Simpson. "We had a number of people executing manual processes to keep track of everything." And unlike printed directories or onsite software, Compliance Express is continuously and invisibly updated.
So far, management at Physicians Mutual has no complaints about the software. In fact, a cost-benefit analysis found that the SaaS technology generated a 24 percent rate of return, with payback in just over a year. Says Simpson: "It saves us a lot of time and money just by reducing the manpower necessary to keep all of that information up to date." — J.E.
SaaS for Regs: The Good & the Bad
The Good
- Software validation can be shifted from customer to vendor.
- Regulatory information is kept in a consistent form at a central location.
- Streamlined and automated report filing.
The Bad
- Compliance rules and procedures vary widely across different industries and regulatory bodies, making it a challenge to find a suitable SaaS application.
- Technology does not get companies off the hook for poor internal controls.


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Tea at Carette, watercolor, 9" x 11"
I naturally shot Amy's tea with plans to paint it.
This is Amy's shot of her clafouti and I did not even taste it.
You should not covet thy neighbor's macarons.
the glass jars full of macarons totally do it for me.
well obviously i cannot give an unbiased account of my personal proclivities in this area. but i have to admit to feeling rather sorry for food in these situations - being affronted by these unattractive unwieldy menacing and clinical items of what can only be characterized as "equipment".
when they can design a good camera to look like a piece of jewelry then all will be right-er in my world.
I love, love, love to shoot my food. All the special food I prepare and the pretty and delicious ones from restaurants.
I used to make my family very embarrassed but now they are used to watch me doing that. They know they can't change me!
But one thing... I still have to develop that shy side of mine, when shooting "other people's" food! Oh my Gosh!!! I am TOO SHY to do it!
You always surprise me Carollll!
This is my fave. Yes I shoot food and I get odd looks, and my family sighs in embarrassment and my husband says aloud "Is this for your blog?"---"Well, yeah" I loved going to tea with you and Amy. Now there is a lucky duck (AMY) Paris, tea at Carette at Place des Vosges and hangin' with Carol...how sweet.
ReplyDeleteHere is my dilemma...
How do you pronounce this precious cookie?
If I ask for this yummy cookie in a bakery, they quickly say "Oh you mean macaroon with the coconut flavor".
I always correct them and say "no the french macaron, not macaroooon"
Help me out with pronunciation please!
Love the post today... gorgeous...especially the hand holding the box. Is it hard to paint watercolor hands? That picture would be lovely.
Hope you are having a wonderful summer
Last month in Paris, I took my courage and shoot my food and I loved it. Since I'm back I am glad that I have picture of the food that chefs prepared for me it is memorable and beautiful.
I also took picture of Chef Pierre and the students that I met at the Hotel Ritz for the Soufflee classes. The only picture I didn't take it was Bruce Willis coming out of the back of the hotel throught the kitchen, I froze. Nice man and in good shape, he was there to promote some kind of vodka. What a adventure.
I was to star struck to move and use my camera...oh well at least it is etch in my memory, the way he said Bonjour...and the woman beside me was gaga to.
The paparezzy didn't care they were scream and flashing,that's there job I guess. I went back doing soufflees, it was sinful, un vrai pecher mignon.
I always shoot my food, especially when I go to tea. I love being able to remember the little details the pics provide later on. My husband and son have gotten used to waiting. Also, when I stay at a fabulous hotel or B&B, my husband knows not to disturb a thing until I get pics of every little detail. I have a very patient, understanding hubby!!
ReplyDeleteOh heck. I shoot my food all the time--one time even a beautiful plate of grits, eggs, and hotcakes in a Texas diner. It was tasty; however, nothing as lovely as you have bagged on this blog! And, even though today, I'm in the middle of making a very traditional English Prime Rib for our Christmas Eve supper, the strawberries you shot, reminded me of the Fraise that I made one year for my sister's bd. Maybe for Easter dessert in 2012...You're an inspiration.

subset: commoncrawl


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How one man says he grosses millions by reselling clearance items online
Ryan Grant's side hustle secrets revealed.
— -- Buy low, sell high. It's a simple idea that a bored accountant used to create a multi-million dollar business, and one that he says you can replicate as a side-hustle.
Ryan Grant, a 28 year-old former accountant from Minneapolis, Minnesota, started shopping for sales in popular retail stores.
He would beeline for the clearance rack and buy items in bulk. But instead of purchasing what he liked, Grant came armed with a secret weapon: an Amazon seller account and his phone.
Grant would find sale items in Walmart, Target and Toys R Us, then used the Amazon seller app to compare them to online prices.
Soon, Grant learned the basics of business by buying low, listing on Amazon, selling high and repeating. Using this plan, he left his accountant job and started a part-time gig that he says now generates almost $4 million dollars in revenue.
"I was able to get that to about $1,000 a month in profit working about 10 hours a week," said Grant, who documents his shopping endeavors on his website, Onlinesellingexperiment.com.
Amazon has its own marketplace, not unlike eBay, where businesses and individuals can sell almost anything.
The seller app let's users scan a barcode and see the going rate on Amazon. Grant realized that if the price online was 50 percent higher than the price in store, he could net a profit.
Since this started as a side-hustle for Grant, I wanted to see what the learning curve was and try it myself.
A how-to on buying low, selling high on Amazon.
It takes me a total of five minutes to create an Amazon seller account. It ties into your existing Amazon account, so all you really need to add is your Social Security number and bank information. The seller account I signed up for costs $39 a month.
I download the seller app to my phone and head to a local superstore. I go straight to the clearance rack and fire up the app. I use the built-in barcode scanner to quickly check prices on all the items.
I find a set of Sharpie pens marked down to $10. On Amazon, they are selling for $17.89. I also find a ninja toy marked down to $4 that's $9.49 online, and a set of snow tire chains on clearance for $25 but selling on Amazon for $59.99.
Calculating my profit is not exactly simple, so let me try to explain: the app does a good job showing you what you will make after Amazon takes a percentage in fees.
My tire chains had a $9 Amazon fee, $1.42 fee on the toy and $2.68 on the pens.
The issue of shipping.
Since I have a short time-frame for this experiment, I choose mail to sellers directly. It's not terribly cost effective and it takes my total profit down to about $35.
Grant, on the other hand, is working at a larger scale--but he says even a part-timer can do this.
Grant buys as many of an item as he can and sends it all to an Amazon warehouse. They do the shipping to individual customers. It's what that phrase "fulfillment by Amazon" means next to an item. It saves him the hassle of shipping, but he factors 50 cents per pound in cost on every item he has to bulk-mail to the Amazon warehouse.
Individual sellers like me can mail directly to customers, but there's a lot of postage costs that Amazon can even out at its scale. It's this fulfillment by Amazon that Grant says makes the business viable in ways it wasn't in the past by using eBay or Craigslist.
Grant's advice for profiting big.
Grant says he's on track to gross nearly $4 million in total sales this year. He pays 11 employees including himself, and his salary is $60,000 a year. He says the company nets a profit of about 10 to 15 percent, but he is reinvesting that back into the business to grow it.
When asked if he thinks this is a viable side-hustle, he says, "Yes, but give yourself a few months to learn." Grant also noted that it takes one to two months to figure out a system, understand what sells and find good sale items.
As for his two worst purchases along the learning curve: a Dremel-like dog nail trimmer and life-size Elsa dolls. But for a man who's figured out how to get paid to bargain hunt, it seems like they are lessons well learned.


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The White House President George W. Bush |
Print this document |
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 16, 2004
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everybody. Today marks an important day in our nation's history. Today marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge. This is a time to remember and honor the more than 600,000 American soldiers who fought at the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium and Luxembourg . What began as a German surprise attack on December 16, 1944 , became the largest land battle involving U.S. troops in World War II, and ended with an allied victory on January 25, 1945 . We will be issuing a proclamation from the President on this later today. The proclamation will urge all Americans to observe the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.
And with that, I'll be glad to go to your questions.
Q Scott, the Democratic congressional leaders issued a statement today, saying that they're asking the President to come forward with a Social Security proposal that does not reduce Social Security funding, harm the middle class or cut guaranteed benefits. Is the President willing to go along with that request?
MR. McCLELLAN: There are no guaranteed benefits right now. That's an empty promise. Younger workers will not have the benefits that they are owed under the current Social Security system. The current Social Security system is unsustainable. That's why it needs to be fixed. The President had a good meeting recently with bipartisan leaders of Congress to talk about the problem and how we may move forward, working together, to solve the problem. And the President has outlined some clear principles. We're going to continue working in the spirit of bipartisanship to solve this problem, so that we don't pass this problem on to future generations. It's a problem that needs to be fixed, and the President is firmly committed to addressing it, as you heard earlier today.
Q I think you know what they mean by guaranteed Social Security benefits. There's an expectation and a promise now that people will receive a certain amount in retirement benefits. Are you saying that the President does not want to commit to not reducing benefits?
MR. McCLELLAN: We want them to realize a greater rate of return on their retirement benefits. That's why the President has proposed a new benefit, called a personal savings account. As I said, today's guaranteed benefits are an empty promise to our younger workers. And the President looks forward to working closely with members of Congress to get this done. It's a high priority. He had a good discussion about it earlier today at the economic conference. And he's going to continue reaching out to those who want to solve this problem and not pass it on.
Q Let me -- one final thing. You said that the President doesn't want to negotiate with himself about --
MR. McCLELLAN: The President said that.
Q He said that, you're right. But how does he negotiate with himself when he hasn't laid down a marker about what the specifics of his plan are? He's laid out some principles, but he hasn't said -- he hasn't filled in the blanks.
MR. McCLELLAN: A couple of things. Let's remember, there was a bipartisan Social Security Commission that the President appointed. It was led by Senator Moynihan. He was someone who was firmly committed to addressing this problem. That bipartisan commission put forward some innovative ideas to solve this problem. The President said that should be a guide for us, moving forward. It's going to be a guide for him, moving forward. He outlined some very clear principles for strengthening Social Security. And he remains committed to moving forward based on those principles, and we look forward to working with Congress to get this done.
Go ahead.
Q How can the President have an economic conference without having any labor representation? How is that possible?
MR. McCLELLAN: There was a broad cross section of people at this conference from various --
Q Are there any labor leaders there?
MR. McCLELLAN: -- from various sectors of the economy. We have worked closely with some groups who are committed to building upon the progress we've made to strengthening our economy, and to creating jobs. And the President --
Q Why weren't any labor leaders invited to this conference?
MR. McCLELLAN: Okay, let me move on because you're not letting me respond.
Q Do you have an answer for that?
Q It's a good question.
MR. McCLELLAN: If you want to ask, I'll respond, because she's not letting me respond. But I'll come back to you if you want to let me respond later.
Go ahead.
Q Okay, respond right now.
MR. McCLELLAN: The conference represents a broad cross section of individuals from various sectors of the economy. These individuals put forward a number of good ideas. We welcome those ideas for moving forward on strengthening our economy and creating jobs. As I pointed out earlier this week, these are people that, as a general sense, share our philosophy for a pro-growth, pro-jobs approach to our economy. And they have different ideas about how we move forward on some of the initiatives that the President proposed. And we will continue reaching out to all people from across the economic sector who want to build upon the great progress we've made.
We've created 2.4 million jobs -- more than 2.4 million jobs over the last 15 months. The unemployment rate is below the average of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. It's now at 5.4 percent. But there's more to do. There are certain parts of the country that are still struggling, and that's why the President is committed to getting this done. And that's why this conference helps highlight some of the long-term challenges that our economy faces, and it helps highlight the need to train our workers to fill the high paying, high growth jobs of the 21st century.
Q Do you realize what you've said, and that you have not --
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm going to keep moving. I'll come back to you if I can.
Q You have not touched a major sector of this society in terms of the economy.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll come back to you if I have more time. Go ahead. This isn't a debate.
Q Back on Social Security . You talked about younger workers, and talked about how the President doesn't want to pass problems on to future generations, but you've also said the White House supports borrowing what is likely to be a trillion dollars or more -- as you put it up-front financing.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I think I said that's one of the things you could look at. Some senators have -- or some members of Congress have put forward a different mix of options for that up-front transition financing. And I said that's something you would look at. But we have not endorsed a specific proposal at this point. That's something we want to work closely with members of Congress on as we move forward.
Q Why isn't borrowing a trillion dollars passing something on to younger workers in the next generation?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Terry, first of all, when we've talked about the transition financing, you have to keep it at -- keep in mind that right now, the cost of doing nothing is more than $10 trillion. That's the cost of Social Security's guarantee to America 's workers and the cost of permanently fixing it.
So we've talked about moving some of the cost forward for the transition financing and significantly bringing it down. That's what we're committed to doing, is strengthening Social Security and bringing down the overall cost and making it sustainable for younger workers. No one at or near retirement will see any changes. That's a commitment of the President. But we need to strengthen it for younger workers. And the way to do that is to also include personal savings accounts as part of the comprehensive solution that the President is pursuing.
Q But shouldn't those younger workers also know -- shouldn't you tell them honestly that the borrowing is something they're going to have to pay for and it would be --
MR. McCLELLAN: Terry, we're going to continue to talk about this and work closely with members of Congress as we move forward. And we'll be talking about more specifics as we move down the road to get this done. Right now, the President believes it's important that we all understand that we have a real problem here with Social Security. It's a problem that we need to address now so that we don't pass it on. And he has made it very clear that he wants to work in a bipartisan way to get this done. That's why he's listening to what members of Congress have to say about how we move forward on the principles that he outlined.
Q Right now your statement is that Social Security goes insolvent, as you put it, in 38 years.
MR. McCLELLAN: The Social Security trustees state that it goes insolvent in 2042. I think in 2018 is when the cost, the taxes are exceeding -- the benefits are not going to be being paid at the full amount that they're --
Q Ten years ago, the same Social Security trustees said that the system would go insolvent in 35 years. So here we are, 10 years on, and they've actually moved it forward three years. Why is the system in crisis?
MR. McCLELLAN: Because I just pointed out the cost of doing nothing. The cost of doing nothing is significant. That's why we need to solve it now. I think many people look at the system -- we've continued to do tax increases and that hasn't fixed the problem. We continue to go back through this. We did it in the '80s, yet here it comes up again. And that's why we need to move forward now. But let me correct that, on the "2018" is when the system's tax revenue will exceed the system's -- I'm sorry -- the annual spending on Social Security will exceed the system's tax revenue in 2018.
Q The President said he was going to offer a tough budget next year. What does he have in mind?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we're continuing to move forward on the budget. We'll be releasing that next year, early in the session of Congress. The President has worked closely with members of Congress to bring down the rate of growth in non-defense, non-homeland security discretionary spending. That's an important step. We also need to work, as the President talked about today, to address the long-term fiscal challenges. He has a plan to cut the deficit, the short-term deficit in half over the next five years by continuing to exercise spending restraint in the budgets, and continuing to grow the economy so that revenues increase. That's the way to address it.
Now, in terms of the long-term deficits, that's why we need to address issues like Social Security. And as I pointed out last week, I believe, markets will look favorably on a plan that addresses the long-term sustainability of Social Security, and that's important when we're talking about the issue of fixing this problem, which Terry brought up.
Q Why doesn't he propose cuts in the budget?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he will continue to build upon our record of exercising spending restraint while making sure that we meet our nation's highest priorities. I'm not going to get into discussing any specifics at this point, but we've consistently brought it down over the last four years, and we will continue to do so. I believe the non -- I mean, the discretionary spending for non-homeland and non-defense spending was at some 15 percent before we took office. We brought it down to around 1 percent in the last session, and the President commends Congress for exercising spending restraint, and we need to continue to move forward and address these fiscal challenges that we face, both the short-term deficit and the long-term deficit.
Q So far, in terms of reforming Social Security , the President has talked about a nice little bit of sugar-infused icing on the top of the cake here that will allow people some sort of a guarantee when they retire 20, 30 years in the future. But there's a lot of cake underneath there that involves some pretty tough challenges ahead, including how to make -- how to extend the solvency of Social Security, which a lot of experts are saying would have to involve either a tax increase, raising the retirement age, cutting benefits or means testing. Why isn't he addressing any of that at this conference?
MR. McCLELLAN: If we do nothing, John, our younger workers will face massive tax increases or massive benefit cuts. That's under the current system. That's why the President wants to fix it permanently. And he's moving forward with Congress to do that. It's important to talk about the problem that we have, and for all of us to come together and agree on the common problem that we face in Social Security, then we can move forward, working in a bipartisan way, in discussing the way forward. And that's what the President is doing right now.
Q But all he's talking about right now is these personal retirement accounts in the framework of Social Security which, by most experts' estimations, with the exception of I think one plan which may reduce the government's contribution in the future, do nothing to extend the solvency of Social Security and make up for that gap in benefits that will inevitably come. So why isn't -- why isn't he talking about the rest of --
MR. McCLELLAN: There are a number of ideas for addressing the sustainability of Social Security and fixing its long-term sustainability. The President believes personal savings accounts should be a part of that because it will help workers realize a greater rate of return. Right now, you're talking about workers realizing a rate of return on their taxes of less than 1 percent. Under an approach that the President is talking about, where they would be voluntarily allowed to invest a small portion in personal savings accounts, you're talking about realizing a rate of return of 4 percent, 5 percent, or 6 percent on those investments.
Q But all he's talking about is the stuff that's very attractive to young workers to say, I'm going to create a program here that will give you some sort of a guarantee when you retire. But he's not talking about everything underneath, which would involve some pretty tough medicine going forward.
MR. McCLELLAN: We've been successful in moving forward on a number of this nation's highest priorities, from education reform, to Medicare reform, to cutting taxes to get our economy growing. The President believes the approach he is taking now, of talking about the problem and reaching out to members in a bipartisan way to get this done is the best way to proceed forward. Members of Congress are an important part of us getting this done next year. And that's why the President is reaching out to them, looking for their ideas, too, and we will continue to talk about this as we move forward. I appreciate you wanting us to negotiate here from the podium --
Q I'm not asking you to negotiate. I'm just -- I appreciate all the fine work you've done. I'm just wondering why, in this conference, is he only talking about personal retirement accounts as opposed to all of the other tough measures that taxpayers are --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think there were a lot of ideas that were expressed.
Q -- that the -- that taxpayers are going to have to swallow in the future to really fix the system.
MR. McCLELLAN: Because we're moving forward, working closely with Congress to get this done, and we want to get their input as we move forward.
Go ahead.
Q Scott, small businesses are worried about the economy, and as far as this White House Economic Conference is concerned, what can they expect? And how they will benefit from this conference?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, did you say small business?
Q Small businesses.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, small business owners -- or small businesses, I should say, are the backbone of our economy. And that's why you had small businesses represented at this conference, when I talked about a broad cross section from the economy. And we need to continue to build upon the steps we've already taken to strengthen our economy and make sure that we are creating an environment where the entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners can thrive. And that's what we will continue to do.
There are a number of ways -- addressing lawsuit reform, as was talked about in the conference yesterday, is one way. Moving forward on addressing the rising cost of health care is something that was discussed -- or is being discussed at this conference. There are a number of areas where we can work so that we encourage job growth in this country. And job growth comes, to a large extent, from the small business sector.
Q Second question --
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me keep moving. Go ahead, Dana.
Q Scott, Senator Susan Collins is now the latest Republican to publicly criticize Secretary Rumsfeld . She said that there are increasing concerns about the Secretary's leadership of the war, citing failure to predict the insurgency the way it is, lack of safety equipment, resistance to put more troops in there. What do you think about that?
MR. McCLELLAN: I think that Secretary Rumsfeld continues to do a great job while we're at war. We are a nation at war. We're a nation at war on terrorism. The audio tape that came out earlier this morning reminds us that we are nation at war. We must continue to use all means on all fronts to defeat the terrorists. And Secretary Rumsfeld is an important person in our efforts to prevail in this global struggle of ideologies.
Q Is the President aware of the, what I think can be fairly characterized as growing Republican criticism of his Defense Secretary?
MR. McCLELLAN: We look at the news just like you do. The President believes Secretary Rumsfeld is doing a great job, and that's why he asked him to continue serving during this time of war.
Go ahead, Connie.
Q Thank you. Otherwise, sorry, you have a cold. I hope it's not the flu.
MR. McCLELLAN: Oh, no. I don't think so. Thanks.
Q Two military questions. Is the $4 billion fund figure to strengthen the armor of light vehicles, is that a final figure, and where does that come about --
MR. McCLELLAN: I think you should talk to the Department of Defense. They're the ones who briefed about that, about the money that they're putting to make sure that our troops are getting what they need when they need it.
Q Would it have come about without the publicity in the past week or two?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, the Department of Defense addressed that yesterday.
Q One more on the test --
MR. McCLELLAN: I'll leave it where they did.
Q On the missile test, defense test which failed. Is the President still committed to pouring billions of dollars into that missile defense shield?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President remains firmly committed to moving forward on missile defense, a missile defense system. Missile defense is a high priority because it will help us better protect the American people against a potential limited long-range missile attack. And that's why the President remains firmly committed to moving forward on an effective defense against the threat posed by the proliferation of long-range missiles.
My understanding, from the text you referenced, is that the interceptor missile launch was automatically stopped because of what the military describes as an "unknown anomaly." We have had five successful tests of the eight. It's important that we move forward on this because the President's top responsibility is to do everything he can to protect the American people, and given the threats that we face in this day and age, missile defense is an important deterrent.
Go ahead.
Q Scott, where is the administration as it relates to Novaripine on safety and effectiveness of the drug? What's the administration's stand on Novaripine?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think that if you look at the U.S. public health guidelines, they clearly state that a single-dose usage of Novaripine is safe and effective in stopping mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and those are the current public health guidelines.
The government guidelines also make clear that there are potential harmful effects of longer-term use of extended usage of Novaripine. Now, the NIH has asked the Institute of Medicine to do a further analysis of the drug, and that's what's going on right now. But current guidelines state that this can be an effective drug to stop the transmission to children from pregnant mothers, and that's where it stands right now.
Q Scott, have you seen the latest story about the woman who died during the Novaripine study, and the family wasn't told? It somewhat goes back to NIH suppressing the long-term lethal effects of this drug. Do you understand why -- does the White House understand why, know why the NIH decided not to tell the long-term effects or the lethal effects of this drug?
MR. McCLELLAN: First of all, the loss of life is tragic and terrible. And in terms of any specific questions regarding the research study or this particular incident, those are best directed to the National Institute of Health.
Q Do you think it is the right thing to do to send this drug to Africa , as well as let people in this country take the drug for long-term, short-term, or single-dose usage, as you know that people are dying and getting ill from this drug? Is that the fair thing to do?
MR. McCLELLAN: The single-dose usage is what is in the President's emergency AIDS relief program. And I would point to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation as someone who supports the safest, most effective regiment of drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission. The foundation said, and I quote, "There is considerable scientific data demonstrating that this short course Novaripine regimen is safe and effective, and should continue to be used to prevent mother-to-child transmission in settings where more complex regimens are not available."
The President's emergency relief plan is about saving lives. The United States does more than any country in this world to combat AIDS, and the President has made an unprecedented commitment. And we want to make sure that lifesaving medicines are getting to those who need it. And it's important that the proper dosage be followed; and if necessary, that monitoring be used, as well. But the U.S. public health guidelines continue to recommend short course Novaripine therapy as an option for women who enter care late in pregnancy. It's something that's used here in the United States right now.
Q So you don't think the drug use should be halted while the study is going on?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we want to see what the National Institute of Medicine said, but as I just pointed out, the NIH remains confident that when used properly in a single-dosage way, it is an effective and proven way to prevent mother-to-child transmission. We want to continue to do what we can to save lives, and that's what this is all about.
Go ahead, Paula.
Q On the Social Security plan, it's my understanding the administration believes that all three approaches taken by the Moynihan Commission fall within the President's Social Security principles.
MR. McCLELLAN: We've said they're consistent with our principles.
Q Right. Well, my question then is, I believe all three approaches -- even though they vary in the amount that would be contributed from payroll taxes do say that because of the higher rate of return that a younger worker might have, the price they would have to pay for that higher return is that their benefits either would be reduced, or they might have to retire at a higher age, but that there would be a reduction of benefits as an offset to the higher rate of return.
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm very well aware of the proposals by the Social Security Commission that the President appointed. The President outlined the principles, and we've said that the proposals by the Social Security Commission are consistent with the principles that we outlined. But the President has not endorsed a specific proposal at this point. Right now, we're talking about two options that we have available. The option of fixing the problem and making sure workers can realize a greater rate of return, or the current system, which right now is an empty promise because the guaranteed benefit is not going to be there for younger workers. So we want workers to realize a greater rate of return and have their full retirement savings available to them when they retire. And we're not going to change anything for those at or near retirement.
Q And also on meeting the deficit-reduction goal over five years, is the reason that the administration believes it can do that under its plan because the budget won't include the cost of the war in Iraq, it won't include possibly transition costs in Social Security if you develop an off-budget mechanism for funding?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, when we have projections, we do take into account what money has been allocated.
Q But it would also include the fact that you don't factor in the cost of the war. You're not factoring in --
MR. McCLELLAN: No, no, it does take into account -- I just said it does take into account the costs that are allocated.
Q But that's --
MR. McCLELLAN: And we update it -- as you know, we update it twice a year.
Q I know, but what costs --
MR. McCLELLAN: Once when we release the budget, and then another time during the mid-session review, and it takes into account the supplementals when they are allocated.
Go ahead.
Q Scott, what is the President's timetable for submitting either a package of principles, or an endorsement of a Social Security package? Are we talking about the first quarter of next year? Are we talking later than that? Give us a sense of what he's trying --
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there's a growing consensus among congressional leaders to move forward quickly on Social Security because they recognize it's such an important priority, and that it needs to be fixed. But we're going to continue talking with congressional leaders about the exact timing. Congress gets to set the legislative timetable. We worked very closely with them on some of our own priorities about when those are set. But we'll continue to discuss that with members of Congress.
Q So you don't have any timetable yet?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm not ready to spell out any specific timetable. We're going to move quickly on it because you already had a Social Security Commission that the President formed -- a bipartisan Social Security Commission, and they looked at a lot of these issues. They put forward some ideas. Members of Congress have some ideas. There are some members that have specific legislation already out there. And so we'll continue talking with them about how we can move forward to get this done and on what timetable.
Q Will it be the first three months of next year?
MR. McCLELLAN: We'll continue talking with members of Congress. I appreciate you wanting to talk with the press about it, but we'll continue talking with congressional leaders to work on that legislative timetable.
Go ahead, Olivier.
Q Scott, ahead of every milestone in Iraq , political milestone, whether it's the creation of the interim council to the handover of power, this White House has warned about -- of an escalation of violence by increasingly desperate insurgents, terrorists, dead-enders. And you're warning about that now, with the elections coming up in January. Can you -- can you say whether this is going to be the one that breaks the trend? Will things get better after the elections? Will there be less violence? Or will -- or are we just going to keep seeing this trend line --
MR. McCLELLAN: Let me correct you. I think what we've said is that there would be continued violence as we move forward to help the Iraqi people build a democratic, free, and peaceful future. There are still some remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime, and there are terrorists who have entered the country who are doing everything they can to derail the transition to democracy. They recognize how high the stakes are.
This is a critical part of winning the war on terrorism, and when a free and peaceful Iraq emerges, it will be a significant blow to their ambitions. The elections coming up in January are a step toward a democratic and peaceful Iraq . It's a step that will help us defeat the ambitions of those who want to return to the brutality and oppression of the past. And we are doing everything we can to support the Iraqi people. The international community has been helping in different ways, as well. The Secretary General of the United Nations, who was in town today, talked about how they're on track with their plan to help with those elections. What's important is that we do everything we can to help the Iraqi people hold those elections on the time frame that was spelled out by the Independent Election Commission in Iraq .
Q So you're willing to predict escalating violence up to a point, but not what's going to happen after that point?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I would leave it to our commanders on the ground to give you the best readout of the current circumstances on the ground and what they anticipate going forward. They had a briefing yesterday; they talked about some of the ways that the enemy has adapted and the need to adapt to meet the enemy -- the way the enemy has changed. And that's what they're continuing to do. Our men and women in uniform are doing an outstanding job and they are up to the challenge and they are helping to train the Iraqi security forces so that, ultimately, they will be the ones providing for their own security from internal and external threats.
We also continue to urge everybody in the neighborhood to act in a way to help address some of the concerns we've expressed about terrorists crossing borders and regime members operating out of certain countries.
Q Scott, on the Social Security threat, based on what the President has said at the summit, why shouldn't we, why shouldn't anyone who has heard what he said assume that he has put aside much of the commission's recommendations about the -- on the tough-choice issues?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President just said last week that the commission is a guide for us moving forward. They did important work. And as I pointed out, it was a bipartisan commission of statesmen committed to getting something done. And that's what we need in Congress, as well. There are a number of people who are committed to working with the President and who share his belief that this is a real problem that we need to fix, because the problem gets worse over time. If we don't act, it only gets worse, and that's why we need to act now to stop it from getting worse.
Q But why didn't you even mention maybe one of these other tough choices?
MR. McCLELLAN: The President has talked about the challenges that we face regarding Social Security and the need to move forward together to address it. We're going to continue talking to members of Congress about it. The legislation is not being passed tomorrow. It's a process, and work, and we are going to continue reaching out to members who want to get this done and solve these problems. It's a high priority, and the President is going to move forward in a bipartisan way, reaching out to those who want to reach back and solve it.
Q Scott, can I just follow up on one thing?
MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead.
Q Osama bin Laden , you've said in the past that the war on terror is larger than just one person, but Osama bin Laden is the central terrorist figure, and he apparently is still out there and is alive and is giving messages that can be heard around the world. How is his ability to do that helping or hurting the hunt for him?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he is someone who I think has been on the run for quite some time now. He will be brought to justice; we've made that very clear. He is someone we continue to pursue. We've already dismantled or brought to justice some three-quarters of the leadership of al Qaeda. We will continue to pursue him and other al Qaeda leaders as well. We've made significant progress; there's more to do. But this is about a clash of ideologies. It is bigger than any one person, and we will continue this war until we win it.
Q Is it worrisome that he's able to get these messages out still?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I can't talk about specific ones right now at this point, and we always look at those tapes that he puts out and we analyze them to see if there's anything that can help us act on the intelligence in those tapes.
Q Scott, two quick things on the Annan meeting. Did the -- first of all, did the President at all interact when Kofi Annan where he was here? Did he stop by --
MR. McCLELLAN: No, this was a meeting -- this was a meeting with Dr. Rice and they --
Q So he didn't talk --
MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, they talked about a range of issues.
Q And was there any request, either formal or informal, for the U.N. to send more than 25 election monitors?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you heard from me earlier today and you heard from the Secretary General and Secretary Powell earlier today. The United Nations, we've always said, has an important role to play in helping the Iraqi people move forward. The Secretary General said that they are on track on their plan for assisting with the elections in January. He also said that they were looking ahead to next year and ways they can continue to support the Iraqi people. That could include helping with the drafting of a constitution, the help with holding permanent elections. We've said that we are pleased with the action by the United Nations to send more people to Iraq and we continue to encourage them to do more.
Q So, yes or no?
MR. McCLELLAN: I just said that we continue to encourage them to do more.
Q Scott, why is it within -- about a 10-day period the Iraqi government has warned various officials about Syrian and Iranian meddling in their affairs? The President said yesterday that it would not be in their best interests to meddle in the internal affairs of Iraq . Can you elaborate on what he meant by "not in their best interests"?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, neighboring countries of Iraq , like Syria and Iran , have a responsibility to act in a constructive manner. Iran and Syria have made commitments and we expect those commitments to be followed. We have expressed our concerns about the cross-border transit of terrorists and money and weapons to support those terrorists. It has been allowed to happen and it needs to stop. The President made that very clear yesterday.
We've been concerned about Syria being a base of operations for some former regime elements that continue to seek to return to the past. We've expressed concerns about terrorists in Iran , as well. And they made an agreement at Sharm el-Sheikh; they are signatories to the communiqué coming out of there saying that they would act in a responsible way, that they would contribute to the stability in Iraq , that they would prevent the transit of terrorists to and from Iraq , and the transit of money and arms to support the terrorists. It also calls on all countries to do more to control their borders. And so we expect those commitments to be followed up on and met.
Thank you.


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Police investigated Trayvon Martin over jewelry
Mar 27, 2012, 10:52 PM
Associated Press
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) – Women's jewelry and a watch found in Trayvon Martin's school backpack last fall could not be tied to any reported thefts, the Miami-Dade Police Department said Tuesday.
The Miami Herald in its Tuesday editions reported that it had obtained a Miami-Dade Schools Police Department report that showed the slain teenager was suspended in October for writing obscene graffiti on a door at his high school. During a search of his backpack, the report said, campus security officers found 12 pieces of women's jewelry, a watch and a screwdriver that they felt could be used as a burglary tool.
Martin's fatal Feb. 26 shooting in Sanford, Fla., by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman has caused a national firestorm. His family and people at rallies all over the country have demanded the arrest of Zimmerman who says he shot the unarmed 17-year-old in self-defense. Martin was black and Zimmerman's father is white and his mother, Hispanic. Martin's family and their supporters believe race played a part in the decision not to charge Zimmerman.
The Herald reported that when campus security confronted Martin with the jewelry, he told them that a friend had given it to him, but he wouldn't give a name. The report said the jewelry was confiscated and a photo of it was sent to Miami-Dade Police burglary detectives. Miami-Dade school officials declined Tuesday to confirm the report when contacted by The Associated Press, citing federal privacy laws regarding students.
Miami-Dade Police confirmed that it had been asked by school police to help identify the property taken from Martin's backpack. It notified school police that the jewelry did not match any that had been reported stolen. Â
Martin had previously been suspended for excessive absences and tardiness and, at the time of his death, was serving a 10-day suspension after school officials found an empty plastic bag with marijuana traces in his backpack.
His parents and their lawyer, Benjamin Crump, have said such reports are irrelevant to the shooting and part of an attempt to demonize Martin. Crump did not return calls to The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, black Democratic members of the Florida Legislature are demanding that a special session be called to consider whether to repeal the state's seven-year-old "Stand Your Ground" law, which eliminated a person's duty to retreat when threatened with seriously bodily harm or death.
Sanford police have cited the law as the reason Zimmerman wasn't arrested after the shooting. They are also demanding that a task force appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to examine the shooting and any changes needed to state law begin work immediately instead of waiting for the police investigation to conclude.
 "Whether self-defense was a legitimate factor, the law remains intact _ with all the same components still in place for more killings and additional claims of self-defense, warranted or not," state Sen. Chris Smith wrote in a statement to the governor. "…I'm sure you will agree that delaying the work of the task force _ possibly up to one year or longer _ suits no purpose other than to allow more tragedies to unfold."
But Scott and other Republicans have insisted that the state should wait until ongoing police investigations are completed.
Republican Rep. Dennis Baxley, one of the sponsors of the law, said that "when things have cooled off a little bit I think it's worthy to sit down and say is there legislation that is needed."
In Sanford Tuesday, the city manager said that hiring an outsider to run the police department is a priority to help cool tensions caused by Martin's death and the investigation.
Manager Norton Bonaparte said officials were working with the nonprofit group Police Executive Research Forum to identify potential candidates.
Police Chief Bill Lee temporarily stepped down after outrage erupted over the police department's handling of the shooting.
Darren Scott, a 23-year veteran of the Sanford Police Department, was named acting chief. Lee is still employed with the department and receiving his salary.
At a news conference Tuesday, Bonaparte and Scott refused to answer any questions about an information leak to the media. The leak contained an account by Zimmerman that said Martin was the aggressor in a fight leading up to the shooting. Officials have said they will investigate where the leak came from.
"We have a legal system in place and we ask that people let it take its course," Darren Scott said. "I am concerned with everyone's concerns, but I will not comment on the investigation."
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Ear Plug Superstore: Who Are We?
Ear Plug Superstore is operated by TM Manufacturing, Inc., a woman- and minority-owned Oklahoma corporation established in 1999. Our corporate headquarters and order fulfillment operations are located in northeastern Oklahoma, about an hour from Tulsa. Our exact address is 1709 Bell Road, Fort Gibson, OK 74434. We can be reached best by email: .
Our Story, Our Mission
Our mission at Ear Plug Superstore is to make hearing protection readily available for all -- from the industrial customer looking for bulk hearing protection, to the individual retail consumer looking for just one perfect pair of earplugs.
We are not a big box store, or a giant in the industrial safety business. In fact, back in 1999, we started as a family business with a tiny office, a few boxes of earplugs, and the modest goal of making it possible for anyone, anywhere, to protect their hearing for a sensible price. The idea was to let our customers choose exactly what they wanted, in the quantity they wanted, whether it was a single pair of ear plugs or a shipping container of a million pairs.
Today, our business model has not changed, though in addition to earplugs we now offer a wide variety of hearing protection and enhancement products. With fewer than a dozen employees, we stock over a thousand products, and we ship to customers worldwide. With over a decade of experience in providing hearing protection advice and solutions to customers both big and small, our flexibility as a small business allows us to respond to customer needs quickly, and on a truly personal level.
Our company culture is built on a solid foundation of helping customers, even if sometimes it means referring them to another business to get the best solution for their problems. Each and every member of our team is committed to the number one goal of filling our customers' needs.
Our small size allows us to ship orders fast -- and our knowledgeable customer service staff is trained and located in-house, not somewhere overseas. And unlike the industry giants, when a customer makes a special request or a great new product comes out, it doesn't require a committee meeting or a marketing analysis to make a decision: we take action, we bring you the best products available at sensible prices, and we dedicate ourselves 100% to fulfilling your needs.
For more than ten years now, since we opened our very first box of earplugs, the very front page of our website has always said, "We put our customers first." And we really mean it. We don't just sell products that protect hearing, we also try to educate people about hearing protection, hearing loss, and the importance of hearing preservation. Though our business is always growing and changing, our dedication to solving real problems for real people will never change. We know that hearing is one of your most valuable possessions, and we're sincerely committed to helping you protect it.
"Earplugs? ...Really?"
A Letter from the President
When new acquaintances learn that I sell earplugs online for a living, they invariably look skeptical and ask something like, "Earplugs -- really? How did you get into that business?"
Growing up as country kids in Oklahoma, my brothers and sisters and I went swimming in creeks and ponds all the time, and the thought of protecting our ears from water damage never crossed our minds. Neither did the idea of protecting our hearing from dangerously loud noises when we were teenagers and twenty-somethings going to Creedence Clearwater, Kiss, and Alice Cooper concerts. We were young, and we didn't give ear protection a second thought -- or even a first one, for that matter.
Perhaps if we had, many of us now would have better hearing than we do. A quick Google search will tell you that hearing loss runs rampant in our country, especially among those of my generation, and I'm living proof that the statistics aren't just numbers -- they're real. When I lost 80% of my hearing in one ear in the early 80's, I learned the hard way to pay attention to protecting my hearing. Now, I try to use earplugs or ear muffs in every situation where water or noise could potentially cause further damage to my ears. For everything from taking a shower, to water sports on the lake, mowing the lawn, target shooting at the range, or attending a Coldplay concert with my college-aged daughter, I make sure to protect the remaining hearing I have left by choosing the right ear protection. Even so, at night, I still have to sleep with a white noise machine nearby: my tinnitus makes trying to sleep difficult without the masking noise to cover the ringing and drumming in my ears.
As a parent of a child with autism, I have also become aware that many people have hearing sensitivities that make everyday life a serious challenge. My son had difficulty sitting in a busy classroom with lots of sensory input, so he regularly wore ear muffs during school hours. They were bulky and not very cool for a 10-year-old kid who was already having a hard enough time fitting in with his peers -- but the ear muffs were a solution that worked. They allowed him to tolerate not only his classroom, but also his sister's soccer games, and even our town's Fourth of July parades.
Fortunately today, the range and quality of hearing protection products available has improved significantly, making it much easier to protect and defend hearing health and alleviate sensory issues. From my own hearing loss and tinnitus, to my son's struggle to handle noisy surroundings, I know first-hand just how crucial it is to protect your ears and your hearing.
So that's why I am in this business.
Got ears? Get protection.
Kathy Trotter Bergman
President, Ear Plug Superstore
The People of Ear Plug Superstore
Contact Information
Looking for more information?
See our Customer Service Information page for answers to questions about shipping, returns, and other similar issues.
And as always, feel free to contact us at we are here to help!


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Advanced Search
A newly disclosed flaw in Microsoft Word could let malicious hackers take control of victims' computers by sending them e-mail with a Word document attached.
Microsoft Corp. informed computer users of the problem Tuesday, though the company classified it as a security "advisory." That makes it a less urgent warning than other security disclosures, though the company is investigating attacks that exploited the vulnerability.
As of Wednesday evening, the company had not released a patch to fix the problem.
The vulnerability affects versions of Word sold from 2000 through 2006. Microsoft Word 2007, which is currently available only to businesses, is not vulnerable, the company said.
To fall prey, a computer user would have to open a Word document attached to an e-mail. Microsoft advised people not to open or save attachments from unknown correspondents. Security experts consider that standard e-mail advice under any circumstances, but Microsoft also suggested rejecting unsolicited attachments even from friends and colleagues.
This vulnerability appeared no more dangerous than other flaws that have emerged previously in Microsoft Office applications, said Dan Hubbard, vice president of security research at Websense Inc.
Even so, the threat is worth taking seriously, said Justin Bingham, chief technology officer for network monitoring company Intrusic Inc.
He noted that it would be very easy for a con artist to call someone in a company, state a legitimate-sounding pretense -- posing as a vendor or a jobseeker, for example -- and then send an e-mail with an benign-seeming Word attachment that exploited the security hole.
"The gravity of this problem is very big," he said. He added that when Microsoft issues a patch for the security hole, companies should install it immediately rather than waiting until their next regularly scheduled update.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with other government partners, issued a new alert this week about the compromise of some Ivanti virtual private network (VPN) technologies.
Microsoft announced a lot of Copilot generative artificial intelligence news this week.
Health insurance provider UnitedHealth Group has confirmed that it and its network of partners have been attacked by a high-profile hacker group.
Users of Microsoft Surface Hub 2S videoconferencing devices can now switch to the Teams Rooms on Windows operating system at no extra cost, Microsoft announced this week.
Microsoft on Wednesday gave notice that it'll encourage more Windows users to carry out free upgrades to Windows 11 version 23H2, "starting with the April 2024 security update" release.
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I love party favors! Today I want to show you some cute, CHEAP Halloween party favor buckets:
They are so much fun to make -- and FAST.
Start with this three-pack of wedding favor buckets from the dollar store.
Bust out your "poor man's vinyl" -- electrical tape!! -- and stack up a few layers. (I've cut as many as four layers at a time.)
I got two good-sized rolls of the tape at the dollar store for a buck!!!
Cut out a ghosty eye shape...
...peel the layers apart...
...and stick them in place! Layer your tape to cut the mouths the same way, and
>>BAM!<< Ghosty buckets!!
I may or may not have gotten carried away with my husband's colored electrical tape, too...... :o)
And here's a BONUS idea:
Edible jack-o-lanterns made from oranges!!
Now, what else can I go stick some electrical tape on............?