Monthly Archives: May 2012

Letter: Free speech must be defended

Posted: May 25, 2012 at 5:14 pm

Since my recent letter to the editor appeared in both Newton area papers I have received many calls thanking me for speaking out. I did so as a result of the editorial in one paper. I also received a call from the plaintiff in the case, LaQuanda Carpenter, who left a voice message for me. Many employees of Alcovy High have told me that once their transfers are complete and after the school year ends they will share more openly. Please do so.

I took a bold step. Ms. Carpenter stated she would see me in court, but it is my hope that free speech and freedom of the press rule against her attacks meant to direct attention away from serious problems in a high school.

Attacking free speech and public leaders, former teachers, and me as a parent who chose to pull my daughter out of NCSS in 2011 after one board member told me I was being "dramatic" over a serious case of school bullying that year is wrong.

I pray that our constitutional right to free speech is upheld and that the Newton Citizen prevails in its fight for freedom of the press and free speech.

If Alcovy High School did not have the lowest rate of graduation in the county and below the state, then no one would complain. I am unafraid to face Ms. Carpenter in court. I will never name a source of information for me as many are employees, but I will share enough to show the judge enough to investigate evidence of wrongdoing, down to the names of the people in the room when her comments were made, as well as share other evidence.

I no longer have to hide behind MsLoy and KBeet. I am yours truly,

-- Shannon L. Black

Conyers

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Letter: Free speech must be defended

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Freedom Imaging Preserves Client Data Files in Online Tech’s HIPAA Compliant Data Center

Posted: May 23, 2012 at 4:14 am

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Freedom Imaging Systems, a document management pioneer, has chosen Online Techs HIPAA compliant data center for colocation services to store their clients data and image files.

Before using Online Techs colocation services, Freedom only installed a server on-site with the client to house and manage their patient and business files. By teaming with Online Tech, Freedom is able to offer cloud-based hosting services while obtaining HIPAA, SOX and PCI compliant colocation solutions. Their clients receive the peace of mind and security of independently SAS 70, SSAE 16 (SOC 1), SOC 2 & 3, HIPAA, and PCI audited data centers to protect data from external threats while meeting privacy standards.

Freedom provides a paperless environment and implements digital workflow for healthcare and small and medium-sized businesses. Their paperless platform supports a wide variety of file types, including TIFF, PDF, Microsoft Office files, and PACS images, along with many others. Further Freedom can interface with nearly any information system via health Level 7 (HL7), ANSI standard files, XML or other interface formats.

Many of Freedoms clients store sensitive information such as ePHI (electronic protected health information) in their files, so security was a critical factor for Freedom in their selection of a hosting partner.

"When it came to searching for a hosting provider, I was looking for a known entity with a positive reputation," said Dave Gillis, CEO and President of Freedom Imaging Systems. "I found Online Tech to be a company I could work with and trust."

Were proud of setting the national standard in our commitment to independent auditing across mission critical industries. But were not too proud to roll up our sleeves and problem solve with each client to find the best balance of security, compliance, and affordability for their unique needs, said Mike Klein, President and COO of Online Tech.

Online Tech is the only independently HIPAA audited data center hosting provider offering colocation, managed dedicated and cloud servers, and disaster recovery. A HIPAA audit by an independent Certified HIPAA Practitioner (CHP) and Certified HIPAA Security Specialist (CHSS) foundOnline Tech to be 100% compliant with the technical, physical, and administrative safeguards of all 54 HIPAA citations and 19 standards stipulated in HIPAA version 1.2.1 of the Security Rule.

Online Tech fully owns and operates all of their data centers located in areas with historically low risk natural disasters. Their high availability IT framework ensures that critical data and applications are always secure and always available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The top tier data centers are geographically separated to meet natural disaster risk management guidelines, but interconnected with dedicated Gigabit fiber for Internet traffic failover and routing of backup and disaster recovery data between data centers.

About Online Tech

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Liberty Global to Present at the Barclays Capital Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference

Posted: at 4:14 am

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Global, Inc. (Liberty Global) (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) will be presenting at the Barclays Capital Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference on Wednesday May 23, 2012 at 11:45 a.m. Eastern Time at Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York, New York. Liberty Global may make observations concerning its historical operating performance and outlook. The presentation will be webcast live at http://www.lgi.com. We intend to archive the webcast under the investor relations section of our website for approximately 30 days.

About Liberty Global, Inc.

Liberty Global is the leading international cable operator offering advanced video, voice and broadband internet services to connect its customers to the world of entertainment, communications and information. As of March 31, 2012, Liberty Globals continuing businesses operated state-of-the-art networks serving 20 million customers across 13 countries principally located in Europe and Chile. Liberty Globals operations also include significant programming businesses such as Chellomedia in Europe.

For more information, please visit http://www.lgi.com.

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Liberty Global to Present at the Barclays Capital Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference

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Lynx-Liberty Preview

Posted: at 4:14 am

The New York Liberty managed to split two games with the Minnesota Lynx last season despite awful performances from top scorer Cappie Pondexter.

They may need a better effort from her this time with the defending WNBA champions seemingly already clicking on all cylinders.

Off to their worst start since 2009, the Liberty look to avoid falling to 0-3 on Tuesday night when they host the Lynx at the Prudential Center.

These teams split two September meetings a year ago, as Pondexter averaged 11.0 points on 4-of-26 shooting. She scored 17.4 per game overall to lead the Liberty in 2011 while shooting 40.2 percent.

Pondexter averaged 18.5 points on 41.4 percent shooting in losses to Connecticut on Saturday and Sunday to begin 2012. Her backcourt mate, Leilani Mitchell, is off to a poor start with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting and seven assists.

Mitchell had a career-high 24 points in last year's 78-62 win at Minnesota, which was New York's most lopsided victory in this series.

The Liberty had trouble down the stretch over the weekend, getting outscored by a combined 19 points in the fourth quarter.

The Lynx raised their championship banner before beating Phoenix 105-83 in their opener Sunday.

"Once the banner went up and the lights went on and we started to warm up for the game, it was about 2012 and what we're trying to do," said Seimone Augustus, who scored 19 points before leaving with bruised ribs, although she appears to be OK for this matchup.

Minnesota did not miss Augustus much as Monica Wright had 15 points, part of a bench that outscored Phoenix's reserves 40-8.

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Call for Entries: 4th Annual 'Media for Liberty' Award

Posted: at 4:14 am

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Media Corporation (Nasdaq: LMCA, LMCB) is now accepting submissions for the annual "Media for Liberty Award". This award recognizes media contributions that explore the link between economic and political liberty. Eligible works must be originally published or broadcast via print or electronic media during the 2012 calendar year, and received by Liberty Media no later than January 7, 2013. There is a $50,000 prize for the winning entry.

The 2013 Media for Liberty Award is open to journalists worldwide whose original works bring new insights on societal issues, news events, economies, political structures and cultures that illustrate prosperity or struggle in pursuit of a free market environment and civil liberties uninfluenced by government agenda.

Submitted works will be reviewed by a jury panel and evaluated based on the degree to which the theme is addressed, inspirational and educational value, relevance to the public discourse, and mastery of media format.

Past recipients of the Award include:

A Darkness Visible: Afghanistan (MediaStorm) a film examining thirty years of Afghan history through the story of ordinary citizens whose lives play out in the shadow of superpowers.

How a New Jobless Era will Transform America (The Atlantic) an essay exploring the likely and lasting effects of the recent Great Depression on American society, culture and politics.

"Congo Gold (CBS 60 Minutes) a segment chronicling the war-torn region of eastern Congo to investigate the connection between the mining of gold and other precious minerals.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible media outlets, including newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, television and websites, must be generally recognized in their markets and accessible to a broad audience in the United States.

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Brian Dunham Appointed Chief Actuary for Liberty Mutual Insurance’s Group Benefits Unit

Posted: at 4:13 am

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Mutual Insurance has appointed Brian Dunham as senior vice president and chief actuary of its Group Benefits operation.

In this role, Mr. Dunham manages the actuarial function for the business unit that provides group disability and life insurance, and leave administration services, to middle market and national accounts through brokers and consultants.

Brian brings a wealth of experience in large-case life and disability insurance, notes Jean Scarrow, chief operating office, Liberty Mutual Group Benefits. Brian has both the actuarial and management skills to help continue our strong growth in the group life, disability, and leave management markets.

Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Mr. Dunham was responsible for the pricing and financial management of Unums large case group life and disability business. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

About Liberty Mutual Insurance

"Helping people live safer, more secure lives" since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance is a diversified global insurer and the third largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on A.M. Best Company's report of 2010 net written premium.

Liberty Mutual Insurance also ranks 84th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2011 revenue. As of December 31, 2011, Liberty Mutual Insurance had $117.1 billion in consolidated assets, $99.3 billion in consolidated liabilities, and $34.7 billion in annual consolidated revenue.

Liberty Mutual Insurance offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers compensation, property, commercial automobile, general liability, global specialty, group disability, reinsurance and surety. Liberty Mutual Insurance (www.libertymutualinsurance.com) employs over 45,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

Photos/MultimediaGallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50284806&lang=en

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Liberty Interactive Announces Extraordinary Cash Distribution on 3.5% Senior Exchangeable Debentures due 2031 …

Posted: at 4:13 am

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Interactive LLC ("Liberty"), a subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation (Nasdaq: LINTA, LINTB), announced payment of an extraordinary cash distribution to the holders of its 3.5% Senior Exchangeable Debentures due in 2013 (the Debentures). This distribution is the result of Google Inc.s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. on May 22, 2012 for $40 per share in cash. Pursuant to the indenture covering the Debentures (the Indenture), the cash paid to shareholders in the Motorola Mobility Holdings acquisition is to be paid to the holders of the Debentures as an extraordinary distribution. The record date of the distribution by Liberty is June 6, 2012 and the cash payment of $184.096 per Debenture is expected to be made on June 20, 2012, for a total payment of $110.5 million.

In accordance with the Indenture, the principal amount of the Debentures is to be reduced by the amount of each extraordinary cash distribution that we pay on the Debentures. In addition, the adjusted principal amount is to be further reduced on each successive semi-annual interest payment date to the extent necessary to cause the semi-annual interest payment on that date to represent the payment by Liberty, in arrears, of an annualized yield of 3.5% of the adjusted principal amount of the debentures. In no event will the reductions to the principal amount of the Debentures affect the amount of the semi-annual interest payments received by holders of the Debentures, which will continue to be a rate of interest equal to 3.5% per annum of the original principal amount of the debentures.

Immediately following the payment by Liberty of the extraordinary cash distribution attributable to the Motorola Mobility Holdings acquisition, the adjusted principal amount of the Debentures will be $622.4813 per $1,000 original principal amount, and the aggregate outstanding adjusted principal amount of the Debentures will be$373.5 million.

About Liberty Interactive LLC

Liberty Interactive LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation and owns interests in a broad range of electronic retailing, media, communications, and entertainment businesses.

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Liberty Power Enters Residential Electric Market in New Jersey

Posted: at 4:13 am

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Power, one of the nation's fastest-growing and largest independent energy retailers, today announced it has launched a residential program in New Jersey. The company now has active residential offers in the utility territories of Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), and Atlantic City Electric (ACE). As a result of the launch, Liberty Power is expanding the availability of its offers to an additional 3 million residents.

The retail electricity supplier first began serving non-residential customers in New Jersey in the spring of 2007. Liberty Power's residential expansion into New Jersey comes on the heels of launching residential programs in Maryland and Connecticut. Liberty Power now has residential retail electric programs in seven states: New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas.

"We have been providing New Jersey business owners low-cost electricity and exceptional customer service for more than five years. We are thrilled to now be able to offer similar products and services to residents of the Garden State," stated David Hernandez, co-founder and CEO.

At the time of launch, the company will offer its Home Independence Plan, a fixed-rate product with terms of 12 and 24-months. Residents who choose Liberty Power as their retail electricity supplier will continue to receive one bill and the same level of service from their local utility, which will still deliver the electricity, maintain the pole and wires, and respond to power outages. There is no sign-up fee, and there will be no interruption in electricity service. Liberty Power also offers competitive rates for commercial accounts. For additional information, New Jersey residents and businesses may call 855-776-9377 to sign up by phone.

About Liberty Power Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Liberty Power is one of only five national retail electric providers licensed in 16 or more states and is the first certified, minority-owned, independent retail electric provider with a national presence. Currently serving over 100,000 commercial accounts, Liberty Power provides large and small businesses, government agencies, as well as residential customers, with low-cost electricity and exceptional customer service.

For more information on Liberty Power, please visit http://www.libertypowercorp.com

Liberty Power is a registered trademark of Liberty Power Corp. LLC encompassing Liberty Power Holdings LLC, Liberty Power Delaware LLC, Liberty Power Maryland LLC, Liberty Power District of Columbia LLC, and LPT LLC, dba LPT SP LLC. Liberty Power is certified and licensed by the Public Utilities/Service Commissions of: CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, ME, MD (IR793), MA (CS-057) MI, NJ (ESL-0001), NY, OH, PA, RI, TX (10118) and VA; as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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Bellavia tries to outgun Collins in speech on right to bear arms

Posted: at 4:11 am

Ask either of the Republican contestants for the new 27th Congressional District about gun rights, and theyll tell you point-blank theyre better than the other guy in defending the Second Amendment.

Iraq War veteran David Bellavia points to his unequivocal support of gun rights and rattles off a list of credentials he says qualifies him in a region where hunters and sportsmen abound.

Former County Executive Chris Collins points to the gun permit he has carried for 25 years, the four pistols he owns and the backing provided by the National Rifle Association when he unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1998.

But now Bellavia is trying to outgun Collins over just who defends Second Amendment rights and who doesnt. He charges that Collins the former Erie County executive he will face in the June 26 GOP primary for the seat held by Democrat Kathleen C. Hochul signed on four years ago to an effort sponsored by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to restrict the freedom of gun owners.

In a Sunday speech to the Niagara County Sportsmens Association, Bellavia attacked Collins for acting as a founding member of Bloombergs County Executives Against Illegal Guns. The organization acted as a companion group to Mayors Against Illegal Guns and aimed to develop county legislation and enforcement efforts to prevent guns from falling into the hands of criminals, according to a 2008 announcement of its formation.

But Bellavia said he viewed the organization differently. He said both Bloomberg groups opposed the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act, which permits approved gun owners to carry weapons in all states. He said the two groups called the legislation dangerous and claimed that a national reciprocity standard undermines public safety.

I disagree, Bellavia told the sportsmen. Depriving Americans of their fundamental right to self-defense undermines public safety; depriving us of our constitutional rights undermines what it means to be an American.

But Collins argues that his credentials are just as strong, and that his brief dalliance with Bloomberg stemmed from trickery and his own naivete when he first became county executive in 2007.

I said I was against illegal guns, he said. Isnt everyone against illegal guns?

But Collins said he got snookered into joining the group and withdrew within two weeks once he discovered it supported gun legislation he found restrictive and against the Second Amendment.

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Bellavia tries to outgun Collins in speech on right to bear arms

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SG election codes limit free speech

Posted: at 4:11 am

At the end of the spring semester, we wrote a series of editorials addressing UF Student Government election codes and their negative implications for student free speech.

First, we discussed the issue with code 762.0, which requires that candidates and parties attach Registered Political Advertisement to all campaign materials. Due to a vague definition of campaign material, this code could be enforced against almost anything someone says in favor of or against a particular candidate or party.

Next, we questioned code 761.1, which appeared to constrain any intentional action in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate or political party for an elective student body office to a four-week period.

Both of these codes provide ample opportunity for the party in power to limit student free speech, especially for those students who have aspirations to run for office.

At the end of last semester, the UF Supreme Court recommended that SG amend the rules to clarify the meaning of campaigning and determine when these activities could occur.

We were hopeful that the Student Senate would revise the rules to remove these vague and draconian limitations on free speech. Instead, this evening the Student Senate will be voting on whether to add even stricter rules to candidates, political parties and, perhaps, even the general student body.

First, the proposed code revisions now clearly stipulate that campaign activities can only occur on the first day of the active election cycle, or four weeks before election day. Election-specific material, such as things that say vote for, cannot occur until one week prior to the first day of elections.

They also added Internet posts to its definition of campaign material, which now extends the ability of the Elections Commission to give violations to online communications that do not have Reg. Pol. Ad.

Because the codes surrounding this requirement are so vague, an election-related post by a student who is not running for office that does not bear Reg. Pol. Ad. could potentially lead to an election code violation for the candidate or party that was mentioned by the student.

These code revisions clearly violate student free speech and deserve serious scrutiny from the entire student body.

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SG election codes limit free speech

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