It’s a story that a scary movie might tell, says Planet Amazing in a new report: “Millions of new fire ants are overwhelming homes in the Southern U.S., including a type of fast, hairy aggressive fire ant from South America.”

According to CNN.com, “The flea-sized critters are called crazy because each forager scrambles randomly at a speed that your average picnic ant, marching one by one, reaches only in video fast-forward. They’re called hairy because of fuzz that, to the naked eye, makes their abdomens look less glossy than those of their slower, bigger cousins. And they’re on the move in Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. In Texas, they’ve invaded homes and industrial complexes, urban areas and rural areas. They travel in cargo containers, hay bales, potted plants, motorcycles and moving vans. They short out industrial equipment.”

Justin Douglas, expert researcher at Planet Amazing, says that the Fire Ant Shredder product from Planet Amazing is a non-toxic solution for these insects. “When some homes are spending thousands of dollars a year to stop this type of fire ant in the South, they could save a lot of money by using Fire Ant Shredder from Planet Amazing, and then the results would also be environmentally friendly for everything but the insects,” he says. “People may not realize that fire ants are on the increase and it is possible for millions to infest a house in a few weeks. This is already reported on in the national news and has been studied by scientists. So if you notice fire ants beginning to build up in your yard or house, you should deal with it immediately. Some of the ants avoid digging out anthills and prefer to nest in sheltered, moist spots like the wall of your basement.”

The Planet Amazing report on fire ants shows how microcrystals can be used in a non-toxic powder to safely stop the fire ants and not hard your pets or any people in a home, and the powder will also be safe for plants.

Mr. Douglas says “Fire Ant Shredder works unlike any other product on the market today to handle your fire ant problem. To fire ants, the microcrystals in Fire Ant Shredder is a deadly powder with microscopic jagged edges. Because Shredder kills the fire ants physically, instead of chemically, they cannot become immune to it, which is what happens with pesticides that use toxic poison for fire ant control. Although Shredder is lethal to fire ants, it is completely safe for humans and pets because the sharp edges are too tiny to harm anything other than fire ants. In fact, farmers have used the ingredients in Shredder for years to prevent fire ants from getting into their food storage areas.”

For more information, visit the Amazon.com website for Fire Ant Shredder from Planet Amazing.

About Planet Amazing

Planet Amazing is an EPA registered manufacturer and packager of family friendly and environmentally safe pesticides and other products. Planet Amazing sets high standards for their operating companies in the area of environmental responsibility ? striving for performance that does not merely comply with regulations but reduces the environmental impact. They commit to take care of our planet and preserve its beauty, resources and strength for future generations. Planet Amazing embraces research and science – bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the lives and well-being of people. Employees of the Planet Amazing family of companies work with its partners in order to touch the lives of people every day, throughout the world.

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The Merk Investments

At its Centennial Olympic Congress in Paris in 1994, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognised the importance of the environment and sustainable development. Since then, the IOC has worked to promote sustainable development and caring for the environment through its Sport and Environment Commission and its work with the organisers of the Olympic Games. This commitment was underlined, with the launch of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)?s Event Organisers Sector Supplement (EOSS), a free framework for event organisers to report on their sustainability, whose creation was supported and part funded by the IOC.

Advisory Role

This new supplement, which is an amended and expanded version of GRI?s sustainability reporting guidelines, has been supported by the IOC from the outset of its development and it is being recognised by the IOC as a suitable framework for sustainability reporting in events. In addition to providing funding, the IOC was also on the advisory board overseeing the new supplement, where it was joined by representatives from London 2012, who, together with representatives from Vancouver 2010, also formed part of the EOSS working group.

Helping to Measure and Report

Following the creation of a sustainability report for the UEFA Euro 2008, it was felt that the creation of a GRI reporting framework for event organisers would encourage more events to report in a consistent way, and enable organisers and report readers to understand the impact of events. This idea was shared with the IOC and London 2012 who supported the aim to develop a reporting framework so the impact of all types of events could be compared. A working group and advisory group were then formed to develop the GRI EOSS. The reporting framework sets out the principles and performance indicators that organisations can use to measure and report on their economic, environmental and social performance.

A Framework

The EOSS can be used by an event organiser or by other bodies involved with the management of the event (including corporate, governmental and non-governmental bodies) to report on their sustainability performance before or after the event has taken place, and can also be used by the event organiser to report regularly on multiple or one-off events. It provides a reporting framework that enables event organisers to provide qualitative and quantitative information on their sustainability performance, covering the complete project life cycle of an event from bid or tender to planning, execution and, finally, post event.

All Shapes and Sizes

The new GRI EOSS has been created for events of all sizes and types and can be used in locations all over the world. These events can range from business to sporting and cultural events, such as exhibitions, meetings and festivals. The GRI framework has already been used by both Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 to report regularly on their progress.

For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team.

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San Antonio-based online shopping retailer Elizabeth Avenue West Company (http://www.ElizabethAvenueWest.com) is aiming to remove some of the guess work out of home deliveries by introducing its customers to UPS’ new My Choice Program.

Customers’ feelings about service, specifically a company’s interactions with them and the delivery of their online order, determines whether or not that customer will shop with them again. Surveys have shown that customer fulfillment operations is an integral part of not just getting but also maintaining repeat customers. A large portion of providing a positive experience is done by giving customers more control over the delivery process.

Elizabeth Avenue West has provided that positive experience through a variety of innovations. Most recently, by introducing their customers to UPS’ My Choice program by placing a link directly on their website where customers can signup for the program. Once customers signup, they will receive an email, text, or recorded phone message from UPS the day before their package is to be delivered. Now customers don’t have to worry about whether or not they’ll be home when their package arrives.

Through the My Choice program, customers can also reschedule, redirect, or give authorization online for UPS to deliver packages without a signature when they won’t be home to sign in person, which means no more missed deliveries. Customers will also always get the most up-to-date information about UPS deliveries. They won’t even need any tracking numbers.

Mid to late last year, Elizabeth Avenue West offered free shipping on all orders in the contiguous United States except for their automotive parts inventory. This strategy along with keeping customers informed of their purchases not only builds confidence in their customers, but also shows them that they care about their customer’s online shopping experience.

Remaining true to its ?Smart Grid Technology For The Planet? slogan, earlier this month myEnergyPlatform.com stated that as a first step, it intends to launch both free and low cost Smart Grid technology targeting NYC?s commercial, industrial and institutional sector. In addition to releasing myEnergyPlatform?s intent, in a more recent statement Davide Gristina, a myEnergyPlatform Trustee assigned to functional development, further discussed the company?s mission; ?The patent rights in our possession were gifted, and we feel compelled to perpetuate that gift. Therefore, while some platform tools, analytics and services will rendered on a subscription fee basis, a considerable portion of the platform?s high end functionality will be built on a do it yourself model and made available first to end users and licensees in the NYC Metro area, but ultimately worldwide.? Gristina went on stating that, ??understanding, tracking, accounting and managing energy consumption, and cost, for the purpose of minimizing resource waste benefit Earth, Inc., and price tagging planet sustainability felt rather uncomfortable. This is not the only reason we?ve elected to open portions of our platform, but it?s the one that makes us feel most human?.

myEnergyPlatform.com was inspired, in part, by a 2008 article in the New York Times that provided indisputable evidence about how Billions of Dollars of energy is wasted in the Unites States every year. The article postulated the need for radically advanced technologies that reduced carbon emissions without restraining economic growth. Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave the initiative further momentum in 2009 by requiring owners of tens of thousands of New York City?s largest buildings to conduct energy audits and make energy efficiency retrofits under a sweeping package of green building laws.

myEnergyPlatform.com will launch the Smart Grid technology patent claims gifted by Archangel Energy later this year. This web based energy portal will provide end users and licensees access to superior infrastructure management, resource analytics, cost recovery and sustainability services. When launched, myEnergyPlatform users will simply register, access their Green portal and get started. The platform will use a consumer?s existing utility data to track, trend, graph, project and baseline energy usage and cost with no change to meters, providers, or services. Separate functionality will be available to allow users to independently validate utility charges including downloadable, certified dispute resolution rate calculations.

What?s more, through full use of myEnergyPlatform?s offering, NYC?s commercial, industrial and institutional energy users, – the company?s initial target sector – will be in a position to maximize energy management services, enable diversified and more competitive ESCO services, simplify leasing processes, improve tenant relations, promote corporate sustainability, and unbundle cost recovery services cutting recurring operating costs by half or more.

About Us:

The team at myEnergyPlatform.com has been providing infrastructure management and cost recovery services to commercial real estate owners and managers since 1984. For more information, contact myEnergyPlatform.com at (888) 706-0896-7190 or visit us on online at myEnergyPlatform.com.

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In its continuing effort to improve the flexibility and cost effectiveness of its modular cleanroom systems, PortaFab has introduced a new 2? thick wall system to its product line; the P2000. The new wall system integrates with its popular CleanLine and FabLine modular cleanroom systems and includes the following components:

DNA Response, Inc., a provider of multi-channel e-commerce, marketing and order management solutions, has launched a Super Bowl-themed Facebook Sweepstake for its web store MagnaBlade.

Facebook users have a chance to win one of two MagnaBlades, each one valued at $ 14.99. To enter, users must ?Like? the MagnaBlade fan page and enter their name and email address into the sweepstakes form. Visitors are also encouraged to post their Super Bowl predictions on the MagnaBlade page. The two winners will be announced on Monday, January 6, 2012.

Americans spend $ 2.5 billion a year on razor blades. With MagnaBlade, customers can cut the costs of razors in half and save hundreds of dollars a year. This revolutionary new product extends the life and performance of most razor blades on the market. It magnetically sharpens razor blades and makes them last 2-6 times longer. This portable, convenient device requires no batteries and will last many years. MagnaBlade works as soon as the first razor blade is placed onto the device; there is no waiting. Customers can use the same razor for up to 12 weeks, reducing waste and saving money!

About DNA Response. DNA Response, Inc. (DNA) provides turnkey e-commerce, online marketing, and order management services to companies in the $ 300 Billion direct response market. DNA clients sell products direct to consumers using TV, radio, print catalogs, web and mobile as their sales channels. DNA?s ECOM2TM platform utilizes state-of-the art cloud computing technologies and services to improve operational efficiency by reducing transaction costs, eliminating credit card declines, and lowering order cancellations and product returns, while simultaneously increasing online revenue for our clients. DNA provides universal order management for processing orders in real time from all the sales channels with full visibility to the business for the clients. DNA generates incremental revenues and helps build a brand for our clients by providing comprehensive e-commerce and online marketing services.

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The fourth-quarter earnings season is here and analyst George Leong, contributor to Profit Confidential, believes it will help to dictate the trading action over the next several months. In fact, he?s got a list of four stocks to watch this earnings season.

?I continue to believe that technology will be the driver of the stock market going forward into the next several years. Take any opportunity to buy on weakness,? says Leong.

One of the technology stocks Leong believes deserves attention is Internet star Google Inc. Many are eagerly awaiting fourth-quarter numbers to be released. In the third quarter, Leong reports, Google beat estimates on revenues and earnings by a wide margin. Leong believes that the company?s addition of Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. will help Google in aggressively pushing sales of its ?Android? phones.

?Apple Inc. continues to be the star and I expect continued strong results this year, especially with sales of ?iPads? and ?iPhones,?? says Leong. He feels that there is no stopping the momentum the company has.

Intel Corporation is the dominant chipmaker in the world and Leong thinks its concerted move into more mobile applications should pay off.

Leong believes that Yahoo! Inc. needs a change of direction and may be on the verge of a potential takeover by private equity.

?The key will be revenues, especially organic growth. We want to see revenues grow to drive earnings instead of cost cuts. Without revenues growing, it is difficult to imagine a healthy economy,? says Leong.

Profit Confidential, which has been published for over a decade now, has been widely recognized as predicting five major economic events over the past 10 years. In 2002, Profit Confidential started advising its readers to buy gold-related investments when gold traded under $ 300 an ounce. In 2006, it ?begged? its readers to get out of the housing market… before it plunged.

Profit Confidential was among the first (back in late 2006) to predict that the U.S. economy would be in a recession by late 2007. The daily e-letter correctly predicted the crash in the stock market of 2008 and early 2009. And Profit Confidential turned bullish on stocks in March of 2009 and rode the bear market rally from a Dow Jones Industrial Average of 6,440 on March 9, 2009, to 12,876 on May 2, 2011, a gain of 99%.

To see the full article and to learn more about Profit Confidential, visit http://www.profitconfidential.com.

Profit Confidential is Lombardi Publishing Corporation?s free daily investment e-letter. Written by financial gurus with over 100 years of combined investing experience, Profit Confidential analyzes and comments on the actions of the stock market, precious metals, interest rates, real estate, and the economy. Lombardi Publishing Corporation, founded in 1986, now with over one million customers in 141 countries, is one of the largest consumer information publishers in the world. For more on Lombardi, and to get the popular Profit Confidential e-letter sent to you daily, visit http://www.profitconfidential.com.

Michael Lombardi, MBA, the lead Profit Confidential editorial contributor, has just released his most recent update of Critical Warning Number Six, a breakthrough video with Lombardi?s current predictions for the U.S. economy, stock market, U.S. dollar, euro, interest rates and inflation. To see the video, visit http://www.profitconfidential.com/critical-warning-number-six.

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A Broward County jury returned a verdict of $ 125,000 against New York Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress on Thursday, December 8, 2011.The verdict came after a three-day trial in Broward County Circuit Court. The trial was the culmination of a civil lawsuit filed by Alise Smith, 30, alleging that Burress was responsible for a May, 2008 car crash that left her with permanent neck injuries.

In the complaint filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court in Broward County, Florida (case number 08-62103 (11)), Smith claimed that Burress rear-ended her near the toll plaza leading from Commercial Boulevard to Florida?s Turnpike in Tamarac. As a result of the accident, Smith sustained permanent disc herniations in her neck and was forced to undergo countless hours of chiropractic treatment. Smith?s doctors said that Smith may need neck surgery in the future. Smith testified that the accident has altered her life, causing her trouble with activities such as exercise, housework, sleep and her employment.

The jury found Burress liable for the accident and awarded Smith $ 125,000 for her damages, including her medical bills and pain and suffering. ?This jury decided that Mr. Burress is responsible for my client?s permanent injuries,? said Smith?s attorney, Anthony Quackenbush of Dell and Schaefer PA. ?Although nothing could ever make my client completely whole, the verdict goes a long way towards compensating my client for those injuries.?

Anthony Quackenbush is a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer. He is a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorney who handles car accident cases and others in Miami, West Palm Beach and throughout Florida. The website of this Fort Lauderdale Accident Lawyer can be found by clicking the above link, and Mr. Quackenbush can be contacted at 786-294-7711. More press releases from this Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorney can be found by clicking the above link.

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As of January 1, 2012, the Department of Veteran Affairs changed a few of their standards for how calculations can be made to VA Loans by lenders, which are the methods used to calculate the VA Loan maximum amounts/minimum amounts. But what will these changes really mean for veterans and active duty military members who are ready to buy a home using a VA Loan in Texas cities like Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio? Veterans buying a home will need to re-learn what to expect (and how much they can receive) from their VA Home Loan.

With a proactive and supporting role, Security America Mortgage, Inc. recently announced the 2012 calculation changes to all of their connected military members in Texans as well as launching new location websites that support the need to spread the word to all military service members about how the VA Purchase in Texas will be affected.

The VA Home Loan Experts take a unique approach to showing how much better VA Loan amounts will be in the year going forward by reminding military members how easy buying a home can be with simplified examples of the VA Loan Process and VA Refinance. The good news is that the loan amounts are funded by lenders, like Security America Mortgage, Inc., and VA Loan amounts are all calculated by the mortgage company ? not the VA. The VA only insures the VA guaranty loan up to a certain amount ? which is kind of like a ?promise? to the lender to pay a home loan for a veteran if they ever default on a loan for any reason.

For expert mortgage companies like Security America Mortgage, Inc., who specialize in VA Loan and Real Estate services for Texas home buyers, they can still offer VA loans that provide the lowest rates possible in 2012.

Since the 2012 VA Loan Calculations do not alter the great VA benefits, VA Loans can still be obtained by eligible members in order to:

1.