I honestly thought it would never come, but OtterBox recently released their Commuter Series for the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220/8230. If there is still any lovers of the Pearl Flip out there then you might want to pick up one of these cases. The case retails for $34.95, and features dual layer protection, including a hard protective layer for drops and bumps. For more details head over to OtterBox.com and check it out.

[via Accessorize Mobile]

You’re reading a story which originated at BlackBerrySync.com, Where you find BlackBerry News You Can Sync With…

This story is sponsored by the new BlackBerry Sync Mobile App Store. Grab your free copy today at www.GetAppStore.com from your BlackBerry.

OtterBox shares love for BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8200 Series

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Earnings conference call set for 10 a.m. ET May 11 to discuss complete results

* Same-store merchandise sales up 2.5%

* Average retail fuel volumes per store down 0.2%

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, April 20 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Susser Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SUSS) said today it expects to report same-store merchandise sales growth for the first quarter of 2010 of approximately 2.5 percent.  Retail average per-store fuel volumes are expected to decline by 0.2 percent year-over-year.

First Quarter Earnings Conference Call

Susser will release its first quarter 2010 financial and operating results on Tuesday, May 11, before the market opens. In conjunction with the release, the Company has scheduled a conference call that will be broadcast live over the Internet the same day at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

Participate live via phone by dialing 480-629-9720 or live over the Internet by logging onto the Company’s web site at www.susser.com on the “Events & Presentations” page of the Investor Relations section.  A telephonic replay will be available through May 18 by calling 303-590-3030 and using the access code 4285925#.  An archive of the webcast will be available for 60 days on Susser’s web site.

Corpus Christi, Texas-based Susser Holdings Corporation is a third-generation family led business that operates more than 525 convenience stores in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma primarily under the Stripes and Town & Country banners. Restaurant service is available in more than 300 of its stores, primarily under the proprietary Laredo Taco Company and Country Cookin’ brands. The Company also supplies branded motor fuel to approximately 390 independent dealers through its wholesale fuel division.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” describing Susser’s objectives, targets, plans, strategies, costs, anticipated capital expenditures, expansion of our food service offerings, potential acquisitions and new store openings and dealer locations. These statements are based on current plans and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to vary materially, including but not limited to: competition from other convenience stores, gasoline stations, dollar stores, drug stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets and other wholesale fuel distributors; changes in economic conditions; volatility in energy prices; political conditions in key crude oil producing regions; wholesale cost increases of tobacco products; adverse publicity concerning food quality, food safety or other health concerns related to our restaurant facilities; consumer or other litigation; consumer behavior, travel and tourism trends; devaluation of the Mexican peso or restrictions on access of Mexican citizens to the U.S.; unfavorable weather conditions; changes in state and federal regulations; dependence on one principal supplier for merchandise, two principal suppliers for gasoline and one principal provider for transportation of substantially all of our motor fuel; financial leverage and debt covenants; changes in debt ratings; inability to identify, acquire and integrate new stores; dependence on senior management; acts of war and terrorism; and other unforeseen factors. For a full discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 3, 2010. These forward-looking statements are based on and include our estimates as of the date hereof. Subsequent events and market developments could cause our estimates to change. While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if new information becomes available, except as may be required by applicable law.

SUSS-IR

SOURCE Susser Holdings Corporation

http://www.susser.com

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Call me old-fashioned, but I do think these floppy disk sticky notes are a lot more fun than the iPhone and iPad variants. Sure, you can’t design apps in the blank space…but you can come up with fun fake file-names! More »

Trustees unanimously approved a $5.3 million operating budget Monday.

The board defeated, as expected, a second attempt to fund Harlem Community Center’s Neighborhood Playground, a $55,800 summer recreational program that was eliminated from this year’s budget.

Trustee Mark Sorrentino tried again to have $5,000 inserted to operate the program at one site, Marquette Elementary School. The motion was defeated 4-3, with village President Tom Strickland casting the tie-breaking vote.

Sorrentino, who asked trustees to vote with “compassion for the children,” previously said conflict between the administration and directors of the center was behind the cut.

Strickland denied that, reading a prepared statement after the vote to emphasize his reason for eliminating the program:

“There’s nothing any of us would like to do more than to provide a free summer program for parents and children, but it simply is not practical in today’s economy and the village’s budget. Given the rising cost of the program and the number of children being served, we felt it important to take a step back and evaluate the finances and effectiveness of the program.”

Strickland noted that he has coached, officiated and been an HCC board member.

Officials with the community center said they plan to keep the program alive at Marquette anyway and are in search of private donations to do so.

Reach staff writer Kevin Haas at [email protected] or 815-987-1354.

Read the original article from the Rockford Register Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Downtown bar owner Chris Wachowiak wants the city to remove a piece of the red tape that stands between people who want to organize street festivals and City Hall so the city’s core can become a hot spot of outdoor events and nightlife.

The city’s Code and Regulation Committee took up the idea of amending its open seal liquor laws and creating standing festival zones Monday night, but postponed any action saying it wanted the Legal Department to do more research on whether the change is needed and how it could be paid sales taxes for events involving nonprofits.

The committee will revisit the subject next week.

The first two proposed festival zones are the City Market Zone — the area surrounding the parking garage at Water and East State streets — and the Main Street Zone — one block north and south of East State Street at Main Street, which was reopened as a street this year after decades of serving as a pedestrian mall.

Wachowiak’s bar, Krypto Music Lounge, is at the corner of West State and Main. He sees the street outside his business as an ideal spot for weekend music festivals featuring local, regional and national bands.

As for the City Market, no one in the zone has a permanent liquor license so the change would allow a vendor to come in and sell without having to apply for a permit each time.

“The reason we’re looking for the ordinance change is to make it easier to do events for anyone who wants to do these events,” Wachowiak said. He already has two events planned for this summer, but wants to plan many more — two a month, at least.

Aldermen, who would have to approve the change, expressed support for the idea, but as of Monday night, some still had concerns about how it would work and whether it’s in alignment with the goals of the newly formed Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment Authority.

RAVE Chairman Mike Dunn threw his support behind the concept and urged the city to do whatever it could to support the creation of more downtown events.

“We 100 percent believe in the importance of these kinds of events and support the people who are investing in properties and businesses in downtown,” Dunn said. “That’s the attitude RAVE has.”

Ald. Bill Robertson suggested a wait-and-see approach. He said groups wanting to plan more festivals and events could continue to request special-use permits for the temporary adjustment of open liquor laws, and the city could see how it goes.

Ald. Ann Thompson-Kelly suggested passing the amendment with a sunset clause so further adjustments could be made.

“No one is against festivals,” said Ald. Doug Mark. “We just want some parameters set.”

Staff writer Corina Curry can be reached at [email protected] or 815-987-1371.

Read the original article from the Rockford Register Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

If your camper is stuck in a tight spot, do NOT listen to your drunk, beer-swilling buddies about how to get it out…

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With Jeremy Cash on board and a huge recruiting weekend ahead for Ohio State, now is a good time for a brief recruiting update.

QB

Commits: none

Likely Commits: Braxton Miller

Targets: Jerrard Randall, Cardale Jones (?)

There are still no commits at QB for this class but until further notice, it is Braxton Miller or nothing. Miller is one of the top prospects in the country and will be an outstanding ‘get’ for the Buckeyes.

The good news is that a lot of people (including myself) think it is a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ Miller will become a Buckeye. The extreme optimist in me hopes that he commits during the spring game and starts recruiting his peers who will be in attendance.

That may or may not happen, but Miller’s father has indicated that he would like to make his decision ‘early’, so hopefully we won’t be waiting too long to find out where he is going, even if he doesn’t commit at the spring game.

A lot of people are pushing for Cardale Jones of Glenville to get an offer, but we will have to wait and see on that one. Jones will be visiting Ohio State this weekend for the spring game, but it doesn’t appear that Ohio State is interested in more than one QB in this class, at least for right now.

Unless something happens late in the year that changes things, Jones might not even get an offer.

I like Jones a lot, but this is a case of trusting the coaches, we will see what happens.

RB

Commits: none

Likely Commits: none

Targets: Savon Huggins

There is still not a lot of action at RB in the ‘11 class.

Apparently Ohio State is showing a lot of interest in NJ running back Savon Huggins who is obviously a special talent, but I would be extremely surprised if he or any other running back became a part of this class.

WR

Commits: none

Likely Commits: Shane Wynn, Evan Spencer

Targets: Ja’Juan Story, Darius Jennings, Phil Dorsett, Brandon Phelps

There are no heavy Buckeye leans at WR at this point, but there are a few guys that are at the top of the list.

First is Shane Wynn of Glenville. Wynn is undersized but he is dynamic with the ball in his hands. He will be at the spring game this weekend along with a lot of other Glenville prospects, but a commitment anytime soon is unlikely.

Being from Glenville, Wynn will most likely wait until late in the process to commit, and will also most likely be a Buckeye.

The next prospect is Evan Spencer from Illinois. Spencer is the son of former Buckeye Tim Spencer, so the family connection alone makes Ohio State’s chances pretty good.

Here are some highlights of Evan Spencer.

Another player to keep an eye on is Ja’Juan Story of Florida. Story is an elite prospect who will be visiting Ohio State for the spring game.

Outside of the spring game visit, there isn’t much to indicate that Ohio State has a shot with Story, but anything could happen.

As of right now, Spencer and Wynn are the most likely players to become a part of this class, and everyone else is a long shot at best.

TE

Commits: none

Likely Commits: Ben Koyack

Targets: Nick Vannett, ?

It seems like Ohio State wants to take two TEs in this class.

The two main targets appear to be Ben Koyack and Nick Vannett. Koyack has legitimate interest in Ohio State and he has listed them as a leader from very early on.

I like Ohio State’s chances with Koyack and he has consistently said that how a team uses their tight end is a factor for him, but not the most important one.

To me, this is a direct response to other teams negatively recruiting against Ohio State and an indication that Koyack likes Ohio State enough to not be concerned about how many times the ball might be thrown his way.

That being said, it would be nice to get the TEs a little more involved in the offense this season to increase the chances of landing the elite TE prospects, including Koyack.

Vannett, on the other hand, appears to be infatuated with Notre Dame and primarily concerned with how the offense utilizes the TE.

I don’t like Ohio State’s chances of landing him at the moment.

Some other TEs that have recently received offers (indicating that the staff may feel the same way about Vannett as me) but it is difficult to determine their interest level at this point (some have even committed to other schools since receiving an OSU offer).

I am fairly confident that Koyack will be a Buckeye, but who they take as a second TE, if they take one at all (depending on what happens with Koyack), will be interesting to see.

LB

Commits: none

Trey DePriest

Likely Commits: ?

Targets: Trey DePriest, James Vaughters, Conner Crowell, Michael Caputo, Curtis Grant

It doesn’t look like Ohio State will end up taking very many LBs in this class. The primary focus right now is obviously Trey DePriest.

Alabama and Ohio State are at the top of DePriest‘s list, and he will most likely choose between the two. Ohio State may lose the top in-state LB to an out-of-state program two years in a row, or they might not. Stay tuned.

Other names of interest are James Vaughters, Conner Crowell, Michael Caputo, and Curtis Grant.

All have offers, all have Ohio State on their list, but it’s hard to tell where any of them are going at this point.

If I had to pick someone other than DePriest, Vaughters is probably the best bet to be a Buckeye.

Safety

Commits: Jeremy Cash

Jeremy Cash

Likely Commits: Ronald Tanner

Targets: Wayne Lyons

The recent commitment of Jeremy Cash will hopefully get the ball rolling with the Florida prospects, one of which is fellow S Wayne Lyons. However, the impact of Cash will probably be more important at other positions.

That is because Ronald Tanner is going to be a Buckeye, and between the two, Ohio State is set at S for the class.

There is an outside possibly that Lyons will be a Buckeye as well, which would make the Buckeyes really really set at S.

I don’t think there is any way Ohio State takes more than three in this class, and depending on what Lyons does, they may just take Cash and Tanner and call it a year.

CB

Commits: DerJuan Gambrell

Doran Grant

Likely Commits: Doran Grant

Targets: Dondi Kirby, Jabari Gorman, Damian Swann

Between Gambrell and Grant, Ohio State is set here.

Grant hasn’t committed to the Buckeyes yet, but he has consistently listed Ohio State as his leader, even after taking official visits to other schools. I would be surprised if he ended up somewhere other than Columbus.

Any of the other targets choosing to come on board would be icing on the cake.

Gorman is one of the Florida prospects that Cash might start recruiting, but that is only speculation.

I think Ohio State lands Grant and possibly one of the targets and calls it a year.

DE

Commits: Steve Miller, Kenny Hayes, Chase Farris

Chase Farris

Likely Commits: none

Targets: Ryan Shazier, Ray Drew, Anthony Chickillo, Aaron Lynch, Ishaq Williams

Ohio State has one of the best DE classes in the nation already with Miller, Hayes and Farris, so you can’t complain.

There are still offers out to some elite out-of-state prospects, but the chance of any of them becoming Buckeyes is pretty slim.

I think Ohio State is finished at DE for this class unless one of the targets surprises me, which would be a very nice surprise.

Bigs

Commits: Chris Carter Jr., Antonio Underwood, Brian Bobek, Tommy Brown

Aundrey Walker

Likely Commits: Michael Bennett, Aundrey Walker

Targets: Angelo Mangiro, Kevin McReynolds, Joel Hale

Ohio State has done really well with the bigs up to this point, and they are in great shape with Bennett and Walker.

In addition to those two, I think Ohio State would like to sign at least one more big for the class. As of right now, it seems like Hale is the most interested, but Mangiro took an official visit last weekend so there might be a realistic shot at landing him as well.

McReynolds will most likely stay on the east coast, possibly at UNC.

Conclusion

This is what I think the class will look like.

QB: Braxton Miller

RB: none

WR: Shane Wynn, Evan Spencer, ?

TE: Ben Koyack, ?

LB: ?

S: Jeremy Cash, Ronald Tanner, ?

CB: DerJuan Gambrell, Doran Grant, ?

DE: Steve Miller, Kenney Hayes, Chase Farris

Bigs: Chris Carter Jr., Antonio Underwood, Brian Bobek, Tommy Brown, Michael Bennett, Aundrey Walker, ?

That’s 17 players plus 5 (or so) spots that I think will be filled by one of the targets replacing a question mark.

That’s my best guess as of right now, which is subject to change of course, new prospects are always coming into the picture.

Outside of the question marks and possibly Koyack, I am confident that the 17 I listed will be a part of the class.

Ideally, several players will commit this weekend at the spring game, making the recruiting picture even clearer.

The 2011 class is off to a great start and should finish strong.

Extra early prediction, the 2012 class is going to be pretty damn good too.

Bloomingdale — a pretty neighborhood in central Washington, D.C., with brightly painted Victorian townhouses and wide tree-lined streets — is gentrifying. Ten years ago, it had problems with gangs, robberies and drug-related violence. Today those issues are greatly reduced, thanks in large part to the efforts of the neighborhood’s tight-knit community of black families and young professionals. In the past five years, it has cleaned up its streets, developed two new parks and a small urban farm and watched its home values rise.

Now, residents of Bloomingdale — east of the U Street corridor, near Howard University — could use some businesses. There is Windows Market, which sells sandwiches and groceries; Big Bear, a popular coffee shop; and Timor Bodega, an organic grocer. But the closest place to grab brunch or a drink after work is a fifteen-minute walk away. “There’s just tremendous pent-up demand,” John Salatti, the neighborhood commissioner, says. “I couldn’t imagine how well a business would do if it could just open up.”

But the problem for Bloomingdale is that it just cannot get businesses to open up. It is not for a lack of trying. In the past year, at least half a dozen restaurants have attempted to set up shop in one of the neighborhood’s empty storefronts. There is the sandwich and pizza place attempting to move in next to the Howard dorm and the fancy new condo building. There is the neighborhood tavern trying to open near the yoga studio. There is the restaurant that wants to take over the old fire house. Not one has succeeded.

Consider, for instance, the case of Aleks Duni. He owns Veranda, a Greek restaurant in the Shaw neighborhood, as well as Heller’s Bakery and Marx Cafe in Mount Pleasant. The three small businesses together employ nearly 40 people and did well even during the worst of the recession. Duni set out to open a pizza restaurant on the main drag in Bloomingdale. He scouted out a location and secured the necessary permits, even getting a liquor license and thus a guarantee of good revenue. Now, no bank will lend him the $50,000 he needs to finish the job. “It is only a matter of getting the money,” Duni says. “If I did, I could be open in a month.”

Duni approached four banks about securing the loan to finish construction and open the doors. Each one said no. “There are a million reasons they give,” Duni says. “The first of them is that credit has been reduced.” Now, he says, he is concerned about continuing to apply for loans just to be denied. “If you apply and you don’t get the loan, your credit score goes down,” he notes. Frustrated, he has even sought the help of the Small Business Administration, the government agency. “They had nothing for me,” he says. “I don’t need to know what the loan requirements are. And the SBA cannot give me a loan.”

Duni is one of millions of frustrated small-business owners, who represent a lost opportunity for economic recovery and a major concern for the Obama administration. Over the past 15 years, two-thirds of the new jobs created in the United States were created by a small business. Small businesses, like big businesses, require loans to grow and hire new employees. But unlike their medium and large counterparts, small businesses are still hobbled by frozen credit markets. Lending remains on the wane despite the Obama administration throwing tens of millions of dollars at the problem. An  SBA initiative to back loans has worked, but only on a limited scale. Most Main Street banks continue to decrease funding to small businesses, allergic to the higher risks they pose.

Small businesses generally use commercial banks and finance companies for loans, and those lenders have continued to cut back their books even as the recession has started to lift. Commercial and industrial lending — the economic category that includes small-business loans — fell 20 percent in 2009 and declined a further four percent in the first three months of 2010. In January, the latest month for which data is available, nine big banks provided 28 percent less credit to small businesses than the month before, the Treasury Department reports.

A recent report by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, a small-business lobbying organization, underscores the point. The NFIB found that in 2009, 20 percent fewer businesses held a loan or credit line than in 2008. Just 40 percent of small-business owners that applied for a loan had “all of their credit needs met,” down from nearly 90 percent five years ago. The continued seizure of the credit markets is reducing small-business hiring and confidence, NFIB argues. Its index of small business optimism actually fell in March, with most businesses saying they had a gloomy outlook and did not feel it would be a good time to expand.

The underlying economic problem is twofold. First, banks claim that they do not have enough funds to lend to small businesses. Second, banks with funds are unwilling to take the risk of lending to small businesses, since they tend to default at higher rates. The Obama administration has tackled both problems with a spate of bills and initiatives. The two main ones include: a $730 million infusion of funding to the SBA, letting it increase government loan-backing to 90 percent and reduce fees, enacted last spring; and $17.5 billion in tax cuts, credits, and subsidies aimed in part at small businesses in the jobs bill passed last month.

These efforts have successfully boosted SBA lending back to pre-crisis levels. “Once the recovery act passed in February 2009, provisions went to the SBA to let us increase our guarantee immediately,” Hayley Matz of the SBA explains. “Since then, lending has increased 90 percent. We’re where we were. We’re at 2007 levels.” But the SBA is not a direct lender — and credit markets outside of the SBA’s control have remained frozen solid. “There is bipartisan support for SBA has done and acknowledgment that our recovery programs have been good,” Matz says. “The next step is not just to continue with what works.”

The administration is thus now pushing a stronger set of provisions to entice lenders to extend credit to small businesses in a bill currently being assembled under the watch of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who heads the Senate Small Business Committee. The bill includes various tax breaks, including an exemption for earnings from small-business stock. But its centerpiece is a Treasury program to redirect $30 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program to community banks.

Still, small business advocates say it is too little, and too late. “We sure would have liked to have seen quicker action,” says Terry Gardner, policy director at the advocacy group Small Business Majority. “Like so many issues, these proposals are just bogged down. With the SBA loans, I had to ask — who is actually against this? Why is this still not moving? It has bipartisan and presidential support, plus support from banks and small business groups. It is frustrating.”

Moreover, he says that it is not clear if the administration plans will effectively convince banks to lend to small businesses. “The Treasury proposal providing more capital to community banks is only a good idea if it actually induces them to make loans,” Gardner says. “There has to be some incentive structure that guarantees that taxpayer money being loaned to these banks is accomplishing its purpose — to get more capital to small businesses to create jobs — because efforts to do that have stalled.”

It’s your typical Tuesday morning. You’ve rolled out of bed, taken a shower, made a cup of coffee, and are scrolling through your email – which includes your daily RSS feed from GovGab.

Excited to see what Joanne has to say for the day, you check it out. Sorry gang, but you’ll have to wait to hear from Joanne until tomorrow.

Today, Colleen takes over Tuesday. But have no fear, Joanne returns tomorrow.

Today lucky reader, you are reading the blog post of the 2005 Phoenixville Area High School Environmental Science Award winner. Yes, my high school academic claim to fame was winning an award for a class I took purely because I was willing to do anything to get out of taking physics.

Lucky for me, Environmental Science actually rocked, and sparked my interest in the environment that continues today.

That said, I am pleased to make you aware that Earth Day is this Thursday.

Earth Day was first observed 40 years ago to bring awareness to issues regarding the health and sustainability of our planet. It is intended to get people to make changes, however small, to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

 What are some easy ways to be more "green"?

• Recycle
• Use reusable grocery bags instead of paper or plastic
• Walk to do errands when you can, and avoid driving
• Reduce printing when you can to save paper
• Carpool for your commute to work, or take public transportation

What ideas do you have for an environmentally friendly lifestyle?

EDINBURGH, Scotland, April 20, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Mobiqa, a leading
supplier of content optimised for mobile devices, celebrates Earth Day 2010
by helping its clients save over 7,000 miles of paper – 10 times the length
of Britain – with paperless ticketing technology.

Mobiqa specialises in the worldwide delivery of barcoded tickets to
mobile phones and also in building mobile websites. Mobiqa’s clients include;
the world’s biggest airlines, entertainment ticketing providers, and cinema
operators. Paper savings offered by the mobile channel are significant with
Mobiqa alone set to save over 270,000 miles of paper in the next five years –
the equivalent of 10 times the circumference of the earth.

Nick Rankin, CEO of Mobiqa, comments: “We are really proud to support the
green credentials of our clients. Consumer adoption of mobile ticketing has
helped many of our customers achieve considerable environmental savings.”

Transport and entertainment organisations have chosen Mobiqa’s paperless
technology to offer a greener alternative to paper tickets while enhancing
the consumer experience with a more convenient ticket delivery channel.
Consumers purchasing tickets for a flight or event can opt for mobile
delivery upon which, an SMS web-link or Email web-link is sent to their
mobile. By accessing their ticket through this link, they are able to bypass
check-in or box-office queues and head straight to their boarding gate or
event where the barcode on their phone is scanned and validated.

Mobiqa continue to lead the way in mobile ticket technology and are a key
enabler of mobile ticket delivery which is forecast by Juniper Research to
reach 15 billion tickets by 2014. Mobiqa has experienced a 620% increase in
mobile ticketing transactions over the past 12 months.

Note to Editors:

About Mobiqa

Mobiqa specialises in building high-end mobile internet sites and
delivering optimised barcoded tickets, boarding passes and coupons to mobiles
worldwide. With connections to over 600 mobile networks in over 150
countries, Mobiqa is able to push content to end users across the globe
regardless of their mobile device type or network operator. Mobiqa has been
granted the international patent over the process of Optimisation in Europe,
US, Canada, India, Australia and South Africa, and is pending in other key
regions. Mobiqa’s client list and more information are available on our
website: http://www.mobiqa.com.

    Press contact:
    Nicola Wee
    PR & Marketing Manager
    [email protected]
    T: +44-131-668-4256

SOURCE Mobiqa Ltd

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Andrew Revkin has a few thoughts on energy and climate – On the Energy Gap and Climate Crisis.

1) Energy matters. Energy can produce bountiful supplies of drinking water. Energy enables food production, storage and dispersal. Energy enables mobility, connectedness, health and comfort. The late Nobelist in chemistry, Richard Smalley, devoted the last years of his life to delivering an admirable distillation of the benefits of abundant energy, and need for an energy quest.

2) Even with spreading efforts to conserve energy, a world heading toward roughly 9 billion people seeking decent lives will require far more of this resource than today’s supplies and systems can provide. There is already an enormous energy gap on the planet, with some 2 billion people lacking the simple gift of illumination or a clean source of heat for cooking meals.

3) If countries like China and India follow the American pattern in transportation, ballooning demand for oil is bound to be a disruptive influence on world affairs with or without the climate impact of all those additional emissions of greenhouse gases. Think of it this way; the United States, with 307 million ( heading toward 400 million) people, now consumes nearly 20 million barrels a day; India, with more than 1.1 billion people, is barely in first gear, currently using 2.67 million barrels of oil but poised for vastly increased demand. Add in projections of car use in China and you see why status-quo fuel choices don’t hold up.

4) If humanity stays stuck on the coal rung of the “heat ladder” for another generation, there’s an unacceptable risk of driving disruptive, long-lasting shifts in climate through the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

5) Nonetheless, if I had to choose one of two bumper stickers for our car — CLIMATE CRISIS or ENERGY QUEST — I’d choose the latter. This doesn’t mean I reject the idea that we face a climate crisis. I just don’t think that phrase is a productive way to frame this challenge, particularly as defined over the last few years in the heated policy debate. The definition I’d choose is much like the one stated by Richard Somerville of the University of California, San Diego, during a climate debate several years ago over the proposition that “ Global Warming is Not a Crisis.” …

6) The world is not remotely engaged in the kind of energy quest that would be required to fill the gaps defined above. I’m talking about a sustained quest, from the household light socket to the boardroom, the laboratory to the classroom, the smart post-industrial American city to the struggling, (literally) powerless sub-Saharan village. This is not some onerous task, but an active, positive assertion that the ways we harvest and use energy — an asset long taken for granted and priced in ways that mask its broader costs — really do matter. Dry places do this with water all the time. In Israel, there is no toilet without two flush options. It’s not some goofball green concept; it’s just the way things are done.

Robert Buderi wrote:

Even as the Detroit Red Wings seek to battle back in their NHL playoff series against the Phoenix Coyotes, entrepreneurs and innovators in Michigan are working overtime to help the state meet an economic challenge far more imposing than the Coyotes are on ice. That’s how we see it here at Xconomy, and that’s why it is with special pleasure and excitement that we announce today that Xconomy is bringing its hyperlocal coverage of key innovation clusters to Michigan with the launch of Xconomy Detroit. The Motor City (with our coverage including much of the rest of Michigan and northern Ohio) is now the fourth region in Xconomy’s network, joining Boston, Seattle, and San Diego.

Regular readers of Xconomy will recognize right away that Detroit doesn’t outwardly have the hallmarks of the other innovation clusters we cover, all of which are leaders in key areas of information technology and life sciences, and boast vibrant venture capital and entrepreneurial cultures.

But the innovation story playing out in Michigan is just as important, and in fact, the stakes may be far higher. To compete globally and thrive far into the future, the American auto industry will need to continue to reinvent itself. At the same time, entrepreneurs and government leaders recognize that the region needs a much broader economic base. That has led to a profusion of investments in areas outside (or peripherally related to) the automotive industry, such as biotechnology, biofuels, batteries, medical devices, software, and homeland security.

In each of these areas, scores of creative businesspeople and entrepreneurs are waiting to tell their stories and share their insights. And because we believe in the power of innovation and entrepreneurship to transform regional economies, we want to be on the ground in Detroit to hear what they have to say and watch the progress of their incredibly important efforts.

We have a personal stake as well. Xconomy is in many ways a Michigan and Big Ten publication. Executive editor Rebecca Zacks and chief correspondent Wade Roush are both Michigan natives, as is our business development manager in San Diego, Michele Gerus, who graduated from Wayne State University. National biotech editor Luke Timmerman grew up near Platteville in southwestern Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin (he’s pressing hard for a Wisconsin bureau); and Seattle editor Greg Huang was largely raised in Urbana, IL, and did his undergraduate work at the University of Illinois.

With three highly talented Michiganders on our team, all of whom have left the state, we recognize that we also embody part of the problem: the best and the brightest must be retained in greater numbers if Michigan is going to succeed in transforming its economy. But we think that by better telling the stories of entrepreneurs and innovators—be they at startups or automakers and other public companies, and be they stories of success or failure—we can help cultivate a culture of innovation that …Next Page »

UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS

Total Funds Raised in PPO $15.33 MM

In addition to $5 MM invested by Avante Petroleum in March

BOGOTA, April 20 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — La Cortez Energy, Inc.  (“La Cortez” or the “Company”) (OTC Bulletin Board: LCTZ) is pleased to announce the fourth and final closing of its private units offering to accredited investors, for an additional $10.33 million, at a price of $1.75 per unit, led by Macquarie Bank Limited, which invested $3.0 million.  This amount is in addition to the $2.5 million of units that closed on December 29, 2010, $1.0 million of units that closed in January 2010 and $1.5 million of units that closed in March 2010, as previously announced.  The total gross proceeds of the offering were $15.33 million.  Each unit consists of one share of common stock and a three year warrant to purchase one half share of common stock exercisable at $3.00 per whole share.  

The proceeds of the financing will be used for general corporate purposes including, but not limited to, exploration and development activities on the Company’s three projects, the Putumayo 4 Block, the Maranta Block, and the Rio de Oro and Puerto Barco Fields acquired from Avante Petroleum in March 2010.

Andres Gutierrez, President and CEO of La Cortez, commented, “We are very pleased with the continued confidence of our previous and new investors in our activities and our near future plans. We will use these funds to continue development of the Mirto field and activities in the Putumayo 4 block and Catatumbo area. We also have identified several business opportunities from pure exploration to existing producing fields that are at different stages of evaluation. We expect to move forward on some of these opportunities in the near future, aiming to increase our revenues as soon as possible.”

About La Cortez Energy, Inc.

La Cortez Energy, Inc. is an early stage oil and gas exploration and production company currently pursuing a business strategy in the energy sector in South America, with an initial focus on identifying oil and gas exploration and production opportunities in Colombia. To that end, the Company has established a branch, La Cortez Energy Colombia, Inc., with offices in Bogota, Colombia, and recently signed a Joint Operating Agreement for a 50% working interest in the Putumayo 4 block and a farm-in agreement for a 20% working interest in the Maranta block and acquired the interests of Avante Colombia in the Rio de Oro and Puerto Barco Fields, all in Colombia.

For more information, please contact the Company’s Investor Relations department at +1- 941 870-5433 or by email [email protected]

www.lacortezenergy.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Words such as “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “proposes”, “may”, “could”, “should”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “likely”, “possible”, “potential”, “believes” and words of similar import also identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current facts and analyses and other information and assumptions of management. There can be no assurance that the Putumayo 4, Maranta and Rio de Oro and Puerto Barco projects will be successfully developed.  Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors beyond the reasonable control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the Company’s ability to identify other corporate acquisition and/or joint venture opportunities in the energy sector in Colombia, Peru and Brazil and, more generally, in Latin America, and to establish the technical and managerial infrastructure, and to raise the required capital, to take advantage of, and successfully participate in such opportunities, future economic conditions, political stability and energy prices. Additional information on risks and other factors that may affect the business and financial results of the Company can be found in filings of the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE La Cortez Energy, Inc.

http://www.lacortezenergy.com

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Energy Matters has a summary of various plans to switch to 100% clean energy – A World Run On Low Carbon Energy No Pipe Dream.

The myth of low carbon and renewable energy sources not being able to supply the majority, if not all, the developed world’s electricity requirements in the near future is being busted almost weekly in recent months.

In February this year, we reported on Beyond Zero Emissions’ costed, detailed blueprint for a transition to 100 per cent renewable energy in ten years in Australia using proven, commercialised technology.

In March, a report from Siemens stated a 30 x 30 km solar farm in central Australia would meet the national electricity demand during daylight hours and allow Australia to become an exporter of clean electricity.

In another initiative, “Australia 2050: Clean Energy Superpower,” DESERTEC-Australia proposes that over the next decade, Australia retires coal-fired power generation and replaces it with natural gas power and renewable energy sources , with view to the country running on 100% renewables by 2050.

Overseas, a March study from PricewaterhouseCoopers states the most recent economic models show that the short-term costs of transforming Europe’s power system to 100% renewable energy may not be as large as previously thought.

Another Europe study released yesterday called Roadmap 2050 provides what it says is a practical, independent and objective analysis of pathways to achieve a low-carbon economy in Europe, in line with the energy security, environmental and economic goals of the European Union. The study claims that by 2050, Europe could achieve an economy-wide reduction of GHG emissions of at least 80% compared to 1990 levels.

Even China, the factory of the developed world, expects low carbon energy sources will account for more than a quarter of the nations electricity supply by the end of 2010.

The question no longer seems if a shift to 100% low carbon and renewable energy sources can feasibly happen soon, but more one of if enough political will is present to make it happen.

Kooky-actress-it’s-ok-to-worship Zooey Deschanel has apparently been cast as Ada Lovelace in a new film chronicling her life, Enchantress of Numbers. Lovelace, who died in 1852, was an English woman who wrote the first algorithm ever processed by a machine. More »

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2010

DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010

In the morning, the President will depart Los Angeles, California. He will arrive in Washington, DC in the evening. The departure from Los Angeles International Airport and the arrival on the South Lawn are open press.

In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: NBC
Print: St. Petersburg Times
Radio: VOA

Out-of-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: NBC
Print: Washington Times

PDT

8:40AM THE PRESIDENT departs Los Angeles, California en route Andrews Air Force Base
Los Angeles International Airport
Open Press

EDT

4:05PM THE PRESIDENT arrives at Andrews Air Force Base
Out-of-Town Travel Pool

4:20PM THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House
South Lawn
Open Press (Pre-set 3:50PM – Final Gather 4:05PM – North Doors of the Palm Room)

Briefing Schedule

Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton will gaggle aboard Air Force One

##

The ‘local’ web promises to be the next big frontier for anything having to do with search, advertising and all manner of other services. Google obviously wants to own the ‘local’ space as well and has been making several big moves in this area. The most recent is the new Google Places, or rather, the old Google Loc… (read more)

Analyst research shows open source BI solutions saves customers up to 82% compared to megavendor BI providers

SAN FRANCISCO, April 20 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Jaspersoft announced today that leading IT analyst firm Gartner evaluated it in its recently published “BI Platform Licensing Models and Negotiating Strategies.” Gartner reports open source BI license models remain a low cost disruptor to traditional BI software offerings, providing both significant initial and long-term cost savings.

According to Gartner, “If low license price options meet your functional and other BI platform ownership cost requirements over time, they can offer significant cost savings. Over five years, open source BI will cost 18% of megavendor BI or 23% of large and small pure-play BI.”

The report also shows that over three years, open source licenses cost on average $91,500 while pure play vendor licenses costs on average $514,281 and megavendor licenses cost an average of $683,043.

According to the report, Gartner’s 2009 Magic Quadrant survey results reported that cost was the leading limitation to BI deployments, cited by customers as more critical than concerns of performance, ease of use or lack of users skills/data quality.

“Gartner’s findings are consistent with what Jaspersoft customers around the world tell us about their purchasing decisions, but cost is not the only driver,” said Brian Gentile, CEO of Jaspersoft. “While lower initial purchase cost and lower lifetime cost of ownership are critical in any purchase decision, increasingly customers tell us that they value the rapid innovation cycles of open source, the ease of integration into larger enterprise software stacks along with ease of use.”

Jaspersoft has built the world’s most widely used business intelligence ecosystem and is the leading open source BI software provider. In its white paper “Open source BI in a Down Economy” Jaspersoft discusses how organizations of all sizes can achieve success with their BI deployment using powerful low cost BI software. Jaspersoft’s modern architecture enables seamless integration and ease of use for a dramatic improvement in adoption and value to traditional BI software.

The report also stated “a confluence of drivers, the challenging economic environment, business intelligence (BI) platform market maturity, and the emergence of increasingly viable low-cost BI platform alternatives are all making price an increasingly important factor in BI platform purchasing decisions.”

To learn more about open source BI solutions, open source BI licenses or how Jaspersoft’s open source BI can be customized for any on-premise, virtualized, SaaS or cloud platform, visit http://jaspersoft.com/low-cost-open-source-page.

About Jaspersoft Corporation

Jaspersoft’s open source business intelligence is the world’s most widely used BI software, with more than 10 million product downloads worldwide and more than 12,000 commercial customers in 100 countries. Jaspersoft provides a web-based, open and modular approach to the evolving business intelligence needs of the enterprise and is the only BI vendor enabling true multi-tenancy while providing a common platform for on-premise, virtualized, SaaS and cloud deployments. Jaspersoft’s products span the continuum of core BI requirements, including production reporting, operational & embedded reporting and analysis, interactive end-user query & reporting, dashboards and mash-ups, data analysis and data integration. Its BI software is updated constantly by a community of more than 125,000 registered members working on more than 350 projects, which represents the world’s largest business intelligence community. More information is available at www.jaspersoft.com and www.jasperforge.org.

SOURCE Jaspersoft Corporation

http://www.jaspersoft.com

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services