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... x No Thanks Loading.. Gem Scam Recycled: An Old Fraud Returns 5/20/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Joel Volker This content has not been rated yet. Recycling isn't always a good thing. Here's an example of a form of recycling we hoped we'd never see again: An American broker recently contacted an insurance underwriter in London and asked him to insure a set of rare gems. The King Solomon's Gems Collection' was valued in excess of $160 million. The underwriter, quite appropriately, wanted to know how the value of the stones was determined before he would insure them. As the broker began to describe the 12 stones, the underwriter smelled a rat-a rat about 15 years old. HOW IT HAPPENED In the early 1980s, a man in Tucson reported finding a large, unpolished stone in a shoe box being used to prop open a door. The stone, later named Star of Nyasa, ' was an unpolished sapphire and was appraised in 1983 at approximately $12 million. Other stones were added, and the group became known as the King Solomon Collection. The story of this rare find quickly swept through the jewelry industry. The $12 million appraisal was done by a member of the respected American Gem Society, but it turned out that his opinion of the values was greatly skewed. One professional appraiser declared that the stone was simply not of gem quality and put its worth at about $200. Others agreed. Members of the American Gem Society (AGS) held a hearing over the appraisal, and as a result the appraiser lost his ...

... The Windows Run dialog. Start Windows Explorer: Windows-E Mnemonic: Windows Explorer. Find a File (from the Windows desktop): Windows-F, or F3 Mnemonic: Windows Find file dialog box. Open the System Properties dialog box: Windows-Break Mnemonic: Windows is broken; check the system properties. Rename the selected object: F2 Mnemonic: This is the same command Excel uses for editing the currently selected cell. This command and the next one also work within programs. For example, you can use these commands when working in the File/Open dialog box in Word or Excel. Note that after you select text in Word, F2 begins moving the current selection. You can then move the insertion cursor to the desired location and hit Enter. Delete selected objects without sending them to the Recycle Bin: Shift-Delete Mnemonic: A slightly shifted version of what happens when you hit Delete, which sends objects to the Recycle Bin. Be careful with this command. Under some conditions, it will delete a file without asking for confirmation. Bypass the CD-ROM AutoRun feature: Hold down the Shift key while you insert the disk. This is an invaluable tool when you have to remove a disk during installation (to read the CD key, for example), then reinsert the disk. View the Properties dialog for a selected object: Alt-Enter This works for such disparate objects as icons on the desktop, printers, hard drives, and the taskbar. WINDOWS-WIDE SHORTCUTS The shortcuts in this category work both in Windows itself and in most Windows applications. Some of these shortcuts relate to the windows ...

... from their documents to enhance their range of relationships. Here's my list of the 10 most common (and terrible) antiquated phrases in the insurance industry. See how many you find the next time you review a typical claims adjuster's or examiner's correspondence. Yours very truly. No, you're not! Use sincerely. Please be advised. This is standoffish legalese that really means tell' or inform. Above-captioned loss. Why not just name the loss instead of breaking the reader's train of thought? For example, if the caption says Insured: Jones Co., you could write the Jones Co. loss. Kindly. How about please'? Please do not hesitate. This was a light, bright phrase about 40 years ago, but now it's a cliché . Don't be the millionth person to recycle it. I have forwarded. You're not playing football! Use sent. Please note that. This sounds patronizing and makes me feel as though I should get out my notebook. Don't use it. Enclosed please find. Exactly what's to be found in your letter? Use I've enclosed' or enclosed is. And it's OK to say I' in business writing. After all, you are doing the enclosing. Under separate cover. This phrase reminds me of the lid of a big spaghetti pot. Say you're sending something separately, by Fed Ex, or however. Contact the undersigned. You are most often the undersigned - write contact me' or call me. Here are more old-fashioned phrases to avoid and possible substitutes: affords us the opportunity- gives us the opportunity as per our discussion ...

... wood, paper, etc. Treat with water (cooling) or dry chemicals (coating) . Class B - Flammable liquids, gases, and greases. Treat by excluding air with carbon dioxide, etc. Respirators may be required if the firefighters' supply of fresh air is threatened. Class C - Electrical fires. Treat with non-conductive extinguishing agent. Class D - Combustible and reactive metals, such as magnesium. Treat with non-reactive heat-absorbing extinguishing medium. Fire Prevention Plan Employers need to implement a written fire prevention plan to complement the fire evacuation plan. (Stopping unwanted fires from occurring is the most efficient way to handle them!) The written plan shall be available for employee review. Housekeeping procedures for storage and cleanup of flammable materials and flammable waste must be included in the plan. Recycling of flammable waste, such as paper, is encouraged; however, handling and packaging procedures must be included in the plan. Procedures for controlling workplace ignition sources such as smoking, welding, and burning must be addressed in the plan. Heat-producing equipment-such as burners, heat exchangers, boilers, ovens, stoves, fryers, etc. must be properly maintained and kept clean of accumulations of flammable residues; flammables are not to be stored close to these pieces of equipment. All employees are to be apprised of the potential fire hazards of their job and the procedures called for in the employers' fire prevention plan. The plan shall be reviewed with all new employees when they begin their job, and with all employees when the plan is changed. Fire Suppression System Properly designed and installed fixed fire-suppression ...

... must also be addressed, and the plan must include procedures for the employees who temporarily remain behind to shut down critical plant equipment. Means of alerting employees to a fire emergency must be part of the plan. An employee alarm system-voice communication or sound signals such as bells, whistles, or horns-must be available throughout the workplace complex for use in an evacuation. Employees must know the evacuation signal. The written plan must be available for employee review. Fire Prevention Plan Employers need to implement a written fire prevention plan to complement the fire evacuation plan. After all, heading off the occurrence of fires is the most efficient way to handle them. Make the written plan available for employee review. Housekeeping procedures for storage and cleanup of flammable materials and waste must be included in the plan. The recycling of flammable waste such as paper is encouraged; however, handling and packaging procedures must be included in the plan. Procedures for controlling workplace ignition sources such as smoking, welding, and burning must be addressed in the plan. Heat-producing equipment such as burners, heat exchangers, boilers, ovens stoves, fryers, and so on must be properly maintained and kept clear of accumulations of flammable residue; flammables should never be stored close to these pieces of equipment. Building Fire Exits Each workplace building should have at least two means of escape to be used in a fire emergency, and they should be remote from each other. Fire doors must not be blocked or locked when employees are within the building. A delayed opening of fire doors is permitted when an approved alarm system is integrated into ...

... jobs or even carry out simple tasks. Exposure to cotton dust also leads to increased risk of chronic bronchitis and emphysema. At the time the final standard was published, as many as 100,000 workers in the cotton industry were at risk' from cotton dust exposure. An estimated 35,000 individuals are disabled from byssinosis as a result of exposure to cotton dust. WORKER PROTECTION To protect workers from disabling respiratory diseases, employers are required to limit the amount of respirable cotton dust in the air. The limits- known as permissible exposure limits-are average exposures as measured over an eight-hour workday. For yarn manufacturing the limit is 200 micrograms of cotton dust per cubic meter of air; for textile waste houses, 500 micrograms; for slashing and weaving operations, 750 micrograms; and for waste recycling and garnetting, 1,000 micrograms. Cottonseed processing operations are covered by the standard, but there is no permissible exposure limit. DUST MEASUREMENT Employers must measure the workplace cotton dust level at least every six months, or whenever there are any changes in equipment or work practices which might increase the amount of cotton dust in the air. Measurements must be representative of an eight-hour period and be performed for each shift and in each work area. Employers must explain the procedure to their workers and permit them to observe the monitoring. They must notify employees in writing of the findings within five days after measurement. If the levels are above OSHA standards, employers must list in the notice to employees the steps they will take to correct problems. DUST CONTROLS Often employers can reduce dust levels by ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Putting Employees First With Eap 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. PUTTING EMPLOYEES FIRST WITH EAP WORKING PARTNERS Quality in products and services has been the guiding principle-in-action for Zingerman's Delicatessen since it opened for business on March 15, 1982. The Ann Arbor, Michigan restaurant's catering and retailing business now brings in $4.5 million a year-without selling alcoholic beverages. Dedication to quality on the part of Zingerman's owners extends well beyond the basics of business to the environment and social action. Recycling and using renewable materials wherever possible is integral to Zingerman's philosophy. Through the Food Gatherers program, established by the company in May 1989, more than 50,000 pounds of perishable food from 120 donors is delivered monthly to 70 agencies that feed homeless and hungry people in the community. The customer always comes first-and Zingerman's 160 employees hold the key to customer satisfaction. Consequently, the owners place great emphasis on the health, well-being, and training of all employees. During the past nine years, Zingerman's has provided a variety of helping services as part of an employee assistance program (EAP) it offers workers. The EAP has been a significant part of Zingerman's care for the people in its work force via bonus sharing, food and cookbook discounts, health insurance, and partial reimbursement for job-related education. The EAP also helps employees who are having personal problems that may include drug or alcohol abuse. Through a three-part process that includes consultation, evaluation, and referral, EAP counselors direct employees having problems to appropriate resources in the community. ...

... present your products in the best possible light. In direct marketing campaigns designed to provoke a response of some kind, creativity often takes a back seat to other factors. In the 60-20-20 rule (or any of its countless variations), audience is essential, offer is everything, and creativity is merely compulsory. Nevertheless, copy remains king. Here's why: Without good copy, your perfectly-targeted audience might never understand that wonderful offer of yours or, even if they're suitably impressed, might not summon the energy to do anything about it. So whether you're penning an e-blast yourself, or reviewing your agency's draft of an upcoming self-mailer, it pays to know the difference between highly effective copy — the kind that commands high response rates — and the kind that just speeds your campaigns journey to the recycle bin. Nailed your lists? Got an irresistible offer? Great. Here are eight ways to make sure the copy does its job, too: 1. MAKE YOUR COPY APPROACHABLE Even great copy won't work if people don't read it. Present everything in digestible, "bite-size" chunks: Split up any paragraph longer than three lines. Present key selling concepts in a series of bullets. Use ellipses ( ) both within sentences and at the end of serial bullets to keep the readers eye moving .. Sprinkle the page (or screen) with subheads (preferably bold or underlined, unless you're working in text-only e-mail) . Add more bold and underline treatments. For every important idea. Remember, some readers skim only the big-and-bold; others might decide to read more, but only ...

... commercialism. Most publications won't let you directly mention your own product. But you can sometimes get your commercial message across indirectly. A sales pitch, if subtly disguised, may pass muster. And it will go over better with readers than overt commercialism. Keep the ‘buzz' down. Know your audience. In a trade publication, some industry jargon is usually okay. But if you're trying to get published in a more general publication, skip the buzzwords. When in doubt, always choose plain English. Simple words usually say a lot more than big ones. Follow up. Editors are notoriously pressed for time; some won't get back to you with an acceptance or rejection. So, politely follow up and ask the editors if they've received and reviewed the story yet. Recycle to get more bang for the buck. You've got the story published. The executive is basking in glory, sending copies to clients and colleagues. Now take the next step. Try to get the article published elsewhere. For instance, let's say that your article is about reducing the risks of employee lawsuits. It's pretty likely you can take the same article, or a slightly recast version, and publish it in a human resources magazine, a local business journal, and trades serving various industries. Reprint it. To get the most value from a published article, reprint it. Then you can add it to your sales kit or use it in direct mail. Executives can send copies to key contacts with a personal note. Henry Stimpson is president of Stimpson Communications (Wayland, ...

... throughout the workplace complex and must be used for emergency alerting for evacuation. The alarm system may be voice communication or sound signals such as bells, whistles or horns. Employees must know the evacuation signal. Training of all employees in what is to be done in an emergency is required. Employers must review the plan with newly assigned employees so they know correct actions in an emergency and with all employees when the plan is changed. Fire Prevention Plan Employers need to implement a written fire prevention plan to complement the fire evacuation plan to minimize the frequency of evacuation. Stopping unwanted fires from occurring is the most efficient way to handle them. The written plan shall be available for employee review. Housekeeping procedures for storage and cleanup of flammable materials and flammable waste must be included in the plan. Recycling of flammable waste such as paper is encouraged; however, handling and packaging procedures must be included in the plan. Procedures for controlling workplace ignition sources such as smoking, welding and burning must be addressed in the plan. Heat producing equipment such as burners, heat exchangers, boilers, ovens, stoves, fryers, etc., must be properly maintained and kept clean of accumulations of flammable residues; flammables are not to be stored close to these pieces of equipment. All employees are to be apprised of the potential fire hazards of their job and the procedures called for in the employer's fire prevention plan. The plan shall be reviewed with all new employees when they begin their job and with all employees when the plan is changed. Fire Suppression System Properly designed and installed fixed fire suppression ...