Thursday, May 17, 2012

WVT Communications Group Reports First Quarter 2012 Financial ...


(Marketwire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WARWICK, NY ? (Marketwire) ? 05/11/12 ?
Warwick Valley Telephone Company (NASDAQ: WWVY), referred to as WVT Communications Group or the Company, the parent company of leading cloud communications pioneers, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2012. Financial results and recent corporate development highlights include:

Cloud or unified communications ("UC") revenues net of eliminations were $3,274,000 in 1Q12, an increase of 129% from $1,430,000 in prior year period and 5.9% higher than $3,091,000 in 4Q11 Total first quarter revenues increased 14.6% over prior year Backlog of business customers for UC services continues at record level Gross profit of $3,533,000 in 1Q12 increased by 20.5% from $2,931,000 in 1Q11 and by over 34% from $2,632,000 in 4Q11 Gross profit as a percentage of revenues increased to 49.9% in 1Q12 from 47.4% in 1Q11 and 37.0% in 4Q11 Selling, general and administrative expenses to support ongoing Cloud Communications growth strategies increased by 55% in first quarter from prior year Net income in 1Q12 reduced by $383,000 in one-time professional services expenses Received $3,250,000 in cash distributions and $1,425,000 of income from Orange County-Poughkeepsie Limited Partnership ("O-P") investment for the quarter ended March 31, 2012* 1Q12 net loss of $(1,234,000) or $(0.22) per common share Declared 324th consecutive quarterly cash dividend ? $0.27 per common share for the first quarter of 2012 ? marking 104th consecutive years of cash dividends paid to shareholders

First Quarter 2012 Results

Revenues for the three-month period ended March 31, 2012 increased 14.6% to $7,081,000, as compared to $6,178,000 for the same period of 2011. The increase in revenues of $903,000 is primarily attributable to the consolidation of unified communications revenues resulting from the acquisition of Alteva, LLC in August 2011 and subsequent organic growth, partially offset by a decline in Telephone segment revenues.

In the first quarter of 2012, the Company realigned its segment reporting and management structure as a result of the Alteva acquisition. The acquisition is part of WVT Communication Group's strategy to expand as a Cloud Communications growth company rather than be dependent on its regulated independent local exchange carrier ("ILEC") business. The Company's segments are strategic business units that offer different products and services and are now managed as Telephone service and Unified Communications ("UC") services. Accordingly, Broadband Internet, Dial-up Internet access services and TV services, which previously were included in the Company's Online segment, became part of the Telephone segment. Concurrently, to align the segments with its revised management structure and operating model, Wholesale carrier services and Conference services have been moved out of the Telephone segment and are now being reported as part of the UC segment. Revenues discussed in this press release for periods prior to the first quarter of 2012 have been calculated on the basis of the new segment reporting.

UC services revenues net of eliminations were $3,274,000 in the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 129% from $1,430,000 in prior year period and 5.9% higher than the $3,091,000 recorded in 4Q11. Telephone services revenues net of eliminations were $3,807,000 in the first quarter of 2012, a decrease from $4,748,000 in prior year period and $4,027,000 in 4Q11. While the year-over-year growth in UC segment revenues largely reflect the Alteva acquisition, the sequential growth with each of the fourth quarter of 2011 and first quarter of 2012 containing a full three months of revenues derived from Alteva demonstrates the positive impact of the Company successfully executing its organic growth initiatives.

Gross profit increased by 20.5% to $3,533,000 in 1Q12 from $2,931,000 in 1Q11 and by over 34% from $2,632,000 in 4Q11. Gross profit as a percentage of revenues increased to 49.9% in 1Q12 from 47.4% in 2011 period and 37.0% in 4Q11. The improvement in gross profit in dollars as well as on a margin basis primarily reflects the substantial increase in consolidated revenues contributed from higher margin UC segment revenues as a percentage of total revenues in the first quarter as compared to earlier periods.

Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses in the first quarter of 2012 increased to $5,408,000 from $3,485,000 in the corresponding period of 2011. The 55% increase in SG&A expenses reflects the additional operating expenses for Alteva as well as the current and ongoing requirements to support the Company's Cloud Communications growth strategies. Also included in first quarter 2012 SG&A expenses is $383,000 in one-time professional services fees relating to accounting and legal work for the holding company reorganization pending in New York and New Jersey and other corporate matters.

Depreciation and amortization expense decreased by $118,000 (net) to $1,279,000 in the first quarter of 2012 from $1,397,000 in same period of 2011, primarily associated with the decrease of $415,000 due to the full depreciation of central office switches, computer equipment and leasehold improvements in the Telephone segment offset by the amortization of $297,000 for customer lists and trade name associated with Alteva in the UC segment.

Total other income for the three-month period ended March 31, 2012 decreased $1,918,000 or 58% to $1,363,000 from $3,281,000 for the same period in 2011. This decrease is due mainly to a decrease in equity method investments of $1,793,000 from lower earnings from the O-P as a result of the transition of the O-P from a wholesale business to a retail business pursuant to the 4G Agreement and corresponding accounting treatment that went into effect in May 2011.*

*Note regarding accounting treatment for the O-P: In May 2011, the Company entered into the 4G Agreement pertaining to the O-P limited partnership agreement which converted the wholesale partnership into a retail partnership. The conversion will increase the cellular service costs and operating expenses incurred by the O-P, which is expected to cause a subsequent reduction in the O-P's net income due primarily to the inclusion of sales and marketing expenses. Although the Company's share of the O-P net income recorded in the Company's income statement is expected to decrease, the annual cash distributions the Company receives from the O-P will remain unchanged pursuant to the terms of the 4G Agreement. As a result, the Company will report lower net income for several reporting periods as compared with trailing periods. Nevertheless, regardless of the O-P's reported net income, pursuant to the 4G Agreement, the Company has and/or will receive from the O-P annual cash distributions of $13,000,000 in 2012 and 2013.

On the balance sheet, the Company will record as Cash the amount of the guaranteed cash distribution. The difference between the guaranteed cash distribution and the amount recorded for Income from equity method investment on the income statement will be deducted from the balance sheet's Investments line item, which reflects the accumulated amount that has been invested by the Company to acquire its ownership stake in the partnership. As cash distributions are received, deductions will be made to Investments (presently $153,000, down from $1,979,000 at December 31, 2011) until the line item is written down to zero, which is expected to occur in mid-2012. At that time, all of the guaranteed cash distribution in each period will be recorded as Income from equity method investment, thus once again enabling the Company's net income to fully benefit from the partnership's contributions. Cash flow for the entire Company, including the full benefit from the partnership distribution, will affect the Cash balance while net income for the Company will directly impact Shareholders' Equity.

For the three-month period ended March 31, 2012, WVT Communications Group had a net loss of $(1,234,000) compared to net income of $872,000 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2011. This decrease was primarily attributable to the increase in operating expenses, lower earnings associated with the O-P due to the 4G amendment and corresponding accounting treatment, and one-time professional services fees.

Basic and diluted loss per share was $(0.22) for the first quarter of 2012, as compared with basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.16 in the same period of the prior fiscal year. There were basic and diluted shares outstanding of 5,716,020 for the three months ended March 31, 2012, and 5,389,842 and 5,416,020, respectively, for the first quarter of 2011. The increase in outstanding shares is primarily attributable to the issuance of a total of 272,479 shares of common stock with certain lock-up conditions to the members of Alteva in connection with the acquisition of that company. Basic and diluted weighted average shares were the same for the first quarter of 2012 because the effects of the potentially diluted securities being anti-dilutive.

Balance Sheet and Subsequent Events

WVT Communications Group had $2,534,000 of cash and cash equivalents, cash held in escrow and short-term investments available at March 31, 2012 as compared with $4,834,000 at December 31, 2011. This decrease was primarily related to the Alteva acquisition, increase in operating expenses, and the additional purchase of network equipment and seat licenses.

The Board of Directors of WVT Communications Group declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share on the Company's Common Shares. The dividend was paid on March 30, 2012 to shareholders of record as of March 20, 2012. In addition, the Board of Directors declared the regular quarterly dividend of $1.25 per share on the outstanding 5,000 shares of the Company's 5% Preferred Shares that was paid on March 30, 2012 to shareholders of record as of March 20, 2012. Dividends distributed by the Company are paid using the cash distributions from the O-P.

Management Comments

"We are pleased to report continued momentum in the first quarter for the growth of our cloud communications services," said Duane W. Albro, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our strategy for diversifying our business through the cloud is delivering its intended results. Cloud-based unified communications services increased by 129% in the quarter as compared to same period of the prior year, driven by the acquisition of Alteva in the third quarter of last year. Reflecting the implementation of organic growth initiatives and the synergies we anticipated with the Alteva acquisition, our UC revenues increased by 5.9% sequentially from the fourth quarter of 2011, and our consolidated gross margin as a percentage of sales improved from 37.0% in the fourth quarter to 49.9% in the first quarter of this year.

"In light of the progress we have been making and the outlook for continued market share gains, we have been making significant investments in our Cloud Communications platform. We are expanding in Philadelphia, where Alteva is based, with the addition of new offices. The expansion includes the hiring of sales and marketing personnel to accommodate our current and anticipated growth. We ended the year with 24,190 business customers, an increase of 5.5% from year-end 2011, and continue to maintain a significant backlog of implementations.

"As we previously announced, WVT Communications Group's quarterly dividend has been increased to $0.27 per common share per quarter, up from $0.26 in the same period of last year. Therefore, along with our improving top line performance of higher margin services and investments in our platform for future growth, the increase in dividend payouts further enhances the value proposition for shareholders as we are the first and only cloud communications company that pays a dividend."

Conference Call

The Company will conduct a conference call to discuss first quarter results today at 10:00 a.m. eastern. The conference call will be hosted by WVT Communications Group's President and CEO Duane W. Albro and Chief Operating Officer David Cuthbert. Investors and other interested parties can listen to the call by dialing the participant numbers of 877-317-6789 (toll free) or 412-317-6789, no access code required, approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the conference call. The conference call will also be webcast live on the WVT Communications Group website at www.wvtcg.com.

A replay of this conference call will also be available by dialing 877-344-7529 (toll free) or 412-317-0088, access code: 10013984, beginning 1:00 p.m. eastern on May 11 through May 28, and via the investor relations section of the Company's website.

WVT Communications Group is a world technology leader in providing cloud-based Unified Communications (UC) solutions for small, medium and enterprise businesses. The Company has maintained a tradition of paying dividends to shareholders for 105 consecutive years. Founded in 1902, the Company has continued to adapt and remain on the forefront of technology, chiseling its position among the most stable and respected communications vendors on the globe. Moving forward, it is forging the new model that communications providers, large and small, are striving to emulate. WVT Communications Group is merging new innovations, such as those from Alteva and USA Datanet, with proven technology from industry leaders like Microsoft, Cisco, BroadSoft, Panasonic, and Polycom to build the ideal hosting architecture for communications.

Through its USA Datanet (targeting businesses under 35 employees), Alteva (targeting businesses over 35 employees and those with branch offices), and Warwick Valley Telephone (a highly respected traditional telecom provider turned premier regional broadband company) businesses, WVT Communications Group is enabling businesses of any size to communicate more efficiently with hassle-free communications tools. By overlaying a UC division on its stabile, regional broadband company, WVT Communications Group has positioned itself in front of its peer legacy telecom companies and created an evolutionary change in its strategy. With this, the company may offer its residential customers a similar suite of UC applications and services for use in a home environment that its business customers can enjoy. Visit www.wvtcg.com or call 855-U-GO-CLOUD.

All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements, without limitation, regarding expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. WVT Communications Group intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause WVT Communications Group's actual results, performance or achievements or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following: WVT Communications Group's history of operating losses; access line declines; general economic and business conditions, both nationally and in the geographic regions in which WVT Communications Group operates; industry capacity; demographic changes; technological changes and changes in consumer demand; the successful integration of WVT Communications Group's acquired businesses; goodwill impairment; resolution of a billing dispute with a long-distance carrier; existing governmental regulations and changes in, or the failure to comply with, governmental regulations; legislative proposals relating to the businesses in which WVT Communications Group operates; WVT Communications Group's ability to protect its intellectual property rights; changes to the USF; reduction in cash distributions from the Orange County-Poughkeepsie Limited Partnership; risks associated with our unfunded pension liability; competition; or the loss of any significant ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. Given these uncertainties, current and prospective investors should be cautioned in their reliance on such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, WVT Communications Group disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revision to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events or developments. A more comprehensive discussion of risks, uncertainties and forward-looking statements may be seen in WVT Communications Group's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

WARWICK VALLEY TELEPHONE COMPANY
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

Three Months Ended
March 31,
?????????-
2012 2011
????- ????-

Operating revenues
Telephone $ 3,807 $ 4,748
Unified Communications 3,274 1,430
????- ????-

Total operating revenues 7,081 6,178

Operating expenses
Cost of services and products (exclusive of
depreciation and amortization expense) 3,548 3,247
Selling, general and administration expenses 5,408 3,485
Depreciation and amortization 1,279 1,397
????- ????-

Total operating expenses 10,235 8,129
????- ????-

Operating loss (3,154) (1,951)

Other income (expense)
Interest income (expense), net of
capitalized interest (57) 57
Income from equity method investment 1,425 3,218
Other income (expense), net (5) 6
????- ????-

Total other income (expense) 1,363 3,281
????- ????-

Income (loss) before income taxes (1,791) 1,330

Income taxes (benefit) (557) 458
????- ????-

Net income (loss) (1,234) 872

Preferred dividends 6 6
????- ????-

Income (loss) applicable to common stock $ (1,240) $ 866
============= =============

Basic earnings (loss) per common share $ (0.22) $ 0.16
============= =============
Basic earnings (loss) per puttable common
share $ (0.22) $ 0.00
============= =============
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share $ (0.22) $ 0.16
============= =============
Diluted earnings (loss) per puttable common
share $ (0.22) $ 0.00
============= =============
Weighted average shares of common stock used
to calculate earnings (loss) per share
Basic (common) 5,716,020 5,389,842
============= =============
Basic (puttable common) 272,479 -
============= =============
Diluted (common) 5,716,020 5,416,020
============= =============
Diluted (puttable common) 272,479 -
============= =============

Dividends declared per common share $ 0.27 $ 0.26
============= =============

WARWICK VALLEY TELEPHONE COMPANY
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
($ in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

March 31, December 31,
2012 2011
????- ????-
(Unaudited)
Assets

Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,275 $ 4,575
Short term investments 259 259
Accounts receivable ? net of allowance for
uncollectibles ? $582 and $759 in 2012 and
2011, respectively 3,245 2,717
Other accounts receivable 93 174
Materials and supplies 855 832
Prepaid expenses 884 731
Prepaid income taxes 3,272 2,715
Deferred income taxes 405 405
????- ????-
Total current assets 11,288 12,408
????- ????-

Property, plant and equipment, net 24,773 25,425
Unamortized debt issuance costs 25 45
Intangibles, net 8,473 8,605
Investments 153 1,979
Goodwill 9,121 9,121
Other assets 336 333
????- ????-

Total assets $ 54,169 $ 57,916
============= =============

Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

Current liabilities
Short term borrowings $ 5,600 $ 5,600
Current maturities of long-term debt 759 1,139
Accounts payable 1,311 1,715
Amounts due in connection with business
acquisition 2,207 2,377
Derivative liability in connection with
business acquisition 145 131
Advance billing and payments 358 390
Customer deposits 51 51
Accrued taxes 521 521
Pension and post retirement benefit
obligations 622 622
Other accrued expenses 3,186 3,347
????- ????-
Total current liabilities 14,760 15,893
????- ????-

Amounts due in connection with business
acquisition 472 472
Deferred income taxes 1,431 1,358
Pension and post retirement benefit
obligations 9,764 9,915
????- ????-

Total liabilities 26,427 27,638
????- ????-

Commitments and contingencies

Puttable common stock, $.01 par value, 272,479
shares issued and outstanding 4,125 4,125

Shareholders' equity
Preferred shares ? $100 par value,
authorized and issued shares of 5,000;
$0.01 par value authorized and unissued
shares of 10,000,000; 500 500
Common stock ? $0.01 par value, authorized
shares of 10,000,000 issued 6,582,209 and
6,490,318 shares at March 31, 2012 and
December 31, 2012, respectively 62 62
Treasury stock ? at cost, 784,581 and
735,391 common shares at March 31, 2012 and
December 31, 2011, respectively (6,987) (6,262)
Additional paid in capital 7,059 6,191
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (4,850) (4,979)
Retained earnings 27,833 30,641
????- ????-

Total shareholders' equity 23,617 26,153
????- ????-

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 54,169 $ 57,916
============= =============

Company contact:
Duane W. Albro
WVT Communications Group
President & CEO
(845) 986-2100

Investor contact:
Jordan Darrow
Darrow Associates, Inc.

(631) 367-1866
jdarrow@darrowir.com

Source: Warwick Valley Telephone Company

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Peter Van Buren & the State Department's Suppression of Free ...

State Department employee Peter Van Buren (photo: Peter Van Buren)

The State Department has taken action against one of its employees, which the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) believes is in retaliation for criticism of the State Department?s reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

The ACLU sent a letter that highlights the adverse measures taken against State Department employee, Peter Van Buren, because he published a tell-all book,?We Meant Well:?How I?Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People. The letter objects to the State Department?s move to fire Van Buren, who has been an employee for twenty-four years.

I spoke with Van Buren, whose reaction to the ACLU?s decision to send a stern letter to the State Department was one of great appreciation. The ACLU had been helping him throughout the year to better understand his own rights as a government employee. He had been helping them understand his situation;? the group had been providing information and support. However, he did not expect them to use his case to make such a strong statement about the free speech rights of all government employees:

I was very pleased that the ACLU in their statement not only supported me strongly but in fact rolled my case into the broader picture. This is about federal employees being able to speak to the people we serve. Standard story is if we don?t tell you what?s going on inside of government there?s no way you?re going to know. Now, it looks like the ACLU thinks the Constitution protects us in doing that.

Indeed, the ACLU letter asserts that ?given the enormous public interest in receiving speech? on the subject of the reconstruction in Iraq, there is likely no way the State Department could ever properly demonstrate that their interests outweigh Van Buren?s free speech rights. The group notes the Supreme Court has previously decided ?public employees retain?their First Amendment rights even when speaking about issues directly related?to their employment, as long as they are speaking as private citizens.? It is clear that Van Buren?s book, blog posts and articles are written by him and that he is speaking ?in his own voice and not on behalf of the State Department.? ?Writing blog posts and articles from home, on his own?time and on his personal computer,? is speech that government employees like Van Buren may engage in as private citizens.

The State Department has claimed Van Buren did not have permission to publish his book. The issue over the publication gets to the core of the issue, which is that the State Department is seeking to restrain Van Buren?s speech and has been violating his civil liberties. As Van Buren explains, his book was approved under State Department guidelines:

?If the State Department doesn?t object after 30 days, you are free to publish (and in fact I gave them 45 days). And so my book was cleared and published in accordance with the rules. What the State Department is trying to do now is make up for what they think is a mistake and instead claim that every blog post, every interview (including this one), every Twitter post, every Facebook thing ? has to go through a 30-day clearance process and if I don?t do that then I am violating their laws, acting insubordinate and all of these other things. You and I are actually committing an act of civil disobedience right now because I am not asking State Department?s permission to speak with you.

Now what?s happened in practice is that when I have asked them permission to speak with reporters or to write things, the permission is denied. In one instance I asked for permission to read from my book at a local bookstore?You know how authors do that?And they denied me permission to read from the book. Kind of silly. In protest, I showed up to the event and asked someone from the audience to read from the book aloud while I sat there with my mouth closed. [emphasis added]

Since the publication of the book, his personal blog posting has been increasingly monitored and scrutinized. He is now a teleworker. And every two weeks his boss calls him for what Van Buren calls the ?hour of pain,? where he is shown a printout of the blog posts he has put up or whatever they have been able to find that has put up with statements from him that were made without the State Department?s approval.

?If they see that I have done an interview, if they notice an article on Firedoglake that I?ve contributed to, it?s on the list. And they go through the list and ask me individually did I write this or did I do the interview and did I get permission. They then remind me that I have violated their rules and regulations. We go through it on a regular basis. It?s almost something that?s done perfunctorily. [emphasis added]

Every now and then, Van Buren adds, the State Department will find something they really want to go after him over.? One example involves a blog post he put up including a WikiLeaks link?not a document, not a leak but a link to a WikiLeaks cable that he included in a blog post.

Van Buren has an awareness of what government employees are allowed to do as employees of other agencies or departments in the US government. He does not find these other agencies or departments to be terribly restrictive when it comes to free speech.

The Defense Department has a policy that allows employees to blog ?about?anything that isn?t what they call operational,? which means they don?t want soldiers revealing the location of convoys or the fact that a unit is currently low on ammunition. Other government agencies like the CIA may be restrictive but, seeing as they deal in covert operations, there is probably much justification to policies aimed at keeping employees quiet. In contrast, the State Department says ?every single thing I write is under their control. Whether I am blogging about the dissidents in Syria or the conflict in Syria or Iraq or Canada, they claim that I have no right to publish any of that and so in that sense the nation?s organ that speaks loudly about freedom and democracy to foreigners has one of the most restrictive policies.?

The hypocrisy of the State Department has been highlighted by Van Buren on his blog. It is something that has been deeply troubling to him.

I?m not a newbie. I understand how things work. I?m not a disgruntled employee. I had a good time and was successful throughout my career. When I see this level of hypocrisy ramping up, it makes me really sad. When I turn to one page on the Internet and there?s Secretary of State Clinton arguing for the rights of a blind dissident in China and then I click to another page on the Internet and there?s Sec. Clinton?s people telling me that I can?t blog because it would destroy government as we know it. That kind of black and white hypocrisy is more than I accept, even after 24 years in the government. And it?s more than I?ve seen previously. My career has spanned a pretty broad ? Ronald Reagan was president when I started at the State Department and I?ve been through two Bushes, Clinton ? been a lot of variation in government, bouncing between left and right. Now is the time when I?ve seen most oppressive and repressive statements by our own government against our own people including in this case me. [emphasis added]

The reality is something that Van Buren fully grasps. The Obama administration has been the ?most aggressive administration in the history of the United States against whistleblowers and free speech.? The Espionage Act, a law passed?in 1917 during World War I to go after German spies, has been used six times against government employees and whistleblowers. Prior to Obama, it had only been used against whistleblowers three times.

What is happening to Van Buren is, as he says, part of a ?government-wide effort to silence dissent, to stomp down on free speech, to say that the government should be able to operate in whatever level of secrecy it cares to.? That is wrong. Government employees should be able to speak openly and, indeed, they should not feel that if they want to reveal information (that isn?t classified) they must speak to press anonymously.

Indeed, speaking to press anonymously would seem to encourage the culture of selective leaking in Washington, DC. If Van Buren and other government employees can openly speak, it is much easier to separate the whistleblowers and those dedicated to good government practices from those who are possibly insiders or people sharing information for purely political purposes that make internal bureaucratic battles worse.

It is not abnormal for the government to use pre-publication review against employees in the way that the State Department has used the process against Van Buren. The unspoken rule is even though there is that 30-day provision, an employee is better off waiting hundreds of days instead of risking a threat to his or her career or livelihood.

It is incredibly heavy-handed and utterly absurd to subject every employee of any agency or department in government to any guideline that requires prior approval for any communication an employee wishes to make that relates to the work they do in government. The fact that Van Buren and the ACLU must challenge the government so those working for government can enjoy free speech rights like all US citizens is unfortunate, as it shows how the cancer of secrecy has spread and continues to spread.

What Van Buren and the ACLU are doing is undoubtedly a public service, and should they succeed in their advocacy and, in Van Buren?s case, their ?civil disobedience,? government employees will be better off.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

'Thermal tasters' can experience taste from heating or cooling tongue without any food

ScienceDaily (May 14, 2012) ? Can the temperature of the food we eat affect the intensity of its taste? It depends on the taste, according to a new study by Dr. Gary Pickering and colleagues from Brock University in Canada. Their work shows that changes in the temperature of foods and drinks have an effect on the intensity of sour, bitter and astringent (e.g. cranberry juice) tastes but not sweetness.

Their work is published online in Springer's Chemosensory Perception journal.

We are all familiar with the effect of temperature on taste -- think about starting to eat or drink something while it is warm and finishing when it has cooled, or vice versa. The same food or beverage can taste different depending on its temperature. In addition, in 20-30 percent of the population, heating or cooling small areas of the tongue draws out a taste sensation without the presence of food or drink. These individuals are known as 'thermal' tasters.

Over three sessions, 74 participants recruited from Brock University and the local community (a combination of 'thermal' tasters, 'super' tasters i.e. people who are particularly sensitive to tastes in general, and 'regular' tasters) tasted sweet, sour, bitter and astringent solutions at both 5oC and 35oC. They were then asked to rate the intensity of the tastes over a period of time.

For all three types of tasters, temperature influenced the maximum perceived intensity from astringent, bitter and sour solutions, but not from the sweet solutions. Specifically:

  • astringency was more intense when the solution was warm, and the intensity of the flavour lasted longer with the warm solution than with the cold one
  • bitterness was more intense with the cold solution and the flavour intensity declined faster with the cold solution than with the warm one
  • sourness was more intense with the warm solution and the flavour intensity lasted longer with the warm solution than with the cold one
  • and, surprisingly, there was no difference in perceived sweetness between the cold and warm sugar solutions, but it took longer for the cold solution to reach its maximum flavour intensity.

The authors conclude: "For some individuals, temperature alone can elicit taste sensations. These individuals seem to be more sensitive to tastes in general. What our work shows is that, in addition to these sensitive individuals, the temperature of a specific taste can affect how intense it tastes."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Springer Science+Business Media, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Martha R. Bajec, Gary J. Pickering, Nancy DeCourville. Influence of Stimulus Temperature on Orosensory Perception and Variation with Taste Phenotype. Chemosensory Perception, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s12078-012-9129-5

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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76ers even series with 82-81 win over Celts

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Evan Turner (12) gets past Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, left, small forward Paul Pierce (34), and guard Rajon Rondo to score the go-ahead basket in the final minute of the second half of Game 2 in their NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series in Boston, Monday, May 14, 2012. The 76ers won 82-81. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Evan Turner (12) gets past Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, left, small forward Paul Pierce (34), and guard Rajon Rondo to score the go-ahead basket in the final minute of the second half of Game 2 in their NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series in Boston, Monday, May 14, 2012. The 76ers won 82-81. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Evan Turner (12) gets past Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce (34) to score the go-ahead basket in the final minute of the second half of Game 2 in their NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series in Boston, Monday, May 14, 2012. The 76ers won 82-81. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) argues a personal foul call against him during the final minute of the second half of Game 2 in the NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers in Boston, Monday, May 14, 2012. The 76ers won 82-81. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

(AP) ? After taking out the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the opening round of the playoffs, the Philadelphia 76er's weren't about to get discouraged by a one-point loss to Boston to start the second round.

The feisty Sixers learned from it and outscrapped the Celtics in Game 2, winning 82-81 on Monday night to even the second-round series.

"I think we're growing. We have a young team," said Jrue Holiday, who led Philadelphia with 18 points. "I can't preach enough on our vets, really, just taking us under their wings and just keeping us focused and paying attention to detail ? the little things that helped us win this game."

Lots of little things added up to one very big win for the Sixers, who let another fourth-quarter lead slip away in Boston, but this time fought to take it right back. Philadelphia fought off every run the Celtics made down the stretch.

"We just found a way," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "All season long we couldn't win these games and now our guys are believing they can do it. And it is pretty special to watch."

Game 3 is Wednesday in Philadelphia, where the Sixers are 3-0 in the playoffs. The city hasn't hosted a second-round game in nine years and will be welcoming home a confident, young group of players who have shown the kind of grit Philadelphia fans love.

"We knew to expect the same type of game," said Evan Turner, whose layup with 40.4 seconds to play put Philadelphia ahead to stay. "We did what we needed to do to win this game, just like we didn't the first time around."

Turner's layup gave the Sixers a 76-75 lead and Philadelphia clinched it by going 6 for 6 from the free throw line over the final 12 seconds.

Turner finished with 10 points, Jrue Holiday scored 18 and Andre Iguodala added 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Sixers, who blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead in the Celtics' Game 1 victory.

Philadelphia failed to hang on to the lead again, but this time the Sixers outplayed the Celtics down the stretch.

Game 3 is Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia won its first playoff game in Boston since 1982 despite committing a playoff-high 19 turnovers and getting outrebounded 47-36.

"We're keeping our composure. We're keeping our confidence and know it's going to be grind-out games," Iguodala said.

Every time the Celtics appeared to have regained the momentum, the Sixers came up with an answer. After trailing by eight points entering the fourth quarter, Boston's Kevin Garnett tied it at 65-all on a turnaround jumper with 4:33 to play. The Celtics had the Sixers on the verge of a turnover when Paul Pierce blocked Lou Williams and the ball went out of bounds with just .9 seconds left on the shot clock.

No problem.

Lavoy Allen got the inbounds pass and banked in a shot from 22 feet and the Sixers were back in the lead.

"Well, the clock was down to point-nine seconds. I did what I could," Allen said.

Garnett scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 12 rebounds. Ray Allen scored 17 points for Boston.

Brandon Bass had 12 points for the Celtics, who couldn't quite repeat their comeback in the series-opening 92-91 victory.

"Listen, we put ourselves in that position," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "You put yourself in position to let someone else do something, then you can lose games and that's what happened."

Philadelphia led 57-49 entering the fourth, but Boston tied it twice before going up 72-71 on Avery Bradley's 3-pointer, setting off a series of shots from beyond the arc.

Holiday answered with a 3 for the Sixers, then Ray Allen got the lead right back for the Celtics on a 3-pointer with 1:40 left. The Celtics had a chance to extend the lead after forcing the Sixers into a 24-second shot clock violation, but Rajon Rondo missed a shot and Iguodala got the rebound, leading to Turner's layup to put the Sixers up 76-75.

"We gave them a couple shots that if we could get back we would love to have back," Ray Allen said.

Rondo and Allen both missed shots that would have put Boston ahead, then Rondo fouled Turner with 14.4 seconds left. The Celtics fouled Turner again with 12 seconds and he hit both free throws to extend the lead to 78-76.

"We knew it'd be a close game. We just needed to get stops down the stretch and we didn't," said Pierce, who finished with seven points. "The third quarter really hurt us. We couldn't score, and then Turner made some tough shots down the stretch."

Notes: The Celtics scored the first nine points. ... Boston made its first five shots, not missing until Spencer Hawes blocked Bradley's attempt 3:24 into the game. ... Rondo had eight assists in the first half, including alley-oop setups for Greg Stiemsma and Ryan Hollins, who had to reach behind his head for the pass but still corralled it for the two-handed dunk to put the Celtics up 33-29. ... Holiday led Philadelphia with 13 points in the first half. He was the only Sixer to score in double figures in the first two periods. Hawes was the next closest with six points. ... The Sixers had lost their last seven playoff games in Boston, last winning on May 23, 1982, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Associated Press

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Social media and business: Tweeting while Rome burns?

Paul Marks, senior technology correspondent

Businesses across Europe expect their use of social network technology to boost their ability to collaborate, innovate and hire the smartest people, according to a Google survey.?But the flagging economic performance of the most enthusiastic social-network-using nations suggests these expectations may go unmet.

Funded by Google UK, market researcher Millward Brown of London asked 2700 people in seven European countries a raft of questions about how they think always-on connectivity with their customers (and their rivals, from whom they can poach staff) will impact their businesses. Some 63 per cent of respondents say using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter has the potential to change the way they work, with 70 per cent saying they have already changed some strategies because of it. Nearly 20 per cent say productivity will be boosted by their ability to better understand what customers and retailers want.

Just over half say companies who do not embrace social networks will go under. And email, that old business staple, looks set to take a hiding, with some 31 per cent saying emerging social tools have already slashed the volume and length of their internal and customer emails.

Social_network_europe2.jpg

"We now have data validation on why people are using these social networking tools," says Thomas Davies, of Google UK. "Whether its for Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, shared Google docs or other networks, what we are interested in is quantifying how companies expect to add value using social networks. We've found a tight coupling between a company's ability to collaborate and its ability to innovate."

But the research also revealed that the nations whose businesses are currently the most enthusiastic users of social networks are Spain and Italy - whose economies are flagging the most?(measured by GDP per capita in 2011)?out of the seven countries surveyed (see graphic). While this is only correlation and not causation, it at least raises a question over the ability of social tools to boost business.

"This is just a first dip into this subject," explains Allan Hyde, account director at Millward Brown. He says what's really needed to test the business efficacy of social networks are control groups of high-growth businesses who do, and who do not, use social networks. Only this way can their performances be properly compared.

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Destin Foreclosures ? Real Estate | Raw Business Law

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Destin Foreclosures

Investors are already here along the shores of the Gulf Coast, specifically Destin, buying foreclosed homes and bank owned properties. Destin foreclosures are moving fast, due to the fact that interest rates are low, and banks are pricing Destin real estate to move!

Don?t miss out on owning your piece of paradise in Destin, Florida.

The foreclosure market is more than hot. Properties are starting to be scooped up in record time, often with multiple offers. Banks are often asking for the best and highest offer from potential buyers, which is still below current market value for similar non-foreclosed homes in Destin. If you want to own a piece of Destin, you need to move fast, and get in on the market frenzy. Foreclosures are coming onto the market everyday, and if you wait too long? well we all saw what happen in Destin the last time the market swelled.

Destin Foreclosure Info

There is no doubt that Destin foreclosures offer a great opportunity to generate profit. Whether it be for of positive cash flow, amenity value, or reselling the property when the market rises ? foreclosures are the way to go. You can find incredible bargains in Destin, especially foreclosure and bank owned real estate. These homes were defaulted upon on by their former owners, and banks need to sell their invent

Now is a great time to buy a Destin Foreclosure.

Search Destin Foreclosures

Normally, homes are staged by real estate agents and sellers to show well, hoping that the emotional impact and quality of the home will net a higher sale ? which it usually does. In the case of Destin foreclosed real estate, you should be prepared to clean and repair. While this is not always the case, your expectations for a foreclosure should be completely different than a house that has not been take by the bank.

Banks and government agencies who take over foreclosures do not often fix any problems or clean the home. This works well for the potential buyer, because with a little investment into staging the home, the property can be re-sold, usually with a much higher margin of profit.

As such, curb appeal should be one of the least factors when looking for foreclosed properties. Many foreclosures will be priced below the market, often well below market value ? because they do not show well. Even if the home needs some minor repairs or cleaning, don?t let emotions stop you from considering a purchase of a foreclosed home. When evaluating foreclosures, you should consider the values of homes in the market place logically; add emotional curb appeal after you buy.

Steps To Get a Destin Foreclosure

Foreclosures are often difficult to locate in Destin. You can spend your time scouring through magazines, online sources, or calling banks. But, the best way to find foreclosures is to contact a skilled real estate agent. A real estate agent will be able to locate and show foreclosure properties, and when time, help you write and negotiate your offer.

Resources of Destin Foreclosure Information

Kelly Klein, Broker for Lifeguard Real Estate, Inc. is a skilled real estate agent experienced with locating foreclosures and negotiating foreclosure offers with banks. Her foreclosure expertise will help your buying experience go smoothly and successfully. She will be your guide to buying foreclosure homes in Destin.

If you are ready to buy Destin foreclosure real estate, start your online search at , or contact Kelly Klein directly at 850-420-2480.

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Monday, May 14, 2012

Windows 8 'Family Safety' feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web

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It's not the tantalizing bit of Windows 8 bait you'd expect in the lead up to that revolutionary OS' official launch, but for a certain domestic segment, it'll do. As part and parcel of its Release Preview -- slated for a June bow-- Microsoft's making the busywork of keeping digital tabs on your household ankle biters an integrated and easily managed feature of the two-faced system, accessible via the "Family Safety" option. Once enabled on the account profile for an underage user, parents will have the ability to receive weekly activity reports detailing web usage, as well as set site / application restrictions, search filters and time limits for PC usage. Despite Redmond's best efforts, there's still one wall this virtual oversight won't let you breach -- your child's Facebook account. For that, you'll just have to make friends. Head on past the break for the company's helpful how-to video.

Continue reading Windows 8 'Family Safety' feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web

Windows 8 'Family Safety' feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 18:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weary warriors favor Obama (reuters)

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What does Mitt Romney's new ad say about his strategy? (+video)

Don't look for Mitt Romney in his new ad, 'Silence.' It's all about being jobless and 'suffering in silence.' The Romney teamwants to keep the focus on 'the Obama economy.'

How does Mitt Romney want persuadable voters to think about the upcoming presidential election? Yes, we know he?s emphasizing the economy, and putting voters back to work, and so forth. What we?re getting at here is the sort of emotional context the Romney camp hopes will prevail among the swing electorate in November.

Skip to next paragraph

As it happens, we think Mr. Romney?s latest campaign ad, titled ?Silence,? is a pretty good guide to what might be his overall strategy here. So as the late great Washington sportscaster George Michael used to say, ?Let?s go to the videotape!?

The ad begins with "CBS Evening News" anchor Scott Pelley saying, ?Tonight, new evidence the economic recovery is slowing." Then it moves swiftly, cutting between clips of reporters bemoaning the state of the job market and short bursts of President Obama giving a speech.

The Obama appearances are so brief as to be mere impressions. At one point you hear him say, ?Ask if you?re better off than you were before..."

Then the montage accelerates, and the kind of rising music featured in horror movie trailers comes up. You hear only phrases ? ?We?re not seeing a ton of sunshine,? and so forth. Just as the tension peaks, we see not a slasher attack but Mr. Obama again, this time saying, ?It?s not just how we?re doing today. It?s how we?ll be doing tomorrow."

Boom. Halfway through the ad, the music and the clips stop.

?Today, millions of Americans are suffering in silence,? comes on the screen in large white letters.

What follows is a succession of quotes, interposed over shots of people looking very worried, in dead silence.

?Job growth not nearly fast enough to recover from the Great Recession,? says one quote. ?More than 340,000 workers dropped out of the labor force,? says another.

The ad ends with this: ?This is the Obama economy. It isn?t working.?

For those of you who don?t obsess over this sort of thing frame-by-frame, as if it were an ?Avengers? outtake, we?ll make a couple of Politics 101 points.

Where's Mitt? Challengers generally want elections to be referendums on the incumbent. They themselves are simply the replacement, a relief pitcher out of sight in the bullpen, waiting to be called. That?s why there?s lots of Obama in this ad, but no pictures of a certain former Massachusetts governor. The only Romney reference comes at the end, when his last name appears in small type as having paid for the message.

How are you feeling right now? Romney might be better off if voters cast ballots based on their emotions of the moment. He likely would get more support from folks who are worried about their present circumstances ? after all, the unemployment rate is at a daunting 8.1 percent. Millions of Americans who still have jobs go to bed at night worried about losing them. That?s why this ad ratchets up the anxiety level ? or reminds voters of how high their anxiety level already is.

In contrast, Obama wants voters to think about a longer time frame. His message could be summed up as something along the lines of, ?Remember how bad it was back when I took this job? I inherited a mess, and it?s getting better. Let?s not change horses in the middle of the race.?

Generally speaking, it?s the employment trend line, not the absolute unemployment rate, that matters most in presidential elections. It remains to be seen whether the current ?meh? job growth numbers will generate enough optimism among voters to convince them to give the incumbent another chance.

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Sunday, May 13, 2012

Full Feeds Service Discontinued

Unfortunatly the time has come for this scraper to come down (seemingly it may come as a shock to some that this is not provided by the BBC). I wrote this back in 2005 and have modified it a couple of times since mainly so that I could more easily consume RSS on the move. In short, I no longer use it, I find consuming live news is not actually something an RSS reader does very well and I face a constant battle against sites trying to use these feeds to monetize BBC content and failing to pay any attention to etag or last modified headers (hello palin-pedia.com et al). Please update your RSS subscription as the last remenants of this will be removed soon , the official BBC RSS feed you are looking for is: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk/rss/newsonline_uk_edition/technology/rss.xml


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A Silk Purse From A Sow's Ear (talking-points-memo)

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The Chart to Accompany All 'Jobs, Jobs, Jobs' Discussions (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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Saturday, May 12, 2012

This Man Must Be the Saddest Scientist In the World [Science]

This is Professor John Mainstone, from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. He's the custodian of the longest running science experiment in the history of the world. He also must be the saddest scientist in the world. More »


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Likes or Yikes? What Celebs Wore to the Met Ball 2012

We take a look at the best and worst looks from the 2012 Met Costume Institute Gala. Plus, find out which guest tried to upstage Angelina Jolie?s leg pop from the Oscars, and John Travolta faces sexual assault allegations. Get more celeb news and photos at http://www.ivillage.com/likesoryikes

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Friday, May 11, 2012

Insert Coin: Neva smart ski poles keep you connected while shredding powder

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

Insert Coin: Neva smart ski poles keep you connected while shredding powder

Hitting the slopes means ditching your phone for a few hours, or risking losing it while bombing down the mountain. More troubling than an AWOL handset, though, is getting yourself lost in the backcountry sans smartphone while searching for fresh powder. An intrepid skier / software coder is well aware of this, and he's taken to Kickstarter to fund the Neva ski poles, which keep you safe and connected by wirelessly communicating with the Android or iPhone in your pocket. Incoming calls and text messages pop up on the built-in OLED display, and a finger swipe lets you answer the phone without lifting your gaze from the path ahead, as long as you've managed to mod your mitts accordingly. It's on you to decide which calls are really so pressing they need to be taken on your downhill runs -- though, to do so, you'll probably want to buy one of those Bluetooth-enabled jackets. The poles also display temperature, time and elevation, and the related smartphone app lets you toggle features such as calculating your slope angle and tracking your route.

As far as Kickstarter pledge rewards go, the Neva project is quite generous. The base $1 donation gets you early access to the smartphone app, while stepping up to $120 earns you a pair of 7075 aluminum poles (only one is data-enabled), the app for Android or iPhone and a vinyl Neva decal. Of course, you could always shell out $2,500 or more and get a reseller pack of 25 Neva ski pole sets. While those are enticing offers for backers, the project has raised just $851 of its requested $100k -- and there are only 26 days left. Hit up the source link to donate, and check out the video past the break for a look at the poles in action.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Neva smart ski poles keep you connected while shredding powder

Insert Coin: Neva smart ski poles keep you connected while shredding powder originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Simple: Know Exactly Where Your Money Goes With Bank Substitute [App Of The Day]

Mobile banking is far from perfect. But Simple aims to fix that with a cool, comprehensive replacement that rolls all of your financial services into one. More »


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