Allurez, an innovative leader in the online diamond retail industry, provides its customers with a new and amazing array of antique engagement rings. Fully customizable, the diamond engagement rings have many attractive features at various price points.
New York, New York (PRWEB) June 19, 2012
Allurez, a growing online jewelry designer and retailer based in the New York, is releasing a new line of antique engagement rings as part of a special summer sale. For a limited time, consumers can now choose from a growing selection of antique engagement rings at affordable prices.Many of these antique engagement rings are marked at close to 50 percent off and come in several metal types. As a spokesperson noted, "Allurez wanted its customers to have the heirloom look at a price they could afford. Allurez has a great selection of vintage engagement rings in 14 karat and 18 karat white, rose and pink gold as well as platinum and palladium."
The latest additions to Allurez online jeweler's inventory include solitaires, three-stone rings, halo rings, and gemstone rings. Some unique features that these engagement rings offer are listed below.
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Gemstone rings with hand-set stones
- Solitaires with hand engraved designs
- Three-stone rings scroll work (Filigree)
- Halo rings with milgrained edges
Not only are the engagement ring settings available by themselves. The vintage engagement rings are available as part of a bridal set. Customers have the option to select matching wedding bands to go with these antique style rings.
The antique rings that the company offers are part of a larger line of engagement rings available in a number of other styles. According to the same spokesperson mentioned above, "Allurez has an entire section on their site devoted to antique style engagement rings. This list will only continue to grow as time goes on."
Allurez, a highly regarded online jewelry retailer, offers a wide selection of high-end designer jewelry. The site has always had a large collection of antique fine jewelry items, but recently decided to add more antique diamond engagement rings to their site to satisfy the demands of a growing consumer base. For more information, visit http://www.Allurez.com.
Customer Service
Allurez
1-800-554-3509
Email Information
Source: news.yahoo.com
Antique Firearms headlining show of local acts at Orange Peel - Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Instead, the Asheville, N.C. rock 'n' roll quintet is headlining a show of local acts. Hermit Kings and Red Honey will open the 9 p.m. all-ages show on Friday.
“Just to have that opportunity, is big for us,” Dotson said. “Knowing that we're on a stage where the Smashing Pumpkins played and Jack White was just there is pretty awesome.”
The group has a family feel with Dotson and brothers Parker (guitar) and Galen (keyboards) in the lineup, which is rounded out by bassist Chandler Brewer and drummer Dave Breske.
Antique Firearms has only been together since last year and have garnered attention from fans on the Asheville scene.
“Asheville's been good to us,” Dotson said. “We're still the new kids on the block, but we've been lucky with people giving us a chance in town.”
Dotson went to school at nearby Western Carolina University and sang for the Raleigh-based alternative band Whiskey Kills The Butterfly. That group broke up and Dotson was visiting Parker outside of Amsterdam when they decided to start a group together.
The duo met back in Asheville, got jobs and began recording their first EP. It was recorded in a hip-hop studio in Raleigh and they used electronic beats on each song, even though Dotson plays drums.
“We wanted to have an experimental vibe,” he said. “Radiohead is a big influence on us in how they take risks.”
After recording, the brothers decided they needed a band to play the songs on stage. Galen asked to join in, Brewer moved from Charleston to Asheville to play an instrument he'd never played before and Breske was found after the group worked with several other drummers.
Along with an intense live show, the group is working on the second record. Dotson, who simply describes the music as rock ‘n' roll, isn't trying to restrict the music to a specific genre.
“The music is a lot more complete,” Dotson said of adding musicians to the recording process. “The writing revolves around me and Parker, but we're not telling the other guys how to play their instruments.
“The live shows have a lot of energy. Our live show has gone to the next level and the second album will reflect that.”
Source: www.goupstate.com
California to Review and Update Flammability Standards - YAHOO!
California Gov. Jerry Brown is directing the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation to revisit the state's 40-year-old flammability standards and initiate updates, a news release says.
Why does the governor want to change flammability standards?
"We must find better ways to meet fire safety standards by reducing and eliminating -- wherever possible -- dangerous chemicals," Brown says. The news release comes after studies point to the toxicity of flame retardants being used and failed legislative attempts to change the requirement to apply them to consumer furnishings.
What are the current rules?
BHFTI summarizes the flammability standard in Technical Bulletin 117, which sets forth acceptable after-flame, after-glow and char-length measurements for furnishings. Regulations govern the use of flame retardants in bedding, upholstery, resilient filler materials and foam.
How do state fire statistics compare to the rest of the nation?
The U.S. Fire Administration says in 2009, the national average of fire deaths was 11 per million people, while California's rate was 5.5 per million.
What were previous efforts to change standards?
Since 2007, the legislature made five attempts to change the rules governing the use of mandated flame retardants. Environmental Health News recounts the introduction and failure of AB 513 seeking to outlaw decaBDE in 2007 and AB 706 prohibiting brominated and chlorinated flame retardants in 2008. Other failed attempts were SB 772 (baby furnishing exemptions in 2009), SB 1291 (attempting to shift oversight of regulations to the Green Chemistry Initiative in 2010) and SB 147 (looking to change flammability testing rules in 2011).
Why do proponents worry about changing the rules?
The Latino Times asserts California's low number of fire deaths is an outcropping of its flame-retardant material standards. The publication also questions the legitimacy of claims that flame retardants pose health risks. In support, proponents of current regulations point to the Polyurethane Foam Association, which notes TB-117-compliant foam "increases the safety of home furnishings by delaying the onset of free burning conditions."
What do critics say?
Critics assert the chemical industry lobby has thwarted lawmakers' efforts to change Technical Bulletin 117, which has remained in place for 40 years. The Environmental Health News outlines how industry trade groups have spent $22.5 million lobbying to prevent changes. The Chicago Tribune revealed a burn surgeon called to testify by Citizens for Fire Safety Institute -- the Consumer Federation of California identifies this group as a chemical industry front group -- recounted an event that "did not exist" as described. Environmental Health Perspectives warns chlorinated and brominated flame retardants are causes for concern over toxicity.
Sylvia Cochran is a Los Angeles area resident with a firm finger on the pulse of California politics. Talk radio junkie, community volunteer and politically independent, she scrutinizes the good and the bad from both sides of the political aisle.
Source: news.yahoo.com
California tobacco tax trails by razor-thin margin - AP - msnbc.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two weeks after California elections, a closely watched effort to impose a new tax on tobacco in the nation's most populous state remains too close to call.
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With 400,000 ballots outstanding as of Tuesday, the measure that would add a $1-a-pack cigarette tax is trailing by 17,500 votes, according to data compiled by the secretary of state.
Through a barrage of campaign ads, tobacco companies were able to cut support for the tax plan spearheaded by champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. Backing for the measure dwindled from a two-thirds majority in March down to a dead heat on Election Day.
Opponents raised $47 million to fight the proposal, dramatically outspending supporters, who raised $12 million.
Since the June 5 voting, Proposition 29 has seemed headed for defeat by razor-thin margins, generally trailing by less than a percentage point.
In election night returns, the proposal, which would in part fund cancer research, was losing by tens of thousands of votes, prompting many to assume it was dead. But supporters have refused to concede defeat.
"Last week, someone was thinking about having a press conference and conceding, and everybody else said, 'Are you out of your mind?'" said Stan Glantz of the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.
Glantz has been running statistical analyses of the returns since the polls closed and said the chances of a reversal are "unlikely but not impossible."
"At this point, everybody's just biting their fingernails," he said.
Tobacco tax opponents are also watching returns, but with a more optimistic eye.
"We're not expecting any huge swings, and we are anticipating that our lead will hold," said Beth Miller, spokeswoman for the No on 29 campaign.
In order for the tax to squeak through, 54 percent of the remaining ballots would have to favor the measure, said Contra Costa Registrar of Voters Steve Weir.
Weir added that if the margin continued to tighten, it was conceivable that California would hold its first statewide re-count for a ballot measure.
"For there to be less than a half a percent spread, that's very, very unusual," he said.
Observers around the nation have also been watching the contest. Smoking foes say that Big Tobacco's success in branding the tax as a government boondoggle could reverberate in other states.
Election officials have until July 6 to report final results. Another California tobacco tax measure lost by a thin margin in 2006.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
Faulty tests blamed for California nuclear plant leak - Reuters UK
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, California |
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, California (Reuters) - Tubes that leaked radioactive steam at a California nuclear power plant, leading to an indefinite shutdown, were not properly tested by the manufacturer prior to installation, nuclear regulators told an overflowing public hearing on Monday.
The San Onofre Nuclear Power plant, located in Orange County, has been shut down since January 31, when plant operators discovered a small radiation leak in one of the plants' two units. The 2,150-megawatt plant is operated by Edison International's Southern California Edison utility.
The nuclear station is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego and is critical to the grid to import electricity into southern California. Its extended shutdown raises the possibility of rolling power outages as warmer temperatures boost demand for power over the summer.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday pinned the blame for the leak on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which it said underestimated the velocity of water and steam surging through the generator by a factor of three or four times in its computerized test of the equipment.
The tubes were also not held together tightly enough inside the troubled Unit 3 reactor, allowing them to rub against each other and causing premature wear, regulatory officials said.
Eight of the 129 tubes tested by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since the shutdown at the plant's troubled Unit 3 generator failed pressure testing, an unprecedented number, said Elmo Collins, regional administrator for the Region IV office of the NRC.
"We've never seen that before," he said of the test results. "This is a significant, serious safety issue."
Officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Southern California Edison said they would not allow the plant to reopen until it was safe to do so, and declined to give a specific timeline for restarting the plant.
"Both San Onofre units will be shut down until repairs are made and we and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are satisfied it is safe to operate," said Pete Dietrich, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer for the power plant.
While the regulatory commission has some authority over contractors such as Mitsubishi, Collins made it clear that it's Southern California Edison that will ultimately be held accountable if penalties are eventually levied by the government.
A crowd of over 400 people showed up for the hearing, many asking pointed questions about the competence of the Southern California Edison and the regulatory commission, as well as raising questions about the safety of nuclear power.
Dozens of environmentalists held a rally prior to the meeting with anti-nuclear signs, including one banner that read "Fukushima not again!" - a reference to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster last year following the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan.
Damon Moglen, climate and energy director for green group Friends of the Earth, said that Southern California Edison made significant design changes to the plant without seeking an amendment to its existing license, as is required by the regulatory commission.
His group submitted petition to nuclear regulators on Monday to require the company to obtain a new license, complaining that in his view the commission was "asleep at the regulatory wheel."
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said its investigation into what went wrong at the plant was ongoing and promised to keep the public apprised of any new developments. A written report on the findings will be released next month, regulators said.
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)
Source: uk.reuters.com
Furniture Brands International Extends Stockholder Rights Plan - msnbc.com
ST. LOUIS, June 19, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Furniture Brands International (NYSE:FBN) today announced that its Board of Directors amended and restated its stockholder rights plan to extend the expiration date from July 30, 2012 to June 18, 2015, and to effect other changes intended to update the existing plan.
The stockholder rights plan, first implemented in 2009 and approved by Furniture Brands' stockholders in 2010, was adopted by the Board in order to preserve the value of significant tax assets associated with the company's net operating loss carry forwards and certain other tax benefits under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code and to protect stockholders against potential acquirers who may pursue coercive or unfair tactics aimed at gaining control of the company without paying a full and fair price to all stockholders. The company intends to seek stockholder approval of the amended and restated rights plan at its next annual meeting.
Furniture Brands reported net deferred tax assets attributable to federal and state net operating loss carry forwards totaling approximately $101.4 million as of March 31, 2012. The company's ability to realize these tax assets would be substantially limited by Section 382 if an "ownership change" occurred -- generally, a greater than 50-percentage point change in ownership of stock by stockholders owning (or deemed to own under Section 382) five percent or more of a corporation's stock over a three-year period of time. The stockholder rights plan is intended to reduce the likelihood of an "ownership change" occurring as a result of the buying and selling of Furniture Brands common stock, and as a result, preserve the value of the tax assets.
Subject to certain exceptions described in the rights plan, any stockholder or group that acquires beneficial ownership of 4.75 percent or more of Furniture Brands' outstanding stock without the approval of the company's board of directors would be subject to significant dilution in its holdings. The 4.75 percent threshold is intended to reduce the likelihood that a stockholder will inadvertently become a "five-percent stockholder" under Section 382 by providing that there are a sufficient number of shares that a stockholder may inadvertently acquire after triggering the rights plan, but before acquiring five percent or more of the company's stock. In addition, at its discretion, the Board of Directors may exempt certain transactions and certain persons whose acquisition of securities is determined by the Board not to jeopardize the Company's net operating losses and whose holdings following such acquisition will not equal or exceed 20 percent of the company's outstanding common stock. The 20 percent threshold is meant to deter any attempt to obtain control of the company in a manner or on terms that are not in the best interests of the company and all stockholders.
Additional information regarding the Board of Directors' actions will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K and in a Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A which Furniture Brands will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Furniture Brands
Furniture Brands International, Inc. (NYSE:FBN) is a world leader in designing, manufacturing, sourcing and retailing home furnishings. Furniture Brands markets products through a wide range of channels, including company owned Thomasville retail stores and through interior designers, multi-line/independent retailers and mass merchant stores. Furniture Brands serves its customers through some of the best known and most respected brands in the furniture industry, including Broyhill, Lane, Thomasville, Drexel Heritage, Henredon, Pearson, Hickory Chair, Lane Venture, and Maitland-Smith. To learn more about the company, visit: furniturebrands.com
The Furniture Brands International logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2757
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Matters discussed in this document and in our public disclosures, whether written or oral, relating to future events or our future performance, including any discussion, express or implied, of our anticipated growth, operating results, future earnings per share, or plans and objectives, contain 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. These statements are often identified by the words "will," "believe," "positioned, " "estimate," "project," "target," "continue," "intend," "expect," "future," "anticipates," and similar expressions that are not statements of historical fact. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Our actual results and timing of certain events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, but not limited to, those set forth under ``Risk Factors'' in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and in our other subsequent public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the execution of our strategic plan; changes in economic conditions; loss of market share due to competition; changes in our pension funding obligations; failure to forecast demand or anticipate or respond to changes in consumer tastes and fashion trends; failure to achieve projected mix of product sales; business failures of large customers; distribution realignments; manufacturing realignments and cost savings programs; increased reliance on offshore (import) sourcing of various products; fluctuations in the cost, availability and quality of raw materials; product liability uncertainty; environmental regulations; future acquisitions; loss of key personnel; impairment of intangible assets; anti-takeover provisions which could result in a decreased valuation of our common stock; loss of funding sources or our inability to secure additional financing to meet our operating and capital needs; and our ability to open and operate new retail stores successfully. It is routine for internal projections and expectations to change as the year or each quarter in the year progresses, and therefore it should be clearly understood that all forward-looking statements and the internal projections and beliefs upon which we base our expectations included in this report or other periodic reports are made only as of the date made and may change. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Investor contact: Farah Soi, ICR, 203-682-8200 Media contact: Lisa Hanly, 314-290-8954
© Copyright 2012, GlobeNewswire, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
WWU, contractor donate 128 dressers to recently homeless in Bellingham - Tacoma News Tribune
BELLINGHAM - Some old college furniture has found new life in the homes of people who need it most.
A dormitory renovation at Western Washington University prompted the donation of 128 dressers for housing agencies.
Dressers were pulled out of Mathes Hall on Wednesday, June 13, with almost half going directly to the homes of people who had recently been homeless. The rest went to the Habitat for Humanity of Whatcom County Store.
The 61 dressers delivered straight to homes was the largest-ever donation to the virtual furniture bank House 2 Home, agency coordinator Abby Lund said.
The nonprofit keeps its expenses low by operating without a storage space. Its volunteers pick up furniture from donors and drive it directly to families that are transitioning from homelessness into a new place.
Now in its third year, the virtual furniture bank is surpassing its goals, Lund said. The organization set a target of 200 pieces of furniture delivered in 2012 but had logged 195 items delivered this year, before the Western donation.
"We've definitely exceeded our expectations," Lund said.
Womencare Shelter, which helps domestic-violence victims and their children find new permanent homes, has come to depend on House 2 Home, the organization's housing advocate said.
"It would be really hard for me to operate without them," Sheryl Hull-Cline said. "When we find people living in their car with their children, they have nothing."
The 67 dressers at the Habitat for Humanity store are available to the furniture bank to deliver as needed. The store also will sell the dressers to benefit its own mission, building homes for low-income people.
"It's a huge donation for us, too," Habitat Store manager Jaime Arnett said. "This could add thousands of dollars to our cause."
DORM UNDERGOES RENOVATION
Furniture that comes out of a large dormitory renovation often enters the waste stream. Sometimes, construction companies opt for a less wasteful alternative.
"We encourage them to recycle," said Dale Krause, Western Washington University's construction coordinator.
Western and its renovation contractor, Regency NW Construction, decided on a third way: giving away the 128 old dressers that came out of Mathes Hall.
"They were pretty well-built dressers, so they still got some years of use left in them," Krause said.
Western's housing office was "real happy to be able to help" families coming out of homelessness as part of its Mathes Hall remodel, Krause said.
In addition to some cosmetic and functional changes, such as new furniture, the work on Mathes this summer focuses on safety improvements, Krause said. Fire sprinklers will be installed throughout the building, including every student room. Structural upgrades should help the nine-story building hold up better in an earthquake.
It will take two summers to finish the project. Work this year is scheduled to be mostly done by Aug. 13, before student move-in this fall.
HOW TO HELP
House 2 Home is looking for volunteers this summer - especially those who have trucks. It is always looking for furniture donations, and beds are currently in demand. To help, call Abby Lund at 360-224-7185 or go to whatcomvolunteer.org and click on "Our Programs," then "House 2 Home Furniture Bank."
Source: www.thenewstribune.com
California dreaming? Under $4-a-gallon gas could rev up state economy. - The Christian Science Monitor
The average price of a gallon of gas has fallen below the $4-mark in California thanks to a 12.7-cent drop from the previous week, the third double-digit decline in as many weeks, the AAA Fuel Gauge Report says.
Skip to next paragraphAccording to the report, a gallon of gas in California cost $3.99 Monday, marking the first time since mid-February the state has seen a below-$4-per-gallon average.
It is a bright spot for many in a state that seems to be getting nothing but bad economic news recently.
“This is good news for consumers and good news for the state,” says H.D. Palmer, chief spokesman for the California State Department of Finance. “This means more money in the pockets of consumers, more money spent on clothing and other retail items, which means more sales taxes for the state.”
The lower gas prices also bring the state added revenue in other ways. California does not have sales tax on gasoline, but has an excise tax that is measured in the number of gallons sold, points out Mr. Palmer.
“This means that the more gas people buy because it’s cheaper, the more that excise tax will bring in,” he says. Of course, higher prices usually dampen the volume of purchases, he adds.
Palmer is quick to point out that any boon to state coffers generated by consumer spending won’t necessarily translate immediately into restored jobs for teachers or other public employees. “This will fill pocketbooks and gas tanks,” he says, but adds that how and where it will impact state expenditures is less direct.
For many consumers, however, the impact is immediate.
“Now I can breathe easy again,” says Carlos, of Carlos and Pepe Painting, as he fills his pickup truck with regular gas at $3.89 at the corner ARCO in Sherman Oaks. He says his business depends on jobs all over Southern California, and when gas prices climbed well over $4 for a month, he was having a hard time making ends meet.
“Yeah, we cut back on everything from food to movies,” he says, adding that his truck only gets about 18 miles per gallon. “All this driving was really socking it to my pocketbook.”
Most experts expect prices to trend downward through at least the third quarter of this year. According to this week’s petroleum report from the US Energy Information Administration, national prices were on average $3.57 a gallon this past week, and regular gasoline is now expected to average $3.51 per gallon nationally in the third quarter, down from the $3.76 per gallon forecast in May.
Some observers suggest that while this decline is certainly welcome news for many, the longer term trend of rising prices is less rosy, with volatile energy prices becoming the norm.
While gas prices are part of a much larger picture, they are an important and growing one, says Prof. David Zilberman, co-author of a study on the connection between gas prices and the California economy in connection with the Center for Energy and Environmental Economics at the University of California at Berkeley.
He points out that, taking inflation into account, gas prices were stable for almost 30 years until the middle of the last decade, which led many to downplay their impact on consumers.
However, as gas prices began to spike leading up to the housing crisis, higher energy costs became an often overlooked “last straw,” and triggered a number of bankruptcies and foreclosures, says Professor Zilberman.
“They are an important part of the cost of living,” he says. “When you raise gas prices, it’s like raising taxes,” he says, adding, “only you are paying OPEC, not the government.”
Source: www.csmonitor.com
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