The annually held Health 2.0 conference is here again. This year event will take place at San Francisco, and it is tagged San Francisco Fall 2012. This yearly event provides a platform for innovators to display their latest innovations and technologies in health care delivery. Consumers will also have the opportunity to assess these technologies and innovations and how they improve their health.

Also leading lights in the Health 2.0 will also be in this event. This resource persons will deliver keynotes address and inform participants on the latest developments in Health 2.0. Some of these experts who will deliver keynotes address include Joe Flower, a health futuristic enthusiast, Mark Bertolini, the CEO of Aetna and the famous personal fitness trainer, Jillian Michael. Participants will tap into the knowledge banks of these keynote speakers and other experts in Health 2.0. These experts will enlighten participants on where the future of the Health 2.0 project and how they will benefit from the project.

Many topics will be covered during the course of the event. Expert knowledge of these topics will be delivered to participants at this year conference. As with the long standing tradition of the annual Health 2.0 conference, exciting, interesting and informative conversions are guaranteed to all participants. This year event will not disappoint.

Change is the constant thing in the world. The health care delivery system is experience a revolution. The Health 2.0 project tends to challenge the status quo of the health care delivery system. It wants to give patients and other health care consumers more control of how health care should be delivered to them. This will be done by technology. The information sharing process in the health care system will be transformed by technology. Thus patients will more access to their information and data and have a say in the way the treatment process is carried out.

Issues like personalized medicine, data analysis and price transparency will be discussed in great details at this year event. With arrival of the Health 2.0 project on the health care delivery scene, patients have access to more of their information and data. They have access to the results of many of the tests carried out on them. Thus they can share these results with people who have suffered similar conditions like them.

They can also share the same information with other people undergoing the treatments for the same condition. These people can give the patient information on how they handle their own conditions and the results of the treatments rendered to them. This put the patient in a great position to understand the various options available to them. This is the origin of the concept of personalized medicine. Thus with the wealth of information available to the patient, he and his doctor can fathom out the best way to go about the treatment process.

The use of data analysis to design products by companies is also one of the topics that will be brainstormed at the conference. Participants and experts will be looking for ways to enhance the how the use research data will lead to the manufacturing of products that will meet the demands and satisfactions of consumers. While price transparency in the health care business, is among the list of topics that will be thoroughly dealt with.

This year event has one of the greatest publicity in the history of the Health 2.0 conference. Thus more people are expected to take part in the conference compare to previous years. Thus this is a great platform for innovators to interact with consumers and vice versa. This platform will be beneficial to all present.

The description of Health 2.0 can be summarized as the use of technology to support health care collaboration by using a specific set of Web tools, such as podcasts, blogs, tagging, message boards, search, wikis, and social networks. Specialists, primary doctors, scientists and a community of patients, are currently using the Internet to provide medically-related content in order to personalize, exchange knowledge, provide opinions of healthcare, and promote health education.

An important factor of Health 2.0 figures in giving the patient the increased ability to have greater insight and control of medical information created about them. This approach is meant to improve the efficiency, quality and safety of health care. Health 2.0 refers incorporates is related to telemedicine, electronic medical records, mHealth, and Connected Health. A Health 2.0 company supplies Web 2.0 technologies within the context of current healthcare reform settings to gather and analyze available information and advise consumers on how to make sound healthcare decisions based on its value. A new Health 2.0 startup company can receive funding in three major ways:

Crowdfunding- A large group of people collectively pool and network their funds together for a cause.

Ventured Capital Funding- Provides adequate funding for the growth of a business through investors. Venture capital investors will expect to profit tremendously from a startup company. They have put certain guidelines in place whenever considering to finance companies. Therefore, a Health 2.0 company must prove that their business will offer a noticeable, service or product that is unique to a large group of people, will gross at least $25 million in three years, will be able to compete and become a leader against rivaling companies in their sector, and will need a massive amount of funding to operate. Once a Health 2.0 business receives funding, they can then decide to utilize the services of a business incubator.

Business Incubator

Business incubators are various programs designed to support the successful development of startup Health 2.0 companies through a range of support services and resources generated and overseen by incubator management along with its sister contacts. Successful completion of a business incubation program increases a startup company's potential to stay in operation for the long term. However, startup companies who are interested in being admitted into a business incubation program must fit their criteria before being accepted. Although these programs differ from one another, they generally accept companies that have effective ideas and a feasible business plan.


Moderated by Unity Stoakes, the subject of StartUp Health 2.0 companies will be discussed at the 6th Annual Fall Conference in San Francisco. The conference will educate attendees of the latest technologies in Health 2.0 and will host a roster of leading thinkers to engage them in-depth discussions of how new technologies will be presented and woven into healthcare from a global perspective. The universal evolution of healthcare will be presented in progressive stages over two days to enlighten everyone attending the conference on how Health 2.0 affects every aspect of an individual's life.

A key segment of the conference will be addressed towards individuals who are presently interested in launching a Health 2.0 startup company. The conference's aim is to bring in healthcare related speakers together to answer questions and discuss the unique offerings and challenges of funding sources while providing demos of various funding models to educate entrepreneurs about the best financing routes available for them. Guests speakers that will appear at the Health 2.0 Conference will include:

Anne Degheest- Founder of HealthTech Capital and MedStars Ventures Partners, is comprised of venture capitalists, private angel investors, and other industry participants that finance and mentor new Health startup companies.


Pat Salber- Founder of Health Tech Hatch, provide entrepreneurs with the capability to crowdfund their new ideas and get feedback from patients and industry experts.

Mike Norman- Founder of Wefunder.com is a popular platform that has accepted pledges from 7,800 investors willing to finance over $22 million in Health 2.0 startups companies.

Margaret Laws- Is using $10 million of innovation modeled funding on social venture capital.

Brad-Weinberg- Founder of ShapeUp, it is presently training start-ups companies at New York City‘s Techstars affiliated incubator Blueprint Health.

Alex Fair- Currently running the Health 2.0 NYC chapter, he is also the co-founder of MedStartr.com along with Mike Pence. MedStartr.com is the first crowdfunding platform designed for healthcare.

Paula-Gill- Co-founder of CareHubs, this business uses the power of social networking to healthcare. CareHubs is using its networking tools to provide communities with support from health tech startups.

Count von Count the Chef Economist of Sesame Street, has entered the political landscape with an endorsement of Mitt Romney for President.  The Count, a long time economist and lovable cast member of Sesame Street responsible for educating our children on simple mathematical concepts, has endorsed Mitt Romney based on the following mathematical logic:

Let’s Count the Ways:

1. The Number 0 is the number of top level Wall Street bank executives who have been charged or      indicted, in the largest financial fraud ever;

2. The number 1.5 is the percentage growth of our economy per year. According to the United Bureau of Economic Analysis the United States Gross Domestic Product grown at a rate of 1.5% over the course of President Obama’s first term in office. This is the slowest growth in American GDP in decades.

3. The number 1.69 was the the national average price of unleaded gasoline per gallon, when Obama took office;

4.  The number 16. is the amount in trillions of dollars (million times a million) of our current national debt.  When President Obama took office in January of 2009 the United States debt was about 8 trillion dollars. In less than two years, the national debt is now at 16 TRILLION DOLLARS;

5.  The number 23  is the amount of Americans in Millions who have stopped looking for work;

6.  The number 32  is the percentage rise in natural gas prices in the United States, in 4 years;

7.  The number 38 is the percentage increase in the US Poverty rates over the last 4 years;

8.  The number 44 is the amount of months in a row, our country has suffered unemployment, at or above 8%;

9.  The number 49 is the percentage of small businesses who are uncertain of their future;

10. The number 76 is the percentage of small business owners, who say the healthcare bill makes it harder to hire more employees;

When asked about cutting a subsidy to PBS for Sesame Street, the Count said as the "Countant" for Sesame Street we brought in more than $96 Million in 2005 due mostly from international licensing. *¹ alone.  If you look at cutting our budget, Big Bird will still be living large.  

*1 http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/12/business/media/12sesame.html?_r=2&pagewanted=print&

America has lost one million jobs in the 2000s decade. In the previous decades it averaged 20 million new jobs per decade. America needs to create 20 million new private sector jobs by 2020 to solve the employment and unemployment crisis. Jobenomics, a book written by Chuck Voller, explains the employment problem in America and gives us ways of solving it. Jobenomics deals with the economics of job, wealth and revenue creation.

Employment versus Unemployment

It is employment and not unemployment that is a threat to the future prosperity of America. 15 million Americans out of 390 million are unemployed. An increase in the employment opportunities in the country can help solve the unemployment problem. America’s private sector is collapsing at a faster rate than most people realize. The manufacturing industry has declined by 55% in the last three decades. Today less than 4% of all Americans are engaged in manufacturing. This negative trend in the manufacturing industry cannot continue if the US wants to recover economically.

Positive Attitude towards Business

America needs to have a positive attitude towards business. A negative attitude towards business will cause big businesses to be cautious, limit hiring, close business operations and outsource overseas. It can also encourage small business to go out of business and limit hiring. Anti- business sentiments can slow down investments which are needed to start new business and grow existing ones.

Chuck mentions in his book that America has gone from the largest creditor nation to the largest debtor nation in the last three decades. The federal policy makers have turned a blind eye to addressing debts, deficits, spending and job creation issues.

The Solution to the Employment Problem

The only meaningful way to solve the employment and unemployment problem is the creation of jobs and the creation of revenue. America cannot afford another decade of negative jobs growth. 20 million jobs are needed by 2020 (20 by 20).

20 by 20

20 million new jobs will provide the number of new jobs required for new workers entering the work force (16 million) and about half the workers (4 million) who lost their jobs during the great recession. 20 million new jobs will also provide the tax revenue to keep the economic engine running. America’s innovation and entrepreneurship are the keys to a prosperous future where everyone who wants to work can find a job. Politics leaders will have to use their time and efforts on jobs creation with the same unity and intensity that they did averting financial down fall.

Private Sector Jobs

Business people need to emerge from the private sector to create the next generation of jobs that are applicable to changing demographics, technology and economies.

20 by 20 goals

The 2020 goal for government jobs is zero growth.  The 2020 goal for small businesses, emerging businesses and self employment is 7 million new jobs. The 20 by 20 goal for large businesses is 5 million new jobs. The 2020 goal for international corporations is 3 million new jobs. The 20 by 20 goal for the energy technology revolution industry is 5 million new jobs.

More information on how the employment and unemployment problems can be solved can be found in Chuck Vollers book Jobenomics, a plan for America.

What is the American crisis, with unemployment. Jobenomics can be explained as economics mainly concerned with job, wealth and revenue creation. This is the main focus of Chuck Vollmers’ book, Jobenomics, a plan for America. The book informs us that the only meaningful way of fixing American economy is creating job opportunities and creating revenue.

20 Million New Jobs

Chuck explains that the US economy cannot afford to have another decade of negative or slightly positive increase in jobs. A minimum of 20 million new private sector jobs needs to be created by 2020. America produced this number of jobs in the past decades and can do it again. The book informs us that 20 million is the minimum number of jobs to be created, since it will provide jobs for the 16 million new workers entering the work force this decade and about 4 million workers who lost their jobs during the recession. Chuck writes that employment emphasis must be on the private sector, rather than the government in order to achieve a viable economic recovery.

The Unemployment Rates versus Employment Rates

America has a widely known “official unemployment rate” statistics that can measure failure while there is no “official employment” rate statistic that measures the health of the labour force. Economic recovery will depend on jobs created, as opposed to jobs lost.

Unemployment Rate Numbers

The official US unemployment rate number (U3) is the most widely reported number in the media today, the U3 number drives public policy and private spending. Chuck informs us that currently, 15 million, of a civilian labour force of 154 million Americans, are officially out of work. This equates to 9.7% U3 rate as of May 2010. The unemployment rate (U3) has grown rapidly since the start of the economic crisis and is at the highest rate since the 1982 recession.

The Unemployment rates (U3) for different groups are: adult men (10.8%), adult women (8.4%), teenagers above age sixteen (26.4%), Whites (8.7%), Asians (7.3%), Hispanics (12.6%) and Blacks (16.5%)

U6 Unemployment Rate

U6 consist of: U3 (official unemployment rate), discouraged workers, marginally attached workers and the people unemployed part time for economic reasons.

Marginally attached workers are people who currently are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and are available for a job. They have looked for work sometime in the recent past. Discouraged workers have reasons related to the job market for not currently looking for a job. Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full time work, but have to settle for a part time job.

The U6 rate can be more indicative than the U3 for economic health and recovery perspective and should be utilized more by media, opinion leaders and policy makers. Additional consideration should be given to welfare recipients who have permanently given up on job seeking.

Chuck explains more on the American crisis pertainint to employment and unemployment rates in the first chapter of his book, Jobenomics, a plan for America.

The US economy has seen different phases in terms of growth and sustainability. Although there are a number of challenges in our economy today, it is important to realize that the current situation is reversible. There are different strategies that can be adopted, in order to improve the scene.

The era of the information technology revolution saw some of the best times for the US economy where the most number of jobs were opened up. These jobs were created in numbers of the order of tens of millions and this was during the Clinton Administration. He left behind a surplus for the US economy just when the Bush Administration came into being. This was the brightest phase for our economy. The Bush Administration, however, left behind a bad economic scene for the Obama Administration (meaning it left a deficit). The jobs that had been created had generated a surplus of taxes and the growth proved to be, in the long run an unsustainable one.

The deficit was a result of a number of things that resulted from the 9/11 attacks. The event itself proved to cost lesser than the aftermath and the small and big impacts of it all over the country. The post attack phase led to a major setback in the economy. A whole lot of money was invested in fighting terrorism and terrorist activity in different parts of the world, in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, back here in America, the Department of Homeland Security was being built, which again required heavy monetary investments. The Medicare Part D (prescription) entitlement program was initiated and it cost the US government as well. The major part of the deficit, however, can be attributed to the process of having exotic financial instruments leveraged, such as securities that are backed by mortgage. It helped create an asset bubble for housing long before Bush was in office. The same concluded in a crisis of the US economy which was taken over by the Obama Administration eventually.

The year that followed on from 2009 (which is when Obama took office), ended up becoming a historic one in the economy of the United States. The spending/receipt gap were of sizes that our country had never seen before. The greatest gap in the modern history of US was seen in FY2009, as the US federal budget had a deficit of $1.4T. The expenditure went further up by 18 per cent in the same year. This was the highest growth rate seen in the past three to four decades. Tax receipts also went down from the previous year, leading to the widening of the gap. The federal deficit, as a result of this, became the highest in the past five decades. www.jobenomics.comexplains how the situation is reversible.

The Obama Administration controlled the situation to a great extent, without which the country may have gone into a second depression. There are a number of ways to prevent further negative growth of the economy, of which one of the most effective is the creation of jobs (www.jobenomics.com).

Austerity plans have been implemented by some European nations recently, in order to avoid the possibility of defaulting on national debts and to maintain their credibility in the financial market. The Austerity Contingency Plan would prepare cuts on government growth, national debt and entitlements. We have still time to implement the Austerity plan, but doing earlier can help to preserve our trustworthiness in the financial markets and to limit the cost of interest payments. Jobenomics, an informative book authored by Chuck Vollmer provides an outline of critical areas to be included in the Austerity plan. You can get a lot of useful information by reading this book. To get your copy, visit www.jobenomics.com,

The federal, state and local government workforce has grown from16.2 million in 1979 to an estimated 24.2 million in 2018. The White House budget documents (2009) specify that there were 4.4 million federal employees, who received an annual compensation and benefits amounting to $422B. This means that an employee received $97,580. If you subtract the benefits, the federal employee gets $71,000 in a year, whereas a private sector employee gets only $40,000.

96 million people are working in the private sector in our country and 35 million people are working for the government. Government civilians, postal workers, military forces and government contractors are included in this. The 1 to 3 ratio is extremely weak in an environment, where the workforce in the private sector is decreasing.

The Austerity Contingency Plan would help to balance the size the costs of government and private sector workforce. Already some state and municipal government officials are implementing the austerity programs, as the revenues are decreasing to a great extent. The federal government gave bailouts amounting to $140B through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to the states and municipalities. If it had not given bailouts, the states and municipalities would have reduced their workforce and services significantly more. However, it is important to understand that the federal government cannot continue to give such large amounts of bailouts in today’s high debt environment.

The Austerity Contingency Plan would take the impacts from weakening states and financial crises into account. In California, the Gross Domestic Product is nearly $1.8T. This amount is equal to the amount of combined GDPs of Greece and Spain. Many European countries fear that the economic crisis in Spain and Greece would cause the demise of entire economy in Europe. California’s budget crisis may also have the same effect over the entire nation. The State had a shortfall of $60B in budget in the year 2009. It was forced to reduce state services by 25%. The Government of the state specified that his budget called for great reductions in almost all aspects of state government.

The federal government would find it difficult to provide financial assistance to the state at some point in the future. The Austerity plan would prepare for the outcome of insolvency of many states and municipalities.

Jobenomics points out the ways to get out of economic crisis. You can gain a clear understanding of our economic situation by reading this book. Get your copy by logging on to www.jobenomics.com

It wasn’t that long ago that being a socially conscious business wasn’t even a concept that was on the business radar screen. Today even some of the largest companies are finding ways to “go green” and be more socially responsible.

More and more people want to buy products that they feel good about and from businesses that share some of their personal values. Our purchasing habits have almost become a statement about whom or what we believe ourselves to be.

One start-up company hoping to make a difference and be socially responsible is iSwirl.ca, a loyalty card program for small to medium sized businesses. The idea for iSwirl was birthed when co-founder Dan Anderson took a trip to Uganda several years ago and was deeply impacted by stories of children dying of malaria because their families couldn’t afford malaria medicine that cost $7.00, or mosquito nets that cost even less. He came back from that trip with a passionate goal to help make a difference around the world and use his business to fund various charities that do things like providing malaria medicine to people who otherwise couldn’t afford it. That’s why he structured iSwirl.ca so that consumers can give a portion of their rewards to a charity of their choice. (See video)

Another example is the emergence of restaurants and food suppliers that serve and provide environmentally sustainable products with the goal to create as little waste as possible. We are all probably aware of restaurants composting, giving away day old food to local food banks, recycling, and only buying food that is caught or grown in environmentally sustainable ways. When customers see evidence that businesses are participating in these kinds of practices it helps them to feel good about giving their business to these companies by giving them sense that they are being socially responsible as well through their purchases.

Successful start up Holstee’s, is another example of a company that puts their socially conscious values ahead of making profits, and remarkably, manages to do both quite well. (See Mashable Video) Holstee’s makes well designed clothing and other products that are environmentally friendly, and that provide jobs for people who live in poverty around the world. They also give 10% of their profits to Kiva, an organization that provides micro loans to people all over the world to” create opportunity and alleviate poverty.” Holstee’s Co-Founder Fabian Pfortmüller agrees that consumers want to buy products from socially conscious companies and that are produced in a way that helps to make a difference to people who are living in poverty.

Surveys have even shown that customers are willing to pay a little more to buy products and services from socially responsible companies. This means that companies that are attempting to be socially responsible, and match the values of their customers, can charge a little more and not sacrifice profits.

These companies and others are proving that a company can accomplish the tenuous balance of being socially responsible, helping the planet and still make a profit.

The SEC Securities and Exchange Commission- the agency responsible for enforcement of the U.S. securities laws- has been under fire for its lack of regulation, contributing to the financial crisis of 2008 since the smoke has been settling on the crisis and its causes. 

The latest debacle is the SEC’s slow reaction to Congress’ mandate to change one sentence in the agency’s Regulation D.  The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act or JOBS Act, is a law intended to encourage funding of United States small businesses by easing various securities regulations. It passed with bipartisan support, and was signed into law by the President of the United States on April 5, 2012.  One of its provisions is to modify Regulation D to lift the ban on general solicitation and advertising of unregistered securities to accredited investors.  Congress set a deadline for this rule change to take effect in July 2012, but the Commission did not even propose new rules until September.  Even now, critics of the proposed rules, including one Commission member, urge that the SEC not enact the rules mandated by Congress.

The provision in the JOBS Act reads:  “(1) Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission shall revise its rules issued in section 230.506 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to provide that the prohibition against general solicitation or general advertising contained in section 230.502(c) of such title shall not apply to offers and sales of securities made pursuant to section 230.506, provided that all purchasers of the securities are accredited investors. Such rules shall require the issuer to take reasonable steps to verify that purchasers of the securities are accredited investors, using such methods as determined by the Commission. Section 230.506 of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, as revised pursuant to this section, shall continue to be treated as a regulation issued under section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933 (15 U.S.C. 77d(2)).  (2) Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission shall revise subsection (d)(1) of section 230.144A of title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, to provide that securities sold under such revised exemption may be offered to persons other than qualified institutional buyers, including by means of general solicitation or general advertising, provided that securities are sold only to persons that the seller and any person acting on behalf of the seller reasonably believe is a qualified institutional buyer.”

Recent revelations include criticism of the SEC by the New York Times for going after the little guys, and letting the big guys off the hook.  Enforcement Director Robert Khuzami, in a letter to the Editor, attacked the article, citing that the agency has gone after large institutional defendants and that to just concentrate on the “big guys” would leave all kinds of financial fraud unregulated. 

Bloomberg also recently reported that the SEC’s office in Washington is actively litigating 50 percent more cases than last year, which they attribute to more complex cases from the 2008 financial crisis (caused in part by the SEC) and a related increase in lawsuits filed against individual executives who are defending themselves instead of settling.  Hence the recent dismissal of most of the SEC’s claims against IndyMac executives and the paltry $80,000 fine paid by its ex-CEO.

On the flip side, the SEC has also been criticized for its lack of zeal in prosecuting the “too big to fail” banks, who receive small fines in proportion to large scale fraud and waivers from injunctions and prosecution from the Commission.  According to the Times, JP Morgan Chase settled six fraud cases in the last 13 years, including one with a $228 million settlement last summer, but obtained at least 22 waivers, in part by arguing that it has “a strong record of compliance with securities laws.” Bank of America and Merrill Lynch have settled 15 fraud cases and received at least 39 waivers.  Citigroup is the only financial giant that the SEC no longer grants waivers to, after settling six fraud cases and receiving 25 waivers, although their recently launched investigation into JP Morgan may add the largest bank to the list, albeit for what is really trading losses and not the litany of mortgage fraud that it committed leading to the 2008 crash.  “The ramifications of losing those exemptions are enormous to these firms,” said David S. Ruder, a former S.E.C. chairman, in an interview. Without the waivers, agreeing to settle charges of securities fraud “might have vast repercussions affecting the ability of a firm to continue to stay in business,” he said.

 This is particularly alarming given the destruction of key evidence that could have been used against the mega banks within the SEC’s offices by its own employees.  According to former SEC employee and whistleblower Darcy Flynn, also reported by Taibbi, the agency routinely destroyed thousands of documents related to preliminary investigations of alleged crimes committed by Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, SAC Capital, and other financial companies involved in the crisis that the SEC was supposed to have been regulating. The documents included those relating to "Matters Under Inquiry", or MUI, the name the SEC gives to the first stages of the investigation process. The tradition of destruction began as early as the 1990s. This SEC activity eventually caused a conflict with the National Archives and Records Administration when it was revealed to them in 2010 by Flynn. Flynn also described a meeting at SEC in which top staff discussed refusing to admit the destruction had taken place because it was possibly illegal.

Breaches of the law by the large Wall Street brokers also go unpunished.  According to a recently published study by Berkeley Law professor Stavros Gadinis, at the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, it has been three decades since any academic analysis of SEC enforcement actions against broker-dealers.  In that time, Gadinis wrote, the information vacuum has been filled with complaints about the commission's perceived foot-dragging and questions about the so-called revolving door between the SEC and private law firms. To add some substance to the discussion, Gadinis undertook what he said was the first systematic examination of SEC enforcement actions against broker-dealers -- a category that includes major financial institutions -- in 30 years, analyzing more than 400 cases finalized in 1998 and 2005-2007. (Gadinis added 1998 to the study so it would include cases brought in a Democratic administration.) His overall conclusion: Size matters, at least when you're a broker-dealer facing off against the SEC. According to the prof's data, firms with more than 1,000 employees fared much better than their smaller counterparts in terms of whether cases are brought against individual defendants; whether the SEC brought cases as administrative proceedings; and what kind of sanctions the SEC extracted.  "

Big firms and their employees were also likelier to face administrative proceedings -- and not federal-court litigation -- than their small-firm counterparts, according to the study. (Seventy-one percent of big-firm cases, compared to 41 percent of small-firm suits, were handled administratively.) There has been academic speculation that the SEC has been filing tougher cases as administrative proceedings, which are perceived to favor the commission, but Gadinis's study discounted that theory. Instead, he considered it a benefit to defendants to resolve their cases in administrative proceedings, which generally involve less negative publicity.

But the critical problem with the SEC‘s enforcement policy is not their settlement policy, which has come under fire recently but has proven to be very effective in broad enforcement, but going after executives and attorneys for what amounts to alleged negligence in financial filings, instead of focusing on the wealth of fraud that is out there and more that is likely to occur with the upcoming crowd funding boom.

The SEC has been criticized for letting the big guys get away with murder and prosecuting the little guys for spitting on the sidewalk.  By granting exemptions to laws and regulations that act as a deterrent to securities fraud, the SEC has let financial giants like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America continue to have advantages reserved for the most dependable companies, making it easier for them to raise money from investors, and to avoid liability from lawsuits if their financial forecasts turn out to be wrong and has, by contrast, punished companies like Dell, General Electric and United Rentals for misleading information in their disclosures. 

But what should be the most troubling about SEC enforcement practices since it has increased enforcement since the crash has been the assault against lawyers.  Lawyers are never popular until you need one, and they often place themselves at risk to protect their client’s confidentiality.  Moreover, not only bad guys have attorneys, the good guys have them too.  Khuzami, in a speech last June to a group of defense lawyers, criticized lawyers for their “questionable” behavior, citing multiple representation of witnesses with what appear to be adverse interests, multiple witnesses represented by the same counsel who adopt all the same implausible explanation of events, witnesses who answer “I do not recall” dozens of times in testimony, including in responses to basic and uncontroverted facts, counsel signaling to clients during testimony, and “questionable “tactics in document productions and internal investigations.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the SEC is going after lawyers who examined certain mortgage bond deals before the crisis.  More recently, they have prosecuted lawyers for writing legal opinions  and, according to the SEC’s own head of the structured products enforcement unit, Kenneth Lench, the Commission is now questioning whether advice was given in good faith to determine whether to prosecute lawyers.  The Commission has recently added more lawyers to its general counsel to take administrative actions against lawyers for “professional misconduct”.

By Kenneth Eade, Attorney at Law

http://kennetheade.com

A website offering the best advice on treating gout the natural way

Gout is a serious health condition which can leave an unpleasant experience not just to the one suffering with it but also to the family members. Often people ignore the gout attacks that would result in massive outbreak of gout attacks which is a replica of arthritis. In order to ensure that the gout attacks are kept under control there are a few natural remedies that can not only help to control but when followed diligently would help to cure gout completely and naturally.

Gouthomeremediesz.com is one such helpful guide which is available on the World Wide Web for those who are serious about finding an eternal cure to gout with a gout natural remedy. Usually gout victims would have realized that in spite of spending a lot of money on the Doctor’s visits and on numerous medicines, there are chances of gout coming back. As it is a chronic condition, it has to be treated in a natural way that is not only safe but also easy to put to use. The remedies are also budget oriented as they can be done right at home or purchased online or from any local store. The natural remedies shared at gouthomeremediesz.com are tried and tested. They are shared to help those who are in need of finding a permanent and risk free cure to gout.

Gout occurs because of the excess of uric acid that passes into the legs, disabling them from their natural functioning. It is painful and often the victim is left with the fear of attacks that cripples them from performing their basic chores. Gout attacks are common in men than in women as the uric deposits in men are higher. In order to ensure that the ailment is targeted with a safe cure, these natural remedies have been proposed for those who wish to implement them or share with their friends and dear ones, as when one is attacked with gout it can always come back. The remedies that are constantly updated on the website are quite helpful and easy to follow and the results can be noticed in just a few weeks. Comments and experiences can also be shared in order to help those who find it hard to come out of their suffering. For more information or for any queries drop in an email to audrey@gouthomeremediesz.com

Media Contact:

Easy cure with gout natural remedies

http://www.gouthomeremediesz.com/

UK-Based Therapist Robert Jones Has Developed a CD that Can Help People Finally Get a Good Night’s Rest and Stop Thinking “Why Can't I Sleep?”

Every night, thousands of people across the world suffer from sleep problems. From sleep disorders like insomnia to feeling wound up and unable to sleep, many people spend their nights tossing and turning.

As researchers are discovering, these restless nights not only lead to potentially dangerous problems like daytime grogginess and falling asleep while driving, they can also contribute to serious health issues. People with sleep deprivation are more likely to have chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, obesity and depression.

During the 10 years he has worked as a registered therapist, Robert Jones has worked with many clients who are frustrated over their lack of sleep and constant wondering of why can't I sleep. As a sleep specialist, Jones understands how hard it can be to feel sleepy all of the time, and he is concerned about the connection between sleep and health issues.

That is why, for the past 10 years, Jones has worked hard on a sleep product that may finally help people get the sleep they need and deserve—all without drugs or medication.

Called The Sleep Solution, Jones, who is registered with the UK Hypnotherapy Association and The General Hypnotherapy Register, has had great success with the product when treating his clients. Now, after tweaking and refining it, Jones is excited to release the CD to the public here.

As the sleep expert explained on his website, The Sleep Solution uses age-old techniques that tap into the unconscious mind, helping to put people into the “theta,” or most relaxed state of consciousness.

“When we fall asleep, our brain wave patterns slow from beta into alpha—or pre-sleep drowsiness—and then into a 90 minute back-and-forth cycle from what is called rapid-eye-movement or REM sleep followed by non-REM sleep,” Jones explained, adding that if a person’s brain cannot make the change from beta to alpha to theta and finally to delta, he or she will not be able to fall asleep. 

Jones is so confident that The Sleep Solution will help people get a good night’s sleep, he is offering a money back guarantee. After using the CD for 90 days, anyone who is not satisfied with the product may return it for a full refund of the purchase price.

About Robert Jones:

Robert Jones is a registered therapist who was been in practise in the UK for 10 years. During that time, he has helped his clients learn how to relax and go to sleep. Inspired by the great testimonials over the years from his clients, he developed a product called The Sleep Solution. The CD, which is now available to the general public, can help people enjoy a good night’s rest and all of the health benefits that can come from getting enough sleep. For more information, please visit http://www.troublesleepingremedies.com/

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The United States of America, our nation, needs another 20 million jobs by 2020. This is a goal that has been realistically set by policy makers as similar targets have been replicated before. There is however, a need for change in the techniques that need to be employed to achieve the goals. If a change in method is not appointed, the target may not be met and the American economy can crumble again. We need a different method and technique to meet its future demands because the economic conditions vary every year. This makes it mandatory for changes in further policies and plans.

We have to accept that the American economy has to work on three diverse subjects keeping the private sector in mind. Creating of jobs in the near future, ensuring financial recovery and creating business ministries to effectively employ the resources available with various churches across the country. The Base of the Pyramid National initiative is replete with employment opportunities for people of all age groups. There are plenty of people who need financial aid to take off their dream projects. And the private sector is ready to provide them with the required investments. If policy makers can set plans and initiatives where resource providers and seekers can meet on a common platform, it will help exploit the opportunity that can change the face of our nation. To know more on this, one can visit www.jobenomics.com

The pyramid has investors on top who work amongst themselves and invest where everybody is seen investing. However, one needs to let the money trickle down to the base of the pyramid, where the need is perhaps the strongest and let the budding entrepreneurs do the rest. The investment has been made, albeit in the wrong places.  Thus, the recent market crash and other investment and money market volatility have increased the nervousness of the investors. All that needs to be done now, except recover the lost money, is to find a common platform where investors and entrepreneurs can meet. The US government has to bring them together and help re-create and re-flourish the economy.

Bringing two potential money makers is only the first step. What happens next makes all the difference. To let the Base of the Pyramid initiative take flight, one has to follow a diligent process that includes getting noticed, finding a potential investor who believes in the project and then validating claims by underwriting the opportunity. Once the team is brought together, all that remains to be done is set the ball rolling.

Another requirement of the initiative would be to safeguard the proprietary interests of the entrepreneurs. Since our nation is a pioneer in Research and Development, it becomes essential that each innovation is credited to its rightful owner. Since private companies have taken over most of the R&D that happens within the country, the government has to take extra precautions to ensure that credit is given where it’s due. This is a simple, effective yet unimplemented model of what could be a changing factor for the US economy. If heed is paid where it’s needed, it wouldn’t be hard for the US to rise again. To read more on the topic, log onto www.jobenomics.com

The Great Depression had collapsed the construction industry in 2005, and impacted the sales of homes from 1.5 million to 300 thousand in the year 2009. The efforts of government in bringing the lenders and borrowers to a common table have become difficult. The actions taken by the administration to lower the interest rates on mortgages is not having any positive impact. The bailout plan for the financial institution has not motivated banks to lend more to people.  The latest strategy to refinance to home owners and institutions to modify the principal balances has been great incentive to the construction industry. The administration is relooking at housing finances in hard hit areas and analyzing the role of government in the future. According to Geithner, the failure in the construction industry has been due to the policy that had been adopted by the earlier governments.   To know more log on to www.jobenomics.com

The policies of administration had intervened the housing market and induced growth and subsequent collapse. The administration had insulated the homeowners and lenders to speculate and insulate it. The administration has intervened and now controls the lending mechanism and also actively involved in reviving the housing market by taking appropriate actions. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created to create affordable housing and mortgages to develop communities and help families to invest in homes. Federal Housing Finance Agency works as a super agency including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to create packaged home loans that can be sold as securities to different investors. The FHFA funding is partially done through tax payer’s money and through government created derivatives from the capital market. The FHFA is working on removing the toxicity from mortgage backed securities and is trying to instill confidence in people. They are also working on the mortgage rates to prevent a negative net worth position of the housing market. 

There are different reasons for the present housing market situation due to foreclosures, underwater mortgages and delinquent mortgages and the administration is presently working hard to fix it. You can understand this in detail at www.jobenomics.com.There has been very little success and this has been very critical for the recovery of the housing market. The administration has been earnest in the efforts that bring hope for affordable homeowner program to end the recede. The government initiatives have delayed the foreclosure process but have not stopped the serious delinquencies. The federal housing administration was created to provide insurance for the low income families to reduce the risk. The FHA has increased its fold and has included the higher income group to make it wider. FHA has increased the borrower up-front cash to minimize the loan component. There are several challenges like few qualified borrowers and stringent lending requisites have been making it more difficult for policy makers to improve the real estate crisis. The underwater mortgages and delinquencies have created a shadow wave that has led to increased foreclosure. To mitigate the foreclosure crisis it can be handled by transferring the mortgaged backed securities to the secondary market that will stabilize the market and will eventually increase the housing market.    

Derivatives are financial instrument which allow people to take risk of future price and then create trade of a commodity, loan and mortgage.   It has come into practise several years ago.  At that time it was used as a hedge against risk but unfortunately today it has changed to very risky and unregulated usage for same.  If you want more detailed information on this subject then you can visit www.jobenomics.com

Several years ago, derivatives started due to risk in the agriculture sectors.  Small farmers never had money to put in their fields like buying seeds.  Before the planting season starts they had to go to the merchants and sell their crops for some discounted price. In return merchant used to give them money in advance and again sell that crop to the grocers for a price which included his profit.  Here both the parties derived at a fixed price.  This was the beginning of the concept of derivatives.

At that time this situation was very common and because of this facility a farmer got money for his plantation.  There were many people involved in this process.However there was one risk involved  in the case of drought or flood where there may not be any substantial growth of crops.

According to Warren Buffet, derivative is a financial weapon of mass destruction.    This was his opinion in the year 2003 and he was right as 2008 -2009 recession was because of unrealistic usage of derivatives.  Today even after experiencing recession, derivative is still popular and a part of our economy.

Most of the people in our country are not aware of Derivatives.  Very few people know the real meaning of derivatives.  In the Wall Street, a derivative is used as a financial instrument and for common people who stay in Washington, derivatives are the political problem which brought down the US economy.  The website www.jobenomics.com  will give the correct meaning of the current situation to the common people.

The US government is the largest trader of derivatives in the global secondary market and this is the main reason of the collapse of the US financial system.  Today real estate derivatives are their main source of income when it comes to home mortgage.  They get very high amount in the form of fees and guarantees.

When a person puts his money in derivatives, he is actually placing a bet that the value of that commodity or a real estate will increase or decrease in future by an amount after a certain period of time.  While buying it both the parties will sign a contract that they will buy or sell an asset in the future.  One of the most important things in this contract is that for selling an asset a seller need not be the owner of the asset. 

There are many types of derivatives but the most common derivatives are futures in which you need to do futures contract. It allows the owner to buy or sell the asset on a given date only.  He cannot sell or buy the asset on any other day.  The second most popular type of derivative is the options contract where the owner has an option to buy or sell an asset either before or on a prescribed date but for the specific rate.

There are many signs that indicate that we are experiencing a V-shaped economic recovery. World market capitalization and stock market are showing positive trends. Big banks are recovering and annual deficit spending is decreasing. However, the recovery is not robust. It is only a moderate one and it will take years before our country gets back to normal. Unemployment, status of our currency and public and private debt are the dominant factors in economic recovery.   Jobenomics is an excellent piece of writing by Chuck Vollmer, which lets us understand the viable ways to get economic recovery. We can find a lot of useful information by reading this book.  If you want to buy it, just visit www.jobenomics.com to get additional details.

The Fed, Treasury and FDIC are providing stimuli, bailouts and buyouts to speed up the economic recovery. By the end of 2010, most of the funds will likely be spent. However, we are experiencing several problems like high unemployment rate, dollar status and public debt, which hinder the recovery process. Unemployment rate above 10% will become a serious issue, which could destabilize consumer spending and investor confidence.  The international organizations are already devaluing our currency and forcing for a new reserve currency. A weaker currency can help to make our exports stronger, but we still import more. If oil imports increase by $50 per barrel, due to a weaker currency value and increased demand, we need to spend $219B extra every year. This money could be spent productively on some other purposes.

Public debt worth $12.9T and private debt worth $16.5T could suppress capitalization, which is important for business growth and expansion. The sum of private and public debt is twice the size of our annual Gross Domestic Production. As more and more attention will be given to debt servicing, production of goods and services will receive less attention. However, producing goods and services is crucial to economic growth.

Our country is recovering after two years of struggle. The duration of the Great Recession was about two years and a stable economic recovery will take a long period. Economy can be distressed in many ways. Fluctuations in monetary policy, asset bubbles, financial crises, recessions and oil shocks can affect economy significantly. The Great Recession was in fact a combination of a financial crisis, recession, oil crisis, asset bubble and monetary fluctuation. Hence, it will take more time to recover fully. High demand for capital and resources in rapidly growing markets like China and loss of manufacturing competitiveness in our country can make recovery very difficult.

The 1982-1983 Recession’ recovery was strong. Nearly two million jobs were added to the workforce in the fourth quarter of 1983. However, it took another five years to reduce the official unemployment rate to a normal range.  Recovery after the Great Recession is moderate, so it will take even more time to reduce the unemployment rate to a comfortable level.

Jobenomics analyzes the dominant factors in economic recovery and suggests the practical ways to come out of the crisis. It is an excellent read for people, who have interest in protecting the future of our country. You can get a copy of this book from www.jobenomics.com

The aftereffects of an economic downfall have been felt by every American. In fact till date any of our countrymen (except for the politicians) cannot truthfully warranty a total economic recovery or even put a realistic, affordable time limit on it. The real question on hand is the path to be taken in such an uncertain period. The doubt lies in the sector of investment as some sort of investment say in movable or immovable assets are necessary to build a stable economic portfolio. Therefore a detailed discussion with a financial planner is of prime importance. To read more on the recovery assumptions in America, go to www.jobenomics.com

The positive effects of hiring the services of a qualified financial planner far outweigh the cons if any. A financial planner would be in the best position to lay the cards out for the investor to take his pick and would also he would also be able to offer directions to the same. It is absolutely important to be on the right page with your financial planner as it would give him a better idea of your expectations from the market. In our country at the moment a lot of economists are hell bent on predicting the future of our economy. The honest truth is that absolutely nobody could certify the answer to that question. It is not only difficult but impossible to predict the direction in which we are going due to the complicated global level intricacies involved.

The overall conditions have created certain possible outcomes nonetheless. One of these is the V-shaped recovery strategy, the same one being floated by the government. As expected it provides a very rosy picture and does include certain benefits for the investor. It depends on the assumptions which include a difference of 6% in the GDP and a difference of 5% in the unemployment area. The American market has been doing fairly well as it has recorded a steady rise in the stocks. It is simply according to the laws of physics that the greater the ball drops, the higher it raises.  Know more about this at www.jobenomics.com

In case of a W-shaped recovery the whole equation pertaining to investment changes. The real estate assets bubble would not be able to sustain much longer. A sharp unprecedented rise in the stock markets has been recorded right after the recession. Such momentum is extremely difficult to keep up and thus the market could turn volatile any day. In such a scenario the best thing to be done is to get rid of all the debts as early as possible. It is the nature of debts to slowly but surely eat in to your savings via increasing interest rates, mortgages and other technicalities. It is thus wise to invest conservatively.

An L-shaped recovery strategy paints a cumbersome picture to those already burdened with debt. This would mean a loss for absolutely everyone. Some would obviously loose more than others and in such a case all sorts of assets will become useless and cash would be the answer. The real economic power would stay in the hands of people having cash in their hands.

Chronic unemployment is the biggest problem faced by our country today. More than 11 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits now. Half of them are receiving compensation for more than 26 weeks. The Federal government extends the unemployment compensation period to 99 weeks in some areas, where high unemployment problem persists. A few states need worker contributions, but unemployment compensation is funded largely through employer taxes. This adds the additional pressure on job creation sector in our country. In order to solve these problems, we first need to understand the effects of long term unemployment. Jobenomics, an excellent price of writing written by Chuck Vollmer gives plenty of details that help you to know employment crisis and job creation better. If you want to buy this book, just follow this link www.jobenomics.com

It is estimated that nearly 100 million Americans (one third of total population) receive some form of benefit relating to long term unemployment. Unemployment compensation, food allowance, housing assistance, Medicaid, free cell phones, educational benefits and other cash programs are included in the safety net benefit programs of our government. They exclude only Social security and Medicare benefits.  Our government is spending nearly $500 billion per year in these programs. If long term unemployment persists, the government may need to give permanent entitlements, instead of temporary reliefs.

One of the US Senators tried to reduce unemployment compensation in March 2010. He faced severe protestations from the public, who blamed that he was too unsympathetic to cut these benefits. Even the members of his own conservative party did not come to his rescue. Washington politicians have learnt a lesson from this. They have understood that unemployment benefit is an emotional issue and it is better to consider it as an entitlement.

The number of people who are unemployed for long term (more than 26 weeks) has increased from 3.7 million in April 2009 to 6.7 million in April 2010. The median duration of long term unemployment has increased from 11.7 weeks to 21.6 weeks. If this situation continues, it will be the major factor in determining our budget. Many long term unemployed are in real danger now. The effects of unemployment are often chronic. When the unemployment benefits have exhausted, they have no other way except borrowing from their friends and family and selling precious valuables. Enhancing the period of unemployment benefits will not offer a solution to this problem. Creating high value, enduring job is the only possible way to get rid of this problem.

The number of jobs available for unemployed is reducing significantly. In the last decade, one in two applicants got a job. Now, only one in six applicants is getting a job. The problem is severe for unskilled workers. They have to wait for a long time even for applying for a suitable job. Jobs creation in private sector can provide a solution to this. If we do not create new jobs, the number of workers moving from employment to underemployment, unemployment and long term unemployment will increase rapidly.

Chuck Vollmer’s Jobenomics book supports the 20 million jobs by 2020 campaign. It specifies the ways to implement it in a simple language. Get your copy of this informative book by visiting www.jobenomics.com

The annually held medcical conference on International Breath Analysis Meeting this year will be taking place in the United States October 29 – November 4, in Sonoma, California. This University of California at Davis event provides a platform for innovators to display their latest innovations and technologies in healthcare.  As human breath analysis further develops as a multidisciplinary field it is clear that sensor development, instrumentation systems, and algorithms play critical roles within this medical research area. Although much emphasis in the last decade has focused on breath biometric compound identification and physiological relevance, there is a turn of attention towards portable, fieldable sensor platforms for non-invasive breath monitoring. Topics will include technologies for screening for diseases like cancer and infections by breath analysis.  In a phone interview today, the organizer of the event, Cristina Davis PhD, stated “there will be a wide variety of attendees at the conference with both small and large companies, plus representatives from government and universities.”

The purpose of this international workshop is to assemble a group of leading experts around the world in this field to discuss their own research, debate trends, and future directions in the field. They will also contemplate areas of research that deserve special attention in the field moving forward. This year's conference attendees are coming from 18 different countries including 14 different states in the United States, from over 50 cities from around the globe. Over 20 companies ranging from startups to mid to large corporations will be present including over 10 government agencies and laboratories and over 40 academic universities and medical centers.

The workshop begins with Nick Kenyan and his discussion of clinical breath testing as a multidisciplinary field for engineers, clinicians, scientists and entrepreneurs. Jochen Schubert will speak on biomarkers and non-invasive biochemical analysis. Michael Epton from Australia at Christchurch Hospital will speak on and moderate topics on tuberculosis and other infections, plus breath markers for tuberculosis, specific volatiles for tuberculosis detection, and detection of tuberculosis with specific techniques and arrays. 

Additional topics will be presented, including one by Perena Gouma that will include personalized breath diagnostics, based on selective chemosensors.  There will also be topics of screening for Cystic Fibrosis, drugs, evolution of metabolites in breath, ways of using gas chromatography, analysis of different chemicals including ammonia and ketones that can help with the care of intensive care patients, as well as ways to assess pulmonary function. 

There will be a presentation at the medical conference by Pascal Girard of Oracle on how to deal with big data. Oracle's new work with the National Cancer Institute and how it can help the breath analysis community.  Other topics will include measurements of metabolites for cancer detection including DNA and RNA markers of cancer in breath samples.

October 18, 2012 (New Orleans, LA) – In today’s data-driven society, more people are using both print materials and online resources to help make their purchasing decisions. This has created a strong need for businesses to engage in both Internet marketing and offline marketing efforts. For small businesses, a dual approach has previously been difficult as both approaches tend to require significant investment to be worthwhile. Now, Infintech Designs has taken this need and met it by offering both offline marketing materials and search engine marketing resources for small businesses to help them stay more competitive on a shoestring budget.

Offline, small businesses use their presence at trade shows and around the community to help build brand awareness. This involves handing out brochures, hanging up flyers and sending out direct mail. When consumers get this, they are met with graphics and messaging that immediately give an image of what that business offers and what the brand stands for. For interested customers, a search online to learn more is not an uncommon next step.

When consumers go online, they expect to see the same images and graphic designs. This includes website design and search engine optimization so that the company can easily be found when the customer does their investigative search. A dual marketing campaign, such as that offered by Infintech Designs, helps make this more effective. By having the same designer create graphics for a website that are similar to those on print materials, a company is able to promote a stronger brand and maintain efforts across both mediums. This helps small businesses enhance their branding efforts so that they can create a more well-recognized presence in their communities faster and with less investment.

Infintech Designs is proud to announce this merged service. Through this service, consumers get access to a single marketing company to manage online campaigns as well as graphic design for offline marketing materials. By using one company for all marketing efforts, small businesses get help to create more effective campaigns at a lower cost, which can have a dramatic effect on the bottom line.

About Infintech Designs: Infintech Designs is an all-inclusive marketing company delivering both online and offline services to small businesses. With their innovative approach, businesses are able to go through only one marketing service to streamline efforts in print and on the Internet. This helps small businesses without a marketing department save costs and compete with high level marketers. For more information on their services and to view their portfolio of webpages and graphics, visit their website at www.InfintechDesigns.com

Contact Person: Brian Hong

Phone: 504 717 4837

Email: info@Infintechdesigns.com

Website: http://www.InfintechDesigns.com

Address:  

Infintech Designs
3110 Magazine St., #120
New Orleans, LA 70115