Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
-- International BioChemical Industries, Inc., Formerly BioShield Technologies, Inc --
/FROM PR NEWSWIRE ATLANTA 404-231-1814/
TO BUSINESS, MEDICAL AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS:
International BioChemical Industries, Inc., Formerly BioShield Technologies,
Inc. Receives New Stock Ticker Symbol IBCL
ATLANTA, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
International BioChemical Industries, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IBCL),
formerly BioShield Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BSTI) announces
today that it received its new stock ticker symbol (IBCL) from the National
Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). The new symbol IBCL will commence
trading upon the open of the market Monday, October 7th, 2002 and will replace
the old symbol BSTI on Nasdaq's Over The Counter Market.
"We look forward to setting a new direction for the company under our new
name and trading symbol IBCL. If you should have any questions about this
symbol change, please contact your broker or investment advisor for additional
information. If you would like to speak with a representative at
International BioChemical Industries, please feel free to contact us at our
office number posted below," said Deirdre Baker, General Manager of
International BioChemical Industries, Inc.
About International BioChemical Industries, Inc. (formerly BioShield
Technologies, Inc.):
International BioChemical Industries, Inc., is a Norcross, Georgia-based
emerging growth company focused in biotechnology and antimicrobial products.
Its core business is committed to the discovery, development, marketing and
sale of surface-modifying antimicrobial and biostatic products. The company's
antimicrobial technology is a revolutionary alternative to conventional
sanitizers, disinfectants, bleaches, biocides or preservatives primarily
because it kills bacteria, including HIV, on contact and can remain active for
extended time periods. To date, the Company has received three US patents and
eight EPA registrations, including the first U.S. germ killer and disinfectant
against Salmonella cholerasuis, Staphylococcus aureus and other
microorganisms. The company has developed several alliances in different
industries, such as healthcare, textiles and storm water.
Further information on International BioChemical Industries and its line
of products can be found by visiting the firm's web site at
http://www.bioshield.com , or by calling 1-770-925-3653, Tim Moses.
Safe Harbor/Forward-looking Statements;
Statements in this news release that are not historical are forward-
looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, all of which are
difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the company,
including areas such as: developing technologies; dependence on collaborative
partners; the inherent complexity and uncertainty regarding the development of
products; early-stage development of International BioChemical Industries; the
result of research and development efforts; future capital needs; uncertainty
of additional funding; government regulations; and other factors which are
detailed in the company's periodic reports and registration statements filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. International BioChemical
Industries does not undertake to revise or update any forward-looking
statement to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date
hereof. BioShield is a trademark of International BioChemical Industries,
Inc.
MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X83946119
SOURCE International BioChemical Industries, Inc.
/CONTACT: Tim Moses of International BioChemical Industries,
Inc.,+1-770-925-3653/
/Web site: http://www.bioshield.com /
Symbols:
US;BSTI
04-Oct-2002 14:58:00 GMT
Source PRN - PR Newswire
Fred --
Regarding keeping in touch with my "disposition," I am but your humble servant and always at your disposal, kind Sir.
Simply guide me to another realm, and I shall attempt to participate on a periodic basis.
In the meantime, should you wish to contact me directly, please call the Sunnyvale Mental Hospital. I'm in cell #420 North, but hope to be released in the not-too-distant future. The doctors say that I am doing much better now following the cattle-prod shock therapy . . . I've learned to stop screaming every time I hear the word "magic."
v
BB -- No problem! As stock-market investors, we're all in punk moods these days.
v
Hey BB!!
No, actually quite the opposite. I was "insinuating" that if BSTI products were involved, this lawsuit in all likelihood wouldn't have happened. This is just another prime example of the potential for BSTI-type products, and this type of announcement (material class-action lawsuits) could be a wake-up call for many manufacturers to give consideration to using mold/mildew preventative agents in their products (and of course some already do).
Sorry I confused you!
v
GG -- FYI:
WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Masco Corp <MAS.N>, which
makes Delta faucets and Kraftmaid cabinets, on Thursday said
its Behr Process unit (paints, stains, varnishes) had lost a class-action
suit and the claims to be paid out could result in material losses for Masco.
Plaintiffs in the civil suit brought in Washington State
Superior Court alleged that a Behr wood coating product
resulted in excessive mildew to surfaces that were coated.
The company denies the allegations, it said in the filing.
v
Fred -- Good one!! eom & eoGMGC
Fred --
Very good move re RHAT . . . every little bit helps!!
"Fred's Advisory Management of Equities" (FAME).
Hey, I like the sound of that!!
Can I subscribe to your investment newsletter?
I need some help!
v
Fred --
End of an era . . . sad:
18-Sep-2002 09:01 RTRS -- General Magic to discontinue operations
v
-- BioShield Technologies Receives Extended Patent Approval From U.S. Patent Office --
/FROM PR NEWSWIRE ATLANTA 404-231-1814/
TO BUSINESS, MEDICAL AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS:
BioShield Technologies Receives Extended Patent Approval From U.S. Patent
Office on BioShield's AM500 Antimicrobial; Secures a Broader Array of Claims
And Potential Applications
ATLANTA, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
BioShield Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BSTI) announces today that
it has recently received from the U.S. Patent Office an approval extending
BioShield's AM500 antimicrobial, securing the rights to a broader array of
applications and formularies. This new patent approval helps to solidify
BioShield's positioning in the coatings industry and various other industries
to control the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew and algae for both indoor or
outdoor applications. The final patent filing and respective claims are
anticipated to be issued as a U.S. Registered Patent within the next few
months.
Deirdre Baker, BioShield's General Manager stated, "this new Patent
approval contributes a great deal to our competitive advantage, creates new
barriers to entry for our competition to participate in the antimicrobial and
antibacterial industries, and further enhances and protects BioShield's
intellectual property portfolio. The approval of this Patent further
solidifies BioShield's position in the antimicrobial industry as having one of
the broadest product lines that provide the benefit of being essentially non-
toxic, water-based, non-leaching and having long-term effectiveness. Over the
past five years, BioShield has invested over $20 million in product research
and development, EPA registrations and patent filings and this latest
milestone is another great example of the value that is created with
BioShield's technology foundation."
Fred --
Not to worry! At least that's what the stock seems to be saying.
I'm sure the company is feverishly re-engineering itself (again) as we speak . . . I saw this sign outside their offices <g>:
http://www.ou.edu/student/spsweb/pics/conbar02.gif
Or is the crew simply putting the finishing touches on the burial tomb?
Stay tuned.
v
Fred --
Perhaps not "doubling down" was fortuitous.
Doubling over (in agony) is more like it.
30-Aug-2002 15:05 *DJ "General Magic Receives Non-Compliance Notice From Nasdaq"
Hope you're doing well otherwise.
v (definitely lower case)
OT: Bob --
You got it!! (But the way I write, it's gonna look a lot more like a rainstorm of <g's> than a sprinkling!!)
Which reminds me . . .
I'm relatively new to this whole posting thing (I'm a card-carrying computer illiterate), and thus not quite up to speed yet on all of the nomenclature, acronyms, symbols, etc., used by posters.
I'd often see <g>, <gg>, etc., at the end of sentences, and had no idea what it was. So a couple months ago I PM'd a buddy of mine (who's been an active poster on RB and SI for years) and asked him what it meant, figuring he'd know. Here's verbatim what he replied: "I think it's like clenching your teeth & going gurrr,.. (almost like growling) but not laughing."
Well, that confused me even more! But after reading enough posts recently, I finally figured it out. Sometimes we gotta walk before we can run . . . bear with me!!
Have a great weekend --
and try to get some sleep
v
Bob --
Yes, it was totally T-I-C, and I apologize profusely to you and any and all others who might have misinterpreted it as being an accurate statement (although I wish it were!).
Fred and I kid around a lot (helps to relieve the tensions of being a shareholder these days), and I knew he would get a kick out of it (since he's well aware that probably nobody in the universe, except he, I and you, read this board anymore!).
Nonetheless, your quick response was yet again another confirmation in my mind that you never sleep, but instead monitor goings-on at iHub 24/7 . . . don't know how you do it!!
Again, sorry, and I'll try to be more straightforward in the future with my comments, and confine the witty (or un-witty) banter to the PM venue.
Thanks for checking in and allowing me to clarify.
v
P.S. -- Perhaps a "hit" count would indeed be a cool stat of interest to some iHubbers. Just what you need is one more program to write, huh??!!
Fred -- Yes, yes, quite right!!
We're being watched!!
In fact, I have it on the highest of authority that for the past three months this thread has more average daily hits (in more ways than one) than any other thread/board at iHub.
Lurkers galore hang on our every word, just awaitin' for the next pearls of wisdom. Ours is a daunting task, but we handle it so well . . . many have tried, few have succeeded!!
On another note, the bashers/shorts are out in droves over at RB . . . seems they're gettin' real nervous watchin' good ol' GMGC amovin' on up (she's jumped 88% in the past week -- not too shabby), and fer the life of 'em, they just can't figure out why she's aheadin' up, even tho the answer is as plain as the noses (growing ever longer) on their faces. It's all very amusing watchin' 'em squirm and try'n as best they can to talk the stock down. Check it out!!
v
OT: Hey, Fred!!
I'm curious!! Why the demotion from Big V to small v??
Is it perhaps an amazing display of your clairvoyancy in ascertaining that I have in fact lost 10 lbs in the past few weeks??
Or are you surreptitiously referring to 1) the obvious paucity of my investment acumen lately;
and/or 2) the fact that the stock market has whittled me down to size?
Or are you simply making an astute observation about the size of my retirement account?
LOL!!
(You'd be right on all counts.)
Anyway, on another irrelevant subject, I thought the quote below (from Bill Miller, a successful mutual fund manager who's outperformed the market for the past 11 years) was interesting:
. . . Miller offered an upbeat view of the overall market, citing a growing economy, rising earnings, strong consumer spending and low unemployment.
"Anyone who is now selling stocks at multi-year lows in the third year of a bear market after the worst period in 15 years might want to consider whether this is likely to constitute a successful investment strategy," he wrote.
Wow! I feel much better now!!
The Bear market is dead . . . long live the Bull!!
("Bull" being something that Wall Street has long been known for producing in copious quantities.)
v (formerly aka V)
Another repeat message. EOM
Repeat message deleted. EOM
Fred --
Well, speaking of laughing matters (altho in GMGC's case, it's no laughing matter), the 10-Q reads pretty badly, with all kinds of caveats to keep the lawyers happy.
But if there's any glimmer of hope, it would appear to be found in the following paragraph:
"On August 2, 2002, the Company signed a non-binding term sheet with an institutional investor that specializes in investing in high risk companies (a "Potential Investor"), providing that the Potential Investor will invest $5,000,000 in exchange for preferred stock and warrants if and only if the Company is able to find additional investors that will invest an additional $5,000,000 in capital (the "Additional Investors") in a $10,000,000 round."
The upside is that if (and admittedly it's a big IF) they can raise the other $5 mil., then the company is probably in good shape to continue operating as is for quite awhile longer as they await some new business coming in the door (the downside being more potential dilution, of course). If not, well, things look bleak indeed.
Ahhh-h, will this teasing never stop??
v
OT -- Fred:
Well, things ain't really so bad . . .
As I reflect back about my life, I started out with nothing . . .
And by golly, after all that's happened since, I've still got most of it left!!
v
OT? -- Fred, guess what?!
I no longer have to type . . .
Fed up with that archaic method of communication, I finally broke down two weeks ago and went out and bought my first IBM "VVR" (Virtual Voice Response) Personal Computer (with "General Magic inside").
I simply talk and watch my words instantly appear across the screen, with General Magic's "On-the-fly Grammatical/Spell-check Feature" being a real aid to accurate sentence structure and spelling, and even word-selection choices.
For example, when I was entering an order for a stock the other day, Mary's sweet voice said to me, "Do you mean buy, b-u-y, or do you really mean bye, b-y-e, as in say bye-bye to your money?" She got me to thinking, "What the heck am I doing?" So I said, "Thanks, Mary, I meant bye." And immediately I was disconnected from my discount broker. Is that cool, or what??!! That one question from her saved me enough money to pay for my new PC several times over.
The entire voice-recognition/response system really works quite splendidly, and it also saves me much mental anguish over the possibility of carpal tunnel troubles down the road.
You really ought to get one and try it out, Fred . . . you'll never go back to the old-fashioned weigh of doing things again. (Mary, I said way, as in w-a-y, not weigh . . . please change the word, Mary . . . No, I don't mean change the word to Mary, Mary. No, I'm not merry, Mary, and no, Mary, I don't want to marry you. Hello? Mary? Mary, are you there? Come back!! I didn't mean to offend you!!)
Ahhh-h, the miracles of modern science.
Where's my typewriter?
v
OT -- Fred:
Sorry about all the alliteration last nite . . .
I was in an "H" of a mood!! Ha!!
v
Fred -- A Harbinger of Hope?
For those headstrong hangers-on and humbled (hapless?) Horatio Algers hunting for hopeful hooks upon which to hang their hats (or even for those heinous hangmen who are hastily -- but perhaps prematurely -- heating up a hearty helping of hasenpfeffer), here are half a handful of halcyon happenings:
" . . . accelerating our strategy to partner with top companies in our space . . .
. . . taken significant cost-cutting measures . . .
. . . working with OnStar to transition the Virtual Advisor to J2EE and the magicTalk Enterprise Platform . . . an important proof point for our strategy . . . opening up opportunities for adoption for General Magic software in other OnStar applications . . .
. . . we were able to achieve an increase in rates, which is expected to make the contract more profitable . . .
. . . we currently have a non-binding term sheet under negotiation . . . we hope to announce something shortly."
Okay, so perhaps I'm just a hallucinating harlequin (or hebephrenic) harping hopelessly about haruspication; i.e, all of the above happenings may simply be hoodwinks, hokum and hooey and, in any event, hardly enough to help the patient's health at this hideously late hour. Hey, hand me the hemlock!!
v
SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
General Magic, Inc. (Nasdaq: GMGC), a pioneer in voice application software
and services, today announced operating results for the second quarter ended
June 30, 2002.
Revenue for the second quarter ended June 30, 2002, was $2.1 million,
compared with $2.5 million reported in the first quarter of 2002 and with $1.0
million reported in the second quarter of 2001.
Net loss applicable to common shareholders for the second quarter of 2002
was $5.4 million or a loss of $0.04 per diluted share, compared with $5.3
million or a loss of $0.06 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2002 and
with $7.8 million or a loss of $0.11 per diluted share in the second quarter a
year ago. At June 30, 2002, there were 127.3 million shares of common stock
outstanding.
Operating expenses for the second quarter were $7.9 million, including a
restructuring charge of approximately $513,000. This compares with $7.7
million in the first quarter of 2002 and with $8.9 million for the second
quarter of 2001. Cash and short-term investments totaled $6.5 million as of
June 30, 2002, compared with $12.1 million at March 31, 2002. The second
quarter cash burn was $5.5 million.
Management Qualitative Comments
"The second quarter was a mixed quarter for General Magic," said Kathie
Layton, president and chief executive officer. "Revenue came in lower than we
expected, due primarily to difficult market conditions and tight controls on
IT spending, resulting in a more complex decision process and longer sales
cycles.
"We have responded to the current climate by taking the appropriate
measures to expedite our sales process and bring our expenses down. As we
announced earlier this month, we are accelerating our strategy to partner with
top companies in our space in order to extend our sales capabilities, shorten
the sales cycle and offer a more complete solution. We have embarked on this
path with our partnership with IntervoiceBrite, announced in April, and with
our more recent partnership announcement with Voice Genie.
"We have also taken significant cost-cutting measures, including a
reduction in our workforce and compensation reductions for our senior level
management.
"We were pleased to be able to announce our new one-year contract with
OnStar, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors, valued at $2.4 million.
This new contract is in addition to our hosting agreement and extends the
prior agreement to develop and maintain the Virtual Advisor. Under the new
contract, General Magic will be working with OnStar to transition the Virtual
Advisor to J2EE and the magicTalk Enterprise Platform. This is an important
proof point for our strategy. OnStar will now have a site license to the
magicTalk Enterprise Platform, opening up opportunities for adoption for
General Magic software in other OnStar applications.
"While the revenue value of the contract is lower than our previous
contract, we were able to achieve an increase in rates, which is expected to
make the contract more profitable for General Magic. Furthermore, in order to
bring our current staffing for OnStar in line with the expected revenue level
and reduced support requirements, we have reduced the size of our team
dedicated to OnStar by approximately 60 percent. We believe that the new
agreement with OnStar represents a very positive step for both our companies.
"Finally, the completion of our reverse split not only brings us closer to
compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements, it also allows us to make
significant progress in our efforts to secure funding. We currently have a
non-binding term sheet under negotiation and, while the outcome is uncertain,
we hope to announce something shortly."
Guidance
The following guidance for the third quarter is based on the company's
current beliefs and expectations.
-- Revenue in the third quarter of 2002 is anticipated to be in the range
of $1.4 to $2.2 million.
-- Cost of revenues and operating expenses for the third quarter of 2002
are expected to be between $6.4 and $7.0 million. Included in this
projection is approximately $600,000 in depreciation and amortization
expense. This reduction in expenses reflects much of the cost-cutting
measures announced earlier in the quarter.
-- Net cash burn prior to any financings is expected to be between $3.8
and $4.1 million for the third quarter of 2002. This includes
severance payments of approximately $400,000.
Conference Call Information
General Magic will be holding a conference call to discuss these results
today, Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 1:30 p.m. PDT. The live call-in telephone
number is 415-228-4943, passcode "General Magic." A replay will be available
by calling 402-998-1283. A webcast of the call will be available through the
investor relations portion of the company's website at www.generalmagic.com.
About General Magic
General Magic is a leading voice infrastructure software company that
provides enterprise-class software and supporting voice dialog design and
hosting services that enable companies to quickly and efficiently provide
anytime, anywhere access to information and services over the telephone.
General Magic's VoiceXML & J2EE(TM)-based solutions enable enterprises to
easily integrate voice access into enterprise applications using a broad
selection of speech recognition technologies and telephony interfaces. These
solutions make voice a strategic tool in helping businesses improve the
customer experience, reduce transaction costs, and provide high quality, voice
branded access to content and services. General Magic is headquartered in
Sunnyvale, Calif. For additional information, visit www.generalmagic.com.
-- BioShield Executives Receive Favorable Summary Judgment Against AHT Corporation --
/FROM PR NEWSWIRE ATLANTA 404-231-1814/
TO BUSINESS, MEDICAL AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS:
BioShield Executives Receive Favorable Summary Judgment Against AHT
Corporation
Summary Judgment Decision by Southern District Bankruptcy Court, New York;
No Liability For Bioshield Executives
ATLANTA, July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BioShield Technologies, Inc
(OTC Bulletin Board: BSTI) announced today that the United States Bankruptcy
Court for the Southern District of New York, overseeing the case of AHT
Corporation vs. BioShield Technologies, Inc., and certain directors and
officers of the Company as defendants, has awarded a summary judgment in favor
of certain officers and directors of Bioshield Technologies in a decision that
was handed down on July 16, 2002 by the Honorable Judge Hardin.
Tim Moses stated "this is phenomenal news for the executives of Bioshield
and removes a burden that has hung over our heads for over a year and a half.
We are hopeful that this will serve as a springboard to resolving the rest of
this case in the near future and moving forward with a renewed focus on
building BioShield Technologies and finally putting this distraction behind
us."
AHT still has the opportunity to seek to overturn the favorable decision
BioShield executives received. Although the final outcome of this case cannot
be determined at this time, BioShield's management believes in the potential
for favorable developments on the corporate level that will positively impact
BioShield Technologies, Inc. and its shareholders.
About Bioshield Technologies, Inc.:
BioShield Technologies, Inc., is a Norcross Georgia-based emerging growth
company focused in biotechnology and antimicrobial products. Its core
business is committed to the discovery, development, marketing and sale of
surface-modifying antimicrobial and biostatic products. The company's
antimicrobial technology is a revolutionary alternative to conventional
sanitizers, disinfectants, bleaches, biocides or preservatives primarily
because it kills bacteria, including HIV, on contact and can remain active for
extended time periods. To date BioShield has received three US patents and
eight EPA registrations, including the first U.S. germ killer and disinfectant
against Salmonella cholerasuis, Staphylococcus aureus and other
microorganisms. The company has developed several alliances in different
industries, such as healthcare, textiles and storm water.
Further information on BioShield and its line of products can be found by
visiting the firm's web site at http://www.bioshield.com , or by calling
1-770-925-3653, Tim Moses.
Fred --
They say "Money talks."
It's true . . .
In fact, I just heard mine whisper "Goodbye!!"
(Hopefully it's just taking a vacation, rather than leaving me for good . . .
divorce can be such an ugly thing.)
And Bears can be such brutal, unsympathetic animals.
Mauled and Appalled,
v
Fred --
New 12-month low on the Dow -- ouch!
New 12-month low on the S&P 500 -- double ouch!!
New 12-month low on the NAS -- strike three!!!
I'm out (of money . . . not my stocks, unfortunately!!!!)
v
Fred:
Apparently there are still some life-forms moving about at 420 North Mary Avenue:
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 9, 2002--
New Series Examines How Voice Self-Service Capabilities Can Solve Real
Business Problems Now; Follows Successful Webinar Series
on Critical IT and Software Development Issues
General Magic, Inc. (Nasdaq:GMGC), a pioneer in enterprise voice
infrastructure software, today announced a series of online Executive
Briefings on the business benefits of extending existing Web-based
enterprise infrastructure and applications to everyone with a
telephone. Aimed at business unit general managers and executives with
responsibility for anticipating and responding to demand for anytime,
anywhere access to services, the Webinar series will examine how voice
self-service capabilities can solve real business problems now,
reducing costs while increasing revenues, customer satisfaction, and
workforce productivity. The Executive Series presented by General
Magic executives and guest speakers from the industry will air monthly
beginning July 25, 2002.
"Customers, suppliers, partners and employees are demanding access
to business software applications and executives are under tremendous
competitive pressure to devise and implement programs to anticipate
and respond to those needs," said Kathie Layton, General Magic's CEO.
"These Executive Briefings will provide insight for the executives who
must develop the business initiatives that capitalize on voice user
interfaces."
The Executive Briefings are an extension of General Magic's
earlier "Voice Enabling the Enterprise" educational program, which
attracted more than 350 IT executives and developers. Conducted over a
five-week period in May and June of this year, the Webinar series
helped clarify how voice user interfaces can extend existing Web-based
enterprise infrastructure and applications over the telephone to
customers, suppliers, partners and employees.
Each Executive Briefing offers an interactive forum on how
integrated Web and voice self-service can be applied to solve real
business problems today. For more information or to register for any
of the General Magic Executive Briefings, please register online at
http://www.genmagic.com/solutions/execbriefings.shtml.
About General Magic
General Magic is a leading voice infrastructure software company
that provides enterprise-class software and supporting voice dialog
design and hosting services that enable companies to quickly and
efficiently provide anytime, anywhere access to information and
services over the telephone. General Magic's VoiceXML & J2EE(TM)-based
solutions enable enterprises to easily integrate voice access into
enterprise applications using a broad selection of speech recognition
technologies and telephony interfaces. These solutions make voice a
strategic tool in helping businesses improve the customer experience,
reduce transaction costs, and provide high quality, voice branded
access to content and services. General Magic is headquartered in
Sunnyvale, Calif. For additional information, visit
www.generalmagic.com.
OT -- Yo, Fred!!
Glad you enjoyed.
And you're right about the next number possibly being lower (it sure is today!). Could just as easily be 7 again, as in 7,11,7,11,7,11 . . . an ad nauseam redundancy potentially benefitting only skilled traders at the expense of long-range investors (if there are any left these days).
Re your Bluetoothbrush, I'm not sure about WCOM, but MOT and MSFT are no doubt involved in the hardware/software. In any event, you need not worry about "death by deception" . . . electrocution is more likely.
And speaking of "Is nothing sacred?", you can't even trust what you're eating nowadays:
Andrew Osborn in Brussels
Wednesday June 26, 2002
The Guardian
The Parmesan war ended in victory for aficionados of the hard salty cheese yesterday when the European court of justice ruled that other grated cheeses sold in European supermarkets can no longer be passed off as the real thing.
In a final judgment, it said that only Parmesan made according to the traditional recipe, matured for two years and without additives, can be labelled as genuine parmigiano reggiano.
The guild of Parmesan makers in Parma have been locked in a legal battle with an exporter for the past three years, since the Italian police, acting on its complaint, raided a warehouse where "Parmesan" produced by a company called Nuovo Castelli was stored.
It turned out to be a blended mixture of dried pasteurised cheeses of different origins, but was sold as genuine Parmesan in the UK and France, although not in Italy, where the law is stricter.
The guild took criminal proceedings against the company for misleading customers and bringing Parmesan's reputation into disrepute.
The court said it agreed with the guild and set an important precedent that will allow other prestige food producers to see off cheap imitations.
"For reasons of consumer protection and fair competition 'imitation' Parmesan manufactured in Italy is not eligible for protection," the court said.
The Italian agriculture minister, Gianni Alemannom, said: "This is an important decision that will help protect the consumer and typical national products."
The European commission is setting up a global registry of protected products with geographic connections.
Fred, re Seven come Eleven, you called it!!
Re "what's next?" I had a similar question on an IQ-type test, restated below to fit your question:
What number comes next in this series?
7, 11, ...
I'd be tempted to say 15, but that seems far too easy and obvious (and such tests are usually surreptitiously tricky). So perhaps it's 21 to fit with the lucky number theme. Or maybe it's 18 (with the next being 22). Not sure what the answer really is, if indeed there is a correct one. Like GMGC, it appears that there aren't sufficient data points to reach a firm conclusion. But I would guess that the next couple weeks or so will provide enough clues (i.e., company developments) to figure out what comes next.
Re "a little stirring under the blankets," I don't think I'll touch that one.
Re "have my home telephone removed," that probably won't do you any good . . . their "push" might be strong enough to find you no matter what you do (your Bluetooth-brush might start ringing while you're brushing . . . talk about garbled speech!!).
And re "I wouldn't need to talk to anyone, anyway," hey, don't forget your banker . . . he'll be happy to hear from you.
v
Well, after a long silence, here comes some news and the stock seems to like it (so far):
General Magic, Inc. (Nasdaq:GMGC), a pioneer in enterprise voice
infrastructure software, today announced a series of important
enhancements to its magicTalk(R) Enterprise Platform suite of software
that significantly increases the ability of enterprises to rapidly
develop and deploy self-service voice applications accessible by
telephone. Available now, the magicTalk Enterprise Platform 1.5
integrates key technologies from General Magic's recently signed OEM
partner InterVoice-Brite, Inc., for the delivery of a wide range of
computer-telephony integration (CTI) and other advanced telephony
functions to the fast-growing market for next-generation interactive
voice response (IVR) solutions that leverage Internet/Web
technologies.
"The new capabilities in the magicTalk Enterprise Platform extend
it as the enterprise voice platform of choice for companies seeking to
provide voice access to their e-business applications and expand call
center automation," said Paula Skokowski, VP Marketing, General Magic.
"With the magicTalk Enterprise Platform as their voice infrastructure,
companies can quickly deploy voice-enabled enterprise applications
that enable customers, employees, partners and suppliers to access
content and execute transactions in the most cost-effective manner,
leveraging the same business logic and enterprise software across Web,
wireless and voice services."
By combining the advanced technologies of General Magic and
InterVoice-Brite, the magicTalk Enterprise Platform provides a
Web-based IVR solution incorporating voice user interfaces that
humanize the caller's experience of self-service phone applications.
Important new features in the magicTalk Enterprise Platform for making
Web-based IVR a key channel for use by companies in extending voice
self-service to customers and other constituents include:
-- Voice alerts and notifications. Using the magicTalk
Enterprise Platform companies can now "push" targeted
information over the voice channel to any device to gain
recipient's attention and/or spur action. Expanded
outbound call support within the magicTalk Enterprise
Platform, including live call detection and live agent
transfer, enables enterprises to not only broadcast alerts
and "push" notifications across the voice channel but also
provide the recipient with a voice user interface to take
action based on the alert. For example, outbound voice
notifications can be used to notify customers of account
status and activity, product shipments or product
promotions and the voice user interface can offer
customers the opportunity to take action on the spot, such
as request increase in credit limit, schedule a delivery
time, or purchase a product over the phone.
-- VoiceXML 2.0 compliant browser. The magicTalk Enterprise
Platform supports voice applications written to the latest
version of the VoiceXML specification - VoiceXML 2.0.
Bundled with the magicTalk Enterprise Platform is a
front-end component called the magicTalk VoiceXML Gateway
that manages the VoiceXML-based voice user interface for
voice self-service transactions and inquiries over any
wireless/wireline phone. The magicTalk VoiceXML gateway
recognizes caller's input and requests and presents
information to the caller either in the form of
pre-recorded prompts or personalized voice responses
dynamically generated from up-to-date enterprise data.
-- Out-of-the-box telephony functions. The telephony
functions in the magicTalk VoiceXML Gateway provide the
ability to answer, screen and transfer large volumes of
calls simultaneously. Inbound calls can be screened using
Automatic Number Identification (ANI) and Dialed Number
Identification (DNIS) recognition. Options for
transferring calls include Blind Transfer, Music-on-Hold,
Digital Answer Detect and Smart Transfer. Outbound call
support allows push notifications. User data input and
menu selection can be done either through spoken input or
through the touchtone keypad (DTMF).
-- Extensive CTI support. The magicTalk Enterprise Platform
supports the most widely used computer-telephony
interfaces, allowing seamless integration of voice-enabled
applications with contact center solutions. Available CTI
interfaces include Aspect Contact Server; Aspect
Application Bridge CTI v5, v7; TSAPI Passageway
(Avaya/Lucent G3); Cisco Intelligent Contact Manager with
Service Control, Dialogic CT-Connect CTI v3; Genesys 6.1
IVR and T-server; TAPI 2.0 CTI Interface; OAI Intecom; HP
CCM v5.8; Quintus VOX Server v5.0; Nortel Meridian
Link/Interlink; CT-Connect 5.0; 3G Support; Analog to
Digital T1 or E1 connectivity; ISDN, CAS, SS7 protocol
support for both AT&T and Nortel, including NFAS;
Port-to-Port switching, bridging, conferencing and full
application level call control.
About General Magic
General Magic is a leading voice infrastructure software company
that provides enterprise-grade software and supporting voice dialog
design and hosting services that enable companies to quickly and
efficiently provide anytime, anywhere access to information and
services over the telephone. General Magic's VoiceXML & J2EE(TM)-based
solutions enable enterprises to easily integrate voice access into
enterprise applications using a broad selection of speech recognition
technologies and telephony interfaces. These solutions make voice a
strategic tool in helping businesses improve the customer experience,
reduce transaction costs, and provide high quality, voice branded
access to content and services. General Magic is headquartered in
Sunnyvale, Calif. For additional information, visit
www.generalmagic.com.
OT -- Fred
Hey, nice poem . . . you've missed your calling!
Re gut feeling, the feeling's all gone at the moment. Kinda like a shot of Novacaine . . . all numbed up. Hope it wears off soon so I can "stomach" some more stock purchases!
But I'm about out of investable funds . . . spent most of my money on wine, women and song (and stocks) and, as some rogue once said, I've squandered the rest!
Of course, it's all been a fun trip (albeit a round trip) and worth it, 'cause I've gotten to meet a lot of swell people like you.
v
Well, this excerpt from the Barton Biggs' interview suggests that maybe we're getting close (assuming that he knows what the heck he's talking about!!):
-- BARRON'S: Barron's 2002 Midyear Roundtable --
By Lauren R. Rublin
Barron's: Rumor has it you've turned bullish. Why?
Biggs: Things have worked out much as we thought since January. But we're
either at or close to an important bottom, and the selling has gotten overdone.
Sentiment has gotten too depressed. Valuations have become somewhat more
attractive both in the U.S. and around the world. So I think we're setting up
for a rally that lasts for a couple of months and takes the S&P up roughly 15%
and the Nasdaq up 30%. And it takes a lot of these busted stocks up 50%.
Q: But the market overall is not out of the woods, is it?
A: No. There are still a lot of problems. But there are some fundamental
reasons to think the market will rally, not just the fact that valuations are
cheaper and the market is oversold. We've got at least three, probably four,
quarters of favorable earnings comparisons ahead. Inflation is still very low.
The Federal Reserve is still very easy. The U.S. and world economies are not
going to fall apart. Is it going to be a slow, sluggish recovery? Yes. But real
growth will be 3% in the second half of this year, and S&P earnings will be up
20%-25% . . .
Hey, Fred!!
Don't worry . . .
I just had to let it all out!!
(Got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.)
Now I feel much better.
Never say die!!
I'll be in there buying Monday morning!!
v
Fred, well I know one thing for sure about where I'm "sitting" . . . on a heap o' losses!!
As I mentioned on another board, "So this is what a bear market feels like . . . I'd almost forgotten." It sure hurts financially, but the whole experience is just making a better person out of me by testing my resolve and positive attitude, right??
I keep saying to myself, "The downturn is only temporary . . . I'm a long-term investor, I'm a long-term investor, I'm a long-term investor . . . and it worked for Warren Buffett." Well, it hasn't worked for me yet, and I'm running out of time!!! Guess a lot depends on which horse you pick . . . mine stumbled out of the gate, and hasn't fully recovered since. But at least the race isn't quite over yet . . . or is it?
Wake me when it's over. Then I'll get up and probably do the same thing all over again. The thrill of the chase, you know!
Fear & Greed, Fear & Greed, Fear & Greed. Sure seems like we're now about 180 degrees from the euphoric psychology of two years ago . . . problem is, bull/bear market trends usually last longer than justified by the fundamentals. Wake me when it's over . . .
Back to my Dreamland,
v
OT: iolani --
Sorry for the typo . . . I meant my toothbrush was wringing wet.
If it was "ringing" wet, it'd be the world's first Tele-Toothbrush.
Hey, I kinda like that idea!! "Save time . . . chat with your friends (albeit somewhat garbled) while you're brushing!!" (patent pending)
v
poorme --
Perhaps NoMo will have more to add on the subject, but my experience is that after the market closes for the day, many MMs will change their quotes on Nasdaq and other over-the-counter stocks to arbitrarily wide bid-ask levels that you could drive a truck through and that have nothing to do with where the stock closed or where it's likely to open the next day.
Nor do the MMs expect any trading to be done at the bid or asked of these huge spreads (although I've seen one or two trades happen before). Basically, I think the MMs are just trying to indicate that business is over for the day, they're getting ready to go home, and they're no longer willing to make a reasonable market for that stock.
It's kinda like when you're out shopping for a home loan, you'll find that most lenders might be quoting a 30-year fixed rate at or within about a quarter point of, say, 6% . . . but then you call another lender and you're quoted 8%. Why? Well, that lender is obviously implying that they're perhaps short of lendable funds at the moment, or maybe they've already got too many loans in their pipeline which are overwhelming their loan processors and loan closers, or for other reasons they're simply attempting to discourage any more home-loan borrowing from them at that time. But if some naive/unsuspecting souls want to lock-in the rate at that uncompetitive and inflated level, well, they'd be more than happy to accommodate 'em!!
Have a nice weekend.
v
P.S. I wish I had your iHub moniker . . . it pretty much captures the essence of what's happened to my personal portfolio recently! So this is what a bear market feels like . . . I'd almost forgotten.
OT: Good grief, Fred!!
What's this world coming to??!
All this stuff sure does wonders for investor confidence, huh?
Martha Stewart's Broker Put on Leave
Jun 21 8:23pm ET
By Greg Cresci
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merrill Lynch & Co. said on Friday it placed two employees on leave, including the stockbroker of Martha Stewart, the home decorating diva who is embroiled in an alleged insider trading scandal.
Merrill, already smarting from a $100 million payment in May to settle a lawsuit over accusations company brokers misled investors, said it took the action after an internal probe raised questions about a client transaction.
The statement is the latest twist in a scandal involving stock sales of troubled biotech company ImClone Systems Inc. by Stewart and ImClone's former chief executive, Samuel Waksal, who was indicted last week on charges of insider trading.
Investigators are examining whether Stewart, a friend of Waksal, may have been tipped off in December to sell her shares before negative news about ImClone caused its stock to drop.
Stewart has said repeatedly she had no inside information, and that she had agreed in late November with her broker, Peter Bacanovic, to sell her ImClone shares if they fell below $60.
In a statement, Merrill said it placed Bacanovic and Douglas Faneuil, a client associate, on "administrative leave pending further investigation." Merrill declined to say if the transaction in question involved Stewart's account.
Allegations of insider trading at ImClone have caught the attention of securities regulators and Congress alike.
Ken Johnson, a spokesman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee that is investigating the Enron scandal, said he believed Merrill discovered discrepancies in statements by Bacanovic and Faneuil before they were to be interviewed by panel investigators.
"This action only confirms our suspicions that we're on the right track and getting very close to the truth," Johnson said. "Clearly, Peter Bacanovic has emerged as one of the key figures in our investigation" of ImClone and Waksal's family.
Johnson said Waksal's daughter, Aliza, sold some $2.5 million worth of ImClone stock on Dec. 27, a day before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected the company's marketing application for its experimental cancer drug, Erbitux. Stewart also sold her shares the same day.
"We have been digging around for the past two weeks trying to determine if Bacanovic or his associate pulled the trigger on Aliza Waksal's trades," Johnson said.
Shares of New York-based ImClone have fallen nearly 85 percent since Dec. 28, the day the FDA rejected Erbitux.
Bacanovic was director of business development at New York-based ImClone from 1990 until 1992, according to an ImClone spokesman, who declined further comment.
There was no immediate comment from Stewart or her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc..
"There is some information that we discovered that we thought should be turned over the authorities for their evaluation," a Merrill spokesman told Reuters. "It is not to say that these guys necessarily did anything wrong."
The Merrill spokesman said the Securities and Exchange Commission will likely make the next move.
"It was our initiative," the spokesman said. "We really want to be seen to be taking action."
Merrill said the information about the transaction came to its attention during the past 48 hours.
iolani --
You're lucky. I installed an exhaust fan several years ago . . . didn't make a hill o' beans of difference. I'd need a wind tunnel (the kind they use to test jet-plane aerodynamics) to have any beneficial effect . . . and even that might not work.
My wife takes, I kid you not, 45-minute showers (oh, the water bills!). Steams up not only the whole bathroom, but also half the house (even with the door closed) . . . no amount of air-exhausting helps. Even my toothbrush on the other side of the bathroom, inside a medicine cabinet, is ringing wet after her showers. And it sure isn't doin' much good for my electric razor (the stainless-steel blades are startin' to rust, and besides, I'm worried about electrocution!). Plus, if I try to take a shower right after her, forget it . . . no hot water.
Okay, so the good news is she sure is clean. But only a good squirt of household bleach works on the grout mold, and only very temporarily (until her next shower!).
Gotta go . . .
need to order some AM500!!
v
Irv, warm welcome back!! v
OT -- Fred:
See?! Even when you inadvertently misspell a word, the result is nonetheless a masterpiece!!
And good luck with DYN . . . the negative sentiment is so high now, it's a contrarian's dream. Apparently yesterday's annual shareholders' meeting went well.
And lastly, yes, the market's looking much better this past week . . . too bad my stocks aren't participating!
Have a great weekend.
v