Financial Industry: February 2010

Honest-1 Auto Care is a small national auto care franchise with three shops in Portland, Oregon, that promotes itself as the first “ECO-friendly Auto Care” chain in the U.S.. The company’s signature product line, Eco 360, features organic or recycled lubricants, cleanable air filters, and organic friction modifiers and fuel treatments. In addition, it recycles everything from waste oil and oil filters to wheel-rim balancing weights.

Green car repair is a bit of an oxymoron, but Honest-1 is greener than traditional automotive repair and servicing operations, and there’s a lot of room for green care care industry growth, both in terms of services and products as well as customer base.

Honest-1 may be the nation's first chain to hang an eco-friendly shingle, but Portland is where it all started: The movement to bring green methods and processes to auto repair and body shops took root here, in 1997. That's when Portland launched the Eco-logical Business Program, the first green certification program for auto shops.
(blog.oregonlive)

After the coffee. Before figuring out why you still have that MySpace account.

Paramount delivers. How's this for a man-bites-dog story. Paramount Pictures, usually a drag on corporate parent Viacom's earnings, was a big driver in the media conglomerate's fourth quarter. Thanks to "Paranormal Activity" and strong DVD sales of "Transformers" and "Star Trek," the studio had its biggest profit in seven years. Viacom also said this morning that it is buying the DreamWorks SKG library from investor George Soros for $400 million. But it was not all good news for Viacom -- its Rock-Band video game franchise continued to struggle. More on Viacom's earnings from the Los Angeles Times.

NBC has space to lease. Retail giant Wal-Mart and consumer products manufacturer P&G are
teaming up to make a made-for-TV movie and are buying time from NBC to
run it on the Peacock network in prime time in April. The two companies are spending $4.5 million on the family-friendly film and will keep all the ad inventory, according to the Wall Street Journal. Such
a deal where a network would basically sell time to advertisers is
unusual but not completely unprecedented. Plus, who's going to say no
to P&G, one of the biggest advertisers on television? P&G and
Wal-Mart could have probably gotten the 10 p.m. hour thrown in for
pocket change.

MySpace mess. Another big corporate shakeup at MySpace, News Corp.'s social networking site that's been left in the dust by rival Facebook. Owen Van Natta, the former Facebook big shot who was brought in to try fix the struggling MySpace, is out after less than 10 months on the job. He apparently was clashing with Jon Miller, the News Corp. executive who oversees all the company's digital operations. MySpace, which was once seen as a crown jewel for Rupert Murdoch's media giant, has been struggling for several years. Details from the Los Angeles Times, PaidContent, USA Today, and Financial Times.

Disney shrinks window. Walt Disney Co. is shortening the window from when a movie ends its theatrical run and pops up on DVD for "Alice" to 13 weeks from the usual 17 weeks, per Variety. The issue of windows is a contentious one between theater owners and studios. For more on the topic than you'll ever want to know, he's our story from last December on the battle.

Robert Evans is now a play. First he was a pretty boy, then an actor, then a studio chief, then a producer, then a, well, nevermind, and then a documentary and then a stroke victim. Now the Hollywood legend (somehow even that word seems too small for him) who's had more comebacks then Brett Favre, will be the subject of a play. The New York Times with the effort to bring Evans' story to Broadway play.

I'm still jealous. The Wrap takes a look at the paychecks of media moguls and finds that many took a pay cut last year. Yeah, but they all still made more than I'll ever see in a lifetime. But hey, it's what's inside that counts, right?

Inside the Los Angeles Times: NBC faces a big challenge making the Winter Olympics must-see TV. Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show will stay on the NBC stations into 2014. Anne Hathaway talking dirty is just one of the treats in "Valentine's Day."

-- Joe Flint

Follow me on Twitter.

Recent vegetable related E. Coli infections have been coming to the forefront in the news, and causing quite a stir. First it was spinach. Then lettuce. Now Taco Bell stores in the Northeast United States are facing this crisis. What started out as an isolated incident in a store in New Jersey, has become an epidemic. Stores in New Jersey, then New York, and now Pennsylvania have become contaminated. This is another case of vegetables infected with E. Coli. In this case another green vegetable, chives, otherwise known as green onions. In this article I am going to explain what E. Coli is, how it is spread, what the symptoms are, how it's treated, and the steps the Taco Bell stores in my area are taking to prevent you from becoming infected. I, more than most should know how the Taco Bells are dealing with this problem, as I am currently working part time in one in Lemoyne, PA, right across the Susquehanna River from the state capitol.

What is E. Coli?

There are many forms of E. coli (Escherichia coli). The form that is found to cause the most illnesses is E. coli O157:H7. This disease is usually found in undercooked meats, especially ground beef. However, it can also be found in other forms of meat, as well as on green leafy vegetables. Most forms of E. Coli are harmless, and, in fact, can be found in human and animal feces. The bacteria does not always cause illness or death, however, this particular strain is one of the leading causes of food borne illness, cusing an estimated 73,000 illnesses and 61 deaths each year in the United States.

How is E. Coli spread?

Improper cooking, and under cooking of meats is the main cause of E. Coli infections in the United States. However, it can be spread through improper packaging methods, skin to skin contact with an infected person, not washing ones hands after using the bathroom, etc. Meats can become infected during slaughter, and bacterias can be mixed during grounding.

Inadequate handwashing procedures after using the bathroom are another factor, as the bacteria can continue to come out in the stool for weeks after infection, especially in young children (note that this is rarely the case with older children and adults as they rarely carry the disease without symptoms).

What are the symptoms of E. Coli infection?

Illness usually occurs two to eight days after infection with the average being around three to four days. The illness usually includes severe bloody diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. E. Coli infection can also cause non-bloody diarrhea, and sometimes no symptoms at all. There is often little or no fever associated with this disease. The symptoms usually resolve in five to ten days.

In the very young (under five years of age), and the elderly, E. Coli infection can cause a more sever complication, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This can cause the destruction of red blood cells and even kidney failure. In those whose diarrheal symptoms are so sever that they seek medical attention, around 8% develop HUS. In the U.S. the major cause of kidney failure in young children is HUS, and most cases of this disease are caused by E. Coli O157:H7 infection.

There are usually no long term effects from th E. Coli infection itself, however if HUS becomes a factor there can be. These include blindness, paralysis, persistent kidney failure, and the effects of having part of the bowels removed, many have mild abnormalities in kidney function many years later.

How is E. Coli infection treated?

As it is usually not deadly, and clears up normally on its own within 5-10 days E. Coli infection is not usually treated. Antibacterials are not usually used, as there is no indication tht they help, and it is thought that treatment with some of these may actually cause or contribute to kidney failure. Anti-diarrheal agents such as loperamide, found in Immodium, should also be avoided.

In the case of those contracting HUS, blood transfusions and sometimes kidney dialysis are used in treatment. With treatment the death rate for this complication is only about 3-5% (even that is too high a number for those who are left behind).

What measures are being taken by Taco Bell stores to prevent further cases of E. Coli infection?

I cannot say what other stores are doing, but I can say that the ones in my area are discontinuing use of green onions until the situation can be resolved, and it is deemed safe for them to be used again. Also, the Taco Bells associated with the franchise I work for, Comida Corp., are making efforts at extensive cleaning and sanitation of the whole store. We are also ensuring that all employees kbow and utilise proper hand washing techniques. Full cooperation with the local Health Board is being given as well.

My information:

I obtained my information on E.coli from the CDC website. The information on the stores is personal information. As a worker in a Taco Bell, in or near areas where the infection has occured, I am kept informed by my managers of the progress of the investigation, as well as of the steps being taken by our franchise and the stores within it.