Sunday, March 30, 2014

Coupon-clipping volunteer helps others while she fights cancer

WORCESTER — There is a cacophony inside the home Janet Bessette and Peter Ivaska share at the end of a bumpy road near conservation land here.

Six conures — exotic birds — call out from the kitchen while two finches sing random melodies. Occasionally a freight train rumbles by, and many days there's the scratching sound of pen hitting paper from the dining room table.

For about nine months there have been unpleasant sounds of sickness brought on by chemotherapy, and sometimes, for Mr. Ivaska, the sound of silence when Ms. Bessette, 61, was hospitalized a few times after her breast cancer treatments took too big a toll.

Through it all, there has been the snip, snip of scissors.

In 2011, when she saw an article in Parade, Ms. Bessette began clipping coupons for the families of troops serving overseas.

"The article was about CouponsToTroops," she said. "So I went to the website and I signed up."

CouponsToTroops.com matches people stateside with military families who can use coupons to cut their expenses while they are out of the country. The base exchanges allow them to use expired coupons for up to six months, and recipients are encouraged to share with other families, as well.

After her cancer diagnosis, it was one thing that didn't require Ms. Bessette to drive or get dressed or put on her wig or exert too much energy. It also made her think about someone else, and though she isn't one for wallowing — Mr. Ivaska said she really had just one "bad day" during her treatments — it was good to do for others as she's always done.

"They don't really get paid much (military families), and I know how much we can save with coupons at Stop & Shop," she said.

Mr. Ivaska sorts through the coupons and does the shopping for his bride-to-be and then she clips and packages up what they can't use.

So far, she's helped three families, and they stay in touch through Facebook or snail mail even though some have returned home. She's sent coupons — split up into "food" and "non-food" categories — to Germany, Guam and South Korea.

"One family had one child when I started and now they have two," she said, adding that she tucked in a baby gift when she heard about the new arrival.

She's also been on the receiving end of gifts, including a Challenge Coin from the 193rd Military Police Co., an honor reserved for those who go above and beyond. It was meant to encourage her after her diagnosis and it is prominently displayed in a scrapbook filled with cards and well-wishes.

"I cried when I got that," she said. "It's special to me."

Volunteerism is something near and dear to Ms. Bessette's heart. She's the board secretary of the Civil War Round Table of Central Massachusetts, is a member of APICS (formerly the American Production Inventory Control Society), is first vice president of the Music Guild, secretary of the Worcester Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, chapter chairman of the Central Massachusetts Archaeologists Society, and secretary of Opera Worcester. She met Mr. Ivaska volunteering at the EcoTarium, and they learned they'd been crossing paths volunteering at various places, including the former Foothills Theater, before finally starting to date.

She had also been volunteering at Horizons for Homeless Children after getting laid off from her job of 26 years and then accepting a year-long position at Commonwealth Core in 2009. She stayed on as a volunteer when she couldn't find work.

Ms. Bessette's calendar has something listed on every date, though the entries that list radiation treatments have ended and she's healing and raring to get back to work helping others after a few summer trips checking out battlefields in Virginia and mining in New York.

She thinks her father, Robert Bessette, might have inspired her because he was active in the American Legion in Hardwick, where she grew up.

"He did the Halloween party for the kids," she said, and he was part of the first rescue squad when he served as a part-time police officer.

When he died in 2009, a line in his obituary read, "He had a long career of volunteerism and community service."

He was a technical sergeant in the Army Air Corps, served as a radio operator-gunner on a B-29 in World War II and participated in the invasion of Normandy — things Ms. Bessette, a history lover, appreciates.

It may also be the reason why she and Mr. Ivaska, her fiancé, spend time writing letters to soldiers who are at boot camp or deployed, and why she can't seem to pass up the chance to help a military family.

Her dad would be proud of her Promo Code clipping and would probably laugh if he could see the stacks of shopping fliers her friends and his wife, Jeannette, pass along to her each week.

Sometime she groans when she sees them piled high, but when she sets to work her smile returns, especially when she can convince someone else to start clipping, too.

"I would encourage anyone to do it," she said. "I would encourage anyone to volunteer."

Contact Kim Ring at kring@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimmring


Saturday, March 22, 2014

Summer ombré: a técnica que vai iluminar seus cabelos

Nada como tornar os cabelos tão luminosos como os raios de verão e uma das opções perfeitas para isso é a summer ombré. Essa técnica é uma variação do clássico ombré hair, em que os cabelos têm mechas em degradê que vão clareando até as pontas. A summer ombré traz a luminosidade praiana para os cabelos ao lembrar não só os fios dos surfistas, mas principalmente os daquelas mulheres que costumam ir à praia e tem comprimento e pontas bem claros, mas com a raiz natural. O tom do loiro aparece com o efeito "queimado de sol", meio dourado.

Muita gente se pergunta o que quer dizer ombré, palavra em francês que significa sombreado. Summer, dessa vez a referência é do inglês, tem a ver com uma tendência de combinar o estilo com a luz do verão. A hairstylist do Pierre Louis Coiffeur, Viviane Siqueira, afirma que o verão pede um tom de cabelo mais natural e leve. "O natural está em alta e a tendência é um cabelo que parece que está queimado de sol, contrastando com a pele bronzeada da brasileira", afirma. Mas, atenção, a summer ombré pede naturalidade. "Portanto, o ideal é usar o cabelo ondulado. Nada de chapinha", diz.

Viviane afirma que a summer ombré está se transformando em uma técnica queridinha das brasileiras porque além de dar um efeito natural, tem tudo a ver com o país. As mechas são realizadas na altura da orelha e vão descendo até as pontas e podem ser feitas tanto em cabelos encaracolados quanto nos mais lisos. "A summer ombré destaca as mulheres morenas e bronzeadas e ilumina as mulheres de pele mais clara. É um sucesso total para o verão", afirma.

A summer ombré pode ser feita em quase todos os tipos de cabelos. A hairstylist afirma que o ideal é que os cabelos estejam entre médios a extra longos. "É preciso de comprimento para dar movimento, que permitirá que o efeito degradê possa ser percebido", observa.

E o melhor é que a coloração traz sofisticação a diferentes estilos. Portanto, para trabalhar é possível utilizar os cabelos presos ou soltos, que combinam com roupas adequadas a profissionais diversos. Já para as baladas, é possível usar brilhos, tecidos mais leves e soltos, com a garantia que os cabelos serão o complemento perfeito para a noite. A maquiagem também pode ser a mais leve, para os dias mais quentes do verão, quanto mais sofisticada, marcante e cheia de personalidade.

Outra vantagem é que a técnica permite que a raiz original apareça, o que conta pontos positivos para quem não gosta de retoques e significa uma duração muito maior do que outras colorações que exigem manutenções mensais. "Não é necessária uma manutenção frequente", explica Viviane. O ideal é que conforme ocorra o crescimento dos cabelos e, consequentemente, a descida dos fios claros, haja um retorno ao cabeleireiro para subir o ombré até a altura correta.

As famosas que já usam esse tipo de coloração são Kim Kardashian, Sandy, fernanda lima altura Lima, Drew Barrymore, Jessica Biel, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Aniston.

Serviço: a summer ombré custa entre R$ 450 e R$ 550, de acordo com o tamanho dos cabelos.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Entrepreneur Godard Abel takes stake in sales app maker SteelBrick

A local technology entrepreneur has acquired the majority stake in a California sales application company and is expanding its reach by opening an office and adding jobs in Highland Park.

Godard Abel, CEO of G2 Crowd, a business software evaluation company, is expected to announce Thursday that he has made a $5 million investment in SteelBrick, which makes a configure, price, quote (CPQ) application for users of Salesforce.com, the customer relationship management software giant. Abel also founded BigMachines, which has its headquarters in Deerfield and was acquired last year by Oracle for more than $400 million.

Abel becomes CEO of SteelBrick, which is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., and will open a SteelBrick office in Highland Park, next to G2 Crowd. He said he has hired about 10 people so far for SteelBrick and that the number will grow to 25 to 30 employees by year's end.

Max Rudman, the founder of SteelBrick, will become the company's chief technology officer; Matt Gorniak, a co-founder of G2 Crowd, bought a small portion of Abel's stake and will become a senior adviser to SteelBrick.

"Max has got a great product, and a great customer base," Abel said, "and I could really kind of bring the capital and the people. With the people and the resources, it will scale really well."

SteelBrick's hallmark product, its CPQ app, was formerly known as QuoteQuickly but will change to SteelBrick CPQ. Developed by Rudman in late 2009, SteelBrick CPQ can be purchased Amazon Sales the Salesforce AppExchange and helps streamline sales processes by simplifying product configuration and ensuring pricing and quoting accuracy.

It functions much like BigMachines does, Abel said, but does CPQ more quickly - four to 10 weeks as opposed to four to 10 months - and works specifically for Salesforce.com users.

Abel, who signed a two-year noncompete agreement after stepping down as CEO of BigMachines in July 2011, had become familiar with Rudman and SteelBrick at Salesforce.com events but began talking seriously about working together last fall.

"Money is really kind of half the problem," said Rudman, of growing SteelBrick. "You really have to know how to spend it well. So it was not just the money that was important but the personal experience. That's what really attracted me about Godard."

According to Rudman, SteelBrick went from fewer than five customers, which are mostly companies, and annual revenue of $10,000 in early 2010 to 110 customers and close to $2 million in annual revenue by the end of 2013. The company charges $45 per user per month for SteelBrick CPQ, as well as a one-time implementation fee that can range from $5,000 to $60,000.

SteelBrick, Rudman says, has about 120 companies and thousands of users; Abel says he'd like to add 100 more companies by the end of the year. In addition to the Palo Alto and Highland Park offices, Abel has hired sales representatives in London and the Washington, D.C., area.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Tulsa County Jury Finds Best Buy Shooter Guilty

A man accused of shooting and killing two people at a Tulsa Amazon Deal will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

It took a jury two and a half hours to convict Willie Wise, 22, of murdering Scott Norman, 34, and Wesley Brown, 58.

Investigators said from the beginning Brown was the unintended target of the July 2012 shooting.

The jury recommended Wise serve two life sentences without the possibility of parole. Formal sentencing will be decided in front of a judge on April 7.

3/5/2014 Related Story: Testimony Begins In Tulsa Best Buy Double-Murder Case

After the verdict was read, the victims' families got on an elevator. Once the doors closed, they cheered in celebration.

When Wise was being escorted out of the courthouse, News On 6 asked the convicted murderer if there was anything he wanted to say about the verdict. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I ain't got nothing to say. Sorry to the victims though."

Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris said Wise did not show regret until a jury handed down the verdict.

"He doesn't have a remorseful bone in his body," Harris said. "He had more than enough opportunity to show that remorse, and now, after he's been punished, he has the audacity to say he's sorry. I don't believe it for a minute."

Surveillance video from the store showed a man police identified as Wise, darting through parked cars to shoot Norman, the "intended target" and gang rival, police said.

Stray bullets also shattered the glass at the front of the store, and one hit Brown, who was inside the store shopping with his young daughter.

Before the verdict was read, some of Wise's family and friends left the courtroom because they didn't think they could hold in their emotions. Tears flowed once they learned Wise was guilty.

The prosecution argued from the very beginning this shooting was sparked by gang retaliation.

"I think these jurors sent a message to all the gangs in Tulsa, that there will be a reckoning day if that's the kind of activity that you want to be involved in," Harris said.

On the final day of testimony, three witnesses took the stand. The intended target's brother, Jermarcho Norman, was first. Deputies brought him in the courtroom, since he is in jail on drug complaints.

Norman was with his older brother when he was shot. He did not reveal much to the jury, but he told them he remembers seeing the glass door to Best Buy's entrance shatter, then he saw his brother on the ground.

Norman said he is a member of the Hoover Crips street gang. The prosecution had him describe the type of tattoos he and his brother have, which indicates they are members of the gang.

Two Tulsa police officers with the gang unit also testified about the gang culture and how members commit crimes to earn stripes.

During closing arguments, the state showed surveillance videos of the suspected shooter following his intended target inside Promenade mall, and later, outside Best Buy. The defense argued the state did not prove Wise was the one actually in the surveillance video.

The defense believed the actual shooter was Jeremy Foster, who is also charged in this case. Foster is being tried separately.

"We have another defendant to go in this case and so we'll have to look at that and get prepared, and at the appropriate time we'll be as prepared for him as we were for Mr. Wise," Harris said.

Wise will be formally sentenced on April 7.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Savings apps now including coupons for produce

Savings apps now including coupons for produce

Posted: Thursday, March 6, 2014 4:12 PM ESTUpdated: Thursday, March 6, 2014 5:15 PM EST

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -

Gone are the days when coupons only covered junk food. Coupons have found their way to the produce aisle, and all the savings apps seem to catching on to the idea.

Saving Star is one of my favorite cash back sites and now offers a healthy option each week. A few weeks ago, the deal was 20 percent back when you bought bananas. It even showed you the PLU sticker to look for.

A week later, you could get 20 percent back on up to $10 worth of green peppers. The next week, discounted tomatoes. All you have to do is log onto Saving Star and hit "I want that." You attach your loyalty card to the site and the discount is credited to your account in a matter of days. You can cash out once you hit five bucks.

Saving Star has other deals if you buy multiple products in a given time period. You can get $5 back when you spend 20 on Dole fruits, juices and other healthy snacks.

The cash back app Ibotta just had a 75-cent incentive when you buy wonderful Halo's California mandarins. Rebate app Checkout 51 kicked back a quarter on carrots.

If you like to shop at a particular grocer, make sure you've signed up for the store's email alerts. Martin's has started sending personalized coupons, and they usually include something from the produce department. A recent offer I got was 75 cents off Giant brand bag salad. Add that to my dollar-off paper Review, and I score spinach for a quarter. I get other emailed coupons for canned and frozen vegetables as well.

Kroger has been offering a free Friday download for months now. Every Friday, you can load a new e-coupon onto your Kroger card and pick up something absolutely free. One of the February deals for Sundia grapefruit was a very healthy deal.

Rebate sites Checkout 51, Ibotta and Saving Star are simple to use and absolutely free. Plus, all three have apps available for smartphones.

Copyright 2014 WWBT NBC12. All rights reserved

This Could Be The Time To Buy Russian Stocks

Best DealsThis post is part of the "Think Global" series, exploring the next big investment frontiers for investors and financial advisors. "Think Global" is sponsored by OppenheimerFunds®. Read more in the series "

Just yesterday it seemed like Russia was ready to take military action against Ukraine in the disputed region of Crimea.

Now, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has said he sees ' no need' for military force in Ukraine.

Investors had already been anxious about the weakness of the ruble and the economy. The regional tensions have caused investors to flee from of the Russian stock market.

Russian stocks are down roughly 20% year-to-date.

Jacob Nell at Morgan Stanley writes that this could be a buying opportunity.

"[The] sell-off has taken the market to technically extreme oversold levels," writes Nell. "Valuation multiples have only been cheaper at the depths of the 2008 crisis (when earnings fell by 60%). And oil markets are stable in contrast to sell-offs in Russia historically. Despite the obvious hit to growth expectations implied by the crisis, any sign that tensions are beginning to de-escalate would constitute a buying opportunity."

It's important, however, to note that cheap valuations don't mean guaranteed immediate returns.

According to Meb Faber of Meb Faber Research, low valuations could not prevent Russian stocks from falling in in 2013. Faber points to the cyclically-adjusted price-earnings (CAPE) ratio, a valuation measure popularised by Nobel prize-winning economist Robert Shiller. CAPE is calculated by taking the price of an asset and dividing it by the average of 10 years worth of earnings.

Generally speaking, overweighting stocks with low CAPE ratios appears to be a winning strategy in the long-term. And currently, Russia has the second lowest CAPE ratio in the world, right above Greece.

"While we may see a mild in-year recession, a weaker RUB and hence lower imports, in addition to a supportive oil price in case of increased geopolitical risks, should act as stabilizing factors," said Nell.

Again, there are no guarantees here. But for the patient investor with a lead-lined stomach, Russian stocks appear to be an interesting long-term investment opportunity.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

CNN says Piers Morgan's talk show is ending

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - CNN's prime-time talk show "Piers Morgan Live" is coming to an end, the news channel said Sunday.

Morgan, who succeeded Larry King three years ago, was drawing lackluster ratings. In contrast, King had a 25-year run on CNN.

The airdate for Morgan's last show has yet to be determined, CNN said in a statement.

Morgan is a former U.K. tabloid editor who reinvented himself as a TV personality with stints as a judge on "Britain's Got Talent" and its U.S. spinoff, NBC's "America's Got Talent," and as a contestant on "Celebrity Apprentice."

He hosted BBC's "You Can't Fire Me, I'm Famous," and did interview shows and documentaries for ITV.

Morgan told The New York Times that his show lately has "taken a bath in the ratings" but that he and CNN President Jeff Zucker were discussing a new role for him at the channel. CNN's audience has tired of hearing a Brit weigh in American cultural issues, Morgan said in a story posted online Sunday.

Morgan's future with CNN is undetermined, the channel said.

Last fall, the already struggling "Piers Morgan Live" faced increased competition from a revised Fox News Channel lineup that included a strong new performer at 9 p.m. EST with Megyn Kelly's "The Kelly File."

Morgan served as editor of The Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004. He has been questioned in connection with Britain's long-running phone hacking scandal, which has led to numerous arrests, resignations and the closure of Rupert Murdoch's News of the World tabloid.

Earlier this month, Morgan confirmed that he was interviewed in December by British police investigating the illegal interception of telephone voicemails. Morgan, who said he had given a previous witness statement, has consistently denied wrongdoing.

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Accused Toys R Us killer wants statements tossed

By News 4 Digital Staff Published: Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 5:45 pm

HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) - The accused toys r us killer wants to prevent prosecutors from using statements he made to police.

Bernard Grucza appeared in State Supreme Court on Wednesday. He's accused of murdering the assistant manager of Toys R Us in Hamburg last summer.

His attorney says Grucza made statements to police that should not be used at trial because a lawyer wasn't present.

Justice Penny Wolfgang wants the defendant to deal with federal gun charges in a separate case before she makes a ruling.

Man with prior DWI allegedly tried to lie to deputies Man sentenced for his role in death of 72-year-old man Three in Niagara County arrested for DWI by State Police

Monday, March 3, 2014

Marvel Opens Its Vault to Offer 15,000 Comic Books to iOS and Android Users

Marvel fans will soon be able to access 15,000 comic books via its Marvel Unlimited iOS and Android apps.

The titles span Marvel's 75-year history and include everything from classics like Captain America to more recent titles such as the reboot of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel is offering the comics to customers for a one-time fee of $0.99, a reduced rate, to access the comics during March as a promotion for the company's activities at SXSW.

"We just really wanted to unlock the vault and hand over the keys in a way that allows both super-fans and people who are just curious what it's all about to check out why people love this stuff so much," said Marvel's VP of digital product Kristin Vincent. "It allows people to jump around wherever they want and get access to these classic story lines that have become part of our pop culture and also learn more about the characters they are seeing on the big screen."

Marvel Unlimited users can download up to 12 comics at a time to their personal library and enable offline reading for on-the-go access.

Following the month-long promotion, fans can continue their subscription to Marvel Unlimited for $9.99 a month or $69 for a year for the basic plan or pay $99 for a year of Marvel's premium plan, Marvel Unlimited Plus, which gives members additional discounts on Marvel products and a first look at Marvel news.

Marvel Unlimited is available in the App Store and Google Play Store. Fans can access Marvel's offer on Marvel's website beginning Saturday, up until March 14, by using the Best Offer SXSW99.

This will be Marvel's third year at SXSW. The comic-book company will be at the show to discuss the Marvel Unlimited offer and other news with fans at its panel on March 8. Fans who attend the panel will also receive a SXSW variant of the first issue of Winter Soldier: The Bitter March, a special edition only available to those attending the event.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Sony store closures likely good news for Best Buy

Sony's ( SNE) plan to close 20 of its 31 U.S. retail stores is likely good news for consumer electronics retailer Price Compare ( BBY).

Consumers looking to buy Sony televisions, digital cameras, audio equipment and other gadgets will turn to independent retailers like Best Buy in the affected markets. In addition, Best Buy has been setting aside floor space for manufacturers looking to run product showcases and could do so for Sony.

On Thursday, Best Buy reported that it had opened 1,400 Samsung and 600 Microsoft ( MSFT) Windows stores-within-a-store as of Feb. 1. It also operates Apple ( AAPL) product showcases in its stores.

During the holiday season, Google ( GOOG) set up display tablets and end caps in 750 large-format Best Buy stores to show off Android tablets, Chromebook notebooks and Chromecast streaming video players.

On a conference call with analysts Thursday, Best Buy CEO hinted at more opportunities for product showcases from manufacturers. Among the company's priorities over the next 24 months is "to strengthen our vendor partnerships, including launching new vendor shopping experiences."

Could he be talking about Sony?

Sony announced its store closings on Wednesday, as part of a larger restructuring plan.

Five of the remaining 11 stores are located in California, with three in New York, two in Florida, and one in Texas, Sony announced.

The move will close two-thirds of Sony's U.S. retail stores and result in the lay off of 1,000 workers.

On Feb. 5, Sony said it would reduce its global workforce by about 5,000, or 3% of its staff, in its fiscal year ending March 31. It also announced plans to sell its Vaio PC business to Japan Industrial Partners.

Plus, Sony plans to split off its money-losing TV business as a wholly owned subsidiary and focus that business on high-end televisions, including 4K or Ultra HD TVs. Sony expects the TV business to return to profitability in fiscal year 2014, which ends March 31, 2015.

Sony has taken the actions to "maintain its competitiveness in an evolving consumer electronics market," the company said Wednesday.

While its consumer electronics business struggles, Sony appears to be doing well with its next-generation video game console, the PlayStation 4. The PS4 is the top selling next-gen console, outpacing rival Microsoft's Xbox One.

Best Buy stock was up more than 4% in late afternoon trading on the stock market today. Sony's U.S. shares up a fraction.

RELATED: Best Buy now an 'online first' retailer, CEO says.

Microsoft testing deals to boost Xbox One sales.