If you feel that you have a mold problem, you can save money on a mold inspection by buying a mold testing kit from your local South Florida building supply store. The kit consists of a standard, plastic Petri dish containing a mold growth media, most likely MEA (Malt Extract Agar.) Simply open the kit and let mold spores fall in it from the ambient air above it. Within a few days, mold colonies will start to grow. Typically, you will see black, white, gray, brown, and green colonies. Colonies with both green and white are also very common. Most colonies will be fuzzy, and the mold types in the mold testing kit will usually be mostly penicillium/aspergillus-type molds, cladosporium, mucor, and a few others. It’s very cheap, easy, fast, and quite interesting to see what is floating around in your air.

However the conclusion drawn from the results of this mold testing procedure is very limited. Because the kits do not draw in a given amount of air for a given amount of time, there is no way of knowing for sure if the number of spores that settle in the plate and grow into mold are just the normal expected levels of spores found in every house. Most clean houses without a serious mold problem should be expected to contain very roughly 200 to 500 mold spores per cubic meter of air. Anything over 1,000 is typically considered suspect by many mold inspectors. These numbers are just estimates and do not reflect the real world perfectly, however, similar numbers have been supported by several scientific mold studies over the years.

Since there is no control sample using outdoor mold spore testing, you will not know if the mold spores floated in from outside as is expected, or if the mold indoors is different in number and type from outdoor levels and types, which would indicate that the mold most likely grown indoors.

Also, because the mold testing was not conducted by a person trained and experienced in mold testing, you will most likely have no idea of from where the mold came, if it is likely growing inside the walls, why the mold is a problem if in fact it is a problem, or how to properly remove the mold and correct the problem that resulted in mold growth.

If you feel that you have a serious mold problem in your home or place of employment, you may want to purchase a test kit from your local building supply store. However, you will benefit much more by obtaining the services of an experienced, trained, and properly certified mold inspector, certified indoor environmentalist or certified industrial hygienist who is familiar with proper mold testing methods and:

1) Building construction and building forensics Because your mold problem is not in a Petri dish or lab it is in a building and is the result of building failure, mold testing should be done by someone who has knowledge of buildings, vapor barriers, roofing, etc.

2) Psychometrics. Psychometrics pertains to humidity, temperature, dew point and air, and a deep understanding of the interrelation of such factors is important. This is very important during Florida mold testing.

3) Biological sciences. Your mold testing professional should understand at least some basic biological and ecological science principles pertaining to microbiology or mycology (the study of mold).

4) HVAV systems. Your mold testing expert must be familiar with HVAC systems because probably 50% of mold problems are related to HVAC system malfunctions, leaks, or contamination.

5) Sampling reports. Your mold inspector should be properly trained and experienced in investigating and sampling mold, and they should know how to interpret the lab results.

6) Inspection reports. Your mold testing professional should give you a comprehensive mold inspection report documenting visual findings, environmental monitoring results, interpretation of lab results, inspector’s conclusions, recommendations on how to control the mold problem and more. A report from the lab alone will only result in you hiring another inspector to get the interpretation of the results. Look to A Accredited for a qualified inspector who has a college degree in education for teaching biology and general science, has health inspection experience, has extensive home and building inspection experience, has earned not one but three mold inspection certifications and also who is a certified indoor environmentalist certified by The Indoor Air Quality Association.

About The Author:
Daryl Watters is president of A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. He provides home, mold, and indoor air quality investigations in South Florida. He is also the creator of MIR forms designed to aid inspectors in the production of computer generated indoor air quality and mold inspection reports.

For more inspection information visit
http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us
http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

In hot humid climates, such as are encountered in tropical and sub tropical regions around the world proper humidity testing and control can be crucial to properly understanding and solving a mold problem.

In fact many coastal homes in Florida and the South East experience mold problems in the absence of any leaks. Many homeowners and even mold inspectors fail to properly understand the connection between common building defects that cause humidity and the buildings mold problems. Sometimes large oceanfront mansions have constant or reoccurring mold problems that go on for many years.

According to all the reliable text and experts including but not limited to Bioaerosols Assessment and Control, Institute of Inspection Cleaning Restoration Certification S500, and S520, EPA Guidelines and many more mold can become a problem when humidity goes above 60% to 65% RH. Pleases note that 60% RH is not optimal but may be just barely adequate humidity levels to support a small amount of the most drought tolerant molds. The higher the humidity, the more mold growth will occur.

Humidity levels that are too low also cause problems. Humidity levels below 30% cause dry lips, dry throats, and other increased health complaints such as drying mucous membranes and an increased risk of catching colds. Low humidity can also increase static electricity that can in return damage computer data. To be on the safe side, keep your humidity between 30% and 60% RH.

A few species of xerotorlant pen asp mold are commonly found indoors. Xerotorlant is just a fancy was of saying drought tolerant. I like to call these molds humidity molds. These molds by definition do not require as much moisture as other molds, but they still require moisture. They can grow in the absence of leaks by simply living on the humidity content (ERH) that they absorb from growth surfaces in humid environments.

Simply, here is how it works. Humidity in the air absorbs into the growth surface such as drywall, wood or clothes, the humidity levels in these substrates known as equilibrium relative humidity goes up in direct proportion to the humidity in the air. This causes the available moisture content (wA) in the substrate to go up. Thus, the humidity in the air eventually ends up being absorbed into the clothes in your closet and into the drywall in your home and then by the mold.

Humidity in and of itself causing mold growth is not the only concern from elevated humidity. It will also prevent proper drying of wet surfaces when leaks occur. If you own an ocean front property in Florida, Louisiana, or the Carolinas, and have high indoor humidity and a leak occurs then you are courting trouble. Especially, if you are out of town when all this occurs because the leak will not dry up before mold sets in.

This inspector (DW) often finds two types of xerotorlant molds, again these molds do not require much water but only what they get from humidity. One specific type of humidity loving xerotorlant pen / asp mold grows on dark black clothes and black leather shoes and purses. Why does this mold like black clothes? It grows on all clothes but it is almost always completely invisible on other clothes because the mold forms small white circles about 1/8 inch across that only shows up on black clothes. This mold loves clothes, luggage, leather, wicker items and sometimes walls. It starts out first in your closet because drying air circulation is typically lower in closets.

If you find your mold inspector inspecting you shoes and clothes don’t freak out, he is just doing his job.

One important fact is that this mold when it first starts may be almost completely invisible to the untrained eye, yet it has been demonstrated to cause seriously elevated spore levels in the air, furthermore you may be wearing this mold on your clothes and the mild odors associated with it everyday and suffering from allergenic reactions as a result long before you find out what is happening.

The other most common xerotorlant humidity mold that I know of that grows in humid indoor environments but does not require leaks is a slow growing golden tan form of pen /asp. Specifically it is a type of Aspergillus that loves to grow on painted wood, painted drywall, and on books, it also forms colonies about 1/8 inch across and like the white mold above is not found around leaks. If you find your mold inspector looking at your books he is likely not reading but may be inspecting for these mold colonies. If you are familiar with faxing or yellowing of old books and documents you already have an idea of what this mold looks like. This mold and the oxidation of paper that results in faxing are likely sometimes confused with each other.

There are many ways that humidity or moisture can be measured in the air. Inspectors utilize two methods on a regular basis during comprehensive mold testing and humidity testing investigations.

Relative Humidity

Relative Humidity compares how much water vapor is present in the air to how much water vapor would be in the air if the air were saturated with water vapor.

Mixing Ratio

Mixing Ratio also measures the amount of water vapor in the air. But, mixing ratio measures the mass of water vapor for a given mass of dry air. We typically express it as grains of moisture per pound of dry air. That is grains not grams.

RH vs. MIXING RATIO

There is a strange phenomenon to take into consideration when measuring the amount of water in the air using relative humidity - the colder a parcel of air is, the more humid it becomes, even if you do not add water to it. And the warmer a parcel of air is, the less humid it becomes, even if you do not remove water from it.

When measuring the amount of moisture in air using mixing ration, temperature will not change the inspectors readings, thus the inspector should use mixing ratio measurements in hot or cold spaces so temperature changes do not affect the readings.

Example I:

Inside an attic in a tropical region the temperature may be 100

You may be ill because of mold in your home or place of employment, your property value may fall because of mold that bleach and paint just cannot control. If you have a compromised immune system mold may even grow in you lungs or other parts of your body in the form of a systemic fungal infection. However, no requirements exist for mold inspectors nor mold remediators in most states. When choosing a mold testing firm be sure that the professional is familiar with the following.

1) Building construction and building forensics.

Your mold problem is not in a Petri dish or lab but in a home or commercial building. Mold testing should be done by someone who has knowledge of buildings and how to inspect building and not just the mold itself. Your mold inspector should be familiar with vapor barriers, roofing, plumbing, wall structure and wall waterproofing, building pressurization and more to properly diagnose sometimes unusual building failures that have resulted in mold and moisture problems.

2) Psychometrics.

Psychometric pertains to humidity, temperature, dew point and air and how they all influence each other. A deep understanding of the interrelations of these factors might not be important in New York, new jersey, or Florida but in Florida with it’s unique hot humid climate it is very important.

3) Biological sciences.

Mold is a living organism many other common indoor allergens are products of biological activities in your house or office, your inspector should understand at least some basic biological and ecological science principles pertaining to microbiology or mycology (the study of mold).

4) HVAC knowledge.

Your mold testing expert must be very familiar with heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC systems) because many mold problems are related to HVAC system malfunctions, leaks, or contamination. Contaminated return and supply plenums, and contaminated blower fans and coils are a common hiding place for mold. Properly working HVAC systems can help prevent mold, humidity, and even general indoor air quality problems from ever occurring.

5) Sampling techniques.

Your mold inspector should be properly trained and experienced in investigating and sampling mold, and if needed other bio-allergens, and they should know how to interpret the lab results.

6) Legally defensible reporting documenting findings and recommendations.

Will your mold testing firm leave you with simple lab results?, or a detailed legally defensible mold inspection report that your allergy doctor, insurance adjuster, and attorney will find helpful complete with digital photos and executive summary page showing a summary of the inspectors findings and conclusions? Your inspector should give you a comprehensive mold inspection report form documenting visual findings, environmental monitoring results, interpretation of lab results, inspector’s conclusions, recommendations on how to control the mold problem and more.

7) Proper certifications.

Currently there are no requirements that a person must fulfill to call themselves a Florida mold inspector. There is no training required in the state of Florida. In fact, the term \”certified mold inspector\” is almost meaningless. There are good certification courses but there are also worthless certification training courses for mold inspectors in Florida. In fact as of 2006 few states have licenses for mold inspectors.

Be sure to verify that your mold inspector is one of the following:

Industrial Hygienist or Certified Industrial Hygienist

Board Certified Indoor Environmentalist

Board Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant

You can verify some of the above certifications at theIAQA.org or ImIaq.org web site consultant database.

About The Author:
Daryl Watters has a bachelors degree in education for teaching biology and general science and is a certified mold inspector, certified home inspector, and certified indoor environmentalist providing building inspections in South Florida since 1993. For more information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Charlie Butler bought a truck one morning and jauntily began driving it back home. He didn’t even get out of town. The right front wheel came off and bounded down a steep hill. It was still gathering speed when it smashed through a privacy fence, then exploded through the home’s patio window and finally came to rest in front of the television screen. By the time Charlie got there only the children were still screaming. \”I’m sure the car dealer will pay for all the damage,\” he said. \”They should have caught this problem before putting the truck up for sale.\”

As an old commercial used to say: \”Sorry Charlie.\” That FTC Used Car Buyers Guide that you signed before receiving the vehicle said: AS IS. \”Congress intended for the FTC Used Car Buyers Guide to protect the consumer, but with a little clever wording, it actually ended up protecting the dealers.

Many used car dealers only use the FTC sticker as a catch-all exculpatory clause: \”No matter what happens, it ain’t our fault!\” AS IS means that even if all the wheels fall off before you get it off the lot, it is still your problem and not the dealer’s. You should have received a copy of the guide. The back is pre-printed with the standard buyers guide for your (the customer) signature.

Customers naturally feel safer when they see something in writing on that sticker besides \”AS IS\” even if it is only an implied warranty. Because an AS IS sticker is so common as to be almost universal, some of the wiser car dealers have found that they can make more sales, and get fewer irate customers returning, by using the FTC Used Car Buyers Guide sticker to enumerate the warranties they can offer. The most popular IMPLIED WARRANTY FTC Used Car Buyers Guide doesn’t even mention AS IS as an option: Salesmen have been known to proudly tap the window on their FTC Buyers Guide Implied Warranty style sticker and proudly proclaim: \”We don’t have an AS IS car on this lot. Our mechanic goes over each car we get and any cars that don’t pass his inspection get wholesaled out to other auto dealers in this area.\”

That’s a good sales tool, but are you really protected any better with an implied warranty sticker? In many cases, the answer is yes. Implied warranties will cover defects that were not obvious or not pointed out to you prior to the sale, like a wheel falling off.

Even if the car you want has a warranty, you do still need to study the sticker to see which systems are covered, how long coverage will last, and what percent of repair costs your dealer will pay. It would also be a wise to go over a row or two and see if those warranties are different for each vehicle.

When your dealer is willing to spell out the terms of a solid car warranty in writing, you can literally take it to the bank for a more reassuring loan.

One final note: \”Almost new,\” DEMO, and LOW MILEAGE cars may be a bargain, but they are not new. If the vehicle is still legally new it must have a totally different set of stickers, including the Monroney sticker and/or the Addendum sticker like you see on new car lot vehicles. If you don’t see these stickers, you can expect a large discount in price.

About The Author:
Malcolm Uffelman offers FTC Used Car Buyers Guides through Estampe, Inc. Estampe, Inc offers a large collection of auto dealer and auto service center supplies.

The ocean air, the constant breeze and the sun glowing down on you are some of the reasons why you might take a look at boating as a hobby.

A vessel afloat over millions of gallons of water may not frighten many people, but it probably does frighten a few. Being scared usually has something to do with what size of boat you are on, but most of the time it’s the water itself that concerns people. The fear of just floating on the water, whether it is in or out of a boat, is enough to make people say no thanks to boating. Taking a look at different options when deciding whether or not boating is for you would be a good place to start.

First things first. Are you afraid of the water? If the answer is yes, then boating may not be the right fit for you. You may have to look at why you have this fear. Is it fear of drowning, being alone on a boat or being lost at sea? You can help to eliminate this version of the phobia by having someone else go with you. Sometimes the knowledge that you are not alone out there helps to take some of that anxiety away. If something happens to you, they can always help you or get help from someone else.

If this fear exists because you don’t know how to swim, then perhaps swimming lessons might do the trick. You could take private lessons, take lessons at a health club or at the \”Y.\” A friend who is an avid swimmer can even teach you. Basically, if you learn how to keep your body afloat, you can alleviate much of your fear of boating.

A life jacket is a requirement to have on a boat, no matter what type of boat it is. Whichever type of boat you decide to be on, keep in mind that the life jacket is there to help you. Put it on and get familiar with it. Learn how to adjust the jacket properly and make sure it fits correctly. You don’t have to put it on right away. You can wait, but if you are further out from shore and get nervous, then put it on.

Some questions you may ask yourself are, \”What type of boat would I like to be on?\” \”Do I want to own one or rent one?\” When getting into boating, you have a few options, not unlike many other hobbies. There are some important things to consider. If you want to own a boat, be prepared to look into the maintenance of the vessel. Also, storage would be an area to look at if you don’t have the room for it where you live. Renting a boat could be a good option if you don’t have time, patience or knowledge to take care of the boat yourself.

A sail boat is relaxing, especially if you’re not in a rush to go out and come back the same day. You would have to watch the weather to make sure it’s a good day to do the sailing. An askew wind or rough waters can take you far from your mark. A motor boat is a little noisier getting you there, but can get you there in less time. It gives you more time to enjoy your destination.

Once you get where you’re going, drop anchor and relax. Don’t worry about all the technical terms for the boat or what you’re doing with it. If learning is what you want, you’ll learn all of it soon enough. As a novice at boating, you will take the opportunity to learn as much as you can with your new venture and find that it can be fun and very relaxing in the end. So enjoy the ocean air, the water, the sun on your face and your book and welcome to the world of boating.

About The Author:
This article was written by Reivy Mason on behalf of http://www.boatclassifieds.us a popular boat classifieds website.

The pharmaceutical industry wastes more than $50 billion a year in manufacturing costs, this according to findings of a study on the interplay of pharmaceutical manufacturing and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The study, conducted jointly by Olin School of Business at Washington University and McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, received no funding from either the pharmaceutical industry or the FDA.

The goal of the study was to understand how the FDA regulates pharmaceutical production and how those regulations may be inhibiting advances in manufacturing. The study looked at data collected from 42 manufacturing facilities owned by 19 manufacturers, in particular each company?s manufacturing performance in terms of cycle time, frequency of deviations, reasons for deviations, yield, and improvement rates on key manufacturing metrics.

The outcome identified two factors that could be assisted by Quality-by-Design. First, companies using information technology to electronically track and report on manufacturing and centrally stored all their data displayed superior manufacturing performance relative to those not using such information technology. Second, the ability of employees in lower ranks to make decisions directly correlated to gains in manufacturing performance, particularly regarding deviation management, lot failure, lot review and process validation.

The FDA?s Quality by Design (QbD) initiative has shifted quality control from a static end result to an ongoing, evolving entity?one that tracks a product from inception to creation, rather than looks only at the final product. The QbD initiative, which originated from the Office of Biotechnology Products (OBP), attempts to provide guidance on pharmaceutical development to facilitate design of products and processes that maximizes the product?s efficacy and safety profile while enhancing product manufacturability.

Fundamental to this initiative is the understanding of the relationship between the quality attributes of the product (physicochemical and biological properties) and their impact on the safety and efficacy. This requires knowledge of the relationship between structure and biological functions.

In short, QbD is a scientific, risk-based, holistic and proactive approach to pharmaceutical development, as well as deliberate design effort from product conception through commercialization. QbD offers a full understanding of how product attributes and process relate to product performance.

The initiative benefits everyone by ensuring better design of products with less problems in manufacturing. It also reduces the number of manufacturing supplements required for post market changes, and allows for implementation of new technology to improve manufacturing without regulatory scrutiny, as well as possible reduction in overall costs of manufacturing.

QbD ensures reduced deficiencies, quicker approvals, and improved interaction with FDA. It also allows for continuous improvements in products and manufacturing process, as well as a better understanding of how APIs and excipients affect manufacturing. Lastly, it relates manufacturing to clinical during design, and provides a better overall business model.

About The Author:
Norm Howe, Senior Partner at Validation and Compliance Institute, consultants for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. He got his BS at UC, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in chemistry at UCLA. He has held many management positions in FDA regulated industries, most at BASF. http://www.vcillc.com

Just as wool is dyed, leather is tanned, and wood furniture is stained and sealed, many of the colored gemstones on the market today have been treated to enhance their natural beauty and durability, and to make a wider variety of jewelry-quality gemstones available and affordable.

A treated gemstone is still a real gemstone created by the force of nature. Some of the most common treatments used today, such as heating stones to improve their color, have been used for centuries to finish what nature started. Without heat-treating, there would be no bright blue topaz, the intense blue-violet of tanzanite would be a dull brown, and most rubies and sapphires would have a less-than-vivid hue. Your great-grandmother’s sapphire brooch may well have been heat-treated way back in the 1800s!

Most jewelers do sell treated goods. The practice is ethical as long as treatments are disclosed and their degree of permanence taken into account when pricing the gem. Listed below are the ten treatments that require disclosure by the Federal Trade Commission:

Bleaching:* Chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, diluted acid, or chlorine bleach are used to lighten or remove color or stains. Lotion and skin oils can sometimes stain bleached gems.

Cavity Filling*: Fillers such as glass or plastic are used to seal cavities or pits on the surface of a gem. Cavity filling is sometimes used to add weight, too. Heat from a microscope light, a jeweler’s torch, store lighting, or even sunlight can cause fillers to leak.

Colorless Impregnation*: Melted wax or plastic is applied to fill the pores of a gem, then allowed to solidify in order to improve the gem’s color and form a protective seal. Heat can destroy the seal.

Dyeing*: Chemicals or colored oils are used to add color or to deepen it. Dyes can fade in sunlight.

Fracture Filling*: Similar to cavity filling, fracture filling is used to seal narrow breaks in the stone to improve its clarity. Most often colorless glass, plastics, or oils are used as fillers. Heat can cause fillers to leak.

Heat Treatment*: Heat is the oldest gem treatment, and the most common. Today, it’s become quite a science: depending on the temperature used and the length and rate of heating and cooling, color can be lightened, darkened, deepened, or changed completely. Heat-treating is very durable, but intense heat from a jeweler’s torch can ruin it.

Irradiation*: Scientists began experimenting with gem radiation as early as the 1900s. The process of irradiation rearranges a stone’s atoms and electrons in order to change its color. The new color isn’t always stable, though. Exposure to heat or even daylight is sometimes enough to fade the color.

Lattice Diffusion *: By combining extremely high temperatures with chemicals, light-colored gems can be infused with a shallow layer of almost any color. Lattice diffusion can also enhance /asterism/—the “star” in star ruby or sapphire.

Sugar and Smoke Treatments*: These simple surface treatments can darken pale opal and enhance its color display. Whether the stone is soaked in a hot sugar solution or roasted over a fire, the result is the same.

Surface Modifications*: Gluing various /backings/, such as foil, fabrics, or even feathers, onto the undersides of stones can enhance color—or give color where there was none. /Coatings/ such as wax or varnish bring out the luster of porous stones. /Painting/ is also used to improve a gem’s color. A little dab of nail polish on the underside of a gem can give an inexpensive colorless gem the appearance of a ruby.

Here’s a shortlist of the most common treatments for popular gems.

Amethyst: heat treatment

Aquamarine: heat treatment

Chalcedony: dyeing

Citrine: heat treatment

Emerald: fracture filling, dyeing

Jade: impregnation, bleaching and impregnation, dyeing

Lapis Lazuli: dyeing, coating

Opal: impregnation (oil, wax, plastic), sugar treatment, smoke treatment

Pearl: bleaching

Ruby: heat treatment, lattice diffusion, fracture filling, cavity filling

Sapphire: heat treatment, lattice diffusion, fracture filling, cavity filling

Tanzanite: heat treatment

Topaz: heat treatment, irradiation followed by heat treatment

Tourmaline: heat treatment, irradiation

Turquoise: impregnation (wax, plastic, dyes)

Zircon: heat treatment

Some treatments, such as heat and irradiation, are undetectable even by gemologists, so proceed with caution: assume a colored gemstone is treated until proven otherwise.

About The Author:
Jodi Goldberg is the editor of Fine Jewelry News, http://www.finejewelrynews.com the place to stay in style and in-the-know about fine jewelry. She’s been a professional editor for legal, children’s, and jewelry publications for the past 20 years.

Research In Motion Blows Away the Competition - Even As Overall IT Spending Remains Soft

Defying an otherwise soft IT spending environment, Research In Motion (RIMM) is continuing to blow away the competition - expanding on its already vast share of the corporate smart phone market.

While corporate IT spending is far less robust elsewhere, after a long and unsettling decline there are signs the spending slowdown may be stabilizing.

First, the good news from ChangeWave’s May survey of 2,049 respondents involved with IT spending in their organization: It’s all about smart phones.

Research In Motion Destroys the Competition

In extraordinarily upbeat results for Research in Motion (76%; up 3-pts), the Canadian BlackBerry maker is expanding its already vast lead in the corporate smart phone market - even as number two Palm (PALM; 17% - down 1-pt) continues its long term decline.

Looking ahead at 3rd Quarter planned corporate purchases, RIM has overwhelming momentum, with 82% of respondents buying smart phones next quarter saying they’ll purchase BlackBerries - a 5-pt jump since the previous survey in February.

“When you’re hot, you’re hot, and the latest results for RIM are scorching,” said Tobin Smith, founder of ChangeWave. “If every product had such market dominance, it would be easy to pick the winners in each space,” added Smith.

The Apple iPhone (AAPL; 13%) now ranks second in terms of planned corporate purchases, up 2-pts from previously - while Palm continues to languish with a miniscule 8% of future purchases.

Meanwhile, despite RIM’s upbeat results in the smart phone market, overall corporate IT spending remains anemic and there are very few signs of an uptick going forward - pointing to continued economic weakness for the 2nd half of the year.

IT Spending Soft But Stabilizing

After a long and unsettling decline, there are signs that the corporate IT spending slowdown - while still soft - may be stabilizing.

When asked if their overall IT spending was on track thus far in the 2nd Quarter, 11% of respondents said their company had spent “More than Planned” - up 1-pt since February. Another 27% say they’ve spent “Less than Planned” - unchanged from previously.

Thus, current IT spending remains at virtually the same lowered level that it was in the previous quarter - although it’s a positive sign that things haven’t gotten any worse.

Looking ahead to the 3rd Quarter, nearly one-in-four respondents (24%) say their company’s IT spending will decrease (or there’ll be no spending at all). That’s 1-pt worse than the previous survey. In addition, only 15% say spending will increase - unchanged from previously.

The softness in projected spending is occurring across companies of all sizes, although once again things have stopped getting worse - another sign that things have at least temporarily begun to stabilize.

But the big question is - when are things actually going to get better?

Bearish on the 2nd Half

We asked respondents about their IT spending outlook for the entire second half of 2008 (July-December), and 28% think their IT budget will be less than first half of 2008 - a whopping 8-pts worse than previously.

Only 18% think their company’s IT budget will be greater than it was in the first half of 2008. Another 44% say their IT budgets will remain the same.

Thus, while the slowdown in corporate IT spending may be finally stabilizing, these results point to continued economic weakness for the 2nd half of the year. At the very least, the ChangeWave findings provide little support for the thesis that a V-shaped U.S. economic recovery will occur in the 3rd Quarter. Rather, they strongly suggest that businesses will continue to maintain a wait and see mode regarding capital spending - possibly until the November elections.

Research In Motion’s success in the smart phone market, however, remains one extraordinary bright spot in the IT economy. The BlackBerry smart phone maker appears likely to enjoy one of its best quarters ever.

About The Author:
For the latest news on Corporate IT Spending and other technology trends, visit our Changewave HotWire Blog. The ChangeWave research network is composed of 15,000 highly qualified business and technology professionals. Members are surveyed on a range of topics, and the findings are converted into quantitative and qualitative reports.

Say what you will about Martha Stewart, but one thing is certain: when it comes to decorating with, choosing and arranging flowers, Martha knows what she is doing. On her television show, in her magazine, in books and in guest segments on a variety of morning talk shows, Martha Stewart shows us all how we can make the most of fresh flowers.

Martha tells us what to look for when we order floral arrangements online. From her, we’ve learned to ask questions. As a result, we ask who will be fulfilling the order - whether or not the florist is local to us. We ask how fresh the \”fresh cut\” flowers really are - do the flowers that we are purchasing come from the grower or from another source altogether. We even know to look at customer testimonials to see whether or not others who have ordered are satisfied with their purchases.

But of course, she doesn’t stop there. Martha Stewart doesn’t just help us to determine where to buy flowers, she helps us to choose which flowers will help us to say what’s on our mind. While decorating with roses, she’ll discuss the different meaning that are associated with different colors - red for passion and love, pink for happiness, yellow for friendship.

Similarly, Martha Stewart tells us that yellow daffodils are a sign of hope and that yellow acacia symbolizes a secret crush. Other flowers, such as the blue iris and hawthorn can express hope. Still others can express the joy of a new love, strength, perseverance, refinement and beauty.

Combining these flowers into a beautiful bouquet meant to express our feelings is something that we used to leave up to floral designers - those who had a special eye for beauty and arranging flowers. However, with more designers and decorators like Martha Stewart leading the way, it’s becoming increasingly common for the rest of us to create beautiful floral arrangements on our own.

Now, we can create grouped arrangements - bunching flowers together in large or small bunches that can decorate a table as a centerpiece. We can create domed arrangements that will provide a ball of color that breaks up a table or draws attention to the center of our mantles, shelves or tables.

For flowers that cannot easily be styled into grouped or domed arrangements, it’s possible to create spiked arrangements: allowing those cut flowers with sturdy stems to become a tall, dramatic focal point. And, of course, Martha Stewart also teaches us that there is a fine art to creating free-form bouquets: it’s not something that can be done simply by placing a variety of flowers into a vase and calling it done.

Instead, creating a free form bouquet takes an eye for finding the right flowers and choosing the right foliage to add a colorful, natural element. Creating a free form bouquet means cutting the stems of flowers to a variety of lengths and allowing them to fall naturally within the vase.

Of course, how flowers are styled - which arrangement to use - depends on the flowers that we wish to use. It takes an eye for color and a sense of how we will be decorating with flowers. Some thought will need to go into whether the arrangement will be used for indoor or outdoor decoration, the occasion and, of course the season.

Martha Stewart offers a wide variety of tips and suggestions and makes it possible for all of us to choose the right flowers, to say what we want to say and to create eye-catching bouquets. All it takes is listening to and following her advice and a bit of practice.

We can’t all be Martha Stewart, but in time, we can choose, arrange and decorate with flowers and make her sense of style our own.

About The Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. He is also the developer of Localnewsdelivery.com a website that delivers local news to over 40,000 communities across the country. Recently he also launched a website providing information about various places of worship throughout the United States. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com.

Lately it seems like there’s a coffee shop on every corner. Gourmet coffees have become such a big part of our lives that celebrities like Hilary Duff are frequently photographed with a steaming cup of joe in hand. But, also a part of our culture are flowers-one of the top gifts to give or receive. Well, naturally it didn’t take long for a business savvy person to put the two together! Ernie Dawson, owner of Flowers by Josie, is that smart businessman.

Dawson’s shop is located in Grayling, Michigan, and it’s among the first of its kind-a flower shop with a built in coffee bar. In addition to the beautiful floral designs in the florist’s side of the shop, Dawson’s coffee counter, cleverly named Thanks-a-Latte, offers hot lattes, steaming cappuccinos, fresh-baked muffins, and chocolates made in Michigan.

Dawson’s reason for adding a coffee counter sprang from the loss of small gift sales. He says, \”In the past, it was the little gifts that customers liked, but Target and Wal-Mart have taken that away from us.\” Dawson has owned his flower business for almost thirty years, so he’s watched many trends come and go, including the decline of the gift side of the business.

It is Dawson’s hope that the coffee sales will increase traffic in his flower shop. His is the only coffee shop on the main street in his area, so it’s probable that Dawson will indeed see his business increase.

The cost of putting in the coffee counter was $20,000, which was used to remodel the shop, add sinks, put in coffee machines, and furnish the area with tables and chairs. He also added two part-time employees to his staff. To manage the coffee counter, he tapped his employee of ten years, Juan Portugal.

To further boost his sales, Dawson plans to offer special promotions for flowers at his coffee counter, such as coupons on the backs of coffee sales receipts. That way, people can enjoy the natural boost they’ll receive from a lovely bouquet of flowers along with their jolt of caffeine.

If the idea catches on, Dawson’s flower and coffee shop won’t be the only one of its kind. In fact, they just might spring up all over the country. And, if they do, you can bet we’ll begin to see photographs of Hilary Duff and other celebrities holding both coffee and flowers!

About The Author:
Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. He is also the developer of Localnewsdelivery.com a website that delivers local news to over 40,000 communities across the country. Recently he also launched a website providing information about various places of worship throughout the United States. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com.