Intel to Invest up to $8B in US Manufacturing Push
Chip giant Intel (www.intel.com), headquartered in Santa Clara, California, announced its plans to invest $6 billion to $8 billion on deployment throughout its US fabs of its 22 nm manufacturing process, the next generation after 32 nm technology, which is in production now. The investment will fund construction of its newest development fab in Oregon, as well as upgrades to other fabs in Oregon and Arizona.Intel’s new development fab in Oregon, dubbed D1X, is expected to begin R&D activities in 2013. The $6 billion to $8 billion in funding will also go toward upgrades at Fab 12 and Fab 32 in Chandler, Arizona; and the D1C and D1D fabs in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Intel generates about three-fourths of its revenues overseas, but three-fourths of its microprocessor manufacturing is still done in the US. The new investment commitment allows the company to maintain and expand its existing manufacturing employment base at these sites. Also many US companies stand to gain from this investment as well.
The latest round adds to a US investment announced early last year to support manufacturing upgrades that led to Intel’s 32 nm technology. The chipmaker’s first 22 nm microprocessors, codenamed Ivy Bridge, are expected to be in production in late 2011. The continued technology advancement enables the chip industry’s ongoing mantra of smaller, faster, cheaper.
Kudos to the Intel Management Team for re-investing in America! More US companies need to follow this lead.
The below video is worthy of watching. We can all make a BIG difference in a short amount of time if we make the effort to conserve energy, waste less and do things smarter. At the end of the video you can find out more about this fine organizations efforts and how you can make a difference. Or you can see their site at www.fouryearsgo.org
Re-use old holiday cards to create gift tags. It’s easy – cut off the front of a previously used holiday card (or trim out a section of the front), write your message either on the front or the back of the new tag, then add some ribbon or attach it right onto the present.
Create a natural centerpiece. Instead of buying a store-bought centerpiece, try making your own for a great personal touch! Ideas include making a centerpiece out of pinecones or trim evergreens and place them in a vase or directly on the table. If you’re buying a real tree don’t be shy about asking to take home any discarded branches left on the ground. You can add seasonal fruit, candles or nuts to spruce it up. You will save money and you can eat it afterwards! (If you add candles, please remember to not leave them unattended.)
Get creative with gift wrapping. Think of some new innovative ways to wrap presents—try using newspaper, paper bags, cloth gift bags or even cookie tins instead of wrapping paper. If your child has an artistic streak you can add a personal touch to a gift by reusing their finger paintings to wrap presents. Get even more creative by using old maps or sheet music!
Try any of these holiday tips and you could save money and also help reduce your environmental footprint over the holidays. Visit the OneChange website for more holiday simple action tips to save money and help the environment.
Below is a flashback of looking back to see how things were done, prior to all the high tech gadgetry ways to save time and money. So in the retro spirit let’s look at sure fire a no tech cost effective way to save money.
The clothesline
You may remember the visual to the right from your childhood days when your Mom hung out the clothes on one of these inverted umbrella type rigs or perhaps via stringing a line between the house and a nearby tree.
Well what is old is new again, at least when it comes to saving energy. We recently started doing for drying heavy things like towels, sweatshirts and jeans. The money we saved by using the dryer less often was measurable, almost 12-14% off each months electric bill. If you use a gas dryer you will get similar savings as well.
Environmental concerns and sky-rocketing energy costs have also prompted many state and local governments to pass “right-to-dry” laws allowing their use (check with you local ordinances before installing one).
Advantages of a clothes line
Saves money
Zero greenhouse gas emissions per load.
Laundry smells “clothesline fresh” without using chemicals.
Less wear and tear on your clothing fabrics.
Laundry items tend to not shrink from the hot air of a clothes dryer.
No static cling!!
Your clothes are softer as dryers tend to remove short, soft, fine fibers.
Possibly less ironing as items not immediately removed from dryer tend to get wrinkled.
Items may dry more quickly on dry or sunny and windy days.
Avoids airborne lint and reduced air quality.
Eliminates heating up the inside of a house by a clothes dryer especially helpful during the summer months.
Eliminates the internal house noise from the running clothes dryer.
Disadvantages of using a clothes line
Laundry items need to be hung indoors during rainy weather.
Neighbors may find it aesthetically unpleasant so it is best to erect it in an inconspicuous place.
Laundry items may be more stiff which is easily remedied by giving them a short dryer spin.
Wind, temperature, and humidity can vary the drying time.
Environmental contaminants such as soil, dust, smoke, pollen and animal droppings can come in contact with clothing.
Drying laundry indoors
Laundry may be dried indoors for a variety of reasons including:
inclement weather
physical disability
lack of space for a line
legal restrictions
to raise the humidity level indoors
to lower the air temperature indoors
convenience
to preserve privacy
Several types of devices are also available for indoor drying. A drying rack or clotheshorse can help save space in an apartment or clothes line can be strung in the basement during the winter. Small loads can simply be draped over furniture or a shower curtain pole. The drying time indoors will typically be longer than outdoor drying because of the lack of direct sun and wind.
To learn some other quick inexpensive ways to save money visit the SAVING $ tab above to start saving energy and money today!
Ever wonder how you can reduce the amount of unnecessary junk mail you receive? Most of us get catalogs that we never use or want and what about all those value coupon packs! Well hopefully you recycle them rather than add them to a landfill by throwing them out. For some handy ways to reduce the amount of junk mail you get see below for how to eliminate or at least greatly reduce it.
Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has an online form to take you off their preferred lists which will greatly help in reducing the flow of marketing mail to you.
Stop Junk Mail.org has an easy to use printable form to stop junk mail. It has postcards to send in, places to write to, and 800 numbers to call to get you off many direct marketing lists.
Privacy Rights.org has a list of places you can opt out of offers yourself.
OptOutPrescreen is the official consumer credit industry’s site to opt out of credit offers.
ProQuo is a company helps stop junk mail, but seems to be more of a venture funded business that is designed to help get catalogs and mailings you might want to you.
Similar CatalogChoice is a company helps reduce unwanted catalogs but allows you to select new ones you may want.
For more information on other ways to reduce your junk mail see the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse website for tips.
The 2011 Job Outlook survey from NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers)
The top 5 candidate skills desired by employers:
Verbal Communication Skills
Strong Work Ethic
Teamwork Skills
Analytical Skills
Initiative
Source: Job Outlook 2011, National Association of Colleges and Employers
While the NACE organization focuses on entry-level careers, the above list is important at all levels to stay competitive. So how do you score?
If you are a job seeker do you have specific examples for each of the above skills? Do you have multiple examples that show a range for each? For example, regarding verbal communication skills you might highlight your ability to have difficult conversations, your concise and clear communication style, your engaging presentation style, or your ability to communicate effectively with different types of people. These are all compelling and very different attributes of verbal communication. For strong work ethic, this could mean working long hours, working a volatile or heavy travel schedule, or working in turnaround situations against all odds. You need to know your unique skills and experience to position yourself effectively for what prospective employers care about.
Even if you are happily employed, work environments and priorities change. You want to make sure that you are not getting complacent and allowing your skills to rust. The above five skills are always valued, but the standards by which they are measured change over your career. Maybe you got to where you are now because of superior analytical skills and despite below average communication skills, but now you are a manager. You may not get a pass for your lack of communication skills now because proficiency is measured differently at different levels. On the flip side, maybe you were always a great people person with soft analytical skills, but now you have been promoted to running a budget and need to get the numbers to work. The strengths that served you and the weaknesses you could dismiss might be different now. In addition, as situations and people change, your style and approach might need to be modified.
For both the job seeker and the happily employed, you want to translate the overall top five list to your specific prospective employer’s or current employer’s top five list. You want to know the top five desired skills for your specific industry, functional area at your specific level. These overall survey results are a great framework to start reviewing your skills and experience, but they are not a substitute for paying attention to your market and getting regular feedback from people with whom you regularly interact.
How do you score on these 5 commonly desired skills?
Do you know if these skills match your target or current area?
What do you need to do in the next 30 days, 90 days, 365 days to improve?
One way to save energy is to use a bike to do local chores especially with gallon of gas topping $4.00 per gallon. Buying an American made one saves energy and creates jobs in the USA. However, if you think you’re going to walk into a Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart or Sears and find a bicycle with a “Made in USA” tag on it, you’re going to be disappointed that you wasted your time as well as your car’s gas.
America needs a Buy American strategy before blindly heading out the door or going online to find an American-made Huffy for under a hundred bucks. Well it’s just not going to happen. Awareness is the key, and such a Buy American strategy to save energy and jobs should apply whether you’re looking for bicycles or cosmetics.
Two of the more-popular names in bicycles are Trek and Cannondale, but it’s difficult to find American-made bikes from these brands for under $1,500.00. You can use Craig’s List, Amazon, the local garage sale or eBay to perhaps find a used one. I recently saw Trek and Cannondale bikes used for less than $800. Most of the high-end, carbon-frame bikes from Trek are made in USA, with their low-end, heavier aluminum frame bikes imported. Cannondale, which not long ago prided themselves as having their complete line handmade in USA, however they too are now importing their lower-end, lower-priced bikes from overseas. Trek and Cannondale are usually brands that are sought after by serious bike enthusiasts. You can locate dealers for Trek bikes at www.trekbikes.com and Cannondale bikes at www.cannondale.com.
If you’re not a super-serious bike enthusiast that wants a basic, casual, American-made bicycle for a cheaper price then consider Worksman Cycles (www.worksmancycles.com). They have been proudly made in USA since 1898, and you can custom design your own Worksman Custom Cruiser for around $299.00. You can also find 3-wheeled tricycles for $449.00 along with other specialty bikes. You can even have one custom built for a reasonable price.
Worksman Cycles prides themselves in the higher-quality of their bikes over the typical import, and they’re not shy in telling you about it. On their website, they tell the reader “To be perfectly frank, if you are looking for ordinary run of the mill imported cruiser bikes, shop somewhere else.” We applaud their candidness!
If you’re in the market for an American-made bike with more of a retro-style feel, check out Aero-Fast bicycles at www.aerofast.com. All Aero-Fast bicycles are made in Jacksonville, Florida. Their least expensive model is the Beach Bomber Econo for $449.00, with almost all of their bikes costing under $1,000.00.
Bike riding is a source for recreation, relaxation and good health for many Americans. By buying an American-made bike, you can better your own health as well as the health of the U.S. economy, and that’s better for all Americans whether they ride bicycles or not.
Back to Innovation and Less Government Intervention
“The Innovation and the American Dream” video below expresses the frustrations that so many Americans are feeling, that the economy is not on track and the American Dream is no longer within reach for many hardworking citizens.
But it does not have to be this way. It’s time Washington lawmakers take a page from Americans innovators and entrepreneurs to guide the nation toward a comeback. Americans, with their ingenuity, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, have the ingredients for success. We only need Washington to support an economy where entrepreneurs are free to compete, to pursue their dreams while creating new jobs.
Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home’s indoor water consumption. Older, inefficient toilets also happen to be a major source of wasted water in many homes. Replacing these toilets with WaterSense labeled toilets could save nearly 2 billion gallons per day across the country—that’s nearly 11 gallons per toilet in your home every day! By retrofitting your entire bathroom with WaterSense labeled fixtures, you can save even more.
What Are WaterSense Labeled Toilets?
Recent advancements have allowed toilets to use 20 percent less water than the current federal standard, while still providing equal or superior performance. The WaterSense label is used on toilets that are certified by independent laboratory testing to meet rigorous criteria for both performance and efficiency. Only toilets that complete the third-party certification process can earn the WaterSense label.
How Much Can WaterSense Labeled Toilets Save?
Over the course of your lifetime, you will likely flush the toilet nearly 140,000 times. If you replace older, existing toilets with WaterSense labeled models, you can save 4,000 gallons per year with this simpler, greener choice.
And Price?
WaterSense labeled toilets are available at a wide variety of price points and a broad range of styles. The EPA estimates that a family of four that replaces its home’s older toilets with WaterSense labeled models will, on average, save more than $90 per year in reduced water utility bills, and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilets. Additionally, in many areas, utilities offer rebates and vouchers that can lower the price of a WaterSense labeled toilet.
Look for the WaterSense Label!
Whether remodeling a bathroom, starting construction of a new home, or simply replacing an old, leaky toilet that is wasting money and water, installing a WaterSense labeled toilet is a high-performance, water-efficient option worth considering. If every American home with older, inefficient toilets replaced them with new WaterSense labeled toilets, we would save nearly 640 billion gallons of water per year, equal to more than two weeks of flow over Niagara Falls!
