Paltalk, the world's largest online video chat community with more than four million active members, today announced ABC News videoblogger Amanda Congdon will host a live interactive video chat open to the public on March 22, 2007 at 9pm EST. Paltalk members will be able to ask Congdon questions live in a patented video- and voice-enabled chat room accommodating thousands of users simultaneously communicating with her and each other.

Congdon is one of the first Web 2.0 celebrities, a breakout star who shot to fame as the host of Rocketboom, one of the Internet's most popular videoblogs. In addition to hosting her weekly segment on ABCNews.com, she also stars in her own personal videoblog hosted by blip.tv, which can be watched at AmandaCongdon.blip.tv or at StarringAmandaCongdon.com. Congdon is now developing a series for HBO, making her one of the first personalities to use Internet stardom as a gateway to traditional media.

AskPatty.com announced their Let's Race for a Cause charity motorsports event in Second Life on Pontiac's Motorati Island to take place at the Fairgrounds Speedway on Saturday, August 4, 2007, at 12 p.m. PST. Female NASCAR driver Deborah Renshaw will race in Real Life on the same day, driving the No. 112 UnitedSpinal.org Chevrolet at Nashville's Motorplex Speedway in support of the Second Life events. Deborah Renshaw heads up the panel of 50 expert automotive women who give car advice and tips to women on AskPatty - Automotive Advice for Women.

Ardour Capital Investments, LLC, a New York based Investment Bank and a leading research institution in the Energy Technology/Alternative Power sector, announced today that it has upgraded Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. (QTWW/NASDAQ, closed at $5.42 on December 10, 2004) to a Buy" from an Accumulate". The rating change comes on the heels of QTWWs 2Q05 earnings report released yesterday after the market close. Although the Company reported lower than expected revenues for the quarter, the second half of FY05 should prove to be positive.

This Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006, FLAVORx Chief Financial Officer, Woodie Neiss will speak on the impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on small businesses at the United States House of Representatives Committee on Small Business hearing. The full committee hearing entitled, “Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404: What is the Proper Balance between Investor Protection and Capital Formation for Smaller Public Companies?” will be held at 2:00pm at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington DC. Neiss is slated to present to Chairman Donald Manzullo, Ranking Member Nydia Velazquez and other committee members on the tremendous cost of compliance to privately held businesses in relation to Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley. Having grown from one single innovative idea to a product and a business that has made its presence in over 37,000 pharmacies nationwide; FLAVORx is a company that has maintained high growth, positive net income, positive cash flow and a high-level of business ethics and procedure over its time. Surprisingly, as a result of the financial and procedural burden Sarbanes-Oxley legislation has placed on the company, it may no longer be in FLAVORx’s best interest or capabilities to enter the public market.

Umbrellabank.com, the Internet banking division of New South Federal Savings Bank, has announced that the first 30 days of its Green Day high yield savings account promotion, featuring a 90-day fixed rate of return has far exceeded the online bank's expectations in terms of new account openings.

"With Treasury yields in decline and the market's anticipation of a downward adjustment by the Federal Reserve Bank in September, consumers seem to be looking for investment alternatives that offer a predictable and competitive rate of return, while also providing instant liquidity," said Michael Anderson, VP Capital Markets.

Here's a website idea that is crossing over and having a real impact on real world climate change issues. Everytime you plant an animated tree on this site, a real baby tree comes to life in the Indonesian rainforest. And for the first time ever, you can see real time proof -- pictures, exact co-ordinates and your name on your baby tree.

Indonesia's rainforest is one of the most important centers of biodiversity in the world. But 2 football fields disappear every minute.

But now people can plant a cute little animated tree online at www.mybabytree.org and WWF plants a real one in Sebangau, Kalimantan.

"There are numerous programs specifically designed to help renters become first time home buyers. In addition to the obvious benefits of home ownership there are also certain tax advantages that are simply unavailable to a renter."

GoldMedalMortgage.com is a nationwide lender specializing in first time home buyers programs. Many programs offered by GoldMedalMortgage.com are not available at banks.

For more information call 866 398 4664 or please go to:

http://www.goldmedalmortgage.com

No matter what you're currently paying for rent, we can help you find out how much of a mortgage you can comfortably afford based on your income and expenses each month. It is very important that you take into consideration expenses for things like repairs and maintenance that are currently paid for by your landlord."

SLIDE-LOK welcomes Tom Harrington and Jeff Taylor to Massachusetts with the opening of Garage Outfitters - http://www.garageoutfitters.com/ - at 860-657-3434, and Ken Slowik of Garage Professionals in Connecticut -- http://www.garageprofessionals.com/ - at 203-876-0567. SLIDE-LOK Storage Cabinets are a Modular Storage Cabinet System that appears to be a Custom or Semi-Custom Cabinet featuring the strongest, Patented, Dovetail Construction known. The Cabinets slide together for easy assembly. Each Cabinet has a Durable Long Lasting Finish with Plywood Sides, Face Frames, and Concealed European Hinges. The combination of artistry, beauty, and durability makes SLIDE-LOK an attractive option for Office Storage, Home, and Garage Storage.

Henderson, NV (PRWEB) April 23, 2007 - A.J.C. Communications, one of the largest independently owned telecom companies, announces its plans to expand the company's operations to 26 states. A.J.C. Communications, the nationwide leader in telecom solutions, telecom audits, and communications cost reduction for U.S. based businesses.

"This is an exciting opportunity for A.J.C. Communications," says Anthony Carlitto, owner and founder of A.J.C. Communications. "With this expansion, the company will be able to help businesses throughout the nation recover overpayments on telecom bills and effectively manage future telecom services and billing, bringing even more savings. Overall, the expansion will increase services and productivity for all of our clients nationwide."

North Carolina based Pay Per Click Management company, PPCE.net (http://www.ppce.net) is shaking things up with fixed billing rates and month to month agreements.

PPCE.net President Clay Sinclair says "After working for a large agency for the previous 5 years, I got to see and learn from their mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes we see in most agencies is how they bill their clients for their services. Charging the c 111C lient a percentage of their overall monthly ad spend just doesn't make sense. We feel this model is broken - here's why: As your campaigns develop and improve in performance, it's typical for the client to increase their spending in order to drive more leads, sell more product, increase the amount of phone calls, etc. Increasing your daily cap inside of Google Adwords, Yahoo SMS, MSN adCenter and other second tier engines is as simple as logging in, making a simple change and logging back out. The entire process takes about 30 seconds … why should your monthly fee increase when the actual work load didn't?"

Itseasyservices.com, a licensed private service bureau, announces a nationwide 1 day passport service process.

Currently, about 73% of U.S. citizens do not have Passports. New U.S. Passport regulations went into effect last year. In order to re-enter the United States by plane, even from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, U.S. citizens now need a Passport.

Whether it's an unexpected business trip, an ailing relative or any immediate unexpected need to travel abroad in the next few days, It's Easy Services Inc. will facilitate a Passport for you in one day! It's Easy Services Inc., a licensed, private service bureau, located in Rockefeller Plaza midtown Manhattan, can get you a rush Passport or Visa within 24 hours. No matter where in the country you are located. One of the oldest, most well-established, reputable, rush-document service companies in the country, longtime members of the Better Business Bureau, It's Easy Services Inc. takes great pride in affordably fulfilling your urgent requests.

Green Mountain Energy Company, a pioneer in renewable energy and the nation's leading provider of cleaner energy, has teamed up with the Shaklee Corporation, the leading natural nutrition company in the U.S., to offset 100 percent of Shaklee's annual direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. A pioneer in environmental stewardship, in 2000, Shaklee became the first company in the world to be Climate Neutral™ certified to totally offset its greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in a net zero impact on the environment. This new partnership maintains Shaklee's commitment to be a carbon neutral enterprise.

Spam Arrest LLC, which provides the popular SPAM ARREST software and services to eliminate email spam, finally won its five year legal battle against Hormel.

Hormel filed suit against Spam Arrest in 2002 before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (Number: 92042134), the federal administrative court charged with overseeing the national trademark office, alleging canned meat consumers would confuse the SPAM ARREST trademark with the notorious SPAM mark.

This week, a panel of three judges found that Hormel’s trademark may be famous, but “that fame does not extend to computer software for filtering spam.” The 63 page decision noted that the SPAM ARREST trademark is “different in connotation and commercial impression” than Hormel’s.

Today DigiCert, a US-based Certification Authority specializing in High-Assurance SSL, announced that its new "Unified Communications Certificate" is now available. Working closely with Microsoft, DigiCert has assisted in the deployment of this flexible and innovative new type of SSL Certificate.

UC Certificates provide the flexibility needed to deploy the new Domain Security features of Microsoft's Unified Communications products such as MS Exchange Server 2007 and Live Communications Server. One single UC Certificate can protect all of your sensitive communications over HTTPS, SMTP, POP/IMAP, IM, Electronic Fax, and even VOIP.

Longhorn Creek Press announced the release of The Caretaker of Tree Palace (ISBN 0-9764026-3-7), an illustrated literary eco-novel for ages 8 through 12 and A Teacher’s Guide for The Caretaker of Tree Palace (ISBN 0-9764026-4-5). The hardcover book is illustrated by Morgan Doxey.

When you feel the world is falling apart around you, where do you go? Twelve-year-old Doodles retreats to the pages of his ratty notebook where he can draw his own world. After his mother’s death, he seeks to see what she called “Tree Palace” in the scraggly woods by his grandma’s house. Will he discover Tree Palace before the woods are torn down? What will happen to the animals who make their homes in the trees? Can he reach his grieving father and save Tree Palace before it’s too late?

One of the country's only sportswear companies dedicated to preventing and fighting plastic pollution in our oceans is offering a line of T-shirts especially for women. Planet Protect Sportswear®, based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is selling three t-shirts with ocean inspired themes of swirling water, poetry and a simple message - Protect Our Oceans. All three organic cotton T-shirts are available at www.planetprotect.com, for only $15.00 each and a portion of each sale goes to the non-profit ocean advocacy group - Oceana.

G&A Partners, a fully integrated Houston-based human resource (HR) and administrative services company, today announced the release of its latest market research report, the "2007 Texas HR Outsourcing Report." This white paper explores the benefits associated with HR outsourcing and provides insight into current outsourcing trends in Texas businesses.

"We believe this report provides an accurate view of current HR outsourcing practices and illustrates the benefits that companies can realize when they outsource," said John W. Allen, president and COO of G&A Partners. "In addition to highlighting what can be achieved through successful outsourcing arrangements, the report also explores why some companies elect not to outsource."

Cvent, the leading provider of web-based software for the $350 billion meetings and events industry has announced an agreement with ConferenceDirect, one of the largest meeting sourcing solutions in the country. ConferenceDirect's 280 associates worldwide, who booked over 2 million of group hotel room nights for its 900 customers in 2008, will now use the Cvent Supplier Network to search for meeting venues, send electronic RFPs to hotels for group business, compare venue bids and carefully track client budgets throughout the site selection process. The Cvent Supplier Network will streamline the site selection and decision making process so ConferenceDirect Associates are able to focus on leveraging their negotiating power and securing the best possible contract for their meeting planner customers.

A new white paper titled “Cutting Your Direct Mail Production Costs” is available to help direct marketers save money on their direct mail production as well as increase the effectiveness of their campaigns.

This 4-page paper provides 7 tips for cutting direct mail production costs. Topics that are addressed in detail include paper selection, piggybacking, maximizing postal discounts, gang-run printing, using a fifth color, making size changes and personalization.

The paper also covers 7 tips for increasing the overall effectiveness of a direct mail campaign. It touches upon topics such as mailing lists, creative offer, coding mail pieces, testing, mailing efficiency, handling customer responses and analyzing results.

More than 100 people attended the ceremony, including representatives from the Council, Tainui and Accor, along with other members of the local and regional business and tourism community.

Guests were welcomed on site with a Karanga performed by members of the local Tainui tribe. The ceremony also included a special Karakia / Prayer, a Mihi / Welcome, the unveiling of the plaque and finished with an energetic Kapa Haka performance.

"I think the collaboration between Tainui iwi, our company, and the Council is a reflection of how partnerships and new relations can create opportunities for growth in trade, investment, employment and, most importantly, understanding," said Mr Baffsky.