XIAM007 - Making Unique Observations in a Very Cluttered World: 08/13/10

Friday, 13 August 2010

This just in - Bed Bugs at CNN / Time Warner Center in New York -

This just in - Bed Bugs at CNN / Time Warner Center in New York -

TVNewser has learned the human resources department of TBS Inc. has sent out an email this afternoon alerting staffers of a bed bug problem in their New York City offices at Time Warner Center -- home to CNN, CNNMoney.com and other Time Warner entities.

The Time Warner Center Facilities Department advises that bed bugs have been detected in Time Warner Center. This determination was made after testing was conducted on several floors of the building.

A CNN spokesperson tells TVNewser, "the building management is addressing the issue and is taking immediate action."

Bed bugs have been the scourge of New York for several years. In Nov. 2007, an exterminator was called to the Fox News newsroom to take care of a bed bug problem there. And last month, AgencySpy reported a New York ad agency closed due to a bed bug infestation.

Internal email after the jump...

August 13, 2010
To: TBS, Inc. Employees
From: TBS, Inc. Human Resources

The Time Warner Center Facilities Department advises that bed bugs have been detected in Time Warner Center. This determination was made after testing was conducted on several floors of the building. In response, Time Warner Facilities is working with pest control providers to address the issue in an environmentally safe manner, and during non-working hours. Generally, bed bugs do not carry or transmit disease. Information about bed bugs and their eradication is available athttp://home2.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/vector/vector-faq1.pdf

If you have questions, please contact your HR adviser. And be assured that Turner Broadcasting is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy working environment.

Paying bills usually stinks, but gas bills from a utility in Washington state will include the stench of rotten eggs -

Paying bills usually stinks, but gas bills from a utility in Washington state will include something truly odorous this month: the stench of rotten eggs.

As part of a safety campaign, Puget Sound Energy is including a scratch-and-sniff pamphlet with its billing statements to remind customers of what leaking gas smells like.

Natural gas is odorless, but providers add a chemical to the gas that has a distinctive, sulfur-like aroma similar to rotten eggs so leaks can be detected.

Bellevue, Wash.-based PSE serves nearly 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties.

Hundreds of Irish nuns Sue Morgan Stanley Over Bum Investment - causing losses of at least $6.4 million -

Hundreds of Irish nuns are alleging in a lawsuit that Morgan Stanley failed to properly dispose of "so-called Hybrid Structured euro constant maturity swap notes," causing losses of at least $6.4 million.

The name of the lawsuit: The Sisters of Jesus and Mary v Morgan Stanley. Other plaintiffs suing Morgan include the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, the Holy Faith Sisters and the Irish Veterinary Benevolent Fund.

According to the lawsuit, first reported by Financial News, the swaps promised returns of 6.25 percent for at least four years and included a mandatory redemption clause that would force the sale of the notes if the underlying collateral bonds were downgraded to sub-investment grade.

But when the bonds plummeted in the second half of 2008 -- the depths of the financial crisis -- Standard & Poor's downgraded them to junk status, which the nuns say should have required Morgan Stanley to sell them immediately. Instead, the lawsuit alleges, Morgan Stanley waited until June 3, 2010 before acting. By that point, the bonds had rallied in value, but only enough to cover Morgan Stanley's fees. The nuns were still stuck with a big loss, according to the lawsuit.

Morgan Stanley has declined to comment and has two weeks to respond to the lawsuit, which was filed in the High Court in Ireland.

Sheryl Crow 2010 rider demands recycled toilet paper and compact fluorescent bulbs in all dressing rooms and common areas -

Touring the United States and Europe this year, Sheryl Crow arrives at venues with an assortment of environmental demands certain to vex concert promoters, according to a review of the musician’s 2010 backstage rider.

The document, excerpted here, actually has a 2-1/2 page “environmental portion”to be “strictly followed and policed.” Seeking to “minimize the overall environmental impact of our tour,” Crow demands that only biodegradable cups and dinnerware be used by the caterer. Produce should be “organic and purchased from local suppliers as much as possible.” And for the five backstage “watering stations,” water “must be sourced from a local spring water vendor.”

According to Crow’s rider, her tour party travels between gigs in two 45-foot buses, while her equipment is packed into two tractor-trailers.

Crow, 48, also offers promoters “venue greening suggestions.” She wants “traditional light bulbs” swapped out for compact fluorescent bulbs in “all offices, dressing rooms and common areas.” “Eco-friendly cleaning and bathroom products” and “post-consumer recycled toilet paper and paper towel” should also be used. Crow’s rider also notes that, “We strongly encourage you to use renewable sources and/or to buy sustainable energy credits where possible. Many local utilities offer ‘green power’ as an option--please check with yours and opt in.”

The document also details how Crow’s backstage hospitality room is to be stocked. The singer needs an assortment of “biodegradable non-petroleum cups” and 24 “disposable napkins made of 100% recycled fiber.” Crow’s rider also lists a wide variety of drinks and snacks that she needs, including organic coconut water and two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon (“Sheryl’s Favorite” is Stag’s Leap Artemis). Two “good quality, dark, organic chocolate bars” are described as “***VERY IMPORTANT***”