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 Instant Food They sell meat, fruit and vegetables, dairy products and bread thatis either organic or traditionally produced - the vast majoritywithin County Durham. It is then delivered to the customer's home. Mrs Deacon and Mrs Rose- Gray admitted even they were surprised bytheir instant success. Mrs Deacon said: "It has taken off even better than we expected. "We are getting orders from all over the region. Initially, westarted off delivering in Durham City, then a further ten-mileradius, and now we are taking orders from Stanhope, Burnopfield,Washington and Sunderland. "Initially, we were just thinking of serving only the domesticconsumer, but we are starting to take commercial orders as wellsuch as schools and nurseries." Mrs Deacon said that herself, Mrs Rose-Gray and a third friend whois a silent partner, had first seen the possibility of starting abusiness after their own experiences of having to travel todifferent locations to get various products such as fruit and meat. She said: "That was the reason the business was formed. We both ateorganic and if I wanted meat I had to go to one part of town and ifI was wanting vegetables I had to go to another. "On other occasions I was going to the supermarket which I didn'tfeel right about because I wanted to know where the meat was comingfrom." As they buy the vast majority of their stock from local producers,within a 35-mile radius of Spennymoor, the pair believed everybodygained. Mrs Deacon said: "Everyone is benefiting, we are giving a fairprice to farmers in this area. "It is about supporting local producers. We have some fantasticproducers in the North-East but a lot of people don't know aboutthem." The business partners were also delighted with winning theircertification from the Soil Association. Both gave up jobs working at a direct mail company to set up theirbusiness. With limited experience of running a business, the pair had help insetting up from Business Link North-East, which provides freeadvice and guidance to the region's budding entrepreneurs andestablished companies. Mrs Deacon said: "Business Link helped us source financial supportfor our corporate identity, website and design - without which wewould not have been able to communicate with new customers." Colin Willis, Business Link account manager, said: "The Honest FoodPartnership has proved to be a huge success already as SoilAssociation accreditation is only given to businesses whose foodproducts are produced and processed to strict animal welfare andenvironmental standards." The Honest Food Partnership can be contacted on 01388-817085 or goto thehonestfoodpartner ship.co.uk 12:12pm today Print Email this Comment

office chairs The final $2.7 billion offer for the Dutch stationer Corporate Express was near the upper end of what the Staples believed was a fair price, Tootoo.com has learned from a company insider. Dan Davidowitz, a portfolio manager with Polen Capital Management, which holds about $18 million worth of Staples shares, made the comments upon the announcement of the deal on June 11.If European regulators approve and the deal closes as expected next month, the U.S. firm would also assume about $1.7 billion in Corporate Express' debt, in addition to buying up the company's shares. "We like the deal, especially now that it's friendly, and the companies can move quickly to get it done and integrate," Davidowitz said. Staples shares rose $1.23, or 5.3 percent, to $24.38. American Depositary Shares of Corporate Express rose 38 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $14.38. With a combined 94,000 employees, the company will be bigger than Delray, Florida-based Office Depot Inc. and Naperville, Illinois-based OfficeMax Inc., were those two companies to combine their work forces of 49,000 and 35,000, respectively. The Staples-Corporate Express combination also would exceed the two smaller firms in combined annual revenue, with more than $27 billion — $19.4 billion for Staples last year and $8.8 billion for Corporate Express — compared with $24.6 billion for Office Depot and OfficeMax. One analyst said an Office Depot-OfficeMax tie-up could eventually be on the horizon as the rivals try to compete against a newly enlarged Staples, which would add Corporate Express' 18,000 employees to its 76,000, and be less reliant on its core retail business. "Office Depot and OfficeMax might someday be thinking about that," said Anthony Chukumba, a U.S. securities analyst with FTN Midwest Securities. With Staples' addition of Corporate Express' business serving large companies that receive office supplies under contract, "Now, suddenly, Office Depot and OfficeMax will have to compete with Staples in the contract business," Chukumba said. Shares of the chief U.S. office products suppliers declined last year as the slumping U.S. economy hurt retail sales. But Staples, with a 14 percent stock decline, didn't do as poorly as its rivals, with Office Depot dropping 64 percent and OfficeMax 59 percent. And while Staples has suffered disappointing U.S. retail sales, the chain of more than 2,000 stores has enjoyed strong international results, and growth in its delivered office products for mostly small and mid-sized businesses. Corporate Express sells only to companies, with a focus on big corporations. The combined company will sell office products in 28 countries, up from Staples' current 22, and give Staples a bigger presence in Europe, as well as entry into Australia and New Zealand. Corporate Express Chief Executive Peter Ventress will head Staples' international operations, which will be headquartered in Amsterdam. Corporate Express said Staples agreed under Wednesday's agreement "that they have no plans to make material reductions to the overall work force." Sargent said Staples faces no specific prohibition limiting job cuts to a certain number in a deal he said would help both companies become more efficient without large cuts. The companies have little operational overlap where job cuts could be made, other than in U.S. contract office supplies, Sargent said. We're not handcuffed at all," he said. Until the deal closes, Sargent said he could not offer predictions on how much in savings the companies expect from pairing up, or when the deal might add to Staples' earnings. 

U.S. recovered paper exports in the first quarter of this year totaled 5.233 million metric tons, up 25.8 percent from a year earlier, Tootoo.com has learned from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce (DOC). These numbers have caused confusion within the paper recycling industry because for months now shipping containers for recovered paper have been in short supply. China’s orders continue to be robust. In March recovered paper exports to this country were up year over year by 18.1 percent, to 940,702 metric tons, bringing the year-to-date total to 3.332 million metric tons, up 34.3 percent from a year ago. For the first quarter of this year China represented 63.7 percent of the total market for U.S. recovered paper exports, up from 59.7 percent a year ago. Among the top five markets for U.S. recovered paper, the only one down through the first quarter is Canada, but only by 3.8 percent, to 476,754 metric tons. Turning to old corrugated containers (OCC), U.S. exports of OCC posted an 18 percent year-over-year increase in the first three months of this year and totaled 1.445 million metric tons, reports the DOC. China remains the number one consumer with 737,049 metric tons received from the U.S., up 15.3 percent, or nearly 98,000 metric tons, from first quarter 2007. India remains in second place, with a 30 percent increase in shipments, to 140,261 metric tons.

Computer Bluetooth Mouse Mice are personal, and in some way, they're the most personalaspect of today's personal computers,

whether a Mac or a WindowsPC. Some people, for example, love Apple's mice. Other people can'tstand them. I fall into that

category. Thus, my pleasure at seeingthat Microsoft  which makes great mice  has released a newBluetooth mouse for Mac

owners. There are many good mice manufacturers. Logitech, Kensington,Microsoft. Apple. Others. There are many styles of mice,

and many ways of connecting them.Wired mice have their place: they're cheaper, they don't run onbatteries, and they never get

lost. However, Bluetooth wirelessmice are nice, especially for notebook owners, because they don'tneed cables, and since all

modern Mac desktops and notebooks havebuilt-in Bluetooth, they don't tie up a precious USB port. That's areal plus for

notebook users, who never have enough ports. The new Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse for Mac, $49.95, which just began

shipping this week, is slightly smallerthan a standard mouse, which will make it ideal for both notebookusers and for desktop

users who prefer a smaller mouse. (In myinformal polls, about 1/3 of adult desktop Mac users prefer to usea notebook mouse to

a standard full-sized desktop one.) The new mouse has some solid features, including a scroll wheel, anon/off switch (to save

battery life and comply with FAAregulations) and a battery life indicator. Plus, it runs on AAAbatteries, which means that if

your batteries die, you're not outof luck until you wait for it to recharge. Just pop in newbatteries, and you're back in

business. Interestingly, Microsoft also makes a notebook mouse called the Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000, which is billed as

being for both Windows and Macs. What's thedifference between the $49.95 Mouse 5000 and the new Mac mouse?Absolutely none, as

a Microsoft spokesperson explained to me: "The mouse itself is identical to the Bluetooth Notebook Mouse5000. With the Mac

packaging, we wanted to make it clear toconsumers that the mouse is compatible with both the Mac andWindows operating

systems. And now the product can be sorted inboth Mac and PC sections of stores so users can ensure they arebuying a product

that will work with their computer." That's why, the spokesperson said, you can find the new mouse inApple stores, in the Mac

section of Best Buy, and of course,online.

Printed Velvet Shop Sui by Sylvia Tai at No. 227 has funky printed T-shirts youwon't see on anyone else's back, while Little

Salon at No. 71 is asmall but perfectly formed boutique selling designer scarves,handbags and more. Food Melbourne's best

Italian pizzeria is not on Lygon Street. There areno red-and-white checked tablecloths or Ferrari posters, just darkwood,

marble-topped tables - and authentic wood-fired pizzas withminimalist toppings. It's Ladro, at No. 224a, a slick diner

thathas held tightly to its one hat in The Age Good Food Guide. Justcome early or you've got no chance of getting a table.

Anotherdarling of Melbourne foodies is the Gertrude St Enoteca at No. 229.Started by slow food proponent Brigitte Hafner, it

is part winebar, part cafe - and everything that Clover Moore is trying toencourage in Sydney. Tables are surrounded by

shelves ofinteresting bottles of wine - you can get a French Pouilly-Fume orartisan cognac, a coffee or an antipasto platter.

Jars of picklesand olives line the window and a sign proudly declares the Enotecais a "GM Free Zone". In fact, it's more a

philosophy than a shop. The Builders Arms pub on the corner does both reconstructed pubgrub and Middle-Eastern specialities.

The menu ranges from suchAnglo staples as corned beef and bread and butter pud to Greekskordalia and tagines. And don't be

fooled by the traditionalyellow-tiled exterior - inside, think disco balls and not a pokiein sight. Dante's restaurant and

wine bar at No. 150 is a bit of aboho institution and is a great place to go for tapas and a drink.Also worth mentioning is

Fatto A Mano organic bakery at No. 228,which apart from a variety of breads and rolls, sells irresistiblypuffy Italian sugar

doughnuts. Art It has to be remembered that the art galleries in Gertrude Streetare what started to draw fashionable and

creative types into itsorbit in the first place. At No. 200 is Gertrude Contemporary ArtSpaces, a collection of galleries and

studios started in 1983. TheDiane Tanzer Gallery at No. 108 also started in the 1980s and isdedicated to exhibiting

innovative artists. Also see SeventhGallery at No. 155, which has two galleries rotating severalexhibitions each month. Books

Artisan Books at No. 159 is crammed with unusual literary finds.Here, you can find tomes on everything from crop circles to

bodyart. Title at No. 183 is a new shop staffed by musos, stocking raremusic and films. If you need an obscure piece of

vinyl, look nofurther. Some of the items on display included a vinyl soundtrackof the film Lolita, a collector's edition DVD

of Zatoichi and theFritz The Cat series. The standout bookshop here is Books for Cooksat No. 233, Australia's largest seller

of cookbooks. There arebooks that date back to the 18th century, a foreign languagesection and of course the latest titles

from top cookbook authorsaround the globe (the day I pass, Stephane Reynaud's Terrine wasfeatured).

Nylon Cable Gland Top U.S. cable operators Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc will begin testing ways this week to

limit individual subscribers who use the largest amount of Internet capacity in an effort to protect their high-speed

networks.ADVERTISEMENT The moves are a response to government inquiries as well as the heavy costs of upgrading existing

broadband infrastructure due to the explosion of downloading and watching music and videos. Such usage is "taxing the

infrastructure," a Time Warner Cable spokesman said. "In order to make investments in the infrastructure, we have to find the

revenue to pay for it." Some technology blogs have criticized the new pricing structure and usage limits, which they said

would curtail interest in viewing videos online and enrage consumers who currently pay for unlimited service. Time Warner

Cable said it will launch a service on Thursday that charges new consumers of high-speed Internet service based on their

usage. Broadband subscribers in Beaumont, Texas, will be charged $1 per gigabyte above monthly allowances, a company

spokesman said. Separately, Comcast said it has changed the way it will manage network traffic and begin a test to slow the

transfer of files to individual subscribers who are its heaviest users during congested periods. The tests will begin

Thursday in the Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and Warrenton, Virginia areas. Time Warner Cable's new policy is intended to

address its top 5 percent of users, who have spent a "disproportionate" amount of time on the company's network, the

spokesman said. Consumers in Time Warner Cable's test region will be offered several levels of service. A $29.95 per month

plan for slower speeds of 768 kilobits per second and a 5 gigabyte limit would let users send and receive nearly 350,000 e-

mails, play 170 hours of online games, or download more than 1,380 digital songs per month. At the high end, a $54.90 monthly

fee for a 15-megabit-per-second service and a 40 gigabyte monthly limit would allow subscribers to watch 124 hours of

standard-definition videos or download 11,070 songs. COMCAST MULLS NEW BILLING Comcast is currently looking at "consumption"

billing plans. The top U.S. cable operator offers tiers of service differentiated by speed, but not by size limits. A Comcast

spokesman said it is also evaluating a monthly 250-gigabyte limit for customers to manage its heaviest users, but it has not

made a decision. "We want to deliver the best online experience for our customers," a Comcast spokesman said. "We can do it

really quickly and without the need for government intervention." In January, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said

it would investigate complaints by consumer groups over the blocking of file-sharing services such as BitTorrent on Comcast's

service. At the time, Comcast said it did not block such services, but used network management technology to slow delivery of

files to heavy users of such services. Comcast's new approach will stop distinguishing the type of activity or services that

are considered bandwidth hogs, but will slow delivery of files it believes is taxing the network. "Setting the caps is a very

simple matter to change," the Time Warner Cable spokesman said. "If usage patterns are such that we need to change those, we

certainly can." 

Cable Digital Tuner Television stations across the country will be dropping theiranalog signal and going all digital next

February. But do you knowwhat that means? Do you know if you'll have to make changes towatch your favorite TV shows? 3 On

Your Side's Jim Donovan clearsup some of the confusion. Maybe you've seen the commercials which are a reminder that nextyear,

television as we know it, will change. It's the digital TVtransition and it's occurring February 17th of next year, but why?

The government has ordered television stations to switch to adigital signal because it has benefits. "Anyone with an older

analog TV that has an outside antenna orrabbit ears who would normally receive an analog broadcast needs adigital converter

box," said Knowles. But what does a converter box do? The box converts the digitalsignal into analog so you can watch your

older set. That's becauseolder TV's don't have a digital tuner. But you won't need a converter box if you have cable.

"Regardless of how you're connected to cable, whether it be througha set-top box or a direct connection into the back of the

set, ifyou're connected to cable, you're covered for February 2009," saidJeff Alexander with Comcast Cable. That's because

the cable company converts the signal for you. Ifyou have satellite TV, you won't need a converter box either. Finally, the

where. You can get a digital converter box at manyretailers. The government is offering two $40 coupons perhousehold.

Mobile Phone Flasher Most video services for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearinginvolve an interpreter who relays

messages between thoseindividuals and the hearing parties they communicate with. Avideophone with a high-speed Internet

connection and a monitor,used either one-on-one or with an interpreter, is preferred by manyAmerican Sign Language users when

they want to communicate bytelephone. Heidi Reed, commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for theDeaf and Hard of

Hearing (MCDHH), said, "MCDHH commends thisenhancement to Verizon's customer services for our manyconstituents who use

American Sign Language. This addition inservice delivery reflects Verizon's leadership role in meeting theneeds of deaf and

hard-of-hearing customers. All of us at MCDHHlook forward to continued excellence in communication accessservices for

residents of Massachusetts." People can have a video conversation in ASL with a videophone -- aset-top box with either a

built-in camera connected to a broadbandrouter, a free-standing desk unit with a small screen or a Web camsupported by a

computer and appropriate software. Each equipmentoption requires a high-speed Internet connection to receive goodpicture

quality; lower-bandwidth services will result in pixilationand low frame rates on most products. ASL is a unique language

that incorporates hand gestures and facialexpressions, and provides a more expressive and fulfillingtelecommunications

experience than either TTY (teletype) equipmentor relay services. "Due to the widespread availability and affordability

ofbroadband, more and more deaf or hard-of-hearing consumers have avideophone," said Grenda. "We believe the videophoneoption

gives customers a simpler, more user-friendly way tointeract with Verizon for their telecommunications needs." Verizon

customer service representatives can recommend services andequipment that make communications easier for people with

variousdisabilities. For example, Verizon offers phones that have photoson the buttons to help people with cognitive

difficulties, andphones that operate by remote control for people with physicaldisabilities. Some customers with disabilities

can get an exemption from chargesfor calls made to 411 or for operator-assisted calls. Verizon canprovide its bill statements

in large print or Braille at no extracharge. The company also produces a quarterly newsletter

(http://www.verizon.com/forwardaccess ; please enter a phone numberor zip code to access the file) filled with news and

informationfor its customers with disabilities. While Verizon does not currently sell videophones, the centersupports sales

of other equipment to help people with disabilities.(NOTE: See accompanying list of available equipment.) The Verizon Center

for Customers with Disabilities, which iscelebrating its 16th anniversary this year, provides customersupport to people who

are deaf or hard-of-hearing, blind, or havevision, mobility, speech or cognitive disabilities. There are twosuch centers, one

in Marlboro, Mass., the other in Oxnard, Calif. When the Marlboro center opened in 1992, its staff of sixrepresentatives

handled approximately 4,000 calls a year. Today,the staff has grown to more than 100 representatives who now handlemore than

700,000 calls annually. Verizon Communications Inc. , headquartered in New York, is aleader in delivering broadband and other

wireline and wirelesscommunication innovations to mass market, business, government andwholesale customers. Verizon Wireless

operates America's mostreliable wireless network, serving more than 67 million customersnationwide. Verizon's Wireline

operations include Verizon Business,which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions tocustomers around the world,

and Verizon Telecom, which bringscustomers the benefits of converged communications, information andentertainment services

over the nation's most advanced fiber-opticnetwork. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employed a diverse workforce ofapproximately

232,000 as of the end of the first quarter 2008 andlast year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5billion.

Infant Set BOSTON, Massachusetts (AFP) — British computer engineer NeilEntwistle was to go on trial in Boston on Monday

accused ofshooting dead his nine-month-old daughter and American wife attheir family home two years ago. Entwistle, now 29,

was arrested in London in February 2006 onsuspicion of murdering his wife Rachel, 27, and infant daughterLillian at their

home in an upscale Boston suburb days earlier,using his father-in-law's gun. Rachel was lying curled up with her baby

clutched to her chest whenpolice found them on January 22, responding to a call from worriedrelatives. Baby Lillian had been

shot through the stomach and the .22-caliberbullet passed through to her mother, who had also been shot in thehead.

Entwistle's rented white BMW SUV was found at Boston's Loganairport after the bodies were discovered, from where he had

flown-- without luggage -- back to his parents' home in Worksop, in theEnglish East Midlands. Prosecutors allege that

Entwistle stole a .22-caliber gun from thehome of his wife's parents which they visited in September 2005.They say his DNA

was found on the gun, which he then allegedlyreplaced after the killings. Court documents portray the suspect as a sexual

pervert who spenthis time devising Internet scams and setting up pornographicwebsites, and who struggled to find work when

the family tried tostart a new life in the United States. The couple met in 1999 at the University of York in

northernEngland, where Rachel was studying literature and he engineering.They later moved in together, her teaching high

school English andhe working for technology firm QinetiQ. They married in August 2003 in the United States before a

honeymoonspent on a cruise in the Mediterranean. Their daughter was bornless than two years later, and soon after, the couple

decided tomove to the United States. Entwistle told his in-laws that he was earning 10,000 dollars amonth advising the

British military on secret computer programs,while his wife told her parents his money was tied up in offshoreaccounts. But

in reality he had struggled to find work in Massachusetts andwas funding their comfortable lifestyle with credit cards.

Shortly before the murders, he posted on the Internet a full-lengthpicture of himself in a lawn chair, his hands gripping

hisfully-aroused genitals, adding that he was looking for "a bit morefun in the bedroom". Investigators would later find

Entwistle had set up twopornographic websites and was engaged in a series of Internet scamsin England, dating back to 2002.

On one, he had even used hiswife's name, court documents say. When he was arrested in London, Entwistle was carrying a

handwritten note "to sell the media exclusive rights to the full storyto the highest bidder", according to court documents.

He was also carrying a page torn from a local tabloid with hundredsof ads by women providing sexual services, they said.

Massachusetts no longer has the death penalty, and so if convictedof the double murders Entwistle faces life in prison with

no chanceof parole. Rachel and baby Lillian were buried together in one casket and thename of Entwistle does not appear on

their grave stone. 

Velour Material Russian emigres have been a Brighton Beach fixture ever since theSoviet Union opened its doors in the late

1980s. And every weekend,the Brooklyn neighborhood's restaurants and nightclubs are full ofmusic that's hard to find anywhere

else. Daniela Gerson paid avisit to the oceanfront community, and sat down with one long-timefixture, singer and composer

Victoria Lisina. Victoria Lisina sits alone at Primorski's Restaurant in BrightonBeach. As Saturday afternoon turns into

evening, diners chat inRussian and feast on platters of meat dumplings and pickledveggies. This Brooklyn enclave is home to

immigrants from acrossthe former Soviet Union, and Victoria knows songs to please themall. Victoria looks like the diva she

is --- she wears stretch pantsthat cling to her rather voluptuous body, a red velour top, and ahomemade fox-fur and Velcro

headband. The 52-year-old singer closesher eyes and sings a sweet ode to Leningrad and childhood friendsfrom the Communist

Youth Group. Victoria's songs are pure nostalgia. Her own memories of growing upin Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city,

are more complicated.She was a successful musician conducting a popular classical andjazz orchestra that performed in movie

theaters. But she couldnever feel completely secure -- Victoria is Jewish, and in the1980s anti-Semitism in Ukraine was

widespread. Her son was beatenup in school for being Jewish, and even members of her ownorchestra refused to play for a group

of visiting Israelidignitaries. "In Ukraine, in Soviet Union, in Russia -- all the time wehave danger, from the beginning of

the state. This is true. All thetime we felt that we were not a citizen of that country," shesays. "All the time strangers."

So when the Soviet empire began to crumble, Victoria and her familyfinally had the chance to leave. She dreamed of making

music in theland of her favorite singer, Ella Fitzgerald. Victoria also plannedto sell her compositions to Broadway

musicians. But she quicklyfound that none of her accomplishments in Kharkiv were worth muchon 42nd Street. "And I realized

that I have to be in different situation, tochange the profession maybe to survive and I was crying half ayear," she says.

Victoria made her way to Brighton Beach andfound she could survive by singing in the neighborhood restaurantsand nightclubs.

"This is special country. Country inside the country, BrightonBeach is Russian country." But it's Russia circa 1985. Djs in

Moscow and Kiev spin the latesthip-hop and techno, but in Brighton Beach Soviet-era standards arestill the rage. The

nostalgic mix includes Russian pop, cityanthems and love songs. Along with Hebrew, Victoria's latest CD,

"InternationalProgram," boasts her original arrangements in eight otherlanguages. But after nearly two decades in America,

Victoria islosing faith that her name will ever be known beyond these fewblocks where Brooklyn meets the ocean. "Our

profession is not for this place. Music is some sort ofsoul subject... it's not material stuff. We can only imagine tohear

and to feel -- this country for to sell and to buy." And Victoria is tired of the late nights entertaining drunk Russianmen

who don't appreciate her compositions. She has decided she willsing the music she wants, or not at all. So now there's a

newsinger at Primorski's on Saturday evenings. Before the disco ball begins to flash, Victoria wraps herself inher fur jacket

and declares herself done for the day.