The troubled fruit and juice producer Ocean Spray saw its growers agree to a compromise yesterday over the make-up of the cooperative’s board, following disagreements over whether to remain independent. A group of growers had said in January that they wished to elect a new board, made up of directors who wished to see the cooperative remain independent, to replace the existing 12-member board.However, Ocean Spray yesterday elected an expanded slate of directors recommended by the current board, preliminary results showed. A new board then said it would look at strategic options, including a sale of the Ocean Spray juice brand or a minority stake in the business. However, in January this board, though still reviewing the sale of a minority stake, said it would not sell the Ocean Spray brand. Private equity firms Vestar Capital Partners and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co are thought to be interested in making an investment, as is PepsiCo. However, the dissident growers, who still favor independence, make any deal unlikely at present.

It’s safe to say that every man who lifts weights does so, at least in part, to be more of a man than he is now. Whether you’re out to build muscle size, increase strength, lose fat, or do all three, your ultimate goal in training is some form of self-improvement–and, let’s be honest, to feel like a badass who has no problem taking care of business. At the heart of all these adaptations is the hormone testosterone.The big “T” has gotten a bad rap lately in the news because of its automatic association with illegal steroids and the dangers that result from steroid abuse. But trust us, as a man looking to improve your body and stay virile and vigorous into your later years, you want as much testosterone as you can get (naturally, that is). This month, we’re going to get your T levels surging by helping you take advantage of every factor known to stimulate testosterone release. The result will be a bigger, stronger, and overall manlier you, and a body that looks great and feels even better–in short, everything you started lifting weights for.

AXES are going to go up. That’s not a prediction about what the Democratic Congress is going to do about President Bush’s tax cuts. Even if they make all of those tax cuts permanent, taxes are still going to go up–automatically, with no vote by the Congress. Spending is going to go up, too–way up. Conservatives have no plan to solve these problems. They don’t seem to be aware that the tax problem even exists.Actually, you don’t even need to move into a higher tax bracket to end up paying higher average tax rates. Let’s say we had a flat tax of 17 percent on all income above $15,000. Let’s say you get a raise from $25,000 to $30,000. Before the raise, you paid $1,700 in taxes, 6.8 percent of your income. Afterward, you pay $2,550, or 8.5 percent.

This kind of “bracket creep” is more benign than the old kind. In the late 1970s, taxpayers found that inflation was putting them in higher tax brackets. Even when they were not making any more money in real terms, the government was taking more from them, thus leaving taxpayers poorer than they had been. One of President Reagan’s major accomplishments on taxes was to make tax brackets automatically increase with inflation.

The growth of Michaels Stores into a $2.8 billion company depends mainly on the success of its core craft chain, but diversification has become a strategy in recent years as the retailer seeks new ways to leverage its strengths.

Four different divisions make up the. Corporate Michaels Stores business, including the Michaels and Aaron Brothers retail chains, an in-house frame manufacturing division and the latest addition, a wholesale operation.

Two of these sister divisions are in early stages of development. Michaels purchased Aaron Brothers art and framing stores in 1995, which has grown during that time from 50 stores in California to 150 in eight states. Three years ago, the company bought Star Decorators’ Wholesale Warehouse, a one-store florist and decorating supplies operation in Dallas. That business is now beginning a slow expansion, with potential to grow to 50 outlets.

DAVID MCNAMEE HAS LONG BEEN considered one of the internal audit profession’s thought leaders on risk management. He has taught risk management to audit professionals in more than two dozen countries on six continents. He has written 15 books and 50 articles on the subject for journals in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia.

We recently asked McNamee to reflect on the current state of the art. His comments–words of wisdom from two decades of experience–offer a healthy corrective to many of the common mistakes organizations make when it comes to assessing risk.

DAVID MCNAMEE: It seems that certain requirements of risk management systems are common among all organizations. Risk management involves building a system to identify, measure, and prioritize risk and then acting on that information to mitigate possible negative effects of the risk event.

Risk management systems usually require three steps, each of which is shaped according to the organization’s culture and environment:

1. A means to stimulate imagination combined with a deep understanding of the business. The recent U.S. 9-11 Report points to risk management failure due to a widespread “lack of imagination.” Most of us are too specialized or focused and so accustomed to our environment that we cannot break out of our current thinking patterns to think broadly about our risks. And it is usually the risk that “no one ever thought of” that causes the most harm. Although an outsider (e.g., a consultant

Japan remains heavily dependent on imported energy. However, the country’s reliance on petroleum from overseas, which peaked in 1973 at more than 75 percent of total consumption, has fallen to under 50 percent. In its place: natural gas and nuclear power, both of which have risen to 13 percent, from 2 percent and 1 percent respectively in the early 1970s (see Table 1).

Despite this shift in consumption patterns, natural gas has yet to make inroads into the auto sector. Sales of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles still account for a fraction of 1 percent, although they have been running on Japanese roads since the early 1990s. In June, there were 17,200 in operation, the majority in Tokyo and Osaka (see Table 2), and the number is projected to increase to more than 21,000 by summer 2004.

Driving still fledgling demand is the 1998 decision by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Organization (NEDO) to extend subsidies for ‘clean’ vehicles. Under the scheme, NEDO, an offshoot of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, awards discounts of around 10 percent at the time of purchase. Since the program went into effect in June 1998, an estimated 90 percent of buyers have taken advantage of the government’s offer.

With respect to the current CNG vehicle pool (see Table 3), light- and medium trucks account for nearly half of total The top-selling model, Isuzu Motor’s 4.3L Elf, passed the 5 million sales mark in July.

In other segments, compact station wagons and vans like Nissan Motor’s AD Van and Toyota Motor’s Probox have a 17 percent share, while 660cc minivehicles (both cars and trucks) claim around 20 percent. Of the remainder, standard-sized sedans like Nissan’s Cedric have a 6 percent share; com muter buses and forklifts combine for around 8 percent.

In the commuter bus market, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. has achieved LEV-7 levels with its CNG-powered Aerostar and Rosa buses.

In terms of ownership, freight forwarders like Sagawa Express, Nippon Express and Yamato Transport account for 60 percent of CNG vehicle registrations. They are followed by gas companies, at 21 percent, and central and local governments, at 18 percent.

Meanwhile, as of April there were 224 CNG fuel stations in operation including 177 multi-fuel ‘eco’ stations which, in addition to supplying natural gas and methanol, are equipped with battery-chargers for electric vehicles.

Newly added to the still-small list of dedicated CNG stations is Isuzu’s Shonandai station. Built adjacent to the truckmaker’s Fujisawa plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, the facility opened in April. In backing the initiative, Isuzu management noted that CNG, in addition to not producing particulate matter and smoke, generates far less NOx (oxides of nitrogen) than other fossil fuels.

In the U.S., Honda Motor Co. plans to begin marketing a CNG home refueling unit in 2004 that will permit users to tap into the natural gas line running into their homes. Estimated cost of the unit: $1,500.

Once the new fueling accessory is available, American Honda expects sales of the CNG-powered Civic GX to increase to several thousand annually, from several hundred at present. Since the model was introduced in 2001, American Honda has sold fewer than 1,000 units. The model, which is produced at the East Liberty, Ohio, plant of Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc., is sold almost exclusively in the U.S.

Against this backdrop, researchers note that one of the biggest obstacles to greater usage of natural gas as a replacement fuel for gasoline and diesel is the government’s commitment to hydrogen. They argue that converting to natural gas is much simpler, thus more cost effective, and could have an immediate impact on the environment. Moreover, they feel the hydrogen storage problem, both onboard and within the fuel supply chain, is still years away from being resolved.

Kogakuin University’s Seijirau Suda, a specialist in the field of hydrogen storage technology, feels that NEDO’s support of ‘compressed’ hydrogen is another example of the organization’s throwing money at a problem with little chance of success. “Even if we were to increase pressure levels to 1,000 MPa (100 bar), cars would not be able to carry 5 kg of hydrogen and travel distances of 500 km (312 miles),” he declares.

At the dual risk of being a prig and a bore, let me begin with what the scholastics called the via remotionis (crudely: what something is not). I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of the Republican Party. In the Catholic ghetto where I grew up, I never laid eyes on a known Republican until I was in high school. And while I accept that, alas, man is by nature a political animal, I have always thought that you really have to be some kind of dumb to expect much of, identify with, or invest yourself wholly in any political party, including the Republicans.

Yet barring any political earthquakes between now and November, I will vote with no little enthusiasm for George W. Bush and a whole raft of other Republican candidates.My enthusiasm, to continue just a little more in the same philosophical direction, is not primarily about Bush. His down-home Texas routine is more foreign to me than Kerry’s tony Swiss schooling (though I’ve grown to appreciate its prickly charm, especially given Kerry’s lumbering blandness). Like his father, Bush is a thoroughly decent person. But despite all efforts, he somehow seems unable to communicate deep moral passion, which I have no doubt he feels. Bush knows the words, but can’t carry the tune. By contrast, Tony Blair was eloquent, just short of Churchillian, in the run-up to the Iraq war. So, while I support and largely agree with Bush, I admit his manner can come across as brittle.

Spring’s messy up ‘dos look pretty, not prom-y. To create this look, comb a large front section of hair to the side and brush around to the back. Pull back hair into a loose bun. Pull out small sections, twist and pin to top of bun. Lightly spray hair with Suave Freeze Hold Finishing Spray ($2.50, drugstores) to keep everything in its place. Feeling extra flirty? Tuck a flower behind your ear!

Pretty in pink bows

Fall’s bows are still strong for spring. Want them to feel even Fresher? Just add bold Stripes and pretty pins.

Daytime glam

Don’t be afraid to bring out dressier pieces during the day. Layer a strapless top (we love this one that has its own flowing scarf attached) with a big bling pin and a cropped cardigan.

Neutral nails

Subtle and sweet, new spring opaque pale polishes are worthy of showing off. We love Essie’s Vanity Fairest ($8, essie.com), Orly Flirty Girl ($7, orlybeauty.com) and OPI Heart Throb ($7.50,
Daytime glam

Don’t be afraid to bring out dressier pieces during the day. Layer strapless top 9we love this one that has its own flowing scarf attached) with a big bling pin and a cropped cardigan.

Are you Goth?

No I’m not Goth. Chris Bodiford is Goth.

So do you wear the make-up?

I don’t wear make-up.

Why do you have a Joan Jett haircut? Be honest dude, come on now!

I don’t know. I don’t cut my hair; it just does whatever it wants.

How old are you and where are you from?

I’m 17 and I’m from The Valley.

How’d you get on Zero?

I rode for Sixteen skateboards and Dan, the team manager, sent my video to Black Box without a note on it. He wanted to try and get me on Circa but since it didn’t have a note Jamie assumed it was for Zero.

Was Dan bummed that you got on Zero?

So was it intimidating at first when you skated with all the Zero guys?

I guess it was a bit intimidating at first, but you get over it.

Well, you didn’t get on Circa; who’s your shoe sponsor now

Available in horizontal and down discharge arrangements, Model IG features single-piece design for optimized weather resistance. It utilizes power-vented, 80% efficient, gas-fired furnace and is ETL labeled to ANSI Standards Z83.3 and CGA 2.6. Supplied with double width, double inlet forward curved blowers, product offers airflow volume range from 800-7,000 cfm with heating capacities up to 400,000 BTU/hr input. Access panels facilitate inspection and maintenance.

Greenheck’s new line of Model IG Indirect Gas-Fired Make-Up Air units feature a single-piece design for maximum weather resistance. Model IG features a power vented 80% efficient gas fired furnace and is ETL labeled to ANSI Standards Z83.3 and CGA 2.6. The IG units are supplied with double width, double inlet Greenheck forward curved blowers tested to AMCA standards for high efficiency and low sound levels. Airflow volumes range from 800 to 7,000 cfm with heating capacities up to 400,000 BTU/hr input.

Greenheck’s Model IG features large access panels for ease of inspection and maintenance, and is factory assembled and wired to minimize field installation costs. Units are available in horizontal and down discharge arrangements with optional evaporative cooling section and mixing box for recirculation.