What HP Needs From Meg Whitman

Despite beating estimates for both sales and profit,Hewlett-Packard posted an outlook for 2012 below what they were looking for.The pc business was down 2% in Q3,and printing was off about 10%.It looks like the company is resetting the bar,says analyst Aaron Rakers,CFA,Managing Director at Stifel Nicolaus.A lot of downward revisions have already been baked into the stock,and people are hopeful for upward revisions now.
Under new CEO Meg Whitman,the company is keeping the pc business and its economies of scale,leveraging the volume of what the pc business brings.Job One for Meg Whitman is resetting expectations.She must also bring cohesiveness to HP's management team.
Mr.Rakers is neutral on the stock.In order to upgrade it,he needs to feel comfort with the various competitive dynamics across HP's business segments.
Meg Whitman replaced Leo Apotheker in the top job at the firm.She had been CEO of eBay and a candidate in the 2010 California governor's race.
Hewlett-Packard(HPQ)

Applied Physics Lab Jobs and Culture

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab has 141 openings in the Baltimore/Washington Metro Region.Engineers and scientists comprise 68% of the Lab's workforce of 4700.They solve complex research,engineering and analytical problems in the areas of national security and space exploration that pose a critical challenge to the United States.
Current openings at APL include Systems Test and Evaluation Engineer;Sr. Maintenance Worker;Conference Facility Administrator;and RF and Mixed-Signal Engineer.
Some of the Lab's Business Areas are Air and Missile Defense;Civilian Space;Homeland Protection;Undersea Warfare;and Research and Exploratory Development for agencies such as NASA,the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency.
You may apply online at www.jhuapl.edu/employment
APL:Enhancing National Security through Science and Technology

A Concerning Marker:What High WBC Means

High white blood cell counts can indicate a number of things.They may signal:
infection;
reaction to a drug;
bone marrow disease;
immune system disorder.
Typical causes of high WBC include leukemia;measles;rheumatoid arthritis;stress;and tuberculosis.The number of serious possibilities make further medical attention imperative for the patient with a high WBC.
The normal white blood cell values as expressed in lab results are between 4.0 and 11.0.

Continuing Repercussions of Bangkok Flooding

The recent flooding of the Thai capital,Bangkok,is having a number of ripple effects.Honda Motor,for instance,is scaling back production at six U.S. plants through December.This is because the flood has caused parts shortages.
Thailand's GDP for Q3 was up 3.5%-below estimates.The Bank of Thailand has cut its growth forecast for all of 2011 to 1.5% on account of the flooding,which killed around 600 people.More than 14,000 businesses have been hampered by the disaster.
There has been criticism of the Thai government under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over the flooding.The response was too slow;indeed,there was no preparation for the disaster,the critics complain.
Honda Motor Company(HMC)

Stratford University Jobs

Stratford University in Woodbridge,Virginia has a number of openings for both administrative and faculty positions.
Administrative:Director of Admissions;Campus Director;Student Account Specialist;Director of Career Services
Adjunct Faculty:Mathematics;Science;Computer Information Systems(PhD);Ethics;Accounting(CPA);Culinary Arts;Baking and Pastry;Hospitality Management
To apply,email resumes to employment@stratford.edu
Stratford is a for-profit institution of vocational education.Visit www.stratford.edu

Philanthropy Today:CareFirst Backs Nutrition Support for the Critically Ill

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield,the largest health insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region,has awarded a 450,000 dollar grant to provide home-delivered entrees,groceries and nutrition counseling to the critically ill through the Food&Friends organization's Groceries-to-Go program.The three year grant will assist clients of the program,who include those with cancer,HIV/AIDS,and other life-challenging illnesses.
With CareFirst's grant,Food&Friends,for the first time in its history,will be able to deliver fresh produce to patients on a regular,year-round basis.
A huge ceremonial check was presented at a special event in which CareFirst employee volunteers prepared and packaged food for the patients in the Food&Friends kitchen.Among those attending the occasion were Washington,D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray;Prince George's County,Maryland County Executive Rushern L. Baker,III;and CareFirst Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Community Affairs Maria Harris Tildon.Craig Shniderman,Executive Director of Food&Friends,accepted the check on behalf of the charity.
CareFirst's Ms.Tildon said supporting Food&Friends is part of CareFirst's regional efforts to promote wellness and enhance access to health care and social services for some of our region's most vulnerable populations.It is the largest corporate operating gift ever received by Food&Friends.
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is a non-profit health plan company under statutory regulation.It serves 3.3 million residents of D.C.,Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Your grocery bill is getting higher, and higher

Your grocery bill is getting higher, and higher