_____________________________________________________________________________

Incident: DEEPWATER BP OIL SPILL
Disaster: LA-00032 Declaration: 12163
Occurring: April 20, 2010 & continuing

in the Louisiana parishes of: Acension, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint Martin, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne & Washington; the contiguous Louisiana parishes of: Acadia, Allen, Assumption, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Saint Helena, Saint James, Saint Landry, Saint Mary, St. John the Baptist, Vermilion, West Baton Rouge & West Feliciana; and the contiguous Mississippi counties of: Amite, Hancock, Marion, Pearl River, Pike, Walthall & Wilkinson

Filing deadline for applications for economic injury: February 7, 2011

Type of Disaster Loan:

• Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) – are working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assists through the disaster recovery period.
• EIDL assistance is available only to entities and their owners who cannot provide for their own recovery from non-government sources, as determined by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Credit Requirements:

• Credit History – Applicants must have a credit history acceptable to SBA
• Repayment – Applicants must show the ability to repay the loan
• Collateral – Collateral is required for all EIDLs over $5,000. SBA takes real estate as collateral when it is available. SBA will not decline a loan for lack of collateral, but SBA will require the borrower to pledge collateral that is available.

Interest Rate:

• The interest rate is 4.000% for businesses and small agricultural cooperatives without credit available elsewhere.
• The interest rate is 3.000% for non-profit organizations without credit available elsewhere.

Loan Term

• The law authorizes loan terms up to a maximum of 30 years.
• SBA determines the term of each loan in accordance with the borrower’s ability to repay. Based on the financial circumstances of each borrower, SBA determines an appropriate installment payment amount, which in turn determines the actual term.

Loan Amount Limit

• Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – The law limits EIDL(s) to $2,000,000 for alleviating economic injury caused by the disaster. The actual amount of each loan is limited to the economic injury determined by SBA, less business interruption insurance and recoveries up to the administrative lending limit. SBA also considers potential contributions that are available from the business and/or its owner(s) or affiliates. If a business is a major source of employment, SBA has the authority to waive the $2,000,000 statutory limit.

Loan Eligibility Restrictions

• Noncompliance – Applicants who have not complied with the terms of previous loans are not eligible. This includes prior borrowers who did not maintain required flood insurance.

Insurance Requirements

• To protect each borrower and the Agency, SBA requires borrowers to obtain and maintain appropriate insurance. Borrowers of all secured loans (over $5,000) must purchase and maintain hazard insurance for the life of the loan on the collateral property. By law, borrowers whose collateral property is located in a special flood hazard area must also purchase and maintain flood insurance for the full insurable value of the property for the life of the loan.

For more information, contact SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.

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SBA Business Recovery Centers (BRCs)

SBA Disaster Assistance
Customer Service Center
(800) 659-2955

Jefferson Parish
Grand Isle Community Center
The Rotary Room
3811 Highway 1
Grand Isle, LA 70358

LSBDC Greater New Orleans Region
UNO Jefferson Center
3330 North Causeway, Suite 427
Metairie, LA 70002

Lafourche Parish
South Lafourche Public Library
16241 East Main Street
Cut Off, LA 70345

Orleans Parish
4375 Michoud Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70129

Plaquemines Parish
Seedco Financial Southeast Louisiana Fisheries Assistance Center
212 Avenue G
(near Belle Chasse Ferry)
Belle Chasse, LA 70037

St. Patrick’s Church
Family Life Center
28698 Highway 23
Port Sulphur, LA 70083

Venice Boat Harbor Office
138 Tiger Pass Road
Venice, LA 70091

St. Bernard Parish
Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company
1801 East Judge Perez Drive
Chalmette, LA 70043

7601 Hopedale Highway
(near the Breton Sound Dock & Marina)
Hopedale, LA 70085

Los Islenos Museum
Ducros Museum’
1345 Bayou Road
St. Bernard, LA 70085

St. Tammany Parish
1330 Bayou Lane, Trailer #102
(near the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue)
Slidell, LA 70460

Terrebonne Parish
TPCG Government Tower
8026 Main Street
Houma, LA 70361

In my last E3 post, I spelled out the hardware that brought the hype train on E3. Well look out, here comes the software!
PS3——————————————————

• Killzone 3 — Ok, this wasn’t much of a surprise being that a lot of details were leaked a few weeks ago. But, seeing this thing in action live in all of its FPS glory is pretty great. You’ve got the same top-notch graphics with a little bit more color added (white in addition to the vast amounts of grays and browns). Amongst the changes are the new jet packs you can strap on and 3D being baked into the game if you have an enabled television to take advantage.
• Twisted Metal — Sony’s big announcement is certainly a doosey (for me at least). Although a new release to the flagship franchise was hinted when a code was cracked on the latest Twisted Metal title on the PSP, not many people were expecting this just yet, but I’m betting many are glad. For those of you that haven’t heard or tried any of the TM games, it’s basically a driving shooter game. Many, many of my youth’s hours were spent on these games because they’re just so darn fun (especially when you’re playing with friends). You can expect this game to have some new air vehicles along with online gameplay.

XBOX360——————————————–

• Halo Reach — Also not a surprise, this is the final installment (and yet it’s a prequel) to the widely acclaimed FPS series found only on the Xbox. You can expect the solid, fun and polished gameplay as you normally do with all the Halo titles. This game, however seems to have graphics that are heads-and-shoulders above its predecessors. You can expect this game to break records when it goes on sale. Maybe you should consider joining the throngs of gamers too!
• Child of Eden — This was basically an unknown coming into E3. It could very will still be pretty unknown. What it is, is a game that utilizes the Kinect in a way that more gamers (other than just the casual players) may enjoy. While much of the game and even the name is still a mystery, the live demonstration of this game was quite unique. As you wave your arms using the Jedi force at your TV, you’re blasting away squares like it’s nobody’s business. There’s some other gestures that makes you look like a spaz, but you’ll just have to play it to figure it out!

Nintendo——————————————–

• Kid Icarus: Uprising — Set up on the new Nintendo 3DS, Kid Icarus is resurrected back onto the scene. You’ll be having some fast-paced action on both the ground and air in this new game as you battle through this mythological setting. You’ll also enjoy it in all of its 3D glory! It’s been 19 years since the last Kid Icarus game has graced us, and with the predecessors’ quality and good times, this game should not disappoint.
• 007: Golden Eye (remake) — Finally! They’ve decided to remake GoldenEye. If you haven’t heard of GoldenEye, it was one of the greatest games to grace the Nintendo 64, if not any console ever. This game completely shaped the way first person shooter games were created and steered (especially for console games) with its multiplayer deathmatch. I know I’ve spent yet again many hours of my childhood on this game blasting away buddies. This remake will bring enhanced graphics and a more updated storyline. Even though this won’t be a carbon-copy of the previous classic, this game should hopefully take notes and be entertaining.

So there you have it. Yes, I’ve left out some games, but there are so many to choose from. I’ve tried to stick to the consoles’ exclusive games. If you’re yearning to find out what other games are over the horizon, you may just have to wait until my weekly post shows when they have arrived!

Common Types of Claims for Individuals Earning Capacity

Loss of Profits & Earning Capacity – Damages equal to the loss of profits or impairment of earning capacity due to the injury, destruction, or loss of property or natural resources
You must prove you were damaged, to what extent, and mitigation efforts
Examples of documentation: newspaper reports of spill, FOSC report, EPA or USCG notifications
For Employee Claims: affidavit from employer re: spill’s impact on your work or income; pay stubs, receipts, etc. before & after spill; personnel records from employer; efforts to reduce loss (job search); job hunting exp.; 2 years’ tax returns; pay stubs from new job
For Business Claims: copies of letters of business cancellations caused by spill; map or description of area showing business location and spill impact area; min. 2 years’ financial statements prior to spill and year of spill; min. 3 years’ income tax returns; details on efforts to mitigate losses; explanations of any earnings anomalies; for hotels/short-term rentals; daily and monthly occupancy information for 2 years prior to spill and year of spill
For Fishing & Marine Charters: descriptions, maps & statements showing proof of loss; min, 3 years’ tax returns prior to spill; details on expense not paid out during period being claimed (e.g.: wages); min. 3 logs relating to boating activities for the year prior to and year of spill; registration documents of spill

Loss of Subsistence Use of Natural Resources – Applies if the natural resources you depend upon for subsistence has been injured, destroyed, or lost by the oil spill
Example of documentation: photos & videos; published accounts, witness statements and other written records documenting your use of natural resources before, during & after the spill; maps; store & barter receipts showing the replacements costs you claim; copies of pay stubs & other documentation showing income you received before, during and after spill; records showing the expenses you avoided and compensation you received for your loss

Removal Costs – costs to prevent, minimize, mitigate, or clean up an oil spill (applies to anyone incurring removal costs)
You must prove you took necessary action to prevent or reduce effects of spill
Removal costs resulting from these actions, and that the actions taken were reasonable
Examples of supporting information: evidence of spill (newspaper reports; EPA notification); detailed description of actions; dates work performed; analysis of spill substance; map of area; and pictures of area, damage & spill
Costs: receipts, invoices or similar records w/description of work; how rates are determined; daily records or personnel & equipment costs; proof of payment of disposal

Real or Personal Property Damage – injury to or economic loss resulting from destruction of real property (land or buildings) or other personal property (applies to people who own or lease the damaged property)
Provide proof of ownership; that property was injured or destroyed; value of property before & after spill; cost to repair or replace
If you lost money, show that the property was not usable because of the spill; whether or not other property was available and the related costs
Examples of documentation: newspaper reports, witness statements, pictures, videos, maps showing location of property within the spill area; appraisals for the value before & after; copies of bills, any expenses or money lost while property unavailable; lease of substitute property

Steps to Take:

1. Make a detailed inventory of property and contents now, before any spill impacts
2. Make a detailed list of assets and include records in support
3. Ask cancelling customers if decision is spill related. Track responses.
4. Calculate estimated losses for a 6-week period, using sales receipts to document
5. Consider historic and future trends
6. Make sure all records are safeguarded

Time Limits:

1. Claims for Damages – 3 years after the date on which the damage and its connection with the spill was reasonably discoverable
2. Claims for Removal Costs – A removal costs claim must be made within six (6) years after the date of completion of all removal actions for the incident.

*Reference: Claimant’s Guide, National Pollution Funds Center of U.S. Coast Guard

What I found most interesting is a lot of people are unaware of the steps they need to take in order to file a claim; moreover, what they need to do after they file. The speakers did a great job of presenting this information and explaining the steps affected citizens needed to take. More impressive was the two hour Q&A session and the additional hour and a half the speakers stayed to meet with those having more questions.

In an effort to spread this valuable information in hopes of reaching affected Gulf State citizens I will be posting the valuable information given by Smith Stag, LLC and Carr, Riggs & Ingram throughout the week. Topics will include:

If you know someone affected by the oil spill I ask that you please share the upcoming blog posts with them.

Singularity
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/29/2010	FPS	X	X				X
		Singularity is a sci-fi type of first person shooter. Although it may not be a blockbuster title, it seems to be pretty interesting. In addition to the same old run and gunning, you’re also able to manipulate time on objects. This allows for some creative ways to progress through puzzles. Imagine some debris blocking your way and you age it forward so that it degrades out of your way or reversing the time and rebuilding it. Pretty cool eh?
Sin and Punishment: Star Successor
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/27/2010	Rail Shooter			X
		Once you turn this game on, you’ll get thrown back into that old-school style shooter game. You’ll be flying around at the game’s given pace and you simply shoot all the tons of bad guys coming your way. The many bosses are touted as very challenging and fun. You can utilize your motion controlling to aim and blast away. With some pretty nice reviews (85+ on Metacritic), this game is bound to be a hit on your Wii!
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/29/2010	Adventure	X	X	X	X	X	X
		***GAME OF THE WEEK*** If you’re a fan of the LEGO games (or have a child to please) this game will satisfy your craving. With an emphasis on something other than violence, this game will make you laugh and provide plenty of light-hearted fun. This game takes you through the events of the first four books: Sorcerer’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire. This is probably one of the best Harry Potter games out there since it’s not a movie-to-video game release that usually lacks the polish of a good game. Certainly a crowd pleaser, this game should be in any Potter fan’s library.

A pretty good variety of games are released this week, eh? I wouldn’t count any of these games out, mainly because they’re all pretty solid titles. Sure, you’re probably still recovering from the E3 fever that’s been going around or still fiddling with your new Iphone, but at least make some time to put some hours into your poor lonely consoles! Keep an eye out for my next post regarding the games announced at E3 to look forward to in the future!

Shown off in bright and often awe-inspiring booths, the products are shown off and often able to be tested out by people to help generate the hype. Also, I suppose the booth girls are there to help out with that cause. I mean, look at the typical demographic of a gamer and you’ll understand why the E3 booth girls have generated their own following. Silly, I know… but it’s all about the moolah.

Below, I’ll talk about some of the hardware that was recently unveiled:

PS3——————————————————

• Playstation Move — This was already known to be coming out, but this time we’re given plenty of time to see this beauty in action! It was demoed with games like Sorcery and Tiger Woods. Move touts its ability to get you moving (similar to the Wii’s nunchucks) with true and precise 1-to-1 movement thanks to the mixture of camera and remote (not so like the Wii’s nunchucks). They also make sure to spell out that the use of buttons and high definition graphics along with the precision can lend itself to every form of gamer — the casual gamers, the children and even the hardcore gamers. Sounds pretty good to me! You’ll be able to get it September 19 in the United States for $49 (main controller) + $29 (navigation controller) or a package of the Playstation Eye + main controller + sports game for $99.
• 3D — Sony also announces about its commitment towards 3D gaming. There’ll be over 20 games available in 3D by March 2011. In order to take advantage of this feature, you’ll need a 3D-capable TV along with some 3D glasses. The most notable 3D game coming out is probably Killzone 3, so keep an eye out for it!

XBOX360——————————————–

• Kinect — Previously known as “Project Natal”, Kinect makes its first official debut onstage. The Kinect differentiates itself from the other motion gaming by simply only using a camera. There’s no controllers, just a camera that detects your movement and your sound. You can wave your hand around to choose what you want to do or you can simply say something such as “Xbox… Netflix” and watch your movies. You can choose to race cars, play sports, getting fit or learning to dance with the Kinect. Just make sure to close your blinds, because your neighbors will think you’re nuts! At least, until you invite them over. You can try out this experience for $150 this November 4th!
• Xbox360 Slim — Somewhat surprisingly, a new entirely revamped XBOX360 has been released. With a 250 gigabyte hard drive, built-in wifi, about 15% smaller, much quieter, prettier and less power-hungry, this new console should be at stores now nearby for $300. These new consoles come with the specific Kinect port built in so you’ll be ready for some hands-free gaming. Pretty good deal, no?

Nintendo——————————————–

• 3DS — Nintendo finally has a good showing at E3 and surprises everyone with their new handheld, the Nintendo 3DS. You’ll be able to play games in a familiar fashion with the touch screen and a 3D screen on the top. In addition to 3D visuals, you’re able to take 3D pictures and even watch 3D movies! So what is the cost of the 3D glasses needed to take advantage of this functionality? There are no glasses! It’s completely viewable without the use of glasses! Nintendo has continually pioneered the gaming experience, so I wouldn’t write this off as simply a gimmick! Nintendo has not announced the price or a release date for this new device, but stay tuned for more news regarding this possibly revolutionizing tool (imagine “3D glassesless” television screens).

So much of this doesn’t really come much of a surprise to most gamers, but if you don’t keep up with much of this kind of stuff, you’re now well-informed. Just imagine how an awesome you’ll be giving some of these goodies out for Christmas or how you’re the best geek party host ever!

Now that most of the hardware has been covered, look out for my next post that will be covering the software (video games!) recently announced and fleshed out for everyone to drool over. Until then…

Dragon Ball: Origins 2
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/22/2010	Action				X
		Yet another release from the Dragon Ball franchise graces us, this time, on the DS just like its predecessor. This game picks up right where the original Origins left off. You’re playing as Goku and taking on the Red Ribbon Army as the original lore was told. This game sticks to the same formula that the popular and addictive first game put in place. You’re able to play with the choice of either the stylus or d-pad depending on your tastes. If you’re unfamiliar with the gameplay, you’d probably be reminded of some old-school SNES Zelda. While you may not be seeing anything extremely new or exciting from this game, it’s sticking to a winning formula that was set up by the first Origins game.
Wipeout: The Game
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/22/2010	Game Show			X	X
		No, this isn’t a remake of the old-school racing game from the first Playstation console. Instead, this is the game based on the hit television series! If you’re unfamiliar with this game show, it’s basically a giant obstacle course. You could probably relate Wipeout to a Japanese game show. To me, those are some of the best kinds of game shows! So sit back and get a couple friends and family to have some fun with this game.
Transformers: War for Cybertron
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/22/2010	Action/Adventure	X	X	X	X		X
		***GAME OF THE WEEK*** Based on a rather thin lineup for this week (almost as bad as my high school football team), this game is the best of the lot. You can run around in this third-person shooter’s campaign as either faction — the decepticons or the autobots. With the ability to play with 2 others, you can incorporate some cooperative play in here. There are, of course, various multiplayer modes you can play online if you have the ability to do so. So, all in all this is a solid game that is appealing to the masses and will give you plenty of hours of gaming under your belt!

Well there you have it. There’s not much of a good selection out there this week, but I suppose it could be worse. If none of these titles make you happy, I suppose there’s always going outside, right?

Many companies set goals for their employees each year.  How often are those goals visible?  How often are they understood?  How often are they clearly defined?  How often are the employees looking around, merely treading water, trying to figure out where to go?  My expectation is that all too often employees are floundering due to management’s failure to give clear signals.

In the Call Center industry a general standard is 80% of calls answered in 20 seconds or less.   Yet unless this standard can be put into a specific context for an agent to relate to, the agent will rarely be working to achieve it as a goal.  Other standards or goals may be: percentages of calls that result in a message or an order, quality scores achieved on each call, percentages of calls abandoned and so on.  Many centers fail to make any progress on reaching goals set for each of these standards simply because they have not given their agents something tangible to aim for.

Some companies have very specific goals that can be clearly understood by each agent.  Yet there is another issue that must be present:  the goal, and progress to it, must be seen.  It does an agent little good to receive quality scores quarterly or semi-annually.  There is no way to learn or adjust their performance from infrequent feedback.  Even monthly feedback is usually too rare.  Immediate feedback is always the best, but certainly having a coaching session weekly will help the agent learn and stay on track to achieve a goal.

This is the beginning of a series on Company Vision and Goal Setting.  More will follow over the next few weeks.  Feedback is always appreciated.

Jamey

100 Classic Book Collection
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/14/2010	Misc				X
		This is probably the most surprising of the week for me. This game’s been released for over a year around the world, but finally making its way over to the US. This game is basically what the title says: a collection of 100 classic books. If you haven’t got a Kindle yet and want to read some of the most famous novels out there, I highly suggest checking this thing out. I honestly can’t think of a better gift for the bookworms out there (or maybe bookworm-to-be’s).
Project Runway
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/18/2010	Simulation			X			X
		So the Wii is bringing competitive modeling into the mix. Taking advantage of the balance board, you can walk as fierce as any gal on that show. Even though this game is available on the PC, I’m not sure it’s worth the effort without a balance board. I mean, a model that can’t walk really isn’t a model… right? In case you feel the inner diva bursting out of you, this game’s just what the doctor ordered.
Toy Story 3
Date	Genre	PS3	360	Wii	DS	PSP	PC
6/15/2010	Action	X	X	X	X	X	X
		***GAME OF THE WEEK*** Toy Story 3 is hitting theaters this week and with it comes its video game to just about every video game game avenue out there. There’s much hype surrounding this movie as the best of the trilogy, if not Pixar’s masterpiece in general. With such hype, the game should be alright eh? Well, so far the general consensus is that this game may not live up to the movie, but it’s certainly entertaining. The story will not follow the movie very closely, but maybe the occasional tie-in. Coop mode will keep you and a buddy having a good ol’ time exploring this tool box.

Alright… so it’s not an extremely loaded lineup. I guess it could be somewhat expected being that there’s so much going on this week. There are certainly a couple games here to whet your appetite for a little while, at least. Keep on watching for more articles as I attempt to make up ground from my recent hiatus and fill you in on the goodies that this year’s E3 brings us.