2nd Intake start enrollment
Sunday, November 2, 2008
I am pleased that I made it this time all the way from Hong Kong to Phoenix AZ. I enjoyed the wedding seminar very much. Indeed I treasured the time with Amy during the entire wedding seminar and of course a day tour to Grand Canyon. Also met Rachael from Singapore, surely we shall stay in touch for any future adventure. I am looking forward for the next year wedding seminar in Phoenix.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Bottled Water has contaminants too
Bottled water has contaminants too, study finds
By JEFF DONN, AP National Writer Jeff Donn, Ap National Writer – Wed Oct 15, 12:17 am ET
Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap water, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.
The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.
However, all the brands met federal health standards for drinking water. Two violated a California state standard, the study said.
An industry group branded the findings "alarmist." Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, said the study is based on the faulty premise that a contaminant is a health concern "even if it does not exceed the established regulatory limit or no standard has been set."
The study's lab tests on 10 brands of bottled water detected 38 chemicals including bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium. Though some probably came from tap water that some companies use for their bottled water, other contaminants probably leached from plastic bottles, the researchers said.
"In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better," said Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study.
The two-year study was done by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation. It found the contaminants in bottled water purchased in nine states and Washington, D.C.
Researchers tested one batch for each of 10 brands. Eight did not have contaminants high enough to warrant further testing. But two brands did, so more tests were done and those revealed chlorine byproducts above California's standard, the group reported. The researchers identified those two brands as Sam's Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets.
In the Wal-Mart and Giant Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California's limit is 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry's International Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal limit is 80.
Wal-Mart said its own studies did not turn up illegal levels of contaminants. Giant Food officials released a statement asserting that Acadia meets all regulatory standards. Acadia is sold in the mid-Atlantic states, so it isn't held to California's standard. In most places, bottled water must meet roughly the same federal standards as tap water.
The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand was five times California's limit for one particular chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane. The environmental group wants Wal-Mart to label its bottles in California with a warning because the chlorine-based contaminants have been linked with cancer. It has filed a notice of intent to sue.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Shannon Frederick said the company was "puzzled" by the findings because testing by suppliers and another lab had detected no "reportable amounts" of such contaminants. She said Wal-Mart would investigate further but defended the quality of its bottled water.
The researchers recommend that people worried about water contaminants drink tap water with a carbon filter.
___
On the Net:
Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org
By JEFF DONN, AP National Writer Jeff Donn, Ap National Writer – Wed Oct 15, 12:17 am ET
Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap water, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.
The findings challenge the popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers say.
However, all the brands met federal health standards for drinking water. Two violated a California state standard, the study said.
An industry group branded the findings "alarmist." Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, said the study is based on the faulty premise that a contaminant is a health concern "even if it does not exceed the established regulatory limit or no standard has been set."
The study's lab tests on 10 brands of bottled water detected 38 chemicals including bacteria, caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium. Though some probably came from tap water that some companies use for their bottled water, other contaminants probably leached from plastic bottles, the researchers said.
"In some cases, it appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900 times the cost, consumers should expect better," said Jane Houlihan, an environmental engineer who co-authored the study.
The two-year study was done by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation. It found the contaminants in bottled water purchased in nine states and Washington, D.C.
Researchers tested one batch for each of 10 brands. Eight did not have contaminants high enough to warrant further testing. But two brands did, so more tests were done and those revealed chlorine byproducts above California's standard, the group reported. The researchers identified those two brands as Sam's Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets.
In the Wal-Mart and Giant Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts, known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California's limit is 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry's International Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal limit is 80.
Wal-Mart said its own studies did not turn up illegal levels of contaminants. Giant Food officials released a statement asserting that Acadia meets all regulatory standards. Acadia is sold in the mid-Atlantic states, so it isn't held to California's standard. In most places, bottled water must meet roughly the same federal standards as tap water.
The researchers also said the Wal-Mart brand was five times California's limit for one particular chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane. The environmental group wants Wal-Mart to label its bottles in California with a warning because the chlorine-based contaminants have been linked with cancer. It has filed a notice of intent to sue.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Shannon Frederick said the company was "puzzled" by the findings because testing by suppliers and another lab had detected no "reportable amounts" of such contaminants. She said Wal-Mart would investigate further but defended the quality of its bottled water.
The researchers recommend that people worried about water contaminants drink tap water with a carbon filter.
___
On the Net:
Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org
Monday, September 8, 2008
婚禮統籌趨專業化 實現新人婚禮美夢
近期最令人矚目的婚禮，莫過於梁朝偉與劉嘉玲這對情侶，於不丹結束廿載的愛情長跑。每對新人的心目中總有一幅婚禮藍圖，無論是世紀婚禮，抑或是簡單的婚宴也好，背後總有數百樣準備，如婚紗攝影、場地布置、邀請賓客……你有興趣擔當他們的統籌師，為他們實現夢想中的婚禮嗎？
自從政府於2006年修訂《婚姻條例》，放寬婚禮的舉行時間、地點及婚姻監禮人的限制，令新人在構思婚禮方面有更多新主意，私人會所、沙灘、港鐵車廂等相繼成為新興的婚禮場地；然而，新人既要如常工作，又想擁有一個畢生難忘的婚禮，自然要靠婚禮統籌師全心全意的協助，實現他們心目中的婚禮。從字面理解，「婚禮統籌師」的工作顯而易見，不過「統籌」的含意未免太過廣泛。國際專業認可婚禮統籌顧問周露嬋（Kate）從事婚禮策劃培訓超過10年經驗，曾見過不少人對婚禮統籌的工作一知半解。舉例說，有一次她負責擔任一個婚禮統籌講座的講者，同場有律師、大妗姐等分享意見，當時有一位律師自稱是「婚禮統籌師」，但他的實質工作只涉及證婚部分，Kate直言那位律師完全誤解了婚禮統籌的意思，因婚禮統籌師並不單單參與當天婚禮的工作。
婚禮統籌 貼身跟進
「婚禮統籌師要因應客人的要求，安排合適的Vendors（供應商），再由客人作決定。我們會為客人作更適合的安排及預算，有時反而能為他們節省婚禮的開支。」Kate解釋，婚禮統籌師首要了解客人的要求及預算，設計一套切合可行的計畫。婚禮前的準備工作，包括挑選宴客場地、安排合適的供應商（如食物及攝影）、確定嘉賓名單、安排海外嘉賓的住宿及交通等；當新人決定婚禮的主題，婚禮統籌師須安排邀請卡的設計與發送、場地布置等。Kate指，一般婚禮統籌公司提供多項服務套餐，統籌過程有長有短。以她的公司為例，若婚禮統籌師只須管理婚禮當日的流程，也要於2星期前開始工作，譬如取得各單位的聯絡方法及進行排練，亦可能會擔當婚禮的司儀，確保當天的婚禮順利舉行。
考取資歷 提升專業水平
Kate謂婚禮統籌的生意主要經朋友介紹，假如婚禮統籌師能夠具備專業的資歷與足夠的經驗，更有助他們創立個人事業。由Kate創辦的 Katemagg Event & Wedding，將於9月份與香港公開大學李嘉誠專業進修學院，首度合辦婚禮統籌管理專業證書（Professional Certificate in Wedding Planning Management），這個課程獲美國Association of Bridal Consultants（ABC）認可，內容包括結婚歷史、禮儀及習俗、婚禮統籌的活動策劃及管理技巧、婚禮統籌業務的經營之道、新娘個人形象設計、婚禮司儀技巧等。Kate補充：「課程採用多元化及互動的上課模式，我們會邀請資深的業內人士作客席講師，學員亦會到實地上課，如到酒店內學習禮堂布置。」
婚禮行業趨普及 重專業與口碑
現時婚禮統籌師多以自僱形式入行，Kate指學員可透過課程了解婚禮統籌業的入行途徑，Katemagg Event & Wedding亦會從中選聘成績優異的學員，當他們累積一至兩年的工作經驗，便有機會晉升為專業婚禮統籌師（Professional Wedding Planner）。她續指，由於婚禮統籌業在港日漸普及，婚禮統籌公司及酒店亦有聘請婚禮統籌師的需求，薪酬由港幣$10,000至$30,000不等。如果以自僱形式計算，以她的公司為例，收費約為該對新人的10至15%婚宴酒席支出，如每圍酒席港幣$10,000，合共20圍，即能賺取港幣$20,000至$30,000。
雖然為客人統籌婚禮是一件別具意義的工作，但Kate指有不少人可能因小小的憧憬或跟潮流而入行，未有深入了解這份工作是否適合自己。「婚禮統籌業講求專業與口碑，若你不夠專業，可能接了一兩單生意後就無疾而終。」她認為婚禮統籌師應該要處事成熟、心思細密、有條理，建立良好的信譽，客人才會放心將一生一次的婚禮交予他們負責。
撰文：林慧儀
課程小檔案
課程：婚禮統籌管理專業證書
院校：香港公開大學李嘉誠專業進修學院及 Katemagg Event & Wedding
開課日期：9月13日
學費：港幣$16,800
查詢：3120 9808
網址：www.ouhk.edu.hk/lipace/wedding
電郵：lipace_arts@ouhk.edu.hk
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Great Trip in Beijing
It's been a wonderful experience in Beijing, first time to travel with my sister-in-law who has business partners all over China. Indeed I am so happy to meet ACPWC member, they are professional, nice and highly motivated. A great company...
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