By TOM FOWLER Houston Chronicle

There may be a song or two by pop band 'N Sync that University of Houston business student Derrick Hinton finds catchy, but the last thing he wants is to be caught in public buying a record by the boy band.

Those conflicting desires -- to own a certain song without paying for an entire album -- were the sparks behind WaveLength, the business plan Hinton and his fellow students presented this week at the third annual Southwest Business Plan Competition at Rice University.

The UH team's plan to place kiosks in music stores charging consumers to mix their own CDs one song at a time was just one of the 30 business plans presented by students from around the world, all of them trying to convince judges that their plans were worth investing in.

At stake is real cash, $15,000 for the first place team, and a chance to compete in the Moot Corp. business plan competition at the University of Texas in Austin later this month, where the top prize is a $100,000 investment.

None of the three local teams -- also including one from Rice and one from Texas Southern University -- made it to the finals.

But the chance to hone presentation skills and receive feedback from business executives and investors is a rare opportunity, said Steve Currall, director of the Rice Alliance.

"Putting these students before these judges, who are experienced early-stage investors, venture capitalists or entrepreneurs, is something you can't get in a classroom," Currall said.

"This is our third year as a qualifying event for Moot Corp., so we're pleased to get so much participation by such good teams and judges."

The student business plans come to the competition in different states of readiness, from previously incorporated companies -- such as the plan presented by Rice University's team -- to concepts that are still in the strategic planning phase, such as that from TSU.

Rice University's team, EDProtocol, is developing a Web-based software package to help hospital emergency departments manage the many regulatory demands of observation centers where patients are held for several hours to determine if they need to be admitted.

Brian Hoogendam, a second-year Rice MBA student, said he first heard about the idea last summer when a group of Memorial Hermann Hospital technicians approached local venture capital firm, Genesis Park. The firm passed on the idea, but Hoogendam later helped the technicians further develop the idea, along with teammates Peter Blach and Emily Seigle, who are refining a version of the system.

"We've bootstrapped this thing so far, using our own money, but we really want to keep working on this after we graduate," Hoogendam said.

The team from TSU, which has never participated in such a competition, presented their plan for the EZ Talk line of combination jewelry/cell phones late Friday.

Clad in conservative dark suits like most of their competitors, the four-person team stood nervously at the front of a lecture hall before more than a dozen judges.

Dominique Nelson, the team's chief technology officer, described the basic look of the planned product -- a bracelet with the cell phone receiver, matching earrings that will double as headphones and a necklace will be the microphone. The bracelet will have four speed-dial buttons, he explained, will hook up to a dial pad for programming and have a carrying case that doubles as a charger.

Veronica Lopez, a TSU MBA student who also works for the U.S. Customs Service, described the team's market research, namely a search for similar products and surveys of potential customers in the Houston area.

Johan Nel, a business professor from South Africa attending TSU, detailed the team's research methodology.

The team's chief executive officer, Regina Pyrtle, hit the judges with the numbers: a need for a $8.5 million investment, plans for 20,000 unit sales in the first year and cash flow of $120 million in five years.

After the 10-minute presentation, the judges wasted little time going for the jugular.

Rod Canion, the co-founder of Compaq Computer Corp., pressed the company to detail the technology to be used in the devices. Nelson said the team planned to use existing cell phone technology combined with short-range wireless devices using the Bluetooth standard, but he admitted that the team had not developed a prototype.

Benjamin Brochstein, a Houston entrepreneur, asked about the barriers the startup team would face bringing such a product to market, particularly how the team could compete if an established company like Armani were to develop a similar product.

"We would expect our patent to protect the idea from piracy," answered Pyrtle, but when she noted that IBM has plans for a similar device in the future, some judges seemed to immediately lose interest, sensing an unbeatable competitor to the young business.

Immediately after the presentation, the EZ Talk team was upbeat and almost giddy with relief at having the presentation behind them.

"That `barriers' question sort of caught us off guard a bit, but I think we did well," Nelson said.

Judges said this year's batch of competitors is the best they've seen at the annual event.

"They've been the best prepared group and have really great ideas that a lot of us would love to invest in," said David Archer, chief operating officer for Petrotechnical Open Software Corp.

Even without a win at Rice this week, the local teams are far from giving up. EZ Talk said they would consult with their advisers about where else to look for funding, while EDProtocol is still on schedule to deliver a product to its first customer this spring. And just a few weeks ago at another competition, the WaveLength team was approached by a representative from Kodak who proposed manufacturing the in-store CD-recording machines.

"We never would have thought of Kodak, but he pointed out that the company already has hundreds of machines in stores around the country capable of burning photos onto CDs," Hinton said. "We plan to meet with them soon. That's a real breakthrough for us."

Eurekalert Public release date: 3-Apr-2003

Contact: Mary Tobin mtobin@ldeo.columbia.edu 845-365-8607 The Earth Institute at Columbia University

Columbia publishes natural hazards & mitigation framework for Caracas

Intl. Urban Planning Studios ask Masters and Ph.D. students to address hazards planning in developing countries International Urban Planning Studios are the only of their kind taking students to developing countries to examine and plan for natural hazards

Living near the seismically active intersection of two tectonic plates, and nestled against the steep slopes of young mountain ranges, the population of Caracas, Venezuela and surrounding regions is at great risk from severe earthquake, landslide, and flooding hazards. Recently published in the American Geophysical Union's journal EOS is an analysis of how to build disaster resilience into this Venezuelan capital region. The authors of the paper, Kevin Vranes and Kristina Czuchlewski, are Columbia University students participating in a unique academic program that combines research in natural hazards with urban planning and policy studies.

The paper is based on an intensive 125-page report that Vranes and Czuchlewski researched and generated with fellow graduate students enrolled in Columbia's International Urban Planning Studio. According to the report, "neither Caracas nor Venezuela currently has any urban planning projects or studies that incorporate or discuss natural hazards and disasters." The report was also presented to officials from the Caracas city government, the Andean Parliament, representatives from Venezuelan academic institutions, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Venezuelan Red Cross.

Major earthquakes have destroyed Caracas three times in the last 400 years, and heavy rainfall has triggered landslides, mudflows, and debris flows as recently as December 1999, killing tens of thousands of people. The report found that half the population of Caracas lives in unplanned, unzoned, and unofficial squatter settlements built of non-reinforced masonry.

Immediate disaster-avoidance recommendations in the report include building disaster resilience into the utility infrastructure (water, sewage, and power) and the highway system, both within and connecting the city to its state of Vargas. Also needed is strengthening of the emergency response system (medical, police and fire). Intermediate goals include establishing constitutional and legal legitimacy for disaster management, fostering international exchange between scientists, professionals and technicians, and starting public outreach programs in schools and communities. Long-term recommendations include the realization of open spaces and resilient structures, and the development of a clearly organized hazards and disaster management system that incorporates government officials, the military, the scientific community, non-governmental organizations, and the public. (visit www.arch.columbia.edu for full report.)

This report was the result of an academic experiment at Columbia University that brought together earth science researchers and Ph.D. students from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation's Urban Design Studio. The studio was supported by the Earth Institute and Lamont-Doherty with seed funding through the new Center for Hazards and Risk Research.

Says Elliott Sclar, Director of Columbia's Urban Planning Program, "This studio is an important teaching experiment at Columbia, and represents the first significant integration of the natural hazard expertise at Lamont into the urban planning program." Says Art Lerner-Lam, Director of the Center for Hazards and Risk Research, "By combining talents from planning, geosciences, public policy, and engineering, the students are able to work as a team to answer real-world problems in urban planning in cities where natural hazards present a significant risk." This unique cross-disciplinary studio was suggested by Ana Puszkin-Chevlin, a program coordinator in Urban Planning. Klaus Jacob, an engineering seismologist at Lamont famous for his work in earthquake hazard mitigation, and Sigurd Grava, a professor of urban planning with a world-wide reputation in transportation planning and infrastructure, are the lead faculty for the studio.

Vranes and Czuchlewski, the authors of the EOS paper, spent seven days in Caracas with the rest of their team researching previous disaster areas and meeting with officials and university researchers.

Vranes said that while the first few days on the ground in Caracas were spent collecting data from contacts they had at the various universities, the last few days were spent doing footwork to fill in the blanks. "One of the things our team lacked was a detailed map of the city," he said. For much of the data needed, they had to start from scratch. "We were only able to get an idea of the emergency infrastructure in Caracas by compiling a list of fire and police stations that we found in the phone book," Vranes said.

Czuchlewski is doing radar research at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "This work motivated my thesis project on developing rapid disaster response strategies using radar remote sensing," said Czuchlewski. "I am applying this methodology to landslide disasters in Taiwan, similar to those triggered by heavy rains in Venezuela."

Since the Caracas research, the spring urban planning international studio has continued to develop innovative interdisciplinary studies for major urban areas exposed to natural hazards. In 2002, Jacob and Grava brought the studio to Istanbul, where a significant earthquake risk has been established. The 2003 studio is currently examining flooding and public health issues in Accra, Ghana, in coordination with the 21st Century Cities Project.

The Earth Institute at Columbia University is the world's leading academic center for the integrated study of Earth, its environment, and society. The Earth Institute builds upon excellence in the core disciplines –earth sciences, biological sciences, engineering sciences, social sciences and health sciences –and stresses cross-disciplinary approaches to complex problems. Through its research training and global partnerships, it mobilizes science and technology to advance sustainable development, while placing special emphasis on the needs of the world's poor. For more information, visit www.earth.columbia.edu.

By Daniel DeNoon WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD

March 27, 2003 -- It's important to keep up with what's going on in the news. But when is it time to turn the TV off?

On the day of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks -- and for many days thereafter -- Americans learned what it was to watch too much TV news. Some people even developed serious psychiatric problems from the trauma of it all. We wondered how much TV was too much. And we wondered how much our children should see. Experts warned us to limit viewing, and to keep track of what our kids were watching.

As the current war in Iraq stretches on, we are beginning to ask ourselves the same questions. Some of the answers are the same. But some things are different, says Paul Kettl, MD, professor of psychiatry at Penn State University's Hershey Medical Center and specialist on the psychological impact of TV disaster coverage.

"It's a matter of degree," Kettl tells WebMD. "It is certainly a good thing to know what is going on. But being glued to the TV is not good. People who spend all of their time watching TV news coverage can become more frightened, more withdrawn, and maybe even more depressed."

It can be like getting stuck in quicksand, agrees media expert Robert J. Thompson, PhD, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, N.Y. Thompson remembers watching the news coverage of the tragic Columbine school shooting hour after hour until he finally snapped out of it.

"Be careful -- if you're sitting in front of war coverage for three hours, ask yourself if this is really what you want to do," he tells WebMD. "There is a quicksand effect to this stuff. So be aware how much it is informing you and how much you are just wallowing in it. Wallowing is not good. It sets up a relationship with this coverage that might not be healthy."

Kettl's advice is to keep informed, but to watch no more than an hour of TV news each day. Even if you then turn TV off, there's one more thing to do.

"Remember there are people in your house not as politically sophisticated as you are -- your children," he says. "You should talk with them about what we are doing over there, and ask them what their concerns are. Ask your children what they are worried about, and address those concerns. And be sure to tell them someone will always be around to help them."

That brings up an interesting point, Thompson says. We certainly must protect children from graphic images they are not mature enough to handle. But when news organizations show only abstract images, he says, we lose touch with the real significance of what we are seeing on TV. War is, after all, traumatic.

"We have the most sanitized ways of covering news of anyplace else in the world," Thompson says. "The result is a sense of abstraction. We have no way to connect with what this really means. We are not getting the full picture. On the other hand, what if we did get it -- how would that affect the mental health of the nation? A heavy dose of really serious warfare could be really harmful to some viewers. That would be one of the costs of delivering journalism that intimately."

Thompson says that to a large degree, Americans already protect themselves from getting an overdose of war coverage. He points out that even on the first night of the current Gulf War, a rerun of a Friends episode drew more viewers than war coverage.

"The public has found its own psychic equilibrium," Thompson says. "We watch a little war, then ease our minds with entertainment. We taste a little bitter war and then have the cleansing sorbet of situation comedy."

SOURCES: Paul Kettl, MD, professor of psychiatry, Hershey Medical Center, Penn State University, Hershey, Pa. Robert J. Thompson, PhD, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television, Syracuse University, N.Y.

Entomology April 02, 2003

HUNDREDS of tiny bugs will soon be released across northern Australia in a bid to kill off a nasty weed known as bellyache bush. Bellyache bush, aka Jatropha gossypiifolia, has killed hundreds of cattle, goats and horses which ate the northern pasture weed, the CSIRO said today.

"All parts of the plant are highly toxic and can kill grazing animals that eat it," CSIRO entomologist Tim Heard said.

"It is widespread right across the top of Australia, from Western Australia to north Queensland."

But the CSIRO hopes a new biological weapon - a 15mm bug known as the bellyache bush jewel bug, or Agonosoma trilineatum, will help wipe out the toxic weed.

The bug, found in Venezuela, is expected to feed on the fruit of the bellyache bush, disrupting seed production to slow down its rapid spread.

Northern Territory government weeds branch spokesman Blair Grace said it was the first time a biological control agent had been released to fight the poisonous plant.

"Biological control will never eliminate a weed, but could make it easier to control with other methods like herbicides, hand-pulling or bulldozing," he said.

He said it was safe to introduce the bug in Australia because it only eats bellyache bush.

Bellyache bush was brought to Australia from Central and South America as a garden plant about a century ago.

It is believed by some to help cure bellyaches if taken in small quantities, Dr Heard said.

"It has been used as a ... herbal remedy in many parts of the world for a very long time for actually curing bellyache," Dr Heard said.

"In low doses it's rumoured to have medicinal properties, but in high doses it can kill you."

The Herald By Jason Cato (Published March 28‚ 2003)

Brown bags and juicy burgers took the back-burner this week for sliced turkey sandwiches with a side of Spanish.

As part of York Technical College's ongoing Spanish in the Workplace series, a half-dozen representatives from local businesses attended a lunch-and-learn session on Spanish for retail sales. Along with the turkey, lettuce and tomato on white bread, the group was grilled on a number of Spanish phrases that should help when it comes to dealing with Latino customers.

Beginning with the simple -- buenos días (good morning) and buenas tardes (good afternoon) -- the lesson reached a crescendo with more complex phrases, shaking the Spanish-challenged from their comfort zones.

Usted debe pagar con efectivo, cheque or tarjeta de crédito. You must pay with cash, check or credit card.

"Lord have mercy," said Ray Waldrop, manager of the Cherry Road Bi-Lo. "That's a hard one."

But after a few tongue-twisted efforts, Waldrop and the others finally tackled the difficult phrases and moved on to simpler challenges -- discúlpeme, excuse me; lo siento, I'm sorry; and adiòs, goodbye.

"I got that one," Waldrop said. "Adiòs!"

For instructor and Venezuela native Susana Boland, just having Americans from the business world attempt Spanish is a start. Simply saying hola (hello) puts many Latinos at ease, Boland said. Learning Spanish is also a way for businesses to expand services and help a different segment of the community, she added.

Census 2000 counted 3,220 Latinos living in York County, 978 in Lancaster County and 255 in Chester County. Local Hispanic advocates, however, estimate some 15,000 Latinos live in York County alone, due to census undercounts and continued growth.

Many in the local Latino community are making strides to learn English, but having Americans learn a little Spanish can help break the communication barrier, Boland explained.

"We can reach in the middle," Boland said. "Those with no Spanish before, this will break the ice."

Lessons offered through York Tech's program not only help with simple salutations but also job-specific phrases.

Puedo ayudarle? May I help you?

Usted debe ser mayor de 21 años para comprar eso. You must be 21 years old to buy that.

Gracias por comprar en Bi-Lo. Thank you for shopping at Bi-Lo.

Retail business is just one area the program addresses. Other courses have been or will be offered for landscaping, construction, medical offices, hotels, car sales and office management.

"I don't think you can understand how hard it is until you've been to a country where you don't speak the language," said Debbie Russell, a Comporium business services representative who spent time in Papua New Guinea with her missionary parents. "It's nice to have someone on the other end who speaks a little of your language."

While he struggled some, Waldrop did pick up useful phrases to help Latino customers. More than that, Wednesday's lunch session also whet his appetite for more.

"It's a good starter training lesson because it opens your eyes to the Spanish language," Waldrop said. "It makes me want to learn more."

Contact Jason Cato at 329-4071 or jcato@heraldonline.com.