Twins celebrate 95 years

The Becker twins weighed just 3 pounds each and had a tenuous hold on life when they were born on their family's farm in Meriden on Nov. 9, 1909.

Since then, they have spent every birthday together. With luck, Stafford said, they still will be together on their 100th."I remember that," said Bird, smiling at her sister.While they waited for a lunch that included a caramel cake baked by Bird's daughter, Judy Bray, the twins shared memories of a time when their family slept on mattresses stuffed with dried corn shucks and birthdays were celebrated with burnt-sugar cake in the parlor."We had fur coats, too," Bird said.When their parents' economic prospects worsened in the 1920s, the girls downgraded their hopes of attending Washburn University --- as had their three older brothers --- and instead attended business school in Topeka to train as secretaries. Times turned to their advantage when the twins secured good jobs. They then pooled their money and bought a Model T Ford with a rumble seat for less than $500.Edward Becker wrapped up his tiny daughters, put them in a shoe box by the stove and fed them milk from an eye dropper.Erin Adamson can be reached at (785) 295-1186 or erin.adamson@cjonline.com.Stafford worked as a secretary at Capper Publications until she moved to Washington. Bird worked in the pattern department at Cappers, then worked for the Santa Fe Railway for 40 years.Although Bird rode the Santa Fe to visit Stafford in Washington when she could, the sisters weren't able to consistently spend their birthday together for years. They revived the tradition on their 80th birthday with a party in Topeka.ONLINE: Hear the sisters discuss their birthday and growing up during the Great Depression. cjonline.com"I can see the skillet on the fire with a little water just a poppin'," said Stafford, remembering burnt-sugar cakes.Life set the obstacle of space between the twins, but they almost always kept up on visits. After she married, Stafford moved with her husband to Washington. Bird married and raised her daughter in Topeka.Their mother, Charlotte Becker, was too ill from the delivery to care for them, an infant brother and two older brothers.On Tuesday, Nellie Becker Bird and Louise Becker Stafford celebrated a much more comfortable 95th birthday together at Bird's apartment at McCrite Plaza retirement community in Topeka.

ONLINE: Hear the sisters discuss their birthday and growing up during the Great Depression. cjonline.com

Denver Mattress Company and World Vision Join Forces to Help Survivors of Hurricane Katrina Rest Easier

DENVER -- In an attempt to bring some comfort to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, Denver Mattress Company will be donating and transporting mattress sets to evacuees. The first large shipment of 1,000 twin sets will leave Denver today for distribution by World Vision in Jackson, MS.

The donated mattresses have been branded HOPE, which is the intended message for the survivors.Denver Mattress Company is a division of Furniture Row Companies, which is currently the fourth-largest privately held furniture dealer in the United States. With two of the busiest, state-of-the-art mattress factories in the world, Denver Mattress services over 140 distribution locations across the country. Subsequently, Denver Mattress utilizes one of the largest mattress distribution networks in the U.S. For more information regarding the company visit www.furniturerow.com.Additionally, mattresses will be shipped to Denver Mattress locations around the country, and will be distributed by churches designated by World Vision."Working with the Denver Mattress Company will enable World Vision to touch many lives with this generous gift," said Dean Salisbury, World Vision Director of Operations for Gifts-in-Kind. "Together with our church partners, we can positively impact lives. The Denver Mattress Company is going the extra mile to help the hurting and distressed."World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world's poor regardless of a person's religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world's poor regardless of a person's religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

Hostel territories

Backpackers take note: New developments in eco-hostelling are providing rucksack-toting travelers with environmentally friendly alternatives to the typical budget flophouse.

In fact, the EcoHostel--part of the multi-purpose Ecopolitan complex--fosters a distinctly instructive atmosphere. Sporadically posted plaques offer tips on water conservation and electromagnetic pollution. Guests have access to on-site lectures and the adjacent organic/raw restaurant and eco-spa-after all, what fatigued backpacker doesn't appreciate a round at the oxygen bar?"Our mission is to create a greater understanding of the world and its people through travel," explains HI Eastern New England Council Executive Director Deborah Ruhe. "That includes the environmental world.""People need a place to stay," reflects Tel-Oren. "If we offer them an ecological one, what they learn there can make life better for the entire species." CONTACT: Hostelling International USA, (301)495-1240, www.hiusa.org; The Minneapolis EcoHostel at Ecopolitan, (612)870-2974, www.ecopolitan.com.Outside the concrete jungle, budget-lodging juggernaut Hostelling International (HI) is also embracing the eco-hostelling model. Recently approved projects in Humboldt County and Cape Cod incorporate sustainable building, solar energy and environmental education. The group sees sustainable technology as a shrewd investment as well as complement to its stated goals.The Minneapolis EcoHostel opened in July of last year as a comfy, 21-bed guesthouse in the heart of Minnesota's Twin Cities. From recycled wood-pulp bed frames to natural spectrum light bulbs, every fixture and product in the EcoHostel is selected with an eco-fanatic's eye toward environmental health and sustainability. Inside, staffer Maria Riecke drapes natural-soap laundered linens across an organic cotton mattress. It's not just materials that earn the hostel its prefix, she explains: "We definitely try to raise awareness."The real innovation, however, is location. Unlike the idyllic, natural settings of most green accommodations, the EcoHostel sits three blocks from the interstate in Minneapolis' bustling Uptown neighborhood. Founder and innkeeper Dr. Adiel Tel-Oren sees no paradox. "To be ecological, you have to be urban," he insists. "That's where the majority of people live and the least amount of transportation is needed."

"People need a place to stay," reflects Tel-Oren. "If we offer them an ecological one, what they learn there can make life better for the entire species." CONTACT: Hostelling International USA, (301)495-1240, www.hiusa.org; The Minneapolis EcoHostel at Ecopolitan, (612)870-2974, www.ecopolitan.com.

Henson's mission? Helping customers get a good night's sleep

David Henson wants people to get a good night's sleep. A step in that direction is for them to purchase a mattress pad or pillow from his Tupelo-based Henson Sleep Relief Inc. (HSR)

Standing among high stacks of huge foam blocks called "buns," the 50-year-old Henson explains the process of changing buns to pads. They are moved through huge slicers, handsaws with smooth, sharp vertical blades that cut the blocks to proper dimensions to fit bed sizes ranging from twin to king.Forming the corporate partnership with Springs offered the best of both worlds. HSR sells its products in the hundreds of Wal-Mart stores but has been able to use Springs as a buffer.Sure, the foam products won't guarantee more restful slumber, but they almost certainly won't hurt.At present, Henson calls HSR's business "fair, not great but fair." He has no concrete plans to make any major changes in the manufacturing or marketing processes."When we met with Springs," Henson says, we told them we wanted our autonomy."Helms says the workers earn $8 to $12 per hour. "We've been very lucky to find good, dependable people."Of the 100,000 square feet of space HSR occupies, Helms says one-third is dedicated to manufacturing and materials storage. The remaining two-thirds is used for finished-product storage and shipping.Henson Sleep Relief's general manager, Dale Helms, says the firm employs 32 most of the time, but swell to as many as 80 during busy times - November and December to meet demand for January white sales and June and July for back-toschool sales in August.Henson's products are sold in the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, but they're there by contract to Springs Global, a worldwide maker of towels and other household fabric goods (Wamsutta is one of Springs' brands) so don't bear any of the HSR brand names."Every customer primarily has their own specs," Henson says. "We make what the customer wants." Those customers range from "dollar" discount stores to other retailers including, indirectly, Wal-Mart and other high-end stores."We never put our business in jeopardy by being in Wal-Mart," Henson recalls, explaining he didn't purchase any additional equipment or hire anymore workers to accommodate the retailing giant. "We didn't put Wal-Mart in a position to let them run our business."Henson points out that higher-end retailers like Belk usually sell a thicker mattress pad than most of the dollar stores, hence the usually higher price at the upscale stores."We had a relationship with Wal-Mart, but we lost 'em," Henson relates. It was a loss that, while not a good thing, wasn't all bad, either. Henson says that the scare stories of Wal-Mart virtually taking over and running their vendors' businesses, however vicariously, are certainly true in many cases."We do need to have an offsite distribution center and office in the Chicago area since we're up there all the time," Henson says of HSR's dealings in that region. "We have almost done it two or three times but backed off."The customers' specifications come into play in the next step of the process, where the blocks are loaded onto a turntable. They revolve around and are sliced by a horizontal blade to thicknesses specified by the customer. The blade drops a predetermined notch with every revolution of the turntable, which is loaded with several buns.With the exception of pillow covers for its line of foam pillows, Henson reports that all materials, including boxes and bags for packaging, are procured domestically. Most of the foam comes from a half-dozen or so "foamers" located in the furniture-intensive region of Northeast Mississippi.Posting $10 million in sales last year, Henson's 23-year-old manufacturing firm has evidently found a niche that needed filling."You put them under the sheets to add thickness," Henson explains of the pads. Expensive mattresses usually have the pad - called "pillow top" - built in."We can definitely stay within mar-gins using domestic vendors," he states.Linda Bean and Frances Brown team up to fold the pads, place them on racks and send them to be packaged.Henson estimates his cost of equipment at approximately $1 million. "We have one machine that, alone, costs $350,000."

"We do need to have an offsite distribution center and office in the Chicago area since we're up there all the time," Henson says of HSR's dealings in that region. "We have almost done it two or three times but backed off."

NIMS' Acceleration Platform Technology Effective in Severe Experimental Hemorrhagic Shock

MIAMI -- Marvin A Sackner, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Board of Directors, Non-Invasive Monitoring Systems, Inc. [NIMS] (OTCBB:NIMU) announced that Dr. Jose A Adams, Dr. Uryash and their group at Mount Sinai Medical Center of Greater Miami presented two papers at the 9th Scientific Congress of the European Resuscitation Council held in Ghent, Belgium from May 21-24, 2008. Both studies involved applications of NIMS' patented acceleration therapeutic platform technology. In humans, this non-invasive device is called Exer-Rest([R]) and has the configuration of a single or twin bed fitted with a memory foam mattress. Electrical actuation of this device produces whole body periodic acceleration (WBPA) through repetitive head-foot movement of its incorporated platform at about 140 times per minute over a period of 45 minutes.

Dr. Uryash presented data in a small animal model showing that analysis of the arterial pulse waveform provided evidence of the effectiveness of nitric oxide released with WBPA. Dr. Adams commented that, "The demonstration of such effectiveness in a small animal model will allow us to progress more rapidly toward a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying WBPA in treatment of cardiac arrest and hemorrhagic shock."NIMS currently supports a clinical trial to demonstrate the intended use of Exer-Rest for temporary relief of musculoskeletal pain associated with osteoarthritis of the lower extremities (hips and knees) in order to meet FDA approval for its marketing in the United States. Exer-Rest is a CE0120 Class 2 device and can be marketed and sold in the common market and Canada.Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The Statements which are not historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties including but not limited to risks associated with the uncertainty of future financial results, additional financing requirements, development of new products, government approval processes, the impact of competitive products or pricing, technological changes, the effect of economic conditions and other uncertainties detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Further information on the Company can be obtained at www.nims-inc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The Statements which are not historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties including but not limited to risks associated with the uncertainty of future financial results, additional financing requirements, development of new products, government approval processes, the impact of competitive products or pricing, technological changes, the effect of economic conditions and other uncertainties detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Financial Crisis Should Benefit 'Internet Real Estate'

In the spring of 2001, the Internet address
Inbox.com was listed on eBay at $4,000 with no reserve. Now, in a clear
sign of the times, the auction ended without any bids or bidders. After the
auction, an astute DomainConsultant.com analyst emailed the seller and
offered him $2,000 for the name. The buyer accepted the offer.

Is the timing right? Like actual real estate, inventory lists have shown a
distinct rise in quality combined with a drop in pricing. If one could
conjure a symphony of elements to produce deals in the marketplace, this
would be the result, exemplified by offerings great and small. In short,
time to buy.So what is an individual investor to do? If money is not safe in banks --
where to put it? One possible answer, like in the early decade, is domain
names. For several, concrete reasons:Contact: Mike Fiol Email ContactDomainConsultant.com recently updated its market recommendation to
clientele from 'hold' to 'buy.' The change was made for many of the above
reasons and based in no small part in current crisis events. Unless it all
collapses, domains and the Internet are viewed as one of the most reliable
and secure 'safe harbors' -- if the name is quality, acquired at a proper
price.In response, DomainConsultant.com, a prominent collective of successful
"domainers," has altered its client recommendations to promote domain names
as an alternate hedge against a life-jacket economy, an option for a
desperate populace.DomainConsultant.com is a 'success collective' made up of the brightest and
best the industry has produced. For more information, visit www.DomainConsultant.com .Besides, the only other real and viable alternative may be to stick it
under your Serta, until the waters calm and the storm, hopefully, passes
without sweeping it away.People are moving money into no-interest T-Bills or simply holding tight to
their cash and hoping their bank stays afloat and, if not, the FDIC doesn't
crumble under the weight of its insurance pledge. Indeed, some are staring
at their mattresses as the last bastion of 'safety.'Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to NewsvineNow the key, of course, is to buy on the "low" side like Inbox.com. In down
cycle times like 2002, the opportunities and deals appear all around. After
all, those who survived the 'dot-com crash,' at present, make up a big
chunk of the upper echelon of the domain industry and largely because they
took advantage of the last, most recent 'crash.'M. Fiol is a long-time domain name holder, regular industry news
contributor and DomainConsultant.com analyst. He also owns and runs
HappyBirthday.com among others.Sixteen months later, that domain name was sold to an end-user for 150x its
initial cost or high six figures -- far more than you can fit in a
twin-size mattress.That is not to say that drops in domain value will not continue for a time
-- it is a natural devaluation based on economic conditions outside the
industry. Nor is it without risk -- cyber terrorism, fraud, spam and more
conspire to define the 'web' in WWW.

No, it is to say that once and if this all shakes out, people will notice
how the Internet weathered the storm and the idea of domains as 'investment
hedge,' a place to put your money for tough times, may grow.

Contact: Mike Fiol Email Contact

Specialty Furniture Products, Inc. announces new lower pricing on their EasyCare Safety Bed™

The EasyCare Safety Bed[TM] has a patented, self locking, easy access rail system that allows the user to lower one or both rails. With both rails in the lowered position, the user has full access to the child with special needs, and it makes bedding changes easier. Lifting the child over the rails is completely eliminated. The acrylic windows give the child a secure feeling and the caregiver high visibility while providing a safe sleeping environment. In the up position, the rails drop into locking notches, preventing the rails from being accidentally lowered from inside the bed. There is an additional rail-locking feature that locks the rail from the outside for further safety. The bed uses a standard twin mattress and box spring. Entrapment concerns have been eliminated using the closed rail system and a through a close mattress fit to the sides of the bed. The bed is simple to assemble and easy to use. It was designed with the input of professional caregivers and parents of children with special needs.

Specialty Furniture Products, Inc. is a family owned and operated business specializing in special needs products. Specialty Furniture Products, Inc. recently lowered their prices making this bed more affordable. For more details, visit www.specialtyfurnitureproducts.com.