Bowman: Business cards say lot about you

We all meet and exchange cards at meetings, in restaurants, attending industry functions, traveling, at social events. But absently handing someone a card is a missed opportunity.

The everyday practice of business card exchange is time-honored, and honing this demonstrates respect, portrays you as professional and will help set you apart.

The business card itself casts an important "first impression." Consider your business card your ticket in the door and discard any thoughts that the paper card may be becoming obsolete in an increasingly paperless world: The traditional business card is timeless.

Business cards — called "meishi" in Japanese which literally translated means "face" — represents one's "life." Therefore, the quality of paper stock is important, as well as how the card is presented, received, acknowledged and ultimately placed.

The most formal way of presenting a card is by holding it with a thumb on either corner, readable side up or one thumb on one corner. Receive it the same way. Most importantly, acknowledge the card — look at the card, read it, study it, caress it! Look back at the other person and acknowledge their card, title, life.

Place the card someplace respectful — your inner breast pocket or portfolio; do not discard.

If you are serious about doing business in your target country, the same information should be printed in their native language, presented readable side up.

Exchange cards before the meeting as you introduce yourself and shake hands. Align subtly, yet strategically around your portfolio to coincide with seating to access names as you address individuals; using names in conversation is powerful.

As for the look of the card, make sure colors and font are consistent with your firm's mission.

Here are some tips on what not to do:

•    Don't ask a very senior executive for their business card; they won't have one. You should know how to find them and follow up.

•    Don't assume someone wants your card. Ask, "May I offer you my card?" "May I ask for your card?"

•     Never write on a business card in the presence of that person; you are defacing their "life." Ask, "May I write that on the back of your card?"

And if anyone ever asks for your card — even though this is your last card and it is bent, frayed or damaged in any way, toss it. (This suggests you are, too!)

Judith Bowman is an author and president of her own consulting company.

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Target CEO ouster tied to data breach, sales

Target Corp. removed 35-year company veteran Gregg Steinhafel as its CEO yesterday in the wake of last year's disastrous data breach that hit as many as 110 million customers.

Analysts say the abrupt move likely also was triggered by Target's bungled expansion into Canada, soft U.S. sales and poor e‑commerce results. Steinhafel had been CEO since 2008.

Target is the second-largest U.S. discounter behind Wal-Mart, with $71.3 billion in annual sales last year. Its net income dropped 46 percent in the fourth-quarter that included the crucial holiday season after its Dec. 19 breach announcement heavily cut into sales.

"The data breach is a pretty public thing, but Canada was not executed well last year ... and, also, the general U.S. merchandising in the stores hasn't been as crisp or exciting," said Joseph Feldman, a Telsey Advisory Group analyst.

Target posted a $1 billion loss in Canada last year on sales of $1.3 billion.

"On a positive note, this is something that I think investors have been looking for — a change in the top that might help reinvigorate the business," Feldman said.

Target CFO John Mulligan will be interim CEO.

Steinhafel's replacement will need to identify Target's flaws in merchandising, marketing and e-commerce, said Jefferies analyst Daniel Binder. Target's core business has been lackluster for several quarters, he said, and "The latest data … suggests that even if the U.S. business has stabilized post-credit card data breach, the bigger picture for Target isn't seeing an acceptable rate of change."

The timing of Target's announcement suggests the board perhaps had received an unfavorable first-quarter update, according to William Blair analyst Mark Miller. Those results are due to be publicly reported May 21.

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China tightens controls on imports of baby formula

BEIJING — China has tightened controls on imports of infant formula in a move an industry official in New Zealand, a major supplier, said might block some products.

The announcement coincides with an effort by Beijing to build up its dairy industry following a 2008 tainted milk scandal that killed at least six babies and prompted many parents to switch to imported formula.

Only milk products from foreign sources that are registered with the government can be imported, the Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on its website. A list issued by the government showed foreign brands including European units of Abbot Laboratories, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. and Nestle Group have registered.

An industry group in New Zealand said only six of the country's 13 suppliers were approved. The chairman of the New Zealand Infant Formula Exporters Association said that might result in some shipments to China being blocked.

"We lost a whole lot of ground this morning," said Michael Barnett at a news conference, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.

Demand for imported milk soared after the 2008 scandal in which some Chinese supplies were found to contain melamine, a chemical that can cause kidney damage and other injuries. Some suppliers added it to fool protein tests on watered-down supplies.

Suppliers from New Zealand, Australia, Europe and elsewhere took market share from Chinese competitors, setting back the communist government's efforts to build a domestic dairy industry.

The brand at the center of the 2008 scandal, Sanlu, was broken up and tighter quality standards imposed on the industry. However, that has failed to restore the confidence of Chinese parents. Imported brands have such a strong reputation for quality that customers pay up to three times the price of local brands in supermarkets.

In August, regulators fined five foreign milk suppliers and one from Hong Kong a total of $108 million on charges they violated China's anti-monopoly law by setting minimum retail prices for stores.

In the latest effort to build a domestic industry, the city government of Beijing will give 10.8 million yuan ($1.7 million) to a major local brand, Sanyuan Group, to develop "safe and healthy infant milk powder," the newspaper Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Demand for imported formula is so strong that smugglers bring supplies from Hong Kong, Australia and elsewhere. That has prompted Hong Kong and some other markets to limit purchases to ensure local customers have adequate supplies.

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Vietnam protests Chinese oil rig in disputed sea

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam has protested China's decision to send an oil drilling platform to a disputed area of the South China Sea.

The move by Beijing is the latest in a series of provocative actions in the waters that have raised tensions with Southeast Asian countries and drawn the attention of the United States.

According to the China Maritime Safety Administration, the deep see rig CNOOC 981 would be drilling in the South China Sea from May 4 to Aug. 15, and that entering a 3 mile (4.8 kilometers) radius around the area is prohibited.

Vietnam's foreign ministry on Monday said the area was well within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and China's act was "illegal."

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Tesla case to challenge norm

The state's highest court will hear arguments tomorrow in a case pitting Massachusetts auto dealers against electric carmaker Tesla, that could upend how cars are sold in the state.

The Supreme Judicial Court will hear oral arguments from Tesla and the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association (MSADA) and several dealership owners, who are appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit that sought to ban the California company from operating its own dealerships in Massachusetts. The dealers' suit claims direct manufacturer sales aren't legal in Massachusetts.

"We totally disagreed with the technical ruling of the Superior Court," said Robert O'Koniewski, executive vice president of MSADA, referring to a 2012 decision by a Norfolk County judge who found the state's auto franchise law only allowed for injunctive relief for dealerships directly connected to car companies.

O'Koniewski said the franchise law was amended in 2002, and now does not prohibit lawsuits between dealers and unaffiliated manufacturers. In its brief to the SJC, Tesla said the law "was not intended to protect dealers from potential competition from unaffiliated manufacturers."

Even if the SJC rules in favor of the MSADA, the actual lawsuit would have to be heard by a lower court, meaning a resolution is not imminent.

"We would still have to then go back to the superior court," O'Koniewski said.

Also in the works is a bill filed by state Rep. David Linsky of Natick that would explicitly legalize manufacturer-owned dealerships for automakers without a presence in the state. It was recently ordered for further study, a designation that often — but not always — means a slow death for a bill.

Founded by billionaire Elon Musk, Telsa argues that its cars need to be sold directly to consumers, and not in traditional dealerships, because the company is in the best position to describe the new technologies in its cars and justify the starting price of nearly $70,000. The auto dealers say dealerships offer increased competition, and are good for consumers.

Tesla's direct-selling approach has been challenged around the country, most recently in states including Ohio and New York. Dealers argue that the franchise approach is an entrenched system of selling cars, and letting Tesla sell directly could set a precedent for other automakers to sidestep independent franchises. Tesla has been selling in Massachusetts since December 2012.

Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.

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Vietnam protests Chinese oil rig in disputed sea

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam demanded China stop oil drilling operations in a disputed patch of the South China Sea, saying on Monday that Beijing's decision to deploy a deep sea rig over the weekend was illegal.

China's move was the latest in a series of provocative actions aimed at asserting its sovereignty in potentially oil and gas-rich waters that have raised tensions with Vietnam, the Philippines and other claimants.

The United States shares many of the regional concerns about China's actions in the seas. Last week, President Barack Obama signed a new defense pact with the Philippines aimed at reassuring allies in the region of American backing as they wrangle with Beijing's growing economic and military might.

The China Maritime Safety Administration posted a navigational warning on its website advising that the CNOOC 981 rig would be drilling in the South China Sea from May 4 to Aug. 15, in an area close to the Paracel Islands, which are controlled by China but Vietnam claims as its own.

China's maritime administration also said that ships entering a 3-mile (4.8-kilometers) radius around the area are prohibited.

Vietnam's foreign ministry said the area where the rig was stationed lay within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as defined by the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"All foreign activities in Vietnam's seas without Vietnam's permission are illegal and invalid," the ministry said in a statement. "Vietnam resolutely protests them."

Vietnam's state-owned oil company, PetroVietnam, demanded that China National Offshore Oil Corporation "immediately stop all the illegal activities and withdraw the rig from Vietnamese waters."

Asked about Vietnam's objections, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the drilling was taking place in Chinese waters.

Many analysts believe China is embarking on a strategy of gradually pressing its claims in the water by seeing what it can get away with, believing that its much smaller neighbors will be unable or unwilling to stop them. Vietnam has accused Chinese ships of cutting cables to its exploration vessels and harassing fishermen, as has the Philippines.

Chinese assertiveness puts Vietnam's authoritarian government in difficult position domestically because anger at China, an ideological ally, runs deep in the country. This is exploited by dissident movements, who accuse the government of being unwilling to speak out against Beijing.

Tran Cong Truc, the former head of a government committee overseeing the country's border issues, said the latest Chinese move was especially provocative.

"This act by China is much more dangerous than previous actions such as cutting the exploration cable or fishing bans," he said.

___

Associated Press news assistant Zhao Liang in Beijing contributed to this report.

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Odyssey’s air bag warning light needs to be checked out

I have a 2005 Honda 
Odyssey. About two months ago the passenger air bag light started coming on. I took it in for an oil change and the mechanic said it's nothing to worry about. It bugs me. Can you give me an answer?

No, but Honda's scan tool can. Anytime there's a question or issue with air bags or supplemental restraint systems, have the issue investigated. Why? Because any fault or problem can influence, even prevent, these systems from deploying properly in a crash.

Your vehicle has an impact sensor and a weight sensor in the passenger seat that can determine whether the passenger air bag should deploy or not in a crash. With an occupant weight of 65 pounds or less or a frontal impact where the seatbelt would offer adequate protection, the passenger air bag will not deploy.

If the passenger seat, its upholstery or the OPDS system (occupant position detection system) have been serviced, a re-initialization is required.

Also, Honda did issue a recall for a potentially defective front impact sensor on some 2005 
Odysseys, but this is unlikely the issue with your vehicle.

I have a 1966 Mustang. I have noticed in the past couple of years that when I first start driving, the right front wheel will lock up and slide on a dirt road and the car wants to turn right immediately. After driving the car for a couple of miles the brakes work fine and the car stops straight as an arrow. I had the brakes inspected and there were no leaks or other problems. The mechanic said that sometimes the brake hoses can deteriorate from the inside so I had them changed, but the car still wants to turn right at the first stop. I have read that if a brake line has a stoppage it might cause this. Is this a problem with the right front wheel or maybe the left front wheel is not getting enough hydraulic pressure?

Let me offer two other possibilities: moisture or contamination on the brake shoe friction material and (this is a long shot) the brake shoes on the right front are reversed, meaning the leading shoe is in the trailing position and vice versa.

Many drum brake systems feature a leading shoe that is pushed by the hydraulic wheel cylinder into the direction of rotation of the brake drum. This gives the leading shoe a self-energizing characteristic, meaning that initial contact with the drum tends to self-apply the friction material on the shoe.

In most cases, the leading shoe has a section of shoe at the wheel cylinder end that has no friction material to reduce the self-energizing characteristic. If the two brake shoes are reversed with the full length friction material of the trailing shoe mounted in the lead position, the self-energizing characteristic is magnified.

Any type of contamination on the friction material will change the coefficient of friction and can initially cause a significant imbalance of brake force. As the material is heated and/or dried by application, this characteristic often fades.

To perform a quick DIY test of brake hydraulic pressure, place the front end safely on jack stands and have an assistant apply steady light brake pedal pressure while you rotate each front wheel, feeling for the first indication of brake shoe contact with the drum. Both front wheels should initially exhibit this at the same level of brake pressure.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

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Preparing Boston for high sea levels

Two years after Superstorm Sandy became a cautionary tale about the dangers of climate change, a team of experts will meet this week to come up with strategies to prepare Boston, Cambridge and Revere for rising sea levels.

The Urban Land Institute will host "Living with Water: The Urban Implications" on Thursday, the first in a series of meetings bringing together architects, engineers, developers and financiers to find ways to help people protect their communities.

"There's been a large body of research on sea-level rise, and we believe the time is now for members of the design and development disciplines within the real estate industry to come up with viable solutions," said Sarah Barnat, ULI's executive director.

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that seas will rise between 3 and 6 feet by the end of this century. Because of how Greater Boston is situated, it will be disproportionately affected, said Dennis Carlberg, sustainability director at Boston University and co-chairman of the ULI Boston Sustainability Council.

Scientists project changing climate conditions will cause Boston Harbor to be as much as 6 feet above current levels, and more than 30 percent of the city will flood during storms at high tide.

"The real underlying question is: How do you change design now for new construction, and how do you modify existing designs?" he said. "This is a whole set of issues we've never dealt with before."

Four teams will look at one of four sites: the Back Bay; new development in Boston's Innovation District; a new, mixed-use construction project on the Revere waterfront; and a district planning initiative for Alewife.

The teams will focus on preparing for a "new normal" when today's storm surge becomes tomorrow's twice-daily high tide, Carlberg said.

Each team will work to answer four questions: how solutions affect the streetscape, what the implications are for policymakers, how property owners and tenants assess and balance their costs and risks, and what different stakeholders need to do, he said. A report on the findings is due out in September.

"The timing of the ULI project is very positive because Boston is updating its climate action plan with a focus on climate preparedness, so the results of their work will help inform our strategy update," said Brian Swett, the city's chief of environment, energy and open space.

The updated plan will be released at the end of this year, Swett said, but officials already have taken steps to mitigate flooding as a result of rising sea levels and Superstorm Sandy-like storms. The Boston Redevelopment Authority now requires all new large developments to complete a questionnaire to ensure flood-proofing and other building-preparedness practices are included in their planning, design and construction, Swett said.

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Westfield State U. agog over new Google technology

WESTFIELD, Mass. — It was a futuristic sight, as about a dozen students, faculty, and community members gathered around a cluster of screens on the second floor of the Ely Library at Westfield State University late last month to behold a wonder of modern technology.

The wonder that lay before them, projected onto seven screens standing seven feet tall, is Liquid Galaxy, a revolutionary product developed by Google which utilizes the company's Google Earth component to take users almost anywhere in seconds, on Earth or elsewhere.

"It sends Mars data, too," said Tom Raffensperger, the dean of Academic Information Services at Westfield State. "There's a rover up there taking pictures and mapping."

Capable of showing off the red planet just as adeptly as taking users to Fenway Park, Liquid Galaxy's potential is seemingly limitless, and Raffensperger says it will be available to the greater Westfield community during open lab times, after being made available to professors and students first.

As the jaws of students and faculty alike dropped to the floor at the startling realism and accuracy of Google Earth's mapping, professors in the school's geography department took the opportunity to speak about the project, it's humble beginnings, and what it means for the institution.

"It all started when Tim (LeDoux) and I were invited to attend the geospatial technology and higher education workshop at Google in California last summer," said Dr. Carsten Braun, a professor of Geography and Regional Planning at the University. "When we saw the Liquid Galaxy we said 'wow, this is cool, but not just cool — a great teaching tool.' So when we came back, we launched an idea to (Dr.) Liz Preston and Tom Raffensperger saying 'Hey, is this something we could get?'"

Various university departments collectively paid $25,000 to use the program.

"It was really a collaborative effort," said Raffensperger. "It was a lot of departments getting together. The library, we worked hard to make this space available, and the people at IT, academic information services, academic affairs, just a lot of different departments seeing how this would benefit the university as a whole."

Raffensperger added that professors such as LeDoux will be using the program for introductory and advanced global imaging systems (GIS) courses to take students to distant cities.

"As a geographer and planner, I talk a lot about different cities and the issues they're facing, such as Detroit with its bankruptcy," LeDoux said. "I can talk a lot about the legacy — the racism, the disinvestment issues — and that helps students paint a picture, but to take them on the ground and walk through the neighborhoods of Detroit using this, they see it, the abandoned buildings, and it brings home the visual element to them."

"I will be using this in my physical geography class, which is about landforms — glaciers, rivers, mountains, beaches — all kinds of stuff that. With this immersive program, you can experience beach erosion, experience sea level rise, much better than a static picture," Braun said. "We can do labs and say 'let's go to the Grand Canyon, let's look at what goes on at the intersection of land and ocean.'"

"(We'll be) working with the folks from the Art Department, or any other interested people to create content experiences that they can use in their classes," he added. "That's what we're going to be working on in the next few months. 'You teach English Literature, you teach Art, let's see how we can create activities that let students experience this in a special sense.'"

"This can be applied to all the different disciplines at the University," LeDoux added. "Whether you're trying to ground literature for students, poetry that a poet is writing about a landscape, it's a very vivid image, but actually seeing what they're writing about is very powerful."

When asked about the prevalence of this technology, Braun was proud to admit that Liquid Galaxy is so far only available in museums and large research-based institutions, none of which are the size of Westfield State.

"I'd be super happy to talk to anybody about how to make this useful," Braun said. "In a perfect world, we want to help everybody get this. But first, let's take this off the campus and bring it into the community, working in the local schools and make this a tool or experience that we share with the entire community."

"We are very excited to be able to provide this," said Westfield State University President Dr. Elizabeth Preston during the demo. "Part of the reason we decided to invest in the technology is because it's very clear that it has applications for all kinds of disciplines beyond the obvious. So we're very excited to have the technology on campus."

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BC Law School gets Thomas More statue

Boston College Law School yesterday hosted a dedication ceremony for a newly installed sculpture of St. Thomas More that was donated by a family that is known for its generosity throughout the city of Boston.

The statue is the latest gift from the Privitera family who has given statues to the Dante Alighieri Cultural Society in Cambridge and the Sacred Heart Church in the North End. There is also a scholarship and award in their name at the law school.

The sculpture of St. Thomas More, who was a lawyer, author and councilor to Henry VIII of England, was made by Bolivian-born Pablo Eduardo, who now lives in Gloucester.

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