Heckmann Corp

Former Vice President Dan Quayle and ex-Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz are joining with the chief executive of K2 Inc. in a bid to raise as much as $500 million in the second-largest initial public offering of a "blank check" shell company. Palm Desert-based Heckmann Corp., which has no operations, plans to sell 62.5 million units for $8 each, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday.

Former Vice President Dan Quayle and ex-Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz are joining with the chief executive of K2 Inc. in a bid to raise as much as $500 million in the second-largest initial public offering of a "blank check" shell company. Palm Desert-based Heckmann Corp., which has no operations, plans to sell 62.5 million units for $8 each, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday.

Former Marine Sgt. Shawn James has found moving from the military world to the business world a difficult journey. Add a disability, and potential partners shy away in droves, said the 33-year-old San Diego resident, who dreams of starting a company involving hybrid vehicles.

The next big stock tip might be as close as a Twitter feed. Professional traders are developing computer programs that scour Internet posts in search of the next stock market darling. Their technology analyzes everything uttered about a company - good or bad, racy or mundane - and spits out trading recommendations. The logic is that the popular sentiment expressed by millions of people on sites such as Twitter and Facebook yields investment clues that can't be gleaned from financial statements or analyst reports.