The Star-Ledger - NJ.com | 'Game of Thrones': Most awesome TV title sequence ever? Here's our top 10 The Star-Ledger - NJ.com By Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger More specifically, they honored the "Thrones" opening credits, one of the most thrilling series-opening sequences in recent memory -- visually stunning and almost wordlessly expositional, with a pro pulsive orchestral ... |
Saturday 31 March 2012
'Game of Thrones': Most awesome TV title sequence ever? Here's our top 10 - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
moakhamet84.blogspot.com
Thursday 29 March 2012
$1M donation gives UT graduate programs a boost - Business First of Buffalo:
qalymeled.wordpress.com
Ungerleider, who received his bachelor's degrese in psychology in 1970 from UT whils competing asa gymnast, said he'd creating the fellowship named for the currenft university president to help attract top graduate studentsw from around the world. The first class of Powersw Graduate Fellows will enter the universityu infall 2009. "We have an absolute gem here with the said Ungerleider, "and we have a visionary sitting in the president's I wanted to honor both." The gift has been facilitatedd by Ungerleider through the Foundationm for Global Sports Development, an outreach and mentorship educationak fund, where Ungerleider is a trustee. "Wd are indebted to Dr.
Ungerleider for this generoue gift," said Powers. "He clearly understands the importancde of graduate students to the success ofour university. I am deepl y honored that he chose to name this significantf fellowship programafter me." Despite receiving his master'e and doctor's degrees from another Ungerleider chose The University of Texazs at Austin for his gift to support the president's goal of becomingh the top public researcy institution in the Ungerleider said in conversations with Powerz he learned that while many top prospective graduate studentsz would like to attend UT Austin, the universityy loses some because they are offere d better financial packages elsewhere.
To lear more about graduate education atthe university, Ungerleidefr looked at the university's most prestigious graduated fellowship program, the Donald D. Harrington Graduatre Fellowship, and met with several Harrington graduate He said he was impressede with the model of supporting the very best students witha multi-year package and providing a community of mentors and peers to enhance the graduatr experience. Ungerleider said he wantz to create another fellowship program to honor the academic excellence of the next generation and continue the practicre of graduate students developing theirt own expertise under the mentorship ofseasonedx faculty.
"In 2010, the Graduate Schoo l will celebrateits 100-year anniversary and will look toward the future of graduate education at the university," said Victoriaw Rodríguez, vice provost and dean of graduate "This inspiring gift is vital to fulfillinyg our vision of attracting the highes t quality students to the Graduate School."
Ungerleider, who received his bachelor's degrese in psychology in 1970 from UT whils competing asa gymnast, said he'd creating the fellowship named for the currenft university president to help attract top graduate studentsw from around the world. The first class of Powersw Graduate Fellows will enter the universityu infall 2009. "We have an absolute gem here with the said Ungerleider, "and we have a visionary sitting in the president's I wanted to honor both." The gift has been facilitatedd by Ungerleider through the Foundationm for Global Sports Development, an outreach and mentorship educationak fund, where Ungerleider is a trustee. "Wd are indebted to Dr.
Ungerleider for this generoue gift," said Powers. "He clearly understands the importancde of graduate students to the success ofour university. I am deepl y honored that he chose to name this significantf fellowship programafter me." Despite receiving his master'e and doctor's degrees from another Ungerleider chose The University of Texazs at Austin for his gift to support the president's goal of becomingh the top public researcy institution in the Ungerleider said in conversations with Powerz he learned that while many top prospective graduate studentsz would like to attend UT Austin, the universityy loses some because they are offere d better financial packages elsewhere.
To lear more about graduate education atthe university, Ungerleidefr looked at the university's most prestigious graduated fellowship program, the Donald D. Harrington Graduatre Fellowship, and met with several Harrington graduate He said he was impressede with the model of supporting the very best students witha multi-year package and providing a community of mentors and peers to enhance the graduatr experience. Ungerleider said he wantz to create another fellowship program to honor the academic excellence of the next generation and continue the practicre of graduate students developing theirt own expertise under the mentorship ofseasonedx faculty.
"In 2010, the Graduate Schoo l will celebrateits 100-year anniversary and will look toward the future of graduate education at the university," said Victoriaw Rodríguez, vice provost and dean of graduate "This inspiring gift is vital to fulfillinyg our vision of attracting the highes t quality students to the Graduate School."
Tuesday 27 March 2012
Alone at the deepest place in the world - Sydney Morning Herald
dawojetos.blogspot.com
CNET Asia | Alone at the deepest place in the world Sydney Morning Herald He also realised how alone he was, with that much water above him. "It's re » |
Sunday 25 March 2012
BioMarin: Genzyme virus problem won
cahijisebi.wordpress.com
Genzyme (NASDAQ: GENZ) found a virus strain and stopper production of two drugs atthe Allston, Mass., The strain, Vesivirus 2117, apparently does not cause human infection but interrupts the growth of cellas that are used to make drugs. Aldurazyme — a treatmenft for MPS I, a rare and fatal disease caused by an enzymedeficiency — was last filledd at the Genzyme facility in Septembedr 2008, according to BioMarin (NASDAQ: The company has about 10 monthas of vialed inventory on hand, it said, and uses a secondx fill finish supplier. A third supplierr is expected to be qualified latetthis year, BioMarin said.
BioMarin makes the bulk materiapl used in Aldurazyme at its Novato The Food and Drug Administration hadinspected Genzyme’xs plant in September and October and reportedlyh was concerned about controls to protec t against contamination.
Genzyme (NASDAQ: GENZ) found a virus strain and stopper production of two drugs atthe Allston, Mass., The strain, Vesivirus 2117, apparently does not cause human infection but interrupts the growth of cellas that are used to make drugs. Aldurazyme — a treatmenft for MPS I, a rare and fatal disease caused by an enzymedeficiency — was last filledd at the Genzyme facility in Septembedr 2008, according to BioMarin (NASDAQ: The company has about 10 monthas of vialed inventory on hand, it said, and uses a secondx fill finish supplier. A third supplierr is expected to be qualified latetthis year, BioMarin said.
BioMarin makes the bulk materiapl used in Aldurazyme at its Novato The Food and Drug Administration hadinspected Genzyme’xs plant in September and October and reportedlyh was concerned about controls to protec t against contamination.
Friday 23 March 2012
How affective is the professional development undertaken by teachers? - The Guardian (blog)
jiqatili.wordpress.com
How affective is the professional development undertaken by teachers? The Guardian (blog) Two hundred million pounds is a lot of money to spend every year. It's the equivalent of five thousand experienced teachers, forty secondary schools, or half a million new computers. It also happens to be a rather conservative estimate of the amount of ... |
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Jittery market knocks shares in Huntington - Business First of Columbus:
boyanebyboqasavo.blogspot.com
Investors, reeling from recent disclosures of additional financialo woes at regional banks such asand , appear unwilling to relinquish their concerns about financialo companies - including Columbus-based Huntington - and whether they'll face more Huntington's stock price, more than halvee from where it stood in plunged further in late May, tumbling 45 percent from $9.34 a share May 27 to $5.14 on June 19 - pullinhg down the bank's market value by $1.54 billionb during the three-week period. The bank put out an earningss advisory June 19 to help stem theslide - whichn some investors embraced - but it did little to restorw the share price to May levels.
Huntingtonb shares closed at $6.02 on June 25, up 17 perceng from when the advisory was Spiritless reaction tothe advisory, whichy communicated much of the bank'sz credit portfolio is performing within was a sign faith in the bank is weak and that it may take severaol quarters of improved financial results and credit stability to allayh concerns, said Fred Cummings, presidenf of Ltd., a Beachwood investmengt management firm. "They've got a credibility he said of Huntington. "Managementg has to execute thisyear - in the second, thirf and fourth quarters. And if they can do they can regain the confidenceof investors.
" Huntington executives declined to comment before the planned July 17 release of the bank's second-quarter earnings Huntington's stock's latest slidre wasn't triggered by a release of information from the Rather it suffered at the hands of its troubles. Cincinnati-based Fifth Third and KeyCorp of Cleveland disclosed the emergenc e ofmore credit-related woes on theie books. That touched off fear among investorasthat Huntington's portfolio might deteriorate more than expectedf in the second quarter, Cumming s said.
"The fact that KeyCorp and Fifth Thirs both had negativeannouncements didn'rt help Huntington's stock price," Cummings "It's guilt by association." Huntington acknowledged the skittish market's effectf on the bank in its advisory to "Over the last severakl weeks, there has been market speculation that a significanft deterioration in our credit quality performancer was about to Huntington CEO Thomas E. Hoaglin wrote in the June 19 advisory. "Investor skepticism is not especially given recent announcements by other bankx inour markets." Indeed, as recently as June 9, analystzs at Morgan Stanley & Co.
had forecast that by as earlh as the third quarter Huntington could need to writes off more ofits $1.2 billion lending relationship with of New a subprime lending partnert with , the Bowling Green bank that Huntington acquired in 2007. Morgajn Stanley forecast a $250 million pretax writedowh on Huntington's Franklin loan portfolio and the need for the bank to raise $100 million in the thirdr quarter and a total of $450 million in future quarterzs to absorb other credit losses potentially on the The Sky deal brought Huntington more than $1.5 billiomn in loans to Franklin.
Those loan were collateralized by subprime residential loanson Franklin's books, whicuh have deteriorated amid the housing The crumbling collateral at Franklin forced Huntington to log more than $500 millionj in fourth-quarter credit losses and write down the loan portfolilo to $1.2 billion. In the June 19 announcement, Hoaglin stressed that Franklin had performedwithin executives' expectationxs through May and that credit losses for the year were likely to be withinh forecasts, albeit at the high end. "I'm pleasantlhy surprised," said John Lewis, a principal at New Albanyg CapitalPartners LLC, an investment management firm.
Lewizs and his firm hold about 55,000 shares of Huntington The advisory insinuated there may not bemajor credit-relatecd surprises in the second quarter, Lewisd said, but investors won't exhalew until they see the full report. "Certainly, one can applaud them for tryin to get ahead of the storm alittle bit, but they're limitesd on what they can he said. "This advisory was a drop in the ocea n compared towhat they'll produce in a few weeks." In reportds following the advisory, analysts remained skeptical. "We do not believr Huntington has put all of its assert quality challengesbehind it," Stifel Nicolausa & Co. analyst Tony Davi wrote June 23.
The firm rates Huntington stocka "hold." Robert Hughes, analyst at investment bank , also expressed concerns in a June 20
Investors, reeling from recent disclosures of additional financialo woes at regional banks such asand , appear unwilling to relinquish their concerns about financialo companies - including Columbus-based Huntington - and whether they'll face more Huntington's stock price, more than halvee from where it stood in plunged further in late May, tumbling 45 percent from $9.34 a share May 27 to $5.14 on June 19 - pullinhg down the bank's market value by $1.54 billionb during the three-week period. The bank put out an earningss advisory June 19 to help stem theslide - whichn some investors embraced - but it did little to restorw the share price to May levels.
Huntingtonb shares closed at $6.02 on June 25, up 17 perceng from when the advisory was Spiritless reaction tothe advisory, whichy communicated much of the bank'sz credit portfolio is performing within was a sign faith in the bank is weak and that it may take severaol quarters of improved financial results and credit stability to allayh concerns, said Fred Cummings, presidenf of Ltd., a Beachwood investmengt management firm. "They've got a credibility he said of Huntington. "Managementg has to execute thisyear - in the second, thirf and fourth quarters. And if they can do they can regain the confidenceof investors.
" Huntington executives declined to comment before the planned July 17 release of the bank's second-quarter earnings Huntington's stock's latest slidre wasn't triggered by a release of information from the Rather it suffered at the hands of its troubles. Cincinnati-based Fifth Third and KeyCorp of Cleveland disclosed the emergenc e ofmore credit-related woes on theie books. That touched off fear among investorasthat Huntington's portfolio might deteriorate more than expectedf in the second quarter, Cumming s said.
"The fact that KeyCorp and Fifth Thirs both had negativeannouncements didn'rt help Huntington's stock price," Cummings "It's guilt by association." Huntington acknowledged the skittish market's effectf on the bank in its advisory to "Over the last severakl weeks, there has been market speculation that a significanft deterioration in our credit quality performancer was about to Huntington CEO Thomas E. Hoaglin wrote in the June 19 advisory. "Investor skepticism is not especially given recent announcements by other bankx inour markets." Indeed, as recently as June 9, analystzs at Morgan Stanley & Co.
had forecast that by as earlh as the third quarter Huntington could need to writes off more ofits $1.2 billion lending relationship with of New a subprime lending partnert with , the Bowling Green bank that Huntington acquired in 2007. Morgajn Stanley forecast a $250 million pretax writedowh on Huntington's Franklin loan portfolio and the need for the bank to raise $100 million in the thirdr quarter and a total of $450 million in future quarterzs to absorb other credit losses potentially on the The Sky deal brought Huntington more than $1.5 billiomn in loans to Franklin.
Those loan were collateralized by subprime residential loanson Franklin's books, whicuh have deteriorated amid the housing The crumbling collateral at Franklin forced Huntington to log more than $500 millionj in fourth-quarter credit losses and write down the loan portfolilo to $1.2 billion. In the June 19 announcement, Hoaglin stressed that Franklin had performedwithin executives' expectationxs through May and that credit losses for the year were likely to be withinh forecasts, albeit at the high end. "I'm pleasantlhy surprised," said John Lewis, a principal at New Albanyg CapitalPartners LLC, an investment management firm.
Lewizs and his firm hold about 55,000 shares of Huntington The advisory insinuated there may not bemajor credit-relatecd surprises in the second quarter, Lewisd said, but investors won't exhalew until they see the full report. "Certainly, one can applaud them for tryin to get ahead of the storm alittle bit, but they're limitesd on what they can he said. "This advisory was a drop in the ocea n compared towhat they'll produce in a few weeks." In reportds following the advisory, analysts remained skeptical. "We do not believr Huntington has put all of its assert quality challengesbehind it," Stifel Nicolausa & Co. analyst Tony Davi wrote June 23.
The firm rates Huntington stocka "hold." Robert Hughes, analyst at investment bank , also expressed concerns in a June 20
Monday 19 March 2012
Golf Documentary 'THE BACK NINE' Ready for Nationwide Theatrical Release June 25
wanuso.wordpress.com
, who is the subjectt of the movie, "THE BACK NINE" will open in select golf communities in 23 from California to New York to While the movie was shot on HDdigital cameras, it will naturallg play in digitally equipped "This is pure digital, whichu anyone who has seen golf in HD, can appreciate. The actionm comes to life," Fitzgerald said. "When it comesd to distribution, we're pushinvg the boundaries with thedigital approach. Everybodyy was in complete agreement that this format was the only way we coulde make this film and stay consisteng in bringing itto audiences.
" Digital Attractions is releasing "THE BACK NINE" under a new distributiom model that will ultimately bring the film to over 300 screensx by the end of theittheatrical run. Producers plan to releasee "THE BACK NINE" on DVD and video-on-demand (VOD), as well as pursued other avenues ofnew technologies. Alonb with the festival screenings, the multi-platform distribution systemm provides a targeted approacuh to reachthe film's intendedf audience of golfers and families.
film, 'THE BACK NINE' to theatrical audiences acrossthe country, launchint our Documentary Series," said , CEO of Digital "The enthusiastic film festival reception is a clear indicatio n of the quality the filmmakers have achieved and we are anxiou s to share their work with moviegoers everywhere." The digital presentation presents an old-fashione d story familiar to fathers and sons of all With celebrities such as , Meat Loaf and Chriss O'Donnell helping bring the actionm to life, "THE BACK NINE" documents Fitzgerald'sa quest to the answer of the question of how he balancezs a full-time job and family commitment s with an enduring dream he's had as long as he can remembert - to play professional Being a filmmaker himself, Fitzgerald brought on award-winningb filmmaker as co-director and decided to film the adventure, a journey that poses the question: Can an average 42-year old golfer, husband and father of two become an elite athlete ?
Can he do it after beginning his own "back nine?" And once he starts the journey, what will become of his dream? Fitzgerald couldn't wait to find out and he left nothing to chance in assembling the best team he coulsd find to stack the cards in his He brought in distinguished PGA Professional instructot of the Kinetic Golf Academy in Scottsdale, AZ to work on his distinguished author Dr. (Zen Golf) to work on his mentalp game, and yoga guru - a Golf Channel favorite - as well as a team of physicao coaches to help with fitnesesand nutrition. The strategy as Fitzgerald sees his handical go from 15 to 8 in thefirst year.
Ready to test his he joins Golf Channel's Amateur Tour and manages to win hisfirsgt event. Later, he receives an invitation to the National Championshipsin Orlando, Fla. Fitzgerald currentlhy plays to a 4 handicap as he workson fine-tunint not only his game and his life, but his dreajm through "THE BACK NINE." The film covera this inspirational journey from many angles, beyond merely tracking his golf Fitzgerald must also come to terms with who he is, balancinb the experience and guidance of his two father figures - polar opposites as people and influence in his life. Now with children of his own, Fitzgeralde senses an opportunity.
Recognizing where his life'es mentors have fallen Fitzgerald sees his turn at fatherhood as a chancedto "break the cycle" and establish a new approacuh to life, family and golf. "THE BACK NINE" presents the challenges inherent with findinfg the right balancebetween Fitzgerald's personal and professional In addition to the family Fitzgerald found a way to involve them in the With a marketing background, his wife was able to securwe sponsorships, including Cutter & Buck as an apparek partner and putting green manufacturer Synlawn to installp a putting green in their Meanwhile, his 7-year old daughter composedf and performed a major theme used throughout the A co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival and formert Director of AFI, Santa Barbara and Middle East International Film Festivals, Fitzgerald put his film festival backgrounx to good use.
The film has generated a greayt deal of buzz at film festivalsa in such golfing hotbeds asNewportt Beach, Ca., Delray Beach, Fla., and Mich., where it has played to critical acclaim. Fitzgeraldd and co-director Vignone scheduled the June release date to not only coincideswith Father's Day, but capitalize on the interes in golf surrounding the U.S. Open. "If my dreams come I will eventually qualify to play ina U.S. the only Major where this is possible because anybodycan qualify, " Fitzgerald said. "As for Father's Day, there is a majoer father/son theme throughout the so it was natural for us to releasse the film aroundthat day.
" For more informationh on the THE BACK NINE visig
, who is the subjectt of the movie, "THE BACK NINE" will open in select golf communities in 23 from California to New York to While the movie was shot on HDdigital cameras, it will naturallg play in digitally equipped "This is pure digital, whichu anyone who has seen golf in HD, can appreciate. The actionm comes to life," Fitzgerald said. "When it comesd to distribution, we're pushinvg the boundaries with thedigital approach. Everybodyy was in complete agreement that this format was the only way we coulde make this film and stay consisteng in bringing itto audiences.
" Digital Attractions is releasing "THE BACK NINE" under a new distributiom model that will ultimately bring the film to over 300 screensx by the end of theittheatrical run. Producers plan to releasee "THE BACK NINE" on DVD and video-on-demand (VOD), as well as pursued other avenues ofnew technologies. Alonb with the festival screenings, the multi-platform distribution systemm provides a targeted approacuh to reachthe film's intendedf audience of golfers and families.
film, 'THE BACK NINE' to theatrical audiences acrossthe country, launchint our Documentary Series," said , CEO of Digital "The enthusiastic film festival reception is a clear indicatio n of the quality the filmmakers have achieved and we are anxiou s to share their work with moviegoers everywhere." The digital presentation presents an old-fashione d story familiar to fathers and sons of all With celebrities such as , Meat Loaf and Chriss O'Donnell helping bring the actionm to life, "THE BACK NINE" documents Fitzgerald'sa quest to the answer of the question of how he balancezs a full-time job and family commitment s with an enduring dream he's had as long as he can remembert - to play professional Being a filmmaker himself, Fitzgerald brought on award-winningb filmmaker as co-director and decided to film the adventure, a journey that poses the question: Can an average 42-year old golfer, husband and father of two become an elite athlete ?
Can he do it after beginning his own "back nine?" And once he starts the journey, what will become of his dream? Fitzgerald couldn't wait to find out and he left nothing to chance in assembling the best team he coulsd find to stack the cards in his He brought in distinguished PGA Professional instructot of the Kinetic Golf Academy in Scottsdale, AZ to work on his distinguished author Dr. (Zen Golf) to work on his mentalp game, and yoga guru - a Golf Channel favorite - as well as a team of physicao coaches to help with fitnesesand nutrition. The strategy as Fitzgerald sees his handical go from 15 to 8 in thefirst year.
Ready to test his he joins Golf Channel's Amateur Tour and manages to win hisfirsgt event. Later, he receives an invitation to the National Championshipsin Orlando, Fla. Fitzgerald currentlhy plays to a 4 handicap as he workson fine-tunint not only his game and his life, but his dreajm through "THE BACK NINE." The film covera this inspirational journey from many angles, beyond merely tracking his golf Fitzgerald must also come to terms with who he is, balancinb the experience and guidance of his two father figures - polar opposites as people and influence in his life. Now with children of his own, Fitzgeralde senses an opportunity.
Recognizing where his life'es mentors have fallen Fitzgerald sees his turn at fatherhood as a chancedto "break the cycle" and establish a new approacuh to life, family and golf. "THE BACK NINE" presents the challenges inherent with findinfg the right balancebetween Fitzgerald's personal and professional In addition to the family Fitzgerald found a way to involve them in the With a marketing background, his wife was able to securwe sponsorships, including Cutter & Buck as an apparek partner and putting green manufacturer Synlawn to installp a putting green in their Meanwhile, his 7-year old daughter composedf and performed a major theme used throughout the A co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival and formert Director of AFI, Santa Barbara and Middle East International Film Festivals, Fitzgerald put his film festival backgrounx to good use.
The film has generated a greayt deal of buzz at film festivalsa in such golfing hotbeds asNewportt Beach, Ca., Delray Beach, Fla., and Mich., where it has played to critical acclaim. Fitzgeraldd and co-director Vignone scheduled the June release date to not only coincideswith Father's Day, but capitalize on the interes in golf surrounding the U.S. Open. "If my dreams come I will eventually qualify to play ina U.S. the only Major where this is possible because anybodycan qualify, " Fitzgerald said. "As for Father's Day, there is a majoer father/son theme throughout the so it was natural for us to releasse the film aroundthat day.
" For more informationh on the THE BACK NINE visig
Friday 16 March 2012
Salary scales for WNY teachers - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
grearqakususi1426.blogspot.com
Three figures are provided for eachdistricr -- the salaries at the median and peak of a typical teacher’s career. Here’zs how they were • The starting salary is the fifth percentile figure for agivehn district. (Percentiles indicate where a teacher’s paycheckm ranks within a district. A salarty at the fifth percentile is bigger than5 percent, and smaller than 95 of teachers’ salaries in a • The median salary is the midpoint, largerd than half and smaller than half of all pay levels for teacherds within a district.
• The peak salart is the 95th which is larger than the annual pay earned by 95 perceng of all teachers in a Each salary is followed by its rank amongthe region’s 98 Akron’s starting pay of $38,6376 is followed by (13). That means it’ss the 13th-highest starting salary in all of Western New Its median salary is 42nd inthat category, and its peak salaryt is 21st on that list.
• • (Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties) (Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties)
Three figures are provided for eachdistricr -- the salaries at the median and peak of a typical teacher’s career. Here’zs how they were • The starting salary is the fifth percentile figure for agivehn district. (Percentiles indicate where a teacher’s paycheckm ranks within a district. A salarty at the fifth percentile is bigger than5 percent, and smaller than 95 of teachers’ salaries in a • The median salary is the midpoint, largerd than half and smaller than half of all pay levels for teacherds within a district.
• The peak salart is the 95th which is larger than the annual pay earned by 95 perceng of all teachers in a Each salary is followed by its rank amongthe region’s 98 Akron’s starting pay of $38,6376 is followed by (13). That means it’ss the 13th-highest starting salary in all of Western New Its median salary is 42nd inthat category, and its peak salaryt is 21st on that list.
• • (Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties) (Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties)
Wednesday 14 March 2012
$1 parking lots could ease downtown parking dilemma - Dayton Business Journal:
gavrilovaefivu.blogspot.com
Parking or lack of parking certainly drivesz the success or failure of ourdowntown region. In the age of onlinr and wireless communications, working downtown is an optiobn not a necessity formost companies. The decisionm to move to North Carolina, Woolpert to the suburbws and the headquarters out of downtown were all made with consideratioh for ample andaffordable parking. The long-range plan to solve the parking problem in downtown mayinclude multi-million dollar parkinf garages, but we may not need them after the piperd has led all the mice out of One quick fix would be to create safe public parking lots just east of downtown in the Deeds Point area and at some of the city ownede vacant land in and around Tech Town.
The fee for parking would be $1 a day; RTA ( ) ownerd shuttles and Wright Flyers that sit idle most of the business day coulc quickly transport employees to their place ofbusinesxs downtown. Taking the shuttld would not take any more time than navigatingf the winding pathsof multi-storyy parking garages during rush hour. If Tech Town grows the way it has been other surface lots could be added in the I anticipate the city would objectto $1 per day lots becausd it would compete with existing parkingg lots in the central core area. The same ownerzs of the nearly vacant buildings operate most of the existing downtowparking facilities.
If the buildings gain additional tenants and retain theifcurrent ones, then everyone wins. Similar shuttle systems work at Kings Islandand . The outbound surfacse lots could be set up The building ofa multi-million dollar garagde would take more than two years. At the current rate businessea areleaving downtown, we may not need them in two It's time we stop letting the automobile controo our lives and where we work and come togethetr to make cost effective and sensibls parking solutions for our downtown region.
Parking or lack of parking certainly drivesz the success or failure of ourdowntown region. In the age of onlinr and wireless communications, working downtown is an optiobn not a necessity formost companies. The decisionm to move to North Carolina, Woolpert to the suburbws and the headquarters out of downtown were all made with consideratioh for ample andaffordable parking. The long-range plan to solve the parking problem in downtown mayinclude multi-million dollar parkinf garages, but we may not need them after the piperd has led all the mice out of One quick fix would be to create safe public parking lots just east of downtown in the Deeds Point area and at some of the city ownede vacant land in and around Tech Town.
The fee for parking would be $1 a day; RTA ( ) ownerd shuttles and Wright Flyers that sit idle most of the business day coulc quickly transport employees to their place ofbusinesxs downtown. Taking the shuttld would not take any more time than navigatingf the winding pathsof multi-storyy parking garages during rush hour. If Tech Town grows the way it has been other surface lots could be added in the I anticipate the city would objectto $1 per day lots becausd it would compete with existing parkingg lots in the central core area. The same ownerzs of the nearly vacant buildings operate most of the existing downtowparking facilities.
If the buildings gain additional tenants and retain theifcurrent ones, then everyone wins. Similar shuttle systems work at Kings Islandand . The outbound surfacse lots could be set up The building ofa multi-million dollar garagde would take more than two years. At the current rate businessea areleaving downtown, we may not need them in two It's time we stop letting the automobile controo our lives and where we work and come togethetr to make cost effective and sensibls parking solutions for our downtown region.
Monday 12 March 2012
Microsoft to Issue Refunds for Azure 'Leap Day' Outage - PC Magazine
ukatekexo.wordpress.com
DatacenterDynamics | Microsoft to Issue Refunds for Azure 'Leap Day' Outage PC Magazine By Mark Hachman Microsoft confirmed that its Azure outage was indeed caused by a Leap Day bug, and the company said it would issue a service credit as an apology. Specific » |
Saturday 10 March 2012
Keating ruminates about being PM - Sydney Morning Herald
oc697vot.blogspot.com
Keating ruminates about being PM Sydney Morning Herald Former Labor prime minister Paul Keating thinks he would be a better leader now than he was 16 years ago. In an interview with the national German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), the party icon ruminates about the issue following the ... |
Thursday 8 March 2012
Quick A's deal needed for fall vote on move to San Jose - Philadelphia Business Journal:
http://www.apowerdesigns.com/2008/04/powerpoint-2008-vs-keynote-08/
Reed told an audience at a Business Journal event Friday morning that he planned to meet in the afternoonj withLew Wolff, owner and managing partnere of the A’s. Reed has been meeting on a regular basis with Wolff on the stadium with support from a number of city staff to attract the team tohis city, according to Michelles McGurk, senior policy advisor for Reed. He told the audience he hope s to have an agreement with Wolff hammered out by early July so the San Jose City Councip could take up the issuein August. That time framw would need to be followed in order to get a stadiu proposal on the ballot this fall.
Though Reed has said previously hiscity can’t afford to spend any public money on building the A’sd ballpark, it does have a 14-acre site at Park Avenu and Autumn/Montgomery streets on the western edge of downtowbn San Jose where it could be City Council members have alread y signaled their support for movinh the A’s to San Jose and a committese of civic and business leaders have been formedx to get behind bringingt Major League Baseball to San The biggest barrier, however, to the A’s move south coule be with Major League Baseball.
Team owners must approvw dropping the SanFrancisco Giants’ territorial rights to Santas Clara County, which officials of the National League team said they wouldr resist since they regard the San Jose area as the hear t of their fan base.
Reed told an audience at a Business Journal event Friday morning that he planned to meet in the afternoonj withLew Wolff, owner and managing partnere of the A’s. Reed has been meeting on a regular basis with Wolff on the stadium with support from a number of city staff to attract the team tohis city, according to Michelles McGurk, senior policy advisor for Reed. He told the audience he hope s to have an agreement with Wolff hammered out by early July so the San Jose City Councip could take up the issuein August. That time framw would need to be followed in order to get a stadiu proposal on the ballot this fall.
Though Reed has said previously hiscity can’t afford to spend any public money on building the A’sd ballpark, it does have a 14-acre site at Park Avenu and Autumn/Montgomery streets on the western edge of downtowbn San Jose where it could be City Council members have alread y signaled their support for movinh the A’s to San Jose and a committese of civic and business leaders have been formedx to get behind bringingt Major League Baseball to San The biggest barrier, however, to the A’s move south coule be with Major League Baseball.
Team owners must approvw dropping the SanFrancisco Giants’ territorial rights to Santas Clara County, which officials of the National League team said they wouldr resist since they regard the San Jose area as the hear t of their fan base.
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Uncertainty slowing economic triggers - Memphis Business Journal:
xagawu.wordpress.com
trillion in the firsty quarterof 2009, accordintg to the Federal Reserve. The Congressional Budger Office said it expectedthe U.S. deficit to hit $1.7 trillion this fiscal year. Big numbers. Bigget problems. Many economists, wealth strategists and money mangersstillk aren’t bullish on the stocm market midway through the year despite an almost 40% rise in the Standarr & Poor’s 500 Index since its low Marchj 9. economist Jeff Wallace believes a true reboundr in the economy is being retarded by a cloufdof uncertainty.
“Part of what we’re seeing is business waiting to see what governmentf willdo next,” he The hesitancy, he believes, has to do with worry about regulations and further encroachment of governmenyt in the markets. “If you were an would you buy into one of thesw companies that suddenly have government involvemen t thruston them?” Wallacse says. This involvement creates a feeling that it pickws winnersand losers; investors don’ t want to be on the wrong side of that tape, he “That makes investment less certain, and one of the biggesrt reasons for this recession dragging out,” Wallace The market has staged a comeback of though.
Besides the 40% rebouncd of the S&P since early March to aboutf 950, and a similar 33% rise in the Dow Jones industrialk average toalmost 8,800, not everyones is convinced it’s sustainable. Franjk Goodman, chief strategist for , says one factodr undermining the recovery and thereby the markets isenergty costs. Right now it’d eating up more than 6.5% of household Three previous times in history similar market conditionz were followedby “extremely unpleasantr recessions” thanks largely to families rebuilding household budgetsz and becoming more saving orientated.
That’s happening right now and shoulx give businessesgreat concern, says Wallace, with the savings rate for Americane now up around 5%, accordingt to the Federal Reserve. That’s the highest in nearly two decades. How this recessioh has played out in some ways mirrors others of the The difference is that this one came on relatively fast and has been much deeperdand broader. There are still investing though, and that’s the othert common factor, says Jay Healy, president of LLC. Consider S&o returns for the last decade. The total return, even factoringv in dividends, has been flat whiles inflation hasjumped 31%, Healy says.
“Butr the S&P is just one measure,” he “It’s important to look at other stuff.” That “otheer stuff” includes investments in areas like real estate and emerging he says. Now, for instance, high yield bondds and convertible bonds, as most of the issuexs that caused the market to crash last year lackof liquidity, forcer selling, margin calls — have correcte d themselves and brought back some calm to the “We look for opportunities to make moneg not linked to the market,” Healy says. Tremendous drops in the value of equities and real estate in the fourtj quarter have created opportunities for Healy says.
For example, the bond sectorz which were beat up last year havedone well. Convertiblde bonds are up 20% on the year.
trillion in the firsty quarterof 2009, accordintg to the Federal Reserve. The Congressional Budger Office said it expectedthe U.S. deficit to hit $1.7 trillion this fiscal year. Big numbers. Bigget problems. Many economists, wealth strategists and money mangersstillk aren’t bullish on the stocm market midway through the year despite an almost 40% rise in the Standarr & Poor’s 500 Index since its low Marchj 9. economist Jeff Wallace believes a true reboundr in the economy is being retarded by a cloufdof uncertainty.
“Part of what we’re seeing is business waiting to see what governmentf willdo next,” he The hesitancy, he believes, has to do with worry about regulations and further encroachment of governmenyt in the markets. “If you were an would you buy into one of thesw companies that suddenly have government involvemen t thruston them?” Wallacse says. This involvement creates a feeling that it pickws winnersand losers; investors don’ t want to be on the wrong side of that tape, he “That makes investment less certain, and one of the biggesrt reasons for this recession dragging out,” Wallace The market has staged a comeback of though.
Besides the 40% rebouncd of the S&P since early March to aboutf 950, and a similar 33% rise in the Dow Jones industrialk average toalmost 8,800, not everyones is convinced it’s sustainable. Franjk Goodman, chief strategist for , says one factodr undermining the recovery and thereby the markets isenergty costs. Right now it’d eating up more than 6.5% of household Three previous times in history similar market conditionz were followedby “extremely unpleasantr recessions” thanks largely to families rebuilding household budgetsz and becoming more saving orientated.
That’s happening right now and shoulx give businessesgreat concern, says Wallace, with the savings rate for Americane now up around 5%, accordingt to the Federal Reserve. That’s the highest in nearly two decades. How this recessioh has played out in some ways mirrors others of the The difference is that this one came on relatively fast and has been much deeperdand broader. There are still investing though, and that’s the othert common factor, says Jay Healy, president of LLC. Consider S&o returns for the last decade. The total return, even factoringv in dividends, has been flat whiles inflation hasjumped 31%, Healy says.
“Butr the S&P is just one measure,” he “It’s important to look at other stuff.” That “otheer stuff” includes investments in areas like real estate and emerging he says. Now, for instance, high yield bondds and convertible bonds, as most of the issuexs that caused the market to crash last year lackof liquidity, forcer selling, margin calls — have correcte d themselves and brought back some calm to the “We look for opportunities to make moneg not linked to the market,” Healy says. Tremendous drops in the value of equities and real estate in the fourtj quarter have created opportunities for Healy says.
For example, the bond sectorz which were beat up last year havedone well. Convertiblde bonds are up 20% on the year.
Sunday 4 March 2012
Union organizers bring targets into sights - Kansas City Business Journal:
gonyzyf.wordpress.com
Austin, who wouldn’t provide specifics, heads up of the , which representss workers in the printing and graphic arts includingcommercial printers, specialty printers, corrugated box manufacturerws and envelope-makers. He listed organizing efforts in Liberty, Clinton and Blue Springs in the past five yearsw that had strong initial support from workerxs but fizzled under current Operating under rules proposed in the EFCA would have created a much differenrt labor picture inthe Midwest. “I’km a strong believer in the labor movement,” said who got involved in 1966 and has beena full-time union officer for 22 years.
“This EFCA is long, long The legislation, now before Congress, woul allow union certification if a majority of employeesx in a workplacesign up, speed the negotiatio n of first contracts with the threaty of binding arbitration and stiffen penalties for employers that exceede limits in resisting organization. Printinvg is just one local industrg that could see a jump in efforts to organize should Congress passthe EFCA. Other likely candidateas include the service and entertainment health care, manufacturing and even emerging greenj industries. Bridgette Williams, president of the Greater KansaCity , said hotel workers probably would try to organizde if the act were passed.
The area’a one union hotel in Riverside — was the site for a stat AFL-CIO convention in September, but it doesn’ty have the capacity for largere regional, national and international events, Williams said. “There are no unio hotels in Kansas City, which is a significanrt revenue loss tothis area,” she said. Severao organization campaigns in the health care sector have been thwartex but would make significant gains under the EFCA, she said. Robyn Hoffman, a senior nurse at in said the EFCA could have providedd just the antidoteto drawn-out effortw to negotiate a contract. In Novembef 2007, nurses voted 167-103, with 66 to join , an affiliat e of the .
Ongoing efforts to get a contract have lasted nearly a year anda half; on April 23-24, nurses were scheduled to vote on whethere to decertify the union. Hoffman, a member of the negotiatinbg team, estimated that she’s put 1,000 volunteer hour s into the effort in the past year anda “If the EFCA had been in place, we’dx already have a contract,” she said. “Instead, we’re facing all this The legislation would helpfuture organizers, she And if the nurses’ effort at Centerpoint survives the decertificatiom vote, it could help them get their first contract. Dealers at Argosy attempted to organizr more than ayear ago.
About 65 percent had approvedx organization inthe signup; the effort lost 118-68i at an election nearly two months later, said Rick who worked with the dealers. “Organizing right now in Kansaxs City ispretty rough,” said Klingenberg, vice presidenty of United Auto Workers Local 710. Industries that have been successfulk at resisting unionization would be likely targets if the EFCA saidDonna Ginther, director of the at the . ranks at the top of that she said. Efforts also probablg would spread toconstruction jobs, many of which are filledf by immigrants who have been hesitantf to vocally support a union.
Judy director of the ’s Instituts for Labor Studies, added the financee and banking industry, insurance companies and to the list of potentiaporganizing targets. However, Ginther said, the econom could mute the effect oforganizatiob efforts. “This is a really terrible time to thinkabout unions,” Ginther “The economy is so soft right now that I don’rt think employees are thinking about getting concessions from an employerd — I think they’re thinkinv about whether they’re going to keep theitr jobs.” And as the globalizatiohn and deregulation of the past quarter-century have weighexd on U.S.
companies’ profits, union formatio has shifted to thepublicx sector, she said. As of union members made up 7.4 perceng of the private-sector work force and 36 percent in thepublic sector. Ancel disagreed that the economyy would harmorganization efforts. “In the 1930s, when the econom y was far worse, workers began organiziny because theysimply couldn’t survive,” she said.
Austin, who wouldn’t provide specifics, heads up of the , which representss workers in the printing and graphic arts includingcommercial printers, specialty printers, corrugated box manufacturerws and envelope-makers. He listed organizing efforts in Liberty, Clinton and Blue Springs in the past five yearsw that had strong initial support from workerxs but fizzled under current Operating under rules proposed in the EFCA would have created a much differenrt labor picture inthe Midwest. “I’km a strong believer in the labor movement,” said who got involved in 1966 and has beena full-time union officer for 22 years.
“This EFCA is long, long The legislation, now before Congress, woul allow union certification if a majority of employeesx in a workplacesign up, speed the negotiatio n of first contracts with the threaty of binding arbitration and stiffen penalties for employers that exceede limits in resisting organization. Printinvg is just one local industrg that could see a jump in efforts to organize should Congress passthe EFCA. Other likely candidateas include the service and entertainment health care, manufacturing and even emerging greenj industries. Bridgette Williams, president of the Greater KansaCity , said hotel workers probably would try to organizde if the act were passed.
The area’a one union hotel in Riverside — was the site for a stat AFL-CIO convention in September, but it doesn’ty have the capacity for largere regional, national and international events, Williams said. “There are no unio hotels in Kansas City, which is a significanrt revenue loss tothis area,” she said. Severao organization campaigns in the health care sector have been thwartex but would make significant gains under the EFCA, she said. Robyn Hoffman, a senior nurse at in said the EFCA could have providedd just the antidoteto drawn-out effortw to negotiate a contract. In Novembef 2007, nurses voted 167-103, with 66 to join , an affiliat e of the .
Ongoing efforts to get a contract have lasted nearly a year anda half; on April 23-24, nurses were scheduled to vote on whethere to decertify the union. Hoffman, a member of the negotiatinbg team, estimated that she’s put 1,000 volunteer hour s into the effort in the past year anda “If the EFCA had been in place, we’dx already have a contract,” she said. “Instead, we’re facing all this The legislation would helpfuture organizers, she And if the nurses’ effort at Centerpoint survives the decertificatiom vote, it could help them get their first contract. Dealers at Argosy attempted to organizr more than ayear ago.
About 65 percent had approvedx organization inthe signup; the effort lost 118-68i at an election nearly two months later, said Rick who worked with the dealers. “Organizing right now in Kansaxs City ispretty rough,” said Klingenberg, vice presidenty of United Auto Workers Local 710. Industries that have been successfulk at resisting unionization would be likely targets if the EFCA saidDonna Ginther, director of the at the . ranks at the top of that she said. Efforts also probablg would spread toconstruction jobs, many of which are filledf by immigrants who have been hesitantf to vocally support a union.
Judy director of the ’s Instituts for Labor Studies, added the financee and banking industry, insurance companies and to the list of potentiaporganizing targets. However, Ginther said, the econom could mute the effect oforganizatiob efforts. “This is a really terrible time to thinkabout unions,” Ginther “The economy is so soft right now that I don’rt think employees are thinking about getting concessions from an employerd — I think they’re thinkinv about whether they’re going to keep theitr jobs.” And as the globalizatiohn and deregulation of the past quarter-century have weighexd on U.S.
companies’ profits, union formatio has shifted to thepublicx sector, she said. As of union members made up 7.4 perceng of the private-sector work force and 36 percent in thepublic sector. Ancel disagreed that the economyy would harmorganization efforts. “In the 1930s, when the econom y was far worse, workers began organiziny because theysimply couldn’t survive,” she said.
Friday 2 March 2012
Dollar General sales soar in recession - Nashville Business Journal:
obofym.wordpress.com
Earnings, released Tuesday, came in at $81.85 million in the quarter whichendefd Jan. 1, compared to $55.399 million in the same quarterof 2007. Revenuew for the Goodlettsville-based discounft retailer was $2.85 billion, up 11.2 percent from the year-agol quarter. Same-store sales increased 9.4 percenrt in the quarter, with increases in both custometr traffic and theaverage transaction. For the the privately held company reported incomedof $108.2 million on sales of $10.456 billion.
CEO Rick Dreilin g said in an earnings call Tuesday that the retailer has managex to turn the economic downturn into an opportunituy because of thediscount retailer’s position in the The company attributed some of the gaine to improvements in distribution and transportation, as well as higher average markups. “During the year, we grew expanded gross profit and reduce dour (expenses) by successfully implementing programs to improved our store operations and merchandising efforts,” Dreiling said in a companyg release. “Importantly, we were able to achieve thes improvements despite the increasingly difficulgteconomic conditions.
We are pleased with the current momentum inour business, and we intends to focus on driving continued success in 2009.” Dreilinfg also reported that sales were up 15.1 percent last month over Februaryy 2008.
Earnings, released Tuesday, came in at $81.85 million in the quarter whichendefd Jan. 1, compared to $55.399 million in the same quarterof 2007. Revenuew for the Goodlettsville-based discounft retailer was $2.85 billion, up 11.2 percent from the year-agol quarter. Same-store sales increased 9.4 percenrt in the quarter, with increases in both custometr traffic and theaverage transaction. For the the privately held company reported incomedof $108.2 million on sales of $10.456 billion.
CEO Rick Dreilin g said in an earnings call Tuesday that the retailer has managex to turn the economic downturn into an opportunituy because of thediscount retailer’s position in the The company attributed some of the gaine to improvements in distribution and transportation, as well as higher average markups. “During the year, we grew expanded gross profit and reduce dour (expenses) by successfully implementing programs to improved our store operations and merchandising efforts,” Dreiling said in a companyg release. “Importantly, we were able to achieve thes improvements despite the increasingly difficulgteconomic conditions.
We are pleased with the current momentum inour business, and we intends to focus on driving continued success in 2009.” Dreilinfg also reported that sales were up 15.1 percent last month over Februaryy 2008.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)