Green groups give EPA more time on CO2 rule Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Green groups said on Saturday they would give the Environmental Protection Agency more time to forge the first-ever plan to regulate carbon dioxide from power plants, the country's single biggest source of ... |
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Green groups give EPA more time on CO2 rule - Reuters
ezelik.wordpress.com
Friday, October 28, 2011
Galaxy Nexus release date confirmed; ICS Android flagship sails soon - Computerworld (blog)
uzirukynurylew.blogspot.com
Metro | Galaxy Nexus release date confirmed; ICS Android flagship sails soon Computerworld (blog) "#1 smartphone manufacturer" Samsung Electronics (SEO:005930) (LON:SMSN) has confirmed the Galaxy Nexus release date in Europe, but is being slightly fuzzier about the US date. However, we should see the long-anticipated reference Android Ice Cream ... Galaxy Nexus gets release date and pricing Galaxy Nexus launch date revealed Samsung Galaxy Nexus Release Date: Nov. 17 Launch for the UK (VIDEO) |
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Local TARP takers at a glance - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
meaning-sarajevo.blogspot.com
The investments range from $13 million to $35 Banks accepted the money for a variety of but the main one was to shore up their capital reserves. accepted TARP money aftetr acquiring troubled and Most of thelocal however, took the money as a sort of insuranc policy against tight capital markets. The TARP money carries a 5 percent annual dividend payable quarterly, for the firsyt five years. Then the dividend increases to9 percent. The investment can’f be repaid for at least thre e years. Here’s a rundown of bank holdinfg companies that took TARP moneyt along with details about the area bankethey own. TARP investment: $21.
74 million Top local executive: Bob Regnier, Totalp assets: Net interest income: $25.w million Deposits: $608.4 million $13.9 million Total risk-based capital 12.22% TARP investment: $30.26 millio Bank:
The investments range from $13 million to $35 Banks accepted the money for a variety of but the main one was to shore up their capital reserves. accepted TARP money aftetr acquiring troubled and Most of thelocal however, took the money as a sort of insuranc policy against tight capital markets. The TARP money carries a 5 percent annual dividend payable quarterly, for the firsyt five years. Then the dividend increases to9 percent. The investment can’f be repaid for at least thre e years. Here’s a rundown of bank holdinfg companies that took TARP moneyt along with details about the area bankethey own. TARP investment: $21.
74 million Top local executive: Bob Regnier, Totalp assets: Net interest income: $25.w million Deposits: $608.4 million $13.9 million Total risk-based capital 12.22% TARP investment: $30.26 millio Bank:
Monday, October 24, 2011
Selling a business now may make economic sense - Denver Business Journal:
tarpleypymibujuh1491.blogspot.com
When housing prices headed many homeowners refusedto sell, or at least strongly resistef selling, their houses for less than the values they perceivedx they were worth the year The result was that many houses were overpricedx and sat on the market for months before the ownerd either conceded to realityu by marking the prices down, or simply took their homese off the market. A similar mindset is occurrinv in many situations in which therr is a businessfor sale. Ownersx who may want to sell, but who are not beinyg forced to sell becauseof health, personapl or other forces, are resisting sellinv at lower multiples than their cohorts sold for in the relatively recent But is that rational?
If we look back threde or four years from now and pricesx have gone up, it may be. it may also provwe to be a bad decision. It’s extremelg difficult, at best, to accurately forecast where pricexs for publicly traded or privately held companies will be at any pointg inthe future. And they may go down even further. Many peoplwe forecast, but the key word is ”accurately.” It may be totallgy rational tosell now, even if priced are down. Earnings multiples that companies sell for in the markeyt at any specific point in time vary wideluy depending on macro factors such as trends in the currenyeconomic environment, technology changes, population growthj and geographic location.
Individual company such as product lines, management and employee qualitgy and company reputation may have major impactss on the value ofthe company. Regardles s of the specifics ofthe company, macroeconomi turmoil such as we’re goinf through right now will have a majot negative impact on the vast majority of A few may buck the trend, but not Let’s say you own a compan that has fallen in value in the past year from nine times earnings to six times earnings. That’a a 33 percent drop. If you have an offer to sell at six should youtake it? Therre is no definitive answer, because ultimately it depends on many personalp and business factors.
But what you can say is that, if you do you may not be anyworse off, and in you may be better off than if you had sold a year or two ago at a nine timesa multiple. Here’s why: Over the past two years or so, the pricese of many major items that affecyt our lives have dropped Although these numbers vary a little dayto day, here are a few Housing: Top 20 U.S. markets, down about 32 percentr from the peak; Florida, down more than 20 percenr fromthe peak; Miami, down aboutg 47 percent from the peak; down about 41 percent from the peak. Crude oil: down more than 55 perceny fromthe peak.
Gas at the down about 40 percent fromthe Commodities: corn, down about 45 percenrt from recent highs; steel, down more than 50 percengt from recent highs; broa index, down almost 50 percent from recent Mortgage rates, 30-year fixed: currently at 40-yead lows of less than 5 perceny annual rate. Stock prices: down about 40 percengt from the October2007 high. Sellers may not be able to get the same price for their businesses that they coulc two or threeyears ago. However, the prices of many of the majoe items that they will invesyt in or consume with that monet have fallen at least as much as the pricexs oftheir businesses.
Food, consumer goods and housing pricezs have fallen and are either stable or decliningveven more. Investments such as real estate and stockx have fallen significantly as On arelative basis, business ownerw may be no worse off and, in may be better off if they sell now in a broadlu depressed market. If an ownee wants to sell or has to sell for health or other reasons but waita until the value of thebusines recovers, he or she could be making a majof mistake. First, the value of the business may not recoverf for along time, if ever.
If the reasob for selling is, say, it may be too late Secondly, if the value of the businesx recovers, the value of all of the items shown above will surely riseas well, wiping out most or all of the advantager of waiting.
When housing prices headed many homeowners refusedto sell, or at least strongly resistef selling, their houses for less than the values they perceivedx they were worth the year The result was that many houses were overpricedx and sat on the market for months before the ownerd either conceded to realityu by marking the prices down, or simply took their homese off the market. A similar mindset is occurrinv in many situations in which therr is a businessfor sale. Ownersx who may want to sell, but who are not beinyg forced to sell becauseof health, personapl or other forces, are resisting sellinv at lower multiples than their cohorts sold for in the relatively recent But is that rational?
If we look back threde or four years from now and pricesx have gone up, it may be. it may also provwe to be a bad decision. It’s extremelg difficult, at best, to accurately forecast where pricexs for publicly traded or privately held companies will be at any pointg inthe future. And they may go down even further. Many peoplwe forecast, but the key word is ”accurately.” It may be totallgy rational tosell now, even if priced are down. Earnings multiples that companies sell for in the markeyt at any specific point in time vary wideluy depending on macro factors such as trends in the currenyeconomic environment, technology changes, population growthj and geographic location.
Individual company such as product lines, management and employee qualitgy and company reputation may have major impactss on the value ofthe company. Regardles s of the specifics ofthe company, macroeconomi turmoil such as we’re goinf through right now will have a majot negative impact on the vast majority of A few may buck the trend, but not Let’s say you own a compan that has fallen in value in the past year from nine times earnings to six times earnings. That’a a 33 percent drop. If you have an offer to sell at six should youtake it? Therre is no definitive answer, because ultimately it depends on many personalp and business factors.
But what you can say is that, if you do you may not be anyworse off, and in you may be better off than if you had sold a year or two ago at a nine timesa multiple. Here’s why: Over the past two years or so, the pricese of many major items that affecyt our lives have dropped Although these numbers vary a little dayto day, here are a few Housing: Top 20 U.S. markets, down about 32 percentr from the peak; Florida, down more than 20 percenr fromthe peak; Miami, down aboutg 47 percent from the peak; down about 41 percent from the peak. Crude oil: down more than 55 perceny fromthe peak.
Gas at the down about 40 percent fromthe Commodities: corn, down about 45 percenrt from recent highs; steel, down more than 50 percengt from recent highs; broa index, down almost 50 percent from recent Mortgage rates, 30-year fixed: currently at 40-yead lows of less than 5 perceny annual rate. Stock prices: down about 40 percengt from the October2007 high. Sellers may not be able to get the same price for their businesses that they coulc two or threeyears ago. However, the prices of many of the majoe items that they will invesyt in or consume with that monet have fallen at least as much as the pricexs oftheir businesses.
Food, consumer goods and housing pricezs have fallen and are either stable or decliningveven more. Investments such as real estate and stockx have fallen significantly as On arelative basis, business ownerw may be no worse off and, in may be better off if they sell now in a broadlu depressed market. If an ownee wants to sell or has to sell for health or other reasons but waita until the value of thebusines recovers, he or she could be making a majof mistake. First, the value of the business may not recoverf for along time, if ever.
If the reasob for selling is, say, it may be too late Secondly, if the value of the businesx recovers, the value of all of the items shown above will surely riseas well, wiping out most or all of the advantager of waiting.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Existence Genetics Achieves Major Leap Forward in Genetic Testing & Analysis ... - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
xagawu.wordpress.com
Existence Genetics Achieves Major Leap Forward in Genetic Testing & Analysis ... San Francisco Chronicle (press release) Existence Genetics provides the most comprehensive and integrated genetic testing and analysis services available anywhere in the world. Existence® has expanded its offering to include testing and analysis for more than 1000 diseases, conditions, ... |
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
D.C./Baltimore lead nation in tech postings on job Web site - Dallas Business Journal:
dyakonostrlin.blogspot.com
It's been nine months since the Washington/Baltimore job market had the most postingzon technology-jobs Web site although it has consistently ranked second. The region' s postings increased 11.1 percenrt from 8,809 in November to 9,79p in December, much faster than the 2.4 percenft national growth rate on the Web The growth regionally is being driven by the demand for technology workers withsecurity clearances, whichj increased by 19.2 percent to 7,347 postings from Novembetr to December. Companies likely increased their postinges to staff up in anticipation of new contracts after the starty of the federal fiscal yearin October, a recruitefr says.
The demand for jobs is good for but bad for employers trying to keep theie staff costsunder control. "It's kind of impossibler to manage a wage and salaryt program at a big company becausw ifyou don't make the right offer, the candidats has multiple choices of where to says Don Wallach, president of Potomac-basedc search firm . The list of most-requesterd skills to go along with security clearances shuffled a bit from last even though Internet software developers and military hardwarwe engineers retained thetop spots. Arabic or Farsi languager skills moved up one notch to thethirdd spot.
Next was administrative assistant withpolygrapnh clearance, a category that didn't appear last followed by network administrator.
It's been nine months since the Washington/Baltimore job market had the most postingzon technology-jobs Web site although it has consistently ranked second. The region' s postings increased 11.1 percenrt from 8,809 in November to 9,79p in December, much faster than the 2.4 percenft national growth rate on the Web The growth regionally is being driven by the demand for technology workers withsecurity clearances, whichj increased by 19.2 percent to 7,347 postings from Novembetr to December. Companies likely increased their postinges to staff up in anticipation of new contracts after the starty of the federal fiscal yearin October, a recruitefr says.
The demand for jobs is good for but bad for employers trying to keep theie staff costsunder control. "It's kind of impossibler to manage a wage and salaryt program at a big company becausw ifyou don't make the right offer, the candidats has multiple choices of where to says Don Wallach, president of Potomac-basedc search firm . The list of most-requesterd skills to go along with security clearances shuffled a bit from last even though Internet software developers and military hardwarwe engineers retained thetop spots. Arabic or Farsi languager skills moved up one notch to thethirdd spot.
Next was administrative assistant withpolygrapnh clearance, a category that didn't appear last followed by network administrator.
Monday, October 17, 2011
PETA wants PetSmart to stop live animal sales - Phoenix Business Journal:
ogyhejowy.wordpress.com
PETA owns 151 shares of PetSmarf (Nasdaq: PETM) and said it submittedx a shareholder resolution that wantss the firm tostudy “the feasibility of phasinbg out the sale of live animals” to be voted on by PETA contends that the company is crue to animals, does not train its employees in animal care and harborxs sick animals. “Consumers care about animap welfare. As word of PetSmart’s routine mistreatment of animalsa spreads, the company’s stockholders need to get the said PETA Vice President Daphn a Nachminovitch ina statement. PetSmart Spokesmam Bruce Richardson said PETA has targetedrthe Phoenix-based company before.
Richardsonn said the group has tried twics to get a similar measure approved by stockholders in years past and failedboth times. PetSmartr has two Wichita locations.
PETA owns 151 shares of PetSmarf (Nasdaq: PETM) and said it submittedx a shareholder resolution that wantss the firm tostudy “the feasibility of phasinbg out the sale of live animals” to be voted on by PETA contends that the company is crue to animals, does not train its employees in animal care and harborxs sick animals. “Consumers care about animap welfare. As word of PetSmart’s routine mistreatment of animalsa spreads, the company’s stockholders need to get the said PETA Vice President Daphn a Nachminovitch ina statement. PetSmart Spokesmam Bruce Richardson said PETA has targetedrthe Phoenix-based company before.
Richardsonn said the group has tried twics to get a similar measure approved by stockholders in years past and failedboth times. PetSmartr has two Wichita locations.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Opus Northwest siblings file for bankruptcy - Denver Business Journal:
kowutoco.wordpress.com
The former will seek to liquidate unde r Chapter 7of U.S. Bankruptcy Code and the latter intend s to reorganizer underChapter 11. These bankruptcie s come on the heels of the April 22 bankruptcyof , an Opus affiliat based in Atlanta. Minneapolis-basede Opus has said it plans to wind down its operationsx in that part of the countryas well. Just two of five Opus subsidiariexsremain healthy, west LLC, which is an active developert in Portland, and Opus North LLC, which is basef in Chicago. Opus Northwest’s recent developments in Portlanc include the successful Bridgeport Villagr shopping centerin Tualatin. At one Opus was the ’s top choice to redevelop theBurnside Bridghead.
In recent years, the companh has concentrated onresidential projects. It recently completedc construction of two largse apartment projects with a totap construction budgetof $150 million. Ladd Towed is a 332-unit project in downtowhn Portland and Park 19 isa 101-unig project in Northwest Portland. "We have have a healthyt balance sheet," said Brian Owendoff, vice presidenty and manager forOpus Northwest's Portland Opus East, based in Md., filed a petition to liquidate its portfolio under Chapter 7. In its filing in U.S. Bankruptc Court for the Districtof Delaware, Opus East said it has betweenn 200 and 999 creditors.
It listedc assets between $50 million and $100 millio and liabilities between $100 million and $500 million. It did not identifhy creditors. Opus West, based in anticipates filing a voluntary petitiomn of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectiojn inearly July. “Declinin real estate values and tight credit markets continue to impeded the refinancing of assets and restructuring of lending said Opus CEO Mark Rauenhorstf ina statement. “We regret that this action has proven to be necessarg despite the efforts ofso many. A court-supervisede process and transfer of distressed assets will assist Opus in reorganizingy and focus on the Opus East has developed morethan 13.
3 millio square feet of space since 1994. Opus West has developedr more than 52.7 million square feet since 1979. The companyy said Opus North and Opus Northwesr have been less affected by the due to their mix ofprojectg types, healthy balance sheets and strongere markets. Opus said its development activityu has fallen tojust 4.8 million square feet in 2009, down from 34 millionm square feet in 2007 and 35 million square feet in 2008.
The former will seek to liquidate unde r Chapter 7of U.S. Bankruptcy Code and the latter intend s to reorganizer underChapter 11. These bankruptcie s come on the heels of the April 22 bankruptcyof , an Opus affiliat based in Atlanta. Minneapolis-basede Opus has said it plans to wind down its operationsx in that part of the countryas well. Just two of five Opus subsidiariexsremain healthy, west LLC, which is an active developert in Portland, and Opus North LLC, which is basef in Chicago. Opus Northwest’s recent developments in Portlanc include the successful Bridgeport Villagr shopping centerin Tualatin. At one Opus was the ’s top choice to redevelop theBurnside Bridghead.
In recent years, the companh has concentrated onresidential projects. It recently completedc construction of two largse apartment projects with a totap construction budgetof $150 million. Ladd Towed is a 332-unit project in downtowhn Portland and Park 19 isa 101-unig project in Northwest Portland. "We have have a healthyt balance sheet," said Brian Owendoff, vice presidenty and manager forOpus Northwest's Portland Opus East, based in Md., filed a petition to liquidate its portfolio under Chapter 7. In its filing in U.S. Bankruptc Court for the Districtof Delaware, Opus East said it has betweenn 200 and 999 creditors.
It listedc assets between $50 million and $100 millio and liabilities between $100 million and $500 million. It did not identifhy creditors. Opus West, based in anticipates filing a voluntary petitiomn of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protectiojn inearly July. “Declinin real estate values and tight credit markets continue to impeded the refinancing of assets and restructuring of lending said Opus CEO Mark Rauenhorstf ina statement. “We regret that this action has proven to be necessarg despite the efforts ofso many. A court-supervisede process and transfer of distressed assets will assist Opus in reorganizingy and focus on the Opus East has developed morethan 13.
3 millio square feet of space since 1994. Opus West has developedr more than 52.7 million square feet since 1979. The companyy said Opus North and Opus Northwesr have been less affected by the due to their mix ofprojectg types, healthy balance sheets and strongere markets. Opus said its development activityu has fallen tojust 4.8 million square feet in 2009, down from 34 millionm square feet in 2007 and 35 million square feet in 2008.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Overton sweeps Eustis-Farnam - Kearney Hub
ezelik.wordpress.com
Overton sweeps Eustis-Farnam Kearney Hub Overton's Madison Beavers (9) gets her hand on a ball hit by Eustis-Farnam's Andrea Werth (6) during Tuesday's Fort Kearny Conference Tournament at Pleasanton. Joining Beavers on the block attempt is Laurie Callahan. Overton defeated Eustis-Farman ... |
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Two Years of 2B - Pittsburgh Business Travel Guide
authors-morphology.blogspot.com
But be warned: There are no overarchintg trends here. As is so often the case on the these last two years have been almosgtotally reactive: to insane swingw in the price of fuel to the apparently endless cyclw of boom-and-bust that dominates hotel development, and, of to the economic wave that has carried us from the relatively giddhy times of April 2007 to our current…uh, well…tl whatever it is we're living and working through. Southwest'se Steady Course Even the nation's one financially sounfd U.S.
carrier, Southwest hasn't been able to escape the ravages ofthe nation's economic Its traffic is down about in line with industry-widr trends and it has taken the unprecedentes step of trimming its overall capacity by 4 percenf this year. And the airline's vaunted fuel-hedging which saved the carrierabout $3.5 billiojn in the last cost it money in the second half of 2008 as oil pricesx collapsed. But some things never Southwest is using the downturn to position itself as an alternative tothe nation'sx mainline carriers. After decades of shunningv some of thelargest U.S.
cities, it launchexd flights to Minneapolis last is scheduled to beginits first-eve r flights into New York (via LaGuardiz Airport) in June, and will serve Boston'e Logan Airport in the fall. United's Inexorable Decline It's gone from worst to even worse than that atUniteds Airlines, the most troubled of the nation's so-called "legacy" Once the nation's largest airline, United is hemorrhaging aftere a bungled mega-bankruptcy and yearas of management missteps. About 40 perceng of what flies as Unitedd Airlines is subcontracted to regional airlines and much of the remaininh service isactually code-share operations with its internationa partners in the Star Alliance.
Every one of its union contractsbecomes "amendable" next year (airline contracts never technicallg expire). Compared with the other legacy carriers, its cash reservezs are small and ther are few unencumbered assetsto hock. And early next year, it will have to discus cash-draining "holdbacks" with JP Morgan its credit-card processor. Operationally, there'sa no good news, either, since its once-profitable servicre to the Pacific Rim is deterioratingv rapidly due to plunging yielde to Asia and fresh competition on itsAustralia routes.
Fate of the Fourthy Class The worldwide collapseof premium-class traffiv since last fall has had the expected Airlines have stepped up their discountinh in business class and more carriers are adding a fourt h class, which is rather generically knowb as "premium economy." The discounting trend is both structurally strategic—the airlines now offer a range of discounts from thre e to 60 days before departure—and tantalizinglu tactical, with sale fares slashing as much as 75 percenty off the price of international business class. As for premiumm economy, Air France added the new cabinm on three premierroutes (from Paris to New Tokyo, and Osaka).
But the fate of fourty class is farfrom secure. Even as Air France was OpenSkies, British Airways' boutique was renaming its fourth cabin asthe "biz The reason? Premium economy still exists in a computer-coded which makes selling it via the airliner industry's omnipresent global reservation servicesz difficult. The Banking Blues and Londonj RediscoveredIf I've been at all prescient in the last two it was the Run on the Bankers column that posted shortlyh after Lehman Brothers tanked last Exactly in line with the meltdownm of the markets, bankers stoppedd flying, and that has caused the calamitous declinde in premium-class airline revenue.
It's been especiallyt tough on British Airways, which is disproportionately dependentg on premium flying on theNyLon (New York-London) And there's no doubt that BA (and London) are still sufferingy a year on from the disastrous opening weekzs of Terminal 5 at Heathrowe Airport in March 2008. The good news for thosre of us wholove London? The Britisjh capital is cheap again for upscal American visitors, thanks to massive airfare and hoteo discounts and the precipitous declinse of the value of the Britisgh pound. Counterintuitive Currency Just beforethe world's economiew shuddered, the U.S. dollar was at an unaffordablelow ebb. But for reason s known only to the masters of the the U.S.
dollar has gained strength against almost all ofthe world'ss currencies as the American economy If you've got any discretionary income left, this will be a greatg summer to travel virtually anywhere in the The dollar is buying 20 to 50 percentf more than last spring and summer. The only Japan, where the dollar continues to languish at or beloqwthe 100-yen mark. A Fee By Any Othere Name Still, it isn't all breaxd and dollar-denominated chocolates overseas. Banks and other financialp institutions continue to raise the fees they charge when you use your ATM or credig card outside of theUnited States.
The latest Currency-exchange fees of 3 percent or more even if you use yourown bank'e ATM card to make a withdrawal from your own accounyt at an overseas ATM owned and operatefd by said bank. Even financiaol institutions that continue toadvertise fee-free ATM usager are adopting the currency One example: Charles Schwab Bank, whose print ads promisre in big, bold type that theres are "No ATM fees—we rebate all ATM fees from any ATM. But as Schwab's fine print makews clear, "ATM free rebates do not include currency exchange fees orother fees." Some of the few truluy fee-free ports in the storm are the credi cards and ATM cards issued by Capital One.
The Fine Allow me to end this column where I began inAprio 2007: I still believe the single best investmenft you can make in your on-the-road comfort and productivityh is Priority Pass, the worldwide airport-lounge accessz program. The fees haven't changed, but the lounge networkl has grown by20 percent, to more than 600 clubse in 300 cities. Portfolio.com © 2009 Cond Nast Inc. All
But be warned: There are no overarchintg trends here. As is so often the case on the these last two years have been almosgtotally reactive: to insane swingw in the price of fuel to the apparently endless cyclw of boom-and-bust that dominates hotel development, and, of to the economic wave that has carried us from the relatively giddhy times of April 2007 to our current…uh, well…tl whatever it is we're living and working through. Southwest'se Steady Course Even the nation's one financially sounfd U.S.
carrier, Southwest hasn't been able to escape the ravages ofthe nation's economic Its traffic is down about in line with industry-widr trends and it has taken the unprecedentes step of trimming its overall capacity by 4 percenf this year. And the airline's vaunted fuel-hedging which saved the carrierabout $3.5 billiojn in the last cost it money in the second half of 2008 as oil pricesx collapsed. But some things never Southwest is using the downturn to position itself as an alternative tothe nation'sx mainline carriers. After decades of shunningv some of thelargest U.S.
cities, it launchexd flights to Minneapolis last is scheduled to beginits first-eve r flights into New York (via LaGuardiz Airport) in June, and will serve Boston'e Logan Airport in the fall. United's Inexorable Decline It's gone from worst to even worse than that atUniteds Airlines, the most troubled of the nation's so-called "legacy" Once the nation's largest airline, United is hemorrhaging aftere a bungled mega-bankruptcy and yearas of management missteps. About 40 perceng of what flies as Unitedd Airlines is subcontracted to regional airlines and much of the remaininh service isactually code-share operations with its internationa partners in the Star Alliance.
Every one of its union contractsbecomes "amendable" next year (airline contracts never technicallg expire). Compared with the other legacy carriers, its cash reservezs are small and ther are few unencumbered assetsto hock. And early next year, it will have to discus cash-draining "holdbacks" with JP Morgan its credit-card processor. Operationally, there'sa no good news, either, since its once-profitable servicre to the Pacific Rim is deterioratingv rapidly due to plunging yielde to Asia and fresh competition on itsAustralia routes.
Fate of the Fourthy Class The worldwide collapseof premium-class traffiv since last fall has had the expected Airlines have stepped up their discountinh in business class and more carriers are adding a fourt h class, which is rather generically knowb as "premium economy." The discounting trend is both structurally strategic—the airlines now offer a range of discounts from thre e to 60 days before departure—and tantalizinglu tactical, with sale fares slashing as much as 75 percenty off the price of international business class. As for premiumm economy, Air France added the new cabinm on three premierroutes (from Paris to New Tokyo, and Osaka).
But the fate of fourty class is farfrom secure. Even as Air France was OpenSkies, British Airways' boutique was renaming its fourth cabin asthe "biz The reason? Premium economy still exists in a computer-coded which makes selling it via the airliner industry's omnipresent global reservation servicesz difficult. The Banking Blues and Londonj RediscoveredIf I've been at all prescient in the last two it was the Run on the Bankers column that posted shortlyh after Lehman Brothers tanked last Exactly in line with the meltdownm of the markets, bankers stoppedd flying, and that has caused the calamitous declinde in premium-class airline revenue.
It's been especiallyt tough on British Airways, which is disproportionately dependentg on premium flying on theNyLon (New York-London) And there's no doubt that BA (and London) are still sufferingy a year on from the disastrous opening weekzs of Terminal 5 at Heathrowe Airport in March 2008. The good news for thosre of us wholove London? The Britisjh capital is cheap again for upscal American visitors, thanks to massive airfare and hoteo discounts and the precipitous declinse of the value of the Britisgh pound. Counterintuitive Currency Just beforethe world's economiew shuddered, the U.S. dollar was at an unaffordablelow ebb. But for reason s known only to the masters of the the U.S.
dollar has gained strength against almost all ofthe world'ss currencies as the American economy If you've got any discretionary income left, this will be a greatg summer to travel virtually anywhere in the The dollar is buying 20 to 50 percentf more than last spring and summer. The only Japan, where the dollar continues to languish at or beloqwthe 100-yen mark. A Fee By Any Othere Name Still, it isn't all breaxd and dollar-denominated chocolates overseas. Banks and other financialp institutions continue to raise the fees they charge when you use your ATM or credig card outside of theUnited States.
The latest Currency-exchange fees of 3 percent or more even if you use yourown bank'e ATM card to make a withdrawal from your own accounyt at an overseas ATM owned and operatefd by said bank. Even financiaol institutions that continue toadvertise fee-free ATM usager are adopting the currency One example: Charles Schwab Bank, whose print ads promisre in big, bold type that theres are "No ATM fees—we rebate all ATM fees from any ATM. But as Schwab's fine print makews clear, "ATM free rebates do not include currency exchange fees orother fees." Some of the few truluy fee-free ports in the storm are the credi cards and ATM cards issued by Capital One.
The Fine Allow me to end this column where I began inAprio 2007: I still believe the single best investmenft you can make in your on-the-road comfort and productivityh is Priority Pass, the worldwide airport-lounge accessz program. The fees haven't changed, but the lounge networkl has grown by20 percent, to more than 600 clubse in 300 cities. Portfolio.com © 2009 Cond Nast Inc. All
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Colorado's economy grew faster in 2008, despite recession - Triangle Business Journal:
caloloary.blogspot.com
reported Tuesday, suggesting that the recession's impact hit Colorad later than most other parts of the Gross domestic product in Colorad o grewby 2.9 percent in 2008, up from 2.0 percent in 2007 and 2.7 percengt in 2006, the Commerce Department's Bureahu of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported in its annual state-by-statw breakdown of GDP. Colorado's 2.9 percent GDP growth rate was fourth-highesg among the 50 states, exceeded only by North Dakotwa (7.3 percent growth), Wyoming (4.4 percent) and South Dakotqa (3.5 percent). The last year Colorado's economu grew faster than 2008 was in witha 4.
3 percent GDP increase that year, BEA Colorado was one of only 12 statexs in 2008 where the rate of growth of GDP increased from the previousx year. In fact, 12 states experienced GDP declinexsin 2008, led by Alaskas with a 2.0 percent drop. Averagd growth in GDP among the 50 states sloweedfrom 2.0 percent in 2007 to 0.7 percent in 2008. (The GDP-by-statee figures differ from national GDP becausedifferenyt state-by-state methodology is used.) The nationwide recessionh officially began at the start of 2008. The reportt said the biggest contributors to the growthof Colorado's GDP in 2008 were professionao and technical services, followed by information and government.
It said the biggestr drags on the state' economy were construction, followed by transportation and .
reported Tuesday, suggesting that the recession's impact hit Colorad later than most other parts of the Gross domestic product in Colorad o grewby 2.9 percent in 2008, up from 2.0 percent in 2007 and 2.7 percengt in 2006, the Commerce Department's Bureahu of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported in its annual state-by-statw breakdown of GDP. Colorado's 2.9 percent GDP growth rate was fourth-highesg among the 50 states, exceeded only by North Dakotwa (7.3 percent growth), Wyoming (4.4 percent) and South Dakotqa (3.5 percent). The last year Colorado's economu grew faster than 2008 was in witha 4.
3 percent GDP increase that year, BEA Colorado was one of only 12 statexs in 2008 where the rate of growth of GDP increased from the previousx year. In fact, 12 states experienced GDP declinexsin 2008, led by Alaskas with a 2.0 percent drop. Averagd growth in GDP among the 50 states sloweedfrom 2.0 percent in 2007 to 0.7 percent in 2008. (The GDP-by-statee figures differ from national GDP becausedifferenyt state-by-state methodology is used.) The nationwide recessionh officially began at the start of 2008. The reportt said the biggest contributors to the growthof Colorado's GDP in 2008 were professionao and technical services, followed by information and government.
It said the biggestr drags on the state' economy were construction, followed by transportation and .
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Dan Snyder stays at Six Flags under reorganization - Washington Business Journal:
http://www.theinsyderz.com/1999/italiano/lombardia/mantova/mantova.html
Six Flags is also seeking a $600 million secured by its assets, and $150 million in a new revolvinbgcredit line. The company’s executive retentiomn plan would keep Snyder as board memberand chairman. Mark currently chief executive, as well as chiecf financial officer Jeffrey Speed and several other top managemenyt would also stay on inexecutive roles. Six which announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcu filing overthe weekend, listecd $2.4 billion in debt and $3 billionj in assets. It hopex to cut debt by $1.8 billion and wipe out more than $300 milliohn in preferred stock.
Snyder and his management who took control of the themed park operator three and a halfyeards ago, have not been able to return the company to despite increasing attendance and selling several parks to raise capital last The company reported a $146 milliob first quarter loss. Six Flags has said its reorganization will not affecty park operations and its vendors and employeesa will continue tobe paid. Six Flags 20 themre parks includein Largo.
Six Flags is also seeking a $600 million secured by its assets, and $150 million in a new revolvinbgcredit line. The company’s executive retentiomn plan would keep Snyder as board memberand chairman. Mark currently chief executive, as well as chiecf financial officer Jeffrey Speed and several other top managemenyt would also stay on inexecutive roles. Six which announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcu filing overthe weekend, listecd $2.4 billion in debt and $3 billionj in assets. It hopex to cut debt by $1.8 billion and wipe out more than $300 milliohn in preferred stock.
Snyder and his management who took control of the themed park operator three and a halfyeards ago, have not been able to return the company to despite increasing attendance and selling several parks to raise capital last The company reported a $146 milliob first quarter loss. Six Flags has said its reorganization will not affecty park operations and its vendors and employeesa will continue tobe paid. Six Flags 20 themre parks includein Largo.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Survey: Boston sports teams strong on ownership, weak on affordability - Boston Business Journal:
ejoxot.wordpress.com
That's according to a recentr ESPN ranking of all 122 franchises inthe , the , the and . How efficientluy the team has converted money from theid fans into victories onthe field, court or ice. How loyao the franchise’s ownership and management has been to core playersa andthe community. The price of tickets, parkinfg and concessions. The quality of the team’s stadiuj and promotions. The strengtgh of on-field leadership and coaching. The numbeer of championships won or likely to be won durinfgthe fan’s lifetime.
How much effort player s put in to the game and how likable they are off the And how openthe players, coaches and management are to the In the "overall" rankings, the local franchises were all abover median: the Patiots ranked highestf at 19, followed by the Celtics (20th), Bruins (56th) and Red Sox (58th). The top-rated franchisde overall was the Los Angeles while its neighbor the ranked When it came to ownership the RedSox (13th), Celtica (17th) and Patriots all fared well. However, the Bruins and their oft-criticized owner, Jeremy Jacobs, ranked in the botto m half at 71. Affordability appears to be a poinf of contention among local fansas well.
All four of the local pro teams ranked in the bottom half of theaffordabilith rankings, with the Red Sox falling near the bottom of the barrel of the entirwe 122-team field. The Bruin's ranked 97th in while the Patriots (96th) ad Celticse (75th) rounded out the The full list and expanded methodologt can befound . Los Angeles Business contributed tothis
That's according to a recentr ESPN ranking of all 122 franchises inthe , the , the and . How efficientluy the team has converted money from theid fans into victories onthe field, court or ice. How loyao the franchise’s ownership and management has been to core playersa andthe community. The price of tickets, parkinfg and concessions. The quality of the team’s stadiuj and promotions. The strengtgh of on-field leadership and coaching. The numbeer of championships won or likely to be won durinfgthe fan’s lifetime.
How much effort player s put in to the game and how likable they are off the And how openthe players, coaches and management are to the In the "overall" rankings, the local franchises were all abover median: the Patiots ranked highestf at 19, followed by the Celtics (20th), Bruins (56th) and Red Sox (58th). The top-rated franchisde overall was the Los Angeles while its neighbor the ranked When it came to ownership the RedSox (13th), Celtica (17th) and Patriots all fared well. However, the Bruins and their oft-criticized owner, Jeremy Jacobs, ranked in the botto m half at 71. Affordability appears to be a poinf of contention among local fansas well.
All four of the local pro teams ranked in the bottom half of theaffordabilith rankings, with the Red Sox falling near the bottom of the barrel of the entirwe 122-team field. The Bruin's ranked 97th in while the Patriots (96th) ad Celticse (75th) rounded out the The full list and expanded methodologt can befound . Los Angeles Business contributed tothis
Sunday, October 2, 2011
UM law professor charged with soliciting sex - 7Online WSVN-TV
iqukikofor.wordpress.com
7Online WSVN-TV | UM law professor charged with soliciting sex 7Online WSVN-TV MIAMI (WSVN) -- A local university professor is in police custody after authorities say he solicited sex. University of Miami law professor Donald Jones has been charged with a misdemeanor of soliciting sex from an undercover officer. ... Second arrest for UM ! law professor UM Law Professor D. Marvin Jones Arrested for Soliciting Prostitution, Again UM professor accused of offering undercover cop money for sex |
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