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The term "disruptive innovation" comes from a brilliant book about marketing theory titled "Seeing What's Next." If you've read "Blue Ocean Strategy," "Good to Great," "The Wellness Revolution" and the "E-Myth" books, then this is a natural next step.
Disruptive innovation theory points to situations in which organizations can use relatively simple, convenient and low-cost innovations to create growth and triumph over powerful incumbents. In our business, Curves and Planet Fitness are two good examples of this theory. They were innovative. Health clubs need to think about where the industry is heading, not where the industry is now. As hockey great Wayne Gretzky once said, "I always tried to skate to where the puck was going to be, not where it was."Former NBA great Bill Bradley, in his book "A Sense of Where You Are," described moving without the basketball, knowing that when you got to the place where you were going, the ball would be there.
Our equipment-dominated, stale mode of fitness delivery is in dire need of a transformation. Customers by the millions have exhibited their disgust with our get-'em-in, get-'em-joined, get-'em-an-equipment-demonstration, get-'em-out-of-the-way methodology. How do I know that? They have voted with their feet. Customer retention always reflects customer satisfaction (or dissatisfaction), and our nearly stagnant 40 percent annual attrition rate tells us a lot about our members' responses to our practices.
What has caused our current state of commoditization within the club industry? Overshooting. Thousands of clubs have overshot what customers want and need by relying on archaic methods of delivering fitness — by becoming super-dependent on equipment technology. Many facilities have entirely missed the point and made it impossible to differentiate their products and services from their competitors.
"Seeing What's Next" authors Clayton M. Christensen, Scott D. Anthony and Erik A. Roth point this out in their chapter titled "The Signals of Change," in which they state that commoditization starts at the bottom of a market and then creeps upward. Three forms of industry change usually result in:
- Low-end disruptions (the low-price players rapidly emerging in our business).
- Specialists entering and displacing integrated players (big-boxers, specialty studios, mid-price chains, express clubs, etc.).
- The development of new rules or standards that allow savvy providers to meet the requirements of customer segments. (We're just beginning to see the emergence of this phenomenon.)
The authors' research into dozens of companies in dozens of industries found that "disruptive innovations enable [solutions] that are less expensive and more consistently effective, allowing more people to [become consumers]." What this means to health club entrepreneurs is that they must re-think their entire structure of operation, from how they present their product physically to appropriate staffing, to a move away from one-on-one training and more towards group and small-group orientation of members. Health club operators also have to consider pricing, membership and the possibility of no-contract offerings as a standard way of doing business.
Does this mean doom and gloom for fitness facility operators? Not necessarily, but current clubs will have to avoid mastering sustaining innovations (being better at what they are already doing) in favor of establishing new markets or attacking from the low end. The authors wrote, "The findings indicated that incumbent companies almost always ultimately master sustaining innovations but often are unable to cope with disruptive innovations." In other words, the tendency of those already in the marketplace is to stay the same rather than change.
There is great hope, however. This book states that unprecedented opportunity exists for disruptive innovation to reshape health care. This means that health clubs have got to finally become more than just fitness centers. The challenge for us will be to enter the mainstream of American lifestyling and end our reliance on an outmoded model that attracts and keeps only a relatively small percentage of consumers.
Michael Scott Scudder owns and operates MSS FitBiz Connection, an online-based club consulting and training service. Scudder can be reached at 505-690-5974 or [email protected].


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Bike through Paris and feel like a kid again
Some tourists walk Paris, some sit at cafes, others zip around the metro to Eiffel-esque destinations. But I dreamed of seeing Paris from a bicycle.
Besides, my wife, our teenage daughter and I had spent five full days together, and there comes a time in every family vacation when one needs - how do I say this? - an intermission.
The ladies went shopping. I investigated the Web site Bike About Tours. An e-mail exchange later, and voila, I have a spot on the 10 a.m. tour the next morning, which begins in an underground garage below the Hotel de Ville, Paris' city hall.
A pleasure of any tour is handing over the planning, but before we begin, I must make a big decision: to wear a helmet, or not to wear a helmet?
"It's not required by law," says Fox McInerney, our Australian guide, noting that helmets are "not considered very fashionable here." All the other adults in the group ride sans helmets, but I strap mine on, feeling like The Anxious American in a flock of soon-to-be- flying liberated tourists, including two American families, an Australian couple and an Argentine woman.
"Allons-y!" Fox finally says, and even I know that he means, "Let's go!"
We rise from the subterranean garage into a crisp summer morning, and over the next four hours, we'll cover more terrain than most walkers can manage in a long day, wheeling through the Marais and Left Bank neighborhoods and past such famous sites as the Louvre, the Palais de Justice and Notre Dame.
This is no strolling tour; it's a rolling tour.
I had worried that biking through downtown Paris would be a death-defying pleasure, but it's quickly apparent that this is one of the friendliest bicycling cities I've ever pedaled. First, no hills. And instead of feeling like an intruder on car-dominated streets, I feel like an equal to pedestrians, cars, taxis, buses, mopeds and motorcycles, all respectfully negotiating the slowed-down etiquette of the shared road. Fifteen minutes into the tour, I remove my helmet. I feel like a kid again.
There are bike paths everywhere - on bridges, on grand boulevards and on one-way streets, laid down on a variety of bikable surfaces built over the last half-millennium: crushed stone, macadam, cobblestone and cement. They're even painted on sidewalks, and once we're riding along the Seine, I'm startled when a bicyclist comes rolling right at me; two bike lanes, heading in opposite directions, run side by side.
"Since they introduced the city bikes, they've added a lot of bike lanes," Fox says. He's referring to Velib', a public bike rental system, and a word created by combining velo, or bike, and liberte, which together means "bike freedom." Introduced in Paris in 2007, Velib' now includes 20,000 rental bikes available at 1,800 stations. The city plans to have 430 miles of bike lanes to accommodate bicyclists like us ready this year.
- – -
On a bridge to the Latin Quarter, we stop to spot some famous buildings, including the Montparnasse Tower, Paris' second-tallest building (after the renovated Tour First). Parisians found the massive gravestone-like skyscraper built in the early 1970s so ugly that they quickly passed a ban on buildings more than seven stories high in much of the city, and I'm glad that they have. I'm convinced that Paris' "City of Light" sobriquet doesn't refer to the role Paris played in the Enlightenment, but to all the sunlight that can reach almost any Parisian street. In the same direction, we see the Pantheon, built by Louis XV, honoring St. Genevieve, and the resting place of such French VIPs as Voltaire, Rousseau, Descartes, Marie Curie, etc., etc., etc.
Yes, it's all interesting, but after five days in France, I'm already up to my globes oculaires in French history, and I'm hallelujah happy that we don't enter any historic buildings, graveyards or churches.
Absent, too, are stops inside art museums or galleries. Instead, we're asked to spot the small mosaic works by the anonymous street artist Space Invader, who took his name from the video game that inspired about a thousand pieces that he's plastered on Paris buildings over the past 20 years.
"It's illegal, but nobody takes them down because they add value," Fox notes. "He said he's created a new form of cubism." We locate a handful of them, but I'm far more impressed by all the anonymous craftsmen - metalworkers, stone carvers and architects - who have made so many Parisian buildings such artistic treats.
- – -
At noon, we get off our bikes for the first time, walking down the alleyway that is Cour du Commerce Saint Andre to see the restaurant Le Procope, which opened in 1686, making it one of the first to introduce coffee from the Muslim world to Europe. Robespierre, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin drank their java here, and I'd like to raise a cup of coffee to these revolutionaries. But this tour doesn't stop for coffee, even if it's to go. Instead, we stop for lunch on Rue de Buci. Without my wife, who speaks French, and my daughter, who is learning it, I must attempt a few words from my phrasebook.
"Je voudrais le sandwich," I say, as I've learned that whatever the French stuff into a baguette is good. I dutifully eat my sandwich, and then I utter what must be the most beautiful rhyme in the French language: "Creme brulee, s'il vous plait." It's the first time that I crack a crust of this culinary gold on a sunny Parisian street leaning against a bicycle, and I hope that it won't be the last. To paraphrase another Frenchman, I eat French dessert, therefore I am . . . happy.
Soon, we're at the Louvre, and instead of yapping about art or architecture, Fox suggests that we take a few loop-de-loops around I.M. Pei's glass pyramid in the courtyard. I so lose myself in this aimless diversion that I also lose the group.
Fox fetches me, and next we ride through the elegant Marais neighborhood, past the Pompidou Center and Victor Hugo's house. By now, I'm convinced that bikes are the perfect sightseeing transport: They move fast enough to go far, slow enough to allow you to see the scenery, and they're always easy to stop and park.
We stop next at the Place des Vosges, a square surrounded by expensive homes built for the nobility, and apparently their descendants still reside here: Fox told us that one five-story home recently sold for 32 million euros - nearly $45 million.
Less expensive is the water that bubbles for free nearby, at a beautiful cast-iron fountain financed by Richard Wallace, a 19th-century English philanthropist who wanted to provide water to Paris' poor after aqueducts were destroyed during the Paris Commune in 1875. Tin cups were once chained to the statues; now bicyclists use these fountains to fill their water bottles.
"It's a great place to get your drinking water," deadpans Fox. "It comes directly from the Seine."
One of our last tour stops is on the banks of that river, at La Tour d'Argent, one of the most prestigious eateries in Europe, which Pixar used as inspiration for its animated film "Ratatouille." Fox estimates that a full dinner for two can cost $1,000, although ordering its signature canard a la presse (pressed boneless duck) gets your name on a list of others who have eaten it, including Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy. The restaurant also has floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a gorgeous view of Notre Dame.
For next to nothing, I have the same view - from a bike, my Parisian version of liberte.
- – -
What to do
Bike About Tours
Rue de Lobau
Roughly 3 1/2-hour Paris tour begins at 10 a.m. daily (also 3 p.m. tours on weekends from May 2 to Sept. 30). Adults $41, students $38. Infants riding in baby seat $13.60.
Fat Bike Tours Paris Tours
24, rue Edgar Faure
Offers daytime tours of Paris most days of the year. Day tours start at 11 a.m., evening tours at 6 or 7 p.m., depending on time of year. Day tours last about 3 1/2 hours, night tours about 4 1/2. Adults $41, students and ages 4-11 $38. Younger than 4 free.
You may rent bikes through this on-street program, but you must use an American Express or chip-and-PIN card. (Other credit cards may be used if you buy your subscription online.) A subscription costs $2.30 for a day, $11 for a week, with added costs for each trip longer than 30 minutes.
Gaffney is a freelance writer based in Albany, N.Y. His website isdennisgaffney.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Date: 09/15/2020 |
Time: 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Join us at ArtServe every Tuesday & Saturday for Drawing & Color Pencil Technique with Anita Orsini!
Drawing: Student of all levels will hone their skills while exploring various techniques and materials.
Colored Pencil Technique: Beginner through advanced students will delve into all aspects of this exciting medium. Studies include color theory, composition, and mixed media technique.
These two classes are combined. Small class size assures individual attention.
MEDIUM: Drawing & Colored Pencil
INSTRUCTOR: Anita Orsini
DAY: Tuesday TIME: 9:30am – 12:00pm
DAY: Saturday TIME: 10:00am – 12:30pm
EXPERTISE: Beginners to Advanced
Anita Orsini


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Nicole questions EJ about the noises coming from the basement.
Kate tells Melanie that she must put her child first.
Hope is concerned that so many of her loved ones are danger.
Chloe (Nadia Bjorlin, pictured) makes a desperate attempt to get Daniel back.
Vivian tells Maggie that she can't hide behind Victor's marriage any longer.
Thursday – Sami and Rafe have an argument that leads to disaster.
Friday – Carly reveals to Jennifer that the prison is selling body parts!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Days: Such a Tease!
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Greensboro, NCHome Menu
City Calendar
To locate specific events at a specific location,
Planning Board Meeting
- Date: 02/19/2020 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Location: Council Chamber, Melvin Municipal Office Building
300 W. Washington St.
Greensboro, North Carolina 27402
- Cost
If you are a Board Member, access MMOB for this meeting via the Greene Street entrance, no earlier than 30 minutes before meeting start time.
The Greensboro Planning Board studies the needs and resources of Greensboro and plans for its appropriate development by reviewing the text of the Land Development Ordinance, advising and making recommendations to City Council.
The Planning Board is composed of nine citizen members appointed by City Council for three-year terms. Regular meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month.
Any individual with a disability who needs an interpreter or other auxiliary aids, please contact Olivia Byrd at 336-373-2986. To request services needed, please make the request 3-5 days prior to the meeting/event. For additional information or assistance, please contact Donna Gray, ADA Coordinator at 336-373-2723.


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As fattening as Ben & Jerry's ice cream is, the company's all-natural claims, abbreviated list of ingredients, and hippie-dippy Burlington headquarters, all make the product seem healthier. Not so.
Certain flavors like Cherry Garcia contain "cocoa processed with alkali, which cuts acidity, and nutrition-boosting flavanols."
Others, such as the Creme Brulee includes "maltodextrin, a sweetener produced from cornstarch, and corn syrup," writes the Washington Post.


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Support our nonpartisan, nonprofit research and insights which help leaders address societal challenges.Donate
Rebecca L. Ray, PhD
Amy Lui Abel, PhD
Nicholas Sutcliffe
Gary Schmidt, Ph.D.
Ric Roi, Ed.D.
Dr. Nandani Lynton
Publication Date:
June 2013
In no part of the world is the shortage of leaders (and talent in general) more pronounced than in Asia, and in no part of the world is there greater pressure to develop leaders faster. Retaining top talent, accelerating leadership development, and engaging and motivating top talent emerged from The Conference Board research working group "Accelerating the Leadership Development of High Potentials in Asia" as the three top challenges facing human capital professionals in Asia whose responsibility it is to align business strategy with organizational capacity.


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The Support Enterprise plan provides two help desk instances: a customer-facing production instance and a development instance known as the sandbox. Use the sandbox to test, learn, and make mistakes before making your changes public. For example, you can use the sandbox to test and fine-tune new templates and branding without affecting your customers. You can create a new sandbox anytime you want, but you can only have one at a time.
After you're done testing and deploying your changes, you can reset the sandbox for a fresh round of development.
This article contains the following topics:
How the sandbox works
The sandbox takes the following settings from your production instance of Zendesk Support. This matching ensures your starting point is as close to the current production instance as possible.
- Templates (standard emails, welcome emails, etc.)
- Branding (colors, account names, etc.)
- Settings (channels, agent permissions, etc.)
- Customer lists
- Add-ons
Any changes you make in the sandbox are not copied to your production instance. Once you're satisfied with the changes, you must reproduce them manually in the production instance. If you need to configure additional syncing from production to your sandbox, you can do so using our REST API.
You can start a trial in your sandbox for another Zendesk product, such as Chat or Talk. Any trial is subject to limitations and has a fixed time limit, as specified when you sign up for the trial.
The production instance owner is listed as the sandbox owner by default. This is true even if another admin resets the sandbox.
The sandbox does not replicate the following items:
- Help Center content and customizations
- Zendesk Talk data
- Zendesk Chat data
- Security settings (including SSO)
- API tokens
- Apps and integrations
- Conditional fields
- Twitter user identities
Creating a sandbox
Before using your sandbox you must initialize it. The sandbox is created with settings from your current production instance of Zendesk Support.
To create a sandbox
- Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Manage > Sandbox.
- Click the Create my Sandbox button.
When your sandbox is successfully created, a message appears at the top of the page, and new sandbox information appears at the bottom. The sandbox has a unique URL with a ten-digit number after your domain name.
Working in your sandbox
Make sure you initialize the sandbox before using it for the first time. See Create your first sandbox above.
To switch to the sandbox from the production instance of Zendesk Support
- Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Manage > Sandbox.
- Click the Copy button to save the new URL to your clipboard, or click Open in new tab. You can also bookmark the sandbox and access it from your browser.
- Log in to the sandbox with your normal administrator credentials.
- Make changes, test, and fine tune.
Sandbox changes are not copied to the production instance. Once you're satisfied with the changes, you must reproduce them manually in the production instance.
Resetting your sandbox
After you're done with a round of testing and updates, you can reset your sandbox for a fresh round of development and testing. Resetting is also useful if you mess up and want to start from scratch.
Resetting the sandbox deletes the existing sandbox and creates a new one based on the settings of your current production instance of Zendesk Support. See How the sandbox works.
To reset the Enterprise sandbox
- Switch to the production instance of Zendesk Support.
- Click the Admin icon () in the sidebar, then select Manage > Sandbox.
- Click the Delete all edits and reset sandbox.
- In the warning window, click Reset sandbox. Or, click Cancel to discontinue the process.
When the sandbox is successfully reset, a new sandbox is created, and a new URL is assigned to it.


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We are sorry but at present we do not have Christmas Gifts from Cowshed.
We may have this product from a different brand, so please select another brand from the menu.
If you still can not find the product you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact us and we may be able to find it for you.
In some cases, we do not carry the full range of products from each brand but we can order it from the distributor for you if the product is available.
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse, we understand that you accept their use. Click here for more information on our Cookies Policy.
© 2002-2020 Naturisimo | Organic Cosmetics | Organic Skin Care | Organic Make Up | Organic Beauty Products.


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The mission of American Ambulance Service and its sister companies is to provide high level of care for our patients utilizing state of the art equipment while providing comfort and support for the patient and family.
The vision of American Ambulance Service is to consistently deliver high quality, on-time ambulance service to our patients and customers.
American Ambulance Service proudly serves Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties along with Central Florida's Seminole, Orange, Osceola and Polk Counties, and the five Counties encompassing the Treasure Coast. American works with healthcare facilities to devise ways to meet any medical transportation need around the clock.
American Ambulance, New England began serving the New England market in January 2011. American serves the greater Boston, Massachusetts area and looks forward to continued growth in the New England market (Basic and Advanced life support ambulance service and chair car service). Specialty services provided include bariatric and ventilator services. The introduction of critical care transportation will occur in the summer of 2011.


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Majorette Thailand Co. LTD.
Majorette Thailand Co. LTD.
Majorette Thailand Co. LTD.
Majorette Thailand Co. LTD.
Fritz and Michael Sieber started with their family and a handful of employees in a backyard. Since then a lot has changed:
The family of the Simba Dickie Group
4,000 products
20 brands
3,000 employees
30 sites worldwide
8 production facilities
In a family company, it goes without saying that everyone assumes responsibility.
The Board of the SIMBA DICKIE GROUP: Uwe Weiler (COO), Florian Sieber (Co-CEO), Michael Sieber (CEO) and Manfred Duschl (CFO) (f.l.t.r.).
With the next generation, the successful continuation in the sense of the company's founders and vision is secured (f.l.t.r.): Maximilian Stork (Senior Product Manager), Florian Sieber (Co-CEO), Michael Sieber (CEO), Felix Stork (Corporate Marketing Director).
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By continuing your navigation on this site you accept the storing of cookies on your computer and their use for the purposes of analysis, publicity and personal contents. For more information and to define your cookies, click on 'to find out more'.


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The butler idea didn't really occur to me until I approached the 2013 Lexus ES300h one night. As I got close to it, the interior lights swooshed softly on, much like stage lights. Then my feet were illuminated by a glowing bath of puddle lights hidden in the bottom of the driver's outside mirror. The proximity key fob, which was activating all these lights, also sent another message to the car's innards and as I put my hand on the door handle the fob's signals silently unlocked the door.
This car is a butler. It is deferential without being obsequious, polite but not fawning. In sum, it is the automotive equivalent of a trained butler – it knows when to speak and, more important, it knows when to simply do its job unobtrusively and then disappear.
Lexus, which came to American shores in the fall of 1989 (the 1990 LS400 luxo sedan), has spent a quarter of a century figuring out what it is that Americans want in their upscale cars. And the traits of the aforementioned butler are essential to the Lexus DNA.
Long-distance touring machine
Now that the servile portion of Lexus is out of the way, what do we have with the ES300h? First off, it's important to understand that the ES line is the quintessential middle-of-the-road for Lexus. For years, the ES was a gussied-up Toyota Camry (Toyota is the parent of Lexus) and a lot of people bought it because of the increasing reverence accorded that "L" symbol in the grille. For the 2013 Lexus ES350 and ES300h, Lexus turned to the new Toyota Avalon platform, slightly longer than the Camry, and fashioned what is now a quite comfortable long-distance touring machine that can be had for somewhere just north of $40,000, a benchmark for the lower echelon of luxury cars.
The (non-hybrid) ES350 is the main attraction in this line – it sports a 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 – and will be the dominant seller in the ES series. The ES300h, aka the hybrid version, combines a four-cylinder gasoline engine with two electric motors for a total of 200 horsepower, driven through a continuously variable automatic transmission. I mention the ES350 because the question will invariably come down to this: do I buy the less expensive gas version and spend the savings on the additional gas I'll have to burn, or do I suck it up and splurge for the hybrid, banking on the inevitability of higher gas prices and the savings I'll enjoy with the hybrid?
For most cars, the gap in price between hybrid and gasoline-powered cars is big, on the order of $5,000 or more. With the ES line, Lexus has pared it down to only $2,880 (ES350 base prices is $36,370; ES300h starts at $39,250.) That's not so bad, especially when you consider that the ES350's fuel mileage figures are 21/31 mpg city/highway, and the ES300h turns in a more parsimonious 40/39 mpg city/highway.
But keep in mind that options will boost the car's price. Our test model started out at $38,850 (On the Lexus Web site, it's risen $400 to $39,250), and with options rose to $42,985. That included such essentials as "blind spot mirror w/rear cross traffic alert" and a $1,370 "luxury package" that includes heated and chilled seats.
A more relaxed ride than the German cars
On the road, the ES300h is predictably Lexus-quiet and tarmac-compliant. The hybrid drive train will give you enough power so you don't have to worry about merging on to freeways, but it is a hair slower than its ES350 stablemate. But the ES350 doesn't have that wonderfully silent electric component. On the center console of the ES300h is a switch for Eco/Normal/Sport driving modes, all of which makes it a faster or slower car. But you do notice the difference when switching to Sport mode – it's much faster off the line and, somewhat disconcertingly, the left-hand dial in the instrument panel switches from a hybrid performance monitor to a tachometer. The ride is smooth and the suspension absorbs most of the modern American roadbed flaws. Some critics say the car just doesn't handle like a BMW or an Audi, but Lexus isn't trying to be a BMW or Audi. Lexus is aiming at the customer who has been down that Teutonic road and now wants something a bit more relaxed. It's a matter of taste, a matter of what you want.
The ES300h cabin is wildly Lexus (that's an oxymoron; little about Lexus is wild), which is to say it has that well-tooled sense of comfort and burnishing you'd expect to find in the library of an English castle – lots of stitching on the leather seats, bamboo trim on the steering wheel and dashboard, discreet lighting, that kind of thing. The front seats are 10-way power adjustable and the steering wheel has power tilt-and-telescope. If you can't get comfortable in this car, think about walking. There were a few off-putting items, however – if you switch on the system that tilts the outside driver's mirror downward when reversing, the mirror does go down, but then it also goes left, which screws up your sense of where you are backing. And because of the hybrid's battery and electronics package, the trunk's size has decreased to about 12 cubic feet, more than three cubic feet less than the ES350.
One last thing, however….. as we mentioned earlier, the ES350 and ES300h are based on the new Avalon platform. The Toyota Avalon, while admittedly not a Lexus, does have a starting price of $31,785. So a lot of this may depend on how important that distinctive L badge is to your own sense of who you are.


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Piaget, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Lincoln, T-Mobile® And IFC To Serve As Premier Sponsors Of The 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards
Principal Sponsors Include Stella Artois and the newly arrived Windows Phone
Premiere broadcast to air exclusively on IFC on Saturday, February 23 at 10:00 pm ET/PT
Feb 22, 2013, 02:00 ET
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards, the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series and Los Angeles Film Festival, announced its sponsors for the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which will be held in a tent at Santa Monica beach on Saturday, February 23, 2013. Piaget is a Premier Sponsor and the Official Jeweler, Jameson® Irish Whiskey is a Premier Sponsor and Official Spirits, Lincoln, a Premier Sponsor, is the Official Automotive Partner, T-Mobile® is a Premier Sponsor and the Official Wi-Fi Provider, IFC is a Premier Sponsor and the Spirit Awards Broadcaster, Stella Artois is a Principal Sponsor and Official Beer, Windows Phone is a Principal Sponsor and the Official After Party Sponsor, jcp and Joe Fresh are the Official Gift Bag Sponsor, VOSS Artesian Water from Norway is the Official Water, WireImage is the Official Photographer, American Airlines is the Official Airline Partner, PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent and On 3 Productions is the Official Presenter Gift Lounge producer.
As previously announced, the awards ceremony will premiere later that evening at 10:00 pm ET/PT exclusively on IFC, with actor and writer Andy Samberg serving as host of the ceremony.
For the sixth consecutive year, Piaget is proud to be a premier sponsor of the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Once again, the luxury Swiss watchmaker and jeweler will present the Piaget Producers Award in recognition of outstanding creative vision and achievement. Piaget will also host its exclusive backstage VIP lounge where the event's most celebrated stars retreat to relax amidst a dazzling display of Piaget's newest high jewelry creations and exceptional timepieces.
As a fifth year Premier Sponsor, Jameson® Irish Whiskey will serve the signature Jameson & Ginger specialty cocktail on the red carpet as guests arrive. Additionally, Jameson is a proud sponsor of the FIND Your Audience Filmmaker Grant, which makes it possible for filmmakers to find a broader audience for their work. As hosts of the Jameson® Lounge, Jameson will also be featured in all backstage tents at the Spirit Awards, and a bottle of Jameson will be placed on each table for attendees to enjoy during the show.
Lincoln, the luxury automotive brand, will be onsite at the Spirit Awards on the occasion of the launch of the all-new MKZ mid-size sedan. Collaborating with Interview magazine a backstage experience has been created that pays tribute to Andy Warhol as a filmmaker. In the spirit of the brand's yearlong "Hello, Again" program that supports reinterpretations of noteworthy artistic material, Lincoln will be showing the rarely seen "Screen Test" films provided by The Andy Warhol Museum alongside re-imagined MKZ footage shot in the same Warhol-esque style treatment.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. T-Mobile USA's superfast 4G coverage reaches more than 220 million Americans coast to coast. For more information, please visit www.T-Mobile.com.
Stella Artois is proud to be the official beer sponsor of the Film Independent Spirit Awards for the third year. Stella Artois is a longtime supporter of independent film and film festivals across the country and around the world. This year, guests on the red carpet and inside the Spirit Awards will have the opportunity to enjoy a Stella Artois. Stella Artois is part of a Belgian brewing tradition dating back to 1366. It is the number one Belgian beer in the world and is present in more than 80 countries. Stella Artois is best enjoyed served in its signature Chalice, which, together with the 9-Step Pouring Ritual, provides the best possible drinking experience. Perfectly poured and presented, Stella Artois is crisp, clean and full-flavored. Visit www.stellaartois.com for more information.
Microsoft will be activating two of its consumer brands onsite at this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards. Windows Phone has been recognized as the best smartphone camera available and as Principal Sponsor the company will use the phone to aid in capturing exclusive content on the ground. Windows Phone will present the "Thank You Cam", capturing the reactions of award winners as they walk off stage as well as be the exclusive sponsor of the official Film Independent Spirit Awards After Party. Additionally, Windows Phone will also sponsor the 'Someone to Watch' award, honoring an up and coming artist. View pictures from the event and more at Facebook.com/windowsphone
Microsoft's Outlook.com is thrilled to be a sponsor of this year's 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Outlook.com will be on the ground helping attendees, nominees and presenters get going by providing complimentary transportation to-and-from the ceremony. Those watching the ceremony from home can check out behind-the-scenes vignettes, red carpet arrivals and highlights from the show on IFC, also brought to you by Outlook.com, a powerful new email service designed to be as captivating as the artist-driven films honored at the Spirit Awards.
The Hollywood Reporter is proud to return as the Official Media Partner of Piaget. THR will be backstage with all the winners in the THR photo and video suite, directly adjoining partner Piaget's exclusive lounge, capturing reactions and landing exclusive interviews. Coverage from the evening can be found on THR.com. Visitors to the website will also be sure to spot the THR name on tent cards placed on tables of the stars throughout the venue. The Hollywood Reporter is the entertainment industry's flagship news media brand. Named Entertainment Publication of the Year by the LA Press Club in 2012, THR leads the category in providing breaking news, feature stories and industry analysis to readers of its glossy print edition as well as to 9 million unique monthly visitors online.
jcpenney will give guests at this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards the first look at the Joe Fresh apparel collection at jcp, debuting in March at nearly 700 jcpenney stores nationwide and exclusively online on jcp.com. Before the show, guests will visit a mini pop-up store backstage showcasing key pieces from the Joe Fresh collection available at jcp. Guests will choose a Joe Fresh polo for men or silk blouse for women and receive an exclusive jcp + Joe Fresh tote bag, which organizers will pack with additional goodies.
American Airlines returns in 2013 as the official airline of The Film Independent Spirit Awards. American, which has a rich history of service to the greater Los Angeles area, operated the first-ever nonstop coast-to-coast jet flight from New York to Los Angeles in 1959. Today, American and its regional affiliate, American Eagle, operate more than 320 flights each day into-and-out of LAX. American has more than 500 airplanes scheduled to join its fleet in the next five years including B777-300ERs, which will be flying from Los Angeles to London's Heathrow International Airport starting in June. London is just one of the more than 30 different destinations that you can fly to nonstop each day from American's hub at Los Angeles Internal Airport.
Skype is a communications software whose purpose is to break down barriers to communication. With an Internet-connected device, families, friends and colleagues can get together for free with messaging, voice and video. At low cost, they can also call landlines or mobiles virtually anywhere in the world. Skype has recently introduced group video, allowing groups of more than two people to do things together whenever they're apart. Founded in 2003 and based in Luxembourg, Skype is a division of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT). Skype can be downloaded onto computers, mobile phones and other connected devices for free at www.skype.com.
On 3 Productions, the leader in customized gifting experiences backstage at the entertainment industry's most prestigious events, returns to produce the Official Presenter Gift Lounge and Official Ceremony Gift Bags.
For more information about the Spirit Awards, please visit SpiritAwards.com.
Now in its 28th year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors Piaget, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, The Lincoln Motor Company, and T-Mobile® and Principal Sponsors Stella Artois and Windows Phone
Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award. The Filmmaker Grants include the Windows Phone Someone to Watch Award, Stella Artois Truer Than Fiction Award, Piaget Producers Award and Jameson FIND Your Audience Award.
Film Independent is a non-profit arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent's Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.
Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.
With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent's Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent's signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.
For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.
SOURCE Film Independent


text:
From PBN.com
The Mojo Tech co-founder talks about the Warren company and how it resembles a startup.
PBN: What do you do at Mojo Tech?
KISHFY: We focus mainly on creating Web applications using Ruby on Rails, although we also develop software for the iPhone. Web applications are different from websites and blogs in that they require custom development and can't be built using off-the-shelf solutions. The software that we build is often labeled "Web 2.0" because it relies on relatively new Internet technologies, which enable Web applications to do much more than was possible even a few years ago. We produce many applications for entrepreneurs and startups, but we also work with nonprofits and larger companies when their in-house teams need a boost or lack the right expertise.
PBN: Are your employees and clients concentrated in Rhode Island, or spread out?
KISHFY: Our core development team is here in Rhode Island, and we prefer to hire locally. (In fact, we're looking for a Rhode Island-based junior Rails developer now.) It's not easy to find great engineers locally, so we also have a few remote employees. Prior to starting Mojo Tech, I managed globally distributed development teams for a few startups, and that experience has really helped us grow the company to include off-site employees and avoid many of the communications and efficiency issues associated with a distributed team.
Our clients are spread out all over the world. We're currently working on projects for companies in Rhode Island as well as San Francisco, New York, Boston and Pisa, Italy. Working simultaneously on projects for clients on the West Coast and in Europe can make for some long days, but we enjoy the challenge.
PBN: Can you tell me about some of those projects?
Click the link to continue reading� Five Questions With: Nick Kishfy – Providence Business News.


text:
Accessing the 1973-2009 SEER Data
The 1973-2009 SEER Research Data are available in the binary format required by the SEER*Stat software and in an ASCII text format that can be analyzed with your own statistical software. The data and SEER*Stat software are available using three methods:
- Use SEER*Stat to access the data through your Internet connection (SEER*Stat's client-server mode). This is the most common method for accessing the SEER Data.
- Download compressed files from the Internet containing the same contents as the DVDs. SEER*Stat, the binary data, and the text data are available for download.
- Have a DVD containing the data and SEER*Stat software shipped to you. The data can be accessed and the software can be run from the DVD. This will contain SEER*Stat, and the binary and text versions of the data.
These are described in more detail in Options for Accessing the Data and SEER*Stat Software.
Datasets Included by Access Method
All Access Options (Client-server mode, DVD, and Compressed Data Files):
- SEER Research Data, 1973-2009 (9, 13, and 18 registries databases)
- County Attributes data
Client-Server Only:
- US Mortality
- Previous submissions of SEER data
- US Populations
- Specialized SEER*Stat Datasets
- Automatic SEER*Stat software updates
Compressed Data Files Only:
- ASCII text version of the SEER 1973-2009 data
SEER Research Data Agreement
A signed SEER Research Data Agreement form is required to access the SEER data. Once you have determined if you want to access the data via the Internet or receive a DVD, please submit a request for access to the data and SEER*Stat software. A personalized SEER Research Data Agreement will be created for you. The SEER program will process your request within 2 business days of receiving your signed agreement.
You may review the language of the SEER Research Data Agreement in the sample agreement form (this cannot be used to request data).
Please send questions or comments to: email@example.com.


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Get DVD Talk Feeds
Click on
an image to view the Blu-ray
screenshot with 1080p resolution
Reluctant Fundamentalist is
latest effort from acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair (Monsoon
Wedding, The Namesake).
The film is based on an international bestseller from author Mohsin
Hamid. The
story is an intense, intelligent, and well-crafted one that takes place
the aftermath of 9/11 and it especially focuses upon one characters
life in
relation to it.
film focuses upon a Pakistani professor named Changez
(Riz Ahmed) who is under serious CIA investigation as a terrorist
leader and
who is thought to be involved in the kidnapping of a American teacher.
The main
person helping to aid the CIA in looking into this matter is a smart
writer (performed by Liev Schreiber).
the story unfolds, Changez tells about how he became a
teacher and where he is today - about how he moved to America, his path
business success with a high-profile company run by his business savvy
(Kiefer Sutherland), and the story of his romance with a New York
artist (Kate
Hudson). His story is one of great ambitions and hopes in the land of
but it's undermined with the sadness of racial responses that affect
following 9/11. As we explore his story we learn about what happened to
him in
America, and we wonder: did he actually help to kidnap the American? Or
is this
an example of a giant misunderstanding? Everything surrounds his story
and it's
the core element of the entire film as it's unfolding.
It is
hard to imagine that tomorrow morning, it will be another
anniversary forever connected to September 11th, 2001. It is difficult
imagine that as I write this review that the date is again approaching.
day is forever etched in my mind. I was attending middle
school, a school kid, and seated in a large(ish)
school gym. I was sitting on the ground and I hadn't been too engaged
with my
physical activity that day. My classmates and I were simply discussing
something fun like Pokemon or Dragon
Ball Z and we were just having an
ordinary school day. At least, that's
what everyone thought before the day progressed.
mere moments of time, the student body of my school
(including my entire class) heard an announcement made from the
school's principal
that all of the teachers should immediately turn on the television sets
if they
had them in their classrooms and turn to the news. It was a shocking
one of horror, confusion, and fear that gripped all of us. The first
already hit the World Trade Center. In just a few brief moments we went
witnessing newscasters discussing the aftermath of a terrible incident
seeing the second airplane in moments crashing into the building. I
the discussion about whether or not it had resulted from some terrible
accident, before the question of terrorism even arrived. I hadn't
terrorism before that day and wasn't fully aware of these issues facing
world; certainly not to the extent considered today.
thing that I absolutely wish wasn't true about the
aftermath of 9/11 was that there became intense hatred from countless
against all middle-eastern individuals and there was racial-profiling
significant numbers towards anyone deemed to look like a "terrorist".
This sickened me at the time and it still does now. So
many equated race to mean
"terrorist" to a horrifying degree.
my own age started to talk about how bombing
Afghanistan and other countries, wiping out everything, would be the
solution for America. I remember thinking about people in these
countries who
were not terrorists at all. The ordinary people just trying to survive;
to live their lives amidst these terrible circumstances. It was
sickening to
recognize how so many were being grouped together based on race. This
brings me
to a significant point: this is an issue at the core of the story to The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
Nair may not have crafted her best film to date with The
Reluctant Fundamentalist (Monsoon Wedding still
holds that crowning
distinction) but it is easily one of her most important
efforts to date. The issues it addresses are extremely
relevant to this day.
directing voice is just as distinct and special in this
film too; remarkably, she manages to add great moments set to music and
and she even has highlighted some great costumes and production
elements amidst
the serious dramatics and thriller aspects of the film.
brings great performances from the entire cast of
actors. This is a film with a stellar lead performance from Ahmed. The
supporting cast is also excellent. Hudson delivers something
rewarding with her performance; one of her career best to date. I don't
think the
performance by Sutherland is anything to slouch about either. Everyone
"gave it their all" in making this film.
As a
filmmaker and person, Nair is intelligent and wise and wanted to make a
film about
ignorance from others not willing to listen; for those in America who
deemed all
Muslins as terrorists and the foreigners who viewed all Americans as
being racist
individuals amidst the Bush-era of our government as a post 9/11 hatred
from so many. The Reluctant
Fundamentalist is ultimately about peace, the search for common
ground, and
acceptance that we are all alike even as we are different. It's
remarkable and brave and one of the most important films of the year as
Reluctant Fundamentalist
features a impressive transfer which retains the original
theatrical exhibition ratio of 2.40:1. The MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer
generally strong bitrates that approach the mid-30's mbps frequently,
but it
averages out somewhere in the 20 mbps category. The image is generally
sharp, and feature visually impressive cinematography during the
majority of
the presentation.
5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
presentation for the film has notable clarity, depth, and bass
reproduction. Dialogue
is clean, clear, and easy to understand. Surround activity is actually
reasonably good with nice added ambiance. The music and sound effects
main supplement is a 32 minute
documentary on the making of the film, presented in High Definition,
featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast members
and the
director, Mira Nair, who offers some of her intelligent thoughts on the
film's story
original theatrical trailer is
also included.
Reluctant Fundamentalist is
one of the best movies of the
year: intelligent, emotionally brave, and insightful. It was made by a
filmmaker, Mira Nair; who is still one remarkable filmmaker with a lot
of stories
left to tell. Any cinema-fan should consider this important film as
deserving of consideration. It is a true cinematic gem.
Neil Lumbard is a lifelong fan of cinema. He aspires to make movies and has written two screenplays on spec. He loves writing, and currently does in Texas.


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This week we got some new gear and have been having some fun playing around with it. I can't wait until we get the new cameras and new software to put all the new stuff into use. Until then I'll have to be happy with all the cool links on the 'net.
1 – CNN put together this informative and moving tribute to one of their own, camera operator Margaret Moth. She is an inspiration for everyone. She was a pioneer in the TV News business when there were very few women running cameras and she chose the toughest assignments in war zones around the planet. This is well worth the time to watch.
2 – Another well-crafted video is the Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom. My favorite part is when the narrator says that we can't keep blocking every social networking tool on the Internet and expecting our students to create new and interesting things at the same time.
3 – As a typeface nut, I just love this comparison of Arial and Helvetica, two of my favorite fonts.
4 – This seems to be video week, and this link is a youtube vid about the advertising crash that is killing nearly every type of media — The Mad Avenue Blues.
5 – How do you store digital photos for the long-term? What is bit-rot? Burn CDs, DVDs, TB drives? Petapixel has the answers to all these questions on how to store your digital pics for the long term.
6 – Have newspapers fallen off a cliff? This graphic makes it appear so, that their ad revenues are in free fall. This is bad for a lot of journalists who work in the newspaper industry and to a certain extent the TV news industry too.
7 – Bob Kaplitz's blog has been cranking out good content lately. Well worth the watch. How to add interest to your video story.
8 – I've been looking for this for a long time – a great list of do's for taking more compelling portraits. Mug shots are so boring, but you have to have them in a newspaper or yearbook. Here's six ways from the dPS to take better portraits.
9 – What if newspapers are doomed? What if we are experiencing a change like that of movable type? The Gutenberg press changed the religious, political and educational scope of Europe in the 1500s and 1600s. It upset conventional society and changed everything. What if the Internet is like this for newspapers? What then?
Have a great week and keep on teaching those journalism skills. Got to have the skillz. Mad skillz.


text:
What child labor laws?
Note: This article is a sidebar to this issue's feature story, "Harvesting Poison."
WENATCHEE, Wash. — José and Luis are only 10 and 11 years old, but they are already expert cherry-pickers. With three summers of experience working in the orchards with their father, they know how to pluck the cherries without harming the tree bud. They know how to avoid the tractors that speed through the long slender rows of trees. They know that these long days spent working in the sun equal food for their family.
"I'm sort of tired, but it's not so bad," says Luis, with a weary grin, as his small brown hands drop several cherries into the sagging white bucket strapped to his chest.
Yet José and Luis shouldn't even be here: It is illegal for children under the age of 12 to work in the fields. It happens all the time.
Due to lack of accessible daycare and the need to supplement family incomes, hundreds of thousands of children throughout the West join their parents to pick fruits and vegetables every year. They're the most heart-rending evidence of a regulatory system that seems content to look the other way.
During the several weeks of the cherry harvest in July, the orchard where José and Luis work is sprayed frequently with pesticides. No one knows what their exposure levels are — or what they might be for the many other children working in the fields. But children are the most sensitive population exposed to these toxic chemicals.
"The most vulnerable of the vulnerable, and the most ignored, are farmworker children," says Carol Dansereau of the Farm Worker Pesticide Project, based in Seattle. "This is an appalling situation, which would not be tolerated for other children, and cannot be allowed to continue."
When tests are done, high levels of toxic chemicals are consistently detected in the blood of farmworker children, according to studies conducted within the last five years by scientists at both the University of Washington and University of California at Berkeley. Even pesticide exposures that may not affect adults can cause significant illness in children, says Dansereau, because children breathe and eat more than adults relative to their body weights, and their growing bodies and internal organs are especially sensitive in the developmental phase.
Exposure to pesticides early in life can lead to a greater risk of chronic health problems and diseases, including cancer. It may affect neurological functioning, neurodevelopment and growth, according to the Center for Children's Environmental Health Research at the University of California at Berkeley. Despite such findings, the Environmental Protection Agency, which sets pesticide standards, provides no special protection for children. The EPA says it can't formulate regulations for illegal child workers who aren't supposed to be there in the first place. "We can't change the regulations, unless the Department of Labor sets the legal age at an absurdly young age," says Kevin Keaney, a branch chief for worker protection with the EPA. "There's not really anything we can do about it."
And the Department of Labor is reluctant to acknowledge that children work in the fields, because that would appear to condone the situation. Trying to force an acknowledgment, a coalition of 11 farmworker and environmental groups has just sued the EPA, seeking tougher pesticide standards that protect the most vulnerable children. The states of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut have filed a similar lawsuit against the EPA.


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Long Beach City Council fills Fagen's seat
Eileen Goggin, a Long Beach zoning board member, will fill a void left on the City Council caused by the criminal conviction of former Councilman Michael Fagen, Long Beach officials voted Sunday.
During a special meeting, the City Council unanimously appointed Goggin, a Democrat and local attorney who has served on the zoning board of appeals for a month.
A seat on the five-member council was vacated on Feb. 5 when Fagen was convicted of charges stemming from his collection of more than $15,000 in unemployment benefits while he served on the board. The conviction meant Fagen had to immediately forfeit his seat on the City Council, Long Beach officials said this past week.
The council chose Goggin, 51, a member of the Long Beach Theater Guild and Long Beach Lawyers' Association, in part because of her civic background, city officials said.
Long Beach needs a full complement of council members working on the city's recovery from superstorm Sandy, said Councilman Scott Mandel, who nominated Goggin.
"In this time of recovery, it is critical that we have a full, five-member council in place to tackle the important issues facing the City and our residents," Mandel said in a statement.
The city's statement said Goggin has lived in Long Beach for "more than a decade."
Goggin said she would prioritize rebuilding from Sandy. She is a law secretary in the state's Unified Court System, and served as a deputy Nassau County attorney from 2003 to 2010.
The critical issue facing the council is "the task of rebuilding Long Beach into the city we all know and love," she said in a statement.
The council is led by Mandel, its president. He is the top elected official in the city, which does not have a mayor.
Goggin's appointment leaves the council with four Democrats and one Republican, John McLaughlin, as it had been before Fagen's conviction. However, despite being aligned with the majority party, Fagen was a frequent voice of dissent at city council meetings.
Goggin will fill out the rest of Fagen's term, which ends in November, when city elections are scheduled.
Fagen, a Democrat who was elected in 2009, is due for sentencing on April 8, when he could receive up to 4 years in prison. His attorney, Marc Gann of Mineola, has said the conviction will be appealed.
A Nassau County jury found Fagen guilty of petty larceny and 18 counts of offering a false instrument for filing in a trial that ended Feb. 5. The jury could not reach a verdict on other charges -- grand larceny and 20 counts of offering a false instrument.


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through February 9
The Haywood County Arts Council will host an exhibition entitled Fire and Ice: Pottery, Glass and Metalwork". Gallery 86 on North Main Street in Waynesville is open 10am until 5pm Monday through Saturday. There will be an artist reception on Friday January 25 from 6-8pm. You can find more details at www.haywoodarts.org or on their Facebook page.
January 19 thru January 20
Kevin King will be on stage in the Feichter Studio at HART in the adult comedy production of 21A. Friday and Saturday shows are at 730pm with a Sunday matinee at 3pm. For ticket information call 828-456-6322 or email email@example.com
January 19
MLK Holiday Weekend will begin with a pride march that starts at Harris Chapel AME Zion Church on Prospect Street in Canton. The march will be followed by the showing of the movie "Skin" at the Colonial Theatre. The movie will be shown for free at 1pm and again at 6pm. Call 828-646-0125 for more details.
The Classic Wineseller and Angelino's Tapas and Wine Bar will host an evening with Musica Nostra beginning at 7. The event will include a four course meal, dancing and music. For reservations or more details call 828-452-6000 or visit www.classicwineseller.com .
Hurley's Creekside in Maggie Valley will be hosting the CrossRidge Band at 10pm. Check out their Facebook page or call for more details at 828-926-1566.
January 20
MLK Holiday Commemorative Service will be held at 3pm at the Church of God of Prophecy in Canton. Call 828-646-0125 for more details.
The Haywood County Arts Council Sunday Concert Series for 2013 begins on January 20 at 3pm. The free event will be held at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County Library in January. Performing will be Jim Ridd, currently with Coffee Branch Band of Canton. Call 828-452-0593 or visit www.haywoodarts.org for more details.
January 21
MLK Holiday Prayer Breakfast will be held at Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska Assembly. Breakfast begins at 8am. Tickets are available for sale at the Berea Welcome Center. Call 828-646-0125 for more details.
January 22
Altrusa Annual Soup and Cornbread. The funds raised from this event go to scholarships for Haywood county students. Each year Altrusa awards about $8000 in scholarships and all these monies come from the sales at the Soup and Cornbread. The event is Tuesday January 22nd. Tickets are $8.00. Visit www.waynesvillealtrusa.org for more information.
Haywood Community College Small Business Center will be offering a seminar on business start-up issues. If you are considering a new business venture, this is a great way to look at all the small things that can give you headaches as you start out.
January 23
The deadline for the Lego contest being held at the Haywood County Public Library – Waynesville Branch on February 2 is today! Rules and other information are on their website. Carole Dennis is the contact person.
January 24
Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals will be hosting their first professional development event of the new year on January 24 at 8am at Bethea Welcome Center. Contact the Chamber or join them on Facebook for more details. Andrew Sanderbeck of People Connect Institute will be the guest speaker.
Claymates Pottery is having a ladies night out! Hors d'oeuvres will be served with a minimum $10 purchase. Bring your own beverage. Reserve your spot by calling 828-246-9595.
Haywood County Arts Council Annual Meeting will be held at Gallery 86 in Downtown Waynesville. Call 828-452-0593 for details.
Haywood Community College Small Business Center will be offering a seminar on eBay for the serious seller. There will be a second course offered on the same day on setting up a store on eBay.
January 25
The Canton Armory will be the site for an indoor "Pickin' in the Park"! This event is scheduled to be held twice monthly until it can once again be held outside. Call Carroll Nelson at 828-648-2287. The event is free and open to the public.
January 29
Haywood Community College Small Business Center will be offering a seminar on increasing sales. The course is designed to get salespeople thinking about the sales environment from the customer's perspective. There will also be information on recognizing and utilizing verbal and nonverbal cues to increase sales. Contact the Small Business Center for more information and to register.
February 2
The Haywood County Public Library Waynesville Branch is having a Lego contest at the Cooperative Extension on Raccoon Road. Check the Library website for more information.
Balsam Range will continue their winter concert series at the Colonial Theatre in Canton. For information, check out their Facebook page or website or call the ticket office of the Colonial at 828-235-2760. The latest update on this concert is that it is sold out but there are still tickets available for the March and April concerts.
February 23
The Blue Ridge Bridal Event will be held at Lake Junaluska Assembly. The event is being presented by the Mountaineer Publishing Company. Vendor spaces are still available by calling 828-452-0661 x125 or x129.
March 2
Haywood Arts Regional Theatre will be offering Scene Study class with Martin Rader starting March 2, 2013 and lasting eight weeks. The class will be held in the Feichter Studio Theatre on Saturdays from 10:00-1:00. Open to all levels. Enrollment is limited. Please call 828 622-3344 or e-mail email@example.com (subject line: HART acting class) to reserve a space.
Smoky Mountain Cinema is open seven days a week showing first run movies. Monday thru Thursday showings are at 6:50pm. Friday, Saturday and Sunday times vary based on the length of the movies currently playing. Show times and the complete lineup can be found by calling 828-452-9091.
Smoky Mountain Sk8way has skating, wall climbing and fun and games galore! There regular schedule is Tuesday Afternoon Home School Skate 1-4pm; Wednesday Night 6-9pm; Fridays 6-11pm; Saturday day session 11-6pm and night session 6-11pm; Sunday 1-6pm. They are always open for school or church events as long as there are 30 people or more scheduled to attend. You can call 828-246-9124 for more information.
Smoky Mountain Jumphouse is open Monday from 10am until 2pm; Wednesday and Thursday from 10am until 5pm; and Friday and Saturday from 10am until 6pm on Muse Drive in Waynesville. (This is above Thad Wood Auction House in west Waynesville, past exit 98). These are open jump times but they also have times for private jump parties on Sunday afternoons and later on Saturday nights. There is a party room available for rental with a group jump rate at all times the Jumphouse is open to the public. On out-of-school days, the Smoky Mountain Jumphouse will sometimes have special hours available. Call 828-734-8647 or check out their Facebook page for more information.
Hurley's Creekside in Maggie Valley has DJ Side 3 every Friday night.
The Classic Wineseller on the corner of Church and Main Streets in Waynesville continues their Friday Night Live events.
Tipping Point Tavern in Downtown Waynesville has a weekly Trivia Night at 730pm on Wednesdays. Call 828-246-9230 or visit www.tippingpointtavern.com for more details.
January thru March 31
The Canton Branch of the Haywood County Public Library will be hosting an artist exhibition for Laurel Tewes. The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular library hours. This exhibit space is made available by the Haywood County Arts Council.
Cataloochee Ski Area has ongoing programs for skiers of all levels from beginners to the most advanced. There are also snowboarding programs for all levels. The CAT Adult Challenge Cup Race Series is on Thursday nights. Registration is at 6pm, racing starts at 7pm. On Sundays, there is NASTAR public racing at the CAT with registration beginning at 11am. Everyone can participate, helmets and goggles are required. Alley Cat Racing Trail will be closed from 12 noon until 4pm for racing on Sunday. You can check out their website for more information at www.cataloochee.com They have lots of SNOW!


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Jump to Content
Movement for the Fourth International issuances
Bulletin intérieur international (International Secretariat for the Fourth International). No. 1-3 (1937 April-1938 early May)
Bulletin international (International Youth Secretariat for the Fourth International). Unnumbered (1937 November 10), no. 3 (1938 February)
Circulaire (International Secretariat for the Fourth International). No. 1 (1938 April 1)
Service d'information et de presse (International Secretariat for the Fourth International). No. 8-11 (1936 September 13-October 2), no. 13-21/22 (1936 November 4-1937 early August)
"Report of Conference on Sections for the Fourth International" (report by British delegate to the conference), 1936
Germany. Mitteilungsblatt der I.K.D. (Internationale Kommunisten Deutschlands). No. 3 (1938 September)
Great Britain. National Bulletin (National Conference of the Bolshevik-Leninist Organisations in Britain). 1938
Marxist Outlook (Socialist Workers Party)
1966. Vol. 1 no. 1-5 (February-May)
1966. Vol. 1 no. 6-11 (June-December)
1967. Vol. 1 no. 12 (January), vol. 2 no. 1-10 (February-November)
1968. Vol. 2 no. 11/12 (January or February [conflicting dates]), vol. 3 no. 1 (March), vol. 3 no. 5/7 (October)
1970. Vol. 5 no. 1-7 (February-August)
Red Spark (Socialist Workers Party/Communist League of India)
1970. Vol. 1 no. 1 (December)
1971. Vol. 2 no. 1 (March), vol. 2 no. 3/5 (November)
1972. Vol. 3 no. 1/2 (February), vol. 3 no. 5/6-7/9 (June-October)
1973. Vol. 4 no. 3/6 (August), vol. 4 no. 9/12 (December)
Communist League of India and Bangla Desh. 1972
Draft Policy Statement(All-India Mazdoor Kisan Party). 1955
Election Manifesto of the Socialist Workers Party. 1970
Hutheesing, Sarojini. The Tibetan Struggle (Revolutionary Communist Party of India). Undated
In Defence of Socialism: Why We Condemn the "Merger" with the Praja Party (Socialist Party). 1952
Mishra, Anand
East European Crisis of Stalinism: Berlin, Poznan, Hungary (Communist League). 1957
Stalinism: What It Means: A Critical Appraisal of the 20th Congress of the C.P.S.U. 1956
The Programme for a Socialist Revolution in India (Socialist Workers Party). 1968
Programme of the Communist League. 1954
Roy, Lily. Socialism Reaffirmed: A Reply to Mr. Masani. 1944
Sen, Indra. Communist Policy Today: A Marxist Analysis. 1952
Shukla, Chandravadan. Socialistic Pattern? 1955
Tagore, Saumyendranath
Bourgeois-Democratic Revolution and India. 1939 (reprint 1946)
Congress-Socialism. Bengali edition 1936 (2nd English edition 1946)
The Hour Has Struck. 1949
Leftism and Leftist Unity. 1946
Permanent Revolution. 1944 (2nd edition 1948)
Stalin, Truman: Hands Off Korea. 1951
Tactics and Strategy of Revolution. 1948
The Treacherous Marsh. 1948
Leaflet. "Open Letter to All Congress Socialists by Mazdoor Trotskyist Party of India." Undated
Indian languages material
Vishwa Kranti. No. 1-8
Four pamphlets
Typescript English translations of passages from publications in Indian languages, 1939-1952
Reel 1. For a Workers' and Peasants' Government in India (Revolutionary Workers Party of India), 1958; Bolshevik-Leninist-Trotskyist Draft Provisional Programme, undated; Draft Programme (Mazdoor Trotskyist Party of India), 1942; Socialist Workingmen's Fortnightly, 1948 April 25-August 1; New Spark, 1952 November 7; Militant (Revolutionary Workers Party of India), 1959 April 5-1961 January; New Spark (Bolshevik-Leninist Party of India), 1948 January 3-September 4; Indian languages material; New Spark, 1947 April 26-December 20
Reel 2. Spark, 1946 early March-late July (not in order); Permanent Revolution, 1943 July/September; C. R. Govindan, First Round of European Socialist Revolution, 1945
Sri Lanka. Pamphlets by Colvin R. de Silva
Left Disunity: A Reply to a Critic. 1950
Outline of the Permanent Revolution: A Study Course (Lanka Samasamaja Party). 1955
The Present Political Situation in India (Bolshevik-Leninist Party parliamentary fraction, Ceylon). 1948
Their Politics--And Ours (Lanka Samasamaja Party). 1954
United States
Communist League of Struggle (Albert Weisbord group). The Struggle for Communism: The Position of the Internationalist-Communists of the United States. 1935
International Workers School (New York; Communist League of America). "Organization Principles" course outline. Undated (1930s)
Marx-Lenin School (Chicago; Communist League of America). "Imperialism and the Proletarian Revolution" course outline (Albert Glotzer, instructor). Undated (1930s)
Revolutionary Workers League (Hugo Oehler group; includes predecessor caucus within Workers Party of the United States)
International News. Unnumbered (1935)
Internal Bulletin. No. 3 (1935)
Minutes, 1935 October 3-1936 January 28
Internal documents. Resolutions and circular letters, 1935-1936
Leaflets, 1935-1936
Socialist Union of America (Bert Cochran/George Clarke group). The Educator. Vol. 1 no. 1-7 (1953 December-1954 December), vol. 2 no. 1 (1955 October), vol. 3 no. 1 (1956 June)
Spartacus Youth League (Workers Party of the United States). International Bulletin vol. 1 no. 6/vol. 2 no. 1 (1934 December/1935 January); Organizational Bulletin (1935 January); Educational Bulletin on the Paris Commune (1935 March)
Workers (Communist) Party. Political Committee minutes, 1927 March 22-August 12; internal documents, including resolutions, motions and circular letters, 1927-1928


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Whether you're looking for a stimulating sightseeing break or a relaxing holiday enjoying leisure pursuits and the great outdoors, Lüneburg – idyllically situated between the river Elbe and heathland – offers the best of both worlds. Visit Lüneburg itself, a historical Hanseatic town famous for its salt production, or venture out into the scenic surroundings.
Lüneburg dates back more than 1,000 years and is without a doubt one of the prettiest towns in northern Germany. Having survived the Second World War unscathed, it has retained its charming medieval character. Lüneburg is also a university town. Its large student population adds to the lively atmosphere and it is thought to have the highest concentration of pubs in the whole of Germany. The town centre is a lovely place to shop. The beautiful and historical gabled houses accommodate all kinds of specialist stores where you can browse to your heart's content.
Fame, fortune and 'white gold'
Evidence of Lüneburg's salt-producing heritage can be seen at every turn. 'White gold' was extracted at the saltworks for over 1,000 years and it was the trade of this precious commodity that put the town on the map. Lüneburg, together with Bergen, Visby and Lübeck , quickly became one of the wealthiest and most important towns in the Hanseatic League. At the old saltworks, the German Salt Museum with its interactive displays tells the story of salt from the Middle Ages to the present day. The Alter Kran, a historical crane at the former Ilmenau docks, was also used in the salt trade. It is one of Lüneburg's most famous landmarks and remains a defining feature of the waterside quarter.
Museums, tranquil oases and the benefits of salt
The historical town centre of Lüneburg is almost like an open-air museum, although there are several sights that merit individual attention. The East Prussian Regional Museum, for example, documents the culture and heritage of East Prussia from prehistory to 1945. Close by is the North Germany Brewery Museum with its fascinating gallery of drinking vessels spanning 1,200 years – which, just for the record, doesn't include the skulls that the Vikings are said to have drunk from! A short walk from the town centre lies Lüne Benedictine Convent, a haven of peace and contemplation founded in 1172 and set amid beautiful old trees and meadow orchards. The spa gardens, another great place to relax, follow the tradition of the English landscaped parks and can be found on the southern edge of town. They are adjacent to the SaLü saltwater thermal baths, in which Lüneburg's saline spring still wells up to this day. As the saltwater drips through the branches, the air is filled with a fine, salty mist that acts like a balsam for the lungs and for the mind and body. And with that, we've come full circle. In Lüneburg everything really does revolve around salt.
مجموعتي أزرار مفيدة لغرض التكبير في المتصفح:
تكبير: +
تصغير: +
يمكنك لدى عارض برنامج التصفح الحصول على المزيد من المساعدة من خلال النقر على الأيقونة:


text:
Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 11:30 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
Monday, July 26, 2010 at 3:00 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
RIO NATURISTA and Diet Centers "Campana De Mejor Salud" Launches Health Fair to fight the obesity problem plaguing Latino Community.
Los Angeles, Ca. USA, July 19, 2010 / - Rio Naturista and Diet Centers (http://www.RioNaturista.com) will provide the surrounding communities a FREE individual health analysis and high quality health supplements. Rio Naturista also offers weekly bilingual self-help health classes at all locations. "Campana de Mejor Salud" promises a new era in alternative health education for those in our communities.
"We are kicking off our first Health Fair "Campana de Mejor Salud" on July 29th 2010 at our newest location in the high desert of Southern California," said a spokeman for IPMM. We will provide resources and media publicity for all our new licensee store owners who join us and want to help their communities find better health through education and world class supplements.
"We are excited about providing the community this free event. Information about the products such as homeopathic and herbal products will be available." staff stated. "Opening the first of many Rio Naturista Health and Diet Centers in southern California allows everyone, especially the Spanish Speaking Community, information tailored to them."
"We expect this event will help educate many in the community suffering the most from obesity, poor health and other issues. Certified alternative health practiioners and supplement experts will be on hand to suggest helpful vitamins and chinese herbs which might improve quality of life. One of Rio's Fitness Experts will also be on hand to teach some simple excercise techniques that can be done from home." added staffers.
This family and friends of all ages event has no cost to attend. Free samples of Rio Naturistas retail product offerings will be available. Childrens Supplements will also be available for purchase. Advanced skin care treatment products will also be available. The ladies can enjoy a free facial on the spot! Personal care and many other items will be offered in store or online. Free English and Spanish DVD's will be available for free to help families learn more about their brilliant body!
"We are excited to bring leading vitamin supplements and herbal products into these communities. Research has shown us the supplement industry is growing in double digits even through the recession. The spanish speaking emerging market of the USA is the fastest growing consumer of these products. However, the industry has generally failed to serve this large niche market. These consumers demand product education and personal attention. Rio Naturista was born of nine months of this intensive market research.
In addition, the event will be hosting a Fitness Model Search for "Miss Rio Naturista". Female talent interested in trying out must attend the event and fill out an entry form. Also several of Rio Naturista's Girls will be making an appearance and signing posters.
The event will kick off at 4 pm with ribbon cutting around 5pm. City officials and supplier representatives will also be on hand for this historic event. Information will also be available for those interested in representing the products! And we are aggresively looking for new store owners who want to be part of this new retail concept. "Why spend over $100,000.00 to open a Max Muscle or GNC when you can have a non-franchise owner-operated retail establishment with even greater residual income potential for 80% less initial money!" stated senior management of IPMM. The retail supplement chain concept was established after 9 months of research into the supplement industry by IPMM.
Full coverage of the event will be available to view at Rio Naturista TV.
If you would like to attend this grand opening or would like further information on our business opportunity please visit:
About Rio Naturista and Diet Centers (Stores):
Independent Non-Franchise Licensed retail membership stores featuring world class supplements and herbal products, skin care, childrens vitamins and more. Rio provides Free Educational classes on improving health for the whole family. Serving the bilingual Spanish communities of the USA.
About IP MicroMedia LLC
IP MicroMedia, based in Southern California owns markets and licenses the brand name "Rio Naturista and Diet Centers" (SM) and operates RioNaturista.com et. al.. Other properties include Senorita15.com Quinceanera Photo/Video and PrintedPix.com. IPMM develops web properties, syndicates event content, manages social media publicity and provides AV services for clients on-site. More at IPMicroMedia.com
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 7:41 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
Michael Kirk shows Ken Lewis and John Thain from Merrill Lynch in the rocky merger during the brink of the financial colapse
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Friday, January 23, 2009 at 11:04 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
Click this link to watch the ASCENT OF MONEY, a series on the crisis and the history of economics.
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Labels: history 2 comments Links to this post
at 10:51 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
A six part series? Could you do this every day???
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Labels: trader, training 4 comments Links to this post
Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 11:03 AM Posted by Oscar HOY
Citigroup has been in the news reporting almost 10 billion in total losses for the quarter. What is surprising is the almost 2.4 billion total in Private Equity losses. Its hedge funds are doing even worse:
Corporate Special Opportunities clients, who have been barred from redeeming their investments since last January, will get back on 3 cents on the dollar, the Financial Times reports. The news, delivered in a letter dated Dec. 22, is likely to be a bitter disappointment to investors, who had been expecting to receive roughly 10 cents on the dollar.
It is also a bitter blow to the embattled financial giant, which will likely lose the hundreds of million it lent to the hedge fund to prop it up. Citigroup injected $320 million into CSO last year, along with a $450 million credit line, and placed assets with a nominal value of $1 billion with the fund, as well.
Sunday, January 04, 2009 at 10:24 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
I attended this conference back in 2006 that is cited in the Wall Street Journal.
Nahrep's 2006 convention in Las Vegas was called "Place Your Bets on Home
Ownership." Countrywide Chairman Angelo Mozilo spoke, as did former Housing and
Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, a force in Latino housing
developments in the West.
Thursday, January 01, 2009 at 10:23 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
Sorry for the dealy in posts. I have been active in markets lately but you can find me chatting up via MIRC at daytraders.org- nick ONmoney =)
As far as lookback, we fell harder and faster then even i expected. I was very bearish since the start of the first Bear Stearns blowup in the Summer of 2007. Lets look forward to some major events that may come out in 2009
1) The currency markets will be the most volatile EVER in the 2009. Media focused on the VIX equity indicators in 2008, the big moves will be in Currency. Active Forex traders should have their hands full.
2) Expect the US goverment to manage the real economy as hard as they managed the banking crisis of 2008. Major infusions of tax capital will try to create obama jobs in 2009. Published unemployment figures should bleed into the 9% level. We cannot have a double digital handle on unemployment or the penguin will reach for the pitchfork.
3) Expect a soverign tier one country to have a debt auction FAILURE in 2009. Take your pick, it might be GP, it might be the United States. Second half 2009 might see long yields explode to the upside and create havoc for public borrowing.
4) BRIC countries will continue to have issues, expect growth to come from these countries into 2010.
5) Deflation will level off, but the risk of inflation should not be a problem in 2009.
6) As part of the obamaNation package, see Dr. Vlado's "National Debt Reset Day" deliberated on the hill. To stem the fall of housing (and MBS tied to them) and the potential for more failures form the option arm reset market topping out in 2010 - Zip codes will have assigned NEW debt markdowns of up to 50% with new nationized rates of interests. Tax credits to offset for those who have kept up payments will be given. Keep the homes OFF the auction market and that will be the start to the bottom of the RE market. 2009 will be the bottom for now in many RE markets, others may reach 1997 levels. RE will not come back for several years.
7) Equity markets should make new lows into the 3rd QTR 2009, dow targets into the 7K region. Bears will be frustrated that we won't fall as hard as fundamentals may warrant.8) Obama will be tested in the first part of the year.
Labels: 2009, markets, predictions 1 comments Links to this post
Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 4:58 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
In an unusually frank article published in Saturday's New York Times, the newspaper's economic columnist, Joe Nocera, reveals what he calls "the dirty little secret of the banking industry"--namely, that "it has no intention of using the [government bailout] money to make new loans."
As Nocera explains, the plan announced October 13 by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to hand over $250 billion in taxpayer money to the biggest banks, in exchange for non-voting stock, was never really intended to get them to resume lending to businesses and consumers--the ostensible purpose of the bailout. Its essential aim was to engineer a rapid consolidation of the American banking system by subsidizing a wave of takeovers of smaller financial firms by the most powerful banks.
Nocera cites an employee-only conference call held October 17 by a top executive of JPMorgan Chase, the beneficiary of $25 billion in public funds. Nocera explains that he obtained the call-in number and was able to listen to a recording of the proceedings, unbeknownst to the executive, whom he declines to name.
Asked by one of the participants whether the $25 billion in federal funding will "change our strategic lending policy," the executive replies: "What we do think, it will help us to be a little bit more active on the acquisition side or opportunistic side for some banks who are still struggling."
Referring to JPMorgan's recent government-backed acquisition of two large competitors, the executive continues: "And I would not assume that we are done on the acquisition side just because of the Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns mergers. I think there are going to be some great opportunities for us to grow in this environment, and I think we have an opportunity to use that $25 billion in that way, and obviously depending on whether recession turns into depression or what happens in the future, you know, we have that as a backstop."
As Nocera notes: "Read that answer as many times as you want--you are not going to find a single word in there about making loans to help the American economy."
Later in the conference call the same executive states, "We would think that loan volume will continue to go down as we continue to tighten credit to fully reflect the high cost of pricing on the loan side."
"It is starting to appear," the Times columnist writes, "as if one of the Treasury's key rationales for the recapitalization program--namely, that it will cause banks to start lending again--is a fig leaf.... In fact, Treasury wants banks to acquire each other and is using its power to inject capital to force a new and wrenching round of bank consolidation."
Early this month, he explains, "in a nearly unnoticed move," Paulson, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, put in place a new tax break worth billions of dollars that is designed to encourage bank mergers. It allows the acquiring bank to immediately deduct any losses on the books of the acquired bank.
Paulson and other Treasury officials have made public statements calling on the banks that receive public funds to use them to increase their lending activities. That, however, is for public consumption. The bailout program imposes no lending requirements on the banks in return for government cash.
Already, the credit crisis has been used to engineer the takeover of Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual by JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, Wachovia by Wells Fargo and, last Friday, National City by PNC.
What the Wall Street Journal on Saturday called the "strong-arm sale" of National City provides a taste of what is to come. The Treasury Department sealed the fate of the Cleveland-based bank by deciding not to include it among the regional banks that will receive government handouts. It then gave Pittsburgh-based PNC $7.7 billion from the bailout fund to help defray the costs of a takeover of National City. PNC will also benefit greatly from the tax write-off on mergers enacted by Treasury.
All of the claims that were made to justify the bank bailout have been exposed as lies. President Bush, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Paulson were joined by the Democratic congressional leadership and Barack Obama in warning that the bailout had to be passed, and passed immediately, despite massive popular opposition. Those who opposed the plan were denounced for jeopardizing the well being of the American people.
In a nationally televised speech delivered September 24, in advance of the congressional vote on the bailout plan, Bush said it would "help American consumers and businessmen get credit to meet their daily needs and create jobs." If the bailout was not passed, he warned, "More banks could fail, including some in your community. The stock market would drop even more, which would reduce the value of your retirement account.... More businesses would close their doors, and millions of Americans could lose their jobs ... ultimately, our country could experience a long and painful recession."
One month later, the bailout has been enacted, and all of the dire developments--banks and businesses disappearing, the stock market plunging, unemployment skyrocketing--which the American people were told it would prevent are unfolding with accelerating speed.
While Obama talks about the need for all Americans to "come together" in a spirit of "shared sacrifice"--meaning drastic cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other social programs--and the cost of the bailout is cited to justify fiscal austerity, the bankers proceed to ruthlessly prosecute their class interests.
As the World Socialist Web Site warned when it was first proposed in mid-September, the "economic rescue" plan has been revealed to be a scheme to plunder society for the benefit of the financial aristocracy. The American ruling elite, utilizing its domination of the state and the two-party political system, is exploiting a crisis of its own making to carry through an economic agenda, long in preparation, that could not be imposed under normal conditions.
The result will be greater economic hardship for ordinary Americans. The big banks will have even greater market power to set interest rates and control access to credit for workers, students and small businesses.
While no serious measures are being proposed, either by the Bush administration, the Republican presidential candidate or his Democratic opponent, to prevent a social catastrophe from overtaking working people, the government is organizing a restructuring of the financial system that will enable a handful of mega-banks to increase their power over society.
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Labels: banking 1 comments Links to this post
Thursday, October 09, 2008 at 12:33 AM Posted by Oscar HOY
Wednesday, October 08, 2008 at 2:56 AM Posted by Oscar HOY
The rise was all the more worrying as it came despite an extraordinary expansion of credit by the central banks. Analysts at BNP Paribas noted the Federal Reserve alone had expanded its balance sheet by an astonishing 49 per cent in the past three weeks, taking its assets to $1,390bn.
It also broke with tradition to lend to companies directly by buying unsecured commercial paper.
"This is very important, because it means that the Fed has crossed the Rubicon of unsecured lending," said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital.
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Labels: fed 1 comments Links to this post
at 1:35 AM Posted by Oscar HOY
On Tuesday, CME Group and Citadel announced they would be creating an electronic trading platform for credit-default-swap contracts. The venture between the two Chicago firms is meant to launch within 30 days and would provide a fully integrated trading and clearing platform for the complex derivative contracts that have been one of the flash points of the credit crisis.
I'm not a fundamental analyst, but could this be a buy on CME?
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Labels: CME, exchange, trading 1 comments Links to this post
at 1:16 AM Posted by Oscar HOY
"By keeping its stake in AIG below 80 per cent, as it did when it nationalized mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac 10 days earlier, the US government will be able to keep the company's finances off its accounts. But pressure is building on the pristine triple-A credit rating of the US government, the chairman of Standard & Poor's sovereign ratings committee said. The bail-out 'has weakened the fiscal profile of the United States', John Chambers said. 'There's no God-given gift of a triple-A rating, and the US has to earn it like everyone else,'" according to The Independent.
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Labels: AAA, credit rating 1 comments Links to this post
at 12:52 AM Posted by Oscar HOY
Tuesday, October 07, 2008 at 4:05 PM Posted by Oscar HOY
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Perimeter Science: Hunting for New Forces
Perimeter Faculty members Philip Schuster and Natalia Toro use existing accelerators to look for forces beyond the known four.
Electromagnetism, strong, weak, and gravity: these are the four forces. But are they the only ones? If there were other forces – forces that interacted with us only weakly, if at all – how would we know?
"There easily could be other forces in nature, and we wouldn't have found them," says Philip Schuster, a new Perimeter Faculty member who specializes in particle physics. "They might act on other kinds of matter, like dark matter, but they'd have a tough time coupling to us."
Nonetheless, there are few particular ways in which these forces could be detected. Schuster and fellow Perimeter Faculty member Natalia Toro envisioned a particle physics experiment in which the carrier of such a new force – it would be something like a photon, but with mass – could be spotted in the lab. An article on their research has just been published in Physical Review Letters.
The key is that the new force carrier could mix with the photon. "Quantum mechanically, the new boson could convert to a photon – or vice versa," Toro explains. "Then the new force could couple to electric charge, at some small fraction of the [electromagnetic] strength." This would allow the new force to affect ordinary matter, and this effect could be detected with particle physics techniques.
"A few years ago, physicists realized that there could well be new forces at energy ranges we've already explored – and we would have missed them, because the processes are so rare," says Schuster. "But we also realized that we have equipment in laboratories all over the world where one could do a one-month experiment, and be orders of magnitude more sensitive to new forces."
Schuster and Toro worked closely with theorists James Bjorken and Rouven Essig of the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) and experimentalist Bogdan Wojtsekhowski of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, in Virginia, to design an experiment to run at Jefferson Lab, which has the highest intensity electron beam in the world. The experiment, dubbed APEX, involves more than 60 scientists and engineers. It has just completed a test run.
Jefferson Lab was chosen not only because of the intensity of the beam, but because the mass range it can explore is both previously unexplored and particularly interesting.
There are places where we've already checked for new forces, explains Toro, sketching in the air a graph that resembles a large hill with a sagging cloud cover above it. The graph shows the coupling strength of the new force carrier on one axis and carrier's mass on the other. The open, unexplored space between the hill and the cloud is the same space that the Jefferson Lab beam – and other beams around the world – can easily reach.
This clear sky space also happens to be the space in which something interesting might well be happening. There's an anomaly in the magnetic moment of the muon – the g-2 anomaly – that could be explained by a new force carrier in this mass range with a very weak coupling. There are astrophysical anomalies that could be explained if dark matter was affected by the new force – and there are some models based on these anomalies that predict that the force carrier was in this mass range. Finally, the coupling strength in this space is about one part per thousand – a region interesting to theorists because it's a loop factor, a radiative correction in quantum field theory.
It's a lucky coincidence. "I definitely remember an afternoon that was full of lots of 'holy cow!' moments, when we realized these things lined up," says Schuster.
APEX's successful test run proved the feasibility of looking for new force carriers using existing accelerators, and also explored a piece of the parameter space – taking a narrow swath out of the clear sky. "After the first hour of running, we were into new territory," says Toro. "It's a beautifully sensitive experiment."
APEX is preparing for a full run.
APEX is one of several experiments hunting for the carrier of a new force, a hypothetical boson dubbed A'. This graph shows the range of the parameter space covered by these proposed experiments. The solid red is the slice of parameter space covered by APEX's test run. The full APEX experiment will search the entire area above the red curve.