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BlackBerry 10: Research In Motion's Last Throw Of The Dice?
Nicholas is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Research In Motion (NASDAQ: BBRY) is counting down the days to the launch of its new generation of BlackBerry smartphones, which go by the name BlackBerry 10. The Canadian-based smartphone maker's stock rose by 50% during the month of November, following its announcement of successful developments with regards to BB10 launch.
The company seems to be getting all sorts of bonuses from analysts. A majority of the analysts are expressing a significant level of confidence in the company's stock, which relies upon the success of BB10. Goldman Sachs analysts estimate a 30% chance of success, which is significantly material given the company's 2012 woes. Research In Motion does not rely on revenue from its BlackBerry smartphones alone.
In general, the company provides "platforms and solutions for access to information, including email, voice, instant messaging, short message service, Internet and Intranet-based browsing, and multimedia content through developing integrated hardware, software, and services." However, according to statistics, the BlackBerry unit is a major player in the company's overall performance. This is because of the way the unit's dismal performance impacted on the overall performance of the company's stock in 2012.
Research In Motion faces stiff competition from smartphone industry giants like Samsung Electronics Company, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Nokia (NYSE: NOK), among others. The company also faces an uphill task in the smartphone OS business, as it lags well behind Google (NASDAQ: GOOG)'s Android, as well as Apple's iOS. However, the BlackBerry smartphone still maintains its lead in the workplace, but continues to lose the grasp of the market share in the area as businesses embrace iPhones and other smartphones.
For instance, the department of Defense said in October that it would embrace the use of iPhones and Android smartphones. The department has been using BlackBerry smartphones since the introduction of the devices. This indicates that there is an encroachment of sorts in its stronghold business segment. Therefore, RIM will now battle it out with the likes of HTC Corporation, Google's Motorola Mobility, iPhones, and Samsung Smartphones, among others.
The Big Question: Is BB10 RIM's Last Throw of the Dice?
Research In Motion's BlackBerry platform is not only facing a challenge from the smartphone industry competitors, but also from App developers. In a recent survey, only 9% of developers were willing to develop BlackBerry apps. This is a worrying statistic as the company approaches its long awaited launch of BB10. Smartphones run on applications, and hence, RIM will need support from developers for it to stand a chance of competing with the two main ecosystems, the iOS and Android. The tech giant will need to invest well in order to boost its newly re-branded App store, the Blackberry World.
According to analysts, a decent performance by BB10 will likely return RIM to profitability. However, this is only a big "if." In fact, RIM's task is larger than what is being perceived. The company postponed the launch of the device to 2013, skipping out the busy festive season which would have otherwise given the company a good basis for judgment. Cyber Monday just reported more than $1.4 billion worth of online transactions, while Black Friday logged a historical $1 billion. So, did RIM miss an opportunity? Only time will tell.
The BB10 has been touted as the savior of the Canadian tech giant. According to the way the company is handling the launch, there is every reason that this could be true. Over the last two quarters, there have been reports linking the company with a possible sale of its smartphone BlackBerry unit, which is probably the only alternative if BB10 fails to pull the strings together.
The company engaged JPMorgan Chase and RBC Capital Markets in the early part of the year to assess possible buyout options. The company has also involved Goldman Sachs in strategizing for its future. Windows Phone 8 maker Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) was one of the rumored potential buyers of the BlackBerry Unit, with Nokia and Samsung being linked as well. However, these options faded off, and now the company's stock is trading in double digits after it had dropped from mid teens to $6.22 per share in late September.
Bottom Line
Research In Motion is facing a make it or break it situation with its latest generation of BlackBerry phones. The company's future does indeed rely on how well its newest device will do come 2013. The company's previous devices performed underwhelmingly, especially BB7, as competition intensified. It is believed that BB10 will be a class act in the smartphones industry. My recommendation is that, that is the only option; otherwise, this might as well be RIM's last involvement in the smartphones business.
RIM closed at $11.89 on Thursday.
Nmaithya has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Amazon.com, Google, and Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple, Amazon.com, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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Monster Turbine Pro Copper In-Ear Headphones
" I was selected to review these headphones in exchange for honest review, that review follows: I have used a lot of different headphones of varying prices and have been enjoying the Monster Turbine Pro Copper headphones ever since I received them. In short, they are now my IEMs of choice. Before even listening to the headphones, I was impressed by the packaging and the way I could..." --schalliol
Monster Turbine Pro Gold In-Ear Headphones
" Well, this has been quite the turn of events! I had auditioned a full-sized Monster headphone, which I felt rather negative about, but the Turbine Pro Gold (TPG from here on) caught me quite off guard. Overall, the TPGs are excellent sounding, have superior build quality to many earbuds and IEMs I've owned/seen and offer a wide array of tips for fitted comfort, so let's explore what makes..." --Landis
Miles Davis Trumpet High Performance In-ear Headphones
"Had these Little Gems nearly a year now & felt compelled to give a Review (My opinion) of them. Best start at the beginning then I guess Since I 1st seen these a couple of years back I somehow knew I would end up with a pair as looks wise they are indeed Little Gems Once your box arrives = you'll get the typical Monster Fancy Box & inside that lots of other Fancy Pouches/ cases/ Tips/..." --itsmejulieeye
iBeats Headphones with ControlTalk From Monster® - In-Ear Noise Isolation - Black
"Ahh Beats by Dre, the love em, hate em headphones. Well for these little guys its a love em kind of relationship for me the cheapest of the beats range yet they still manage to pack more punch then most, they have the classic beats sound but it seems to be much more refined from something like the Solo HD's, the bass is tighter and goes deeper, the mids are clear, not crystal but more like the..." --Burns0100
Monster Miles Davis Tribute Jazz In-Ear Headphones
" I would say that burn-in is a must for this earphone. Before burn-in, the earphone sounded unimpressive. I almost wanted to return or sell it off. It sounded so much better after burn-in. The first thing that I noticed is the bass. There is a good quantity of it (once you get a good seal) but it is not muddy at all. It was very punchy. Using it for movies proved quite..." --regleo
Monster Diddy Beats In-Ear Headphones
"I bought these a year ago for $150. If you have a decent home theater system and you have a club, jazz or disco preset, that's what these sound like. They have a fun grungy club sound to them. I think they are overpriced for what you get, at the time I didn't know any better comming from apple earbuds and JVC Gummies. The bad think about these is they are HEAVY. I weighed theses against..." --JonnyRocket
AWEI ES-900i Headset Earphones Speakers with Mic for Smart Phone - Black
"Ok, this is my first review and I'm going to try to make this as simple as possible and keep it short. About a week ago, I received this pair of headphones. I've read some extremely good feedback on other sites and I though, why not? I managed to get a pair online that were on sale (0.7 dollars cheaper, how good is that?!). I received them last week, so I've been able..." --banjoanton
Monster Gratitude In-Ear Headphones
"Thought I'd give a little love to this iem and write a quick review for it. In my opinion, its one of the closest that monster has gotten to its typical description of "clear highs, smooth mids, and punchy dynamic bass." Build Quality: These are definite build better than some of the other monster iems. Feels sturdy in its metal housing and the right angle jack feels sturdy. The right..." --Cotnijoe
Awei K80
" What can I say about these? I saw a lot of people going for the Awei branded items on eBay, so I got one myself. They were surprisingly good and surprisingly bad at the same time. I will explain. Pros Housing build - For $2, an aluminum housing is quite exceptional. Accessories - While the Awei K80 only comes with one pair of tips, they are surprisingly pretty high quality. Somewhat..." --pro1137
AWEI ES800M In-Ear Hi-Fi Headphone
Gold plated plug; Wired control microphone; Aluminum ear pads won't heat even after long time working; Supports iPhone and tablet PC Brand AWEI Model ES800M Sound Excellent Hi-Fi sound Earphone Type Wired headset Sensitivity 116+/-3dB(1000Hz, 0.5Vrms) Impedance 16 ohms Frequency Response 18Hz-20000Hz Driver Diameter 11 mm Connector 3.5 mm audio jack Cable Length 1.5 m Compatibility iPhone...

subset: commoncrawl


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Finally, Cuddy and House sleep. Rachel wakes them up with news that she needs a diaper change, and now that House knows there are no dimes to be found, he's not volunteering to change her. Cuddy goes instead, only to find a dime in her daughter's diaper. "How did you eat a dime?" she asks as House's eyes snap open. "House," Rachel tattles.
You can read more from Sara Morrison at L.A.me, follow her on Twitter, or you can email her at email@example.com.
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see why we hated Season 6. And see what our vlogger thinks of the show below!
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|Pacific Presbytery After Ratification / Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / May 10, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Welcome to MLP's Amendment 10-A Site
On July 8, 2010, the 219th General Assembly (2010) proposed a change to the Presbyterian Church (USA) Constitution that would remove barriers to the ordination of openly lesbian and gay candidates to ministry by a vote of 373-323-4. The proposed change also needed to be ratified by a majority of the 173 presbyteries to become part of the Constitution. This site was active during the Yes on Amendment 10-A ratification campaign which ended on May 10, 2011 when the Twin Cities became the 87th presbytery to pass Amendment 10-A.
Campaign Results


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By Laura Ann Sills - bio | email
COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson sent a letter to 'The Daily Beast' Wednesday afternoon demanding they take the article claiming Columbus is the "Brokest City in America" down from their website based "on its inaccuracies and misleading statements."
[Read the entire press release here.]
Tomlinson also cited the discovery of a partnership between 'The Daily Beast' and Expedia and Hotels.com, two businesses with which the city has been in a five-year long lawsuit to recover unpaid hotel taxes.
The announcement that Columbus, GA was named the "Brokest City in America" on Tuesday became a joke for many. For others, they felt it legitimized their dissatisfaction with the town.
Mike Daniels, an Economics professor at Columbus State University, told News Leader 9 he decided to run the numbers himself before believing it. "I went back and I re-did their study. I took their data that they presented. I put it in my computer and re-ran it just to see if they were right. And, they were not."
Daniels said using their data and their model, the article had the cities in the wrong order.
He spent about 2 hours working the numbers.
He said economists are always in the business of trying to figure out the health of an economic system, but 'The Daily Beast' went about it the wrong way with the wrong criteria.
He also said the data they used in their study was inaccurate. The average household income should be about $2,000 more than their number at $36,000. And, their unemployment rate was two percentage points higher than it actually is.
But, he says the biggest problem was the model itself.
"The financial community looks debt to income, what is your percentage of income tied up in debt. So, I created that number and re-ran the analysis using debt to income and unemployment and you get a totally different list," explained Daniels.
"They were trying to make a splash, they did. Obviously they got the attention of the media, and the mayor, and to be honest, they should get our attention. But, the end result is that you cannot trust what came out of the article," said Daniels.
The original article on The Daily Beast can be found here.
Copyright 2011 WTVM. All rights reserved.
1909 Wynnton Road
Columbus, Ga. 31906
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For the second time in three days Auburn police are investigating a shooting with injuries...this time a middle school was locked down as a precaution.
Investigators say around 3:40 Monday afternoon a 17-year-old pulled out a handgun and fired at his neighbor near their homes on Darden Avenue. Police say the neighbor had accused the teen of stealing from him.
After the teen fired his gun, the neighbor returned fire with a shotgun, striking the teen in the stomach with birdshot.
Police say the wounded juvenile ran away in the direction of Drake Middle School.
"We felt like it was best to just lock the school down and not let any kids outside or anyone inside just until we got the situation under control," said Police Chief Tommy Dawson.
The teen was arrested shortly after the shooting and is expected to recover from his injuries.
Police say he could be charged with reckless endangerment if the neighbor decides to press charges.
Copyright 2013 WTVM. All rights reserved.
12 East Delano Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36105
(334) 288-1212
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Central Garden & Pet Co.
Farm And Garden Machinery And Equipment CA, United States
| Nasdaq: CENT | Nasdaq: CENTA
Central Garden & Pet Co. is an innovator, marketer and producer of products for the lawn & garden and pet supplies markets in the United States. The company's pet supplies products include products for dogs and cats, including edible bones, edible and non-edible chews, super premium dog and cat food and treats, leashes, collars, toys, pet carriers, grooming supplies and other accessories; products for birds, small animals and specialty pets, including food, cages and habitats, toys, chews and related accessories; animal and household health and insect control products; products for fish, reptiles and other aquarium-based pets, including aquariums, furniture and lighting fixtures, pumps, filters, water conditioners, food and supplements, and information and knowledge resources; and products for horses and livestock. Its products are sold under various brand names including Adams, Altosid, Aqueon, Avoderm, BioSpot, Coralife, Farnam, Four Paws, Interpet, Kaytee, Kent Marine, Nylabone, Oceanic Systems, Pet Select, Pre-Strike, Pinnacle, Super Pet, TFH, Zilla and Zodiac. The company's lawn and garden supplies products include proprietary and non-proprietary grass seed, wild bird feed, bird feeders, bird houses and other birding accessories; weed, grass, ant and other herbicide, insecticide and pesticide products; and decorative outdoor lifestyle and lighting products including pottery, trellises and other wood products and holiday lighting. Its products are sold under various brand names including AMDRO, GKI/Bethlehem Lighting, Grant's, Ironite, Lilly Miller, Matthews Four Seasons, New England Pottery, Norcal Pottery, Pennington, Over'n Out, Sevin, Smart Seed and The Rebels. Central Garden & Pet was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA.


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SNL's Seth Meyers is coming to TPAC's James K. Polk Theater!
Seth Meyers at TPAC's James K. Polk Theater
Where: TPAC's James K. Polk Theater
Date: Saturday, March 30
Price: $35
Times: 8:00PM Show and 10:00PM Show
via TPAC's website:
"Seth Meyers will be at James K. Polk Theater in Nashville, TN - March 30
Star of Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update' comes to TPAC for a rare night of standup! As head writer for SNL, Seth Meyers has helped shape some of the best comedy of the last 10 years and recently delivered an absolutely incredible & hilarious keynote at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
The New Hampshire-born Seth Meyers graduated from Northwestern University and soon joined the improv/sketch comedy group Boom Chicago, which performed in Chicago, London, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Singapore. Meyers also performed with Chicago's Improv Olympic, which has been used as a springboard by many other SNL cast members and writers.
During a performance at the Chicago Improv Festival, he caught the eye of SNL producers and was soon hired as a featured player. In addition to contributing to numerous sketches, Meyers appears in the recurring "Jarret's Room" sketch as DJ Jonathan Feinstein as well as co-hosting the Irish talk show "Top O' The Morning" as William Fitzpatrick, opposite Jimmy Fallon's Patrick Fitzwilliam. He has also contributed notable impressions of Hugh Grant, Russell Crowe, Tobey Maguire, Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry and NBC News' Stone Phillips and Brian Williams."


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Happy Birthday, Pen
Today, Sunday, is Pendleton Ward's 30th birthday. Thanks, Pen, for allowing us to grab onto your creative vision's coattails. When it comes to celebrating, don't do anything we wouldn't do (i.e. everything except watching a Family Matters marathon).
If you'd like to give Pen a birthday shout-out, maybe this is the place to do it?
I can't stop reblogging this… too cute!
Pen, you're fab….have a great birthday and thanks for the bazillion laughs… ♥
Wow, Pen's only 30?? Something (probably the beard) made me think otherwise. XD
This is an awesome cake for an awesome guy.
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THE MIDDLE - "The 100th" - Marking the 100th episode milestone of "The Middle," the citizens of Orson, Indiana celebrate the Orsontennial - the town's 100th anniversary. During this momentous event, Frankie and Mike find themselves begrudgingly trying to drive a giant cow float in the parade; Axl, Sean and Darrin resurrect Boss Co. and attempt to make some big bucks by setting up a VIP area to view the festivities; Sue, still crushing on Darrin, tries to make him jealous by pretending to be dating Brad again; and Brick tries to earn himself a place in Orson history by entering a contest to come up with the town's new motto, which will be used for the next 100 years, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Michael Ansell) JOHN GAMMON, CHARLIE MCDERMOTT
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FULTON, IL — New Ru-Mend is part of an improved Key Dairy Program from Agri-King, Inc., Fulton, Ill. The newly formulated Ru-Mend helps break down fiber and starch, releasing more energy and nutrients. New technology assists in making nutrients more available to the rumen and the cow. Adding Ru-Mend to your ration can help improve feed digestibility and feed efficiency. Ru-Mend is available for conventional operations and also is approved for organic use under the name Ru-Mend Special.
Receive the latest news, information and commentary customized for you. Sign up to receive Beef Today's Cattle Drive today!. Interested in the latest prices for cattle in your area? See highlights of the latest for-sale cattle in the Cattle-Exchange eNewsletter.


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BSD Medical Corp.
Electromedical And Electrotherapeutic Apparatus UT, United States
| Nasdaq: BSDM
Similar to: Kinetic Concepts, Inc., Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA
BSD Medical Corp. develops, manufactures, markets and services medical systems that deliver precision-focused radio frequency (RF) or microwave energy into diseased sites of the body, heating them to specified temperatures as required by a variety of medical therapies. Its product line for cancer therapy has been created to offer hospitals and clinics a complete solution for thermal treatment of certain cancers as provided through microwave/RF systems. The company's product line includes a range of thermal systems for the treatment of certain cancers, including both hyperthermia and ablation treatment systems. Its hyperthermia cancer treatment systems are used to treat certain tumors with heat (hyperthermia) while increasing the effectiveness of other therapies such as radiation therapy. Its microwave ablation system has been developed as a stand-alone therapy to ablate and destroy soft tissue. The company was founded on March 17, 1978 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT.


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All instruments from the University of Edinburgh Musical Instrument Museums' collection are catalogued within MIMO (Musical Instrument Museums Online). A new search facility will shortly be added to this site but for the time being the MIMO site offers the simplest way to access information about individual instruments in our collection. Alternatively, printed catalogues of the collections are available via the link below.
To search the MIMO database, select Advanced Search on the top right left of page.
Under Instrument Identification, select University of Ediburgh from the Data Provider drop down list (page 5 of 5).
Search by instrument title, keyword or free search.
On the Search Results page, select the magnifying glass on the right of the page to view an instrument record.
You can also search by instrument classification, instrument history or collection.
This article was published on Apr 3, 2013


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Crews extinguished a small grass fire Sunday after a burn pile got out of control near Whitehouse.
The fire broke out around 5:30 Sunday evening near the intersection of Highway 110 and FM 344. This is just south of Whitehouse.
Troup and Whitehouse firefighters responded to the scene. Officials say a burn pile got out of control and burned around 5 acres before crews were able to extinguish the flames.
No structures were damaged in this fire and nobody was injured.
Copyright 2014 KLTV. All rights reserved.
A pet goldfish is off-the-hook and alive after a micro-surgery removes a tumor from his brain.
105 West Ferguson Street
Tyler, TX 75702
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cuke.com - home| what was new | table of contents | Shunryu Suzuki Index | donate
People Index or link pages - also see Interviews, Brief Memories, Suzuki Stories, Links, Comments, and here and there
Marian (Derby, Mountain) Wisberg (rip)
7-14-13 - My friendship with Marian Derby Wisberg by Fran Thompson
6-05-13 - Three documents from Marian Derby Wisberg sent us seven years ago.
* a letter on
the Los Altos Suzuki lecture tapes
8-02-14 - Marian Derby letter to DC explaining what she thinks the source of the box of Shunryu Suzuki Los Altos Lecture transcripts with editing marks that ended up in the SFZC library closet - all of which now are in lecture archive on shunryusuzuki.com. - - in Group I of 2013 Scans from Cuke Archives
Posting on the cuke lecture and quote page and The earliest apparently verbatim lectures from Los Altos pages. Tons of posts and info sort of confusing needs to be reorganized especially in light of what is known now. Also need to do corrections of info in Crooked Cucumber and even the more recent Afterward to the 40th edition of ZMBM.
ZMBM page which has a useful chart and links to source lectures
8-16-14 - Have been corresponding with Joel Weishaus about Marian Derby Wisberg whom he met at Tassajara in 1969. - DC
6-04-13 - Here's another photo with Marian in it [the top one] but you can't see her face.
6-03-13 - Here's the only photo I've found so far of Marian Derby Wisberg (Mountain) who recently passed on. It's from the archive of photos in Shunryu Suzuki dot com. She's the third from the right on the 2nd row. Could have missed some others with her. Will look further. Will find more. Much work to do on photos and naming. - dc
Here's another photo with Marian in it but you can't see her face. She's second from the left.
Didn't get it at first because I'd spelled Marian's name as "Marion." Spent a half hour fixing other places where I'd done that. Now even more mentions of Marian will come up if one does a site search - though it may take a few days for the search engines to have those corrections. - dc
6-01-13 - After uploading today's posts, will look through the archive of photos in Shunryu Suzuki dot com for some with Marian Derby Wisberg (Mountain) who passed away at 90 on May 15t, Marian's cuke page.
5-31-13 - We just learned that Marian Derby (Mountain) Wisberg died on May 15th. - Thanks to Blanch Hartman for calling me yesterday and passing on this news she'd received from Fran Thompson.
Read Fran Thompson's message about Marian's passing
We knew her as Marian Derby. She was the spirited, energetic, trailblazing student of Shunryu Suzuki who founded the Haiku Zendo in Los Altos and first recorded Suzuki's lectures - for a book that became Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. In the early seventies she married Jack Wisberg in Big Sur where they first lived - and took his name. She is known to many as Marian Mountain the pen name she used for her book, The Zen Environment: the Impact of Zen Meditation.
Marian letter to DC on location of ZMBM tapes - Zen Mind Beginner's Mind lecture tapes all but 2 still missing
Marian Wisberg (Derby, Mountain) letter to DC - 97-05-09
Marian letter to friends & DC Xmas 2010
Marian Report on Peninsula Branch of SFZC - undated - circa 1970
The Zen Environment: the Impact of Zen Meditation. (We have William Morrow, 1982 and Bantam Books, 1983). Amazon link
Download The Zen Environment: The Impact of Zen Meditation
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind - zmbm.net and cuke's zmbm page
Beginner's Mind - Marian's original manuscript
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind chart
Earliest transcribed Shunryu Suzuki lectures
Search for "marian" in the search boxes on the home or What's New pages for more on Marian. Many mentions in the interview with Peg Anderson and Will Stocker.
More will be added later today and tomorrow.
Fran Thompson's message about Marian's death
Marion Derby Wisberg died in the early morning hours of May 15. She was 90. Jack (her husband) called me the next day . He said Marion had been fine the day before. That she had low blood pressure and went about her day as usual. They went to bed (twin beds) and in the morning Marion was sprawled on the bed with her eyes open , stone cold. Good way to go. I told Jack I'd notify Zen Center and he asked me to wait until he'd talked with her son and family. Jack gets very suspicious of others and it upsets him to let even a piece of information out of his control. Yesterday I called Marion's family who said of course. Marion and I still kept up a correspondence, although less often as we got older. She called on the phone occasionally and was able to speak clearly . She had not completed her latest book (Snail Zen) but had arranged to put it into someone else's hands to complete. Her ashes will be interred at a cemetery in Los Osos (near Morro Bay) where Jack has a family plot.
contact DC at <email@example.com>


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- Presenter
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- Presenter
- Roisin Conaty
Impractical Jokers, Series 1 Episode 4 of 6
Duration: 30 minutes
The jokers convince complete strangers into taking a ridiculous amount of photos of them, force each other to offer unhelpful advice at a garden centre and risk total embarrassment carrying out bizarre instructions during a CPR demonstration.
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Sony Ericsson Z310 Phone: Love It or Leave It?
by POPSUGAR Tech 50 Reactions 0 Shares Print
I can't decide whether I'm digging this phone because of my early obsession with Rainbow Brite or Jem and the Holograms, but the giant star and colorful stripes make this gadget absolutely adorable! Designed by fashion designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, the Z310 special edition Sony Ericsson phone was recently launched in Europe by Vodafone. Gizmodiva also reveals that the phone comes with interchangeable face plates and wallpapers designed by "la Prada." Priced around $132. What do you think?
Love It or Leave It
auwiiani 6 years
cool design. but kinda out of date. =(
shini 6 years
kinda tacky cuz of the star-_-
ilanac13 6 years
it's ok - i think that i would like it for about a week and then get tired of it - but then again with kids really young having cells- it's kind of age appropriate
mellafe 6 years
I WANTS. And I'm not into phones. But I want it.
aoitenshi 6 years
I have the z610i, which I love, but this is adorable!
Kaori 6 years
Oh.My.GOD.I WANT THIS PHONE
Kaori 6 years
Oh. My. GOD. I WANT THIS PHONE
Caramel-Kisses 6 years
It's cute.I want it now...*frown*
Caramel-Kisses 6 years
It's cute. I want it now... *frown*
UrbanBohemian 6 years
I really love it! It's retro and happy and colorful!
Tari007 6 years
I think it's AWESOME! I love it!
controlledspin 6 years
It's truly truly truly outrageous!!!
leahlarocco 6 years
This is so ugly! Rainbow brite!
pinkyga 6 years
For some reason, I just don't like it. Looks like one a very young teen would want.
terryt18 6 years
It's cute but I don't like it. I agree with others that it looks out of date. It looks like my very first nokia with a camera added.
Lovely_1 6 years
I totally love it! That is what I am looking for :PI have a Sony Ericsson and they are terrific phones!
Lovely_1 6 years
I totally love it! That is what I am looking for :P I have a Sony Ericsson and they are terrific phones!
inlovewithhim 6 years
cute. would look good on the razor phone.
princessangry 6 years
totally outrageous!!
princessangry 6 years
totally outrageous!!
aimeeb 6 years
Super cute!!
aimeeb 6 years
Super cute!!
melda 6 years
it's cute but not something i'd buy
lollipopgirl 6 years
This is absolutely adorable!!!!! Unfortunately I'm only referring to the design...the features are kinda lacking...
leeluvfashion 6 years
Hate; a (somewhat) pretty outside covers up the lack of a good inside (the phone is very basic and you can go on wirefly and get a blackberry pearl for that price.)
PinkiePinkie 6 years
so cute ... i would love to have it... i love color
ames3560 6 years
Very cute, but I think I would feel like I was 12.
veronicaraye 6 years
veronicaraye 6 years
GeorgiaCharlotte 6 years
um, LOVE it.but then again, my last phone was the Z200 and I loved that too, it was so nice to use.
GeorgiaCharlotte 6 years
um, LOVE it. but then again, my last phone was the Z200 and I loved that too, it was so nice to use.
PrincessTracy 6 years
not my style...
PrincessTracy 6 years
not my style...
angelcakesugar 6 years
It does look very 80s cartoonish...in a good way.
kitkatherine 6 years
i want it. i love my sony ericcison, but it bores me a bit - bland white phone, like most are. i would love to have something like this.
cottonpoots 6 years
SQUEE! Pretty pretty eye candy.
cottonpoots 6 years
SQUEE! Pretty pretty eye candy.
alisaa 6 years
i really like it! i wonder if you could get it here in canada.
ohvogueee 6 years
its cute but I wouldn't buy it.. maybe if I was 10
ohvogueee 6 years
its cute but I wouldn't buy it..maybe if I was 10
millarci 6 years
nah leave it. way too colorful for a cell phone. but the design is nice.
ImJessica 6 years
I think it's cute, but I love rainbow designs.
NurseDeAnna 6 years
I love the pattern...can I get it on my razer hehe
guineapiggin9 6 years
That is so cute!
guineapiggin9 6 years
That is so cute!
SugarKat 6 years
outdated...Yeah, I agree skinnymarie.
SugarKat 6 years
outdated... Yeah, I agree skinnymarie.
SkinnyMarie 6 years
I like the design, but the phone looks a little thick and out of date.
Gabriela14815884 6 years
I think its cute :D
Gabriela14815884 6 years
I think its cute :D
Link Love
- Only 8 other people have ever had this brain condition — Newser
- 17 movies and shows that have no idea how tech works — Cracked
- Google's new, cheap smartphone launched today — ReadWrite
- A travel charger you'll never lose — Cool Mom Tech
- The most stylish, practical laptop bag out there — ChipChick
- So, this is what's underneath Princess Peach's ballgown — The Mary Sue
- "Dudes in Start-Up Shirts" is your new favorite Tumblr — BuzzFeed


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Hey everyone!!
I was just thinking about the twilight saga novels' titles the other day when this occured to me...
Wanna know something weird?
Twilight starts with a T and ends with a T,
New Moon starts with a N and ends with a N, and
Eclipse stars with an E and ends with an E!!!!!!!!
If only breaking dawn followed the same pattern! Wonder if anyone else noticed that!
So what do you say, people?? Let me know :)))
Views: 1481
© 2014 Created by Hachette Book Group.
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- *The NRCA Roofing Manual – 2014 Boxed Set
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The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for Hazard Communication is the most comprehensive revision to the Federal and State Regulations in quite some time. Despite the unprecedented amount of attention the GHS Standard, Association Members are still plagued by lingering questions. Many employers are still unclear about what topics have to be covered and what is considered to be "effective" training. FOR MORE INFORMATION, click here to read the remainder of this article featured in the CRSMCA Carolinas Contacts Magazine
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Another milestone is about to be reached at the ever-changing Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Construction has long been almost a permanent fixture there…crews come and go at the airport, which has been on a multi-year building spree. But this project, $27 million worth, is the big one. As the airport's Heidi Jared told us, "This is very important. It's really all about safety and security."
In the changed-over terminal, security goes downstairs, new dining and shopping upstairs...where only ticketed passengers can go. Jared says that's "a trend that's post-9/11. About 80% of the concessions, shopping, restaurants, are moving at airports past security."
They expect the 4 million folks who go through the airport every year will be impressed by the makeover: high ceilings, massive windows to see the planes and a woodsy-Tahoe interior theme. The money comes from a bond issue and federal grants. $7 million comes from those shops and restaurants. The rest? Check out the fee on your ticket. The airport's Brian Kulpin says "It's about $4.50. We've been banking that money to pay for this project."
Business is still good at the airport, but flights are down slightly. Ticket prices are up with jet fuel costs. Southwest trimmed its flights to Oakland. Kulpin told us, "A lot of airports that are medium hub airports, which is what Reno-Tahoe is, in the past 10 years have seen a 46% drop in what is called the short-haul traffic to closer cities."
And there is that merger of American Airlines and US Airways. Both fly here. With less competition it could mean even higher air fares, and that could also drop traffic here. Kulpin agrees, "There is less competition. That's something we can't control at the airport and that could happen in the future, but hopefully they'll remain pretty competitive with each other."
Meanwhile, the airport thrives...ready to introduce its latest look in just a month.
-written by John Potter
KTVN-TVPhone: (775) 858-2222Fax: (775) 861-4298
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Remember when status in school meant something? Remember when the more popular kids thought of themselves as royalty?
As a senior today, four times older than when I was the other kind of senior, I look back and wonder why popularity, or lack thereof, mattered.
Let me explain:
Heather Glidewell McDonald's life is a love story. One big part of her story is that she fell for her Rogers, Ark., high school sweetheart, Don McDonald. They separated to attend different colleges, but that didn't last long and, in 1975, they graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, together — a year after they got married. They remained husband and wife for 37-1/2 years.
From the beginning, Heather was surrounded by the love of family.
Not to know what happened before you were born is to be forever a child. This ancient axiom is especially true about momentous historical events which shaped our destiny.
As this Centennial series continues, we hope to relate the critical moments which unfolded as New Mexico emerged from a centuries-old outpost of the Spanish empire, to become the 47th American state.
At least we passed out a syllabus. Yes, the course outline that we gave out on the first day of class explained what a student needed to do to pass the class.
So, the students at least had some direction: In order to earn a certain grade in this class, thou shalt accomplish certain things. But that's only part of the issue, as some believed that simply by performing various tasks they were guaranteed an "A." The other part of the equation was how well they did the work.
Without polling the candidates, which I don't have time to do this week, it's hard to say what motivated so many Las Vegas citizens to run for so few positions. Seventeen people filed for mayor and two council seats, including an impressive nine for the city's top job.
Maybe so many jumped in because the city is at a pivotal moment in time, when we could move forward on things such as water projects, or backward on things like political favoritism.
By Jesus Lopez
Several years ago, I made a trade: a bicycle I hardly used for a dachshund. Heidi (what else does one name a weenie dog?) had acquired bad manners, gulping her food, piddling on the carpet when chided and scratching and chewing on wooden items.
If there's one thing that has gained traction in the Internet age, it's conspiracy theories. They're everywhere.
On the morning of Jan. 6, the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors will host a first-day-of-issue event on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service and its New Mexico Centennial stamp. That we're kicking off a year of Centennial activities at the History Museum with a stamp-related event delights my historian sensibilities by inviting New Mexico's citizens to take part in a letter-writing project.
The first religious edifices erected in east Las Vegas were the Episcopal and Methodist churches, built within months of each other, at the intersection of Eighth Street and National Avenue, known since then as Zion Hill.
Copyright © 2014
The Las Vegas Optic is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in San Miguel County and Las Vegas, NM, and the surrounding area.


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HAUDIE by JERRY FROM L.I. on 07/24/2008. Trim: 2007 Audi A6 3.2 with Tiptronic, Owned 1 year.
Pros: Styling, comfort, handling in poor weather. technology. Acceleration is more than adequate. 6 speed automatic far better than previous 5. Fuel economy with the direct injection engine is superb for a car that's over 4000lb.'s. Got 30.5mpg on a trip to Conn. a couple of weeks ago. Pretty car that I feel good in.
Cons: front cup holders are ridiculous. Minor but annoying. Minor electrical problems with smart key and auto door locks.
Overall review: Good looking sedan that's economical, reasonably quick and comfortable to drive even in poor road conditions. Quattro is terrific. Had a 2000, 2003 and now the '07 and this is by far the best although, unfortunately by far the most expensive.
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U-Line CO2175FB-00 2000 Series Combo Refrigerator & Ice Maker - Black Cabinet with Black Door
An indispensable indulgence, this CO2175FB-00 2000 Series Combo Refrigerator and Ice Maker by U-Line brings together an abundant Ice Supply, generous Refrigeration Capacity and the convenience of Frost-Free Technology.
The U-Line CO2175FB-00 2000 Series Combo Refrigerator and Ice Maker produces up to 8 lbs. of Crescent Shaped Ice Cubes per day and stores up to 13 lbs. of ice at a time. It offers a spacious 4.2 Cubic Foot Refrigeration Capacity and is designed with patented Frost-Free Technology, Three Adjustable 4mm Glass Shelves with Bullnose Edges, a Removable Clear Crisper, and Adjustable In-Door Storage Shelves that accommodate 2-liter bottles.
The CO2175FB-00 also features U-Line's Touch Control Digital Technology that allows for easy adjustment and monitoring of the refrigeration temperature. Other features include an Interior Light, an Audible Door Open Alarm, a Self-Closing Door Mechanism and Leveling Legs. The Field Reversible Door accepts a 1/4" insert door panel or a 3/4" overlay door panel/frame to match with surrounding cabinetry. This unit is availabe in Black and White models.
The Touch Control Digital Technology is a Full-Featured, Easy-View Command Center that allows you to set and monitor the Refrigeration Temperature. The system manages key model functions and provides user alerts. The temperature is displayed in both Fahrenheit and Celsius. The system also has an "Ice Off" feature that you can use when you are going out of town.
- Color: Black or White
- Vinyl-Clad Cabinet for a Textured, Rich Look
- Accepts 1/4" Insert Flat or Raised Custom Door Panel
- Accepts ¾" Full Overlay Custom Door Panel (Requires separate purchase of an overlay kit)
- Produces Crescent Ice Cubes (½"W x ¾"H x 2½"L)
- Daily Ice Rate Up to 8 lbs.
- Stores Up to 13 lbs. of Ice
- Refrigeration Capacity of 4.2 Cubic Feet
- Three 4mm Glass Shelves with Bullnose Edges that Contain Spills
- Removable Clear Crisper Drawer--Optimizes Product Storage
- Contoured, Adjustable In-Door Storage Shelves Accommodate Larger Containers, Even a 2-Liter Bottle
- Touch Control Digital Technology
- "Ice Off" Feature
- Patented Frost-Free Technology
- Recessed Interior Light
- Audible Door Open Alarm
- Self-Closing Door Mechanism
- Sabbath or "Black Out" Feature
- Field Reversible Door
- Integrated Door Handle
- Contemporary Grille Design Integrates Seamlessly into Surrounding Cabinetry
- Adjustable Leveling Legs Provides Up to 1" Height Extension
- Designed for Built-in or Freestanding Applications
- No Additional Clearance or Ventilation For Built-in Installation (Do Not Obstruct Front Grille)
- No Drain Required Allows for Easy, Convenient and Inexpensive Installation
- Only Requires a 1/4" Outside Diameter Water Line Connection
- UL Listed
- MUST add 1/4" to overall width for proper installation
- Allow 2-1/2" clearance on hinge side for a 90° opening when installed against a wall
- Front grille/toe kick must be unobstructed for proper ventilation
DOOR CLEARANCE INFORMATION*Zero clearance on all 2000 Series black or white units when installed with custom full overlay door panel/frame.
*Zero clearance on all 2000 Series and 1000 Series black or white units when installed with a 1/4" flush insert panel. Allow proper clearance for a raised insert panel.
*Allow 2-1/2" clearance, on hinge side, for a 90 degree opening when installed against a wall on all Stainless Steel models.
|Specs & Features/Benefits
|CAD Drawing
|Use & Care Guide
|Installation Guide
|1/4" Insert Panel Specifications
|Insert Panel Installation Guide
|Full Overlay Panel Prep Specs
|Full Overlay Panel Install Guide
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While the WVU football team is getting ready for the start of fall camp next week, the coaching staff has some business to handle first on the recruiting front.
A large group of rising junior and senior prospects are expected in Morgantown this weekend to visit campus, talk with the coaching staff and current players, tour the football facilities, and some of them will also compete in a one-day camp in hopes of earning an offer.
This group will include eight of the nine current commitments in the 2013 class, with the lone exception not able to make it being Isaac McDonald. He plans to visit Morgantown later in the fall on an official visit.
This will be the first time the commitments will all be together in the same place and they hope to build on a bond that most of them have already formed over Facebook and Twitter throughout the summer.
In addition, they're also hoping to lure a few undecided prospects over to the WVU commitment list.
Safeties Daryl Worley (Philadelphia, Pa. / William Penn Charter School) and Mike Parker (Nokesville, Va. / Kettle Run), running back/safety Jamel James (Katy, Texas / Cinco Ranch), wide receiver Brian Lemelle (Harrisburg, Pa. / Bishop McDevitt) and defensive end Antoine Miles (Canton, Ohio / McKinley), among many others, are some of the 2013 prospects expected to visit Morgantown.
Also, a pair of senior teammates from Eastern Christian Academy (Elkton, Md.) in running back Wendell Smallwood and wide receiver Daikiel Shorts will be on campus but will not work out for the staff.
All of the aforementioned recruits hold verbal offers from WVU.
There will also be a large contingent of prospects hoping to impress the coaching staff enough during drills to earn an offer, and this group includes offensive guard Ki-Jana Evans (Chicago, Ill. / Harlan), wide receivers Malique Belfort (Staten Island, N.Y. / Tottenville) and Eric Carter (Lakeland, Fla. / Lake Gibson), fullback William Houston (Dublin, Ohio / Scioto), outside linebacker and current Northern Illinois commitment Robert Jones (Opa Locka, Fla. / Monsignor Pace) and safety Xavier Hines (Miami, Fla. / Belen Jesuit Prep).
The list doesn't stop there, however, as linebacker Justice Rawlins (Monessen, Pa. / Monessen) and quarterback William Ulmer (Wash., D.C. / St. John's College High) headline the list of rising junior prospects expected in attendance. Rawlins is the brother of 2013 quarterback commitment Chavas Rawlins and currently holds offers from WVU and Pitt, while Ulmer claims early offers from Boston College, Maryland, North Carolina and Syracuse.
It is no doubt an important two days for the staff and don't be surprised if a couple of the senior prospects make their college intentions known after this weekend and end the recruiting process altogether.
*Because all of these visits are unofficial and WVU can not compensate for anybody's travel expenses to and from Morgantown, this list is subject to change without notice.


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Recipes for a Stress-Free Turkey Day
Put all of this into your calendar now so you wont forget a thing. Trust us, youll be grateful for it on Thanksgiving!
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Jonny Valiant
Make the Bing cherry butter for yams. Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate.
Make spiced maple pecans for yams and store airtight at room temperature.
Make pistachio brittle for pumpkin tart and store airtight at room temperature.


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Hotel Vendome : a novel
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Hugues Martin
Swiss American
Owns and operates one of the world's finest luxury hotels; his supermodel wife ran off and married a rock star; raised his daughter on his own; falls in love with a designer.
Heloise Martin
Her mother left when she was four; raised by her father; enamored with the hotel business like her father; attended school in Switzerland; furious with her father for entering into a romantic relationship; afraid she will lose the special bond they share.


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By: Inasid
Watch as WALL•E learns for the very first time how headphones work!
Views: 806 | Posted: 05/25/2011
By: Inasid
WALL•E Meets A Camera
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WALL•E Meets a Fire Hydrant Vignette
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Testing Readybot prototype in other rooms. Bin handling, special tools and attachments.
Views: 3,954 | Posted: 05/25/2011
By: RobotBling
[url=http://www.plasticpals.com]www.plasticpals.com[/url] a demonstration of RayTron's household robot's voice recognition/synthesis technology
Views: 1,634 | Posted: 05/25/2011
By: RobotBling
[url=http://www.plasticpals.com]www.plasticpals.com[/url] RayTron's voice-activated universal remote speaks in a cute voice... reminds me of Wiki from Zack & Wiki!
Views: 1,099 | Posted: 05/25/2011
By: coconutjones
Nuvation teamed with Freescale semiconductor to create a robot that can play air hockey against a human.
Views: 398 | Posted: 05/25/2011
By: ultraredchakra
A real life Wall-E character robot designed for Disney Theme Parks that does most of what the animated version does.
Views: 1,618 | Posted: 04/14/2011
By: Riddler
WALL•E Headphones Vignette
Views: 519 | Posted: 12/20/2010
By: d0wnl0ad3
Views: 762 | Posted: 11/13/2010
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Updates Archives
Secure Communities: Just Another – Bigger - Deportation Dragnet
April 29, 2011 - Posted by Mario Moreno
Since the inception of ICE's Secure Communities program, advocates have been raising concerns that the program incentivizes racial profiling and fails to target the "serious criminal offenders" that it was supposedly designed to target.
While DHS has largely ignored these cries, the data is starting to roll in.
According to ICE's own statistics, more than a quarter (29%) of people removed as a result of the Secure Communities program nationwide have had no criminal convictions. Moreover, the program's success in targeting higher level offenders has actually decreased over time, in spite of pronouncements from ICE that they prioritize more serious offenses. In FY2009, ICE removed 3,744 people under the Secure Communities program with no criminal history. This was 25.9% of the 14,476 total people removed in that period. In FY2010, the ratio increased: 27.7% of removals were of individuals without convictions. From the beginning of FY2011 to date, more than 31% of Secure Communities deportations have been individuals with no criminal history. In fact, as the program has grown, the rate of removals of people without criminal convictions relative to other deportations has steadily increased.
Taking a closer look, while a few counties may do more targeted enforcement, others use the program as an enormous dragnet for non-citizens. The proportion of deportees with no criminal convictions is much higher in some areas.
In California, sixty-four percent of deportees identified via Secure Communities in Merced County had no criminal convictions. In Solano, half of deportees had no criminal record. In Contra Costa, forty-four percent lacked a criminal history. In Sonoma, forty-two percent. And in San Francisco (a so-called "sanctuary city"), forty-six percent of deportees had no criminal history.
In Franklin County, Ohio, more than half the people deported via Secure Communities had no criminal convictions. In Boston, Massachusetts, non-criminal deportations were also at fifty percent.
Deportations from Secure Communities in Prince George's county, Maryland were sixty-five percent non-criminals. In Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, it was seventy-two percent. It gets even worse: an assessment of the first 49 days of implementation of Secure Communities in New York found that in six out of 11 counties, 100 percent of immigrants identified through Secure Communities had no criminal records.
Moreover, a significant proportion of removals that are counted as "criminal aliens" result from low-level offenses such as trespassing or driving without a license. A combined 60.3% of removals under Secure Communities across the entire program have been of either individuals without a conviction to their name or individuals with only a misdemeanor conviction.
Now that ICE has decided that no local jurisdictions will be allowed to opt out of the Secure Communities program, how will local jurisdictions be held accountable if they use Secure Communities to funnel large numbers of non-criminals and traffic offenders to ICE? How will ICE be held accountable when it strays from its deportation priorities and wastes government resources deporting immigrants with no criminal record or minor offenses?
Accountability here is twofold: local law enforcement shouldn't be hauling in so many traffic offenders to jail when a citation would suffice. ICE shouldn't be focusing so much of their removal efforts on low priority immigrants that are identified by the Secure Communities program. It's a waste of tax dollars.
There are signs Congress is becoming impatient with ICE.
In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano on April 14th, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) expressed concern about the "suboptimal use of scarce government resources in our detention and removal system."
"Every dollar spent on detention, prosecution and removal of a non-criminal immigrant is a dollar that cannot be spent getting criminal aliens off of our streets and out of our country."
On the House side, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) is angry at ICE for telling her that local governments could "opt out" of Secure Communities, then telling local jurisdictions they had no choice but to participate.
"It is inescapable that the [Department of Homeland Security] was not honest with the local governments or with me…. You can't have a government department essentially lying to local government and to members of Congress. This is not OK."
With little sign that Congress will do its job and make common sense changes to the immigration system to facilitate the ability of otherwise law-abiding immigrants to stay and continue to contribute to their communities, the Department of Homeland Security must do a better job delivering on their commitment to prioritize their enforcement efforts. Otherwise, statistics like those cited above will feed a growing revolt against Secure Communities.
Image: iStockPhoto/labsaslabsas
Interior Enforcement State&Local Enforcement
Policy Update: Congressional Developments for April 2011
April 27, 2011 - Posted by Maurice Belanger
Congress is still in the midst of a two-week spring recess (or, as they like to call it, "District Work Period"). Here is a roundup of policy developments from this month.
Hearings in Congress
The Immigration Subcommittee in the House has continued its series of hearings to portray immigrants and immigration in a bad light.
- For a March 31 hearing, "H-1B Visas: Designing a Program to Meet the Needs of the U.S. Economy and U.S. Workers," the Forum's statement pointed out that there is an inadequate supply of immigrant visas in the employment immigration system, and what is really needed is for Congress to update the employment-based immigration system as part of comprehensive immigration reform.
- An April 5th hearing focused on elimination of the Diversity Lottery visa program, as proposed in H.R. 704, the "SAFE for America Act." While it would eliminate visas for the diversity lottery, the Act would not reallocate those visas to relieve backlogs in other categories of immigration. This is the second time this issue has arisen in this Congress, the first time being as an amendment to H.R. 1 (the House's introduced version of the FY11 Continuing Resolution). This is a proposal to reduce legal immigration, and as we pointed out in our statement, by proposing to reduce legal immigration, Congress would create incentives to increase illegal immigration.
- The last hearing, on April 13th focused on the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. Instead of focusing solely on the temporary worker program, Congress should pass AgJOBS, introduced in the last several congresses, to stabilize the agricultural work force. (See our statement here.)
Meanwhile, there were dueling hearings on Muslims in America. Peter King (R-NY), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, held a hearing on "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response." As we noted in our statement, this hearing continued on the theme being pursued by House leaders of pitting one group of Americans against another. Meanwhile, in the Senate, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, held a hearing on "Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims." In part, as Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said, the hearing was called out of concern about the rise of hate groups, and the fact that "some leaders have sought to sow fear and divisiveness against American Muslims."
Legislation Introduced in Congress
Attack on the American Citizenship Clause: On April 5th, Senators David Vitter (R-LA), Ron Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) introduced a bill that would limit birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, legal resident alien or active member of the military. Although the 14th Amendment of our Constitution guarantees citizenship to persons born in the U.S., Vitter's bill proposes only to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to limit citizenship. Vitter's bill is unlikely to move in the Senate. For more information on this issue, see Americans for Constitutional Citizenship, led by the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights.
For Some Politicians, the Sky is the Limit on Border Spending: On a day when debate on the Senate floor was dominated by government spending and government debt, the two Senators from Arizona, John McCain (R) and Jon Kyl (R), introduced a border security bill that would require a whole lot more spending on border security. The Border Security Enforcement Act of 2011, according to a statement on Senator Kyl's Web site, would require the deployment of at least 6,000 National Guard troops on the U.S. Mexican border; the deployment of 5,000 more Border Patrol agents to the border; more funding for Operation Streamline, Operation Stonegarden, the Southwest Border Prosecutors Initiative, double-layer fencing, and mobile surveillance, aerial surveillance and various infrastructure improvements.
A companion bill (H.R. 1507) has been introduced in the House by Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ) who, a few years ago, was a champion of comprehensive immigration reform.
Senator Kyl, in his statement, asks, "shouldn't the government be working to completely secure the border?" Over in the House, Representative Ed Royce has introduced the "Keeping the Pledge on Immigration Act of 2011." That bill (co-sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chair Lamar Smith and three other members) would similarly require deployment of the National Guard, until the Secretary of DHS certifies that the government has achieved "operational control" of the border. The bill defines "operational control" by referencing the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which defines the concept as the prevention of all unlawful entries. Cost-wise, the prevention of all illegal entries would be prohibitively expensive. Read more about the policy and politics in this blog post from the Forum. We have also produced a new paper with a helpful explanation of how operational control is looked at in Congress, using the unattainable definition in the Secure Fence Act, versus the Border Patrol's more practical approach based on risk analysis. You can download that paper and others from our list of backgrounders on our Web site.
Other Bills: Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) introduced the Strengthen and Unite Communities through Civics Education and English Development (SUCCEED) Act. The legislation will provide resources to increase capacity to teach America's newcomers English and help them prepare for citizenship. It provides for more coordination at the federal level for immigrant integration policies, and it provides assistance to states for their efforts to integrate their immigrant populations. For more information, see this release on Rep. Honda's Web site.
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) reintroduced the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (S. 656, co-sponsored by seven other Senators), which would allow Liberians who had been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the 1990s to apply for permanent residency. Liberians in the U.S. while civil war was waged in their country gained TPS in the 1990s and have had TPS or another form of relief from deportation extended since then. "Deferred Enforced Departure" (the relief currently granted Liberian refugees) expires on September 30, 2011. Senator Reed first introduced his bill in 1999, and in every subsequent Congress. For more information, see this release from Senator Reed's office.
On April 14th, Representative Jerrold Nadler (with 112 co-sponsors) reintroduced the Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 1537). This bill would allow gays and lesbian citizens to sponsor their permanent partners for U.S. residency. For more information, see this release from Rep. Nadler's office.
On April 12, Representative Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced the Domestic Refugee Resettlement Reform and Modernization Act of 2011 (H.R. 1475). This bill would revise the way the federal government provides funding to states and local resettlement organizations to ensure communities and refugees receive appropriate levels of assistance when refugees are resettled.
Borders Immigration Reform Integration & Citizenship Interior Enforcement Naturalization Workforce Worksite Enforcement
Policy Update: Administrative Developments for April 2011
April 27, 2011 - Posted by Maurice Belanger
Pressure on Administration to Grant Relief for DREAM-eligible students: A group of 22 Senators—including Majority Leader Harry Reid, Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin, and Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy—sent a letter on April 13 to President Obama saying that they would support a grant of deferred action for all young people who meet the requirements of the DREAM Act. They also suggested the Administration use their existing prosecutorial discretion, to make it easier for DREAM-eligible students to apply for deferred action, on a case-by-case basis.
In a separate letter, Senator Charles Schumer, Chair of the Immigration Subcommittee, sent a letter to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano in which he said that in "an environment where agency funds are decreasing, it is important that the Department of Homeland Security focus its immigration enforcement efforts on terrorists, criminals, and others who impose a real security threat to our nation." He asked the Secretary to use her discretion to weigh—on a case-by-case basis—whether it make sense to use scarce detention and removal funds to deport any non-criminal immigrants who are high school students "being deported solely for the illegal conduct of their parents;" "bi-national same-sex married couples;" "agricultural workers;" or "immigrant parents with U.S.-citizen children."
Meanwhile, the right-wing litigation organization Judicial Watch, which among other causes, is helping to defend Arizona's SB 1070 and is suing a number of police departments for their community policing practices, announced that it filed two Freedom of Information Act lawsuits against the Obama Administration to obtain records pertaining to what they call "stealth amnesty."
ICE Resumes Removals to Haiti: ICE announced on April 1 that it was planning to resume deportations of some Haitians. After a first round of deportations resulted in the death of one deportee after he was imprisoned and suffered cholera-like symptoms shortly after arriving in Haiti, ICE provided an opportunity for public comment on their deportation policy. In the end, they decided to resume deportations, saying that ICE and the State Department "have been working with the Government of Haiti and other key partners to resume removals in as safe, humane, and minimally disruptive a manner as possible…." For more information, see this press release from the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center.
President Convenes Meeting on Immigration Reform: On April 19, the President convened a meeting of, among others, business CEOs, key leaders of the faith and civil rights communities, and law enforcement and elected officials. Included in the meeting were National Evangelical Association President Leith Anderson, Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelley, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and many others.
According to this White House summary, the President promised to "intensify efforts to lead a civil debate on this issue in the coming weeks and months," and encouraged participants to "take a public and active role to lead a constructive and civil debate" in "communities around the country and involve many sectors of American society in insisting that Congress act." The President also said that, "his Cabinet and White House team will follow up with each participant…."
This Forum press release reacts to the White House meeting.
Immigration Reform Interior Enforcement Immigrant Students
Border Control vs. Sealing the Border
April 08, 2011 - Posted by Maurice Belanger
The topic of "operational control" of the border has been a hot topic in Congress lately, and the Forum has just posted a new analysis explaining the issue.
For many years now, politicians wanting to show how tough they can be on immigration have advocated more and more border enforcement. In 2006, Congress defined operational control in the Secure Fence Act as the prevention of all unlawful entries into the U.S.
The Border Patrol, on the other hand, uses a layered approach in which resources are deployed based on risk to gain effective control of the border.
As the Forum's paper points out, the concept of operational control as defined by statute is unrealistic; a tightly sealed border has only been approximated by totalitarian states that have lined their border with armed guards. For the U.S. to completely seal the border the cost would be, as Richard Stana of the Government Accountability Office put it so kindly, "probably out of reasonable consideration." It would also create an image of this country more like that of the old East Germany.
By managing resources with the goal of gaining effective control, more or fewer resources are deployed in a given area based on risk assessment. For example, remote areas offer few opportunities to melt into the general population, so there is less need for the Border Patrol to immediately respond to an illegal crossing as it is happening. Illegal crossings in urban areas offer greater opportunity to evade detection if they are not responded to immediately.
Everywhere else in the U.S., law enforcement manages crime in their communities. In a community, a rash of crime might lead to the hiring of more police, but eventually, even though crimes continue to be committed, the police manage the crime at a rate acceptable to the community given the costs. A local politician who called for the hiring of 10 more police officers every time a crime is committed would not long keep his job. Communities have to balance their budgets.
Not so at the federal level. Border enforcement is the whipping post to which politicians like to tie their opponents. When a crime is committed by a border intruder, politicians will call for a thousand more Border Patrol agents or deployment of the National Guard. They don't have to worry about how to pay; the money can be borrowed.
Exhibit A: On March 30, Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) introduced the "Keeping the Pledge on Immigration Act of 2011." This bill calls for the deployment of up to 4,000 additional National Guard on the border (more, if the Governor of a border state wants more) until the Secretary of DHS certifies that the government has achieved "operational control" of the U.S.-Mexico border as defined in the Secure Fence Act. The bill also calls for more border fencing, and mandates the full implementation of the US-VISIT system's entry and exit controls within four years. (The bill also has an interior enforcement section that would, among other things, ban certain community policing policies developed by law enforcement agencies for effective policing in immigrant communities.)
The bill has no provision to raise revenue to pay for sealing the border or for its other provisions, so, even as budget negotiators are wrangling over how much to cut the budget, others are proposing to pile on more debt.
A better approach is to strive for effective control that allows the Border Patrol to deploy resources to areas that pose the greatest risk. It makes much more sense, strategically and financially.
For more on "operational control," read our paper.
Image by Flickr User siyublog
Southwest Senate Retirements Should Trigger Immigration Gut Check for Both Parties
April 05, 2011 - Posted by Mario Moreno
Since the 112th Congress came to order, eight senior Senators have announced their retirements in 2012–four of which represent states in the American West. Senators, Jon Kyl (R-AZ), John Ensign (R-NV), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) have decided to call it quits, giving way to new talent from their states.
As the Census has shown us, demographics have changed dramatically in these states since these Senators last ran for re-election. An explosive boom in the Latino population has driven enormous growth in each of these states, and nationwide, there are now more than 50 million Latinos, representing 16% of the country's total population. This demographic shift has made Latinos the largest minority group in America with game-changing implications for electoral politics.
Already, Hispanic voters were the fastest growing electoral demographic in key swing states between 2004 and 2008, increasing in share of eligible voters from 8.2% to 9.5%. However, the Latino population boom has not been distributed evenly, and it has been most pronounced in the American Southwest, precisely where many long-time incumbents have decided to pass on reelection, and where both parties will spend inordinate amounts of money. In Texas, Latinos represent nearly 34% of the potential electorate; in New Mexico, 42.5%; Arizona, 21.3%; and Nevada, 17.3%. This demographic shift has made Latino voters THE critical voting bloc in each of these sure-to-be-contested Senate races.
According to polling, immigration has become a litmus test issue for Latino voters. Candidates who espouse anti-immigrant policies or oppose comprehensive immigration reform are dead on arrival with this demographic. Thus it behooves the parties to choose their candidates carefully with the long-term implications for their respective parties in mind.
Latino Voters in the West and Southwest Represent a Challenge and Opportunity for Democrats and Republicans
The 2010 midterm elections provided a valuable lesson to both parties. Western and Southwestern states—where Latinos wielded the most influence—proved to be the critical Senate contests. Indeed, after the votes were counted, Latino voters had saved control of the United States Senate for the Democratic Party. Republican candidates who espoused anti-immigrant policies or called for harsh crackdowns on immigration were defeated in Nevada, Colorado, and California.
Incumbent Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid won in an upset by 5 points against Republican challenger Sharron Angle, who angered Nevada's large and growing number of Latino voters with her aggressive campaign rhetoric aimed at illegal immigrants. Somewhere between 69% and 90% of Hispanics voted for Reid according to exit polls and Latinos accounted for 12% of the total vote. In Colorado, a combination of Republican Ken Buck's anti-immigrant position, and Senator Michael Bennet's espousal of the DREAM Act and immigration reform helped the Democrat win Latino voters overwhelmingly and propel Bennet to victory. In California, a combination of Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's and Senate candidate Carly Fiorina's nonsensical flip-flop positions on immigration reform propelled a Democrat back into the Governor's mansion and a sent Senator Barbara Boxer back to Washington for a fourth term.
Nationally, Congressional Republicans won just 38% of the Latino vote in 2010. This is an ominous sign for Republicans strategists who must assemble a broad coalition to defeat President Obama and keep key states in the Republican column in 2012. While Republicans made historic gains in 2010, the electorate that turns out on Nov 6th 2012 will be vastly different than 2010 voters. It will be much larger, younger, and more heavily Latino than in any election in U.S. history. For both parties to broaden the electoral battleground, they'll need candidates who appeal to these new voters.
Meanwhile, the harshly anti-immigrant segment of the Republican Party has created an intensely negative perception of the Party among Latino and immigrant voters. They continue to reinforce this perception by championing draconian anti-immigrant legislation including legislation styled on Arizona's SB 1070. As Politico reported about a new California statewide poll,
"Latino voters across the state hold widely negative views of the Republican Party, according to the survey, which was conducted by a GOP pollster and consultant and conceived as a tool to help the party make inroads with Hispanic voters. Many respondents said they see the GOP as too conservative and don't trust it on the issue of immigration reform."
The poll showed that an astonishingly high 47% of Latino voters have an intensely negative view of the Republican Party and only 26% view them favorably.
Republicans like Jan Brewer, Russell Pearce, and a throng of other restrictionist politicians pushing anti-immigrant bills have put a Republican face on anti-immigrant laws; and Latino and immigrant voters don't like what they see. As a result, and because of demographic trends, the Republican Party may be sentencing itself to electoral doom. This is particularly true in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Texas where the enormous growth in the Latino electorate may turn previously out-of-reach senate seats—like Hutchison's and Kyl's—into winnable contests for the Democrats. The nasty rhetoric coming from some members of the Republican Party on immigration—a litmus test issue for Latino voters—has severely damaged the Republican brand.
While Latino voters may have soured on the Republican brand, they know that Democrats have failed to deliver, repeatedly, on their promises to achieve comprehensive immigration reform, a central campaign promise from the President and the Senate Majority Leader. And while polling last month suggests that many Latinos approve of President Obama's performance in key states, only around 43% said they would vote for him next year, according to Latino Decisions.
The numbers show the explosive growth of Latino voters in these key southwestern states, but it remains to be seen whether either party will be able to translate these numbers into political power. For example, while Latino voters in Texas represent a potential 33.7 percent of the electorate, more than 2.1 million eligible Latino voters aren't registered. If Texas Democrats ever hope to win statewide elected office again—something that hasn't happened in nearly two decades—they'll need to recruit and register legions of new Latino voters, nominate candidates with pro-immigrant and pro-Latino policies, and ensure these new voters turnout on Election Day. For Republicans to continue their statewide dominance, they'll need to win large numbers of Latino voters. This job will be made more difficult by a small but vocal segment of the party that continues to call for harsh crackdowns on immigrants and attempts to push Arizona-style anti-immigrant legislation through the Legislature.
Thus to be taken seriously by Latino voters, both parties would be best served by candidates who espouse common sense, pro-immigration reform policies. While Arizona Senator Jon Kyl has been one of the most vocal opponents of immigration reform in years past, his potential Republican successor will not have all of the significant advantages of incumbency and will face an electorate that is younger and more Latino. She or he will not be able to espouse the same enforcement-only policies and harsh rhetoric and expect to be taken seriously by a Latino electorate energized by the nasty anti-immigrant debate in Arizona.
Former President George W. Bush proved that Republicans can attract Latino voters. He performed better among Latino voters than any other Republican presidential candidate ever, losing the Latino vote by only 60-40 to John Kerry. This was just enough to put him over the top in critical states like New Mexico. However, the former President was decidedly pro-immigration reform.
This doesn't mean that the GOP can recruit candidates who just tone down the rhetoric. They must choose candidates that have strong pro-immigration reform credentials and who don't back away from their stance on immigration reform when they face a tough primary. Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake, a GOP candidate for Senator Kyl's seat, recently abandoned his previously pro-immigration reform position, presumably to protect his right-flank in a Republican primary. However, this kind of naked flip-flopping on immigrants and immigration reform turns off Latino voters, as GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman learned in California. During a tough GOP primary, Whitman called for harsh crackdowns on illegal immigrants. After securing the GOP nomination, Whitman tried to pivot to the general election with warm and fuzzy messages to Latino voters on English and Spanish language television. It didn't work. Latino voters remembered her campaign's harsh tone and negative campaign ads demonizing immigrants and voted overwhelmingly for her Democratic opponent in the general election.
It's clear we will have at least four new faces from the Southwest in the next United States Senate. However, for both parties to win long-term with Latino voters in Texas, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, they'll need the right candidates and the right policies that appeal to an electorate increasingly dominated by Latinos. By nominating pro-immigrant candidates and espousing common sense immigration policies, both parties have an opportunity to ensure that the nation's demographic destiny comports with their long-term and chief goal: winning elections.
Image by Flickr user meg_whitman_no_es_nuestra_amiga
Immigration Reform
How to Save Your Local Public Safety Budget
April 01, 2011 - Posted by Mario Moreno
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported on the dire funding situation for law enforcement in Camden, New Jersey. "Callers to 911 who report things like home burglaries or car break-ins are asked to file a report over the phone or at police headquarters; officers rarely respond in person. "If it doesn't need a gun and a badge at that location," officers are not sent, the city's police chief, J. Scott Thomson, said last week."
Around the country, local budgets are making painful cuts, and fundamental public safety services like police and firefighters are getting hatcheted. Dallas, TX; Mesa, AZ; Lynnwood, WA; Oakland, CA, Tulsa, OK, and Norton, MA… The Police Executive Research Forum reported at the end of 2010 that more than half of all the police departments they surveyed are going through major cuts, to an average of 7% of their budgets.
At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security is putting more pressure on local law enforcement agencies and jails to help them enforce federal immigration laws. Immigration and Customs Enforcement runs many programs that depend on local jurisdictions holding immigrants in local jails, and the temporary detention of immigrants for the federal government can be a significant financial burden for cities and counties, according to a new analysis by the National Immigration Forum.
The way this happens seems at first to be technical and complicated, but is actually quite simple. When ICE learns that a local jail has a non-citizen in their custody (such as through the Secure Communities program, the Criminal Alien Program, the 287(g) Program, or some other informal collaboration between local police and ICE) ICE files a detainer, requesting that jail to hold the person for two extra days, so that ICE has the opportunity to come take custody of the person and put him or her into deportation proceedings. This may apply regardless of whether the immigrant is documented or undocumented. In fact, detainers have even been erroneously lodged against U.S. Citizens, over whom ICE has no jurisdiction.
Well, those two extra days in city jail cost the city money, which ICE does not reimburse. In New York City, where the cost of each person's single day in jail is $170, those extra 48 hours for holding people on ICE detainers may cost more than $1.3 million per year.
In reality, the cost of detainers is far greater than the cost of just two days in jail, according to the Forum's analysis. Detainers are widely misused, frequently resulting in prolonged unlawful detention far beyond 48 hours per person. An immigration detainer is not a warrant or a basis for arrest, but it is not uncommon for immigrants to be stopped by police and brought to a jail simply so that ICE can lodge a detainer against them. This practice results in immigrants being jailed without even being charged with a crime.
Immigrants facing criminal charges, both major and quite minor, are commonly denied bail due to a detainer. As a result, many immigrants who are not dangerous and would otherwise be released spend weeks in jail before their criminal trial. And jailing people is very expensive.
It's worth emphasizing that this is not about serious criminals who are a public safety hazard. People charged with violent crimes are often ineligible for bail, regardless of citizenship. People charged with offenses like public drunkenness or trespassing are usually released, and told to show up to court in a month—that is, unless they are immigrants with a detainer against them, in which case they'll probably spend that entire month in jail, at an enormous cost to the county budget, not to mention to the immigrants and their families.
So in Irving, Texas, where the county budget for 2010-11 faces a $20 million shortfall, the county should perhaps consider scaling back on the way it collaborates with ICE, and exactly how much it is willing to spend holding immigrants on detainers. And Camden, where recent layoffs have left the city with fewer police on the force than any time since 1949, ought to take a look at who exactly they are holding for ICE, and if that's an essential part of their law enforcement budget.
Image: iStockphoto/helenecanada
Interior Enforcement Detention State&Local Enforcement


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Should Apple fear Microsoft's rumored tablet assault?
Hewlett-Packard and Research In Motion tried but failed in taking on the iPad.
How can you make $1 billion selling tablets? Start out with $2 billion and compete against Apple (AAPL). iPad victims to date include computer heavyweight Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIMM). Apple entirely dominates the tablet market with more than six out of 10 tablets displaying the Apple logo.
Microsoft (MSFT) appears ready to step up to the plate to see if it has what it takes to go against Apple in the tablet-space war. Microsoft will need to put everything they have into it, including a few Windows 3.11 machines back in the shed. (Microsoft owns and publishes TechBiz, an MSN Money site.)
Both Hewlett-Packard and RIM were forced to write down hundreds of millions of dollars in inventory. Unfortunately for RIM, the write-downs in inventory may not be over. After RIM's CEO Thorsten Heins' recent earnings warning, expect continued depreciation. (Read my article Will Apple's Shot at Google Hit RIM and Nokia Instead?)
Based on last quarter's earnings release, Dell (DELL) hasn't fared much better. Michael Dell and the Texas crew will have to sit on the bench and wait to take another swing at Apple's tablet juggernaut. Microsoft's highly anticipated Windows 8 is due for release soon and is Dell's best chance at cracking the market.
Google's (GOOG) Android open source platform, has presented the only real challenge to a complete and total domination by iPad. It's difficult to gauge the benefits to Google as Android is open source and free. Because Android is developed by Google and subsequently provided to vendors for free, Google must rely on secondary sources of income like advertising and app sales. Apple, on the other hand, generates profit producing revenue from iPad sales as well as secondary sales, including apps.
Microsoft, obviously tiring of vendors' inability to significantly penetrate tablet shares, reportedly has decided if you want it done correctly, you have to do it yourself. The tech world can't be surprised considering how quickly tablet sales are taking over the computing space.
Can Microsoft's significant shift from strictly software production into an integrated product solution provider work? Apple has successfully managed to keep both sides of the seesaw balanced; however, they do it on a much larger scale than Microsoft is contemplating. Remember, Hewlett-Packard and RIM with near-unlimited resources have failed miserably and embarrassingly.
If Microsoft is successful in the tablet space, then what? Microsoft will be competing directly with Microsoft's customers as much Apple and Google; maybe more. We have heard this song before with Microsoft's Zune, and it didn't help the bottom line.
Alienating struggling customers comes at a cost and without strong revenue and margins, may result in a serious embarrassment for the Seattle company. The challenge of convincing new manufacturers to support Windows, and invest R&D dollars into the platform is likely to increase too. The concept appears full of peril with a heads-I-break-even-tails-I-lose type of outcome.
Dell, once an Intel-CPU-only computer producer, made news in 2006, when it shifted production to include AMD chips. It would not be surprising to see Dell hedge its market position with Android-platform tablets.
Even if Dell doesn't, other smaller hardware manufacturers are certain to consider the costs and benefits of using Windows 8 in a world that Microsoft is competing in.
A tighter integration with hardware and software may have its benefits, but I believe Microsoft should continue working on its core competency and leave hardware research and development to proven hardware manufacturers.
If Microsoft does enter the tablet hardware space, expect another press release in about two years announcing the sale or discontinuation of the program. Fortunately, Microsoft is smart enough to not bet the farm, and I remain a strong bull in its stock.
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Source: FlightAware
The photo above is a 3D view of our beautiful new terminal. Click, hold and drag your mouse to see it in the round.
The photo above is a 3D view of our beautiful new terminal. Click, hold and drag your mouse to see it in the round.
From the desk of Mike Wilwerding, General Manager:
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