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Monday, July 29, 2013
Cockatoos know what is going on behind barriers
[unable to retrieve full-text content]How do you know that the cookies are still there even though they have been placed in a cookie jar out-of-sight? Scientists show that "object permanence" abilities in a cockatoo rivals that of apes and four-year-old humans.
These Industries Are Actually On The Rise For 2013
Economic news has felt bleak for years now. And every time things seem to pick up there's something like Detroit's bankruptcy looming as a reminder that times are still tough. But we know that there is some recovery going on and this infographic shows the sectors that have momentum.
Source: http://gizmodo.com/these-industries-are-actually-on-the-rise-for-2013-940617928
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Massive Solar Plant A Stepping Stone For Future Projects
The Ivanpah solar project in California's Mojave Desert will be the largest solar power plant of its kind in the world.
Josh Cassidy/KQEDThe Ivanpah solar project in California's Mojave Desert will be the largest solar power plant of its kind in the world.
Josh Cassidy/KQEDThe largest solar power plant of its kind is about to turn on in California's Mojave Desert.
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System will power about 140,000 homes and will be a boon to the state's renewable energy goals, but it was no slam dunk. Now, California is trying to bring conservationists and energy companies together to create a smoother path for future projects.
To get the best view of the Ivanpah solar project, you have to go up to the top of a 400-foot concrete tower. Below, close to 200,000 mirrors shimmer across a dry, dusty valley.
"It's very exciting," says Dave Beaudoin, the construction manager for the $2 billion project located about an hour southwest of Las Vegas. Each mirror is about the size of a garage door, and it's mounted on a pole so it can be pointed at the tower.
"We can keep the sun's energy ? the rays of the sun ? targeted back to the solar tower," Beaudoin says.
All of those mirrors generate about a thousand degrees of heat. It isn't the solar technology most of us think of: dark panels on rooftops. These mirrors heat a giant boiler on top of the tower, where water turns into steam. Beaudoin says that steam powers a turbine that generates electricity.
"This is definitely cutting-edge. It's nothing I've ever done before," he says.
It's been a bumpy road, however, and it took years to get permits from almost a dozen state, federal and local agencies. The project became political fodder after getting a federal loan guarantee, like the bankrupt solar company Solyndra.
And then there's the desert tortoise.
In all, developers found nearly 200 tortoises onsite, many more than expected. Finding and relocating them has cost around $55,000 per tortoise. Critics like Ileene Anderson have watched closely.
"I'm not a big fan of the super large projects," Anderson says.
Anderson is with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups concerned about the loss of desert habitat. She says after California set a goal of getting a third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, there was a rush to build big solar farms in the desert.
"Many of the projects, when they were first proposed and we would see the application, see where the map was, it was like: 'Oh no, this is going to be a nightmare project,'" she says.
But other environmental groups saw one reason to support big solar.
"If you care about desert tortoises, you better care about climate change," says Carl Zichella with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Without some large-scale renewable energy projects, we do not hit our climate goals. We do not replace fossil fuels with clean energy in this country."
These differing views created an uncomfortable "green vs. green" debate, Zichella says. "I think it has been tough. It's been personally painful. We are very good at stopping things, [and] we aren't very good at building things," he says.
In the end, environmental groups negotiated with the Ivanpah project and others one by one to set aside nature preserves in the desert. Learning from this, the state is trying to head off future conflicts with a new plan. The idea is to divvy up the desert into renewable energy zones and zones that are off-limits.
Karen Douglas of the California Energy Commission says it's unusual to see all sides working together.
"There is never any perfect consensus," Douglas says. "But we've got an opportunity with this partnership to put in place what we really think of as the 'greenprint' that will help us conserve our desert resources."
Douglas says other western states like Arizona and Nevada are taking on similar efforts. The Ivanpah solar project will come fully online by the end of the year.
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Atlantic Media president Justin B. Smith is named Bloomberg Media CEO
Justin B. Smith, who has been with The Atlantic since 2007 and is credited with ?saving? the publication, joins Bloomberg Media Group as chief executive.
?Like Mary Poppins, if a little more euro, Justin came, changed the family and, when the work was done, moved on,? writes Atlantic Media owner David Bradley.
?In truth, Justin did hesitate before accepting the offer. He has loved his work with Atlantic Media. But, it?s hard to see how he reasons to ?no? [to Bloomberg]: global CEO, global brand and reach, television, radio, conferences, three magazines and burgeoning digital.?
Letter of Appreciation
My Atlantic Media Colleagues,
As I settle into this writing, I think some will have heard by now of Bloomberg Media Group?s recruitment of Justin Smith as chief executive officer. In truth, Justin did hesitate before accepting the offer; he has loved his work with Atlantic Media. But, it?s hard to see how he reasons to ?no?: global CEO, global brand and reach, television, radio, conferences, three magazines and burgeoning digital traffic.
Though this will tax your time, I decided I would rather write a letter of appreciation for Justin than the traditional corporate press release. I want you to know what I hope Justin knows already ? what a gift he has been to this enterprise./CONTINUES
Our First Meeting
On reflection, I suppose our first meeting was a bit staged: dinner in Manhattan?s Carlyle Hotel dining room, seated beside the fireplace, talking for three hours. An aging owner, in an old-world setting, pitching a mid?19th century long-form literary magazine to a next-generation leader. I decided on Justin in one meeting.
Still, I seem to have gotten a detail wrong. I just assumed we were welcoming Justin into our storied magazine and its storied past. Justin understood?or at least decided?that he would time-travel the whole lot of us to media?s future state. Looking around now, we?re not in Kansas anymore.
Correctly, Justin would give credit to Scott Havens, James Bennet, Scott Stossel, Bob Cohn, Jay Lauf, Elizabeth Baker Keffer, Zazie Lucke, Kevin Delaney and their many Atlantic colleagues. But, I also think it?s fair to name as ?the Justin era? what Justin and those of you at The Atlantic and Quartz have accomplished: reversal of fortune for a magazine in a 60-year decline; doubling of revenues; return to profits; constant original creation including The Atlantic Cities, The AtlanticWire and Atlantic-initiated Quartz; growing events business; growing website; 25 million monthly Atlantic readers and visitors; and, just now, two more National Magazine Awards. David Brooks once told me that, if I turned around The Atlantic, it would become the only thing for which I would be remembered. Now, Justin has gone ahead and done it already.
An Intense Instruction
Justin led The Atlantic for two years and then Atlantic Media for an additional four. In one sense, my time with Justin reminds me of the time I spent with the Atlantic?s late editor, Michael Kelly ? the everyday, dialed-up to intensity. After six years, and speechless, any of us might ask, ?Wow, what was that about??
In my frame, Atlantic Media was earning its doctoral degree in modern media from one of modern media?s master practitioners. What Justin believed, he taught, and, as with Michael again, Justin?s beliefs were fierce: That the revolution underway in media is more radical than we?the industry?appreciate. That the contest between legacy and insurgent players is mortal, with advantage to the insurgents. That surviving legacy properties will have had to learn the disciplines of the insurgents?and that they can. That velocity is first among the virtues. That the speed of change is unprecedented. That ideas have their season but not more. From search to social media to native advertising to the next advantage. And, that Atlantic Media could and would and has leapt to the frontier.
More personally, watching Justin taught me truths about media I?d failed to learn in my first decade in the sector: the centrality of brand; the importance of brand excitement; the very particular importance of New York and New York talent to creating excitement. Justin exhorted me to ?go for my inner Don Draper;? as I didn?t have the least idea what Justin was talking about, this never really caught on.
As to Atlantic Media
Justin will leave us a changed ? and much better ? media company. That begins with his ? and now my ? Atlantic Media leadership team. Scott, Bruce, Tim, Jean Ellen, Kat, Zazie, Michael, Tom, Emily. As with Justin, I have complete confidence in this group. More generally, and as to ?extreme talent? across the board, I think Atlantic Media is at its record high-water mark. After reflection, I?ve decided that, rather than appoint a Justin successor, we will let the current leadership continue independent of any reporting structure?save to me?and grow to fill the empty spaces Justin?s departure leaves behind. In fact, I found this an easy call.
As to Bloomberg
Here, I need to redouble my effort. I just can?t seem to find it in me to dislike the Bloomberg enterprise. I?ve always trusted and liked Justin?s new boss, Dan Doctoroff. Even now, I?m affecting a furious countenance. It just needs work.
As to Justin
Like Mary Poppins, if a little more euro, Justin came, changed the family and, when the work was done, moved on. I will miss him.
With my best wishes to all.
David
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Sunday, July 28, 2013
Judge questions train driver over crash in Spain
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (AP) ? The driver of a Spanish train that derailed at high speed was being questioned by a judge on Sunday as officials tried to determine if he was responsible for the accident, which killed 79 people.
Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, 52, has been held by police on suspicion of negligent homicide. He has not been formally charged by a magistrate or made any official statements.
However, minutes after the crash Garzon said that he had been going fast and couldn't brake, a local resident who rushed to the scene of the accident said in an interview broadcast Sunday.
The resident, Evaristo Iglesias, said he and another person accompanied the blood-soaked Garzon to flat ground where other injured people were being laid out, waiting for emergency services to arrive.
"He told us that he wanted to die," Iglesias told Antena 3 television. "He said he had needed to brake but couldn't," Iglesias said. He added that Garzon said "he had been going fast."
The train carrying 218 passenger in eight cars hurtled far over the 80-kph (50-mph) speed limit into a high-risk curve on Wednesday, tumbling off the tracks and slamming into a concrete wall, with some of the cars catching fire. The Spanish rail agency has said the brakes should have been applied four kilometers (2.5 miles) before the train hit the curve.
On Sunday, Garzon was moved from the police station in the northwestern Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela, near where the accident occurred, to its courthouse just as the deadline of his 72 hours of detention was to expire.
Luis Alaez, the investigative judge, was to question the driver in private and was not expected to comment about it afterward. The judge also was to have access to the information contained in the train's "black box," which is similar to those found on aircraft, officials said.
Investigators must determine if Garzon failed to apply the brakes or whether it was a technical failure.
Previously Garzon had exercised his right to remain silent when police tried to interview him, officials said. Spain's state-run train company has described him as an experience driver who knew the route well.
In its report about the accident, Antena 3 television showed a photograph of Iglesias in a pink shirt and cap helping to carry the driver after the train accident. The station also aired television footage of Iglesias working beside the wrecked train to help other survivors.
In the interview, Iglesias recalled Garzon's words, "'I don't want to see this, I want to die,' that's what he said repeatedly," said Iglesias. "'I had to brake down to 80 and couldn't,'" Iglesias quoted the driver as saying.
On Sunday the death toll from the train derailment rose to 79 after an injured passenger died in a hospital, a spokeswoman from the regional government of Galicia told The Associated Press.
A spokeswoman at the University Hospital complex in Santiago de Compostela confirmed the fatality of the unidentified victim.
Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said the person was an American woman but didn't provide her name. The U.S. Embassy said that it would not comment until it could confirm what happened and communicate with the family of the victim.
Officials said 70 people injured in the train accident remained hospitalized on Sunday, 22 in critical condition.
Iglesias was among survivors and witnesses who began to give evidence to police on Sunday.
Meanwhile, authorities said forensic experts have identified the last three bodies among the 79 dead.
Victims have been reported from France, Algeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, France, Italy, Mexico and the United States, but officials have not publicly identified each victim or his or her nationality.
Mourning continued throughout Spain, with Sunday church services being held in remembrance of the dead. A large funeral mass is planned for Monday afternoon in Santiago de Compostela, and the prime minister and royal family are expected to attend.
The crash has cast a pall over the town, a Catholic pilgrimage site. Santiago officials had been preparing for the religious feast of St. James of Compostela, Spain's patron saint, but canceled it after the crash and turned a local sporting arena into a morgue.
___
Heckle contributed from Madrid
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-questions-train-driver-over-crash-spain-175812900.html
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Provocative Argentine artist Leon Ferrari was 92
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ? Leon Ferrari, a conceptual artist and rights activist who clashed with Pope Francis when he led Argentina's church and relished provoking dictators, bishops and a world at war, has died at age 92.
Ferrari was buried Friday in his native Buenos Aires, where he created a vast array of artwork during a prolific career.
His most memorable piece may "Western Civilization and Christianity," a Christ figure crucified on the wings of a U.S. jet fighter he made during the Vietnam War. Later, his collages mixed images of Adolph Hitler and Argentina's military junta with sacred icons of the Roman Catholic Church.
Ferrari happened to die only hours before Francis invoked one of his more memorable phrases during his current tour of Brazil: Speaking to thousands of Argentines in Rio de Janeiro's central cathedral on Thursday, the pope exhorted the youth not to "put faith in a blender." He repeated this metaphor several times, saying faith shouldn't be mixed nor weakened, but taken whole.
Years before he became Pope Francis, Buenos Aires archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio called Ferrari a blasphemer for displaying statues of the Virgin Mary in a blender, little saints in baby bottles, and Christ figures in a toaster. Ferrari's idea for the 2004 exhibition, mounted next to the historic Recoleta church, was to criticize how he believes religion is force-fed to the masses.
Bergoglio called for the exhibit to be closed and it was, due to violent attacks. Ferrari responded with a missive criticizing the church for the "crimes it committed in Argentina and elsewhere," and years later, the artist was among a large group of Argentine intellectuals who opposed Bergoglio's election as pope, calling it "a horror."
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said he didn't know if Francis knew of Ferrari's death, but that regardless, his comments about the blender to Argentine pilgrims on Thursday had nothing to do with the artist.
"I spoke to Argentines familiar with the speech, the pope and Ferrari's art, and they are certain that his words yesterday had nothing to do with it," he said.
While Ferrari already had a high profile in Argentina and Brazil, his works drew worldwide attention in recent years, and when he died, he was working on a Guggenheim Fellowship to finish a study of sex and violence in Christian art. He also won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennial in 2007, and New York's Museum of Modern Art mounted a retrospective of his work in 2009.
Ferrari was eulogized in Argentine media and by leading figures Friday for the way he mixed politics and poetry, ethics and aesthetics, and managed to show good humor even as he pointed out injustice and horror.
"Leon Ferrari hasn't left, he'll stay with us," said Estela de Carlotto, president of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, remembering her good friend in an interview with the Pagina12 newspaper. "He's left so much with us that happily he'll never be forgotten."
Ferrari's life's work is, in fact, enormous. Over nearly seven decades, he created a constant flow of art in nearly all its forms.
Born in Buenos Aires on Sept. 3, 1920, Ferrari earned an engineering degree, but dedicated himself to art. He married Alicia Barros Castro, and they had three sons: Mariali, Pablo and Ariel. He illustrated books and signs for human rights campaigns, and used not only pencils and brushes, but risked his body and life in some very difficult episodes in Argentine history.
In 1975, even before the military coup that launched a cruel dictatorship, Ferrari was part of the Forum for Human Rights and the Movement against Repression and Torture. Forced into Brazilian exile the next year, he couldn't save his son Ariel, who disappeared in 1977, one of the thousands of Argentines kidnapped and killed by the military state.
When Ferrari returned in 1991, he renewed his focus on injustice, with a particular focus on how the powerful invoke divine support.
Ferrari reflected on his relationship with the public when he visited one of his exhibitions, "Heliographs" and "Never Again," in 2007.
"I had a period not so long ago when I wanted to be understood by everyone," he said, according to his web site. "Then I realized that the rational side, this kind of everyday craziness in which everything appears normal, was impossible," he added. "Man is very small, and within him, he's mostly subjective ? as with love, or a secret."
___
Associated Press Writer Nicole Winfield contributed from Rio de Janeiro.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/provocative-argentine-artist-leon-ferrari-92-193108482.html
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Saturday, July 27, 2013
NCAA penalizes Montana in booster-perks case
HELENA, Mont. ? An NCAA investigation found the University of Montana and former coach Robin Pflugrad failed to monitor the football program, allowing boosters to provide benefits to players, including bail money and free legal representation for two athletes.
Other player perks provided by boosters included free meals, clothing, lodging and transportation.
The penalties announced Friday include a three-year probationary period, the loss of four scholarships in each of the next three seasons and vacating five wins in which ineligible athletes participated after receiving help with their legal problems that is not allowed under NCAA rules.
The vacated games include a 36-10 win over rival Montana State and FCS playoff wins over Central Arkansas and Northern Iowa. Montana finished 11-3 that season and advanced to the FCS semifinals before falling to Sam Houston State.
The university self-imposed most of the penalties, the NCAA said.
Pflugrad, who is now the offensive coordinator at Weber State, is suspended from coaching during the first game of the 2013 season and faces recruiting restrictions this season. He also must attend an NCAA regional rules seminar in 2014.
Much of the case revolves around the October 2011 arrests of cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who now plays for the St. Louis Rams, and backup quarterback Gerald Kemp by police trying to break up a loud party. Officers used stun guns on the players.
The NCAA found that a booster bailed the two out of jail and an attorney provided each with about $1,500 in free legal representation.
The NCAA said Pflugrad learned a booster had posted bail, but did not report it to university officials. NCAA officials also found then-athletic director Jim O?Day and the compliance director were aware that a booster was providing legal assistance to the athletes.
Pflugrad and O?Day were fired in March 2012 without the university giving a reason. The NCAA investigation had begun in January 2012, but it was not announced until May.
The NCAA also found that three couples who were university boosters provided meals for at least eight athletes on more than 100 occasions from 2004 through 2012; one couple provided a student-athlete with free storage space for a month along with transportation, clothing and a small cash loan.
The university has said it will release statements from President Royce Engstrom and current athletic director Kent Haslam later Friday.
Source: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130726/SPORTS03/130729629/1008/sports
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Friday, July 26, 2013
Israel Blocks EU Aid to West Bank Palestinians
? Israel has blocked the European Union from aiding tens of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank in retaliation for Brussels' ban on financial assistance to Israeli organizations in the occupied territories.
An Israeli official said on Friday the move was a result of the EU decision ?to sanction or boycott the settlements?.
?From our standpoint we cannot just ignore this or treat spitting in our face as though it is rain,? the official said.
The EU imposed restrictions last week citing its frustration over the continued expansion of Jewish settlements in territory captured by Israeli forces in the 1967 Middle East War.
The guidelines render Israeli entities operating there ineligible for EU grants, prizes or loans, beginning next year.
Settler leaders say the aid they receive from Europe is minimal. But many in Israel worry about possible knock-on effects the EU steps may have on individuals or companies based in Israel that might be involved in business in the settlements, deemed illegal by the international community.
The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had decided to suspend contacts with the EU in the West Bank.
Yaalon, a former army chief and hardliner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, has ?frozen projects, canceled meetings, curtailed coordination and permits for Europe's operations? for Palestinians living in what is known as Area C, a West Bank area fully administered by Israel, he said.
The EU expressed concern about the Israeli steps, which may hurt its humanitarian work for Palestinians, an EU source in Israel told Reuters.
The organization had not been formally notified of the Israeli measures and was seeking clarification, he said.
A Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said several European humanitarian aid staff had had difficulty obtaining permits and some requests had gone unanswered.
Under the terms of a 1993 interim peace accord, some 150,000 Palestinians, many of then poor farmers and shepherds living in Area C, a West Bank zone where many settlements have been built, are fully under Israeli military control,
The Palestinians have limited self-rule over other parts of the West Bank, and share joint custody with Israel over yet other areas.
Some of Europe's assistance in the West Bank goes to Palestinians whose homes built with EU funding are demolished by Israel, often maintaining the structures were built illegally.
The Association of International Development Agencies, a coalition of 80 aid groups, said in a report in May that 600 settler houses had been built since mid-2012 while Israel demolished 535 Palestinian-owned homes and structures.
The United States, Israel's main backer, has been trying to revive peace talks that have been deadlocked for three years and aimed at reaching an agreement for the Palestinians to establish a state alongside Israel.
Source: http://www.voanews.com/content/reuters-israel-blocks-eu-aid-to-west-bank-palestinians/1710759.html
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Un hombre mata a machetazos a dos funcionarios en China
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AP - El hombre al que no se le permiti? registrar a su cuarto hijo, debido a que no pag? una sanci?n tras violar la ley china de plan familiar, hiri? a otros cuatro empleados
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'Wedding Island': Bride Makes Secret Helicopter Arrival
"Family Tools" (ABC)
<em>Series premieres Wed., May 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: Starring J.K. Simmons and Kyle Bornheimer, "Family Tools" centers on a guy who returns home to take over his dad's hardware business when he finds himself jobless.
"MythBusters" (Discovery Channel)
<em>Season 10 premieres Wed., May 1 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> What To Know</strong>: This season there will be a "Breaking Bad" themed episode and the crew will tackle myths such as "Are women better than men at multitasking?" and "Which is more sanitary: drying your hands with a hand dryer or a hand towel?"
"The Big Brain Theory" (DSC)
<em>Series premieres Wed., May 1 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: Hosted by Kal Penn, this reality competition show will give contestants 30 minutes to solve a daunting engineering challenge.
"Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous" (MTV)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> The series follows Zach (Bo Burnham), who hires a camera crew to film him throughout his daily life as a part of his quest to become an overnight celebrity ? even though he possesses no real talent. From Zach?s attempts to become a celebrity chef or a ring-tone recording artist to purposefully going missing, he?ll try any avenue to get noticed and stop at nothing until he reaches fame.
"The Show With Vinny" (MTV)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 2 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> For the legions who can't say goodbye to "Jersey Shore" just yet, the legacy continues as we follow GTLer Vinny into his sure-to-be-scintillating home life. The premise has random "celebrities" dropping by his house for impromptu interviews -- and Vinny going to visit their homes, too.
"Newlyweds: The First Year" (Bravo)
<em>Series premieres Mon., May 6 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Bravo's new eight-episode docu-series follows four newlywed couples and their most personal moments, from their wedding day to their first anniversary. There's bi-coastal Christian couple Kimberly and Alaska; domestic partners Jeff and Blair, who are 16 years apart; Indian pop star Tina and her modeled-turned-tech-geek husband Tarz; and suburbanites Kathryn and John.
"Million Dollar Listing: New York" (Bravo)
<em>Season 2 premieres Wed., May 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Because we're all so fascinated by real estate that we could never realistically afford, this show is returning for a second season. C'mon, it's fun to live vicariously.
"Wipeout" (ABC)
<em>Season 6 premieres Thurs., May 9 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> With Season 5 episodes titled "Hillbilly Wipeout," "Gorillas In Our Midst" and "Hotties vs. Nerds 2.0," there can only be more magic in store for Season 6. Viewers of all stripes love watching people hurt themselves in new and remarkable ways.
"Family Tree" (HBO)
<em>Series premieres Sun., May 12 at 10:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> "Bridesmaids" funnyman Chris O'Dowd stars in Christopher Guest's ("Best in Show") new documentary-style series about a hapless thirtysomething trying to find meaning in his life by tracing his heritage.
"Long Island Medium" (TLC)
<em>Season 4 premieres Sun., May 12 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> We were hoping that those nails and that hair would be around for another season -- and our wish came true! Theresa Caputo is back, communicating with the dead, for at least another 30 episodes.
?Breaking Amish: Brave New World? (TLC)
<em>Season 2 premieres Sun., May 12 at10 p.m. ET .</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Speculation and accusations about the show?s ?reality? aside, ?Breaking Amish? was a hit for TLC. Now, the five Amish and Mennonite rebels, who moved to New York City in the show?s first season, are headed south to Florida ... but trouble seems to follow them wherever they go.
"Small Town Security" (AMC)
<em>Season 2 premieres Thurs., May 9 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> In Season 1, we met the owners and employees of JJK Security in small-town Ringgold, Georgia, and Season 2 will offer more insight into the unscripted lives of this unusual group, including Dennis' ongoing journey in his gender transition from female to male.
"So You Think You Can Dance" (Fox)
<em>Season 10 premieres Tues., May 14 at 8 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> After a season of intense competition, Eliana Girard and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp took home first place wins, both for ballet, while Tiffany Maher was the female runner-up for jazz and Cyrus Spencer was the male runner-up for popping/animation.
"Motive" (ABC)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 23 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Billed as a unique, original approach to the typical cop drama, "Motive" operates backwards. Each episode starts off showing the victim, and then works its way towards finding the perpetrator and his/her motivations by the end of the episode.
"The Goodwin Games" (Fox)
<em>Series premieres Mon., May 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know: </strong> The Fox comedy centers on estranged siblings Henry (Scott Foley), Chloe (Becki Newton) and Jimmy (T.J. Miller) as they attempt to "rediscover their lives" with the money their father left them.
"MasterChef" (Fox)
<em>Season 4 premieres Wed., May 22 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The home cook competition crowned its third consecutive female winner last season, Christine Ha. Cool fact: She is legally blind. No telling what twists they'll have this season.
"Rookie Blue" (ABC)
<em>Season 4 premieres Thurs., May 23 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The last time we saw the cops at 15 Division, they were all in the midst of making some serious decisions about their lives -- including career calls, a possible transfer and, for Andy, a major emotional choice.
"Save Me" (NBC)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 23 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> After a near-death experience, Beth (Anne Heche) is revived only to realize she now has a direct line to God. Of course, her husband Tom (Michael Landes) is skeptical and dismissive -- but when inexplicable things begin to happen, everyone?s beliefs are tested.
"The Bachelorette" (ABC)
<em>Season 9 premieres Mon., May 20 at 9 p.m ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Emily Maynard of North Carolina thought she'd finally found love in Jef Holm, but after only being engaged for a short time, they broke up. Here's to hoping "Bachelor" contestant Desiree Hartsock has better luck!
"Arrested Development" (Netflix)
<em>Season 4 premieres Mon., May 26 at 12:01 a.m. PT.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The Bluths are finally back, but there's no telling where and how we'll actually find them. One thing we do know: Each of the nine main characters will have their own episode in this season's 15-episode order, chronicling what they've been up to the last seven years. Some may cross over, but they'll all be complementary -- and they're all meant to set up an eventual "AD" movie. Considering the season will all be available the day it premieres, it sounds pretty perfect for a marathon viewing.
"The Glades" (A&E)
<em>Season 4 premieres Mon., May 27 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> In the Season 3 finale, Jim (Matt Passmore) proposed to Callie (Kiele Sanchez), even though she passed her board exam and may move to Atlanta. But she didn't respond yet ...
"Longmire" (A&E)
<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., May 27 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Did Walt Longmire murder his wife's killer? Season 1 saw flashbacks of the Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, that would support the theory, but when the FBI asked him in the Season 1 finale, he simply said, "No."
"Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" (ABC)
<em>Season 3 premieres Tues., May 28 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> As in the seasons before it, "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" will center on a group of people losing large amounts of weight over the course of a year through diet and exercise.
"Brooklyn DA" (CBS)
<em>Series premieres Tues., May 28 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: The six-part series takes viewers behind the scenes of the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. ADA Kathleen Collins (pictured) is just one of the profiled attorneys. "When you?re on trial, there?s never a day that you really go home and don?t feel stressed," she said.
"The American Baking Competition" (CBS)
<em>Series premieres Wed., May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Based on a popular British reality competition, this new Jeff Foxworthy-hosted show features 10 home cooks vying for the title of best amateur baker in America, as well as a contract to publish their own cookbook and a $250,000 grand prize. Not bad for a couple of pies work, huh?
"Melissa & Joey" (ABC Family)
<em>Season 3 premieres Wed., May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Joe married Russian businesswoman Elena, but then she received a call that prompted her to fly back to Russia to testify for one of her innocent colleagues. The Season 2 finale ended with Mel -- who officiated the wedding -- and Joe toasting to the next "Mrs. Longo," wherever she may be.
"Baby Daddy" (ABC Family)
<em>Season 2 premieres Wed., March 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Ben and Riley's friend Katie faced some major drama when they found themselves in bed together after a night of partying. The only problem with their little tryst was that Katie was supposed to get married (to someone else) the next day. Luckily, they soon find out that nothing happened, and Riley and Ben share a romantic dance.
"Dancing Fools" (ABC Family)
<em>Series premieres Wed., May 29 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know: </strong> The half-hour comedy clip show, hosted by "Baby Daddy" star Melissa Peterman, features the funniest, most outrageous and memorable dances caught on camera. The dancers from the top two clips of the week compete on stage for a chance to win $10,000.
"The Killing" (AMC)
<em>Season 3 premieres Sun., June 2 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Season 2 ended with Rosie Larsen's Aunt Terry being arrested for her murder. Detectives Linden (Mireille Enos) and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) got a call about a new case, but Linden wanted no part of it. Season 3 picks up a year later, with Holder searching for a runaway girl and discovering a string of murders connected to one of Linden's old cases. Though Linden is no longer a detective, she inevitably gets pulled back in.
"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" (Bravo)
<em>Season 5 premieres Sun., June 2 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> Where We Left Off</strong>: The "Housewives" were fractured -- to say the least -- but the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy brings new beginnings for the first ladies of the Garden State. Of course things could certainly go sour yet again.
"Princesses: Long Island" (Bravo)
<em>Series premieres Sun., June 2 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: The reality series follows six college-educated women from affluent areas of Long Island who are still living with their families.
?Keeping Up With the Kardashians? (E!)
<em>Season 8 premieres Sun., May 20 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Kim and Kanye?s relationship was just breaking the Internet, and now we?ll see it all on screen -- including their baby drama. Khloe?s fertility issues continue, but new ?castmember? Brody Jenner -- Bruce?s son from a previous marriage who is no stranger to reality TV -- looks to be this season?s biggest diva.
"Mistresses" (ABC)
<em>Series premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Soapy drama "Mistresses" stars Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes and Jes Macallan as four friends all struggling with different issues in their love lives, with men (including Jason George) and other women complicating matters. And as the title suggests, some of them are flirting with disaster and becoming mistresses themselves.
?The Fosters? (ABC Family)
<em>Series premieres Mon., June 3 at 9 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>What To Know: </strong>This new one-hour drama from executive producer Jennifer Lopez follows a multi-ethnic, blended family, being raised by two working moms, as they welcome another troubled child into their home.
"Teen Wolf" (MTV)
<em>Season 3 premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> At the end of last season, Allison broke up with Scott, Peter warned Isaac and Derek that a new pack made up entirely of Alpha werewolves was coming, and said Alphas trapped Boyd and Erica in the woods, leaving viewers uncertain of their fate. Season 3 will pick up four months later, and focus on the introduction of the Alpha pack and the havoc they wreak.
"Push Girls" (Sundance Channel)
<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Throughout Sesaon 1 we got to know Auti, Mia, Tiphany and Chelsie, four women living in Hollywood who also happen to all be in wheelchairs. Season 2 will follow the foursome's new loves and new adventures, including 21-year-old Chelsie's decision to move out of her parents' home.
"America's Got Talent" (NBC)
<em>Season 8 premieres Tues., June 4 at 9 p.m. ET</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Last season, traveling dog act Olate Dogs was crowned the winner. This year, a new crop of performers will compete for the $1 million prize. Spice Girl Mel B. and Heidi Klum join the judging panel with Howie Mandel and Howard Stern.
"Burn Notice" (USA)
<em>Season 7 premieres Thursday, June 6 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> In an effort to get more information on Riley, Michael sent Bly to tail her to a meeting with the cartel kingpin, but a cartel member disguised as security blew up Bly's car, killing him and destroying the evidence they collected on Riley. Michael later incapacitated Riley and got her to agree to confess. Then, Fiona, Madeline, Sam and Jesse were released from their prison cells. Michael explained he "did what [he] had to do," but Fiona corrected him, saying, "You did what you wanted to do."
?Graceland? (USA)
<em>"Graceland" premieres Thurs., June 6 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> This cop drama, starring Daniel Sunjata and Aaron Tveit, follows a special group of law enforcement agents from the FBI, the DEA and U.S. Customs who all live under the same roof in sunny Southern California. Like frat guys (and girls), but with badges.
"The Hero" (TNT)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., June 6 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is producing this competition series to test the strength, courage and integrity of a diverse group of nine individuals. Each week, the contestants will be challenged physically, mentally and morally as they try to prove that they truly deserve the title of "The Hero" and the life-changing grand prize that goes with it.
"72 Hours" (TNT)
<em>Series premieres Thurs., June 6 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Contestants on this "Survivor"-esque reality show are dropped into the wilderness with only a bottle of water and a GPS device on a mission to find a briefcase filled with $100,000.
"Continuum" (Syfy)
<em>Season 2 premieres Fri., June 7 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> According to series lead Rachel Nichols, Season 2 is all about responsibility. Kiera, Alec and even the terrorists at Liber8 all have to make intense choices that could change the very fabric of their worlds.
"Dexter" (Showtime)
<em>Season 8 premieres Sun., June 30 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Deb finally learned the truth about Dexter's dark secret, and took a page out of her step-brother's book in the shocking season finale. Can she live with what she did? And can Dexter escape the series without being brought to justice in this final season?
"Being Human" (BBC America)
<em>Season 5 premieres Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Our favorite supernatural threesome is back from across the pond for their fifth and final season where they'll finally confront the Devil, once and for all. No biggie.
"Sinbad" (Syfy)
<em>Series premiere Sat., June 8 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> The 12-episode British series follows the epic sea journey of the flawed hero Sinbad (Elliot Knight), who embarks on a quest to rid himself of a curse and embrace his destiny. Look for "Lost" alum Naveen Andrews as Lord Akbari.
"Primeval: New World" (Syfy)
<em>Series premieres Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> What To Know</strong>: The 13-episode first season follows a team of animal experts and scientists that investigate paranormal events.
"Falling Skies" (TNT)
<em>Season 3 premieres Sun., June 9 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Last season ended with the arrival of a new species of alien, and Anne became pregnant with Tom's child. Season 3 will explore whether the new alien is on the side of the humans or has another dark purpose in mind. We'll also learn what happened to Hal while he was unconscious, and what that might mean for the rebellion.
"Switched At Birth" (ABC Family)
<em>Season 2 summer premiere Mon., June 10 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off</strong>: "Switched At Birth" left on a big cliffhanger: Daphne struggled to keep the Carlton School for the Deaf open, John's campaign for office came to a startling halt and Emmett told Bay about Daphne and Noah's kiss.
"Major Crimes" (TNT)
<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., June 10 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off</strong>: Rusty became a ward of the state to the delight of everybody, and Captain Raydor continued to gain the trust and respect of the Major Crimes unit.
?King & Maxwell? (TNT)
<em>Series premieres Mon., June 10 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Based on author David Baldacci?s bestselling private eye series, Rebecca Romijn and Jon Tenney star as the titular former Secret Service agents now working as private investigators who aren?t always by-the-books.
"Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family)
<em>Season 4 premieres Tues., June 11 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Red Coat, who looked a whole lot like Ali, saved Emily, Aria, Hanna and Mona from a fire, while Spencer looked on in shock. The first episode of Season 4 is titled "A Is For A-L-I-V-E" and <a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/394204/spoiler-chat-scoop-on-pretty-little-liars-once-upon-a-time-revolution-new-girl-and-more" target="_hplink">E! News reports that viewers will meet Marion, Toby's mother</a>, who was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaimie-etkin/pretty-little-liars-recap_b_2673316.html" target="_hplink">revealed to be dead in Season 3, Episode 18, "Dead To Me."</a> "All of the questions fans have will be answered," <a href="http://www.wetpaint.com/pretty-little-liars/articles/pretty-little-liars-star-sasha-pieterse-dishes-on-season-4-questions-will-be-answered-exclusive" target="_hplink">star Sasha Pieterse told Wetpaint Entertainment recently</a> of Season 4.
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Thursday, July 25, 2013
Canadian bankers feeling the pain of 'decimated ... - Financial Post
The downturn in the mining industry is beginning to ripple through brokerage firms and investment banks in Canada.
Miners brace for painful second-quarter earnings season
It is going to be ugly. The only question is how ugly.
The mining earnings season kicks into full gear this week, and investors and analysts are bracing themselves for a set of painful second-quarter results. Writedowns, project deferrals and plummeting profits will all be front-and-centre as the miners try to make sense of one of the most turbulent quarters they have faced in years.
Continue reading.
One small brokerage firm, Fraser Mackenzie Ltd., closed earlier this year. Casimir Capital Ltd., a closely held investment bank, has cut jobs on its mining team and is shifting its focus to energy companies. Even Toronto-Dominion Bank, Canada?s second largest lender by assets, has moved investment bankers into other areas.
Bill Vlaad, a financial services recruiter, says requests to find bankers to work with mining and natural resources companies are drying up. Those searches now represent less than 10% of his business, down from half of his work three years ago. Mark Morabito, chairman of Canadian mining company Alderon Iron Ore Corp., says he?s getting a steady stream of e-mails from bankers who are getting fired.
?I?m now dealing with the top guys, the global heads of mining, because the guys in between are all gone,? Morabito said in an interview. ?Toronto is just a dead zone.?
Though the job cuts have been relatively small so far, many in the finance industry expect a bigger wave of reductions as well as consolidation, especially among boutique financial firms. If the number of such firms shrinks, mining companies could find it even harder down the road to finance exploration drilling and mine development.
Metals Slump
During the multiyear boom in commodity prices that followed the global financial crisis, these securities firms grew as mining companies easily tapped the Canadian stock markets for financing. About half the world?s mining companies have their headquarters in Canada ? producers of copper, gold, iron ore and zinc ? and most of the industry?s stock sales go through Toronto.
Equity financing, one of the few options for speculative companies searching for the next big mine, is now shrinking amid a slump in metals prices. Gold futures in New York have dropped 21% this year while copper is down 13%.
The total value of mining equity sales in Canada declined in 2012 and fell more sharply in the first part of this year, particularly among the small and midsize explorers and developers.
Financial firms that serve these companies are under pressure. The picture will ?probably get uglier before it gets better,? for securities firms, said Michael Graham, who worked in institutional equity sales at Stonecap Securities Inc., in a June 13 phone interview.
Fewer Deals
?Everybody is talking to everyone in terms of do we get together, do we fold?? he said. ?I think the reality is that everybody is going to cut people.?
Graham left Stonecap, a Toronto-based investment dealer, in early June to help with an initial public offering for a small energy company and plans to reassess his options at the end of the summer.
The number of employees at securities firms in Canada fell in the first quarter to its lowest level since 2006, according to the Investment Industry Association of Canada, which represents the nation?s securities firms. Ian Russell, the association?s chief executive officer, said in April that more than a third of Canada?s 185 boutique firms had lost money in the last two years.
Their revenue from financing of natural resources companies is dwindling. The number of equity offerings by mining companies in Canada peaked in 2011 at 858 and fell to 451 in 2012. There have been just 119 deals this year, raising US$856.6-million, compared with US$6.5-billion in the whole of 2012 and an annual peak of US$13.5-billion in 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News.
Distressed Situations
?You?ve just seen a complete collapse in expansion, project development, capital raising,? Russell said in a July 4 telephone interview.
Fraser Mackenzie, which employed as many as 80 people, probably won?t be the last firm to close, said Vlaad, the recruiter.
?For the smaller firms, the ones that have been focused in mining and oil and gas, the word on the street is it?s even more draconian than just cutting a body,? he said.
Fraser Mackenzie considered merging with another firm before announcing it would fold on April 29. Mark Polubiec, its CEO, said most of his competitors were in distressed situations and he didn?t want to be the ?sugar daddy? to prop up another?s balance sheet.
?Absolutely Decimated?
?We were losing money like everybody else on the street as it relates to the small-cap resource market,? Polubiec said in a telephone interview after the announcement. ?This is the first time in a long time, in my 33 years in the business, that I?ve essentially been unable to feel any certainty whatsoever when things will change.?
Casimir cut 18 jobs, or about half the workforce, including a ?significant chunk? of its mining group, said acting CEO Adam Thomas. He?s part of an employee group that agreed to buy 75% of the investment bank in Canada.
The mining sector has just been absolutely decimated
?The mining sector has just been absolutely decimated,? Thomas said by phone Wednesday. ?I?m an oil and gas guy, I?ve never touched mining and I?m kind of grateful to be in this space right now.?
Toronto-Dominion Bank has moved bankers from resources into areas such as real estate investment trusts and utilities, Patrick Meneley, head of global investment banking at the lender?s TD Securities Inc. unit, said in a June 5 interview.
Mining Stocks
Securities firms, banks and law firms may be reluctant to cut jobs rapidly from their natural resources groups because of what happened during the global financial crisis. Commodities prices plunged and pulled down mining stocks, but the rebound in share prices and financings was swift and strong, said Andrew Pollard, president of the Mining Recruitment Group in Vancouver.
?I think 2008 is still really in the minds of executives,? he said in a June 11 phone interview, ?and they are doing what they can to just sort of hunker down and get through it without having to make the same sorts of cuts,?
Signs of strain extend well beyond the lawyers, accountants and bankers that help with financings, said Michael White, CEO of IBK Capital Corp., a closely held investment bank.
?It?s also the drillers and geophysical companies, consulting companies, the engineering companies,? he said. ?Everybody?s feeling it.?
www.bloomberg.com
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Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Stocks trade flat after mixed earnings results
Specialist Douglas Johnson is reflected in a screen at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday, July 22, 2013. Rising commodity prices made up for a disappointing quarterly performance at McDonalds, lifting the stock market Monday. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Specialist Douglas Johnson is reflected in a screen at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday, July 22, 2013. Rising commodity prices made up for a disappointing quarterly performance at McDonalds, lifting the stock market Monday. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
NEW YORK (AP) ? A mix of good and bad quarterly earnings news from big U.S. companies kept the stock market flipping between small gains and losses in midday trading Tuesday.
Wendy's and United Technologies rose after posting better results than financial analysts expected. Netflix and the Altria Group, maker of Marlboro cigarettes, fell after their results came up short.
United Technologies led the Dow Jones industrial average index up, climbing $2.36, or 2 percent, to $104.47. The conglomerate said strong orders for its Otis elevator business in China and commercial airline parts helped lift sales and profits.
Shortly after noon, the Dow was up 23 points, or 0.1 percent, to 15,569.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index dipped two points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,693. The Nasdaq composite fell 12 points, or 0.4 percent, to 3,587.
"In the absence of major economic news, the focus is on earnings this week," said David Joy, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial. "And there's nothing today to drive the market dramatically one way or another."
Wendy's jumped 74 cents, or 11 percent, to $7.41. The fast-food company's net income came in above Wall Street's expectations. Wendy's also announced plans to sell 425 restaurants as franchises and raised its quarterly dividend by a penny to 5 cents.
It's a busy day for earnings, with 35 companies in the S&P 500 scheduled to turn in results. The scorecard for the second quarter looks good so far. More than six out of every 10 companies have posted earnings that surpassed Wall Street's expectations, according to S&P Capital IQ.
Analysts forecast that second-quarter earnings at companies in the S&P 500 increased 3.5 percent over the same period last year.
Marlboro maker Altria Group said higher prices and lower expenses from a legal settlement offset a drop in cigarette sales and helped the company post an increase in profits, but the results still fell short of analysts' expectations. Altria's stock sank 97 cents, or 3 percent, to $35.91.
Netflix dropped $13.75, or 5 percent, to $248.30. The company said late Monday that it signed up fewer subscribers than financial analysts had projected. Big expectations have propelled Netflix's stock up 167 percent since the start of the year, adding more pressure on the company to deliver amazing numbers.
In the market for U.S. government bonds, the rate on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.50 percent from 2.48 percent late Monday. Long-term interest rates have swung in a wide range since May, a result of traders speculating over when the Federal Reserve will begin pulling back on its bond-buying program.
The rate on the 10-year note, a benchmark for many kinds of loans, was trading at 1.61 percent on May 1. It reached as high as 2.75 percent by the second week of July.
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Privatizing Canada Post gets our stamp of approval
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The U.K. government recently decided to privatize the Royal Mail postal group. It will sell a majority stake in the state enterprise to investors, and about 150,000 Royal Mail employees will receive free shares.
I think (hope) that such reform will one day have to occur here, with Canada Post.
The Crown Corporation delivers less and less mail, partly because of the growing popularity of e-mail and new technologies. And shipping costs ? including transportation and labour ? are growing faster than revenues. The Conference Board of Canada, a think-tank, recently released a report saying the corporation may incur losses of $1 billion per year until 2020.
So what do we do with this venerable but costly institution? Among solutions proposed by the Conference Board to save money:
- Freeze wages for a number of years;
- Deliver mail every other day;
- Eliminate door-to-door delivery and replace it with community mailboxes for urban residential customers.
Raising the cost of mailing letters and advertising could help raise some revenues, but not enough to eliminate the shortfall.
But we should go further. Like Britain, we could privatize Canada Post, in part, to set up the discipline that comes from having investors who demand a return on their investment. Right now the sole shareholder of Canada Post is the federal government ? not the most demanding shareholder.
If possible, the government should open up the market to competition. Allowing competitors to enter the postal market would force Canada Post to innovate and become more efficient in order to retain market share. Without such pressures, Canadian consumers will always bear the brunt of Canada Post?s underperformance, in the form of lower quality and/or higher prices.
In fact, the state monopoly to distribute letters, like the one enjoyed by Canada Post, is a model that has been increasingly abandoned in countries around the world, particularly in Europe.
Some will raise the issue of sparsely populated regions, which is a legitimate concern. The costs of services are indeed higher in those areas. But it shouldn?t be an obstacle to reform.
Thanks to the Internet, physical distances have become less and less relevant. And if some unprofitable business ? but considered absolutely essential ? must be maintained, nothing prevents the federal government from imposing this condition to any prospective buyer of Canada Post, and offering a subsidy accordingly. Which should be transparent, and subject to review and debate.
Canada Post must focus on providing the best service to Canadians, at the best price. A privatization, even partial, could most likely help meet that goal.
? Michel Kelly-Gagnon is president of Montreal Economic Institute. The opinions expressed here are his own.
Poll
Do you think Canada Post should be privatized?
Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/07/23/privatizing-canada-post-gets-our-stamp-of-approval
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Portugal president approves reshuffle, ending government rift
LISBON |
LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's president approved on Tuesday the promotion of junior coalition party leader Paulo Portas to deputy prime minister and a wider government reshuffle as proposed by premier Pedro Passos Coelho to ensure the ruling coalition's unity after a rift.
The promotion of Portas, who leads the rightist CDS-PP party, from foreign minister to deputy prime minister coordinating talks with Lisbon's EU and IMF lenders has been a key condition to heal the rift which earlier this month had threatened to derail Lisbon's bailout.
President Anibal Cavaco Silva on Sunday ruled out a snap election and said the government should stay until the end of its term to make sure Portugal exits the bailout as planned, cooling weeks of political turmoil.
The president's office said in a statement that Rui Machete from the main ruling Social Democratic party, who has served as deputy prime minister in a previous government, was appointed foreign minister.
In another change reinforcing CDS-PP presence in the government, the premier replaced Economy Minister Alvaro Santos Pereira, an independent, with Antonio Pires de Lima, an economist and politician from Portas' party.
A new ministerial post, for environment, territorial management and energy was created by narrowing the functions of Agriculture Minister Maria Assuncao Cristas, who is also from CDS-PP. Environmental expert Jorge Moreira da Silva, from the premier's party, will fill the new post.
The new ministers will be sworn in on Wednesday.
Portas has objected to some austerity policies and some investors fear his promotion may conflict with the continuity of bailout austerity policies under new Finance Minister Maria Luis Albuquerque, appointed earlier this month to replace Vitor Gaspar, the architect of Lisbon's budget consolidation drive.
Albuquerque was previously treasury secretary and Gaspar's close collaborator.
(Reporting By Andrei Khalip; Editing by Michael Roddy)
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New Motorola Droid sports 48-hour battery life
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Source: arstechnica.com --- Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Verizon relaunched its Motorola Droid line at a press event Tuesday in New York. The three new Droids run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and each model focuses on maximizing one of three specs: compact design, thinness, and battery life, thanks to the a new SoC called the Motorola X8. The X8 system has eight cores, with two allocated for app processing, four for graphics processing, one for ?contextual computing,? and one for natural language processing. The Droid Mini is the compact variation, with a 4.3-inch display. The Droid Ultra focuses on thinness and design, with a coated Kevlar body and 5-inch display. The Droid Maxx, the successor to the Droid Razr Maxx HD, is also thin at 8.5 millimeters with a 5-inch display, but has a 3,500mAh battery that affords 48 hours of active use. Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments ? ? ? ? ...
Source: http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/3Rfz_xC9KYU/story01.htm
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Well: The Kitchen as a Pollution Hazard
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Cooking is a major source of indoor pollution, promoting a need for better ventilation standards.
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Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/the-kitchen-as-a-pollution-hazard/?partner=rss&emc=rss
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Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Scotty McCreery Reveals Major American Idol Audition Secrets on Twitter
Out of the Carolina blue, American Idol?Season 10?winner Scotty McCreery?decided to take to Twitter to reveal some behind-the-scenes scoop from back when he auditioned. Needless to say, Scotty revealed some secrets that we've never heard before about his Idol process.
He said (in a series of tweets): "Fun Fact: For the?Idol?auditions you have to sing a song that is cleared by the show for rights and stuff. 'Your Man' wasn't cleared my audition day. If you sang a song that wasn't cleared, they wouldn't put your audition on TV, which makes it tough on your chances of making the show. I told the producers I didn't care and I was singing 'Your Man.' Miraculously, about 15 mins before my audition, they told me they got it cleared! If that had not happened, we would've never got to hear Steven's crazy line, and who knows if I'd be here today!"
Hmm, we're happy for Scotty and all, but that sounds fishy. Back in the first stages of auditioning, Scotty also revealed that a producer told him "This isn't Nashville Star" and told him to sing a non-country song. The teen chose to sing "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra.
"Imagine that in my voice, haha," he tweeted. In a later audition round, the producers threw him another curveball, singing Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." Midway through the "rah-rah" intro, Scotty said he stopped and told them "this ain't on my country station back home, I don't know this." He then said that they burst out laughing and said they just wanted to hear it in a country voice.
"I'll try n think of some other cool stories and have twitter story time on here again sometime. Hope y'all enjoyed a little inside scoop." Better not reveal too much, Scotty, or else the Idol?police will come after you!
Source:?Scotty McCreery on Twitter, Hollywood Reporter?
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Britain's Cameron toughens his stance against online porn searches
23 hours ago
Jeff Overs / BBC via Reuters
British Prime Minister David Cameron speaks with BBC journalist Andrew Marr during a televised interview in the garden of 10 Downing Street in London.
LONDON ? British Prime Minister David Cameron challenged the Internet search engine providers Google, Yahoo and Bing on Sunday to block images of child abuse, calling for more action against online pornography.
In a television interview, Cameron said search engines must block results for searches using blacklisted keywords to stop Internet users accessing illegal images.
Evidence in two recent high-profile child murders in Britain has shown that the killers accessed online child pornography. Although search companies have pledged to help remove images from the Internet, Cameron says he wants them to go further.
"I have a very clear message for Google, Bing, Yahoo and the rest. You have a duty to act on this ? and it is a moral duty," Cameron was due to say in a speech on Monday, according to an advance text. He demanded that the companies report back to him in October on their progress.
Cameron also said the government was ready to introduce new laws if search engine providers did not offer enough cooperation.
Last week, U.S. authorities said they had arrested 255 people suspected of sexually exploiting children online in a cross-border operation involving eight other countries.
In June, Google donated $5 million to global child protection organizations to combat the problem. "We have a zero tolerance attitude to child sexual abuse imagery. Whenever we discover it, we respond quickly to remove and report it," a Google representative said.
Bing, owned by Microsoft, said that it would support education and deterrence campaigns and that it was working with the British government to determine the best industry-wide approach to tackle illegal content.
Yahoo was not immediately available for comment.
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.
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Monday, July 22, 2013
'Sunny' celebrating Thanksgiving, 'Lethal Weapon'
SAN DIEGO (AP) ? "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" has plenty to be thankful for: The naughty FX comedy is going into its ninth season, helping to launch a new spin-off channel and was greeted by more than 5,000 fans at the show's Comic-Con panel Sunday in Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center.
"Always Sunny" cast members Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito were on hand to answer fans' questions after screening the first episode of the new season, which is debuting on the FX spin-off network FXX in September.
Howerton said the new season will include episodes featuring Thanksgiving, "Lethal Weapon 6," a flu epidemic and an installment written by "Game of Thrones" co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss titled "Flowers for Charlie."
"It's kind of like 'Limitless,' where I'm taking a pill to be more smarter," said Day, who plays the goofball character.
One thing fans won't see is the dysfunctional gang from Paddy's Pub going on "Family Feud." McElhenney said the network vetoed an episode written for the upcoming season featuring the character going on the game show. He said "Family Feud" was on board with the idea, but it didn't come together.
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Online:
http://www.comic-con.org
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sunny-celebrating-thanksgiving-lethal-weapon-040110508.html
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