Source: Washington Post ()
DES MOINES, Dec. 25 — Levi Knapp, one of Sen. Christopher J. Dodd’s 80 field organizers in Iowa, had never been on ice skates before. Surrounded by his boss and about 15 other campaign staffers, he held to the rails at Brenton Skating Plaza in the city’s East Village neighborhood and occasionally tried to move forward.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune ()
NEW YORK – MAXjet Airways ceased operations on Monday – leaving jets on tarmacs and stranding passengers on Christmas Eve – as the all-business class airline said it would file for bankruptcy protection.
MAXjet cited soaring fuel prices and the deteriorating credit market for what it called a “drastic measure.” But analysts said the company’s failure may raise questions about the viability of all-business class airlines.
The company also announced the immediate resignations of its non-executive chairman, Ken Woolley, and directors Paul Kehoe and Roger Flynn.
MAXjet launched in 2005 and offered “all-premium” flights between Stansted, New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. But analysts said it couldn’t compete with deeper-pocketed AMR Corp.’s American Airlines business class.
“High fuel prices were a contributing factor, but American’s inauguration in October of (service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and London’s Stansted Airport) … was the coup de grace,” said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, N.Y.
While business class service can be very profitable to airlines, it’s also a very “thin” market, Mann said, serving, typically, “40 to 70 seats per flight, depending on the route and aircraft.” Any loss of market share to a competitor can be devastating, particularly to an all business-class carrier like MAXjet that didn’t have revenue from economy passengers – or a robust route system – to fall back on.
“They could not get the current premium class passengers away from major carriers,” said Mike Boyd, president of The Boyd Group, an Evergreen, Colo., airline consultancy.
MAXjet’s decision to cease operations forced the carrier to reserve hotel rooms for stranded holiday passengers who had return flights between New York and London. MAXjet said it was working with rival all-business class …
Source: It's our fault we drew - SkySports ()
Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce believes a combination of poor finishing and sloppy defending cost his side three points against Derby County.
Paul Jewell’s Derby took an early lead through Giles Barnes, however a barrage of Magpies pressure eventually resulted in an equaliser through Mark Viduka.
Newcastle were then guilty of squandering some decent chances, and Kenny Miller struck in the second half to make it 2-1.
Despite being saved when Viduka netted with three minutes remaining, Allardyce has vented his frustration at the disappointing combination of shaky defending and a lack of cutting edge up front.
Squandered
“We’re very disappointed by the number of chances we have created and only scored two,” he said on Sky Sports News.
“We were squandering chances left, right and centre and instead of converting them and taking the pressure off ourselves, we allowed the opposition to score a [first-half] goal that could have been avoided.
“The conversion of chances rate today - again like against Birmingham - is way down compared to what we are creating.
Dominated
“The basic defending has let us down. Derby have had two shots on target and scored two.
“We should be winning the game comfortably. We completely dominated the opposition.
“We might get criticised for not beating Derby - we should be them - but we did everything within our power to beat them.
“It is our fault we didn’t win.”
Source: Trading Markets (press release) ()
Farmers market eyes Sabbath sales: Allentown Fairgrounds stands to be open Sunday for holiday shoppers; possibly in future.
Saturday, December 22, 2007; Posted: 01:00 PM
Dec 22, 2007 (The Morning Call - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — KMRT | charts | news | PowerRating — The Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market will break with a longstanding policy of closing on the Sabbath to open this Sunday and capitalize on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Market owner Dan Wuchter Sr. decided that customer demand would be too great to stay closed this weekend, especially with supermarkets open on Sunday and retailers such as Macy’s and Kmart staying open 24 hours a day through Christmas Eve. “We figured some people would want to come in on Sunday and Monday, and we didn’t want to lose our business to them,” he said. Many vendors at the market say they understand the rationale for opening this weekend, but they are reluctant to make Sundays part of the market’s regular hours of operation. Some stands, particularly those owned by Amish or Mennonite vendors, will be closed. Wuchter estimates that about 45 of the market’s 65 vendors will be open for business on Sunday. The market, which is normally open Thursdays through Saturdays, will be open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday and Christmas Eve. While the market has traditionally opened on Christmas Eve, Wuchter could only remember one other time that the market opened on a Sunday. That was in the mid-1990s, after a blizzard forced the market to close during its normal business days. But Sunday hours might become part of the market’s regular schedule in the future, Wuchter said. An increasing number of customers prefer to shop on Sundays, and the market might have to accommodate them or risk losing them to a supermarket, he said. “So many people say that’s when they shop. They work on Saturdays get off too late to shop,” he said. “Sunday hours may be something to think about.” …
Source: uruknet.info ()
December 20, 2007
Christmas is observed December 25 by Christians and others celebrating the spirit of the season while for those of the Eastern Orthodox faith the holiday falls on January 7. It’s to honor the birth of Jesus Christ even though it’s widely acknowledged not to be his birthday. Along with its religious significance, the season is also for other celebratory events like winter festivals, parties, family get-togethers and Kwanzaa from December 26 - January 1 for Africans Americans to reconnect to their cultural and historical heritage. Jews as well celebrate the season with the Hanukkah Festival of Lights. It’s to commemorate their struggle for survival, but for Jewish children it’s their Christmas with gifts from parents like their Christian friends get.
Christmas is also the time when the national obsession to shop and consume reaches its zenith. It traditionally begins the day after Thanksgiving, runs through Christmas eve, and after the holiday continues into January with plenty of extra buying power from holiday gift cards, year-end bonuses and other resources gotten or borrowed. It’s for everything people never knew they wanted until creative advertising wizardry made their lives incomplete without them.
Perhaps this single dominant trait characterizes American culture more than any other. It’s a variant of the kind of consumerism economist/sociologist Thorstein Veblen called “conspicuous” in his 1899 book “The Theory of the Leisure Class.” F. Scott Fitzgerald explained that “the very rich….are different from you and me.” Veblen wrote about their spending habits and coined the phrase “conspicuous consumption.” Today, it’s called “keeping up with the Joneses” or consumerism, and it’s practiced by status-seeking people obsessed with personal gratification. But not just by the rich. Most people, except the poor, do it to excess.
The term “consumption” originated hundreds of years ago. Then, it referred to infectious …
Source: The Dominion Post ()
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Television New Zealand is using $2.7 million of government money to prop up current affairs show Sunday amid accusations it will lead to political interference.
TVNZ has confirmed that "direct government funding", previously known as charter funding, will be used for the TV1 show next year as the broadcaster struggles to bankroll key shows following its $4.5 million revenue loss this year.
Industry players, however, say TVNZ is on a "slippery slope" in using government money for mainstream current affairs shows.
The head of the Broadcasting School, Paul Norris, said charter funding was tagged for minority programming and he questioned whether it fitted legislative requirements laid out by the Culture and Heritage Ministry.
As a prime-time show, Sunday commanded a high price for advertising slots and "ought to be able to stand on its own two feet", he said.
TV3's news boss, Mark Jennings, said it was a sad day when TVNZ had to subsidise its flagship current affairs show with government funding, which "muddied the waters". Also, political interference issues could be problematic, particularly in an election year.
TVNZ receives about $15 million a year from the state to fund "programmes which would not be made in a wholly commercial environment".
Broadcasting Minister Trevor Mallard said TVNZ had not sought approval to use the funds for Sunday because it was "critical that TVNZ be free from interference in its editorial, programming and day-to-day operational decisions".
TVNZ spokeswoman Megan Richards said the broadcaster had legislative protection regarding editorial independence.
Meanwhile, Te Mangai Paho, which was established to make funding available for Maori language initiatives, and TVNZ an agreement yesterday over money for Te Karere, Marae and Waka Huia.
The shows' futures were …
Source: Scoop.co.nz ()
Radioworks Signs Top TRN Sales Manager
Tuesday, 18 December 2007, 9:34 am
Press Release: RadioWorks
Media Release
Monday, 17 December 2007Radioworks
Signs Top TRN Sales ManagerRadioWorks has appointed
leading radio sales manager Paul Hancox to the position of
General Manager National Sales, based in Auckland.Mr
Hancox has most recently been General Sales Manager at
NewstalkZB and Radio Sport in Auckland.“Paul Hancox
commenced work in the radio industry 15 years ago,
originally starting with us as a producer on the successful
More FM breakfast show in Christchurch,” said RadioWorks
Chief Operating Officer, Sussan Turner.
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“Subsequently,
he has had significant sales experience, and has been very
successful in a variety of sales roles at The Radio Network.
We are delighted to have Paul back in the RadioWorks’
family, and know he will fit our culture really
well.“This key role of General Manager National Sales
is ideally suited to Paul’s strengths, and it is excellent
news for both us and our clients to have Paul leading this
key team of people,” Ms Turner said.Paul Hancox is
pleased to take up the new role and commented: “This is a
tremendously exciting move for me, returning to the
organisation I started in radio with 15 years ago – this
time in a senior management position. RadioWorks is
successful and go-ahead Company, and I’m looking forward
to starting in the role.”Mr Hancox commences his role
in
2008.ends
Source: FOXSports.com ()
You would think the Hornets would absolutely need Peja in the lineup if they had any chance of matching the Sun shot-for-shot. But even with Peja out injured, N.O. got buckets from Mo Pete (4 threes) and Rasual Butler (4 threes), and Chris Paul (21 points, 10 assists) won his head-to-head with Steve Nash (12 point, 7 assists) to help with the win. The night after they were ice-cold against Dallas, the Hornets were able to make their jumpers, and lucked out when Shawn Marion airballed a potentially game-winning shot in the lane …
We said earlier that the slumping Magic needed to make a statement this weekend with W’s over the Bobcats and Grizzlies before a brutal stretch next week. After taking care of business in Charlotte on Friday, Orlando gave all that momentum back, losing to one of the League’s worst teams last night. Dwight Howard put up a monster 31-point, 20-board line, but he didn’t have Rashard Lewis (neck) with him. Still, that’s no excuse for losing to a Memphis squad that didn’t even have Pau Gasol (toe) …
It might sound crazy, but seriously, there’s no reason Rudy BLEEP can’t be the kind of stat-stuffer that everyone foresees Kevin Durant turning into, and then some (adding in blocks, steals, etc.). Physically they’re both a different breed, Rudy just doesn’t have the automatic jumper (which is far from automatic if you’ve seen any Sonics games this year) and isn’t known for the killer instinct. But this year he’s shown flashes of it more regularly, and yesterday’s game (32 points, 7 rebounds) showed his potential to dominate …
Speaking of Durant, he was nowhere to be found in Salt Lake; six points on 3-for-11 shooting. The Jazz snapped their six-game losing streak by pounding on the Sonics, which we didn’t fully expect because the Sonics had been showing they can win some games lately, and time out the gave Utah all they could handle …
Let’s say T-Mac breaks his first-round …
Source: Manawatu Standard ()
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'Tis the season for lighting houses and trees, but the Automobile Association's holiday message is for vehicles to be seen.
Manawatu Automobile Association District Council is encouraging motorists to turn their headlights on when driving on the open road, day or night.
"Many drivers assume that you need headlights on to see where you are going, rather than to have them on so that your vehicle can be seen," chairman Paul Rieger says.
The council believes a "significant number" of head- on crashes, caused by a motorist letting their car drift across the centre line because they didn't see an oncoming vehicle, would be avoided if vehicles had their lights on.
At the very least, motorists need to have their headlights on dipped beam whenever conditions require the windscreen wipers to be on, Mr Rieger says. Even when the wipers are on slow, the spray from other vehicles and the dirtiness of most windscreens can affect visibility.
He says too many people wait to the official sunset/ sunrise period to turn their lights on.
When driving to Wellington he always turns his lights on in bright light, because it is difficult to see dark cars coming out of shaded areas into the sun, a particular problem near Shannon.
He points to the reduction of crashes since it became common for motorcyclists to ride with their headlights on all the time, stemming from a "See and be Seen" initiative.
He says there has been a 50 percent reduction in crashes caused by other vehicles driving into motorcyclists.
He dismisses the perception that motorists who drive with their lights on during the day are ultra-conservative and would sooner be called an old woman, and stay alive, than a "bloody idiot".
Rally drivers drive with lights on, as emergency vehicles.
"If you're going at any speed you need your lights on."
The whole purpose …
Source: AFP ()
Shaun Pollock