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Press Clips: Fox (Mis)Fires, Oligarchs on the March
Joel Fox is a temperate and thoughtful guy whose online opinings usually skip the fact-free cant and bombast that mark so many offerings from elsewhere in California's conservative blogosphere.
So imagine our surprise when Fox fired his latest broadside at Calbuzz over at Fox and Hounds, a truly woeful – or was it willful? – misreading of our recent dispatch chronicling the state and nation's steady march from democracy to oligarchy.
Filled with straw men, fatuousness and borderline hysteria, our friend Joel's ravings served up a pungent hash of off-point platitudes, boiler plate bromides and red herring reasoning that did everything but attack our ancestors — while managing to utterly avoid addressing the central argument of our thesis.
Other than that, it was a helluva' piece.
Dr. Corey meet Dr. Fox: We'll spare you most of the gruesome details, except to note that, among other things, Fox fabricated his own premise for our argument ("Calbuzz…claim(ed) the way to save California is to tax the rich and tax businesses"); misrepresented the thrust of Jerry Brown's 1992 presidential campaign (it wasn't the flat tax, as Fox claims, which was only one issue that Brown employed to make the broader point that the political system is rigged to redistribute wealth upward – but what do we know, we only covered it); and leaned on sweeping, unproven assertions in lieu of evidence to make pre-cooked points (Tiger Woods and the tennis-playing Williams sisters prefer Florida to California because of tax laws, he says, and they "are just the tip of the iceberg" – Ah, the old ipso facto iceberg sum proof – Irwin Corey would be proud).
We could go on, but shooting at life boats ain't our style. Except sometimes.
We're political writers, not advocates like Fox, so we bring this whole thing up because we're still scratching our heads about why he mysteriously neglected in his bashing to even mention, let alone critique, the analysis that we actually proffered.
Namely:
1-There has been a massive shift in wealth in the U.S. over recent decades, to the overwhelming benefit of the richest one percent of the population and the detriment of almost everyone else.
2-This shift has occurred – and been enabled by – 30 years of policies based precisely on the tax-cut, low-regulation ideology that Fox and his cohort just love, and which they continue to champion, despite the fact its real-life impact has been to trigger the greatest recession since the 1930s.
3-Awareness of the accumulating evidence of how and why wealth is becoming more and more concentrated in the hands of a tiny, oligarchic class is growing; as it moves into the mainstream, this awareness over time will change the terms and framework of political debate dramatically:
Paradoxically, the recent idiocy of Capitol Republicans, who blocked a popular vote on whether to extend a few modest taxes and fees that would affect almost all Californians, has now made the GOP's natural base among the very wealthiest taxpayers a far more narrow, rich and inviting target for pols and interest groups who are looking for Plan B to balance the budget while heading off even more cuts to education and other services; Plan B's Exhibit A is last week's announcement by the California Federation of Teachers that they will push for a 1% income tax hike on the state' richest 1%, a proposal that a new Ben Tulchin poll shows is backed by nearly three in four voters.
Such a proposal would find fertile political ground, in part because the dramatic national trend of growing wealth inequality is, if anything, more pronounced in California.
Which, of course, would hardly be a boon for bumper sticker, anti-government orthodoxy or the cozy "taxpayer advocate" political network that's so well served the interests of Fox et al. since Howard Jarvis was still stumbling around in a boozy haze.
Hey, maybe that's why he didn't mention what we said.
— Here's a nifty infographic primer on what's actually happening to real people in the U.S. economy.
–Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, now a professor at Cal, writes about the implications of the oligarch economy in a clear, accessible, frequent and timely way, as in this recent essay on the subject.
–Also this and this or this. Or this or this and this.
Rip Van Calbuzz: Not sure how this one got by us at the time, but the eagle-eared Steve Harmon had an intriguing scooplet on Sacramento's budget mess that mysteriously seems not to have been picked up.
Mike Genest, the finance director under ex-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, had a revealing comment in a wide-ranging budget discussion on Capital Public Radio today.
Genest, now a political consultant advising Republican senators who are in talks with Gov. Jerry Brown, was asked if Brown's tax extension should be placed on the ballot. He said:
"As a Republican, I kinda hate to say it but our tax burden is less now because of recession. The amount of the economy going to state government is lower than it has been for several years. Except for right at the bottom of the recession, you go back 30 years to find tax revenues at this low a level. So, there is a case to be made that we might need to keep those taxes at a higher level for a while."
He went on to say, however, that Republicans "shouldn't lose the opportunity while contemplating doing this. We ought to take that opportunity to get serious reforms."
Politics is all about exploiting opportunities, but the brazenness of the ask couldn't have been clearer. A Republican who is advising GOP senators in talks with Brown, acknowledges that the tax burden is low and the current rates should be continued — but that they might as well extract as much as possible since they have the leverage of a two-thirds vote that's required to put a tax issue on the ballot (with the goal, of course, of, as Genest said, "helping the economy grow").
Guess that's why Genest hasn't moved to Florida with Tiger, Serena and Venus.
Where's the Inquistor when you need him: Genest isn't the only Republican talking out of school: we can only imagine what torments right-wing talk show host Eric Hogue will endure on the rack for uttering this heresy, suggesting that the children of illegal immigrants are actually, um, people.
For Republicans to spend time in crafting legislation that refuses qualified, achieving high school graduates is highly corrosive. Granted, Americans are rightfully frustrated with the lack of attention from the federal government toward illegal immigration and its impending fiscal costs placed upon taxpayer supported state and federal budgets – not to mention the effects (good and bad) illegal immigration has upon our private sector economy. But we must learn to restrain ourselves from legislation and ballot initiatives that do nothing but evolve into political wedge issues and cultural 'cat nip.' Funneling any initial state reforms through the children of illegal immigrants (to get back at the parent's illegal behavior) is mean-spirited, politically corrosive and wrongheaded.
Fleischman! Fox! Hogue and Genest to the dungeon at once!
category: California Economy, California Politics, National Politics, taxes
mezzicun says:
I recently came across a series of tables on wealth distribution in America and the data I perused was since the Clinton era, and boy do those numbers boggle the mind. Especially revealing is how it was accelerated and widened during Bush II years. How the recession impacted the richest and the rest of us. The only negatives I recall seeing were the incomes derived from the rest of us–somewhere along the lines of real wages receding about 1%.. I read somewhere else that during the early 2000's, during a particular 3-4 year period, the richest 1% of the population captured over 2/3rds of the wealth created. I believe this period ended in 2005 or 2006. Too bad I"m off today otherwise I'd be able to source this stuff. The NYT also just had a debate among researchers as to why people are not outraged at this phenomena.
And while I'm at it, it's intriguing and revealing to note that the narrative in this country has gone from outrage at the banks, corporations, CEO's, real estate industry, et al, to the vilification of organized labor and working people in this country as some sort of "privileged elite". It really is worrisome.
tonyseton says:
The critical difference between journalists like you gentlemen and the neo-lith bloggers is that your views are based on a foundation of facts while they spew nonsense unrelated to reality. It's much easier to write such stuff when they can make up their own "facts." Viz, Breibart editing the Sherrod tape.
Perhaps you saw the story about the reporter who had been "kidnapped" by Biden's people. Ridiculous. He wrote a story explaining what really happened. The blogosphere went (further) nuts and accused him of lying.
It's unfortunate, but until they are not able to make money denying reality, it won't change much.
The increased growth in income of the richest one percent of America has not occured since 2007 paralellel with the decline in capital gains starting in 2008, the major reason for California's decline in tax receipts.
The liberal dogma that you tax the rich even more disproportionately than they are taxed now chases the rich from California along with the jobs they create through investing the money they earned that is not needed for daily expenses.
If you do not like the 1.2 million jobs California lost the last few years perhaps you ought to come up with some other method to satisfy your economic morality than soaking the rich even more. An example to follow is Texas where they do not have state income tax at all. Why do I write that? Well! During the same period that California lost !.2 million jobs Texas gained about 175,000. Get the point libs?!!!
It also rained a lot more the past two years, but I don't blame that for the economy. There is no evidence that wealth flees thsi state because of its tax burden, certainly not the sales and vehicle tax proposed fro extension.
By this logic, West LA, Atherton, and the Sans (Francisco, Monica, etc.) would be ghost towns.
chrisfinnie says:
Ernie, Ernie, Ernie. There you go again.
Texas has a $27 billion deficit and almost no state spending they can cut because they've already cut services to the legal limit. If they cut past that, they imperil their federal matching funds–which will only make their deficit worse. Yes, they've created jobs. But the vast majority of them are part-time, minimum-wage jobs. Because these workers can't pay for basic living expenses on what they make, they put an additional strain on state services. So don't give me any fairy stories about Texas. Or at least don't expect me to believe them. Because I don't get my "facts" from Faux Noise.
Corporations and the rich were taxed at much higher rates during the Eisenhower administration than they are now. They were still rich. The economy was booming. The middle class grew. People were moving to California. Tax rates on both groups were higher during the Reagan administration than they are now. Same during the Clinton administration–when we slashed the deficit and also had a booming economy. If you just want to look at California, taxes were higher when the first governor Brown was building the UC system. And the economy was booming and people were still moving to California.
None of this is my opinion. You can look it up and verify it yourself. And none of it supports your contentions.
Thank you Chris and SezMe for pointing out the fallacy in your ideological explanations through your explanations.
Try to negate the impact of 1.2 million lost California jobs on those who lost them and their families. And try to explain to them that had their jobs been in net job creating Texas they would likely still be working.
You see, despite your intelligence, lefty ideological smoke and mirrors do not cover up real human California misery.
SezMe says:
The rich don't invest in California jobs with the money above their living needs. If this was true we'd have a unemployment rate of 3%. There are trillions of dollars on corporate asset sheets that are not going into jobs – again in California. But job growth overseas is high because THAT is where the big money is going.
And as Chrisfinnie points out, don't drag out that Texas nonsense. In the last few years California has seen around 350 new biotech firms created while Texas has had fewer than 50. Why? Because the educational system in Texas mostly turns out dumbasses, not well qualified high-tech workers. I mean, if it's so great why don't YOU move there?
Merton Hanks says:
Hopefully when gavin goes on his "fact finding" mission he'll be able to debunk all of the Texas fairy tales. Not going to hold my breath, however.


The Glory Hole Mine's history is a little obscure to me. From my understanding it was at one time a mine tour. With the advent of gambling in the area, the history of the area is of little concern to most who come here now.
In Stampede to Timberline, Muriel Wolle's driving companion refers briefly to the town site of "Bortonsburg". It is described as being on a hill to the right of the road when travelling between Central City and Russell Gulch and that it was never a big place. According to her companion, it can be found on early maps of Gilpin county. According to author Ken Jessen, he thinks this is the site, but hasn't found evidence to back it. True indeed, the mined out area above the highway would have needed an encampment to be worked. This does match the very vague description given. Was this the old town site of Bortonsburg?
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Romania's star sectors 2021
Romania's star sectors: The impact of COVID-19 on foreign investments and legal services
Mihai-Alexandru Cristea 13/04/2021 | 13:52
Jörg Menzer, Partner, Head of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) offices, and coordinator of the international clients practice at Noerr, talks to Business Review about the pandemic's impact on foreign investors and legal service providers in Romania.
By Anda Sebesi
How hard has the COVID-19 crisis hit investors in Romania?
At the beginning of the pandemic, many projects, investments, and business expansions were halted or postponed. It was crucial for every business to understand the impact on its current activity and to build the mechanisms it needed to deal with the situation. And due to travel restrictions as well as the need to move employees into home offices and strengthen digital backbones, national and international investors started to look inward.
Romania still an attractive target for foreign investment
In the last few months, I've seen renewed interest in projects that had been put on hold, new projects, as well as opportunities arising from the crisis. Additionally, many companies have understood the opportunity provided by the crisis, whether it's that of acquiring other businesses or setting up new business models using the drivers of digital transformation.
What impact has the crisis had on legal service providers?
Most law firms, including Noerr, quickly switched to partial or full remote working models. This was quite easy to do for some – for example, Noerr moved 1,200 people online within 10 days – while others struggled more. The real impact of this is still to be understood, and it will end up shifting the way legal services are provided in the future. Furthermore, the way we interact with clients changed as Zoom and Teams meetings kicked in. Personal discussions sometimes went even deeper and were easier to handle, as consultants and clients looked beyond the professional relationship and also saw the "human" side of it. These developments that resulted from this crisis period were rather surprising, but they truly made these relationships more intense.
How have client needs changed over the past year based on your experience at Noerr?
First of all, we can say that legal consulting has not been negatively affected by the crisis – in fact, I could say the opposite has happened. We reacted very quickly, we established both a CEE and an international coronavirus centre to deal with the latest legal changes, and focused on the needs of our clients. The full-service structure of Noerr helped a lot here. Our clients needed a proactive approach during these times of constant change, which includes the legal environment. Uncertainty and unpredictability were suddenly key drivers for every business and our role was – and continues to be – to deal with this unprecedented situation in an agile way.
What lessons did you learn in the first year of the pandemic?
The only predictable thing is the unpredictable, so we must always be ready and willing to change. This is part of the Noerr culture and a driver of our 2025 strategy. Digitalization is definitely a must for mature companies. However, what we have learned is that digitalization can be used to bring more flexibility in interactions with clients. Businesses must not shy away from new models and be ready to switch gears if necessary. Building talent remains a major goal, as we always have to rely on each other and build team spirit as digital communication tools turn into business as usual.
Tags: foreign investments, Jörg Menzer, legal services, Noerr, Romania's Star Sectors, Romania's star sectors 2021
Foreign Investors Summit
Thank You for Joining Us at the 9th Edition of the Foreign Investors...
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Collected by Milica Pojić
Photo by Oliver Strewe/Lonely Planet Images
At the mouth of the Douro River, the medieval city of Porto, Portugal, is undergoing an architectural renaissance. Old World icons, such as the baroque Torre dos Clérigos bell tower that helped the city earn UNESCO status in 1996, contrast with...
Porto Cathedral
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The Rua Santa Caterina is the most important shopping street in Oporto. It is a pedestrian street which is closed to traffic. Along the Rua Caterina you will find the Mercado Bolhao which is a lively market with many shops to delight the market...
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Might be one of the most beautiful train stations in the World, Sao Bento Railway Station was opened to the public in 1916 and is well known for its walls covered with 20,000 splendid azulejo ceramic tiles which describe the History of Portugal....
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The Ribeira stands for 'Riverside' in Portuguese. and it is a historical square along the Douro river. It is crowded with restaurants, cafe's, touristic stores and touristic attractions. The buildings, which these days are half occupied, half...
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This might be one of the nicest squares in the Carmo district of Porto. The square with the fountain of lions. It got its name on 1936 in honor of Francisco Gomes Teixeira, a well known professor in the University of Porto. Around the square there...
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Walking down from the Cathedral toward the Ribeira in Porto, I came across this beautiful view and the stunning exterior of Iglesia São Lourenço Church. This church was built t by the Jesuits in late 16th century, but after they were expelled from...
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There are so many beautiful churches in Porto. In fact, there are many churches and it is hard to choose the most beautiful one. The church is dedicated to Saint Anthony, who was born in the 12th century and became a Franciscan priest. As a...
One of my greatest joys in life is to visit the market in the city I'm visiting. The Bolhão Market in Porto is deliciously gorgeous, selling anything from livestocks to fresh fruits and vegetables.
4000-098 Sé, Portugal
The Cathedral of Oporto is located in the district of Batalha near the old city walls. Construction began in 1110 and was completed in the 13th c. The Se is one of the most important monuments in Portugal. It is of Romanesque design with some...
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Praça da Ribeira, nº1, 4050-513 Porto, Portugal
Looking across the Douro in the evening, I watched the night descend and saw a magical sight. The entire area was lit up and looked like a fantasy light display. It could have been Disney World or a Christmas light display. The air was charged...
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Rua Fonte Taurina 99 - 101, 4050-270 Porto, Portugal
The great D. Luis I Bridge is the symbol of Oporto. It was inaugurated in 1886. The engineer was a disciple of Eiffel. There are two iron decks. The upper deck is the Metro track while the bottom deck is a traffic and pedestrian way. To get to the...
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The highlight of my trip to Porto is to discover the market, Mercado do Bolhao which is situated in the heart of the city. Built in 1914, it is pretty rundown but well-maintained in a two level opened air building. It looks like a place counting...
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I could have stayed in this building for hours rather than scuttling through rapidly on a tour. Every corner, every room was an amazement. Portugal's history - and especially that of Porto, where it all started - is intertwined with trade,...
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Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, this sleek building offers some wonder sights and sounds. There is a larger, VIP, room on the top floor where all of the walls are covered in a beautiful blue and white tile, which you can visit via guided...
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In a city known for its port, I diverted from the norm and went in search of craft beer. I stumbled upon Mercearia Das Flores and it could not have been a better surprise! It was small, offering only a few seats, but what it lacked in space was...
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Centurion Scottsdale Addresses "Generations" As Its Theme; Workshops Help With Planning TransitionsBy Hedda Schupak, Editor, The Centurion Newsletter | February 02, 2017 (0 comments)
Scottsdale, AZ—The Centurion Scottsdale show kicked off its Generations theme for 2017 with two very early morning sessions giving retailers a chance to exchange dialogue with industry experts in transition planning. Sessions were presented by Ira Bergman of The Gordon Co., Dan Pharr of Pharr Valuations, and Bill Boyajian of Bill Boyajian and Associates, left, and Kate Peterson of Performance Concepts.
In the session with Boyajian, Pharr, and Bergman, each of the three presented a 10-minute overview of their particular area of expertise: Boyajian in family dynamics and organizational structure, Pharr in business valuation, and Bergman in ways to reduce inventory and raise cash.
A big question is "Can you retire?" said Boyajian. "Can you afford to retire financially, and can you retire emotionally or is your identity wrapped up in the business?" He related the tale of a client—a grand patriarch of a jewelry business who had trouble envisioning a life outside the business—and who found the solution to be bringing in outsiders to serve on a board of directors of the business while his successor worked a buyout over the course of 10 years.
Another family Boyajian worked with had two sons, one of which is a Millennial-age child that didn't really like the business but would float in and out as his needs for income dictated. Boyajian told the owners they had to make the hard decision and leave that child out since he wasn't really committed to the the business, he was just in it when he had no other means of supporting himself. The parents brought in their elder son to take over and slowly stepped back
The third example Boyajian gave was a mom-and-pop couple who couldn't afford to retire. He recommended they find a good manager they could groom to take over the business in time. Give him more responsibility along the way, said Boyajian, and the owners should make it a point to scale back—don't come in before 10 a.m. and be sure to leave by 4 p.m. so that the manager had responsibility and a clear transition of power over to him.
"If people are capable and want to work, that's the way to go," he said. Couples that can't really afford to retire can get a nice annuity from the business and go do what they want, such as one couple he is working with that are both 67 years old.
"That's late in game. I like to see them start doing that at 57, not 67. But business transition is about having a basic plan and working the plan. There's no set right or wrong, and what's good for one family or business is not always right for another," he finished.
Dan Pharr of Pharr Valuations discussed how to put a value on a retail jewelry business.
"I always remind everyone that one of these days you're going to leave your business. It may be vertical or it may be horizontal, but you are going to leave. That's why succession planning is important."
Pharr, a CPA, also has two additional certifications allowing him to do business valuations. The former CFO of Hoover & Strong, he also is a past board chair of JBT and remains on one of its advisory committees.
"Business valuation is an unbiased independent appraisal of a business entity or interest, using generally accepted valuation standards, approaches, and methods," he explained. There are two types of valuations; one more and one less in-depth. The first, which results in an in-depth report of 65-100 pages that evaluates financial, industry, and economic information to derive the value of a company.
A second report is called a calculation valuation and is 25-30 pages. It's less in-depth but does provide a valuation based on numbers and not opinion or additional factors.
"Why would you want or need a business valuation?" he asked. "The truth is, nobody ever wants a valuation. Most people get one when their investment advisor, attorney, or business consultant tells them to. But you need one because if you're passing the business down to your children, either as a gift or through a sale, you have to have valuation to support the value of the gift or for the estate tax return, or you need one for buy/sell agreements."
He said often people will agree to a buy and sell, agree the business is worth X, then put that in a drawer and don't look at it for years until a trigger event happens, then they pull it out and all they see is an old evaluation, he said.
The third reason one is needed is for sales and acquisitions. If you're selling the business, you want to get the maximum return and if you're buying it, you need to know where to start to pay a fair price.
Pharr related how he was called to do an evaluation on an estate. The family had done everything right: the father started the company, his daughter came in and a few years later his son came in. The father gave each of the kids 24% of the company and put 52% into a limited partnership for himself. At his death, his portion was to be split up so the daughter would get 51% and the son would have 49%. So far, so good.
But on the father's 70th birthday, he went for a swim and suffered a heart attack in the pool. The daughter jumped in to try and save him, and in so doing hit her head on the side of the pool. The father died and 10 minutes later the daughter died.
"For 10 minutes, she owned 51% of the company and her brother 49%. 10 minutes later, her estate—left to her husband, the business's sales manager—owned 51% of the business. It took three years to straighten everything out to get the son majority ownership," said Pharr, adding, "this is entirely true! I couldn't have made this stuff up!"
Ira Bergman, president of The Gordon Co., talks to 10-20 retailers a week about how to keep a business strong so that when the times comes to transition there is something of value to pass on. "With things in the industry a little shaky—and things in general a little shaky—the most common question they ask is, "How do I perpetuate the business I have now so that there is something worthwhile to either pass on or dispose of?
"The number-two question people ask is how to get more people into my store, and number three is how do I move more inventory to keep fresh product coming in all the time and keep the public coming in?"
The answers are a lot of what retailers already know, he says: get involved with the public more, do promotional events, and so forth. It has to be an ongoing effort. "Retailing changes so dramatically that you can't say 'Am I going to have a good Christmas and therefore good year?' You can't wait till then—and sometimes all your fate is in that last week! All year long you should be interacting with consumers and bringing them to your store.
"The greater value the business has, the much greater choice it will give you when the time does come [to leave.]
Audience questions comprised half of the hour. Some of the recurring themes were:
1. How do you get your employees ready to deal with changes and shifts?
Bill Boyajian: If you have a child in the business, I highly recommend they work elsewhere for a while before joining your business. They will come in with more insight and if they're going to make mistakes they'll make them somewhere else. They also won't act so entitled. I used to tell GIA students, 'Don't leave with six months of gemological knowledge and tell your parents how to run the business.'
The kids have to earn the respect of the employees. To win their favor and respect, they have to lead the business. Employees may love the patriarch and sometimes the son or daughter comes in with a different management style, but they have to be a good leader. They can't lord it over the employees.
Dan Pharr: If they work somewhere their last name is not on the door, they learn to behave. [In their own store] even if parents tell the employees to treat the kid like any other employee, that's not going to happen because the employees know the kid might someday be their boss.
Ira Bergman: It depends on the kid coming in and the nature of their personality. My dad was tough act to follow, but I went out of my way to be one of the people that came in early and left late and did everything every other employee did.
2. Many stores have an illusion of what their inventory is worth. What is typical that you see as value of inventory?
Dan Pharr: One key thing is to keep your inventory current. I do lots of valuations and I ask people why they still have this piece from 20 years ago. It hasn't sold in 20 years, it's not going to sell tomorrow! Look at your inventory, see its age, have an inventory reduction sale or send it to a refiner, but do something to generate cash.
The value of a jewelry store is not just the jewelry but a combination of your reputation over the years and a cash flow formula I use. There's a trust factor people have when they come to you, so the value of that business is worth more than the inventory but you have to keep it current or you're going to have a lot of money tied up in it.
I remember one instance where the owner had passed and an employee was looking to buy the business. The owner had gotten into the metal purchasing business. He went from a jeweler that occasionally bought metal to a metal buyer who occasionally sold jewelry. After he passed, the person buying offered $30,000 for the furniture and fixtures and said 'send all the inventory to a refiner and put the money toward the estate because I don't want it.'
Bill Boyajian: In my experience, the number-one problem in the inventory is aged and underperforming inventory sitting around. Tens or hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of inventory is sitting around in jewelry stores. That's precious capital tied up in product hasn't sold and will not sell.
Because of the situation with banks today and lines of credit being pulled, we are in a cash-intensive business. It's crucial you have a plan each year to ove product, scrap inventory, do whatever you have to do to keep it current. Reorder fast-selling merchandise constantly. People laugh, but it's key to keeping your cash flow.
Ira Bergman: We recommend to retailers that the first thing they do is to do an inventory-aging report and actually see what the age of their inventory is. If you have something that's been there for 10 or more years, it's not what you think the cost is. If you are trying to get a true valuation of your inventory, do an aging report first. That will tell you a lot. You should be disposing of the oldest pieces, not hoping someone will come in and buy them eventually.
3. Is anyone buying jewelry stores anymore? Are they worth anything more than inventory?
Bill Boyajian: The first problem is, who has money to buy it, and what's it really worth? I was speaking at the RJO show and ran into a son and daughter who wanted to buy their father's business. I looked at the numbers and said, "unless you're trying to do your father a service, he doesn't have a business." The trouble with a $600,000 business is that it's so much sweat and toil for $50,000 or $60,000 for mom and dad. I told them if you want to help your parents, ok, but you have to entirely retool the business for Millennials or it's not worth buying.
Ira Bergman: We have a situation right now where 10 years ago there were 8 – 10 bankis willing to lend to the industry and today it's down to three and they make it so hard. The rules and regulations everyone has to follow are so stringent that not everyone can find a place to secure funds right now. A buyer that wants to buy a store somewhere else may be able to get financing slightly easier, but in general the banking industry has not looked kindly on the jewelry industry for a bit of a time.
Dan Pharr: I had several conversations with bankers outside jewelry industry. All will say 'we have money to lend.' I said, why not finish the sentence 'but not to you.'
If you are looking to sell a business, you need to plan on taking some of the paper back. You have to plan on a bank not lending the full value to the buyer.
From a valuation standpoint, it's hard to say a busiess should sell for X times sales or X times revenues. There is no average business; you have to look at each individual business and those percentages can change on each case.
Bill Boyajian: I have two clients where my biggest fear is that the owners built the business and each sells 80% to 90% of book for the business. Nobody could buy the business because they are the business I'm working with them to transition and build a staff so others can sell and have a book of business of at least $1 million in a $7 million business.
The three consultants agreed most businesses can't be sold, which is why there are so many going out of business and retirement sales. It's also one way to liquidate inventory that's dated or aged and good to bring in other product that will sell to augment it.
They all also urge stores considering a transition to bring in a consultant to help get their business into better shape to pass on.
"Some people say we're too late on the curve," said Boyajian. "I say it's better to start today with someone and have a three to five year plan to have something worthwhile." Big chain jewelers like Zales and Kay that used to buy up independent and small private chains are no longer doing that. A better bet, says Boyajian, is a well-capitalized family business within 100 miles that is looking to grow. Look for one that has three stores or so and wants to expand in the region.
The flip side is that sometimes businesses that want to expand have owners or family members that don't want to move. Boyajian says, "well, if you want to be in business you have to be aggressive. I think growth will come from well-capitalized family businesses taking over market share from smaller stores going out of business.
4. What about selling to an employee?
Bill Boyajian: A lot of owners think don't have options but they often have more than they think. As Dan says, you may have to take some paper back and maybe have some risk, but you have to do something. A lot of times owners are stuck with a risk factor, but my suggestion is to take less of a day-to-day operation and be involved otherwise. One of my clients has a president that makes $250,000 with a bonus to run the business. They make a lot of money and only go to board meetings twice a month.
I'm not a big believer in cold turkey retirement. In my mind, you should keep your mind engaged and stay active. I'm 64, I want to stay engaged, but I don't want to work as hard as I did at 54 or 44.
Dan Pharr: If you do decide to turn the business over to a kid or an employee, you stay there long enough to transition and turn good or repeat clients over to them. The business will do much better if you transition than if you hand over the keys and say 'good luck.' Having a transition where customers are comfortable with the new leader taking over is much better.
A detailed summary of Peterson's session will be presented in next week's edition.
Classified: Sorter And Quality Control Associate Needed
The Centurion Newsletter Will Be Published Friday, February 3


What would a discipline look like?
Let's not start from what we got, what are the key issues?
How do firms learn, and teach?
Where does services come from, and how do they evolve?
What can we do? Let's do it.
From June, spent time developing "An Information and Services Economy" course look like?
Others: I support this, where do I get the money?
From marketing, tend to focus everything on customers. What do the customers say about value, and co-creation?
Book traversal links for 2006/10/06 15:20 Bob Glushko, "Services Science at Berkeley"
‹ 2006/10/06 14:40 Gianmario Motta, "Engineering of Digital Services"


Manila (Agencies): At least two people died and four others wounded in a grenade attack on a mosque in the Philippine city of Zamboanga on Wednesday morning.
"The blast at a mosque in Barangay Talon-talon happened around 1am while the victims were sleeping", the authorities said.
The wounded were shifted to hospital for treatment. the authorities have recovered a safety pin for a grenade that is believed to have been used in the attack.
In a phone interview to an international TV channel, Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Licup, regional director in the Zamboanga Peninsula, confirmed that there were four people injured, up from an initial report of three.
He also said police are working to identify the perpetrators and to establish a motive for the apparent grenade attack.
The explosion comes within days of bombings at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu on Sunday although authorities have yet to issue a statement on whether they are connected.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier said the "Ajang-Ajang" faction of the Abu Sayyaf may be behind the Jolo blasts.


If Ireland vs England comprised the main course of this weekend's action, France vs Wales on Friday evening promised to be a tantalising appetiser. Fielding the heaviest pack in test history and an exciting backline featuring nineteen-year-old centre Romain Ntmack we waited to see if the French could find the blend of power and panache for which they were once renowned. For 40 minutes they did just that to lead 16-0 against a Wales side who have not lost since last years tournament. What followed was the kind of collapse only Les Bleus are capable of. The mobile Welsh back row seemed to outrun a French pack that looked more suited to the slower tempo of their domestic league, while George North scored two tries from elementary errors and Josh Adams set up a third for scrum half Tomos Williams. Wales will consider themselves fortunate to escape Paris with a victory and know improvement is needed if they are to take advantage of playing both England and Ireland in Cardiff.
Scotland defeated Italy comfortably despite a late flourish giving the scoreboard a more respectable appearance for the Italians. Blair Kinghorn's hat trick shows they have threats across the backline and will be a difficult proposition, especially at home. Three tries in the final ten minutes offer some hope for the Italians and avoided a morale-crushing defeat, but they remain overwhelming wooden spoon favourites. As for Scotland, they will need to take early chances better and not drop off in the last quarter if they are to compete for the title.
All eyes then turned to Dublin, where England travelled to face the world's form team with the bookies making Ireland 8-9 point favourites. When Owen Farrell's perfectly weighted pass allowed Elliot Daly to put Jonny May over in the corner after 90 seconds England fans had the start they could scarcely have dreamt of. Ireland struck back but England's brutal defence, immeasurably improved with the addition in the summer of kiwi John Mitchell to the coaching staff, kept them at bay for the most part and they led 17-10 at half time after Daly pounced on spilled ball from winger Jacob Stockdale for their second try.
England's half backs Youngs and Farrell continued to out kick their illustrious counterparts Murray and Sexton, while their back three diffused whatever aerial threats came their way. With the front five putting their bodies on the line to secure front foot ball (justly recognised with prop Mako Vunipola's man of the match award) England scored the crucial try with fifteen minutes remaining when Henry Slade gathered May's chip ahead, with the Exeter centre also on hand to score the bonus point try after a loose pass from Jonny Sexton. England did to Ireland what Ireland have done to everyone else over the last eighteen months, and perhaps exposed the lack of a plan B when they are confronted with a physical and tactical challenge to match their own. Ireland now face a tricky away fixture in Edinburgh while England host the unpredictable French at Twickenham.


Prestigious shops, upscale restaurants, luxury hotels, important landmarks, and world-class museums are the hallmark of this famed street in the heart of Manhattan. Visitors can stroll down the sidewalks and fill their bags with luxury brands or simply enjoy window shopping and people watching before heading over to top NYC museums and major attractions like Rockefeller Center.
HOURS - Operating hours vary by store.
How Can I Sign Up For A Shopping Tour?
Several tour companies offer guided shopping tours in Manhattan. Check out one of the many guided shopping tours offered by NYC Tourist at http://www.nyctourist.com/new-york-city-shopping-tours.htm.
What Is The Best Way To Travel To 5th Avenue?
Walking, using the subway or riding the bus is the best way to get to 5th Avenue. The Chambers Hotel is conveniently located just steps away from 5th Avenue shopping and attractions. Because parking is limited and very expensive, driving is not recommended.


With more than 150 images, many never before published, historian Jerry Thompson tells the story of what Pulitzer Prize-winning historian William H. Goetzmann has called "a wild and vivid land." From the Coahuiltecan Indians and the Spanish colonizers along the banks of the Rio Grande, to the cattlemen and wildcatters in the brush country, Thompson details six centuries of exciting history. The book is lavishly illustrated by the work of artists Lino Sánchez y Tapía, Theodore Gentilz, and Frederic Remington and photographers Robert Runyon, E. O. Goldbeck, and Russell Lee, among many others.
The history presented here is distinguished by the author's enthusiasm and love for South Texas. This is the kind of book that causes one to muse and dream on the past. South Texas becomes vivid in the mind-a singular and unforgettable place.
Jerry Thompson is an authority on the Civil War in the Southwest and the history of the Rio Grande frontier.


Congratulations to J Reinan for being named, again, to the Colorado Super Lawyers List for 2018!
Super Lawyers is "a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of recognition and professional achievement." The selection process includes nomination and evaluation by peers as well as independent research.
Great work, J! We here at the office sure think you're super and very deserving of this prestigious recognition.
Belmont Lodge of Pueblo Remains on Federal "Special Focus Facility" List	What Is Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect?


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Q: Get latest running thread ID Say I'm calling the DebugBreakProcess() for a specific multi-threaded process.
Is there a way to know what was the ID of the thread that was actually active (if any) at the time of the call (excluding the "breaking" thread)?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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« Lonelier Planet: Job Cuts, Pay Freezes at Travel Guide Publisher
Defining Moments (Obama) & Tall Tales (Jindal) »
DUMBO Dock Street Project Update – Brooklyn Borough President Says Yes . . . But
February 26, 2009 by jerrysmolin
"The Brooklyn borough president, Marty Markowitz, has jumped into a contentious debate over a proposed development near the Brooklyn Bridge, saying that he supports the project but would like to see it modified.
"In a letter to the Department of City Planning, Mr. Markowitz wrote that he supported the proposed tower, called Dock Street Dumbo, which would include shops, rental apartments and a new middle school, but wants to make sure that the tower did not affect the public views of the bridge." (via NY Times)
The New York Times article, which was posted on DumboNYC.com, also reported that Markowitz suggested the developer, Two Trees Management Company, make the tower taller — 25 stories instead of 18 — but Markowitz contacted the Dumbo blogger to correct the record, noting that his recommendation is not necessarily to build higher, but that as of right, Two Trees can build up to 25 stories on the site.
Markowitz's office released a statement recommending that the City Planning Commission and the City Council support the multi-use concept proposed by Two Trees Management while rejecting the building as currently configured. Markowitz's full statement can be found here (.pdf).
[It has not escaped notice by Dumbo locals that just last night, the borough president kicked off his re-election campaign at an art space in Dumbo owned by the Dock Street developer. Presumably cake was served at the event, which Markowitz worked hard both to have and eat.]
Posted in Architecture, Brooklyn, DUMBO, New York City, Urban Affairs | Leave a Comment


Use the Calculate Zone Metrics tool to create a spectral index image and to calculate statistics from it and an associated zones object (created with the Create Zones tool). It creates a classification image showing the relative statistics of the zones, or a greyscale image showing the actual statistical values of the zones.
This tool is part of ENVI Crop Science, which requires a separate license and installation. You can also write a script to create management zones using ENVIAgCalculateAndRasterizeZoneMetricsTask.
Before calculating zone metrics, run the Create Zones tool and specify an Output Zones file (in .sav format).
From the Toolbox, select Crop Science > Calculate Zone Metrics.
Select a single-band Input Raster. It can be the same image used as input to the Create Zones tool, or it can be a different image (for example, a vegetation index) as long as it overlaps.
Select an Input Zones object (.sav) that was created from the Create Zones tool.
Optional: Select an Input Zone Raster if it is available. This is a classification image that corresponds to the input zones. This allows zone metrics to be calculated faster for large images.
Set Create Classification Raster to Yes if you want to create a classification raster where zones are colored according to relative metrics. This is a good option if the input image is a spectral index image such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); in this case, the classification image could be used to assess the relative health of the different zones. If you set Create Classification Raster to No, the result is a greyscale image of mean values for each zone. See the Example below.
Select an output filename and location for the Output Zones Raster.
Select an output filename and location for the Output Zones. This will be a new zones object in IDL save format (.sav) with the metric added.
Enable the Preview check box to see a preview of the settings before you click OK to process the data. The preview is calculated only on the area in the Image window and uses the resolution level at which you are viewing the image.
Tip: This DEM (FieldDEM.dat) is available in the ENVI installation path under ..\Harris\ENVIxx\data\crop_science\.
From the ENVI Toolbox, select Crop Science > Create Zones.
Uncheck the Preview and Display result options.
From the ENVI Toolbox, select Crop Science > Calculate Zone Metrics. The Calculate and Rasterize Zone Metrics dialog appears.
In the Input Raster field, select FieldDEM.dat.
In the Input Zones field, select AgCreateZones.sav.
From the Output Metric drop-down list, select Zone Mean.
Select the No option for Create Classification Raster.
In the Output Zones Raster field, browse to a desired location to save the output raster, and accept the default filename of AgCalculateAndRasterizeZoneMetrics.dat.
In the Output Zones field, browse to a desired location to save the output zones object, and accept the default filename of AgCalculateAndRasterizeZoneMetric.sav.
Select the Display result option.
The resulting image is a greyscale representation of mean elevation values for each zone. Darker zones represent lower elevations, and lighter zones represent higher elevations.
You can view the actual pixel values of each zone by using the Cursor Value tool , or by setting any Status Bar segment to Raster Data Values (as this example shows).
As you move the cursor over a zone, the Status Bar shows the mean value (or whatever statistic you choose in the Output Metric drop-down list). In the above figure, the mean elevation of the black zone is 335.62 meters.
One way that you could extend this example is to create an NDVI image from a multispectral or hyperspectral image of the study area, then overlay it on the mean zones image. Then you could determine if healthier plants correspond to higher or lower elevations. See Calculate Zone Metrics with Spectral Index for an example that is similar to this.


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« Getting from panel to panel at #SXSWi can be a bit of a trek. I have the video to prove it. #icsx | Main | I can't wait for this #internet thing to get here. #viralvideo #icsx »
Work messing up your Tee times? #TigerWoods Golf from #EA comes to desktop web browsers. Productivity plunges. #icsx
Full disclosure: I suck at golf. I'm not even really a fan. But damn I love me some golf video games. Wii Golf is great fun. EA (Electronic Arts) golf is even better. So when I read there was a beta for an online version of Tiger Woods golf that was almost as good as the console version, I was skeptical to say the least. But I'm here to tell you, it's true, it's glorious and it points to incredible possibilities for the future of online gaming and even marketing.
About Tigers game (golf that is, I'll leave his peccadilloes for others), it's pretty good, even in its current beta form. Playing on my MacBook Pro, the game takes forever to load and is a bit chunky when playing. I'm guessing this is due to the fact that the graphics are amazing (it looks like you're playing on an Xbox putting a heavy load on my laptop's processor). The game play is as sophisticated as any EA golf game. There are about 10 courses, a leaderboard, and you can play with other people online. If your boss walks in on you mid swing you can simply shut your browser window and pick up exactly where you left off later. Pretty amazing stuff.
For the world of gaming, this is huge. EA plans to make the game free to play. Micropayments will be used to improve your game through gear and your looks through golf attire (how vain do you have to be to buy designer clothes for your online golf avatar?) But imagine Street Fighter Online, playing with some kid in Costa Rica. Or, opening your browser during lunch to steal some cars and sell drugs on Grand Theft Auto Online. How do companies make money off online games? A taste can lead to buying the full game later, micropayments, a subscription to EA Online gives you access to Tiger, Madden, FIFA, NBA, etc. The money tree will blossom.
Where does marketing come in? I've done several online games for clients. We're always limited by load times, file size, graphics capabilities, and most maddeningly, the sophistication, or lack there of, of the game play. With those barriers crumbling we'll have more flexibility to create richer experiences and maybe even generate a little microrevenue ourselves. The US Army has a game called America's Army that's a pretty good first person shooter. But, you have to download the app and it's a biggie. Not something most people can do on their work machines. But if you can just pop open a browser and run a mission here and there, you're engaging with the brand on your terms, when you have time and still getting the full gaming experience.
I sit here drooling for a project that let's me try this out.


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Ohio governor reissues statewide mask order with new sanctions, says he may close businesses
Updated: Nov. 12, 2020, 10:03 a.m. | Published: Nov. 12, 2020, 10:03 a.m.
"We are in the midst of our third wave in Ohio," Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday evening. Above, he's pictured at a news conference in Cleveland last month. David Petkiewicz, cleveland.comDavid Petkiewicz, cleveland.com
By Laura Hancock, cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Mike DeWine – arguing that coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths cannot continue at the current high levels – said he is reissuing the statewide mask order with new provisions.
DeWine, a Republican, also said during a Wednesday evening broadcast that if cases and other trends continue to increase, Ohio will be forced to close restaurants, bars and fitness centers. His team will look at the trends a week from Thursday and make a decision, he said.
"I am very well aware of the burden this will place on employees and the owners" of bars, restaurants and gyms, he said. "But, these are places where it is difficult or impossible to maintain mask-wearing, which we know now is the chief way of slowing this virus."
More: Coronavirus surge breaks records across the U.S.
DeWine's address comes as Ohio is experiencing an exponential increase in the number of coronavirus cases: While it took over three months for the state to report 50,000 COVID-19 cases during the beginning of the pandemic, more recently the state added 50,000 cases over 13 days.
"We are in the midst of our third wave in Ohio," the governor said, explaining that the first two waves occurred in the spring and summer.
He called the current wave the most critical.
"We had been warned that when it got colder and drier and people were indoors more, the virus would rise up again," DeWine said, in a 25-minute speech that offered more policy changes than his last Wednesday evening speech, given July 15, before he had issued a statewide mask order.
More: CDC now says masks help protect wearers from coronavirus, joining scientific consensus
New mask order
Of the three new provisions in the mask order, the most notable is DeWine redeploying state employees for compliance enforcement, and plans to sanction those that don't follow the public health order.
The following are the provisions, DeWine said:
1. Each retail business will be required to post a face covering requirement sign at all public entrances to the store.
2. Each store will be responsible for ensuring that customers and employees are wearing masks.
3. A new Retail Compliance Unit, composed of agents led by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, will inspect businesses to ensure compliance. A first violation of this order will bring about a written warning and a second violation will bring about closure of the store for up to 24 hours.
"We know that masks work," DeWine said. "They are the easiest, most cost-effective way to limit the spread of COVID-19."
He argued that workers and shoppers have the right to be safe.
New social gathering order
Since April, Ohio has limited gatherings to up to 10 people for public events and private gatherings.
"Despite this order, we have seen rampant spread of the virus as a result of banquets, wedding receptions, and social gatherings following funerals," he said. "We have seen great tragedy associated with such events. It's not the ceremonies causing the problem. It's the party afterward."
A new public health order, which will be signed in the next few days, will require everyone to be seated and masked at such events, unless they're actively consuming food and drinks.
The order will also prohibit dancing and games at social gatherings.
A warning to the public about schools
DeWine believes it's better for children's well-being to be in school, instead of learning remotely, he said.
"Our K through 12 schools are doing a fantastic job, and I thank them," he said.
However, he's concerned about the surge, saying it's threatening in-classroom teaching. Some schools have already made the choice to transition to virtual learning, "so we must do everything in our power to slow this virus down so our kids can stay in school," he said.
He said that "the vast majority" of Ohio colleges and universities have agreed to not return to in-person learning after the Thanksgiving break. He believes the reduction in the number of students on campuses can make a significant difference in case numbers.
"But, unless we dramatically slow the community spread of the virus, our higher education institutions may have to remain virtual when school opens in January," he said.
More: Schools face pressure to close as COVID-19 cases increase in Pennsylvania


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Buy Recording
Label: New Focus Recordings
On their bold debut full length recording, the excellent Boston based bass clarinet and marimba duo Transient Canvas (Amy Advocat, bass clarinet & Matt Sharrock, marimba) present repertoire that explores the wide range of roles and textures these two instruments can assume with each other.
Album Notes:
Duo repertoire is a fascinating exploration of the tension between monologue and dialogue, homogeneity and duality, and contrast versus hybridity. On their bold debut full length recording, the bass clarinet and marimba duo Transient Canvas (Amy Advocat, bass clarinet & Matt Sharrock, marimba) present repertoire that explores the wide range of roles and textures these two instruments can assume with each other. Notably, the repertoire on this recording largely steers clear of the combination's most predictable texture — the marimba providing steady pulse oriented accompaniment to a soloistic bass clarinet. Instead, these works explore merged timbres, powerfully declamatory unison statements, and narrative structures to draw the listener into the colorful world of five substantial new works, all performed with a maturity beyond the years of these wonderful young performers. Daniel T. Lewis' sift, the title track, opens with a haunting timbre. Each instrument intones in its low register, as beautifully revealed high overtones of the bass clarinet create a halo effect floating above. The work evolves patiently, as more pitches from the overtone series of the low fundamentals are explicitly articulated, and the bass clarinet begins to glide between the well tempered pitches of the marimba with gooey microtones. The bass clarinet takes a lead role in Tina Tallon's dirty water, framing blistering outbursts, plaintive wailing, and bravura rips with percussive punctuations. Midway through the piece the dense activity gives way to haunting trills in both instruments before the insistent staccato punctuations signal a return to the denser, virtuosic material from the opening in a compressed coda. The raw energy of the attention grabbing opening of Curtis Hughes' Vestibule III leads quickly into more introspective material. The composer describes the work as a "series of short, related duos that seem to exist in a state of perpetual transition between contrasting textural and stylistic worlds." The dichotomy between driving, rhythmic textures and thoughtful, reflective moments predominates throughout. In John Murphree's Purge, the duo finds plenty of opportunites to show off their individual chops and impeccable ensemble coordination, as both instruments dance around in kinetic passagework. Adam Roberts' Nostalgia Variations is a perfect marriage of form and content, as it is an exploration of an affect of longing for the past in a form that had its heyday in prior centuries. Roberts' creativity in finding fresh contexts for his poignant, emotive theme makes this twenty minute work remarkable. As with all great variations sets, the shape of the work as a whole is the sum of its component variations, and in this case Roberts is able to capture the wide range of expressive territory in the present that is associated with contemplating the loss of one's past. He writes in the program note that the work is "about finding a way to engage with such emotions in, as a Buddhist would say, the middle path." Not surpring then that Nostalgia Variations ends unresolved, with a disembodied statement of the opening theme that seems less to look back to the past as to look forward to the future, albeit with a question mark.
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