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A race car built with vegetables and powered by cocoa butter may be green, but does it go? E&T investigates.
If you thought motorsport was all about raw speed and race day excitement, think again. Competitive auto-racing is going green.
Last year, the World Motor Sport Council vetoed development into fossil fuel-guzzling Formula One engines, instead encouraging the industry to focus on alternatives such as hybrid fuel systems. At the same time, Formula One is pushing hybrid-drive systems that recover braking energy in race cars, while governing body the FIA has a 'Make Cars Green' website, aiming to reduce the impact of cars on the environment.
But while the lion's share of race car development has focused on cutting carbon emissions, a team of researchers from Warwick University and the Warwick Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre in the UK wants to do more. Their proof-of-concept Formula 3 race car - 'WorldFirst' - not only runs on a biodiesel blend of waste cocoa butter and vegetable oil, but has been built with a host of unconventional sustainable materials, including flax, carrot fibre and potato starch.
Unveiled in early May 2009, the car raised a media frenzy inspiring headlines such as 'Race car gets chocolate power' and 'It's not just speedy, it's delicious'. But given its green and somewhat incredible credentials, should we take the race car seriously? Yes, says Warwick University researcher, Dr Steve Maggs, as the vehicle currently meets all the Formula Three racing standards, bar its biodiesel engine which F3 cars cannot currently use. It boasts a top speed of 120mph (193km/h) and 145mph (233km/h) is promised.
What's more, the team is itching to put it through its paces. Researcher and project manager James Meredith will run the vehicle at this year's Motorsport Industry Association media day in June. The team has also been invited to showcase the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, and they are considering a demonstration at the European Grand Prix in Valencia.
As Meredith says: "It feels pretty amazing, actually. It's very quick and feels like a very aggressive, serious racing car. It's pretty fun and I'm looking forward to getting it on the racetrack."
So how did work on the world's first sustainable and renewable materials-based racing car get off the ground? Maggs and his colleagues first looked at the standard F3 car, worked out which parts could be replaced by sustainable versions, and then started approaching industry players.
"We asked a lot of people, 'are you interested in getting involved?'," explains Maggs. "Some people saw the potential in it and some just told us to bugger off."
Thankfully, a host of industry heavyweights didn't. Formula racing tyre supplier Avon provided polycyclic aromatic-free tyres. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - some carcinogenic - tend to accumulate in aquatic environments and the subsequent food chain.
German chemical producer BASF provided the team with its 'ozone eating' coating for use on the car's radiator. Already present in most Volvo cars and some BMW, Mercedes and Hyundai models, so-called PremAir contains a catalyst that converts ozone molecules - harmful at ground level - to oxygen molecules on contact.
At the same time, Japan-based wiring harness manufacturer Yazaki supplied a halogen-free wiring loom for the car also designed for easy disassembly and recycling. And UK oil pump supplier Pace Products developed a race-specification lubrication system to accommodate the plant-based lubricants provided by UK-based Fuchs Lubricants.
Crucially, world-renowned race car manufacturer and defence engineering company Lola Group decided to take part. The team approached the business with their idea in March 2008 and, as it happened, an F3 car was collecting dust in the Lola Cars workshop.
"A car that we'd built for the 2005 British F3 season raced to two wins by Danilo Dirani at Donington Park," says Sam Smith, communications manager for Lola Cars. "We decided to provide Warwick with the actual monocoque chassis of this car."
Monocoque f3 car
The so-called monocoque or single-shell design refers to a chassis that relies on a stressed skin rather than an underlying frame for strength. Widely used in racing cars, it is typically made from carbon fibre reinforced composite, a material consisting of thin carbon fibres embedded in a plastic resin.
While the composite yields a lightweight, strong and stiff chassis that optimises handling and provides a safe survival cell for the driver, it's green credentials are poor (see 'What's wrong with carbon fibre?' p27). Unfortunately, the greener alternative, recycled carbon fibre composite, is not as strong and cannot be used in safety-critical applications.
Undeterred, however, Maggs' team and Lola joined forces with global business Recycled Carbon Fibre to demonstrate exactly what the material can do. Formerly known as Milled Carbon UK, the company has developed a system that recycles waste carbon fibre composites using pyrolysis, a method of incineration that chemically decomposes the materials by heating them in a near oxygen-free atmosphere. The recovered fibres are then sold back into industry at a much reduced cost relative to virgin fibres and with only a 10 per cent reduction in physical and mechanical properties.
"In the case of WorldFirst, Milled Carbon took existing composite and removed the out-of-date resin in its pyrolysis process," explains Maggs. "This recycled material was then re-impregnated with resin at Lola to form semi-structural components."
The semi-structural material was then used across the car's bodywork, namely the engine cover and damper hatch, which covers the vehicle's dampers on top of the chassis. "As Warwick has showcased, the material is ideal for components such as the wings, the car's trim, and lightweight structures such as the damper hatch," adds Smith. "In years to come, industries that use a lot of composites, including motorsports, are going to have to take a closer look at recycled carbon fibre."
But it's not just the latter that industries will need to look at. As the European Union tightens its waste and end-of-life disposal policies, the European Automotive Industry has been looking to use more natural fibre composites. With this in mind, the Warwick researchers used a range of these materials when building their race car.
For example, the bib is made from a woven flax fibre, impregnated with epoxy resin. Here, the Warwick team and Lola worked with France-based Lineo, a manufacturer of high-performance flax composites. The team also built a side pod made from a glass fibre composite with a closing panel based on flax fibre composite. In each case, the composites' epoxy resin was derived from recycled plastic bottles, supplied by resin manufacturer Cray Valley.
Meanwhile, the team collaborated with US supplier of automotive seat systems, Lear, to produce a seat comprising a flax composite shell filled with soybean oil-based flexible foam. The Warwick team claims that SoyFoam is an industry first and is more environmentally-friendly than traditional petroleum-based foam.
3d woven composites
But perhaps most excitingly, the car showcases a new 3D woven natural fibre composite by way of its barge board. Pioneered by Dr Julie Soden from the School of Art and Design at Ulster University, Northern Ireland, the composite comprises a multiple stack of flax fibres with so-called 'through-the-thickness' threads running perpendicular to, and linking, the flax. This 3D woven structure is embedded in an epoxy resin, some 5mm thick, to form the barge board.
"In a normal 2D composite you have a fabric layer, followed by a resin layer, followed by a fabric layer and so on. Under stress these will typically fail or delaminate in the resin layer," explains Soden. "However, our through-the-thickness threads are viscose rayon yarn - as used in car tyres - and act as crack stoppers, preventing delamination."
Soden says the material is woven all in one on a fully-automated, customised electronic jacquard power loom typically used for heavy-duty industrial textiles. Soden also intends to use biodegradable, rather than epoxy resins, if more barge boards are required.
Beyond barge boards, Soden believes her 3D woven composites have an exciting future. "We've been approached by a US consortium to investigate flax reinforced composite roof panels," she adds. "We don't need more parcel shelves and things like that, these materials will have excellent opportunities in more high performance automotive applications, structural load-bearing and safety critical parts."
Eat your greens
Materials based on vegetables also featured heavily in the car. The steering wheel, believe it or not, is made from a novel material called Curran, derived from carrot fibres.
Developed by Scotland-based Cellucomp, Curran is made by, first, extracting cellulosic nano-fibres from carrot pulp, left over from carrot juice manufacture. The fibres are then mixed with resins to give a high strength material that can be moulded into tough, durable components. Reports suggest that up to 80 per cent of Curran's fibre content is from carrots, and business partners Dr David Hepworth and Dr Eric Whale believe their material will rival glass fibre- and carbon fibre-reinforced composites in non-safety critical applications.
To create the steering wheel for WorldFirst, Maggs and his team worked with Cellucomp to produce steering wheel moulds. Curran paste was then injected into the mould to form the part.
Maggs explains: "We did a little modelling, created the rapid prototypes and tooling, before producing our race specification steering wheel. Cellucomp usually makes fishing rods, which are thin-walled tubes, but this is the first time they've done a bulk component. We've actually got a solid lump of Curran."
And the vehicle's vegetable fetish doesn't stop there. To make sustainable wing mirrors, the Warwick team joined forces with BioPolymer Network, New Zealand, a consortium of bio-polymer and bio-composite manufacturers.
The business had for some time been working with New Zealand-based PotatoPak Ltd, a manufacturer of potato starch food plates, bowls and punnets (see 'Potato packaging', top of page). BioPolymer Network was certain their rigid, strong material, also called PotatoPak, could be used in WorldFirst's wing mirrors. The Warwick researchers agreed, and set to work designing a prototype based on a potato starch core and flax fibre shell. Biopolymer Network then made the prototype wing mirrors using PotatoPak and flax.
"I don't think anyone's made wing mirrors out of this stuff before," laughs Maggs. "The very first batch did look a little like McDonald's containers, but we are going back to get some better ones done."
A 'chocolate-fuelled' race car was always going to hit the headlines, but Maggs asserts WorldFirst is set to showcase yet more breath-taking environ-mentally-friendly developments. While the car currently uses non-carbon cast-iron brake discs, as supplied by AP racing, UK, brake pads derived from cashew nut shells are under development.
And although the car is equipped with a six-speed sequential gearbox, supplied by Hewland Engineering, UK, future work will involve integrating a hybrid system to recover braking energy.
The Warwick team is also busy working with Scott Racing, the UK engineering business that supplied the calibration for the WorldFirst 2-litre BMW diesel engine, enabling it to run on biodiesel derived from waste choclolate and vegetable oil.
"Together we're mapping the engine for different blends of biodiesel, but the eventual aim is to understand more about the variability of feedstocks," says Maggs. "A lot of work has been done on standardising biodiesel blends, but we are looking to see if we could produce an engine that could cope with a variable feedstock."
If you thought the chocolate-based fuel would be a hard act to follow, you could be in for a surprise. As Maggs says: "We would really like to take the waste fat from the University canteen, chuck it in, and race the car."
F3 green race car - check out the video! [new window] (Automotive and Road Transport Systems Network)


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California San Joaquin Valley:
Cindy Elrod with Peri & Sons reported on Aug. 1 that the California facility in Firebaugh is finishing up with intermediate varieties this week and next. “Overall size profile has been smaller than a typical season,” Cindy said. She added, “Overall quality has been good. We’re harvesting the long days now and will pack once the intermediates are all cleared. There will be heavy volume of yellows the next few weeks and heavy volume of reds by mid-August. We should finish harvest around Aug. 25, and we’re projecting a start day for Nevada of Sept. 4.”
Michael Locati with Pacific Agra Pack told us on Aug. 2 the operation will be shipping through Walla Walla River Packing for another 20 days with its 2017 Walla Walla Sweets. Mike said movement, which had slowed somewhat after the Fourth of July, had picked up again, and pricing is “steady.” He said, “We’re midway through our transplants, and quality is looking really good.” When the Walla Walla season winds down later this month, the shed will be packing hybrid reds and yellows, and the Peruvian sweet season will start later in the year. “And when we finish this year’s Walla Walla Sweet crop, we’ll get in the fields and plant our fall seeded that will overwinter,” Michael said.
Brenden Kent with Sunset Produce in Prosser reported that Sunset started shipping on Monday, July 31. “We are very happy with the quality,” Brenden said. “The market is steady, and we expect prices to hold. Sizing is a little off on these first onions harvested, but we expect that to change as we get further into packing.” This week Sunset is packing mostly yellows and sweets.
“We are packing yellows and our ‘Heavenly Sweets,’ which have become very popular,” Brenden said. “The whites and reds are tight all around the area, but availability should increase into the middle or end of next week.” He said Sunset will begin packing some of its storage varieties around Aug. 21. “On the earlier storage varieties we don’t keep them very long,” he said. “Usually by Labor Day they’ll be shipped. Then we will be into our traditional long-day varieties.” Brenden also noted yields are down this year.
Chris Franzoy with Young Guns Inc. and Billy the Kid LLC in Hatch reported on July 27, “Our New Mexico onion crop is doing well, we are harvesting our direct seed varieties and the quality looks great. Harvest should wrap up around Aug. 25.” Chris said, “We start shipping Washington onions mid-August and are looking forward to a great season with plenty of retail and foodservice onions.” The multi-item operation also started shipping its famous Hatch Valley peppers.
Ryan Fagerberg with Fagerberg Farms/Fagerberg Produce reported from Eaton that the operation is “very busy” with the new season that started the first of the month. “We are running, and things are going well so far. We’re very busy,” he said. “All colors and sizes are available, including our Colorado Sweets.”
Grant Kitamura with Baker & Murakami Produce Co. in Ontario, OR, reported on Aug. 2 the crop is progressing with good quality. “We are two weeks late, but the onions are bulbing,” Grant said. “We have had some heat during the middle of the day, but we haven’t had any adverse weather to affect quality.” Grant said yields will be down this season. “Last year we had a bumper crop, and that definitely won’t be repeated this year,” he said. “Now we just need warm weather throughout the month of September for the storage onions to cure well, and we’ll be good to go.”

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- Global Purchases of PCs grows
- Lenovo is the best PC manufactures as of March 2021
- PC demand to continue increasing.
Global shipments of Personal Computers (PCs), both laptops and desktop reportedly rose at their fastest pace in the last 20 years in the first quarter of 2021 (1 January to 31 march) to record a 32% growth in the quarter under review to 69.9 million units.
According to research firm Gartner, China’s Lenovo grabbed the top spot with a 25.1% market share, followed by HP, Dell technologies, Apple and Acer.
The sharp growth can be attributed to the covid 19 induced lockdown restrictions as people bought computers to help them continue their day-to-day activities including work, remotely. A term that has been made trending by the coming of the coronavirus in 2019.
The introduction of online learning platforms also contributed to this growth as parents harried to purchase the necessary gadgets for their children to avoid them being left behind in accessing learning material and lessons.
More so, we had to keep ourselves entertained in our houses hence the need to have the necessary equipment and gadgets to access the internet. PC demand could continue to rise even after lockdown restrictions are lifted as remote work or working from home is likely to become a post-pandemic norm due to the vivid advantages it brings to both the employer and employee as we witnessed with the coming of covid 19.
Most importantly, digitalisation has and is transforming the way we carry out our daily activities and because of that, we are reaching the point where everyone is expected to have a PC. Parents are also being advised to give their children access to these technologies at a tender age as computer knowledge is more becoming of a basic necessity.
Furthermore, governments across the globe are also expected to ensure that E-learning also stays to work hand in hand with face-to-face learning hence the growth may continue to increase.


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The head of specialty sportswear retailer Genesco said on the company’s Q1 earnings call that it plans to implement several aspects of its omnichannel strategy later this year, seeing it as a significant growth area.
Bob Dennis, president, chairman and CEO of Genesco, said the company is rolling out a wide range of capabilities this year to grow its omnichannel business, including implementing new front-end e-commerce systems, installing new order management systems, building new systems architecture to accelerate cross-channel abilities and investing in new warehouse systems to enhance direct order shipments.
The company expects to begin rollout of these initiatives in phases late in the second quarter. This will make a “meaningfully greater” number of SKUs available to web shoppers since as much as 70% to 80% of Lids inventories is in its stores,” Dennis said.
“This will allow customers to interact seamlessly with us across one channel to another,” Dennis told analysts and investors. “We are ambitious in our aspirations to serve customers in whichever channel they prefer to shop.”
Genesco’s direct sales growth continued to outpace comparable store growth for the quarter, Dennis said, although not as notably as in recent quarters.
He said the company’s digital strategy for its Lids Sports Group is to cater to displaced fans who want to support their favorite teams from out of market. Its current platform allows Genesco to do this in a number of ways, and the company is working on additional features to enhance the consumer experience, including increased product selection, improved delivery and return options.
“For example, our more than 900 Lids stores and nearly 200 Locker Room and clubhouse locations make it convenient for customers to do things like return product purchased online in any concept to any local store,” Dennis said. “We believe customers will prefer these capabilities delivered through a combination of brick-and-mortar presence and digital offerings which will position us well and offer competitive advantages over pure-play retailers.”
Genesco expects to launch a new lids.com website and e-commerce platform in late summer or early fall that will feature an updated look and feel as well as enhanced functionality. Dennis said customers will benefit from greater ease-of-use and Lids will be able to offer among other things personalization based on the customer’s omnichannel history.
“These upgrades will also allow the customer to buy online and ship-it-to-the-store, which will aid Lids in driving traffic to the store,” he said.
Genesco’s first quarter total sales were up 6% to $629 million, in line with expectations. Consolidated comp sales were up 1%, with store sales flat and direct comparable sales up 3%. Adjusted earnings per share was $0.81, down from $0.94 in the year-ago quarter, but still slightly ahead of plan for reaching full-year EPS guidance.


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The last of the Big Three Detroit automakers will start union bargaining on Monday after members of the United Auto Workers union at Ford voted Friday to approve a new contract with the company.
"FCA welcomes the opportunity to move our discussions with the UAW forward in order to reach an agreement that will allow us to continue investing in our future and create opportunities for our employees, their families and the communities where we live and work," the company said in a statement on Friday.
UAW and Fiat Chrysler leaders are going to the bargaining table shortly after the automaker announced its merger with Peugeot at the end of October.
The two companies will form a $50 billion auto behemoth. Shareholders will initially own 50 percent of the new company.
The union said in a statement that 56.3 percent of Ford workers who voted were in favor of the deal.
The four-year agreement gives workers a mix of pay raises and lump-sum payments as well as a $9,000 ratification bonus. The company also promises $6 billion in U.S. factory investments. Ford gets to close an engine factory near Detroit but its 600 workers there will get jobs at a nearby plant.
Acting Union President Rory Gamble called the agreement "life changing" for workers and said it eliminates perpetual temporary employees and different wage tiers for workers doing the same jobs. Ford said the deal increases its competitiveness, keeping its cost structure similar to its U.S.-based competitors. It also secures 8,500 U.S. hourly jobs.
The contract will cost Ford $700 million in the fourth quarter, mainly to pay ratification bonuses to its 55,000 hourly workers.
The deal is similar to one ratified by General Motors workers after a bitter 40-day strike this fall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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The news: Crypto exchange giant Coinbase finished 2021 with a strong Q4 performance across its user-related metrics.
Trading volume was $547 billion, up about 67% quarter over quarter (QoQ), when it was $327 billion, and soaring by around 515% year over year (YoY), when it was $89 billion.
Monthly transacting users (MTUs) hit 11.4 million, up around 54% QoQ from 7.4 million, and surging YoY by about 307% from 2.8 million.
Assets on platform reached $278 billion, an approximately 9% QoQ increase from $255 billion. However, they rose by about 209% YoY, from $90 billion previously.
Surging profit and revenue: The user-side growth was coupled with skyrocketing net revenue and profit.
Net revenue hit $2.49 billion in Q4, a QoQ spike of about 102% from around $1.24 billion, while YoY growth was approximately 401%, up from $497 million.
Profit more than doubled QoQ, with net income going from $406 million to $840 million. It also rose by about 375% YoY, from $177 million at the end of 2020.
Problems ahead: So far, Coinbase’s year-end momentum isn’t carrying over into 2022, per the company’s Q1 outlook.
Declining crypto market capitalization (20%) and lower volatility (10%) is pinching the exchange.
- It projects falling QoQ MTUs, at about 10 million on average.
- It anticipates a QoQ trading-volume slump, giving a figure of about $200 billion.
The company’s full-year outlook is mixed:
- Its average transaction revenue per user (ATRPU) is expected to be less than its 2021 levels.
- It anticipates improved subscription and service revenue versus 2021.
- But it gave a wide range for annual average retail MTUs, of 5 million to 15 million, calling it “premature” to give one that’s more detailed.
The big takeaway: Coinbase’s choppy QoQ performance underscores the need to further diversify and expand its offerings beyond routine crypto trading while it waits for regulators to clear the way for mainstream crypto adoption.
- It’s already showing some positive momentum in this respect: 32% of its MTUs in Q4 used non-investing products in addition to investing products, which increased from 22% a year earlier.
- The company cited usage of Earn and Staking as helping to drive this trend, pointing out that the offerings have higher retention rates than investing.
Coinbase said it has two non-investing strategic pillars, in addition to bolstering its investing operations. That should help buffer its user metrics against market volatility.
- It will push “crypto as a financial system” through initiatives like broader access to its Coinbase Card, a rollout of crypto-backed loans, and its recently launched fund-transfers product from the US to Mexico.
- It also plans to push “crypto as an app platform,” which entails investments in Web3 applications—Web3, it said, “represents a decentralized, community-governed internet with modern functionality.” This means simplifying its Coinbase Wallet and adding features to it, and launching a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace called Coinbase NFT.
Coinbase’s diversification could lead it into neobanking for consumers—perhaps by teaming up with a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) to power the products—which could enhance its user engagement. Its strong brand recognition as a market leader (that memorable dancing QR code Super Bowl ad didn’t hurt) could also help further Coinbase’s future evolution into a digital financial institution with a large breadth of offerings.


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The Nokia Lumia 525 has been making headlines lately and now the popular leakster Twitter profile @evleaks has once again joined in the fun by releasing the above render of the device. The image shows the handset in white, yellow and orange. While both pricing and availability are yet to be announced (as well as the Lumia 525 itself), these are positive signs if we're to look back at the run-up to previous hardware announcements.
Specifications of the yet-to-be-announce device were leaked this morning on the Chinese website, Baidu. You're essentially looking at a slightly improved Lumia 520, should leaks hold out to be correct.
So, what do you make of the Lumia 525? Which colour would you go for?
The lawsuit against Activision Blizzard alleging harassment, unfair pay, and a "frat boy" culture has rocked the video game industry. Here's everything you need to know about it, from the suit itself to the aftermath.


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Pepsi today announced an exclusive global partnership with Michael’s Estate as part of its new “Live for Now” campaign, which Pepsi fans around the world will experience in a variety of ways. This will include engaging in a retail campaign featuring one billion special edition Michael Jackson ‘Bad 25’ Pepsi cans, iconic music, epic live events and opportunities for fans to access special edition merchandise.
The partnership coincides with the 25th Anniversary of Michael’s multi-platinum BAD album and record-breaking tour, around which Michael’s Estate and Sony Music have celebratory projects underway.
To celebrate Michael’s incredible contribution to pop music, Pepsi, Sony Music and the Estate of Michael Jackson have teamed up to share new mixes of legendary Michael Jackson music from the ‘BAD’ album with fans around the world, proving that the King of Pop is not only the world’s most iconic artist from the 20th century but also influencing music in the 21st century as well.
Here is the official press release;
Pepsi Announces Global Partnership with the
Estate of Michael Jackson
Michael’s Iconic Image to Be Featured on One Billion Pepsi Cans in More than 20 Countries; China is First Market to Launch
Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Michael Jackson’s Multi-platinum Album, BAD PURCHASE, N.Y., May 3, 2012 – Pepsi today announced an exclusive global partnership with the Estate of Michael Jackson as part of its new “Live for Now” campaign, which Pepsi fans around the world will experience in a variety of ways including an engaging retail campaign featuring one billion special edition Michael Jackson Bad 25 Pepsi cans, iconic music, epic live events and opportunities for fans to access special edition merchandise.
The partnership coincides with the 25th anniversary of Jackson’s multi-platinum BAD album and record-breaking tour, around which the Michael Jackson Estate and Sony Music have celebratory projects underway. To celebrate Jackson’s incredible contribution to pop music, Pepsi, Sony Music and the Estate of Michael Jackson have teamed up to share new mixes of legendary Michael Jackson music from the BAD album with fans around the world, proving that the King of Pop is not only the world’s most iconic artist from the 20th century but also influencing music in the 21st century as well.
Brad Jakeman, president, Global Enjoyment Brands, and chief creative officer, PepsiCo Global Beverages Group, said, “Pepsi has always been at the forefront of pop culture, helping to shape the music landscape. This unique global partnership, around such a legendary music milestone, invites Pepsi fans from around the world to experience Michael Jackson’s music in an engaging and very NOW kind of way – it’s a model example of how Pepsi’s ‘Live for Now’ campaign can manifest itself in a way that resonates the world over.”
Pepsi will feature iconic silhouette imagery of the King of Pop on cans with the launch of collectible limited edition can designs. Pepsi will also run contests in markets around the world giving fans the opportunity to win merchandise including, a limited number of jackets inspired by the original staff BAD tour jackets and tickets to Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, the #1 touring show in North America.
“We are thrilled to bring Michael and Pepsi back together, as they were in 1988, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the BAD album and tour and to put Michael on one billion Pepsi cans – perhaps a Guinness record,” commented John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson. Branca and McClain added, “We’re excited to see it all come to life.”
China and the United States will be among the first Pepsi markets to launch the exclusive Michael Jackson King of Pop activity in 2012, with approximately 20 additional markets in Asia, South America and Europe continuing the international roll-out throughout the rest of the year.
On May 5 in China, a 330ml limited edition will be available at retail locations nationwide. In addition, from May 15 – June 14, 2012, fans will be encouraged to share photos of their valuable Jackson collections or original artwork celebrating him, for a chance to win tickets to Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil, as part of China’s “In Honor of King of Pop MJ” promotion. Later in May, the U.S. will launch a nationwide retail campaign including a limited edition 16oz. King of Pop Pepsi can, as well as initiate a retail, music-themed promotion.
Limited Edition King of Pop Pepsi Can for U.S. Market Frank Cooper, chief marketing officer, Global Consumer Engagement, PepsiCo added, “Michael Jackson will always be the King of Pop, and his music has always inspired fans and artists alike. But, this partnership goes beyond nostalgia and will engage with consumers all around the world with iconic imagery on more than one billion Pepsi cans, digital content and epic, live events, so that they can continue to connect with Jackson’s music and honor his legendary impact on entertainment.”
Michael Jackson has a long standing relationship with Pepsi spanning more than 25 years. The legendary King of Pop starred in his first Pepsi campaign alongside his brothers in 1983, as part of the Pepsi ‘New Generation’ campaign followed by Pepsi’s sponsorship of the epic BAD Tour and the iconic “Chase” commercials which served as the impetus for the current reunion. Pepsi also featured Jackson in the ‘Music Icons’ commercial that premiered during The X Factor in 2011.
Pepsi’s new “Live for Now” campaign is a culmination of extensive global research demonstrating Pepsi fans’ desire to capture the excitement of now and live each moment to the fullest. First launched in the U.S. last month, “Live for Now” will come to life through a breadth of global, pop-culture platforms, events and unique partnerships and will begin to roll out globally throughout 2012.
PepsiCois a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo’s people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo’s promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate.


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RBC | Beginning Thursday, March 26 at 6 a.m., Colorado’s 5.7 million residents will be under a stay at home order, limiting all unnecessary travel and events outside the home until at least April 11.
Governor Jared Polis cited a large jump in both hospitalizations, which doubled today, and deaths (11 to 19 in one day), as well as info compiled from metadata which tracked the movement of residents as reasons for the order, after initially resisting the idea in favor of keeping the economy as insulated as possible from the effects of already-widespread COVID-19 related closures. Those to-date have included ski resorts, restaurants (except for delivery or take-out), bars, schools, spas, salons, massage parlors, tattoo shops and other ‘non-essential’ businesses.
Read the full text of the order here to know what businesses are considered critical/essential and what activities are approved:
Watch the announcement here:


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The Rise of Sustainable Seafood: Trends, Challenges, and Success Stories
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of sustainable seafood. With increasing concerns about overfishing, habitat destruction, and the impact of fishing practices on marine ecosystems, consumers, businesses, and government agencies are taking steps towards a more sustainable approach to seafood production.
One of the key trends in the rise of sustainable seafood is the push for certification. Various certification programs, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), have emerged to ensure that seafood is sourced from well-managed and sustainable fisheries or farms. These programs assess the environmental impact, traceability, and social responsibility of fishing or farming operations. Consumers are now more inclined to choose products bearing these certifications, providing an incentive for fisheries and aquaculture operations to improve their practices.
Another trend is the increasing popularity of alternative seafood options. With concerns over traditional seafood species becoming overexploited, many are turning to lesser-known or underutilized species. This shift not only reduces the pressure on popular species but also promotes biodiversity in the oceans. Additionally, alternative options like plant-based seafood and cell-based seafood offer a viable solution to reduce the need for traditional fishing practices altogether.
However, the rise of sustainable seafood does not come without its challenges. One of the biggest obstacles is the lack of transparency in the seafood supply chain. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to plague the industry. To combat this, technology is being utilized to improve traceability, enabling consumers and businesses to make informed choices about the origin of their seafood. Blockchain technology, for example, can provide real-time, tamper-proof information about the entire supply chain, ensuring the integrity and sustainability of the product.
Additionally, the economic viability of sustainable seafood can be a challenge. Transitioning to more sustainable practices often requires significant investment and changes in fishing or farming techniques. Fishermen and aquaculture operators need support and incentives to adopt sustainability measures without compromising their livelihoods.
Despite these challenges, there are several success stories in the rise of sustainable seafood. The recovery of certain fish stocks, such as Alaskan salmon or Atlantic cod, is a testament to successful fisheries management practices. By implementing stricter regulations, reducing fishing pressure, and protecting critical habitats, these stocks have rebounded from near-collapse.
Furthermore, companies focusing on sustainable seafood have experienced significant growth and positive consumer response. Businesses like Whole Foods Market and Sea to Table have built their reputation on providing sustainable seafood options to consumers. The demand for these products continues to rise, encouraging other companies to follow suit.
Government initiatives are also playing a crucial role in driving the sustainable seafood movement. Many countries now have policies and regulations in place to manage their fisheries sustainably. For instance, the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy has implemented measures to end overfishing and encourage responsible fishing practices.
In conclusion, the rise of sustainable seafood is a promising development in the fight against overfishing and the degradation of marine ecosystems. While there are challenges to overcome, the increasing consumer demand, certification programs, adoption of alternative options, and technology-driven transparency in the supply chain are driving positive change. With continued efforts from all stakeholders – consumers, businesses, governments, and NGOs – a sustainable future for seafood can become a reality.


text: Time has come again, and Intel has released a new chipset for the LGA 1150 socket. The new Z97 chipset from Intel is pretty similar to that of the Z87 chipset that Intel released a little over a year ago. The only change that Intel has made over the Z87 is the addition of the M.2 SSD support. This doesn’t mean that every board that runs on the Z97 chipset will have the new port, however the Biostar Hi-Fi Z97WE that we’ve got up for review right now, does feature M.2 support. The Hi-FI Z97WE is definitely aimed to appeal to those who are on a tight budget, as it’s available for under $150 at Amazon and comes with a 3 year warranty.


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In an effort to increase access to healthy foods for New Yorkers at risk of obesity, the city launched a fruit and vegetable “prescription” program Tuesday.
The pilot program, FVRx, allows doctors and nutritionists to provide “prescriptions” for fruit and vegetables to patients and families at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx and Harlem Hospital.
“A food environment full of processed foods full of fat, sugar and salt is contributing to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases,” Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said in a statement, calling the program a “creative approach” to help patients try to stay healthy.
Under the program, run by Wholsome Wave, patients at the two hospitals will receive coupons from the city that can be redeemed for fruit and vegetables at all 142 farmers markets citywide. Patients can renew their prescriptions monthly and get checkups or nutritional counseling.
Though Dr. Sharon Akabas, associate director of Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition, said the program was a great idea to help patients eat healthier, she said it’s not enough just to eat fresh fruit and vegetables.
“We also have to say eat less of something else,” Akabas said.
“The assumption is that if people divert more money to healthy foods, they will spend less on higher-calorie foods,” she added, though the program would allow patients to get fresh produce for free.
Each hospital will try to enroll up to 70 patients to stay in the program for at least four months. Funded with a $250,000 grant from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, patients will receive a dollar a day in coupons for themselves and family members.
Noting that patients tend to look to physicians for advice, Akabas said all the city’s efforts to curb obesity add up over time.
“Each one of these things is a drop of water,” she said. “Over time, the more drops we can put in, the more effect it will have.”
Follow Anna Sanders on Twitter: @AnnaESanders


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SLUG Mailing List Archives
[SLUG] Sony recalls copy-protected music CDs
- To: SLUG Mailing List <slug@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Subject: [SLUG] Sony recalls copy-protected music CDs
- From: Peter Faulks <faulksp@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 07:05:35 +1100
BARCELONA - Music company Sony BMG, yielding to consumer concern, said on Wednesday it was recalling music CDs containing copy-protection software that acts like virus software and hides deep inside a computer.
Sony BMG has used the XCP copy-protection software on 49 titles from artists such as Celine Dion and Sarah McLachlan and produced an estimated 4.7 million music CDs. Around 2.1 million units have been sold on to consumers.
The software, developed by British software makers First4Internet, installs itself on a personal computer used to play the CD in order to guard against copying, but it leaves the back door open for malicious hackers.
The article is on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10069563/
I always thought there was something fishy about Celine Dion :0)


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TOKYO, July 8 (Reuters) – A SoftBank-owned business is thriving by offering facial area-recognition engineering fuelled by a blacklisted Chinese organization to the likes of Mastercard and Visa, an chance for the Japanese conglomerate, fraught with geopolitical and privateness threats.
Japan Laptop Vision Corp (JCV), owned by SoftBank Team Corp’s (9984.T) wi-fi device, has struck promotions on payments in current months, a likely breakthrough for SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son’s aspiration of driving new organization via partnership among his tech investments.
If JCV sustains its expansion, it could become a standout illustration of SoftBank generating synergies with portfolio corporations – a vital component of Son’s profits pitch to the tech sector.
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But the surge faces risks as the facial-scanning program it offers to U.S. heavyweights Mastercard Inc (MA.N) and Visa Inc (V.N) takes advantage of technology from SenseTime Group (0020.HK), a Chinese business blacklisted by the United States in excess of human legal rights concerns.
The JCV-SenseTime partnership highlights SoftBank’s difficult balancing act as Son attempts to situation his conglomerate as a neutral player even although tensions mount between two crucial markets, the United States and China.
The billionaire claimed very last month SoftBank is taking a cautious solution in direction of China owing to a regulatory crackdown there that has roiled its portfolio.
JCV explained it retains SenseTime and the credit card businesses at arm’s duration – the Chinese firm is a technology associate with no accessibility to Mastercard’s and Visa’s methods or information.
Mastercard said all of its biometric-checkout programme companions should adhere to European Union requirements of knowledge security. Visa stated it is functioning to outline the use of biometrics in payments and thinks these kinds of technology can assist make certain a protected procedure.
JCV’s speedy expansion also faces privacy concerns from regulators and consumers as facial-recognition technology goes mainstream. SenseTime’s shares plunged 50% past 7 days with the close of a lock-up time period after its first public giving.
SenseTime advised Reuters it aims to bolster the partnership with JCV, which it thinks will reward firms, and that the business has proven an ethics council to be certain criteria.
JCV reported its engineering is audited by a third social gathering, Israeli cybersecurity startup CYE, to test for chance of info leakage and the enterprise asks end users to choose in to fork out-by-face techniques and allows them to choose back out.
“Providing the consumer people controls are truly what is demanded to make this a pretty mainstream technological know-how,” explained JCV CEO Andrew Schwabecher. SoftBank declined to remark.
Just one MILLION FACES Daily
SenseTime, of which SoftBank is the biggest investor, was put on a blacklist in 2019, avoiding U.S. providers from exporting know-how to the Chinese business. A additional blacklisting in December stops American financial investment in SenseTime.
Washington accuses the Hong Kong stated firm of establishing facial-recognition technology that can be used to establish ethnic Uyghurs.
Even though there is no recommendation JCV is breaching any constraints, the use of SenseTime technological know-how displays the restrictions of U.S. blacklisting in hobbling the enlargement of Chinese technology.
JCV also sells system temperature scanners applying the know-how to retailers these as Fast Retailing Co’s (9983.T) Uniqlo style chain and shopping mall operator Aeon Co (8267.T). It has delivered over 20,000 gadgets in Japan that scan extra than a million faces everyday.
“SenseTime’s algorithm is completely the finest, we’ve evaluated nearly just about every one,” JCV’s Schwabecher told Reuters, citing its potential to determine consumers even when the experience is partly obscured by a mask or a hand.
Fast Retailing reported its temperature scanners do not shop or transmit any of the data they seize. Aeon declined to remark.
JCV has created a computer software platform to run the SenseTime algorithm, which it says ranks remarkably in the U.S. government’s very own tests for its reduced error price. JCV operates the technique from Japan.
SenseTime’s algorithm analyses over 200 facial places and the distance in between them to build a digital important. JCV uploads the exclusive signature to the cloud, letting customers to authenticate payments using their face.
Schwabecher claimed other organizations will probably catch up with SenseTime, and JCV designs to offer you solutions on its platform in the long run. “In two to a few several years, which vendor’s algorithm you might be using is probably not going to make a difference as a lot as it does these days.”
Uptake of facial scanning tech would enable better personalisation of companies, from qualified advertisements to featuring buyers their favourite burger at a food items restaurant or suggesting a location on having in a taxi.
But customer worries about knowledge privateness pose a menace to increased adoption, even as proponents say this kind of tech is more safe and hassle-free.
Regulators have taken motion from facial recognition providers, with New York-primarily based startup Clearview AI fined in Britain and Italy for scraping on the net photographs to prepare its face-matching tool.
In Australia, a key purchaser group referred three retail chains to regulators past month about their use of “intrusive” facial recognition technological innovation. go through additional
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Reporting by Sam Nussey Modifying by Miyoung Kim
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Wasted: how America is losing up to 40 percent of its food from farm to fork to landfill
The second edition of its groundbreaking 2012 report, the NRDC’s Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill provides updated statistics on the environmental, economic and social impacts, analyzes areas of progress at the government, business and consumer levels in the last five years and offers policy solutions for addressing the issue. The report reveals that Americans throw away more than 400 pounds of food per person per year. If just one-third of this amount was redirected to people in need, it could feed 50 million people — more than the existing unmet food needs in the US. Wasted food also squanders 21 percent of the annual water usage of the agricultural industry, generates the emissions equivalent of 37 million cars per year and accounts for 21 percent of the material that goes into landfills.


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E-commerce giant Amazon is gearing up to launch a new smartphone, the 10.or D here in India in early January next year. With entry-level specifications, the phone will be the third device from the Amazon-owned brand in India.
While it directly competes with the Flipkart Billion Capture+, the 10.or D will be distributed via Amazon India. It will sport a 5.2-inch display, quad-core processor and up to 3GB RAM. Apart from those features, the device is reported to come with a fingerprint sensor as well. While the price is not yet disclosed, we can expect it to be competitively priced.
Amazon 10.or D Specifications
After stiff competition from Flipkart with the Billion Capture+, Amazon is gearing up to reply with their own private brand. While the company has already introduced the 10.or G and 10.or E as two budget offerings in India, this one will be the latest from Amazon.
Starting with the display, the 10.or D sports a 5.2-inch display with HD (1280 x 720p) resolution. The company says that the device has gone through 962 tests to ensure performance. While the camera specifications have not been revealed yet, device images show that the phone will come with single cameras at the back as well as the front.
Coming to hardware, the device is offering a Snapdragon 425 quad-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz. This processor is coupled with Adreno 308 GPU along with 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM or 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM. These are certainly good specifications for an entry-level smartphone.
The Android version on the 10.or D is not known yet, but some reports suggest that it will run Android 7.0 Nougat. It is said to be backed by a 3,500 mAh Li-Po high-density battery, which could deliver up to 70 hours of MP3 playback, up to 25 hours of playback, or up to 10 hours of internet usage.
Pricing and Availability
The 10.or D will be coming in two variants with 2GB RAM and 16GB ROM and 3GB RAM and 32GB RAM. While the price is not disclosed yet, the phone will be available as an Amazon exclusive from January 5, 2018.


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Nvidia has to make some important decisions regarding its video cards. While cryptocurrency mining boosts overall sales, it also causes a lot of friction. More specifically, the current generation of cards is suited for both mining and gaming. This is not the liking of gamers all over the world. As such, Nvidia may introduce a separate line of cards for cryptocurrency mining specifically.
For the time being, it remains to be seen how things will evolve. Graphics card manufacturers benefit a lot of cryptocurrency mining. By selling more units, they also make a lot more money. Unfortunately, this mining craze often leads to massive shortages in stock. Nvidia has been rather vocal about this aspect for quite some time now. They cannot serve their gamer customers because of cryptocurrency miners. It’s an unfortunate development, although there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
Nvidia may Have Some Very big Plans
More specifically, there are rumors as to how Nvidia may introduce new graphics cards for cryptocurrency mining. This has not been officially confirmed by the company at this point. However, the “Turing” line of cards is of great interest even if the product doesn’t exist. It seems evident manufacturers need to cater to both miners and gamers alike. Using two different lines is certainly an option worth exploring.
It is a bit unclear as to what the world can expect from these new cards. If Nvidia pursues this avenue, they will set an interesting precedent. For now, we know nothing specific and there is nothing carved in stone either. It is expected the company will make some announcement at the GPU Technology Conference in March. It is expected Jensen Huang will shed some light on the cryptocurrency mining situation as a whole.
Whether or not AMD will take a similar approach in the future, remains to be seen. The company has made it clear how they don’t expect much from the cryptocurrency mining industry. In fact,, AMD expects the revenue to drop quite a bit by the next quarter. Whether or not that is the case, remains to be seen. Both Nvidia and AMD have seen major benefits from the mining industry as of late. If they can alleviate concerns for gamers as well, things can only get better from here on out.
Header image courtesy of Shutterstock


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A three day strike by over 100 Tesco distribution drivers at Livingston, near Edinburgh, rocked the multinational last week.
Jim Docherty from the strike committee said that the action hit Tesco hard. Although agency trucks drove out throughout the day, depot staff revealed that most trucks left without any cargo.
But Jim said that Tesco could ride out this storm and that the drivers could only win their dispute with national action. The T&G section of the Unite union are balloting members for a national strike.
The drivers’ three day strike ended at midnight on Saturday with the first shift back walking through the gates to the sound of the bagpipes.
In a massive show of community solidarity, drivers and their friends and families came together for a huge party with a barbecue and music to mark the end of their strike.
The drivers took strike action when they were told that their union would be derecognised in a forthcoming move to a new depot 500 yards down the road.
They would be asked to leave the T&G and join the Usdaw union, and to sign a contract saying that their conditions could be changed at any time.
The proposed changes would mean the drivers would take home £3-£6,000 less each year. They were warned that they faced dismissal if they did not sign the new contract.
Tesco has been buying up similar sites in the near vicinity of all their depots nationwide.
In a fantastic show of solidarity, Eddie Stobart drivers refused extra payments of £500 to break the strike.
Supporters of the Tesco drivers, including Solidarity members, have met a warm response from prospective Tesco shoppers when they have leafleted the shops asking for a boycott in support of the strike.
Dozens of shoppers turned away, resolving not to shop there.
Send messages of support to » [email protected]
His treatment exposes the British state


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By Oyisa George
From 5,4% in June, annual consumer inflation fell to 4,7% in July. The rate was 4,6% in July 2021, making this the lowest number since then. Between June and July 2023, consumer prices rose by a median of 0.9%. As a result, a monthly increase of 0.2% was noted in both May and June according to Statistics SA.
The transport category, which had previously been a significant inflationary force, assisted in bringing down total inflation in July. The primary factor driving up total inflation in 2021 and 2022 was transportation. In July 2022, the headline rate of consumer inflation reached a 13-year high of 7,8%, with transport accounting for 44% (3,4 percentage points) of the increase.
The cost of fuel was a major factor. 95-octane fuel was priced at R17,39 per litre in July 2021, but it rose quickly to a record high of R26,74 per litre in July 2022.1 petrol had such an influence that in July 2022, South Africa’s inflation rate would have been 5,5% rather than 7,8% if petrol costs remained the same.
Fuel prices continued to decline after reaching a peak in July 2022. In July 2023, the price of inland 95-octane fuel dropped to R22,46 per litre. This equals an R214 savings for a car with a 50-liter gasoline capacity. The downward pressure that transport has on consumer inflation was lessened by the drop in fuel costs. In July 2023, the yearly rate for gasoline was negative at -16,8%. For the first time since January 2021, this caused the transport category to decline and into the red. Additionally, in 2020, from April to June and once again from October to December, the annual transport inflation rate was negative.
Statistic SA mentioned that Food inflation has also decreased, but not as swiftly as transportation. In July, the annual rate for the category of food and non-alcoholic drinks (NAB) was 9,9%, down from June’s reading of 11,0%. From 15,5% in June, annual inflation for bread and grains decreased to 13,1%. An essential product, maize meal, was less expensive in July compared to June, with prices dropping by an average of 0,7%. The rate of annual meat inflation eased to 5.1% for the sixth consecutive month.
The annual inflation rate for the sugar, sweets, and desserts category, which had increased from 16.4% in June to 18.7%, was the highest since May 2017.
Between June and July, the housing and utility index rose by 2.8%. Households are paying 14,5% extra on average for power. Property rates rose by 2,9%, while water rates rose by 9,6%.
Annabel Bishop, the chief economist at Investec advised that the CPI decline towards the centre of the SARB’s inflation goal range was probably just transitory.
“The CPI inflation rate is likely to lift somewhat in August on base effects as July 2022 proved to be the peak for the inflation trajectory currently in SA, says Bishop in her interview with IOL.


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BlackBerry Storm 9570: Storm 3 or Storm 2 Redux?
RIM may be preparing a hardware refresh for the BlackBerry Storm 2 9550, allegedly dubbed the BlackBerry 9570, although this device seems to be different than the rumored “Storm 3” we saw a few days ago. According to BlackBerry Leaks, which has posted both a purported image of the phone as well as a smattering of specs, the 9570 will pack 512MB of RAM, a five-megapixel camera, and — perhaps most importantly — BlackBerry’s all new OS 6. BGR is speculating that the refresh is necessary because OS 6 requires 512MB of RAM, meaning that the current crop of Storm 2’s are not suitable for official upgrades.
Of course, given that PhoneArena saw mention of a “Storm 3 9570” in purported leaked Verizon documents last month, and that these specs sound an awful lot like the “Odin Refresh” we caught wind of back in July, it’s looking more and more like the 9570 will indeed be marketed as the Storm 3, and the mystery device may be a future Storm or Torch, perhaps that rumored, LTE-equipped unit making the rounds in June.


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13 September 2011
13 September 2011
International Innovative Technologies (IIT) is launching its new patented low energy milling technology that is described as capable of meeting the fine grinding requirements of composites and other hard materials.
IIT has pioneered the new technology for the fine grinding of composites, raw materials and minerals into fine powders.
These include GRP and other composite materials as well as aluminium oxide‚ silicon carbide‚ glass and other minerals and aggregates.
IIT say the low energy performance of the new mill has the potential to convert what may currently be regarded as waste material into commercial products for recycling and re-use. This is particularly the case in the GRP industry where IIT explain they have successfully installed a milling plant in an established production facility for the recycling of scrap and waste GRP back into original products.
According to IIT, this process involves GRP waste first being converted into flakes using shredding equipment before secondary reduction is carried out in an IIT m-series mill which successfully converts the flakes into a fine powder of generally less than 100 microns for re-use in the primary batch for the manufacture of new GRP products.
IIT have carried out tests and production runs which, they say, have shown that the inclusion of a percentage of this powdered material back into the primary batch for the re-injection of new products has no detrimental effect on GRP.
The IIT grinding mill and ancillary particle sizing plant are ATEX compliant.
Cobra International will showcase a range of composite products at CAMX 2018, including carbon fibre components for the automotive, transportation, marine, water sports and luxury sectors.
UK company Prodrive Composites has developed a process for manufacturing recyclable composite components that can satisfy future end-of-life requirements without any compromise in the performance of the original parts. The company says the P2T (Primary to Tertiary) process not only simplifies recycling, but endows a composite material with the potential to fulfil three or more useful lifetimes.
Designers at Elemental Motor have utilised tailored fibre placement (TPF) to extend the use of carbon composites in its RP1 sports car.


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Maison Martin Margiela and Alexis Mabille Are Now Officially Haute Couture
Unlike Juicy Couture or Zahia Dehar's 'couture' lingerie line, Maison Martin Margiela and Alexis Mabille can now, in good faith, call their couture lines haute couture.
Fashion Week Scheduling Conflict Finally Over (For Now): New York and London Confirm September Dates
The fashion week scheduling nightmare appears to finally be over, at least for now. September 2012 dates for New York and London have just been confirmed, officially, and both cities have agreed to move their dates earlier. New York Fashion Week will take place September 6-13 and London will follow from 14-18, according to a press release the CFDA and the BFC sent out this morning. WWD reports that Milan's Fashion Shows will take place September 18 through 25 and Paris September 25 through October 2. The news comes following more than three months of back and forth between the four fashion capitals after Milan set their September show dates to conflict directly with New York and London and then couldn't be reasoned with, digging its heels further into the ground as the months wore on. The agreement they seem to have reached is the same one New York and London proposed back in November (which DVF referred to as "biting the bullet"). So then why has it taken this long to confirm?


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Dentons’ Bratislava office has advised CNIC Corporation Ltd., an investment company owned by the Chinese government, on its acquisition of Prologis Park Galanta-Gan in Slovakia from Prologis. Kinstellar advised Prologis on the deal.
According to Dentons, "the park is the largest logistics asset, both by area and investment volume, ever sold in the CEE region. Prologis Park Galanta-Gan [consists of] 240,000 square meters of class A logistics space across four facilities, all of which are fully leased. The sale includes the BTS 7,000 square meter development, which is currently under construction, for a logistics provider offering industrial recycling services. The park is situated in Western Slovakia, which has gained a reputation as the production and manufacturing hub of CEE. Strategically located near route E571, it has easy access to Bratislava, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic."
The Dentons team was led by Partner Peter Kubina and Counsel Martin Mendel, working with Associate Miroslava Jesikova. Counsel Katarína Pecnova and Associate Tatiana Mergesova performed due diligence on the deal.
Kinstellar's Bratislava-based team was led by Partner Roman Oleksik, supported by Managing Associate Miroslav Kapinaj and Associate Michaela Nemethova.


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November 7, 2013 - Industry News
The 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree began its cross-country journey this week from the Colville National Forest near Usk, Wash., to the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol on a 2014 Mack Pinnacle Axle Back model with a custom trailer.
Tags: Mack, Capitol Christmas Tree
January 23, 2013 - Industry News
Mack Trucks announced that Tri-State Truck Center Inc. of Memphis, Tenn. is its 2012 North American Distributor of the Year
January 14, 2013 - Industry News
Mack Trucks honored the service of one of its long-standing dealers, the Kriete Group Inc
Tags: Events, Mack
December 17, 2012 - Industry News
Vanguard Truck Centers recently announced the opening of its newest Mack and Isuzu dealership in St. Louis, Mo.
Tags: Dealers, Vanguard, Isuzu, Mack, Missouri
December 10, 2012 - Industry News
Mack Trucks presented a $25,000 check to New York City Commissioner of Sanitation John J. Doherty to support relief efforts following Hurricane Sandy.
Tags: Events, Sandy, Mack
December 5, 2012 - Industry News
The 2012 Capitol Christmas Tree was illuminated in an official lighting ceremony Dec. 4 on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, following a 5,300-mile multi-week journey powered by a Mack Pinnacle truck
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Mobile Column Lift Designed for Flexibility
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Maxion Unveils MaxSmart Wheel-Mounted Sensor


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|February 2, 2013|
|10:00 am||to||5:00 pm|
Enjoy free chocolate treats while shopping from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Downtown Lee’s Summit. Follow the balloons throughout downtown to shops where delicious chocolate treats will be handed out to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day. Customers also can enter to win a Valentine’s Day Gift Basket.
New this year is the addition of City Hall as a Chocolate Crawl stop from 10 a.m. until noon. To celebrate the launch of the new community brand, Lee’s Summit Mayor Randy Rhoads will hand out full-sized candy bars from 10 a.m. to noon to the first 500 adults at City Hall, 220 S.E. Green St., Lee’s Summit. There is also an opportunity to see the new brand campaign and items with the new logo.


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This week on the Extra Serving podcast, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches and Leigh Anne Zinsmeister talked about restaurant earnings.
Since last week, another slew of brands have reported, and we have to talk about them. Wendy’s and Dutch Bros are both pushing their dayparts, Noodles & Company is lowering prices, Krispy Kreme is working on efficiencies and The Cheesecake Factory is debuting a rewards program. What is the main message of earnings?
Also, there’s a winner for our Taco Showdown! The NRN editors talked about the Columbus, Ohio-based brand that won our largest showdown yet, and its place in the industry.
Finally, the editors talked about Wendy’s new partnership with Google for its AI drive-thru. We’ve seen many iterations of AI at the drive-thru but partnering with Google is a step further into AI than we’ve seen before. What does it mean for Wendy’s that it’s so invested in tech? Is it another instance of jumping too far into a trend, like the Reef deal?
This week’s guest is Sherif Mityas, CEO of Brix Holdings.


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The National Road Carrier’s Association and the Ports of Auckland are partnering to change New Zealand’s supply chain. The initiative comes after supply chain issues came to light following an accident at Ports of Auckland earlier in the year.
“The supply chain is running at capacity, so unexpected problems can have a domino effect,” explained David Aitken, National Road Carriers CEO. “At its heart, the problem is Auckland’s growth. The supply chain needs to evolve and we’re all going to have to change the way we work to prevent future problems. Better planning and coordination are the key. We’re letting stakeholders know what causes hold-ups and we’re working with partners to improve our end-to-end processes.”
Craig Sain, Ports of Auckland’s general manager commercial relationships stated that in the last 12 months over half of all container ships arrived at Auckland late, often as a result of bad weather, this leads to congestion at the port. Labour shortages in both the trucking industry and at the port have also added to the supply chain issues.
The port is currently installing an automated container handling system to help ease the problems, but the work required to install the system has reduced terminal capacity by about 20 percent, adding to congestion. This situation will remain until late 2019 when the project will be completed.
Another problem is that getting containers off the port can be delayed because there is nowhere for the containers to go. The port works 24/7 and has the capacity at nights and weekends, but often distribution centres, importer's warehouses and empty container depots are closed at these times.
Using a combination of new technology, greater coordination and 24/7 operating hours the two organisations hope to find solutions to these issues.
“As a port, we have a key role to play, and we are trying to educate other players in the supply chain so that they understand the need for change and what they can do to make the process more efficient,” added Sain. “Ultimately, these changes will benefit New Zealand through the fast, efficient and cost-effective delivery of freight.”


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Can't get enough Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn? Already own 75 copies on 8-track, Cassette, LP, Beta, VHS, VCD, Laserdisc, DVD, Blu-ray, and Viewmaster? Well then, you need to get your hands on at least one more!
A week or so ago we broke the biggest story of the year, one that let you guys know that the long gestating remake of Evil Dead was indeed a go. The next day a director was announced ... Federico Alvarez. Recently the filmmaker spoke a bit about the project.
When we broke the story about a new Evil Dead flick coming on strong, it was risky. At that time it was unconfirmed, and if we were wrong, there would have been a lot of egg on our faces. Well, we took that chance, and we're happy to say that not only were we right, but you read it here first! Now then ... on to the official word!
We told you yesterday about the breaking news that a new entry in the Evil Dead franchise is imminent and that original director Sam Raimi is involved. Well, that cat is officially out of the bag!
When it comes to anything regarding the next Evil Dead flick, there's been so much said that we never know just what is or is not concrete anymore. However, an interesting and solid little tidbit has fallen right into our laps.
Well, just about a year has passed since we last spoke of the Sam Raimi-helmed Oz: The Great and Powerful, and we're still not sure how Dread worthy of a project it's going to be, but quite a bit of news has been coming out lately so we thought we'd share it with all the Raimi (and Oz) lovers out there.
The debate still rages to this day among horror fans whether Evil Dead II is better than its predecessor, Evil Dead, but no one can deny the sequel/remake is a hilarious, sophisticated slapstick send-up of the terror genre.
It's been nearly a decade since Sam Raimi announced that he was interested in remaking his classic flick The Evil Dead. Years have passed. Hopes have been dashed. There's been a ton of non-news, but now something a bit more concrete has come to life.
Great news coming in for fans who are excited about the proposed remake of Day of the Triffids! One of horror's best directors is in line to sit at the helm, and we're sure this will be one day audiences will never forget!
Ever since Joe Camel was dropped by Camel cigarettes as their spokesperson, the tobacco industry has been fl ... what? Oh. Well never mind then. Where was I? Oh yes! There's more alien fighting fun on the way! "Lost" writer/producer Brian K. Vaughn is teaming up with Sam Raimi's Stars' Road Shingle for a new sci-fi horror pilot that's being set up at Fox.
It’s a film that needs absolutely no introduction and the first of a series of movies that have each been given a staggering number of releases on home formats. Now, if you want to experience Sam Raimi’s classic The Evil Dead in high definition, then JOIN US, and get your entry in to win one of three copies of the brand new Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment!
Excited about the original Evil Dead hitting Blu-ray high definition? You should be! Yes, this will be the 18,009th version of the film fans will buy, but at least this one is packing something new. Speaking of which -- how about some more samples from the commentary track for the flick to whet your whistle?


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Jared Leto sports crazy, custom-made Gucci creations on tour
Bromance between Alessandro Michele and Jared Leto results in colourful collection of tour outfits for the 30 Seconds to Mars star
The much publicised bromance between actor/musician Jared Leto and Gucci’s outlandish creative director, Alessandro Michele, is continuing on its colourful course. Leto’s band, 30 Seconds to Mars, is currently on tour in North America, and the eccentric musician has been sporting one-of-a-kind Michele creations on stage.
Also part of his tour wardrobe are a variety of looks from Gucci’s latest runways collections. One particular outfit, which pairs a floral kaftan with a fringed cape and silver high-top trainers, is a prime example of Leto’s distinctive style. Other notable sartorial statements include a gold-sequinned jacket and tartan-fringed overcoat.
Leto has been a major proponent of Michele’s creations since the designer first took the helm at Gucci. Last year, Leto was named as the face of the Gucci Guilty fragrance. “I think that Alessandro does something very special,” Jared said of Michele in an exclusive interview with The National last year. “He puts so much love, care and joy into his work that when you wear Gucci, you’re not just wearing something that’s beautiful or pretty, you’re actually – you’re feeling the same thing that he feels when he’s making it."
Leto will next been seen on screen in Blade Runner 2049, alongside Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, and has also confirmed rumours that 30 Second to Mars will release a highly anticipated new album later this year.
Updated: July 2, 2017 04:41 PM


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WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has rejected the AFL-CIO’s unfair trade practice petition against China, delivering a harsh blow to organized labor in an election year when job losses are front and center.
Labor officials expressed outrage Wednesday at the administration’s outright denial, which effectively kills the petition. The AFL-CIO could refile it, but said it won’t.
In an unusual tour de force, four Cabinet members — Treasury Secretary John Snow, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, Commerce Secretary Don Evans and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick — held a press conference Wednesday to outline the administration’s reasons for rejecting the petition and to send a strong warning that it would reject another anticipated trade case on China’s alleged currency manipulation — even though it hasn’t been filed.
Administration officials claimed they will continue to pursue the same trade policy with China, and push for labor standard and currency policy reforms by leveraging the market economy designation for which China is clamoring.
The AFL-CIO filed a petition under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on March 16, alleging that China represses workers’ rights, which in turn drives down wages by 47.4 percent to 85.6 percent, lowers the price of exports by 10.6 percent to 43.6 percent and ultimately results in the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs.
The administration had until Friday to decide whether it would consider the petition and launch an investigation into the charges that China grossly fails to enforce core labor rights, such as the right to unionize. Critics of the petition claimed President Bush would have nothing to gain by taking on the case and imposing sanctions. The President is unlikely to win the union vote in the November election, they said, and any sanctions would strain relations with China.
Zoellick said the AFL-CIO’s petition — the first such case to challenge another country’s labor laws — would in effect end the U.S.’s economic relationship with China by slapping 77 percent tariffs on imports and “jeopardize” U.S. exports to the country.
“If that were not a big enough wall against trade and development, the petition goes further and demands new conditions that would halt all progress toward opening markets for U.S. goods and services in the Doha negotiations at the World Trade Organization,” Zoellick said. “We do not need to conduct a year-long investigation to know that there are serious concerns with labor rights and working conditions in China, as there are in many other developing countries. We do not need a year-long investigation to know that we have serious concerns with China’s policies on the value of its currency.”
Evans said the U.S. will use the market-economy designation China seeks as a tool to press the nation for reforms in its labor standards and currency policies.
“We all know that obtaining market-economy status is a high priority for the Chinese leadership,” said Evans. “Without this status, China is subject to more antidumping cases with higher duties on their imports.”
Evans said countries must meet six criteria, including labor standard and currency policy reforms, spelled out by the Tariff Act of 1930, to be designated a market economy.
“But our goal isn’t to impose dumping actions,” Evans said. “American jobs depend on trade with China. But the rapid progress in our export promotion efforts within the Chinese market would be jeopardized by a blunt instrument like this petition.”
Snow outlined the steps he has taken to urge the Chinese to reform their currency policies and stop pegging it to the U.S. dollar, which drives down prices, according to trade groups. Zoellick said the U.S. and China are launching a joint effort to implement core International Labor Organization standards.
The four cabinet members claimed the petitions would take the U.S. down the path of “economic isolationism,” a phrase the Bush administration has leveled at some of the campaign promises of Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Kerry, who has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, has fired away at the President on job losses. He has also promised to institute a 120-day review of existing trade agreements to strengthen labor and environmental provisions if he wins the presidency.
“The simple fact is that this administration has once again refused to make any serious effort to use the legitimate rules that govern trade to level the playing field, and prevent our businesses and workers from being taken to the cleaners,” Kerry said in a statement Wednesday. “It won’t even consider taking action. When it comes to China and defending American jobs, this White House is all talk and no action.”
Bruce Raynor, president of the apparel and textile union UNITE, said: “I think it’s an outrageous decision from a political standpoint. Given the huge loss of U.S. jobs, for the administration to reject a legal way to be on the side of U.S. workers is outrageous. Hundreds of thousands of American businesses would have been helped had the administration enforced the law.”
Powerful business coalitions, which lobbied against the AFL-CIO’s petition, applauded the administration’s decision.
Erik Autor, international trade counsel at the National Retail Federation, said, “It was a prudent decision on the part of the administration based on a legal and policy analysis of the petition.”
Meanwhile, a coalition of manufacturing trade associations, called the Fair Currency Alliance, claimed it would have to reevaluate whether it would go ahead with its petition against China’s alleged currency manipulation. The coalition includes the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Council of Textile Organizations, .
“In addition to rejecting their [AFL-CIO] petition, they have a strong indication if the Fair Currency Alliance files its petition, it will be rejected, as well,” said Frank Vargo, vice president for international economic affairs at NAM. “We expect to have quick discussions with the administration, and then assess and decide the best thing to do.”


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When Liz Haggerty was named president of Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope®’s (OBE) architectural glass and metal division in January 2020, she immediately hit the road. Haggerty had visited approximately 40% of OBE’s glass and glazing facilities before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Then her focus changed quickly.
While Haggerty may be new to OBE and the glass industry, she has brought many transferable skills to her new role from more than 30 years of experience in the HVAC industry. Prior to joining OBE, she was vice president and general manager of global ducted systems for Johnson Controls. She also served as regional president for Carrier Enterprise. In these positions she’s done work in engineering, manufacturing, operational excellence, sales and distribution.
“I really have a diverse background in the complete supply chain. I honestly thought I’d spend my whole career in HVAC,” she says. “I got a call from a recruiter looking for a new president for OBE’s architectural glass and metal businesses as the former president was retiring. As I sat and talked to the team it was apparent to me that there are a lot of similarities between fabricating glass and glazing and HVAC. The go-to market and the stakeholders are similar. The sales process through architects and contractors is very similar to HVAC.”
Haggerty says that when she stepped into the role, her main focus was on continuing to develop and grow the front end of the business and improve customer service at the local service level. By the time the company was impacted by COVID-19, she understood how it operates in a normal environment. OBE’s first step in addressing the pandemic was to transition the company operationally by ensuring its employees were healthy and safe. The company was considered an essential business and, as the pandemic began, work accelerated on healthcare projects. Haggerty implemented CDC guidelines to make sure OBE was operating safely.
“Then we focused on how to support our customers. In the beginning, we worked on creating the most touchless environment we could with our customers while still servicing them,” she says.
Haggerty explains that the company had to implement new approaches to its will call and delivery procedures while helping customers whose jobs were shut down.
“Once we were settled, we started thinking about what would happen in the market,” she says.
This involved being fluid in how the business handled each of its individual locations and their needs as the COVID-19 pandemic evolved. It was also important to support customers in the new digital environment, which accelerated the launch of new tools such as SystemSelect. This online tool gives designers and specifiers the ability to compare products’ performance and specifications easily.
On the product side, the company released its SecureOne shield for healthcare workers and glass partitions for commercial spaces.
“Many people are focusing on plexiglass but we feel that glass is a better long-term solution in terms of durability and sanitation,” says Haggerty. “We’ve worked with glaziers to help them understand how they can promote themselves in this space and create value for their local business in a way in which maybe they weren’t before.”
Haggerty also says OBE has been looking at market predictions for non-residential construction, anticipating how it may need to pivot toward remodel work and what that would look like.
“We want to make sure we have the right tools and products to support our customers in a different way and help them find opportunities,” she says.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on OBE, Haggerty says that many in the industry were doing contingency planning prior to the crisis in anticipation of a recession. She says COVID-19 has accelerated a lot of that work.
Her goals going forward are to continue to find ways to support her customers by building more digital capabilities and interfaces.
“As the situation has gotten calmer a lot of our sales team have wanted to go visit customers, but many of our customers have said they’d rather be supported virtually, at least for the time being. Similarly to us, they have gotten leaner in their own organizations and want to keep their own employees safe,” says Haggerty. “We’ve seen an accelerated focus on digital tools. Now we need to make sure we can be as agile and nimble in the market as possible to be able to support our customers going forward.”
Haggerty says that even with the challenges she’s faced due to the pandemic, she is thrilled to be a part of OBE and the glass industry.


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OMAHA, NEBRASKA, U.S. — If and when the transaction closes later this year, the combination of the operations of ConAgra Foods, Cargill and CHS into Ardent Mills will create the “go-to company in terms of innovation, customer service and efficiencies,” said Gary Rodkin, chief executive officer of ConAgra Foods, Inc. Rodkin, commenting during an April 3 conference call with financial analysts, also said the creation of Ardent should generate “substantial cost synergies.”
“Ardent Mills will have a broad footprint and network of facilities in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, including 44 flour mill locations, 3 bakery mix facilities and 1 specialty bakery,” Rodkin said. “We expect Ardent Mills to be accretive to our earnings over the long term, given the growth potentials and synergies, and we’re excited for the future of Ardent Mills.”
Rodkin said ConAgra believes the formation of Ardent Mills will contribute to long-term earnings growth potential, while “removing some volatility from our sales.”
The new milling company will operate as an independent joint venture of its three parent companies: Omaha-based ConAgra Foods; Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.-based Cargill and St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.-based CHS. ConAgra Foods and Cargill each will own a 44% stake in Ardent Mills, with CHS owning a 12% interest.
John Gehring, chief financial officer for ConAgra, said during the conference call that ConAgra will account for its ownership stake in Ardent as an equity method investment. He added the Ardent transaction is not expected to have a material impact on fiscal 2013 results.
“We are very excited about the transaction and its potential to create significant value over time as cost synergies are realized,” Gehring said. “It will be modestly dilutive to earnings per share initially, as interest costs and higher amortization will not be fully offset by the cost synergies realized at first. However, over time, we expect a significant level of value creation from combining the flour milling operation — from combining these flour milling operations driven by compelling cost synergies.”
He said ConAgra expects Ardent to be self-financed through cash flow from operations and its own bank debt and credit facility, with the structure and amount of the Ardent Mills debt financing to be determined during the pre-close period.
“We, along with Cargill and CHS, intend to receive cash distributions from Ardent Mills at closing,” he said. “Based on initial estimates, we expect to receive a distribution of approximately $400 million, and we currently expect to use those proceeds to accelerate our debt repayment plans related to the Ralcorp acquisition debt.”
Cargill and CHS have been partners in Horizon Milling LLC since the joint venture was formed in 2002, creating the nation’s largest flour milling company. Horizon operates 21 U.S. and Canadian flour mills with combined daily flour milling capacity of 321,000 cwts. The creation of Horizon more than 10 years ago was the last large merger involving a top three milling company until the Ardent announcement.
ConAgra, with 23 U.S. flour mills and 255,100 cwts in daily flour milling capacity, ranks as the No. 3 U.S. flour milling company, behind Horizon and ADM Milling Co.
Total daily wheat and durum flour capacity for Ardent Mills will be 576,100 cwts.
“All in all, we’re pleased with the very strong year that fiscal 2013 is shaping up to be,” Rodkin said. “In the third quarter, we achieved good profits for our base business, closed on a transformational deal, made significant investment in marketing and innovation, and we also set up our milling business for a great future as part of a focused joint venture.”
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Electric engines and biofuels may get the spotlight, but the auto industry is going green in other respects as well.
ARC Automotive, a Knoxville-based manufacturer that began developing air bag technology back in the 1970s, is introducing an air bag inflator component that promises to be safer and more environmentally friendly than existing devices. ARC supplies inflators to automotive suppliers that make air bag systems for car companies around the world.
ARC is introducing the product, called the EcoSafe Inflator, this week at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany.
Typically, air bag inflators use a combination of stored gasses and propellants to ignite them, or pyrotechnics, which generate hot air, to blow up the air bag upon impact. ARC’s technology uses a saltwater brine mixed with a heated gas and a smaller-than-usual pyrotechnic device to power the system.
“What we did is cut down on the amount of propellant as well as the charges themselves,” said Ali El-Haj, president of ARC Automotive during a telephone call from Germany, where he will attend the auto show today. “It is much cooler. It’s a vapor. It’s less toxic. It’s safer. … We have data to show that apple versus apple we do not generate as much particles in the air” as traditional air bag systems.
Ali said that he tasked ARC engineers about a year and a half ago to come up with a new design for the inflator that would be more environmentally friendly and reduce the cost of the product.
Because of the toxins and heat produced by the typical devices, companies have to add filters, which then adds to the propellant requirements for the system, all of which add cost, he said. The new system reduces the need for such barriers and shrinks the amount of propellant required.
“For our business, any cost reduction is significant,” he said, although he declined to disclose any specifics citing ongoing negotiations with clients.
ARC’s new more eco-friendly product reflects a broad trend in the auto industry to become more environmentally astute, Ali said.
“The mileage and the gas efficiency issue … is a small element, I believe,” he said. Auto makers and suppliers are feeling pressure to green their act in all respects, particularly when it comes to “what you do with the vehicle and the parts when it’s out of commission.”
The new inflator is only available for side air bag systems at present, although testing is currently under way for driver and passenger front air bag systems. He said the new product should be included in new cars rolling off the line “within the next year.”
“We’ve done a lot of benchmark testing, a lot of qualification testing. Now all our customers are looking at it from a module perspective,” he said. “We’re getting also very positive feedback. Now it’s just a matter of when we’re going to get it into production.”
ARC has about 300 employees at its Knoxville plant and approximately 1,200 total workers, spread out among its manufacturing sites here and in Mexico and China. The company is part of Sequa Corp., owned by the Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C., private equity firm.
Larisa Brass is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel who covers green issues in business on her blog, BizPlanet.wordpress.com. She may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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I walked up to the West Ealing shopping centre about about 6.45am this morning to see rubbish and glass strewn everywhere. The main targets seem to have been banks and shops with goods that were deemed worth looting and that’s what it was – looting.
I couldn’t count the number of shops with smashed windows and one of my favourite shops, run by one of the nicest men in our community, Seba Electronics had had its shutter ripped down so the looters could get in and steal the goods.
I just hope that the looting isn’t the final straw that finishes off any of our local businesses. Times are more than tough enough without looting by people who don’t care about our neighbourhood or anyone’s else’s neighbourhood.


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Seattle - February 8, 2000- Attorney General Christine Gregoire today announced that three Florida travel companies who used "lifestyles of the rich and famous" spokesperson Robin Leach, have settled two lawsuits filed against them by agreeing to pay consumers refunds for "dream vacations."
"Those ‘dream vacations’ turned out to be disappointing nightmares," said Gregoire. "These travel companies used deceptive sales tactics and Robin Leach’s celebrity status to deliver false promises of a luxurious vacation that did not exist."
Robin Leach, who was the company pitchman for two of the three companies, is a defendant in one of the lawsuits but has not yet settled with the state of Washington.
The agreements were reached with Washington and sixteen other states, including the District of Columbia after almost a year of negotiations. The lawsuits alleged that Leach, the Florida travel companies and their owners, James Verillo and Daniel Lambert, Vance L. Vogel, and James M. Herron, Sr. misled consumers into believing they had won or were entitled to a dream vacation.
Washington consumers received certificates featuring Leach’s picture and the message: "Robin Leach says Pack Your Bags!" suggesting they had won or were entitled to a luxury Florida vacation and bonus cruise to the Bahamas. Those who purchased the trip received a video of Leach promising them a "world class" vacation and "an experience you’ll never forget."
"An experience like this is something people might like to forget," said Gregoire. "Not only were their ‘luxury’ accommodations substandard, but, in order to get them, some consumers had to sit through up to five grueling hours of ‘hard-sell’ timeshare presentations."
Consumers discovered they had won nothing more than an opportunity to pay as much as $1,000 for a seven-day trip. The bonus three-day "Bahamas Cruise" consumers received from National Travel Services was actually a one-day ferry ride that included bingo games as the ‘Las Vegas entertainment."
In the agreements, consumers who purchased FTN, NTS, or Ramada Plaza Resorts packages but did not take the trip have 60 days to request a full refund. And, for the first time in a settlement of this kind, those who actually took the trips that these three companies sold, are entitled to $200 back, if they file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, the Better Business Bureau or other government consumer protection agency. These consumers have until March 8, 2000 to request the $200 refund.
The three companies and their owners have admitted no wrongdoing, but agreed to pay the Attorney General’s office $40,000 in legal costs and fees, and permanently refrain from practices that violate the Washington Consumer Protection Act and the Sellers of Travel Act, and the Promotional Advertising of Prizes Act.
For information on how to request refunds, consumers should contact the Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-551-4636, or, for the hearing impaired 1-800-833-6384.


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A national top-10 list of handgun dealers whose weapons are most likely to turn up at New York City crime scenes has been made public for the first time and includes a local retail shop.
John Jovino Co., on Center Market Place in downtown Manhattan, sold 102 guns that turned up in criminal investigations around the city between 1996 and 2000. That’s a staggering figure considering 86 percent of the country’s gun retailers never have a weapon linked to a crime by law enforcement.
But an expert testifying for the NAACP in Brooklyn federal court said the striking thing about the statistics is not how many crime guns were sold by dealers in New York – but how few.
The NAACP released the new information, which it subpoenaed from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, as part of its legal battle to hold gun manufacturers responsible for keeping weapons out of the black market.
The Manhattan shop’s owner Anthony Imperato, 45, called the statistics “misleading,” emphasizing that the handguns are not necessarily sold directly to criminals.
“They could end up in the wrong hands, lost or stolen,” said Imperato, whose shop has been open for more than 90 years.
“Also, they could have been used over the past year, but it doesn’t mean they were sold in the last year.”
John Jovino ranks third among dealers that sold the highest number of guns to turn up at crime scenes in the city during the five-year period, after two Virginia retailers – Virginia Police Equipment, which sold 152 guns that were subjected to traces, and R and B Guns, which sold 121.
Howard Andrews, a professor at Columbia University, testified that 85 percent of the handguns found at crime scenes in New York come from out of state. Nationwide, an average of 33 percent of guns found at local crime scenes come from out of state.