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...visitors and residents have an opportunity to participate in five days of events and entertainment created by the city’s vibrant LGBT population.
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) April 21, 2011
After a nearly ten-year hiatus, lesbian and gay community organizers have revived Razzle Dazzle Dallas to celebrate National Pride Month in June with a five-day festival June 1 -5, 2011. To commemorate this year’s celebration, the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (Dallas CVB) has launched an online sweepstakes.
The Razzle Dazzle Sweepstakes provides one lucky winner and their guest with accommodations for three nights (June 2-4) at the historic Warwick Melrose Hotel, VIP access to all Razzle Dazzle Dallas events, exclusive gift bags and more.
“June is an exciting month to visit Dallas,” said Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the Dallas CVB. “We welcome the return of Razzle Dazzle Dallas, as both visitors and residents have an opportunity to participate in five days of events and entertainment created by the city’s vibrant LGBT population—the nation’s sixth largest. While they’re here, our VIP guests will also see Dallas’ world class arts, shopping, dining and entertainment.”
Razzle Dazzle Dallas is a five-day event that combines charity events with entertainment and shopping opportunities that celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride. The main event for Razzle Dazzle Dallas is the free Cedar Springs Street Festival on Saturday, June 4, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. The festival will feature three entertainment stages, vendor booths with art and food, area retail stores and more.
Other events throughout the week include a wine stroll and pub crawl, the annual fundraiser MetroBall, sidewalk sale and street fairs and tea dances. Live entertainment throughout the weekend includes performances by Deborah Cox, Cazwell, Billy Halliday, The Bright Band and more.
For a complete entertainment listing and schedule of events for Razzle Dazzle Dallas, please visit http://www.razzledazzledallas.org.
Entries for the Razzle Dazzle Sweepstakes will be accepted online through noon on May 13, 2011, and a winner will be announced shortly thereafter. The sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the U.S. at least 21 years of age or older at the time of entry. For official rules and to enter, please visit http://www.glbtdallas.com.
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Miley Cyrus has always gone BIG when it comes to the Met Gala—remember her spiked hair in 2013? Yeah—so last night when she teased that she'd be attending this year's event, we knew we could expect something mayjah. And, um, yeah—she did not disappoint.
Miley arrived in a studded turtleneck dress, which may sound conservative, but is definitely not, thanks to two huge cutouts in the middle of it. There are two additional cutouts along the shoulders, but, TBH, they get lost alongside their bigger counterparts.
One thing that was definitely not lost, though? Um, A NEW HAIR COLOR. While Miley showed off her newly dyed armpit hair last week, she saved her green (? Is that the color? INTERNET, GIVE ME BETTER PICS!!!!) hair reveal for the Met Gala. While the color change could just be for the evening, it's an exciting change that 100% complements her ear cuff.

domain: news


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THE number of people talking absolute shit has risen for the tenth year in a row and is now at its highest since records began.
PRIME minister Gordon Brown yesterday unveiled the government's annual list of Utterly Terrifying Things.
THE Pope is being urged to confer sainthood on the Scottish biscuit maker who first had the idea of putting chocolate on a HobNob.
PEOPLE with strong religious beliefs are more likely to smile at you like some kind of unhinged, homicidal maniac, according to a new study.
TYPICAL household goods including monocle grease and penny farthing oil have been removed from the basket of items used to measure inflation.
MILLIONS of people across Britain last night vowed to give up food instead of alcohol, after the government forced them to choose.
SCHOOL leavers will be forced to swear allegiance to some stinking old cow even though they have never even met her or nothing.
PUBLIC lavatories across Britain are to replaced with three bedroom cottages in a bid to make furtive cock action safer and more comfortable.
BRITAIN'S controversial 24-hour violence laws have been an unqualified success, the government said last night.


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Eugene Craig III, a Maryland Republican, filed Monday with the FEC for an organization called "Ready for Kanye."» Read More
Starbucks just advanced the ball on tuition reimbursement. Is there a revolution brewing in Corporate America?
GM CEO Mary Barra is returning to Capitol Hill to face questioning about whether the automaker has a grip on the safety crisis.
Months after Apple announced its automotive foray with CarPlay, Google is set to announce its major car announcement this month.
US Agriculture Secretary is confident an approved vaccine would help fight a deadly virus that has killed millions of pigs.
Iraq has asked the U.S. to stage air attacks on Sunni Muslim insurgents, according to a top American general.
The New Jersey Assembly overwhelmingly passed a law Monday that would allow Tesla to sell its vehicles directly to the public. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
A distinct correlation exists between walkability and real estate values. See which cities are the most walkable.
The U.S. current account deficit increased to its widest point in 1-1/2 years in the first quarter as exports slumped.
The head of Iraq's South Oil Company also insists that current developments have not affected and will not affect oil operations in the south.
Electric vehicles are a tiny fraction of the global auto market, but Morgan Stanley already thinks Tesla may be the world’s most important car maker.
The Federal Reserve should be a lot more concerned about inflation, two economists tell CNBC ahead of the central bank's policy statement due out Wednesday afternoon.
FedEx's profit more than doubled from the same quarter last year, when it recorded heavy charges related to cost cutting and restructuring.
Investors gravitate toward RIAs, who have shifted wealth management from sales to planning and from product commissions to fiduciary fees.
Want a snapshot of the private start-ups revolutionizing the business landscape? These 50 innovators may be tomorrow's Wall St. high-fliers.
Demand is up for sand used in fracking, which blasts it into wells to crack rock and release oil and natural gas.
E-commerce start-ups like Warby Parker are innovating and thriving, beating Goliaths like Amazon and eBay. How are they getting their edge?
A new report says thieves routinely sell stolen credit card numbers and other personal information via videos on YouTube, Re/code reported.
The biggest pickup in core consumer inflation in three years adds fuel to speculation that it will move faster to raise rates.
GE chief executive will unveil an improved offer for the energy arm of Alstom on Thursday, according to sources.
Because of low inventory in many markets, buyers will need to be strategic in how they present their offers.
Get the best of CNBC in your inbox
Total spend in the 2016 presidential race could hit $10 billion due to a rise in Silicon Valley contributions, Recode reports.
'When I travel I don't pack clothes. I only pack Benjamins,' boxing champ Floyd "Money" Mayweather said on Monday.
Markus Persson bemoaned the loneliness, isolation and lack of motivation that large wealth can create.
The "Fast Money" traders give you 4 trades in tech and retail.
Mad Money Host Jim Cramer speaks to the CEO of Cheniere Energy, who expects the price of black gold to head much higher in the medium-term.
Mad Money host Jim Cramer is putting the bull and bear views of Intrexon in a steel cage death match.


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Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
ePHOTOzine brings you a daily round up of all the latest photography news including camera news, exhibitions, events, special offers, industry news, digital photography news, announcements and launches.
Kenro have announced the UK release of two new Tokina lenses, the AT-X 165 PRO DX and the AT-X 535 PRO DX, with immediate availability.
New wide-angle zoom lens design for digital SLR users
Sigma Corporation’s new APO 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens now available.
Tamron have unveiled the AF28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR DI VC LD Aspherical (IF) Macro equipped with proprietary vibration compensation mechanism.
At 28mm focal length this lens has a fast F2.8 maximum aperture. The tiny weight of 245g/8.6oz and length of 6cm/2.4in makes this very compact optic.
HTC has announced a new smartphone with a camera designed for optimum image quality with an UltraPixel sensor.
Nikon today introduces Nikon 1, a revolutionary digital camera system built from scratch to offer still image and movie recording without compromise.
Following Jessops' plans to axe 81 of its shops as announced last Thursday, the photographic retail giant have unveiled exactly which stores it plans to close down.
Sony introduce a series of small cameras which they say will give a 'big performance'.
A clever photo of a family inside small boxes has helped a Nottingham photographer pick up his first national award.
Lee Filters holder for Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens
Corel add 75 new features to the latest version of their PaintShop Pro software.
Red Digital Cinema turn their attentions to the photography market.
For every cartridge recycled, the Health Matters Charity consortium will receive 1.00. However not only will these 4 worthwhile charities benefit, it will also help the environment.
You can now get a Vistaprint wall calendar for just £7.99!
Have fun and free yourself with in-camera art filters and multiple exposures.
Canon takes you closer to the detail with the wide-angle super zoom PowerShot SX20 IS.
Samsung have announced the UK availability of the NX300 and partnership with Usain Bolt.
Take a look at Tim Flach's interview with EIZO where he talks about his work and kit choices.
Nikon is pleased to sponsor the event, which will be held at Proud Galleries, Camden.
Sigma have announced the price of the DP2x, a compact digital camera with an APS-C size, 14MP image sensor.
Hähnel Industries has expanded their range of accessories with the ProCube charger.
The Master Photographers Association has launched an under 18s category for its Jubilee competition.
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Rockline Expands With Purchase Of Russellville, Ark., Facility
Rockline Industries Inc. — a Sheboygan, Wis.-based manufacturer of wipes and coffee filters — has acquired an approximately 240,000-square-foot facility on a 30-acre site in Russellville, Ark., as part of its planned expansion in response to contract manufacturing growth and increased consumer demand for private-label products.
“Rockline’s purchase of the Russellville site will help our company better serve the needs of our customers and accommodate our company’s rapid growth in contract manufacturing and private label products,” said Nick Santoleri, vice president of operations, Rockline Industries.
Rockline’s U.S. operations include four manufacturing facilities — located in Springdale, Ark., Blue Mountain Lake, Ark., Sheboygan, Wis., and Montville, N.J. It also operates facilities in the United Kingdom and China.
The company also recently opened an 18,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Innovation and Technical Center next to its corporate headquarter. The center includes pilot line converting equipment and laboratories equipped with microbiological and analytical chemistry capabilities. Activities include wet wipe innovation and development of products, packaging and test methods.
April 15, 2014


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German stationery expo Insights-X opens its doors today, 4 October, with expanded workshops and partnerships.
Now in its fourth year, Insights-X is running at Nuremberg’s Exhibition Centre until 6 October. The show covers the stationery, office supplies and hobby/craft sectors, with 311 exhibitors from 39 countries displaying their latest products to the trade.
The show has expanded its workshops and networking offer in the InsightsArena in Hall 3, where it is hosting an extensive programme of workshops. The Atelier is inviting visitors to test out products for themselves, while the PartnerLounge provides space for networking and for buyer groups to hold meetings.
Marketing director Christian Ulrich commented on this year’s PartnerLounge, a new addition in 2017: “We’re delighted that industry support for our event is growing and that our partner total has climbed from 14 to 19.” The newcomers include BOSS (UK) as well as AIPB, EBEN and UFIPA (France), KONPA (Denmark) and WIMO (India).
Insights-X exhibitors present their offer in six product groups: “Artistic and Creative”; “Stationery and Gift Articles”; “Bags and Accessories”; “Paper and Filing”; “Desktop” and “Writing Utensils and Equipment.”
The show includes a NewcomerArea in Hall 3 to showcase start-ups, with 13 companies from Germany, Korea, the Netherlands and Austria.
Trade visitors have the option to use the show’s new Voucher Booklet, which contains 51 discounts and freebies which can be redeemed at participating exhibitor stands.


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Telstra customers in Sydney and surrounding areas complain of home internet outages
TELSTRA customers in Sydney and surrounding areas are reporting home internet outages this morning.
TELSTRA customers in New South Wales are reporting home internet outages this morning.
There has been a spike in complaints from about 7am, with a majority of complaints coming from Sydney and surrounding areas with both NBN and ADSL users complaining of issues.
At the time of writing website Aussie Outages which tracks service interruptions and outages has received more than 385 complaints from Telstra customers. Meanwhile plenty of others have taken to social media in a bid to ask Telstra what’s going on.
A number of customers are claiming it’s a DNS (Domain Name System) issue with some suggesting that Telstra customers could change their DNS to 18.104.22.168 to use Google’s free alternative DNS system until the problem is fixed.
While Telstra’s social media customer service agents are busily responding to complaints, the telco has not officially addressed the technical issues online.
“Some customers in New South Wales may be experiencing an issue connecting to their Broadband and NBN services,” a Telstra spokesperson told news.com.au.
“We are working to fix this ASAP and apologise for any inconvenience.”
Another day, another @Telstra outage. Internet been down since early morning. I can not work from home. Inner west Sydney.â Luke A Sukkar (@luke_sukkar) August 29, 2017
@Telstra Internet outage in Wollongong area this morningâ Erryn Schettino (@ErrynRS) August 29, 2017
I'm also having inssues in Pyrmont and someone else reported North Sydney. Forget the Telstra outage page or online chat funciton - useless.â KnowYourCrypto (@knowyourcrypto) August 29, 2017
@Telstra Yo we've got no internet again. Would just like to see what's wrongâ Slinsky (@BalinK) August 29, 2017
@Telstra I've just been told after waiting/being on the phone for over an hour to yr tech that ALL of NSW has an ADSL outage. Is that true?â Deb Carr (@SydneyChicBlog) August 29, 2017
No internet. No work phones. Again. Ffs @telstra you're gonna put us out of business. Absolutely the worst.â Andrew Eddy (@AEddy6087) August 29, 2017
No internet at postcode 2011 and 20 min wait for cust service not a good start to the day @telstraâ Deb Carr (@SydneyChicBlog) August 29, 2017
@Telstra is there an outage in Dunlop, ACT? Internet seems to be dead for no reason. I am a freelancer, my work depends on Internet access.â DrÃ¸mmeren (@PlanetAkka) August 29, 2017


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The NFL's first Black Friday game on Amazon Prime is going to be free for everyone, even non-Amazon Prime subscribers.
Pregame coverage of the shopping holiday game will start at 3 p.m. ET on Nov. 24. Fans will have to wait until the league's schedule is released in May to learn which teams will be playing. In the meantime, the streaming service announced Charissa Thompson will host the pregame show with Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Richard Sherman, Andrew Whitworth, Taylor Rooks and Michael Smith. During the action, Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung will call the game.
"It's such an unusual day because so many people have it off work. So it's really a unique opportunity to expose all fans to our broadcast," Prime Video vice president Jay Marine said.
Amazon Prime started streaming "Thursday Night Football" for the first time in 2022 as part of an 11-year agreement and will utilize the holiday viewership as on opportunity to promote the new product. An added bonus, the e-commerce platform will likely promote its many services and products ahead of Cyber Monday.
With the additional game, Prime Video will host a total of 16 regular-season games for the 2023 season from Weeks 2-17. Prime will also stream a preseason game.
Nielsen's national TV ratings measured Prime Video's 2022 “Thursday Night Football” viewership. Based on only Nielsen's research, the 15-game package averaged averaged 9.58 million viewers. The games drew an average of 11.3 million viewers when the Nielsen data is combined with Amazon’s internal first-party metrics.
The most viewers tuned in for Week 2, the streaming service's football debut. The game saw 13 million (Nielsen) or 15.3 million (Nielsen + Amazon) watch the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24. The lowest TNF viewership was 6.8 million/9 million for the Panthers' victory over the Falcons, 25-15, on Nov. 10.


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In the latest Home Index Survey, 43 percent of move-up buyers indicated they are planning to purchase a new home within the next five years. Â Additionally, showing further confidence in the housing market recovery, 76 percent believe they can sell their current home within the next two years for a price that would allow them to move to a new home.Â The survey polled adults who have owned a home for at least two years, have children under the age of 18, and have an income of more thanÂ $50,000.
"One of the most intriguing findings from this survey is the optimism and the willingness of homeowners to 'pull the trigger' on buying a new home, even if they may not have an immediate need to move," saidÂ Deborah Wahl, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for PulteGroup, Inc. Â "The move-up buyer represents a significant opportunity for Pulte Homes. Â It's critical we continue to understand this buyer and the economic and life-stage factors that spur them to purchase a new home."
While a change in life stage, such as the birth of a new baby or the need to downsize, remains a common trigger for purchasing a new home, the PGHI survey showed that financial and economic indicators are more likely to spur buyers to move up the timeline to purchase a new home.
Other factors that would make homeowners move up their timeline include:
- Selling a home at a higher price point (38 percent)
- Relocating for a job (24 percent)
- Job promotion or new job (17 percent)
- New baby and/or family members moving in (11 percent)
Millennials Responding to Favorable Housing Market Faster than Other Age Groups
According to Wahl, the actions of the millennial buyer could further propel housing demand. Â Of the three largest consumer segmentsÂ -- millennials (ages 18-34), GenÂ X (ages 35-54) and baby boomers (55+)Â -- millennials are the generation taking action and responding to the housing and financial markets faster than other age groups.
According to this survey, of the millennials who already own a home, 38 percent are planning to purchase a new home within the next two years. Â This increases to 58 percent within the next five years.
Due to the sheer size and influence of this segment of buyers, PulteGroup is keeping a pulse on millennials' sentiment toward homeownership. Â Research conducted earlier this year revealed that millennial renters are ready to purchase their first home. Â More than half (54 percent) of millennial renters surveyed said their intention to buy a home has somewhat or significantly increased in the past year.


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The small village of Canning is about to get a whole lot bigger in profile, if not in size. Award-winning custom car artist Chad Hiltz is the star of Bad Chad Customs, which debuted to potentially millions of viewers on Tuesday, Jan. 1, on the Discovery Channel in the United States and shown in other countries around the world.
The show documents Hiltz’s unique, resourceful style of creating legendary, low-budget custom cars using ordinary materials and scrap metal.
“Why would I need to buy welding wire when I can use a coat hanger?” he says in one of the promotions for the show.
A Canadian airdate for the show has yet to be set, but Hiltz’s shop manager and fiancee, Jolene MacIntyre, said she doesn’t expect for it to be too far behind because of the speed everything has come together. She hasn’t even had time to plan their wedding.
“The whole journey has been quite a ride,” she told the Valley Harvester in the couple’s first official Canadian interview for the show. “We flew into Los Angeles to meet our producers, then the next thing we know we’re sitting down face to face with the execs from Discovery in a big boardroom.”
The couple have spent time in Los Angeles and touring car museums in California around their meeting, filming and promotion schedule, which included announcing the show at SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), a trade show for automotive restoration, custom builds and accessories that’s held annually in Las Vegas. “It’s only now that we’re able to sit back and reflect on it all,” she said.
Most of the filming for the show took place last spring and summer in Hiltz’s Green Goblin Customs garage located on Hwy. 358, but there are other locations around Nova Scotia that will also be highlighted as builds are unveiled for local clients. In total, they filmed full time for six consecutive months that resulted in six one-hour episodes for the global network. Hiltz is no longer able to monetize on the Green Goblin name because of licensing issues, so the shop is in the process of rebranding to Hiltz Auto Co.
Cameras followed their team, which includes Hiltz’s son, Colton Hiltz, as an apprentice, longtime friend and builder Aaron Rand and mechanic Alex Gould, in and out of the shop as they worked to create one-of-a-kind creations under crazy deadlines.
“Chad has never done a build in a month before and we finished six,” said MacIntyre. “(His) vision and ingenuity are limitless. I’m really excited for our audience to see the process our team goes through from start to finish.”
The show is produced by the American division of Sky Ltd.’s Love Productions, which is appropriate considering love is basically how the couple got here. Hiltz and MacIntyre have been together for about three years, after he met her when she was a waitress at West Side Charlie’s in New Minas and asked her to put up a poster for the Rockabilly Weekend.
As a sign of affection, Hiltz began to build his sweetheart a ride modelled after the French luxury Bugatti and MacIntyre posted weekly videos of its progress on social media. About a year later, they were contacted by the production company.
“Since signing with Love, we have had 15 other U.S.-based production companies reach out from stumbling across our videos,” said MacIntyre, who studied kinesiology and got her business degree from Saint Mary’s University, where she also played varsity soccer.
It’s not a bad way to start the new year for a guy who got fired from every job he did previous to building his shop named after a Marvel character in 2007 and hosting almost 10 years of the Rockabilly Weekend every August.
Canning’s Green Goblin Customs creator looking forward to Rockabilly Weekend
Canning custom car builder wins international acclaim for the Green Goblin
“I thought I better do something I was good at because what I was doing wasn’t stimulating my old pumpkin. You know what I mean? When I’m working on cars, that’s my medicine,” he said.
The antique car show will also be featured in the series, so book your parking spot on the side of the highway early next August.
The couple hope to expand by opening up a themed diner, merchandise shop and an auto “drive of fame” featuring displays of some of his custom builds. “There’s never a day that goes by that we aren’t dreaming of the future,” said MacIntyre. “When we started posting videos on social media, we dreamed this.”
“It does really test who you are and what you’re made of, believe me,” said Hiltz. “I’ve always said, ‘It’s my dream and I will make it as big as I want to.’ But now, sometimes my dreams scare me and get me all funny in the stomach, but then I ask myself what else would I be doing? If I can become famous building cars in my garage, the world is endless for everybody else.”


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Fed Minutes Could Lift the Dow
Pessimism about the upcoming earnings season has sunk the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI) over the past four days as a number of companies send foreboding signals that their second-quarter earnings will disappoint. MAKO Surgical (NAS: MAKO) and Cummins (NYS: CMI) were the newest additions to that list yesterday, and their stocks fell 41% and 9%, respectively.
However, Dow futures are headed up 0.2% in early morning trading today, with the Federal Open Market Committee Minutes due out at 2 p.m. EDT. Investors are looking for clues into future interest rate adjustments and awaiting the central bank's most recent observations on the economy.
Markets in Asia and Europe were mixed in overnight trading. Foreign investors seem equally fearful of earnings season, as indexes abroad have fallen in recent days as well. OPEC also projected that worldwide oil demand growth would slow in 2013, in part because of the European debt crisis, the struggling U.S. economy, and slowing growth in emerging markets.
Apple (NAS: AAPL) presented investors with some good news ahead of its earnings report, saying the new iPad should go on sale in China on July 20 with a price tag of $499. The tech giant had to pay $60 million to settle a name dispute with a Chinese company before proceeding with the rollout. Rival Google (NAS: GOOG) , meanwhile, agreed to pay a $22.5 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission for tinkering with the privacy settings on mobile devices running Apple's Safari web browser. The violation allowed Google to track the online history of millions of iPhone and iPad users and broke a law prohibiting the search company from misleading customers about its privacy practices.
In addition to the Fed minutes due out this afternoon, the market is also waiting on the May wholesale inventories report at 10 a.m. EDT. Analysts expect an increase of 0.3% following April's gain of 0.6%. While this figure generally doesn't affect markets, an unexpected jump could bode well for mega-retailers such as Wal-Mart as a sign that retail spending is increasing. The International Trade report released earlier this morning showed a trade deficit in May of $48.7 billion, in line with expectations of $48.9 billion and an improvement from $50.1 billion in April.
While earnings season may have you rattled, keep in mind that over the long haul, one quarter is generally meaningless. Prepare yourself with a look at our experts' picks for the best dividend stocks on the Dow. These aren't the highest yielders, but they have the product diversity, brand recognition, and intangibles that will make them strong investments well into your retirement. Get your free copy of our new report, "The 3 Dow Stocks Dividend Investors Need," now. All you have to do is click right here.
At the time this
article was published Fool contributorJeremy Bowmanowns shares of Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of MAKO Surgical, Google, and Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of MAKO Surgical, Google, Cummins, and Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have also recommended creating bull call spread positions in Apple and Wal-Mart Stores. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Flint: Ford Plans No Home Runs by Jerry Flint (9/1/2003)
Have you seen the product plans? A bunch of singles, maybe some doubles.
I have just read the worst advice for automakers. It comes from the chief executive of the world’s largest automaker. Unfortunately, he and his earlier General Motors chief executives have been following this advice, and it has cost GM and its shareholders many many billions of dollars.
I was reading my Automotive News and this is what I saw in the September 15 issue:
Wagoner: European Consolidation Needed to Sustain Profits Frankfurt—The European auto industry must consolidate because too many companies are splitting the European new-car market to achieve sustainable profitability, says General Motors Chairman Rick Wagoner.
“You cannot have six or seven manufacturers each with 8 to 10 percent of the market and make money,” Wagoner said in an interview at the Frankfurt auto show. ”I expect that will change.”
The story went on to say that the Europeans are going about their business in the wrong way. Instead of focusing on a limited number of platforms to achieve economies of scale and boost profits, they are adding platforms and getting more models per platform and even multiple powertrain families.
“We’re all spending more to do more models,” Wagoner said. All that development means the Euros won’t able to make good steady profits.
“There must be further consolidation,” he said.
Rick is a fine fellow and I’m not dumping on him. But he should really think this out.
Let’s see. Name three really successful auto companies. Toyota, Honda, BMW. One thing about these auto companies is that they don’t go around consolidating, buying, merging, or acquiring others as Rick suggests.
Now let’s look at some of those consolidators, like General Motors, which bought Saab, and a fifth of Fiat, control of Isuzu (since sold off a lot) and pieces of Daewoo, plus chunks of Suzuki and Subaru (forget about Lotus, which is long gone), to the tune of billions in losses. In the last quarter GM, the big consolidator, made its money off house mortgages.
Likewise, Ford bought Volvo, Jaguar, and control of Mazda and Land Rover. Again, all but Volvo have spent lots of time in the red, drained Ford money and talent — and if there’s been a reward, go find it. Ford stock is running about $11.
DaimlerChrysler stole Chrysler and bought control of Mitsubishi, and the losses are eating away the profits of Mercedes.
Better off alone
Frankly, anyone would have been much better to have bought the stock of Porsche, the absolute unconsolidator, than GM, Ford or DaimlerChrysler, the folks who believe in global acquistions.
As far as poor suffering Europe goes, every big automaker is in the black except GM, Ford and GM’s partner, Fiat.
Hint: Maybe the others know how to build a variety of popular cars without going broke. Now GM’s Opel, the heart of GM Europe, hired a chief executive from BMW, as I recall, rather than sending over anyone from Detroit. Good idea.
And GM, I hear, is putting out the word that won’t consolidate with Fiat come hell or high water and despite a contract that would call for just that consolidation if Fiat asked for it. Smart move on GM’s part. But then how can the GM CEO call for consolidation when he seems to have had enough?
Could it be a plot to ruin the competition by getting them to merge? No, I think people really believe that less competition is better.
Rick might ask his vice-chairman, Robert Lutz, about such mergers. I don’t want to get Bob in trouble but he has made the case more than once that such mergers, consolidations, joinings of auto companies, rarely work.
But many insist — not just Rick Wagoner — that in a few years, 2010 or 2020, there will be just five automakers or eight automakers, some small number.
My prediction is that there will be more automakers in the future than today. I assume that new companies will arise from China and Russia and India in the future. I assume that the world’s largest automaker hasn’t even been created yet. You want to say who will be the biggest automaker in 1000 years, in 3003?
Merging to death
Just two more things:
A few years ago Detroit automakers were telling their suppliers to merge, grow bigger, make more things. The carmakers were tired of dealing with so many companies. Let’s have a few big ones, they said. That advice was ruinous for the parts makers who followed it. They ran up big debts just when Detroit was chopping their prices.
Now there have been a few positive consolidations that seem to be working. Volkswagen bought Skoda in Czechoslovakia and SEAT in Spain. After many problems, particularly in Spain, they seem to be working. The pair make VW cars under their old names to sell in their turf.
And Renault took a controlling interest in a sick Nissan and really saved the Japanese company. But that was due to the genius of one man from Renault who took charge of Nissan and loosened enormous creative energy there.
On the whole, they haven’t worked. Look at the BMW acquisition of British Rover. A disaster. BMW paid people to take Rover back and now BMW is doing fine. There also are many who question VW’s consolidation of Bentley and Lamborghini. In fact, the brands or factories haven’t vanished. There are new factories and more money is being spent on the brands by VW than ever.
Consolidation is no magic bullet. That’s been proven.
Like I always say, “Ils n’ont rien appris, ni rien oublié.”
They have learned nothing, and forgotten nothing.


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Former New York Superintendent of Financial Services Ben Lawsky has reportedly joined the board of directors of California-based startup Ripple.
Lawsky, who lead the regulatory framework BitLicense at his previous office, is reported to help Riddle improve its payment platform and XRP, which is the company’s in-house digital asset.
“The company and its leadership are passionate about making our global financial system more efficient, more secure and more fair,” he said in a press release.
The former regulator is best known as the architect of the BitLicense framework, which is famous for the regulatory schemes that went controversial back in 2013 and 2014. Since then, legal efforts aimed to revoke BitLicense never ceased.
Recently, the new board of directors member spoke at the Money2020 Las Vegas conference about potential regulatory measures for Initial Coin Offerings. He surmises that the potential for fraudulent activity could cause “a backlash against the entire bitcoin and crypto ecosystem.”


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The retail industry in the United Kingdom is presently undergoing a significant transformation, wherein traditional brick-and-mortar stores are facing a crucial turningpoint.Ithasbecomeevidentthattheymustskillfullynavigatetheshifting tides of consumer behavior and technological advancements.
Grozeo, an all-in-one commerce platform based in London, is poised to launch its servicestosupporttheretailsectorintheUnitedKingdom.ThevisionaryCEO,Mr. Khaja Hussain, has provided some insight into the promising future for retail business owners.
According to him, eCommerce present saplethora of opportunities for retailers. It facilitates the expansion of their reach and the provision of personalized product recommendations, thereby enabling businesses to establish a more profound connection with their customers.
Throughtheutilizationofdataanalytics,retailerscanacquirevaluableinsightsinto consumer preferences and behaviors, which in turn empowers them to curate offeringsthataremorealignedwiththeneedsanddesiresoftheirtargetaudience.
- Convenient shopping experiences
- 24*7 availability
- Wide product range
- Global reach
- Hassle-free payment options
- Reduced environmental impact
- Better revenue and profits
Navigating the Transition
The shift from traditional brick-and-mortar retail to electronic commerce undoubtedly presentsaformidablechallenge.However,italsorepresentsauniqueopportunityfor retailers to revitalise their operations. To this end, retailers should consider investing in robust e-commerce platforms that provide limitless potential.
Furthermore, a strong virtual existence ought to be accompanied by efficacious promotional tactics, leveraging the potential of social media, partnerships with influencers, and content marketing to stimulate traffic and interact with clientele. Establishing reliability and authenticity in the online realm is of utmost importance, andmerchantsmustgiveprecedencetotransparentcommunicationandexceptional customer service.
The forthcoming prospects of the UK retail industry are contingent upon the seamlessamalgamationofe-commerceintotheretailbusiness.Thistransformation is not merely a means of survival, but rather an occasion to redefine our approach towards customer engagement and cater to their ever-changing requirements. The potential benefits that this integration presents are boundless!


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The price war between bite-sized tablets may be about to heat up. Amazon has already brought its vanilla Kindle Fire tablet from $199 down to $159, and now, word has it Google is prepping a new version of its Nexus 7 slate that will cost only $99.
That's what the guys at DigiTimes are saying, anyway. They quote nebulous "industry sources" who also claim the $99 Nexus 7 tablet will be joined by a higher-priced variant bearing the same $199 price tag as the existing Nexus 7. Both of these replacements will reportedly be thinner than the current model—but by how much, DigiTimes doesn't say.
The site does, however, give us a rough timetable for the launch: "by the end of 2012." Google could be bracing for the arrival of Apple's iPad Mini, which news sources are expecting in October. If it weren't for the almighty Apple, I doubt Google would consider refreshing the Nexus 7 less than six months into its lifetime. (But then again, this is still only a rumor—one that Asus, the maker of the current Nexus 7, has reportedly denied.)
A $99 Jelly Bean tablet with a 7-inch screen would no doubt find its way under many Christmas trees this holiday season, though—and maybe that's what Google is banking on.
|ROG Strix X299-XE Gaming motherboard is rather groovy||3|
|Miniature Golf Day Shortbread||1|
|GeForce 385.69 drivers are Game Ready for a ton of titles||1|
|Thursday deals: big external drives, a sweet case, and more||3|
|Google acqui-hires 2,000 HTC employees for $1.1 billion||19|
|Some of AMD's next chips will arrive on GloFo's new 12LP process||31|
|The Tech Report System Guide: September 2017 edition||56|
|Intel shows off 10-nm Cannon Lake wafer and talks process tech||26|
|AOC Agon AG322QCX offers 32" of gaming goodness on the cheap||24|


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FACTBOX: Which Global Brands Do Consumers Buy Most?
Description:How many brands do people choose more than a billion times a year? A new survey says 13 -- some surprising and some less so. Coca-cola, Colgate & NescafÃ© top the list -- but Lifebuoy, Maggi and Lux are more unlikely suspects.


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MakeUp in NewYork closed on September 10th, and organizers say it was a success despite the venue.
Beauty Packaging celebrates its 20th anniversary this month, so we asked a esteemed industry experts for their thoughts.
Opportunities in at-home hair color kits can boost sales.
Very—especially when it comes to Asia Pacific and Middle East regions
L'Oreal has announced its Editor-in-Gloss contest - to choose its first-ever social media guest editor.
Enroll before September 12, and attend at no cost.
Ariana Grande launched a new fragrance, in a light pink vintage-inspired faceted bottle.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month begins today.
Sign up now to receive the free weekly newsletter, and more!


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14 Movies Now Streaming Early, From 'Onward' To 'The Invisible Man'
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has completely upended the entertainment industry. Production on nearly every TV and film set has been delayed, most upcoming film premieres have been pushed back indefinitely, and a growing number of movie theaters are closed across the U.S. In order to survive, some movie studios are getting creative by allowing movies still in theaters to stream early. A growing number of new films are ditching the traditional theatrical release window and are instead heading directly into peoples homes, offering viewers the chance to stream the movies immediately rather than waiting for theaters to reopen.
Different movies have taken a different approach to these early home releases. Some of the films that people are able to stream early have already exited theaters and were scheduled to arrive on digital platforms at a later date, but those dates have since been moved up days, weeks, or even months. Others were movies that were in theaters when the outbreak began, and are now offering viewers the chance to purchase their streaming ticket from their couch. And third, some movies that aren't in theaters yet have chosen not to delay their release and are instead opting to head straight to home viewing.
To see all the major new releases you can stream early right now, take a look at the list below. Unless otherwise noted, all films are available to be digitally purchased or rented through major online retailers such as Amazon, iTunes, or your cable provider on the dates listed.
The latest Pixar release hit theaters on March 6, and just two weeks later it saw a home release for digital purchase on March 20. Even better, the film is set to hit Disney+ for subscribers on April 3, a remarkably fast turnaround for the service.
2. 'Frozen II'
The blockbuster animated sequel was originally scheduled to arrive on Disney+ on June 26, but due to the outbreak, Disney moved the date up more than three months and began streaming the film on March 15. It's currently available for free to Disney+ subscribers.
3. 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker'
The end of the Star Wars Skywalker saga was scheduled for home release on March 17, but it ended up being released a few days earlier on March 13. It's currently available to purchase from online retailers.
4. 'The Invisible Man'
The Universal monster movie reboot was a hit, potentially paving the way for future cinematic revivals of its iconic brethren like Frankenstein and Dracula. The film arrived in theaters on Feb. 28, and on March 20 it was made available to rent at online retailers. However, since this film is still in its theatrical release window, the rental price is the same as a traditional purchase price: $19.99 for a 48-hour rental.
This film, which is based on the Jane Austen novel of the same name, arrived in theaters on Valentine's Day. And like its Universal Pictures stablemate The Invisible Man, it headed to digital release on March 20. It, too, is available for a 48-hour rental for $19.99.
6. 'The Hunt'
The third of Universal's current theatrical releases, this violent political satire brought its controversial storyline to theaters on March 13. Just a week later and it was available to rent at home, for the now-familiar 48-hour rate of $19.99.
Vin Diesel's new superhero movie was also released on March 13, but it isn't available to rent quite yet. The movie will hit online stores for rentals on March 24, and though pricing has not yet been revealed, it seems extremely likely that this Sony release will be priced the same as the previous trio of Universal films.
8. 'Birds Of Prey'
Another superhero movie, this female-led ensemble debuted in cinemas back on Feb. 7, and wasn't expected for digital release for a while. But due to coronavirus, things changed. The Margot Robbie film will be available for digital purchase on March 24, and for online rentals starting April 7.
9. 'I Still Believe'
10. 'Sonic The Hedgehog'
The surprise blockbuster based on the popular videogames was able to make a good run of it at theaters before the pandemic ground everything to a halt, but it's still rushing toward an early home release. The film will be available for digital purchase on March 31, well before you'll be able to buy a physical copy on May 19.
11. 'The Way Back'
Ben Affleck's art-imitating-life basketball drama hit theaters on March 6, but failed to make much of an impact on the box office due in part to the virus. It will try and win back some of its losses by becoming available to purchase digitally on March 24.
12. 'Just Mercy'
This Michael B. Jordan drama, which debuted in theaters on Christmas, is currently available for online purchase. On March 24, you'll also be able to rent it on-demand.
13. 'The Gentleman'
Guy Ritchie's latest outrageous crime film arrived in theaters on Jan. 24, and it's getting an early home release date of just two months later on March 24. On that date, you'll be able to purchase the film online.
14. 'Trolls World Tour'
This upcoming animated sequel is scheduled to hit theaters on April 10, but since it remains to be seen how many theaters will even be open on that date, the movie is also hitting digital home rentals the same day for $19.99.
With no end to the pandemic in site and more movie theaters closing by the day, we could be looking at a new normal of how people watch new movies.


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Before the world could fully recover from the WannaCry ransomware bug, another deadly malware dubbed as Fireball has emerged with the potential to make several million PCs across the globe vulnerable to hacking.
Online security watchdog Check Point, which is credited for discovering infamous Judy malware in Android devices, has found another malicious Fireball firmware affecting more than 250 million computers across the world and 20 percent of all the global corporate networks. Interestingly, India, which is fast expanding its digital footprint, is said to be the worst affected.
According to Check Point, over 250 million computers worldwide have been infected: specifically, 25.3 million infections in India (10.1 percent), 24.1 million in Brazil (9.6 percent), 16.1 million in Mexico (6.4 percent) and 13.1 million in Indonesia (5.2 percent). The United States has witnessed 5.5 million infections (2.2 percent).
Fireball is said to be created by Chinese ad corporation Rafotech to manipulate users' browsers on the computer to get false clicks and promotion for its clients online.
How does Fireball malware get into the PC?
Rafotech has reportedly partnered with some legitimate software firms and has managed to get the consent to load its Fireball malware mostly via bundling i.e. installed on victim machines alongside a wanted program but without the user's consent.
What Fireball malware does to the PC?
Rafotech uses Fireball to manipulate the victims' browsers and turn their default search engines and home pages into fake search engines. This redirects the queries to either yahoo.com or Google.com. The fake search engines include tracking pixels used to collect the users' private information and web-traffic to generate ad-revenue.
Should you be worried over Fireball malware?
Yes, users must be very wary of Fireball malware. Though, it is currently operating as browser hijackers to get false clicks and forcefully divert the user to its client's webpage. It has potential to turn into a full-functioning malware downloader and is capable of executing any code on the victim machines, resulting in a wide range of actions from stealing credentials to dropping additional malware. This creates a massive security flaw in targeted machines and networks, Check Point report said.
How to protect your PCs from Fireball and other malwares?
- Always keep to your PCs updated latest firmware; most software companies including Microsoft and Apple usually send software updates regularly in terms of weekly or monthly, always make sure to update them immediately
- Make sure to use premium Anti-virus software, which also provides malware protection and internet security
- Never ever open email sent from unknown senders
- Never ever install plugins (for browsers) and application softwares on the PCs from un-familiar publishers
Watch this space for latest news on cyber security and more.


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Who was Salvo Nicosia and what was his cause of death? Tributes Pour In As “Publicist legend” dead at 52: Another passing news of a prominent figure covering the headlines of the newspaper. As per the reports, the fashion world mourns the passing of the bearded publicist of Alberta Ferretti Publicist, Salvo Nicosia. However, she is not featured on Wikipedia yet. Though he is a well-known figure in the fashion industry. The demise news has deeply saddened everyone who knew him. Individuals on Twitter are sending prayers to his family. Keep on reading to know more about Salvo Nicosia and the cause of his sudden death. Follow More Update On GetIndiaNews.com
Who was Salvo Nicosia?
Salvo Nicosia is one of the well-known figures in the fashion industry, but he is not featured on Wikipedia. Though as per his website bio, he was born in Sicily. He completed his education in Political Science and International Relations at Cesare Alfieri in Florence prior to moving to Milan in order to work in public relations and communications for fashion and luxury businesses such as Dolce & Gabbana, and Anterprima, where he worked for almost 10 years.
How did Salvo Nicosia die?
Salvo then relocated to London, where he spent years building the Talents Service Department at the PR company Karla Otto from the ground up. He worked as a worldwide celebrity services director and event vice president at the time of his time in the firm, as mentioned on his LinkedIn. Presently, he is based in London, where he is responsible for the Italian Fashion Group AEFFE’s global Celebrities Services, aiming at the Alberta Ferretti, Pollini brands, and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini. He began to work as a head of celebrity services but was later promoted to Head of communication, Alberta Ferretti. He had been functioning in there since the year 2019.
Salvo Nicosia Death Cause
Salvo Nicosia, a publicist of Aleberta Ferretti passed away at the age of 52. Some news outlets asserted that he passed away due to a cardiac arrest. According to the MF Fashion, he suffered a cardiac arrest at his house 2 days ago and passed away a few hours later in the hospital after going into a coma. The entire fashion industry is presently mourning his demise. Many people who worked with him have been paying tributes to him and expressing their appreciation for his contribution over the years.
Salvo Nicosia net worth
The information about the net worth of Salvo Nicosia is not disclosed yet. Though he has been active in the fashion industry since the year 1996. In his more than 20 years of career, he significantly impacted the fashion industry.


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Ford Will Pay $ 51.5 Million To Settle State Claims. Ford said that they will pay $
51.5 million to settle state government claims that it had “misled consumers about the safety of its sport-utility vehicles and failed to disclose known tire failure risks,” Reuters reported.
The claims against Ford stemmed largely from Firestone tire failures, many in rollover accidents involving the Explorer sport-utility vehicle. Ford denied any wrongdoing.
The settlement “resolves allegations of deceptive trade practices relating to the sales and advertising of Ford sport-utility vehicles,” Iowa’s attorney general, Tom Miller, said in a statement. However, the agreement does not affect private legal claims against Ford.
NHTSA Closed Its Investigation Of Ford Explorer
“The agreement marks the end to all government investigations relating to the tire recall in the United States. In February 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed its investigation of the Ford Explorer, concluding the Explorer handles like comparable SUVs before, during and after a tread separation,” Ford said in a statement.


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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 10, 2020 / Since Facebook launched Libra, which deeply influenced the global financial market, the headlines about blockchain and digital assets have become.
X Bitcoin Generator Review Did Anyone Make Money On Bitcoin Jack Abramoff is making headlines once again. The notorious political lobbyist has been charged with fraud by the Securities. 28 Nov 2019. But it might not be too late for other investors to make money from the. The time has definitely passed for people to invest a small amount
As we were preparing for the unavoidable lockdown, The Economist published the most descriptive cover: picture of the Earth.
6 Nov 2019.
Hong Kong's securities watchdog is to treat cryptocurrency trading platforms like traditional brokers if they offer security tokens, according to its.
This will be an eventful year in China’s and the world’s history. This will be a year of posturing, where public and private.
14 Feb 2020.
Now top U.S. crypto investors, including Pantera Capital, Paradigm, Polychain,
The founding team of Amber, a Hong Kong crypto trading firm. Before.
For example, they could buy bitcoin on one exchange for $7,300 and.
Blockchain for distributing votes and independent digital dollars take center stage in the this week’s regulation news.
The attitude toward cryptocurrency differs between China and Hong Kong, as the first one.
which makes this area very decent for related businesses. Recent; Top News.
Crypto Exchange Binance Adds Hong Kong Dollars to Fiat Gateway.
When Hubbis last met up with Adam Reynolds, Asia Pacific CEO of Saxo Markets, early in 2020, it was not long after he had.
6 Nov 2019.
Besides, all licensed platforms must have insurance covering the risk of virtual assets being lost or stolen. 1xBit: anonymous betting, the best.
Adding Bitcoin To Wallet Handcash has recently seen a number of additional features to its lightning fast digital wallet offering users the ability to shop at. Bitcoin ATM operator LibertyX now offers bitcoin purchases at some of the United States’ most popular convenience stores. Blockchain platform Ontology has partnered with Swiss service provider Bitcoin Suisse as part of their
The rise of Zoom has been dramatically accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, which has propelled it into both.
A trading cryptocurrency guide must of course provide reviews of all of the top crypto exchanges out there,
ANXPRO is an exchange based in Hong Kong.


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The internet of things is an immensely explored field that has shifted execution of mundane and operation of complex tasks like manufacturing. Consequentially production costs have dropped rapidly, and more products are outputted since machines can fill up time that humans cannot and perform more work. Analysts have noted that the European fair has adapted the trend faster than other continents.
Jason Hopes is an enthusiast of technology and has an unmistakable passion in the arena. He expounded on the notion that the world is becoming smaller. Cars, cameras, and home appliances have a degree of connection in today’s world. Kevin Ashton devised Internet of Things in 1999, but it is only recently the innovators are fully embracing the idea.
The Internet of Things in Europe has picked in plenty of daily operations. Bain & Company conducted a 2017 research that indicated 27 percent of Europeans use IoT in mobile analysis processes. 25 percent of company administrators have the intent to integrate the tech into the preexisting IT systems by the year 2020. The data does not match up with a similar in the United States. Only 16 percent of executives are open to using IoT in IT. The European viewpoint is that IoT results in better and cheaper productivity. However, the open Americans stated more upsides that will be the result of IoT. Most foresee an increase in the quality of products due to use of accurate analytics.
Jason Hope concurred with those observations stating that combining analytic tools and sensors in manufacturing can help tell the company how the products perform. Real time data optimize efforts and allows executives to make more efficient strategies. He added that stiffened competition would rapidly increase use of IoT. According to Jason, the biggest issue in the adaptation of the technological trend is cyber crimes.
He revealed that they are more frequent in Europe and pose a threat to the growth of IoT. Another pressing matter is the privacy of customers. Companies which use or plan to use sensors to track sales have to assure customers of their safety consistently. Jason is positive that despite the few setbacks, IoT is the future of the world and will be catapulted into higher levels by the Millennial age.
About Jason Hope: http://jasonhope.com/about/


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Glass artist marks second year in her retail studio
It’s just her way of thanking the community for its support.
“I thought I’d just move into this space and keep creating,” said Lisa Stirrett, of her art studio and retail location in Silverdale. “I had no idea the amount of overhead and the work that goes into owning a small business. If I’d known, I’m not sure I’d have done it.”
But she’ll soon mark two years in her new building and wants to share that with the community.
“The community has supported us 100 percent,” she said. “We have great repeat customers. They’ll come in for a wedding gift and then they’ll come back for something for their office, or home or garden. They’ve been amazing.”
The celebration of the second anniversary of the Lisa Stirrett Glass Art Studio, 9536 Silverdale Way, will be June 20, from 5 to 9 p.m.
Stirrett has become a well-known Pacific Northwest artist. She works in metals, cast glass, gyotaku (Japanese fish printing), encaustic (a form of sculpting with beeswax) and fine art painting. Her work reflects her passion for the natural beauty of the sea and her Native American heritage.
The event will include food and door prizes and the studio will launch its new Products with a Purpose program.
Products with a Purpose started from her son’s desire to have the family take a missionary trip to Africa.
“He’s in medical school and we’ve talked about doing this forever,” she said.
She was looking for an African charity to help and, through a family in Port Orchard, found Walk in the Light International, which brings water, medicine, education and basic needs to communities in Burkina Faso, Africa.
So, as part of the anniversary celebration, Lisa and her staff have been creating tea light candles which will be sold with a portion of the proceeds going to help build a new health care facility in Burkina Faso. Her family plans to go to Africa in December to help build the medical clinic.
And, each month when the shop participates in art walks, a new product will be introduced and sold to benefit charities.
“We’re already booked out months,” she said, noting that they’ll sell glass mermaids to support breast cancer research in October and serving trays to support the local Salvation Army in November.
“The art walks are a time to introduce the community to new artists,” she said. “So this idea goes right along with supporting the local community and those in need.”
At the anniversary event, Stirrett’s studio will also open a new glass “play area,” a space visitors can use to make their own glass projects.
“People can come in and make their own pieces,” she said. “We’ll have it open so they can experiment that night.”
It will also be open when the shop is open.
Another important happening at the anniversary open house is the naming of Stirrett’s creation which she lovingly calls “the warrior.”
“For a long time I’ve collected metal with the idea of welding together a Native American warrior chief,” she said. “I’m 1/23rd North Carolina Cherokee and I’ve always had an infinity for Native American art.”
With the help of Bainbridge Island metal sculptor Dick Strom, Stirrett created the warrior which stands more than 13 feet tall. His spear point is a glass piece she made.
“I have some more glass feathers to add yet,” she said, of the sculpture that now stands outside her shop. “When people come by and see him, they have been suggesting names. So, I decided we’d have a naming contest during the open house.”
In the past two years, Stirrett said she’s learned an important lesson about owning a small business.
“I never really knew how important they are to the local community,” she said. “When someone comes in here wanting something that we don’t have, I refer them to another business that I know about. The relationships I’ve built are so important. We all help each other out, mostly by word of mouth.”
Prior to being at her current location, she had a smaller studio down the road. She and her husband, Steve, bought the former Farmall Tractor building in May 2011 and spent a year renovating it.
“This studio has been a blessing to me,” she said. “The girls who work with me are so amazing. This is not just a place to make and sell glass. It’s a safe, compassionate place to share who you are.”
For more information, call 360-536-2772 or go to www.Lisastirrett.com.


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Lightspeed India Partners, a unit of the Silicon Valley headquartered venture capital firm, closed its $275 million Fund III at a time when the startup investment ecosystem was in the midst of a Covid-19 induced downturn.
Terming the pandemic a ‘black swan event’, Lightspeed India partner Hemant Mohapatra said Lightspeed Venture Partners’ presence in China offered it a “peek into the future” and helped it create a playbook for its India investment strategy and portfolio.
In an interview with TechCircle, Mohapatra explains the firm’s position in a post-Covid world, how it helped portfolio companies navigate the pandemic and the impact of Chinese investment curbs.
Will there be any changes in fund allocation in the face of the pandemic?
Nothing has changed. We are going to double down on whatever has been working well for us, even as Covid has expanded opportunities in some markets.
Markets have gone up in their base valuations. A seed round three years ago, when we raised our previous fund, is not a seed round anymore -- it’s probably 30% more. We raised a larger pool of capital to level up to the market instead of fighting it.
We chose to stay in the $200-$300 million zone because this is what we are best at -- it keeps us nimble, hungry and sharp. We continue to focus on fewer, high quality companies -- the aim is to turn them into kingmakers by investing large amounts of capital and building the best team through our services arm. That’s what we want to do more of in the India and Southeast Asia markets with the capital from the third fund.
What is Lightspeed’s investment philosophy for India?
We go for high conviction and high capital exposure early on. For example, we infused $10 million into Udaan before there was even a product or a team. We contributed $4.5 million in a $7 million round for NextBillion.ai even before the company was founded.
After the investment, we spend time with the founders and build the companies together. They’re offered a suite of services, from legal services to marketing and PR to hiring. We help them recruit executive and mid-tier talent, and hire quickly in the first six-eight months when they don’t have all the building blocks.
The India fund is an independent one, and about 80% of our investments are in the seed and Series A stages. We are typically the first institutional investor in a company. For investments in growth rounds, we pick firms with a valuation of $200-500 million and pull capital from the US funds. Lightspeed Opportunity Fund invests in companies with over $1 billion valuation.
What are the average ticket sizes for the investments?
We typically invest $2-$3 million in the seed stage and almost always lead the round. Series A rounds will see capital infusion of $5-$8 million. We defend our position through Series Bs and tend to dilute after that. We make about 25-30 investments from a particular fund.
What are the sectors you focus on in India?
We invest across consumer and enterprise sectors, and favour tech-enabled businesses compared to FMCG goods or brand-enabled businesses. In the previous fund, we were probably a little under 50% on enterprise vs pure consumer firms. With the second fund, we are little above 50% in enterprises vs consumer segments in terms of capital deployed. It is expected to be about the same in the next fund cycle, which is likely to back 30-40 companies.
How has Covid-19 impacted venture investing?
There are two ways of looking at it – late vs early stage, and sector specific. I do not see any impact on the early stage investment cycles at all. You could argue that there are fewer companies being born in this tougher ecosystem, so only high quality founders, with the experience to envision their journeys, are the ones taking a risk.
The first instinct for investors, whenever there is uncertainty in the market, is to fly towards safety and security, because that’s where the premium quality lies. So people are taking fewer risks, but putting more capital behind high quality founders and opportunities.
On the late stage, from a quantity of deals perspective, it certainly feels like it has slowed down, but I’m starting to see an increase in numbers. For the right kind of companies, with the right unit economics and the right team, especially if it’s a Covid tailwind sector, growth investment cycles used to be about 90 days. Now, deals in the range of $30-50 million are happening in a couple of weeks of diligence time. Certainly, it seems like there is a similar flight to safety instinct in the growth investor market as well, more capital is going into fewer companies and the diligence cycles have come down from three months to one.
How did Lightspeed react to the crisis and help portfolio firms recover?
The pandemic is a true black swan event. Outcomes can be binary – either it doesn’t affect you or you crumble. It was panicky in the initial three-four months -- it was all about crisis control without a playbook and understanding what the next six-eight months will look like. We went into cash flow preservation mode for the initial three months, which played out well. Some large companies, such as OYO and Udaan, were heavily impacted, but a few smaller ones gained traction. There was personnel impact, but we were able to manage it through cost cutting instead of layoffs for the most part.
By the end of April, we designed a playbook. Being a large fund and a global franchise, we could see how the future would play out by looking at China, which is one of our biggest franchisees. As China had gone through the worst, we observed how things evolved and how companies managed the crisis there. We advised our founders accordingly. So, in a way, we had a one-two month window into the future. That really helped us.
This also enabled us to make investments ahead of our competitors as we had this little peek into the future and knew what the post-Covid world could look like.
What is a new focus area brought to the fore by the pandemic?
People talk about product market fit (PMF) a lot, but the Covid-19 crisis has given it a new meaning -- pandemic market fit. The question we ask ourselves is -- will the product retain its value, urgency and pull in the market post pandemic? We have refused to back a lot of fast growing companies because we did not feel that they could sustain growth after the pandemic at their current operational cost.
While everything else remains the same, pandemic market fit is a focus for us -- how long would it take to create a shift in human behaviour? Can this founder/team/product truly change human behaviour over the next 6-12 months? We really dug deep and understood the benefits of this. Human behaviour will change -- we’ve seen how digital marketing has changed user behaviour.
In our portfolio, Udaan, Yellow Messenger, Byju’s and MagicPin have witnessed that online behaviour shift. MagicPin’s online pivot plan was fast tracked by the pandemic and Yellow Messenger has been getting a lot of unexpected retail pull. We’re increasingly seeing such pandemic market fit situations. For SaaS and consumer retail startups, especially, the new consumer behaviour is going to stick because it’s so much safer and convenient.
We believe the founders today have a window to achieve such a change, add value and improve ease of use. That is how they can sustain themselves, post pandemic.
What is the impact of the Chinese investment restrictions on Indian venture capital firms and startups?
We are building global companies out of India. Global companies are successful when there is global capital, intelligence and markets available. You could argue that China was not a market available to Indian companies and will probably never be. However, China is among the many players that has been interested in India for a while. We’re seeing massive inflows of capital coming to Indian markets from different regions, including Russia, Europe, the US, Japan and Australia. These funds see Southeast Asian markets, especially India, as the next growth market.
There is no dearth of good capital available to companies that are doing well -- I have not seen that slowdown. But capital alone is not enough. Sometimes you need capital and advice. In some cases, advice from China could be useful and we are certainly missing out on that. Can that be fixed in the absence of capital? I think so. You can still get advisors from China without the capital component. I’m sure there are founders thinking along the same lines.
Has the geopolitical tension affected your portfolio?
We are certainly tracking all the changes and complying with them. The regulations are more focused on new investments. Has that been impacted -- 100%, yes. Discussions involving Chinese entities are harder to have now.


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U.S. toy industry betting on Pokemon Go to fuel holiday sales
App has been downloaded more than 500 million times
Coming off its best Christmas in years, the U.S. toy industry is wagering that the Pokemon Go craze will command a lot of space on kids’ wish lists.
Pokemon-branded video games from Nintendo Co. and a plush Pikachu character that wiggles its ears from Tomy Co. highlight the Toy Insider’s Hot 20 list, an industry publication’s best guess at what items will be the most coveted this holiday-shopping season. The Pokemon Go mobile app, which debuted in July, has been downloaded more than 500 million times.
“Pokemon Go has definitely given us a fresh look at Pokemon,” said Laurie Schacht, publisher of the Toy Insider. “Both the toys and the video games are skyrocketing.”
In 2015, the U.S. toy industry grew 6.7 percent, according to NPD Group. That momentum has continued in the first half of this year: Sales gained 7.5 percent, with Star Wars, Hasbro Inc.’s Nerf, Shopkins and Pokemon among the biggest brands, according to the researcher.
Walt Disney’s release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” late last year -- the first film from the blockbuster franchise in a decade -- has been a big boost to the industry. And while another Star Wars movie, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” comes out in December, just one Star Wars toy made the hot list. It’s a Lego construction set of an X-wing fighter. The list also features only one item tied to “Frozen,” the gigantic Disney hit from 2013: a doll from Jakks Pacific Inc. that lights up and makes sounds.
Some toys without ties to major entertainment franchises may be poised to sell well. Moose Toys’ Shopkins, a popular collection of plastic figurines, has an item on the list. There’s also Hasbro’s Speak Out, a game that challenges people to talk while wearing a mouthpiece. The item comes after of the surprise success of a bare-bones game called Pie Face last year.
Another trend this year is pricier items loaded with technology. The Toy Insider also released a list of top tech toys, ranging from $200 for an Air Hogs drone from Spin Master Corp. to Mattel Inc.’s Hello Barbie Dreamhouse for $300, which offers speech recognition.
Toys “R” Us Inc. Chief Executive Officer Dave Brandon says these technologically advanced items have a market, but manufacturers went too far last year, hurting the industry. This year, the retailer has been pleased to see the average price for toys decline, which should generate more spending, he said.
“If Johnny has a Christmas list, and the first item costs $250, then Johnny is going to get one item,” said Brandon, who joined the struggling retailer last July. “The manufacturers are seeing that there is a lot of ways to build sales and share through more reasonable price points that are more affordable and appeal to more families.”
Toy Insider’s hot 20 list:
- Laugh & Learn Crawl-Around Learning Center (Fisher-Price): $49.99
- Go! Go! Smart Friends Enchanted Princess Palace (VTech) $59.99
- Disney Frozen Northern Lights Elsa (Jakks Pacific) $39.99
- Disney My Time Singing Elena of Avalor Doll (Hasbro) $29.99
- FurReal Friends Torch My Blazin’ Dragon Pet (Hasbro) $79.99
- Lion Guard Training Lair Playset (Just Play) $59.99
- Paw Patrol Monkey Temple (Spin Master) $49.99
- PJ Masks Headquarters Playset (Just Play) $69.99
- Pokémon My Friend Pikachu (Tomy) $29.99
- Talk-to-Me Mikey (Playmates) $39.99
- Animal Jam-Club Geoz Dance Party Playset (Jawares) $29.99
- Hatchimals (Spin Master) $59.99
- Hot Wheels A.I. (Mattel) $99.99
- Snuggles My Dream Puppy (Moose Toys) $54.99
- Shopkins Happy Places Happy Home (Moose) $29.99
- Skylanders Imaginators (Activision Publishing) $74.99
- Lego Star Wars Resistance X-wing Fighter (Lego Group) $79.99
- Nintendo MarioKart 8 Quadcopter (Carrera of America) $99.00
- Speak Out Game (Hasbro) $19.99
- Pokemon Sun & Moon (Nintendo) $39.99


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No upcoming broadcast (for now).
Des emballages emballants
It's a wrap for packaging
Our environment is increasingly polluted by innumerable plastic bags, bottles and packaging of every shape and size. Researchers are working on the production of totally environmentally-friendly biodegradable containers made from surprising materials such as fungi, thistles or... prawn shells.


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The Global Development Network is recruiting consultants to undertake online communications training for the finalists of the Global Development Awards Competition 2020 under the Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development category.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and restrictions in movement, the entire training will be conducted Virtually, Unlike the other time.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought into the limelight the links between extreme environmental pressure, unsustainable economic activity and public health emergencies.
Therefore, calls for renewed and courageous political action and a refurbish in policy approaches to steer the crisis, are close to the universal.
The training will strengthen the three finalists’ presentation and communications skills on their proposals, thereby preparing them for their presentation in front of a high-level academic jury and the general public. The event in 2020 will be online, with particular attention to online delivery.
- Preparation of online training
- Facilitation of the online training
- Total payments of USD 2,250 for the assignment
- Provision of the platform to be used for the delivery of the training by GDN.
- Applicants should be professional trainers, with strong experience in translating and communicating research products for a wide audience,
- He/she should have experience in using online media to disseminate research.
What is required;
- A full CV
- Evidence of previous experience for two similar assignments or relevant projects
- A proposition of draft agenda for the online training through the email addresses below
Deadline: September 30, 2020
For more information visit the official site.


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Dracut Police Department Offer Community Meetup Location At Headquarters
Dracut Police Headquarters
(Editor's note: The following information was released by the Dracut Police Department.)
Chief Peter Bartlett of the Dracut Police Department is pleased to announce the creation of a safe location for the community to meet and exchange purchased good.
Chief Bartlett has dedicated a parking place in the front parking lot of the police station specifically for those who make online purchases. The increase in online shopping has prompted the department to become involved so anyone looking to take opportunities for criminal behavior will know they are on surveillance camera.
“The police station is a well-lit safe location for these transactions to take place,” Chief Bartlett said. “If anyone making purchases from online services doesn’t feel comfortable they are encouraged to use the Offerup spot at the police station."


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World Financial Network’s private-label card portfolios outperform the competition, when looking at average excess spread, which is a profitability measure showing how much of the portfolio yield is kept by a credit-card secrutizer, after netting-out the securities’ coupon rate, loan losses, and servicing fees.
Sakhrani said that it’s not always fair to compare excess spreads, because “during the downturn, some issuers [including Discover Financial Services and American Express] provided subordination to their trusts, so their excess spreads are inflated by an effective subordination subsidy.”
Then again, for Alliance Data Systems’ World Financial Network card portfolios, Sakhrani said “there was no subordination,” so the card lender’s 24.43 percent annualized excess spread during February was a pure number. World Financial Network’s excess spread was the highest among the major U.S. card lenders, despite also having a relatively high net charge-off rate of 5.43 percent and the highest 30-plus days delinquency rate of 4.47 percent, because of the nature of its private-label card business. Private-label card portfolios typically see a higher level of revolving debt than bank-branded credit cards, boosting interest revenue.
Here’s how World Financial Network’s February card numbers compared other major U.S. card lenders:
- Citigroup subsidiary Citibank’s excess spread on its managed card portfolios during February was 8.23 percent. The company’s net charge-off rate was 5.36 percent and its 35-plus days delinquency rate — the other card lenders report delinquencies of 30-plus days — was 3.09 percent.
- For Bank of America, the February net excess spread for its managed card portfolios was 9.78 percent. The net charge-off rate for BAC’s managed card portfolios was 5.56 percent. The 30-plus days delinquency rate was 3.75 percent.
- JPMorgan Chase subsidiary Chase Issuance Trust had a 10.58 percent excess spread during February, for its managed credit card portfolios. Chase’s net charge-off rate for managed card balances was 3.97 percent, and the 30-plus days delinquency rate was 2.42 percent.
- For Discover Financial Services , the managed card portfolio excess spread during February was 12.66 percent. Discover’s net charge-off rate for its card portfolios was 2.80 percent, and its 30-plus days delinquency rate was 2.25 percent.
- Capital One’s February excess spread was 13.28 percent. The company’s net charge-off rate on managed credit card loan portfolios was 3.20 percent, and the 30-plus days delinquency rate was 3.34 percent.
- For American Express , the February net excess spread on managed credit card portfolios was 13.30 percent. The net charge-off rate was an industry-leading 2.73 percent, and the 30-plus days delinquency rate also led the industry, at just 1.58 percent.
Alliance Data Systems returned 20 percent year-to-date, through Wednesday’s close at $124.63.
Sakhrani’s $149 price target is “derived by applying a 13x multiple to our 2013 EPS estimate of $6.49 from the private label card segment along with an 8x multiple to our 2013 EBITDA/share estimate of $8.11 for the remainder of the company.”
The analyst expects Alliance Data Systems to report first-quarter earnings of $2.19 a share, compared to fourth-quarter earnings of $1.70 and first-quarter 2011 earnings per share of $2.03, on total revenue of $837 million, down slightly from $848 million in the fourth quarter, but increasing 13 percent year-over-year.
Sakhrani said that “ADS trades at very attractive valuations for its EPS growth rate and economic return profile relative to its peers," especially with a projected 2013 return on tangible equity of “50 percent-plus,” compared to an estimated 2013 ROTE of 32 percent for American Express, long the “gold standard” among card lenders. American Express trades for 12 times Sakhrani’s 2013 earnings per share estimate of $4.89.
For private label cards — representing 50 percent of company revenue — Alliance Data Systems’ “management recently noted that it was seeing sales up 15 percent year-over-year and portfolio growth of 7 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, and expects 10 percent year-over-year portfolio growth in the second quarter of 2012," Sakhrani said.
For the company’s customer loyalty business, “first quarter 2012, which compares to its long-term growth rate of 5 percent driven by the return of discretionary spending, strong spend at gas, grocery and pharmacy, and promotional work at groceries in Canada,” according to Sakhrani.
The analyst added that the Epsilon subsidiary — which generates roughly 25 percent of revenue — “is on track to generate $1 billion in revenues in 2012, with organic growth rates in the high-single-digits range.”
Additional News: Canada’s TD Bank Eyes US Credit-Card Business
Additional Views: American Express: JPMorgan Is a Credit-Card Copycat
CNBC Data Pages:
TheStreet’s editorial policy prohibits staff editors, reporters, and analysts from holding positions in any individual stocks.


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2023 Kia Seltos Facelift Receives Over 31,000 Bookings In One Month
By Jafar Rizvi
2 mins read
Published on August 16, 2023
- The Kia Seltos facelift attracted more than 13,000 bookings on launch day
- 55 per cent of these bookings are for the higher-end trims
- The new Pewter Olive shade accounted for 19 per cent of total bookings
The 2023 Kia Seltos has seen an impressive response, with 31,716 bookings received in the first month. Kia India opened bookings for the new Seltos on July 14, 2023, with prices being announced on July 21. The compact SUV is priced from Rs 10.89 lakh up to Rs 19.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The Seltos has been the brand’s best-selling compact SUV, with the outgoing model having sold over 5 lakh units since its launch in 2019.
The Kia Seltos facelift attracted more than 13,000 bookings on the launch day itself. Within the first 24 hours, it secured a total of 13,424 bookings, with around 1,973 bookings made through the K-Code programme.
Kia revealed that the higher variants were seeing a stronger demand with about 55 per cent of all bookings (17,412 bookings) received for the top variants - HTX and up. The new "Pewter Olive" colour introduced for the Indian market too has seen a good response accounting for nearly 19 per cent of the total bookings.
The highlights of the 2023 Kia Seltos include a larger Tiger-nose grille, new bumpers, 18-inch crystal-cut alloys (17-inch units on the TechLine models), redesigned light clusters, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof with two glass panels, dual-zone climate control, a 10.25-inch infotainment system, and a digital cluster of the same size. Kia's UVO Connect connected car features ventilated front seats, an electrically adjustable driver seat, and an electric parking brake. In terms of safety, it features six airbags; ABS, ESC, and DBC are standard across all variants.
As for the powertrain, it has three options to choose from. The first is a 1.5-litre petrol engine that comes with a 6-speed manual or a CVT. The second is a 1.5-litre diesel engine, available with either a 6-speed iMT or a 6-speed automatic. And lastly, the newest addition to the lineup is a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, which can be paired with a 6-speed iMT or a 7-speed DCT.
Last Updated on August 16, 2023
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The Rug Market Returns to Atlanta Market with new HOME Showroom
January 6, 2011,
ATLANTA-After a five-year absence, The Rug Market America will return to AmericasMart for the upcoming Atlanta International Area Rug Market with a showroom in the HOME section on the 12th floor. AmericasMart and The Rug Market will have a ribbon cutting for the new showroom at Thursday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m., and the company will serve refreshments all day as well as hold a $500 drawing toward an at-show order to celebrate the event.
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U.S. luxury retail chain Barneys New York is not considering an imminent restructuring of its business, but is looking into its options as consumers still hold tightly onto their wallets ahead of the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Completing its range of products, Zadig & Voltaire have signed a partnership agreement with Samsung. The fashion label will be redesigning the latest touch-screen phone from Samsung with the new version being called the ‘Player One by Zadig & Voltaire’.
Fewer brands, lower prices and less product are the new reality of the U.S. apparel industry in 2010. While that may seem stark compared to the recent boom years, it's better than the chaos and uncertainty of 2009.
Japan's Fast Retailing, operator of the Uniqlo casual clothing chain, said it wanted to boost annual sales more than seven-fold to $54 billion by 2020 as it seeks acquisitions and expands in overseas markets.


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at MarketWatch.com (Sep 26, 2013)
UMC, the world's #2 chip foundry, is down 4.6% after reporting June sales of $310.3M, up just...
UMC, the world's #2 chip foundry, is down 4.6% after reporting June sales of $310.3M, up just 0.9% M/M and 1.1% Y/Y. After shooting higher in March and April, UMC has now posted two straight quarters of minimal sales growth, as the chip industry's recovery slows to a crawl. It was reported recently that top rival TSMC's customers have become cautious about placing Q4 orders due to uncertain demand.
From other sites
at MarketWatch.com (Feb 9, 2011)
at MarketWatch.com (May 21, 2010)
at MarketWatch.com (Apr 26, 2010)


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"I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here”
-- Captain Renault
Dozens of weight loss and immune system supplements on the market are illegally labeled and lack the recommended scientific evidence to back up their purported health claims, government investigators warn in a new review of the $20 billion supplement industry." The report, which is "being released Wednesday" by HHS' Office of Inspector General, found that "20 percent of the 127 weight loss and immune-boosting supplements investigators purchased online and in retail stores across the country carried labels that made illegal claims to cure or treat disease." Notably, Federal regulations do not require the FDA to "review supplement companies' scientific evidence for most of their products' purported health benefits before they hit the market"; and the OIG "found that in numerous cases, when companies did submit evidence to back up their health claims, it fell far short of government recommendations."


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IFF Pioneers Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials Technology Platform to Deliver Sustainable BiopolymersFind out more
Meeting Future-Fit Hygiene Needs
Activewear has never been more popular with consumers – but even after repeated washes garments can still smell. Finding a solution to ‘Permastink’ is one of the biggest challenges facing the laundry detergent industry according to Corey Naab, Market Segment Leader at IFF.
Science of Smell
Consumers are buying more sportswear than ever before, with the market growing at over 6% every year, according to Allied Market Research. By 2024, the global sportwear industry is expected to be worth $546bn. That equates to a lot of clothes – and a lot of laundry.
There’s no single solution that’s good for all forms of bacteria and all types of fabrics.
But consumers are aware that current detergents are failing to effectively remove persistent activewear odors. The positive wicking properties of microfibers are the cause of the problem, making it difficult for the water – and more importantly the detergent –to penetrate the fabric during the wash cycle.
“The result is clothes that are presumed to be clean develop a smell as soon as there is any sort of moisture,” says Corey Naab, Market Segment Leader at IFF.
Conventional detergents mainly target surface stains, with powerful enzymes tackling food, oil and grease stains. but new solutions are needed to match that performance in odor removal.
Finding a Solution
The challenge is getting ‘inside’ the fibers, developing ingredients with the ability to wet these water-repellent surfaces. The wicking benefits of synthetic fibers make it more difficult to remove sweat and bacteria.
Consumers want their clothes to smell better – but this can’t compromise any of the other benefits of laundry, Naab says. “We want our customers to experience all of the sensory benefits of laundry. It’s about re-imagining clean and delivering total performance.”
SEPAWA 2022 Presentation: Advances in enzyme engineering
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Rollercoaster Tycoon 3D has been announced for Nintendo 3DS.
The theme park construction and management game will be resurrected by publisher Atari and developer n-Space.
The 3DS version will be built from the ground up for the system and will feature a full 3D graphical engine.
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3D will also offer a new gameplay mode with unique unlockable content, as well as a 'Park Sandbox' mode.
The Rollercoaster Tycoon series debuted on PC in 1999, and has since seen two sequels and several expansions.
Last month, Electronic Arts unveiled a new free-to-play version of Theme Park coming to iPhone and iPad.
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3D will be available from March 2012.
Watch the first trailer for Rollercoaster Tycoon 3D below:


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Venezuela Today – Got Preps?
This article appeared in the Daily Mail on January 15, 2015 and it shows specifically what happens when a nations currency is mistreated. Venezuela is an oil exporting country and with the price of oil falling off a cliff, their national economy has been devastated. The more resourceful people are taking matters into their own hands – AFTER THE FACT. What if these people had been prepared for such a situation? What if, on a weekly basis, instead of buying one of X item, they had bought two or even three? Instead of being forced to stand in line to restock their supplies, they could be paying someone to stand in line to restock their new business. If you notice in the photos and video there is no rioting, there is no one actin-a-fool, just people trying to get through the day and get some supplies; that’s all they are doing. Would this happen in the US or would the people lose what little of their mind they have left? Got preps for barter or sell? By KHALEDA RAHMAN, Daily Mail.co.uk Shortages of basic goods in crisis-hit Venezuela has created a lucrative new profession… queuing to buy things for other people.
The country is experiencing a recession triggered in part by a scarcity of hard currency – which limits imports of essential goods.
As a result, there are shortages of nearly a third of all basic goods and as well as tumbling oil prices, inflation ballooned to 64% last year.
Krisbell Villarroel is one of many people who make a living by waiting in line to buy everything from milk and sugar to diapers and shampoo.
Scroll down for video
Falling oil prices and shortages of goods in crisis-hit Venezuela has created a lucrative new profession. Pictured, nearly empty shelves at a supermarket in Caracas
Many people now make a living queuing to buy basics for those who can afford to hire someone to wait in line. Pictured, lines outside a supermarket due to a long term shortage in Caracas, Venezuela
She then sells the products to clients who pay her for the time she spends standing in queues.
The 22-year-old single mother of two small children in Caracas, told AFP: ‘Every day, I have to get up at two in the morning and call my friends to find out where things are for sale or what is for sale.
‘That is how I spend my day. I get out of the first line at 10:00 am and then perhaps go to another to see what they are selling.
‘In one store, I might get milk, sugar or coffee, but in another – flour, rice, diapers or shampoo.’
She said her customers are families who do not have the time or really the need to wait in line, such as business people who can afford to pay someone else to do it for them.
Each day, she makes between 600 and 1,200 bolivars per shopping assignment (which is 3.6 to 7.1 dollars at the black market exchange rate).
She earns at least 13,200 bolivars a month (about $80) by reselling items to her customers – more than some university professors make.