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While theft of cargo continues to be a major issue for the transportation industry, another expensive trend is gaining impetus. Theft of diesel as well as truck and trailer tyres is costing transportation companies hundreds of thousands of Rands annually.
How can companies mitigate this risk? Hi-Tech Security Solutions spoke to industry representatives about systems designed to reduce losses and pinpoint problem areas.
Ir a la fuente de la noticia: http://www.securitysa.com/8511a


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The New York Federal Reserve said on Monday its barometer of manufacturing activity in New York State plunged in May, but the survey is extremely volatile, making it harder to interpret.
The regional Fed’s “Empire State” index on current business conditions plummeted 42.6 points to -31.8 this month. A reading below zero signals the New York manufacturing sector is contracting. The slump followed a 35.4 points surge in April, which had lifted the index to a positive reading of 10.8.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index at -3.75.
Goldman Sachs noted that the survey “has been particularly volatile since 2022, swinging by at least 20 points in over half of instances.”
Nevertheless, higher interest rates and the rotation of spending back to services from goods is hurting national manufacturing activity. Tighter credit conditions are also seen as a drag. The New York Fed will on Tuesday publish a survey focusing on credit access and credit conditions.
The Institute for Supply Management’s measure of national manufacturing activity has contracted for six straight months
The New Fed survey’s gauge of new orders slumped 53.1 points this month to -28.0, while the shipments measure dropped 40.3 points to -16.4. Though manufacturing employment continued to pull off recent lows, it remained depressed. Inflation at the factory gate continued to slow.
Businesses did not expect a significant improvement in conditions over the next six months. The survey’s measure of future business conditions rose to 9.8 from 6.6 in April.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

domain: news


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Travel Briefs - Jan. 2005
The Nickelodeon Family Suites Resort by Holiday Inn is set to open early this year in Orlando as the first venture between the children's television network and the hotel company. The team has pumped $20 million into the former Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort to add water attractions and themed guest rooms featuring cartoon characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants. ... The new 730-room Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, just west of Walt Disney World on Interstate 4, is billed as one of the premier golf resorts in the country. It includes more than 70,000 square feet of meeting space, a 10,000-sq.-ft. spa and two Greg Norman-designed par-72 golf courses.
State lawmakers and Orlando tourism leaders flew into action last fall after the U.S. General Services Administration announced its proposed fiscal year 2005 per diem travel rates, the daily allowances that can be claimed by traveling government employees. Orlando's had decreased from $95 in 2004 to $61 for 2005, making it one of the lowest in the country. After reconsideration, the GSA set the rate at $98. Here's how other Florida destinations compare:
CITYPER DIEMCocoa Beach$83Daytona Beach$134 or $79*Fort Lauderdale$137, $117 or $86*Fort Myers$93 or $61*Fort Pierce$86 or $70*Jacksonville$78Key West$184 or $135*Kissimmee$69Lakeland$66Leesburg$67Miami$138 or $99*Naples$127 or $79*Palm Beach$97 to $142*Pensacola$67Sarasota$110 or $86*Tampa/St. Petersburg$93*Depending on the season


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The Fisker Ocean electric crossover is set to enter production in late 2022, and we received a look at a production-intent prototype at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Tesla Model Y rival rides on a platform sourced from Magna Steyr, and will be built at a plant in Austria.
Also on show in L.A. was a new Porsche Taycan grade, the GTS. The GTS gets the electric motors and inverters from Taycan Turbo, and they make the same 626 lb-ft of torque as the Turbo, but horsepower drops from 670 in the Turbo to 590 in the GTS.
Vinfast made its U.S. debut at the L.A. Auto Show. The Vietnamese automaker brought along a pair of electric crossovers, the first of which is due to start deliveries in late 2022. Vinfast's plan to stand out is by offering a premium product at a reasonable price, though the company didn't say how much its crossovers will cost.
You'll find these stories and more in today's car news, right here at Motor Authority.
2023 Fisker Ocean coming for $37,499, with up to 350 miles of range, 550 hp
2022 Porsche Taycan adds GTS model, Sport Turismo body style
Vinfast VF E35 and VF E36 electric crossovers debut at 2021 LA Auto Show
2022 Nissan Frontier vs. 2021 Honda Ridgeline: Compare Trucks
GM's Factory Zero plant ready to start production of 2022 GMC Hummer EV
2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid debuts: 39-mpg compact SUV, can tow 2,000 pounds
German EV startup Sono launches IPO, starts trading on Nasdaq
2022 Nissan Rogue: Smaller, stronger engine matched by higher price
Mullen reveals Five electric crossover, plans US production
Northvolt claims first EV battery cell with 100% recycled nickel, manganese, cobalt


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By Dow Jones Business News,
January 23, 2014, 05:07:00 PM EDT
Delivery companies including FedEx Corp. ( FDX ) and United Parcel Service ( UPS ), have had issues with foreign
deliveries to individual customers in Russia over stricter government paperwork requirements, Reuters reported Thursday.
The report said FedEx temporarily suspended foreign shipments to individual customers. A FedEx spokesman told The Wall
Street Journal that the company "complies with all customs regulations for international shipments" and emphasized that
the temporary suspension applies only to shipments to individuals. The spokesman referred further questions to the
Russian customs authorities.
DHL Worldwide Express Inc. said it will suspend shipments of products for personal use to Russia from Jan. 27, Reuters
reported. DHL said an expanded list of required documents has significantly slowed down the customs process, Reuters
reported. A spokesman for DHL was not immediately available for comment to the Journal.
A spokeswoman for UPS told the Journal that the company has experienced "significant delays" in its deliveries of
packages to private individuals in Russia, but hasn't suspended its deliveries. However, she said UPS is evaluating
whether to do so. She said commercial shipments to businesses and document shipments to individuals have not been
Full story at: www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/23/us-dhl-russia-idUSBREA0M1JX20140123
Write to email@example.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
Copyright (c) 2014 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.


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|Another reason to keep up on Windows update - Windows Defender!
|Windows Defender is Microsoft's free antivirus it includes in Windows 10 for everyone. They originally bought their antivirus from another company and have been upgrading it from there.|
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
|Update is still rolling out
|It's been several months since the 1903 feature update to Windows was released, and we still have many customers who are just now getting the update. In fact, I just installed the update on my computer earlier this week.|
Thursday, August 15, 2019
|Scam phone calls
|We have been getting a lot of calls and visits lately about people receiving phone calls from "Microsoft" telling them their computer is infected, their Windows license is about to expire, etc. |
These phone calls are SCAMS.
Friday, August 9, 2019
|Hands-free Law in effect tomorrow
|August 1 is the day that the new Hands-Free Law goes into effect in Minnesota. We wrote about this a month ago, but decided the day before would be one last good reminder.|
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
|How to make copying and pasting easier|
|Many times we've seen where people plug in a flash drive, or other external storage device into their computer, and find what they want to put on the machine.|
Friday, July 26, 2019


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With 28 years under their belt, the folks at Karl Strauss Brewing Company have done a great deal: opening San Diego proper’s first post-Prohibition Era brewery, building the county’s largest network of brewpubs, contract brewing out-of-state and later bringing fermentation operations back to America’s Finest City, building venues in Orange County and Los Angeles. They could have rested on their laurels or become stagnant at any point, but founders Chris Cramer and Matt Rattner continue to look for ways to innovate and identify new revenue streams. The latest example of that is Karl Strauss’ recent establishment of its own distribution arm.
The company has been laying the framework for a distributorship for several years, but recently launched delivery of beers from its first two distributed brands, new Oceanside-based business Black Plague Brewing Company and Grantville’s four-year-old Benchmark Brewing Company. The latter’s Orange County launch took place last week, though Karl Strauss had been in talks with Benchmark for well over a year.
“We’re expanding on our on-premise, self-distribution network in San Diego and Orange County to now include a select group of local, independent breweries,” says Mark Weslar, Karl Strauss’ vice president of marketing. “Delivering our own beers on-premise has helped us develop an expertise selling to and servicing local bars and restaurants. We look forward to helping some brewery friends build their business.”
The first San Diego County brewery to go from brewing to manufacturing and distributing not only its own beers but those of fellow local brands was Stone Brewing. Founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner often cite that as a key moment in the company’s history, and a business move that kept Stone from going out of business. After having many doors slammed in their face by distributors unwilling to take a chance on their new, small operation, they decided to do it themselves. In opening Stone Distributing Co. in the late-nineties, they brought aboard brands such as AleSmith Brewing and Coronado Brewing, later adding brands from across the country as well as numerous international brewing companies. Today, that entity is responsible for distribution of 44 brands—that like Karl Strauss’ portfolio are all independent—throughout Southern California.
Karl Strauss has no immediate plans to bring on additional brands, but plans to be selective when they do, focusing on local and independent interests representing a partnership that would make sense for all parties involved. Says Weslar, “It’s an exciting new venture, but it’s also business as usual here at Karl Strauss with all of us maintaining our focus on making, selling and distributing great beer.”
The craft-brewing industry is in a state of flux, forcing companies within it to reexamine their business models and, in the case of larger operations, alter them in order to thrive or, in some cases survive. Larger operations such as Stone Brewing, Green Flash Brewing and Karl Strauss Brewing have all had to adjust course as consumer preferences shift to smaller, local, independent breweries, and active consumer demographics begin to skew toward younger factions, many of which have only ever drunk craft beer. It’s to be expected of interests that are among the country’s 50 largest brewing companies. Though it is considerably smaller and, at its heart still a family-run business, Coronado Brewing Company has been quite vigilant over the past several years, keeping an eye on the rapidly changing market and making moves to weather an uncertain storm. The latest of those moves includes today’s announcement that CBC will purchase East Village-based brand Monkey Paw Brewing. Owner Scot Blair‘s other businesses, South Park Brewing and Hamiltons Tavern, are not part of the deal.
Blair has had lofty aspirations for his beer-making business since opening it in 2011, but was not satisfied with progress toward increased production and distribution. He examined a number of options for meeting those goals, including acquisition, but says he wouldn’t have sold to just anybody. A stalwart figure within the craft-beer world for more than a decade, Blair knows the industry and the individuals within it, and says it was his long-standing respect for and friendship with CBC owners Ron and Rick Chapman that distinguished this as the right move for him and his business. Another key factor is control. Blair has a vision for Monkey Paw and its beers, and will remain intimately involved with the brand, focusing solely on beer—conceptualization and growth of the entire portfolio.
This deal is reminiscent of Green Flash’s 2014 acquisition of Alpine Beer Company. That move allowed for increased production of Alpine beers at Green Flash’s much-larger brewing facilities. Likewise, Monkey Paw, which produced less than 700 barrels last year, will now have the majority of its beers produced at CBC’s Bay Park headquarters, while still making beer on the 15-barrel system at its East Village pub. CBC began brewing its beers at that site—affectionately referred to as “Knoxville” for the street it occupies—in 2013, a year after taking over the 14,000-square-foot property. Since then, it has taken over several other buildings bordering the brewery, creating a rather impressive cul-de-sac campus. CBC is also in the process of installing a kitchen at Knoxville to increase the draw of its tasting room. This is particularly important with the impending arrival of a satellite tasting room from Benchmark Brewing Company and a new brewery, Deft Brewing Company, slated for arrival in Bay Park this year.
CBC is also changing up its game in the southerly municipality of Imperial Beach. The company opened a bar and restaurant there in 2014, and recently signed on to construct a 7,500-square-foot brewpub at the upcoming Bikeway Village on Florence Street. This will increase brewing capacity in a more high-profile location not far from CBC’s original brewpub on its namesake island. Meanwhile, CBC has ceased distribution to certain states, strategically tightening things up to better compete in the marketplace and maximize profits and expenditures.
And two months ago, the company announced the Chapmans’ investment in SouthNorte Brewing Company, a new venture headed by CBC head brewer Ryan Brooks. That operation, basically a CBC offshoot or sub-brand, will meld the brewing cultures of Baja California and Southern California, but there’s more to that fermentation fusion than mere ingenuity. An MO like that figures to appeal to demographics CBC does not currently reach in as great a quantity as they would like. Ditto Monkey Paw’s liquid wares, which skew to a younger demographic more interested in locavorianism, that likely wishes to support an edgier brand versus a company that recently celebrated its 21st anniversary. While this acquisition (which is set to be completed by September) may seem odd to those not paying attention, a look at CBC’s recent body of work where business-model adjustment is concerned shows the logic behind it and how it fits into a large and intricate puzzle.
Summer’s in full swing and so is San Diego’s beer-drinking public. Rather than beat the heat, get right out in it and combat it with local ales and lagers at any of the featured events below. Still thirsty? No problem. Check out even more beery happenings on our events page.
July 11 | Beer Dinner No. 2: North Park Beer’s first beer dinner was impressive, enough that one attendee, O’Brien’s Pub’s Tyson Blake, signed up him and his boss, Nickel Beer Co. brewmaster Tom Nickel, to participate in this month’s feast, which will feature house, guest and collab beers plus fare from on-site Mastiff Sausage that goes beyond its everyday meaty fare. | North Park Beer Company, 3038 University Avenue, North Park, 7 p.m.
July 19 | Hop-Con 5.0: Stone Brewing will celebrate a half-decade of boozy, (partially) barrel-aged beer that salutes and speaks to nerds of all walks of life when it taps five consecutive vintages of Drew Curtis / Wil Wheaton / Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout and an immense list of specialty brews, serves up gourmet food and plugs in its vintage #HopCade. | Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, 2816 Historic Decatur Road, Point Loma, 7 p.m.
July 21-23 | Craft Beer Block Party: The tenants of the North Park Brewery Igniter campus—Eppig Brewing, Pariah Brewing and San Diego Brewing—are teaming up for the first time to present a fun weekend that will feature a Friday-night progressing beer-pairing dinner featuring three courses from Biersal Food Truck, and a two-day “local maker’s market”. | CRAFT by Brewery Igniter, 3052 El Cajon Boulevard; North Park, Times Vary by Day
July 29 | Arts & Amps: Ales and art in multiple forms will be celebrated at Karl Strauss Brewing’s PB tasting room and beer garden. There’ll be live mural art by Cohort Collective, a gallery show from Creative Souls on the West, live music by The Schizophonics and Creature Canyon, and food from Tasting Room Del Mar. An event like this could be pricey, but admission is free! | Karl Strauss Brewing Company, 5985 Santa Fe Street, Pacific Beach, 4:30 p.m.
July 29 | HESSFEST 7: Mike Hess Brewing has been getting by with a little help from their friends for a whopping seven years. Breweries from here to Arizona come out to bolster this festival, which benefits Next Step Service Dogs and the YMCA, and will feature nine collaboration beers with the likes of Council Brewing, Eppig Brewing, and Second Chance Beer Company. | Mike Hess Brewing, 3812 Grim Avenue, North Park, 12 p.m.
Winners of the San Diego International Beer Festival’s professional brewing competition were released today. A component of the San Diego County Fair’s annual festivities, the competition included entries from across the globe judged by professional beer judges and Southern California brewing professionals in late-April. A total of 68 medals were awarded to San Diego-based breweries. Of that number, 23 were gold, 21 were silver and 24 were bronze.
San Diego breweries won all three medals in eight categories: American-style Red/Amber Ale, Bitter, Bold Stout, Brett and Other Sour Beer, German-style Ale, German-style Weiss, Imperial Stout and Pilsener. Miramar-based AleSmith Brewing Company once again took home Champion Brewery honors behind three medals—a gold and silver in the same category (one of which was awarded to a Scotch ale) and a gold in the Barley Wine category.
The most local medals went to Pizza Port. That brewpub’s Carlsbad brewpub also won a gold and two silvers. Its Ocean Beach arm won two (one gold, one bronze) and Bressi Ranch production brewery earned a silver. The most medals awarded to a single brewery went to San Marcos’ Rip Current Brewing Company and less-than-a-year-old North Park interest Eppig Brewing. Both of those companies earned a gold, silver and two bronzes. San Marcos’ The Lost Abbey and South Park Brewing Company earned three medals apiece, as well. Also impressive was Rip Current winning two of three medals in the German-style Bock category.
The following is a complete list of the winners from this years SDIBF…
The three-day public beer-fest portion of the SDIBF will take place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Friday, June 16 through Sunday, June 18. Tickets and information can be found online.


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A man has been banned from Boots, Co-op, Next, TK Maxx and B&M after he stole candles worth hundreds of pounds.
Liam Marshall was sentenced to seven months at Cambridge Crown Court on Saturday (May 16) after previously pleading guilty to nine counts of theft, theft of a pedal cycle, going equipped for theft, common assault and possession of a knife.
On three occasions on 8, 10 and 18 October he stole hundreds of pounds worth of Yankee candles from B&M at the Beehive Centre.
Between September 27 and February 11 he also stole meat, sweets and wine from the Co-op in Milton Road, a bike worth more than £500 from Anglia House, children’s clothing from Next in Sidney Street, perfume and five face and body hair trimmers worth £250 from Boots in Petty Cury.
The 31-year-old assaulted a security guard at Boots on February 11 and was found carrying bolt croppers and a knife in his bag.
Marshall has also been handed a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) not to enter any Boots, Next, Co-op, TK Maxx or B&M stores in Cambridge. He’s also banned from the Grafton Centre, Grand Arcade, Lion Yard and Beehive Centre and any shops or retail premises within.
PC Jamie Tumber said: “Marshall’s offending has caused upset and damage to the community in which he lives. We hope this sentence will give him the time he needs to address his behaviour and a fresh start.
“CBOs are obtained through close partnership working with organisations including Cambridge Business Against Crime (CAMBAC) and one of the methods we use in the city to tackle shop theft. I would encourage businesses to report any breaches to us.”


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ORLANDO, Fla. — The holiday season is just around the corner, and SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas Celebration is back this year.
Guests can enjoy new festive food, drinks, and new experiences, including the Christmas Market and a holiday show, “Mrs. Claus’ Magic Kitchen.”
Visitors will see the park transformed into a winter wonderland with holiday trees and lights.
There will be over 100 trees and a center tree 70 feet above the water.
Family and friends can see their favorite holiday shows return, like “Holiday Reflections: Fireworks Finale,” the Sesame Street Christmas Parade and Rudolph’s Christmas Town.
The celebration also includes ice skating at Bayside Stadium. Guests can watch professionals show off their “Winter Wonderland on Ice.”
For a magical treat, here are the new holiday dishes offered in the park:
- Jolly Philly Cheesesteak
- Festive BBQ Pulled Pork and Waffle
- Mistletoe Lambchops
- Strawberries and Cream Beignets
- Santa’s Mini Apple Pie
- Rustic Gingerbread Cake
These are the seasonal drinks:
- Christmas Cheers
- Not Santa’s Milk and Cookies
- Mistletoe Margarita
- Apple Cider Punch
For more information, click here.
©2023 Cox Media Group


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- Public sector fails to tackle £20.6bn a year fraud using big data
- Cybercriminals have access to 100 zero-day flaws on any day, NSS Labs calculates
- Natwest website targeted in DDOS cyber attack
- DARPA makes finding software vulnerabilities fun
- Flashlight app vendor settles with FTC over privacy violations
- US faces major Internet image problem, former gov't official says
- On snooping disclosures, AT&T and Internet companies are like night and day
- MenuetOS inches towards 1.0
- Telstra hits 300 Mbps in LTE-A trial
- Moto G real-world review: The best budget phone money can buy
Many enterprises around the world think they are prepared for cyber attacks but the reality is that any organisation is at risk of a security breach, consulting firm Deloitte has warned.
It's hardly the kind of thing any company wants attached to its name, but HTC's rapid acknowledgment of confessed "serious" security exploit, discovered and published this week by security researchers, may ultimately help deflect criticisms and will, regardless, serve as a valuable reminder to CSOs that mobile devices represent a new and still-evolving security threat within the enterprise.
From almost every angle, the message for Australian government bodies is as clear as it is for their private sector counterparts: do more with less. Effective data management policies are often the best ‘unrealised’ opportunities to directly address these high-level challenges, especially when it comes to government data custodianship.
Divx Plus 8 provides you with a Web Player which allows you to watch DivX, AVI and MKV videos in your web brower; you can ...
Think back to the last time all your employees were in the office, at their desks, on the same day. It’s no surprise that you might struggle, between travel and off-site meetings, remote staff, flexible schedules and sick days. In today's competitive business climate, organisations need to maintain productivity and connectedness with their staff, despite not always being onsite. In this whitepaper, we look at five ways you can improve productivity, no matter where employees are.
- Apple knows where shoppers are in its stores with nationwide iBeacon rollout
- Should Facebook, Yahoo and Twitter really judge what's news?
- Distracted consumers spend less time on social than email marketing: Report
- New report busts myths about millennials and their digital and social behaviour
- Twitter gobbles up more cookies with retargeted ads, says users have privacy choices


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At just 22, Quiin Abenakyo the reigning Miss Uganda has made it through to the top 12 finalists in the Miss World 2018 competitions due in Sanya City, China.
Since leaving afew weeks back to compete in the 68th edition of the Miss World pageant, Abenakyo has got the competition captivated with her attention-grabbing fashion and intellect.
The World’s oldest running international beauty pageant, Miss World brings together beauty queens all over the world.
Abenakyo had already won the Head to Head Challenge — a sub-contest — where she made it to the top 30 finalists of the prestigious beauty pageant and her steller performance has made her progress to the top 12 finalist list from whom the 2018 Miss World winner will be chosen tonight (Saturday December 8th).
The top 12 finalist list includes:


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Recently gathered responses from over 300 randomly selected travel agents point to luxury cruise as the “least hot” of the cruise segments.
This is in contrast to previous speculation about economic recessions – the idea that “wealth would hold up.”
In October, when the ugly face of the economic crisis was peaking out from around the corner, Cruise Market Watch predicted changes in consumer behavior, including “the new cool” among wealthy would be to “show restraint, not flaunt.”
Indeed "There's a sense of there being a gaucheness in spending in excess and coming home with a Louis Vuitton or Chanel bag," Lucyann Barry.
However, cruising on a luxury ship is hardly conspicuous, in fact the contrary. It would seem the perfect place for wealthy to get-away and be able to enjoy a good pampering without worry about a reprimanding public (think auto executive jets to D.C. or bank CEO office remodeling).
The luxury industry as a whole is predicting a difficult year. Bain & Company estimates worldwide sales of luxury goods will decline from 3-7% from 2008.
Other luxury market reports include:
- Audi’s Chief Executive Officer Rupert Stadler, when asked about the size of Audi’s sales drop this year, stated in a Bloomberg Television interview “We don’t know yet if it’s 5 percent, 10 percent or 20 percent.”
- British automaker Bentley, reports North America sales are off 32%.
- A survey by the National Association of Home Builders found that sales of homes priced more than $1 million fell 70%.
- In Colorado, Vail lodging occupancy is down over previous years and average luxury restaurants tabs have fallen.
So what’s one to do?
Pricing: Upscale chains such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus are stocking less merchandise to maintain some price integrity. But luxury cruise lines don’t have the option to scale back inventory. In fact, the segment is projected add ship capacity at a higher rate than the overall cruise industry.
So there are luxury cruise markdowns. For example, Silversea offered 50% off a 7 day Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona, Spain on May 14. Seabourn offered 60% off it's 13 day Portugal Passage, leaving out of Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon March 18.
Grow markets: Another strategy is to grow share in other geographic markets. This may be part of the motivation behind Seabourn’s move to operate year-round in Asia starting in 2010-2011. By adding many new and exclusive ports of call, Seabourn will likely help attract unique port destination collectors.
I have started a monthly series here about how to tap other non-geographic markets and believe those strategies are applicable.
Marketing Communications: Focus marketing on providing comfort, practical, grounded and authentic experiences.
Long-term luxury cruises are very secure. Luxury – the seeking of the scare and extremely unique – is an innate a trait of human civilizations - from ancient Mesopotamia to central Mexico. Those things aren’t likely to change.


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Over the last few weeks, people around the world have been receiving mystery seeds in the post from China. Nobody ordered them, nobody wanted them, but nonetheless the mystery seeds keep coming, usually arriving in packets labeled as jewelry.
The US Authorities have been particularly stern in their warnings that people should not plant the forbidden seeds – for multiple reasons – with 27 states putting out warnings, sometimes in all caps just to make you think there's something seriously dangerous going on here.
Flash forward to people all over the US planting the forbidden seeds.
"We brought them down here and planted the seeds just to see what would happen," Doyle Crenshaw, from Booneville, Arkansas told local news network 5NewsOnline. They had arrived in a package labeled as studded earrings and he was too curious not to plant them. "Every two weeks I'd come by and put miracle grow on it and they just started growing like crazy."
Some of the plants have orange blossoms and long white fruits, which could mean it's a squash. So far, there are no signs of the plants attempting to eat people as Internet memes would suggest is next.
Crenshaw is far from alone in his curiosity.
The seeds are a mixed bag, but so far have been fairly innocuous. An investigation by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that they were pretty ordinary varieties you'd be able to buy at a store.
"We have identified 14 different species of seeds, including mustard, cabbage, morning glory, and some herbs like mint, sage, rosemary, lavender, then other seeds like hibiscus and roses," Osama El-Lissy from the Plant Protection program of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a radio interview. "This is just a subset of the samples we've collected so far."
You probably still shouldn't plant them though, as they could contain pathogens or contaminates, insects could be hidden within the packaging, or the seeds themselves could belong to invasive species. The USDA urged anyone who receives an unsolicited bag of seeds to contact their state regulator and hold onto the package until they are given further instructions.
As for an explanation why China appears to be gifting the world mysterious seeds, so far an online scam is the most likely scenario.
"At this time, we don’t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a 'brushing scam' where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales," the USDA said in a statement.
Essentially, people send out the packages to random people and then review the product under a false name on sites like Amazon or Etsy. This then boosts their seller rating, and their actual products (probably not seeds) start showing up in more people's search results while they shop.


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INCREASED rent prices in Victoria Quarter, approaching the opening of Victoria Gate, have claimed their second independent casualty in the space of a month.
...it doesn’t bode well for the future of independents in the developing Victoria Quarter
In a handwritten note posted to their Facebook page and addressed to 'friends, customers & fellow coffee addicts', Opposite Cafe’s owner Lou announced that today marks the beginning of their final week in the VQ:
'It is with great sadness that I announce our final week in the lovely Victoria Quarter in Leeds. We will be packing up on Friday 26th August, so come down and say goodbye before we depart!'
Lou goes on to explain that 'extremely high proposed rents for the arcade that follow the opening of Victoria Gate' will make it difficult to economically justify renewing their lease, which is nearing its end.
She goes on to thank their customers and each of the staff, personally, who 'made the shop what it is over the years: approachable, fun, unpretentious and dedicated to serving excellent coffee'.
This news follows Filmore & Union's withdrawal from the Victoria Quarter last month, also stating high proposed rents as the reason for their departure.
If rent on just a tiny stand in the VQ is pricey enough to drive a popular cafe like Opposite out of operation, it doesn’t bode well for the future of independents in the developing Victoria Quarter.
(Opposite Cafe will still operate from their shops at 26 Blenheim Terrace in the City Centre, and 4 Stainbeck Lane, Chapel Allerton.)


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Eating food that’s grown locally and sustainably is a fantastic and increasingly popular idea, but it’s also expensive. Producers tend to drown under marketing and distribution costs, and struggle to find retail channels for their products. To assume that urban farms can escape that trap because of their extreme proximity to consumers would be a mistake; getting food to consumers has proven a logistical nightmare for them as well. — citiscope.org
When you picture a housing development in the suburbs, you might imagine golf courses, swimming pools, rows of identical houses.
But now, there's a new model springing up across the country that taps into the local food movement: Farms — complete with livestock, vegetables and fruit trees — are serving as the latest suburban amenity.
It's called development-supported agriculture, a more intimate version of community-supported agriculture — a farm-share program commonly known as CSA. — npr.org
The decision to go with “edible art” as part of a larger park renovation, rather than a standard mural, was seen as a way to foster residents’ participation, said Karly Katona, a deputy to Mark Ridley-Thomas, the local county supervisor. — NYT
Patricia Brown highlights the work of the group Fallen Fruit, particularly their recent installation of California's first public fruit park in Del Aire, outside Los Angeles. She also outlines a growing fruit-activist movement, who use urban agriculture as a way to explore issues...
SUBMIT NEWS: submit in 60 seconds!


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Market Analysis: Persimmon, AstraZeneca, GSK, Airbus, Kering And The White Company
Ben Nuttall, Senior Analyst at Third Bridge looks at Yorkshire-based housebuilder Persimmon: "Sales for the year so far came not only 23% above 2020 levels but also 11% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels too. Build rates have remained at pre-pandemic levels despite socially distanced work environment, and they remain on track to deliver first half volume approaching that of first half of 2019. Outlet levels remain 15% lower than 2019, which specialists we speak with indicate could be a risk moving forward.”
"UK housebuilders have benefitted from a string of demand-side policies. Stamp duty holidays have been extended, Help-To-Buy has been prolonged, and most recently 5% deposits have been introduced to further stimulate the market."
"Pent-up demand for housing is also coming through on the back of consumers accumulating lockdown savings and being subject to fewer outgoings."
"The UK's demand-side policies are great for helping individuals, couples, and families get on the housing ladder. However, according to our experts, whilst a chronic undersupply of UK housing persists, demand-side policies mostly serve to drive up prices, benefitting house builders like Persimmon."
Third Bridge Senior Analyst Sebastian Skeet comments on AstraZeneca & GSK
"Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and GSK’s recent lacklustre earnings, AstraZeneca appears to be setting the benchmark for success amongst the world's big pharma' players."
"AstraZeneca's oncology franchise continues to deliver higher sales, growing at 16% CER over the previous year. Our experts say recent trial data supports the blockbuster potential of a number of on-market and pipeline assets across a range of indications including immunology, oncology, infectious disease, and more."
“Whilst some questions remain around the mid-term competitive threats to key Alexion and oncology assets, the proposed acquisition brings in deep scientific expertise and pipeline candidates. Both of which could could be applied to far more prevalent disease and there is a near term opportunity to cross-sell Alexion products into China, a key and rapidly growing market for AstraZeneca”
"The public story for AstraZeneca is less impressive with negative sentiment around its vaccine persisting. Rollout efforts have been impacted by extremely rare blood clotting events, the EU's lawsuit, and questions around the path forward in the U.S."
"There is an urgent demand for vaccines in emerging economies which AstraZeneca’s candidate could cater for, especially given its favourable storage temperature requirements and the fact this remains a safe an effective vaccine option."
Turning to GSK Sebastian Skeet says: "GSK endured a pretty lacklustre 2020 following a number of pipeline setbacks and Covid-19 disruption. Worryingly, their 2021 performance looks all too familiar”
"With pandemic-driven stocking in early 2020 serving as a tough year on year comparator, at constant exchange rates and on a pro-forma basis, topline sales for the pharmaceuticals, vaccines and consumer health division dropped by -8%, -30% and -16% respectively. Adjusted EPS is down 33%"
"Not only have existing challenges such as a muted shingrix recovery, late-stage pipeline setbacks, and increased competition around key on-market assets persisted at GSK, but we have seen additional pressures in the form of currency and shareholder activism."
"The outcome of Elliot's multibillion-dollar stake in the company is currently unclear given GSK's planned 2022 consumer health split."
"Whilst GSK will point to positives such as their Benlysta trials and RSV vaccine candidate, our experts are concerned that the healthcare giant's may be unable to plug the gap when key HIV assets go off-patent."
"The market will be watching closely when GSK announces its new Biopharma company strategy and dividend structure in June."
Meanwhile, analyst Jack Winchester, says of Airbus: "While quarterly revenues were basically unchanged from the same period last year, Airbus has had a profitable first three months of the year. With the uncertainty and depressed demand due to the pandemic, that in itself is worth noting.
Cash flow improved to 1.2 billion Euros but against a weak benchmark where the company lost over 8 billion Euros in the same period in 2020.
Airbus delivered 125 planes in the first quarter of the year, a slight improvement on Q1 of last year, but fundamental questions persist around when demand will return for the airframer.
Our experts say two conditions are necessary for a strong Airbus recovery. First, we need to see more people taking flights, and then we need to see how airlines will think about replacing old aircraft, many of which haven’t seen many flight hours since March 2020.
Management’s plan to simplify the production set-up for Airbus’ aerostructures look logical. But such a large scale business and production integration will be extremely challenging to realise in the short term.
And to conclude, Harry Barnick, Senior Analyst, said last week on Kering,
that the company "reported a 26% growth in comparables sales, with Gucci outperforming estimates by growing +25% year-on-year in Q1 2021."
"These results will allay some concerns regarding the slow down in momentum at Gucci, which underperformed vs peers in 2020 and makes up roughly 60% of Kering's total revenue"
"However, LVMH's leather goods category grew 45% over the same period, which indicates that Kering is still lagging behind its biggest competitor."
"Gucci's collaboration with Balenciaga is a smart way to drive sales growth by combining two iconic brands on one item. This is likely to be particularly successful in China, generating significant brand heat."
"Bottega Veneta continues to be a shining light in the Kering portfolio, solidifying the brand's place as a dominant player in the personal luxury goods market."
"Kering is on the hunt for additional luxury houses to bolster its current portfolio. With Richemont and Prada both out of the picture, rumours are circling around the possibility of a Farfetch takeover."
Third Bridge is a global primary research firm that interviews more than 6,000 internationally recognised industry experts and business leaders a year to compile 360-degree market intelligence for institutional investors. www.thirdbridge.com
The White Company
published its result for the 52 weeks up to 1st August 2020.
In a financial year where the final 5 months were dominated by the impact of and response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are
pleased to report a Group Operating Profit of £14.1m, a 4% increase on the previous year, which was a 70-week period.
Our Group Turnover was £226.3m, up 4% on the previous year on a comparable 52-week basis, although the performance
dynamics were very different in the first 7 months compared with the subsequent 5 months of Covid-19 impact.
Before the pandemic, we experienced similar levels of growth across our Store and Digital channels, but we were then forced to
close our stores in March and unable to reopen them until mid-June. We were able to continue trading online throughout, and
given the strength of consumer demand through our digital channel, we were able to mitigate a large portion of the lost trade
from the stores. This meant that our overall sales in the final 5 months of the financial year saw only a slight decline.
During the year, we opened 2 new stores and 2 new concessions in the UK, bringing the total number of UK stores to 61, including
11 concessions. In addition, we continued to trade 2 stores in Ireland and 1 store in the US, having closed our other US store during
the year. This is all in addition to our UK, US and Euro websites, plus our wholesale arrangement in the US with Nordstrom Inc.
Despite the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and 2 further periods of store closures, trading since August has been positive, supported by a greater consumer appetite for Home and Gifting products. We remain cautiously optimistic for the future, especially
with stores now reopened, but are conscious of the uncertainties within the retail sector as we transition out of lockdown.
CEO Mary Homer said: “The year has, without doubt, been extremely challenging, with a global pandemic that created many business situations that none of us have ever experienced before. In light of this, I am very pleased with our results, both from a turnover and profit perspective.
I am extremely proud of the whole team, who have risen to all these challenges, working in an extremely
agile way, and at pace, making very sound business decisions. Most importantly, these decisions have
all been made keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do.
Our strategy to make further strides with our international growth, digital transformation and IT infrastructure remains the same, and this is instrumental in ensuring we achieve future growth.
Overall, as a business, we are in a strong position – trade during this current year has been positive, and we are cautiously optimistic, albeit we know there are many challenges ahead for the economy, and therefore the retail sector.”


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LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Katch, the software platform that enables brands to engage and monetize every buyer who comes to their website, introduces a solution for brands to create incremental advertising revenue from their media. Brands can license Katch's real-time bidding exchanges where select advertisers can target and bid on in-market website visitors as they shop. This enables brands to monetize non-transacting consumers who would have otherwise left their website.
"In many cases, websites that see huge amounts of in-market traffic daily – sites like Gap.com, or Comcast.com for example – have never seen their websites as a media business that can pull in substantial revenue and help recoup marketing spend," Patrick Quigley, CEO, Katch. "If they have thought about it, they didn't know of a simple solution to put in place. Katch is that solution – it's simple, yet powerful."
An example of a consumer website that uses its own internal marketing product to feature ads from other advertisers is Amazon.com. In 2014, Amazon.com saw $1 billion in revenue from its ad product alone.
"Until now, the technology has been unavailable for more websites to do the same as Amazon already does. Katch unlocks the potential for better media monetization that has been limited to homegrown solutions and products like Google Ad Sense – both suboptimal solutions," Quigley said.
Brands like HealthPlans.com and Efinancial are already using Katch to get the most out of every consumer shopping on their site.
"The reality is that consumers are going to comparison shop when making considered purchases," Quigley said. "It's a new way of thinking for most brands, but the early adopters are going to get a huge advantage over their competition."
Katch is the only software platform that enables brands to engage and monetize every buyer who comes to their website – even those that don't transact. Brands use Katch to set up real-time, invitation-only exchanges where advertisers can target and bid on in-market website visitors as they shop. Katch was recently honored as the second fastest-growing advertising technology company with revenue over $100 million in North America, according to Inc. magazine's Inc. 5000. To learn more about Katch, visit www.katch.com.


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Looking forward to 2016
There is no doubt that 2015 was an important year for the Internet and digital economy – digital issues have never been higher on the European agenda, be it as part of the Commission’s bold Digital Single Market strategy or as fallout from the ECJs Safe Harbour decision.
This trend will not subside and as we move into 2016 we will face fundamental changes to Europe’s digital landscape in key areas, including cross-border data flows, cross-border access to digital goods and services, and digital platform regulation.
Take Safe Harbour for example, responses to the ECJs recent Safe Harbour decision ranged a great deal. At ICOMP we do not believe this can simply be portrayed as a Europe vs. America or consumer vs. industry issue. While there are undoubtedly very serious questions which need to be addressed, we see this as a unique opportunity for the world’s two largest trading blocs to strengthen the many ties that already bind us.
Much work has been done to reach an agreement on a new Safe Harbour, and those who have lead the negotiation should be applauded for the work they have done. In a recent letter to Commissioner Jourová, we took the opportunity to express our support for the development of a new agreement and to outline ICOMPs position on how that could be achieved. As we noted in the letter, ICOMP is confident that an agreement can be reached, and that “current negotiations with the United States on a new Safe Harbour provide a unique opportunity to further guarantee high-standard rules in this area that could serve as a model for the rest of the world”.
For Safe Harbour and beyond, we believe that Europe is playing an important and leading role on a number of global key digital issues. The Commission’s ambitious plan for the creation of a truly Digital Single Market is testament to this.
The DSM strategy, announced earlier this year, is a broad and ambitious agenda, covering almost every aspect of information technology and how it impacts governments, citizens, industry and the competitive environment. It contains three pillars:
1. Better access for consumers and businesses to online goods and services across Europe;
2. Creating the right conditions for digital networks and services to flourish;
3. Maximising the growth potential of the European digital economy.
Earlier this month the Commission unveiled the first comprehensive details of the DSM, focused on geo-blocking and copyright, issues of fundamental importance to not only ICOMP and our members but Europeans across the continent.
Whilst the goals are not controversial, their practical implementation will be. Past experience shows this risks being done in ways that may negatively affect many companies. Whether the outcome of the Commission’s initiatives results in formal measures or simply a view of a particular industry, it is critical to avoid solutions that favour certain business models over others or which fail adequately to address specific issues.
As we move into the New Year, ICOMP looks forward to bringing our members together and working to support the Commission, other European Institutions, and Member States in achieving a truly Digital Single Market that supports the growth of the online economy to the benefit of business and consumers.


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August 21, 2012
Publishers Press, a family-owned printing company that ranks as North America's fourth-largest publication printer, recently launched a flexographic division. Executive Vice President Michael Simon naturally turned to SCREEN USA for a new flexo digital imaging device. Says Simon: "Our experience with SCREEN is nothing short of extraordinary."
When everything is perfect before you go to press, you know it’s SCREEN.
Yields higher print speeds on coated litho stocks, expands lightweight paper capabilities, fine-tunes drying performance across all substrates.
Springfield, Missouri, area label printer/converter, AMPLE Industries, needed a way to produce more labels in less time for its food, beverage, nutraceuticals and HBA customers. It turned to SCREEN’s Truepress Jet L350UV technology to help amp up its production and quality.


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Brookshire food drive
Brookshire Grocery Co. stores throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas began its 32nd Annual Spirit of Christmas Food Drive. The food drive will last until Dec. 18 in most areas.
Approximately 150 Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods stores will collect donations of non-perishable food items and team up with a wide range of service organizations, food pantries, and other volunteer groups to distribute food to families who need assistance.
BGC will donate boxes of non=perishable food items, as well as a coupon for a free roasting hen to accompany each box of food distributed. The stores will also sell scan coupons and apply those donations to purchase additional food for the food drive.
Donations collected in a community remain in that community to help needy families.
Customers can support the drive by dropping off individual non-perishable products or purchasing a pre-assembled “grab-bag” of items at their local store. Customers can also purchase $1 or $5 scan coupons at checkout.
BGC’s first food drive took place in Tyler in 1982 with the Rose City Kiwanis Club. Nearly 100 families received assistance that year in the Tyler area. Last year, more than 500,000 pounds of food were collected and donated to more than 14,000 families in the Ark-La-Tex.


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DAKOTA DUNES, SD – Tyson Foods and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit are exploring new ways to meet the continued growing consumer demand for function and convenience without sacrificing quality and flavor. Today, the two companies announce a new retail cook-in-bag rib product featuring the restaurant chain’s three most popular barbecue flavor profiles. The product line represents Dickey’s first fresh meats partnership and is expected to be available for retailers in early 2022.
“With this new product, we’re focused on bringing the exceptional quality and flavor of the Dickey’s Barbecue dine-in eating experience to the comfort and convenience of consumers’ homes,” says Kent Harrison, vice president of marketing and premium programs, Tyson Foods, Fresh Meats. “We’ve worked closely with the foodservice team at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit and recognize the successful brand they’ve built in their restaurants. Through that relationship we identified an opportunity to bring some innovative products to the retail space for consumers to enjoy.”
Dickey’s Barbecue Seasoned Ribs will come in three of its most popular flavors: Original Secret Recipe, Signature Sweet and Sizzlin’ Spice. The oven-safe bag ensures that perfect, restaurant-quality ribs are ready at home in just 90 minutes with no prep and no mess.
“We’ve seen great success in markets across the United States since we entered the retail space in 2015, and we’re extremely excited about our first fresh meats product line,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “Tyson is an invaluable partner, and we can’t wait for consumers to experience this product.”
About Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.
Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the world’s largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by
Travis Dickey. For the past 80 years, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests Legit. Texas. Barbecue.™ At Dickey’s, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit.
Dickey’s proudly believes there’s no shortcut to true barbecue and it’s why they never say bbq. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with ‘No B.S. (Bad Stuff)’ included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide with international locations in the UAE and Japan. Dickey’s Restaurant brands have over 550 locations nationwide. In 2016, Dickey’s won first place on Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” list, was named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur in 2018 and was named to Hospitality Technology Industry Heroes in 2021. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the country’s 50 most influential women in foodservice in 2020 by Nation’s Restaurant News and was recognized as one of the top 25 industry leaders on Fast Casual’s 2020 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal and QSR Magazine. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.


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Leeds-based printer Awesome Merchandise officially launched its US operation in March at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
Awesome used the city-wide film, music and interactive media event as a springboard to introduce its brand to those attending, following the soft launch of its Austin-based factory in January this year. The Awesome team produced over 62,000 pieces of print and merch for UK bands, brands, promoters, graphic artists, illustrators and record labels visiting the SXSW 2019 festival.
James Lyall, managing director commented: “SXSW is an incredible opportunity for the music, arts and tech communities in the UK to come to the US and show them what we are capable of. For us to be able to help these people is a real buzz, as well as hard launching and activating our brand in the US too. A lot of these customers have also been longtime customers of ours in the UK, so to be able to seamlessly help in the US market makes total sense for us and them.
“Our team in the US and UK have been fantastic, so it’s a credit to them for getting everything together for the festival and all our customers.”
The company were active at numerous events and sponsored various showcases at venues such as the British Music Embassy, Mohawk, Cheer Up Charlies and the internationally acclaimed poster art show Flatstock. Awesome Merchandise, which set up the 20,000 sq ft factory in Austin in 2018, was founded in Leeds UK in 2005 and has since grown to over 100 team members at its Leeds site. It turned over £7 million in 2018 and produced over 12 million individual items.


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WEAR ABC 3 - Search Results
Cost of pork products could increase
The cost of bacon is on the rise due to a deadly virus spreading across the nation's farms. Infected farms are losing thousands of piglets every week. That has many farmers taking expensive measures to protect their livestock. Economists believe the cost of all pork products could soon be getting higher.


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Microsoft is making a big push for cross-device support in Windows 10, and part of that includes bringing its Siri-like Cortana voice control system to the iPhone. Just like Siri, Cortana lets you speak to perform tasks and retrieve information, and in some ways is considered more advanced than Apple's own system.
The Mac Observer Spin The Mac Observer Spin is how we show you what our authors think about a news story at quick glance. Read More →
I've spoken with several Windows and iPhone users who say Cortana is superior to Siri. Bringing that experience to the iPhone will force Apple to step up its voice recognition game, but it's also a shot across the company's bow. Make no mistake: Microsoft wants to eat Apple's pie.


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Tariffs turned out to be the talk of the town Tuesday afternoon, at least at the Spartanburg Marriott.
The Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce hosted two experts to detail their views on the toll tariffs instituted by President Trump could exact on the Upstate economy versus the chance the new duties could have upside benefits for the nation as a whole.
For Scott Baier, professor and department chair at The John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University, the bottom line is this: When looking back at the history of tariffs used by previous United States’ administrations “there are not a lot of success stories.”
Kris Denzel, senior director of International Policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, backed up that assertion, telling the downtown crowd of business leaders and chamber members Tuesday that trade works, while tariffs don’t.
Here’s what you need to know.
Tariffs have become big news since January
Essentially a tax on imported goods, President Trump first tacked tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels in January. He followed up that move with a 25 percent tax on imported steel and a 10 percent tax on imported aluminum.
He later floated the idea of placing a tax on imported autos and ordered the launch of a Section 232 investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce to see if imported vehicles have an impact on national security.
Tariffs don’t happen in a vacuum
In response to U.S. tariffs, countries around the world, including China, Canada, and Mexico tacked on retaliatory measures on everything from U.S. produced cars to soybeans, blue jeans and bourbon.
The auto industry has cried foul
Auto manufacturers, including BMW which warned tariffs could force it to cut its U.S. production, along with Toyota and General Motors among others, have warned the impact U.S. tariffs, and retaliatory measures imposed by other countries, could have on their businesses.
Those negative comments extended to industry trade groups and suppliers in July ahead of a public hearing in Washington D.C. as part of the ongoing Department of Commerce investigation.
U.S., European Union work on tariff fix
President Trump and the European Union placed a hold on future tariffs following a meeting in July when the two sides agreed to pause on the issue of future tariffs in an effort to begin working toward zero tariffs between the two economies. Neither side has yet agreed to lift existing tariffs, however.
Baier: Tariffs likely a mixed bag
Clemson’s Baier said Tuesday tariffs implemented or proposed by the Trump administration will likely raise costs for consumers and reduce consumption choices, may provide some protection to certain industries and will likely raise costs to downstream firms reducing production and employment.
That’s how much tariffs cost, in 2017 dollars, to save one auto worker’s job in the late 1970s or early 1980s, according to one study. Baier said it’s relatively easy to calculate the cost tariffs exact on consumers. Take the tariff’s impacts on prices and consumption and divide it by the number of jobs saved in each industry. At the time that study was conducted, Baier said auto workers made, adjusted for inflation, some $70,000 per year but the costs to protect those workers was heavy
Can tariffs be used to revitalize industries?
Yes and no, according to Baier, who said tariffs don’t generally slow down imports, nor do they add much in terms of domestic employment. He said a 1982 study that examined the impact of tariffs on bicycles, sheet glass, stainless steel flatware, watches and carpets found that the only industry that revitalized its production and improved its performance was the bicycle industry. In the other industries, “the protection was an unequivocal failure.”
How about industry protection?
Baier said a famous story from the Reagan administration that found tariffs offered protection for Harley Davidson motorcycles was again, a mixed bag. Tariffs on motorcycles with engines 700cc or larger did, indeed, drive down the import of big displacement Japanese motorcycles. Sort of. Baier said manufacturers got around the tax by producing motorcycles with engines in the 695-699cc range as a way to dodge the tariff.
It’s not all negative news
Baier said Newberry has benefited from the addition of some 460 jobs due to the expansion of Samsung washing machine production lines in that town.
Denzel said that’s the date to remember with regard to tariff retaliation against the United States when China and other countries hit the US with some $75 billion in retaliatory measures.
Denzel on U.S., EU agreement
“What essentially happened there was a paused button was placed on any new tariffs,” Denzel said. “This does not rescind steel and aluminum tariffs or retaliation on anything else. It’s an ambitious agreement, and we’re supportive of that, but the (tariffs) that are in place are bad for business along the supply chain.”
What could the future cost be to South Carolina?
Denzel said prices of steel in the United States have already increased, in some cases, more than 40 percent. He said you can chalk that price increase up to increased demand as supplies of foreign raw materials has decreased.
Baier said South Carolina imported some $550 million in steel last year. Based on current tariffs, he said the same amount would cost some $660 million now.


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All Posts by: Ray Willmott
Amazon have piloted a brand new scheme that will surely divide opinion. For the first time ever, writers can pen fan fiction and actually earn money from it.
EA may have given us our first indication of when to expect next-gen systems.
In a live panel with Major Nelson, Microsoft executives have confirmed that Next-Gen Kinect will support ‘six skeletons’ as opposed to two and can be used in smaller rooms.
Of all the names, this one I didn’t expect. Introducing Xbox One.
The wait is finally over. The speculation can cease. Microsoft are about to spill the beans on everything next Xbox. Over two years in the making, let’s find out what all this is together. Microsoft are already rolling out… Read More »
Ten years ago, most would have never believed that a major home console release could start life on a handheld. But in 2013, because technology is so powerful, that’s not so hard to come to terms with. Is that necessarily… Read More »
It’s been quiet on the Crysis 3 front since launch. We knew there was DLC coming, but quite what that would be was anyone’s guess. Now we’ve got our first indication as to what it might contain. 10 achievements have… Read More »
DUST 514 has just gone live on PSN and is already attracting leagues of fans. There are a few issues, but fortunately the first major patch aims to sort a lot of them out.
Just as Catwoman was playable in Arkham City, it seems as if players will get to run roughshot as Deathstroke in the upcoming Arkham Origins.
Today, we’ve announced the start of a bold new project to fundamentally change and improve the site. Through Indiegogo, we hope our goals will be realized, but we need your help to get there.


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For the third consecutive year, restaurant advertising spending increased sharply more than total U.S. ad spending (see chart). Restaurants spent $6.449 billion on measured media (TV, magazines, newspapers, Internet display ads, radio, outdoor boards and free-standing inserts), a 5.2% increase over 2012 spending, according to data from Kantar Media.
Significantly, that 5.2% is significantly greater than last year’s 2.9% increase in ad spending by the restaurant category’s largest single advertiser, McDonald’s Corp. The $988 million it spent accounted for 15.3% of total 2013 restaurant advertising dollars.
Total U.S. ad spending rose just 0.9% to $140.2 billion last year. The lack of Olympic and political spending during the year limited growth, Kantar reported. It noted that the largest 1,000 advertisers as a group are spending more while smaller companies sharply cut back spending last year.
Total ad spending during 2013’s Q4 was positive (+1.6%) during what was a very volatile year. Total ad spending declined 0.1% in Q1, jumped up 3.5% in Q2 and then fell 1.9% in Q3. Restaurant ad spending had declined 3.6% in Q3, falling farther than overall spending, before bouncing back in Q4.
Although restaurants spent roughly $17.7 million on advertising per day in 2013, the category ranked 8th among advertisers. And its 5.2% increase was not the largest. Ad spending in the telecom category was up 8.2% in 2013; the insurance category was up 8.1%. The largest decline was the 11.4% drop by direct-response companies. Ad spending also declined (-4.1%) in the financial services category.
Among media, the largest gain in spending was in Internet display ads (15.7%) while network radio showed the largest decline (-15.9%). Spending on cable TV was up 7.3%; spending on network and spot TV was down. Newspapers continued to slide, down 3.7% for the year.
McDonald’s $988 million in 2013 advertising –or $2.7 million a day–compares with $960 million spent in 2012, according Kantar Media data. McDonald’s remains by far the category’s biggest spender. It helped increase Q4 restaurant spending with heavy lobbying for its Dollar Menu & More.
Other Q4 restaurant advertising highlights were Wendy’s backing of its Pretzel Pub Chicken and Bacon Portabella Melt on Brioche burgers; Burger King’s introduction of Satisfries and its Big King; Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s promotion of freshly baked buns for premium burgers; Jack in the Box’s tandem introductions of its Jalapeňo BBQ Burger and Fajita Ranch Melt sandwiches; and Sonic’s Island Fire Spicy Chicken line.


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BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reminded consumers to be mindful when buying meat products for the holidays.
Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said the government continues to advocate the purchase of wholesome and safe meat as demand increases during the period.
Even though illegal slaughtering is not rampant in Negros Occidental, Decena said the PVO is not dismissing the possibility of unsafe meat’s entry in markets.
Decena urged the public to remain vigilant against “hot meat” and “double dead meat.”
“Hot meat” are carcasses of animals slaughtered outside an accredited facility while “double dead meat” are dead animals slaughtered and sold in markets.
Both are considered illegal meats and pose health risks to the buying public.
Aside from the National Meat Inspection Service markings, consumers can make sure the products they buy are of good quality and safe for consumption through the appearance and smell.
According to the PVO, fresh meats are brownish and pinkish thus, consumers should not buy dark red and bluish-colored meats, whether chicken, pork or beef, especially those with foul odor.
Decena noted that not all local government units in the province have accredited slaughterhouses. (With PNA/PN)


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Taylor Swift has spoken out after Ticketmaster canceled the public sale of tickets for her forthcoming “Eras Tour.”
“Well. It goes without saying that I’m extremely protective of my fans. We’ve been doing this for decades together and over the years, I’ve Brough so many elements of my career in house,” she began her statement that was posted to social media.
“I’ve done this SPECIFICALLY to improve the quality of my fans’ experience by doing it myself with my team who care as much about my fans as I do. It’s really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse.”
Swift said there were “a multitude of reasons” why people had “such a hard time trying to get tickets” and is trying to figure out how to “improve” the disastrous roll out moving forward.
“I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this time of demand and we were assured they could,” she continued.
“It’s truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them.”
Swift, 32, said she hopes to provide “more opportunities” to get together with her fans who weren’t able to get tickets.
“Thank you for wanting to be there,” she concluded. “You have no idea how much that means.”
Ticketmaster made the announcement Thursday, devastating legions of Swifties who were unable to secure concert tickets.
“Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow’s public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been cancelled,” the company said in a tweet.
Twitter users were quick to demand a word on the matter from Swift, which they’ve now received.
“THIS TOUR IS CALLED THE TAYLOR SWIFT ERAS TOUR. ITS UNDER HER NAME. SHE NEEDS TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS,” one of many upset fans posted.
“Please say something this is devastating to the people who have loved and supported you for over a decade and came out of this with nothing @taylorswift13 please say anything,” another begged.
The cancellation of the public sale came after the CEO of Live Nation’s largest shareholder blamed a surge of demand from 14 million users — including bots — for disruptions to the site, including slow queues for presales earlier this week.
Tickets to Swift’s show — which is scheduled to kick off March 17 in Glendale, Ariz. — cost between $49 and $449 each.
Fans reportedly saw tickets that cost up to $22,000 on the ticket reseller site StubHub.
A portion of fans said they spent eight hours in a virtual queue on Ticketmaster after tickets went on sale before they were unexpectedly kicked out of line.
Swift announced her highly anticipated tour earlier this month. “The Eras Tour” will support her record-shattering album “Midnights,” released in October.
Ticketmaster has been met with widespread criticism in the wake of the “Eras Tour” debacle.
Many — including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and more members of U.S. Congress — have voiced support for the unmarking go Ticketmaster from Live Nation, widely considered a monopoly that may violate antitrust laws.
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As social media becomes a more entrenched part of the business ecosystem, there’s a growing focus on determining the return on investment – be it higher sales, a stronger brand, a higher profile, better customer service, etc.
Earlier this week, a new report was published by Charlene Li of the Altimeter Group and Wetpaint that ranked the top 100 brands by social media engagement. Their thesis is that companies that are “both deeply and widely engaged in social media surpass their peers in terms of both revenue and profit performance by a significant difference”.
For companies sitting on the fence about social media, the report suggests it’s definitely time to get on the social media bandwagon. After all, if social media leads to higher sales and profits, it’s a strategic no-brainer.
The reality, however, is social media is not a one-size-fits-all activity. For many companies, particularly consumer-facing businesses, social media can produce many benefits, including ones such as happier and more loyal customers than don’t have a direct relationship to sales and profits. For some companies, social media may not be relevant.
For companies who have embraced social media or thinking about getting into social media, some of the key considerations are:
1. Deciding why you want to do it – e.g. a stronger brand, higher sales, etc.
2. Determining the benchmarks for success so you can measure your social media efforts
3. Committing the time, people and money to make it happen
4. Picking the right social media platforms (e.g. blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) that meet your strategic need and goals.
For some good insight into how to approach social media, Rohit Bhargava has a blog post on Social Media Today that talks about how a key element to social media success is picking the right people to run your activities, and then giving them the tools, resources and freedom to make it happen.
“All the companies that get credit today for doing social media well–Zappos, Dell, Comcast–have all become comfortable with letting individuals from their company become the faces for their brand. These are the voices that I often call “accidental spokespeople.” Within them is the real secret to using social media to be a brand that actually matters: offering a real human connection.”
Going back to the question of return on investment (ROI), there are a growing number of tools to measure, monitor and analyze social media conversations so companies can get a good sense of what’s happening, why it’s happening and who’s driving the conversations.
If you’re interested in Sysomos’ social media services, MAP and Heartbeat, you can find information here.