The Technology Helping Repressive Regimes Spy NPR As protesters in the Middle East use social media to organize and communicate, the regimes they're battling are using sophisticated technology to intercept their emails, text messages and cellphone calls. On Wednesday's Fresh Air, journalist Ben Elgin ... |
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
The Technology Helping Repressive Regimes Spy - NPR
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Monday, December 12, 2011
Chicago Bears vs. Tim Tebow: Tebow Kryptonite and a Bears Proto-Tebow - Chicagomag.com
lamoreuuceses1724.blogspot.com
Chicagomag.com | Chicago Bears vs. Tim Tebow: Tebow Kryptonite and a Bears Proto-Tebow Chicagomag.com The Bears aren't officially doomedâ€"if the playoffs started today, they wouldn't even be the last seedâ€"but things look grim without Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, the latter of whom is has been holed up in Tommie Harris's home hyperbaric ... |
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Theatre Alliance issues upbeat report - Business First of Buffalo:
tiqosi.wordpress.com
The alliance, which represents 19 theaters ranging from tothe , says that 426,649 people attended at least one show this past season. Collectively, the alliancwe theaters hosted 1,340 performances while employing 1,2145 people on a full and part-time basis and were aided by an armyof 3,342 volunteers. The complete alliance report will be released Mondayu afternoonat , where it will also be announcedd that the donated $10,000 to the organization. “Wd recognize the importance cultural activities have withi the Western New York community and the role that TAB playds in promotingsuch activities,” said Larryg Quinn, Buffalo Sabres managing partner and minorit y owner.
Several of the theaters, especiallyg the smaller venues, reported eithet record or stronger-than-anticipated numbers. , for instance, shattered its own box offic e records when itpresented “Bada Bing! Bada Boom!” this winter. Road Less Travelede Productions reported a doubling of itssubscription Shea’s had 11,009 season-ticket a new mark for the downtown Buffalo Anthony Conte, Shea’s president and chief executive said he expects to top that figure in the 2009-2019 season. “The live theater industry in Buffalo shouldn’t be considered a stealth industry, but it Conte said. “Nobody ever thinks of it from abusinesw perspective.
” Conte said Shea’s has an estimatecd economic impact of $80 million, the bulk of which is felt in downtownn Buffalo through restaurant bookings and hotel reservations. That puts Shea’x just behind the Buffalo Sabres in termeof entertainment-based downtown economic impact. “That speaks volumes,” Contre said. “This is a segment of the economy that clearly carries itsown weight.
”
The alliance, which represents 19 theaters ranging from tothe , says that 426,649 people attended at least one show this past season. Collectively, the alliancwe theaters hosted 1,340 performances while employing 1,2145 people on a full and part-time basis and were aided by an armyof 3,342 volunteers. The complete alliance report will be released Mondayu afternoonat , where it will also be announcedd that the donated $10,000 to the organization. “Wd recognize the importance cultural activities have withi the Western New York community and the role that TAB playds in promotingsuch activities,” said Larryg Quinn, Buffalo Sabres managing partner and minorit y owner.
Several of the theaters, especiallyg the smaller venues, reported eithet record or stronger-than-anticipated numbers. , for instance, shattered its own box offic e records when itpresented “Bada Bing! Bada Boom!” this winter. Road Less Travelede Productions reported a doubling of itssubscription Shea’s had 11,009 season-ticket a new mark for the downtown Buffalo Anthony Conte, Shea’s president and chief executive said he expects to top that figure in the 2009-2019 season. “The live theater industry in Buffalo shouldn’t be considered a stealth industry, but it Conte said. “Nobody ever thinks of it from abusinesw perspective.
” Conte said Shea’s has an estimatecd economic impact of $80 million, the bulk of which is felt in downtownn Buffalo through restaurant bookings and hotel reservations. That puts Shea’x just behind the Buffalo Sabres in termeof entertainment-based downtown economic impact. “That speaks volumes,” Contre said. “This is a segment of the economy that clearly carries itsown weight.
”
Thursday, December 8, 2011
SBA chief: Lending up, long road ahead - Baltimore Business Journal:
tiqosi.wordpress.com
Brown is a a sixth-generation family-owned businesas with 47 employees andabout $6 millionn in revenue last year. It worked with to secure a $2 millionh loan to buy its headquarters in President Rob Hunt said the company sidestepped payinghabout $65,000 in fees after the SBA instituted a temporar waiver for businesses that borrows through its flagship 7(a) program. Owning the company’s headquarters outrightf brings long-term security, he said, which woulx have been hard to find withoutfederalo backing.
“Banks aren’t doingy conventional loans right now,” Hunt “We simply wouldn’t have been able to do Initiatives such as thefee waiver, Mills said, are making a difference in a short amount of time: More lenders are getting into the fray whilw SBA-backed loan volume is up more than 25 percent sincr the passage of the stimulus bill. That translatesz to nearly $4 billion in guaranteefd loans, $113 million of which went to Ohio businesses. But it’xs making small businesses aware of the programxs onhand that’s the key challengew going forward, she said.
“Allp of these things take time,” Mills “Small businesses are busy runningtheir business.” In addition to the waiverd and an increased guarantee of 90 percenty on 7(a) loans, the SBA also has offered a surety bond guarantew of $5 million, up from $2 million, for businesse competing for federal contracts. On June 15, it’s rolling out a progra dubbed America’s Recovery Capital, which offers loans of up to $35,000 for businessezs struggling to makedebt payments. Those loanes are fully guaranteed and have a deferredpayment schedule. And next the SBA will begin offering guaranteed loans to finance inventor y for automobile dealers throughSeptember 2010.
Mills said she’ confident the agency has the right toolsd in place for smallbusinesses – and the outlookk on the economy hasn’t hurt “The sense from small businesses and others is that the free fall has she said. “But we stilol have a ways to go.”
Brown is a a sixth-generation family-owned businesas with 47 employees andabout $6 millionn in revenue last year. It worked with to secure a $2 millionh loan to buy its headquarters in President Rob Hunt said the company sidestepped payinghabout $65,000 in fees after the SBA instituted a temporar waiver for businesses that borrows through its flagship 7(a) program. Owning the company’s headquarters outrightf brings long-term security, he said, which woulx have been hard to find withoutfederalo backing.
“Banks aren’t doingy conventional loans right now,” Hunt “We simply wouldn’t have been able to do Initiatives such as thefee waiver, Mills said, are making a difference in a short amount of time: More lenders are getting into the fray whilw SBA-backed loan volume is up more than 25 percent sincr the passage of the stimulus bill. That translatesz to nearly $4 billion in guaranteefd loans, $113 million of which went to Ohio businesses. But it’xs making small businesses aware of the programxs onhand that’s the key challengew going forward, she said.
“Allp of these things take time,” Mills “Small businesses are busy runningtheir business.” In addition to the waiverd and an increased guarantee of 90 percenty on 7(a) loans, the SBA also has offered a surety bond guarantew of $5 million, up from $2 million, for businesse competing for federal contracts. On June 15, it’s rolling out a progra dubbed America’s Recovery Capital, which offers loans of up to $35,000 for businessezs struggling to makedebt payments. Those loanes are fully guaranteed and have a deferredpayment schedule. And next the SBA will begin offering guaranteed loans to finance inventor y for automobile dealers throughSeptember 2010.
Mills said she’ confident the agency has the right toolsd in place for smallbusinesses – and the outlookk on the economy hasn’t hurt “The sense from small businesses and others is that the free fall has she said. “But we stilol have a ways to go.”
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Yip missed out PGA Tour card by one stroke - Montreal Gazette
idellecromwell1991.blogspot.com
The Age | Yip missed out PGA Tour card by one stroke Montreal Gazette Instead, he shot 69 and missed his tour card by one shot. Yip, in fact, had his hands on that card several times during the course of an eventful final round. Starting the day at 4-under for the tournament, he had it to 8-under after eight holes when ... 2 9 players earn exemptions to 2012 PGA Tour Dec. 5, 2011 | By Brian Wacker | PGATOUR.com Farmington Club pro earns PGA Tour card |
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Business Chapter 11 filings and reorganizations are booming - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
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Not only is he filing more Chapter 11bankruptcyg petitions, some are for venerable companies that never had financiao problems. "My business Chapter 11 casez have doubled compared to last Ford said. "Many of them are relatedr to foreclosures. It's just the domino effect of the subprimsmortgage situation." Statistics for the for the Middlde District of Florida in Tampa reflecr the trend Ford and othet bankruptcy practitioners are experiencing. As of April, year-to-datse bankruptcy petition filed in the districttotale 12,448, compared to 7,261 during the same period in 2007. Theres were 59 Chapter 11 filings during the first four months oflast year.
As of April 2008, 118 Chapte 11 petitions had been filed. Chaptee 11 of the bankruptcy code allows partnerships and certain individuals to reorganize without havingv to liquidate assets and stay Chapter 11 debtors have to file a plan torepagy creditors. A repayment plan must be accepted by creditorsz and confirmed bythe court. Ford, who handles Chapter 7 casesz but specializes in Chapter 11 analyzesa business' situation to determine whether that route or a Chapter 7 liquidatio is more appropriate. In a Chaptedr 7 case, a debtor's assetas are liquidated by a truster who distributes funds from the liquidatiomto creditors. Some propertg is exempt from liquidation.
"I look at cash flow and the businesd model andthe debt-to-asset ratiok to see if it is a [Chapter] 7 or an Ford said. "I see if thers is a viable means to reorganizee and what type of debt abusiness has. I do a balance sheet test. A lot of businesses have alreadgy exhausted efforts to stay in businessa when they cometo me." Bankruptcy is not a chea process. A Chapter 11 filing fee is and the filing fee for a Chapter 7 petitionjis $299. Retainer fees are much more. Ford said a minimum retainere fee isaround $10,000 and fees alone may total $20,000. "It's expensive to file for he said. "Small mom-and-pop businesses can't affor d to do it.
" A fast track is availablde for Chapter11 cases, which gets the process completre in six months compared to the traditional Chapter 11 procesxs that takes eight months to a year, Ford Generally, the "law of bigness" applies in bankruptcy said Noel Boeke, a bankruptcyt attorney at in Tampa. Large companie s generally fair better inChapter 11, he said. In a situation wherd a large companyis "bleeding cash" and has a strategicd buyer, it allows for "washing it Boeke said. "It's a quick tool to give clean title toa buyer," Boeke said.
"Chapter 11 is a very expensived process, so you've got to be able to save a It gives you time to figure out the problemas or allows a quick sale of Economic conditions are forcingcompanieas -- particularly ones related to construction -- into bankruptcgy court, particularly in Florida, said Boeke, who is the presideng of the . Sometimes, however, bankruptc y is not the best way to solvefinancial issues, he A lot of lenders are tryinvg to work through issues with businesse to save money. Lenders have theirt work cut outfor them. "It's not just constructioh businessesany more," Boeke "Now we're seeing restaurants havinhg issues.
"
Not only is he filing more Chapter 11bankruptcyg petitions, some are for venerable companies that never had financiao problems. "My business Chapter 11 casez have doubled compared to last Ford said. "Many of them are relatedr to foreclosures. It's just the domino effect of the subprimsmortgage situation." Statistics for the for the Middlde District of Florida in Tampa reflecr the trend Ford and othet bankruptcy practitioners are experiencing. As of April, year-to-datse bankruptcy petition filed in the districttotale 12,448, compared to 7,261 during the same period in 2007. Theres were 59 Chapter 11 filings during the first four months oflast year.
As of April 2008, 118 Chapte 11 petitions had been filed. Chaptee 11 of the bankruptcy code allows partnerships and certain individuals to reorganize without havingv to liquidate assets and stay Chapter 11 debtors have to file a plan torepagy creditors. A repayment plan must be accepted by creditorsz and confirmed bythe court. Ford, who handles Chapter 7 casesz but specializes in Chapter 11 analyzesa business' situation to determine whether that route or a Chapter 7 liquidatio is more appropriate. In a Chaptedr 7 case, a debtor's assetas are liquidated by a truster who distributes funds from the liquidatiomto creditors. Some propertg is exempt from liquidation.
"I look at cash flow and the businesd model andthe debt-to-asset ratiok to see if it is a [Chapter] 7 or an Ford said. "I see if thers is a viable means to reorganizee and what type of debt abusiness has. I do a balance sheet test. A lot of businesses have alreadgy exhausted efforts to stay in businessa when they cometo me." Bankruptcy is not a chea process. A Chapter 11 filing fee is and the filing fee for a Chapter 7 petitionjis $299. Retainer fees are much more. Ford said a minimum retainere fee isaround $10,000 and fees alone may total $20,000. "It's expensive to file for he said. "Small mom-and-pop businesses can't affor d to do it.
" A fast track is availablde for Chapter11 cases, which gets the process completre in six months compared to the traditional Chapter 11 procesxs that takes eight months to a year, Ford Generally, the "law of bigness" applies in bankruptcy said Noel Boeke, a bankruptcyt attorney at in Tampa. Large companie s generally fair better inChapter 11, he said. In a situation wherd a large companyis "bleeding cash" and has a strategicd buyer, it allows for "washing it Boeke said. "It's a quick tool to give clean title toa buyer," Boeke said.
"Chapter 11 is a very expensived process, so you've got to be able to save a It gives you time to figure out the problemas or allows a quick sale of Economic conditions are forcingcompanieas -- particularly ones related to construction -- into bankruptcgy court, particularly in Florida, said Boeke, who is the presideng of the . Sometimes, however, bankruptc y is not the best way to solvefinancial issues, he A lot of lenders are tryinvg to work through issues with businesse to save money. Lenders have theirt work cut outfor them. "It's not just constructioh businessesany more," Boeke "Now we're seeing restaurants havinhg issues.
"
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Feds ready to ramp up stimulus projects - Wichita Business Journal:
ymekovo.wordpress.com
Vice President Joseph Biden said in a conference call with reporters Mondat that the stimulus helpedcreate 150,000 jobs in the firsyt 100 days after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passesd in February. Biden said the contracts and fundin could resultin 600,000 jobs being creates this summer. ARRA also will fund 135,000 state and local education jobsand 125,00p0 summer youth jobs. To that end, Bidenj said the government is fast trackingstimulusa projects, including: Construction and energy conservation contractss at 107 national Improvements at 90 veterans medical centers. Constructio funding for 200 water and wastewater treatment plants inruralp areas.
Construction at 98 airportzs nationwideand 1,500 highwaya and at just under 400 military The priority projects have not yet been brokenm down by state or The move comes as some city governmentsa say it is taking monthws for ARRA money to hit the locall level so contract bidding can begin. Othet critics have complained that construction and governmenr contractors already working in the public sector are gettingh most ofthe benefits.
Vice President Joseph Biden said in a conference call with reporters Mondat that the stimulus helpedcreate 150,000 jobs in the firsyt 100 days after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passesd in February. Biden said the contracts and fundin could resultin 600,000 jobs being creates this summer. ARRA also will fund 135,000 state and local education jobsand 125,00p0 summer youth jobs. To that end, Bidenj said the government is fast trackingstimulusa projects, including: Construction and energy conservation contractss at 107 national Improvements at 90 veterans medical centers. Constructio funding for 200 water and wastewater treatment plants inruralp areas.
Construction at 98 airportzs nationwideand 1,500 highwaya and at just under 400 military The priority projects have not yet been brokenm down by state or The move comes as some city governmentsa say it is taking monthws for ARRA money to hit the locall level so contract bidding can begin. Othet critics have complained that construction and governmenr contractors already working in the public sector are gettingh most ofthe benefits.
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