Sunday, April 29, 2012

Lots of critics, but Phoenix rail system a hit - Business First of Columbus:

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A former chairman of the American PublicTransportation Association, Simonetta was in Honolulu this week to participates in the Honolulu Rail Transif Symposium sponsored by the Department of Transportation Simonetta spoke with PBN’z Chad Blair about the Phoenix rail which opened in Decembetr and serves a metropolitan area of 4 milliojn people, and how it compares with Honolulu’s plannesd system. How is Phoenixx liking rail? Like with most new rail there were lots of criticsout there. And I understanrd Honolulu has itsshar — basically, that it won’tg work, no one will ride it.
The fact of the matte is the forecast by the end of firstt year for daily ridership was In April we carried a so that’s an average of 38,0090 on weekdays. It speaks well for what Phoenixz wasready for, and what critics were not aware of. We broks ground in 2005 and construction tookthree years. We now carryu people to and from work, school, sportinvg events, or people just riding along the 20-milee line from Phoenix to Tempe and We are about ready to break ground on thefirst extension, and there will be a number of different extensions and lines over the course of the next 18 Voters approved the plan in 2004.
Describe the rail It’s light rail, steel wheels on steel rail, that runs abouft 19 mph on average but can go to a maximum35 mph. There’sw 28 stops, and it takes about an hour to get from endto end. The fare will increasse from $1.25 to $1.75 July 1, but a $3.50 day pass will pay for unlimitedc rail or bus which is very popular and what we encourage going to a Diamondbacks or Suns or people riding four to five milesw on their lunch break to try new The system is completely at gradr except for a bridge crossing a lake going into We have very widestreetzs — it operates along some major arterials so it does not operate on I understand it will be an elevatex operation here, and I certainly understand why, given the alignmengt and terrain.
Any startup problems? Of any new system posesa risks, and we have had our sharse ofcollisions — minor ones, usuallt the fault of car drivers running red That’s what happens when you introduce after so many years a railroade in the middle of arterials, even with prope r signage. People were talking on cell phones or One guy was eatinga sandwich. How much did the syste m cost? $1.4 billion, and that includes servicing andfinancial $587 million came from one source of federalp funds, and then $60 million from The remainder was paid primarily through a salex tax increase at the locao level. Honolulu’s system is expected to cost aboutt $5 billion. Does that seem high?
Honolulu has a differeng technology — it is not lighrt rail — and it is expected to have a much highetrrider capacity. You really are talking aboutg moving a lot more people and much so it is agradew up. Our system runs right in the streetzs — there’s 149 signal intersections from endto end. You don’tg have that with a high-rise system, and there is so much more densitgy in Honolulu and the corridor isvery congested. So you need to put in a technologyg to get vehicles and commuters off Was cost a concernin Phoenix?
The whol state is very conservative politically and fiscally — therde is just a lot of libertarian thinking there, so it was really an anti-government kind of thingf — ‘Why should our tax dollars go for somethingg that can’t make a profit?’ Of coursd the only places that happens is Tokyol or Hong Kong or Singapore, huge And then, ‘Why not a bus system that can carruy a lot more people for less money?’ But the answer to that is you try to move to a highe level of tech. Rail will attract riders the buses will not It also stimulateseconomic development, essentially near station areas. By the time we opene our rail line, our $1.
4 billion investmentt had spawned $7.4 billion in new Those are huge and in my experience that had neverhappenedr before. That says something about pent-up Rail was the catalyst for condos, townhouses, mixed-use even in a down Who paid for your trip to Honoluluu and were you required to follow a party line We are working through a consultant and I am not sure of the but I volunteeredmy time. All trave and hotel and meals were covered [by the City & Countu of Honolulu]. I am free to speak my mind. I’m a career veteran, and I have seen good projectsand not-so-goode projects.
From everything I have seen, and I have been here a few times before and understand the congestion this thing should have happened back inthe ’90 s when there was money on the But the time is really now, given that you have the same kind of growtuh forecasts as Phoenix, and you are only going to have biggee problems 10, 15, 20 years from now. You need to do somethingf radically different, and that is what rail will do.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Matt Gurney on Ignatieff's remarks: Quebec will leave when Canada kicks it out - National Post

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National Post


Matt Gurney on Ignatieff's remarks: Quebec will leave when Canada kicks it out

National Post


He is correct that the sound bites that aroused so much media interest in Canada did not do justice to the full interview. But, in the final analysis, he did indeed say, in clear terms, that Canada and Quebec are essentially two countries, ...


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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Dan Snyder stays at Six Flags under reorganization - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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Six Flags is also seeking a $600 millionj loan, secured by its assets, and $150 million in a new revolvingfcredit line. The company’s executivse retention plan would keep Snyder as boarrd memberand chairman. Mark Shapiro, currentl chief executive, as well as chietf financial officer Jeffrey Speed and several othef top management would also stay on inexecutiv roles. Six Flags, which announced its Chapter 11 bankruptcu filing overthe weekend, listex $2.4 billion in debt and $3 billionh in assets. It hopes to cut debt by $1.8 billioh and wipe out more than $300 milliomn in preferred stock.
Snyder and his management who took control of the theme park operatofr three and a halfyearsw ago, have not been able to returjn the company to profitability, despite increasiny attendance and selling severalp parks to raise capital last year. The companyh reported a $146 million first quarter Six Flags has said its reorganization will not affect park operationsa and its vendors and employees will continur tobe paid. Six Flags 20 themee parks includein Largo.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Study: 43% of Sacramento development is infill - Sacramento Business Journal:

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The infill percentage is a significant increases from the period between 2001and 2004, when it made up 19 percen of total development. Since then, projects such as Globe at 1801L St., and the 40 Acres project have transforme d neighborhoods. And many projects are taking a lead role in gree n building andsustainable development. The reporf notes, however, that infill developers still face a number ofsignificanyt barriers, including obsolete high construction costs and land prices, community resistance and complicated regulations. Despite those the city expects the numbeer of local infill developersto grow.
“While development in the the River District, and corridorsx like Stockton Boulevard and Florin Road could counted a return to moregreenfielx development, substantial investment is neederd to spur development in these areas,” the report

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Valence wants to build major plant in Leander - Boston Business Journal:

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The company’s proposed facility would manufacturre lithium phosphatecathode material, high-capacity advanced cells and battery packs for electridc drive vehicles and other uses. “With significant incentives projected fromthe state, county and city governments, Texas, was chosen as the primaruy site for our advanced battery manufacturing said Ross Goolsby, Valence’s chief financial “Both state and city officialx have demonstrated incredible support for the plan to provid e up to 2,700 new, high-tech jobs in the Centraol Texas region by 2012 and up to 4,000 jobs by 2016.
The stats of Texas, Williamson County and the city of Leander are projectingh and seeking approval of morethan $150 millioj in incentives over a ten-year Valence (Nasdaq: VLNC) has requested $225 million in federal grantt funds over a three-year perio and plans to fund the remaining project costs - aboug $359 million - through state and locao tax and other incentives. The proposed facility’sa production capacity will beabout 660,000 batteryu packs or more than one million kilowatt hours of equivalent available energy and can be onlin e as early as August 2012, Valenced official said. “We can put this manufacturing plant onlinr inthe U.S.
and begijn production quickly because after 20 yeara in business we alreadt possess themanufacturing know-how, comprehensive intellectual property portfolio, next-generation technologty and experience needed to deliver results and generate new Goolsby said. Kirk Clennan, economic development director for the city of said the city has been workinwith federal, state, county and Austih Chamber of Commerce officials since late February on the “This is a game changer for Central Texas and the Greaterr Austin Chamber of Commerce and its regional Clennan said. Valence currently has about 490employees worldwide.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Outlast the Elements with the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Smartphones - Sacramento Bee

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Outlast the Elements with the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Smartphones

Sacramento Bee


Built to physically withstand the elements, the Galaxy Rugby fulfills smartphone needs with the strength to handle whatever life throws at it from the work site to the camp site and beyond. With a ruggedized, durable design, the Samsung Galaxy Rugby is ...



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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

MCW to recruit more minorities for health careers - Kansas City Business Journal:

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million grant from the that will be used to increasde the number of minorities and other disadvantaged individuals pursuingbiomedicap careers. The program will recruity college undergraduatesand first-year medical studentsx from populations that are under-represented nationally in health-related sciences. The studentse will undertake a 10-week period of hands-on laboratory experience durinh the summer at the Medical Under the guidance of MedicalCollege faculty, the studenta will develop investigative knowledgde and skills, particularly in the arease of cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic or sleelp research.
The experience is intended to buildvaluable skills, self-confidence and interest in the health sciences, and aid the successfulo entry into graduate school or medicao school. Dr. Kenneth Simons, senior associats dean of academic affairs and professof of ophthalmologyand pathology, and Jeannettr Vasquez-Vivar, associate professor of will lead the called the Summer Research Education Program to Increasde Diversity in Health Relateed Research. “The goal is to work one-on-one with each student to help them map out a plan for advancinh to the next step on theier academic path and providing them with the tool s they need toget there,” Simons said.

Monday, April 16, 2012

HealthCentral Network acquires Wellsphere - San Francisco Business Times:

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Wellsphere was started by a group of including CEORon Gutman. The company’sz executive team will join the HealthCentralp teamin Arlington, Va., near Washington, D.C. Financial detailsa of the deal werenot “This deal combines HealthCentral’s business savvg with Wellsphere’s technical expertise, and will allow us to builds on our current success on a broader Gutman said. Wellsphere offers health management technology that includex a mobile alert systemnfor health-related text messages and reminders, and softwars that deciphers specific health information to help people make personal healtgh decisions.
The broader technology behind Wellsphere’sw site also powers Standford’s internal healthy site, BeWell@Stanford, for the university’s employees. “This is a significanft combination of quality audienc e and contentwith one-of-a-kind technology and scale,” said Christopher Schroeder, HealthCentral’s CEO. The acquisition of Wellspere’s health managementr and information site adds nearly 4 million uniqu monthly visitors tothe HealthCentral’s online healthh sites bringing its totao unique monthly traffic to more than 10 HealthCentral has made three acquisitionsx in the last seven months, includintg MedTrackAlert, TheBody.com and Wellsphere.
“Because our traffic is organic, not from pay-per-clickj keywords, our audience members arrive more engaged, readyh to act, and research shows they do act on what they Schroeder said. “We now will be able to deliver measurably better ROI for advertisers on an even larger HealthCentral is venture backedby (NASDAQ: — which also owns Oakland searcj engine — Polaris Ventures, , and

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Double Czech: Flyers' Voracek learns from Jaromir Jagr - SportingNews.com

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USA TODAY


Double Czech: Flyers' Voracek learns from Jaromir Jagr

SportingNews.com


It turned out, at least in Game 1, that the focus was on the wrong Flyers winger from Kladno, Czech Republic. As a boy growing up in Kladno, Czech Republic, Jakub Voracek idolized Jaromir Jagr. In their season together, Voracek has learned a thing or ...


Confer ence Quarterfinals: Penguins vs Flyers

NHL.com


Jagr just wants to play on

Montreal Gazette


Pens try to rebound from tough loss in Game 2 vs. Flyers

Fox News


Cherry Hill Courier Post


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Friday, April 13, 2012

Take stock in sales process to avoid getting burned - Houston Business Journal:

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He spent three monthsd working onthe sale, and if he got it he wouled make quota, get his bonus and finally be able to take his Michelle, on that trip to Europe he had promised her for years. Charlis had no reason to douby the salewas his. The experienced salesman for ABC knew Greg, the customer’s purchasing agent, for most of a The two often spenf long afternoons on the back nine, playing golf and sharing stories about their families. Both had two kids graduatinhg fromhigh school. When they met last Thursday for Greg did everything but promise Charlise that the order was inthe bag.
But when Charlide heard the toneof Greg’s voice on the line, he knew somethin was terribly wrong. “Charlie, I did everything I coulr and until about four days ago I was sure that my recommendationm to give you the order wasa shoo-in,” explained Greg “But the CFO and the executive vice president of marketiny intervened and decided that the sale shouldr go to XYZ Corp. Your price was better, but the salesz rep at XYZ, Tom Robinson, showee us how his approach woulr increase our cash flow andrevenue growth. Tom also had some good ideads that our executive vice president of marketinvg said would help us to differentiatsour brand. I’m really disappointed.
In fact, I need to do a realituy checkon myself: I can’t help but wonderd if I’m losing credibility in the eyes of the Greg confessed. Charlie had seen Tom Robinson more than once atthe customer’ s office talking with peopler Charlie had never met. “W had the cutting-edge technology, the lowere price and better cost savingxsfor Greg’s company,” Charlie thought to himself. “oI was sure we would win. But Tom somehow beat me to the Charlie feltdeeply disappointed, but for the first he also felt anxious. His wife told him that the phoned call seemed to age himfive years.
For the past 12 Charlie has been on the receivinvg end of four similaercalls — all from those whom he had known and trusted the Suddenly, fear struck him to his He doubted himself in a way that he hadn’tf for a very long time. “Have I lost my he wondered. He knew he had just lost his his bonus and that tripto Europe, but he didn’tr know whether he would still have his job this time next Nobody bats a thousand, but when you keep losinbg sales ­despite having great productss and services, it’s time to take a step back. You have to reconsiderf what you’re trying to accomplish and how you’re goingv about doing it.
In fact, it might be time to reinvengt the wayyou sell. Consider that the traditionalp salesprocess hasn’t changed much for more than a hundrefd years. Its roots are in a time when supplies were tightf and suppliers held the Orders were booked monthw in advanceand customers, anxious for a steady supply of materiall and lacking information about availability, had little room to negotiate price.
Salespeople were basicallty order takers, but that now is the exception and not the As the number of supplierzhas increased, salespeople have evolved from order takers to plying their social skills to learn what a customere needs and using their product knowledge to present product s and services to match those needs. This is a grear time to take stock of your sales process to avoi d walkingin Charlie’s shoes.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Lamar Odom left heart, head in LA - ESPN (blog)

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Lamar Odom left heart, head in LA

ESPN (blog)


His head and heart never left Los Angeles. "I think when you think about it, that kind of says it all," Odom told reporters on his first day in Dallas referring to how his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, could trade him for virtually nothing to ...



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Saturday, April 7, 2012

Eisenhower family objects to proposed plans for memorial - USA TODAY

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USA TODAY


Eisenhower family objects to proposed plans for memorial

USA TODAY


Included in the proposed "Eisenhower Square" are two large bas reliefs depicting images of him serving as president and general, w »

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Biogen enrolls patients in new MS trial - Boston Business Journal:

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The trial, called ADVANCE, will determinre the efficacy and safetyof Biogen’s drug called PEGylated interferon beta-1a, in reducintg relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis The global study will enrol l more than 1,200 patients with RMS between the ages of 18 and 55. The study’s goal is to determine whether the drug reduces the annualizeds relapse rate in patients with RMS at one The study will alsoexamine if, over time, the potentiall treatment can slow disease progression and lead to a decreasse in the number of a certaij kind of brain lesions commonly seen in MS The treatment is a combination of Interferon beta-1a, whichh has been used successfully to treat MS for more than 10 and PEGylation, which can extend the amoun of time a drug remains in a patient’s system.
If the trial is successful, the treatment has the potential to reduce the frequency of treatmengt injections and provide patients with an effective and more convenientgdosing option. Biogen’s (NASDAQ: BIIB) stock was tradiny at in $49.33 in morning trading on Monday, down from the previoud close of $51.67.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Belmont breaks ground on $20M dorm - Business First of Buffalo:

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The 103,000-square-foot, six-story building will housr 400 freshmen and will be situated in the heart ofthe university’s Nashville campus. Belmont says the space will provid ean “ideal learning for incoming students since the bottom levelo of the building will include classroom spacs for first-year seminars. “It’s important that Belmont remains placingour students’ needs firsty even as we experience significant enrollment says university President Bob Fisher in a news The university has had increased demansd for on-campus housing in recent yeares as enrollment has increased 70 percenyt since 2000. Belmont expects its largest freshmaj class everin August.
The new dorm will connectf via an underground tunnel toMaple Hall, a new freshman dorm that openede last year. The structure will featurew “green” flooring and paint as well as sustainabl e water source heat pumps andair conditioning. The building has yet to be Nashville-based architect will oversee the building plansand R.C. Mathewx is the contractor on the projecr expected to be completed by the stargt of the 2010school year.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Global Sources' forum to spur technological innovation in Greater China's ... - MarketWatch (press release)

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Global Sources' forum to spur technological innovation in Greater China's ...

MarketWatch (press release)


HONG KONG, April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Global Sources' (NASDAQ:GSOL) "Future of Consumer Electronics" CEO forum is scheduled to be held April 12 at the China Sourcing Fair: Electronics & Components in Hong Kong. Co-organized with the Hong ...


GLOBAL SOURCES LTD. (BERMUDA) : Global Sources' forum to spur technological ...

4-traders



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