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Big ideas for a very young system perhaps, but Bowman maintains, "we need to be unique in this league, because skateboarding is much newer to this area than it is to the West Coast." New as it may be, skateboarding is currently experiencing an unprecedented amount of civic support statewide. With half-pipes sprouting l... |
The next IDASL competition takes place on Saturday, July 31, at Burley Skate Park in Burley. For directions and more information about the competition, go to www.idasl.org. |
I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that major economic blocs are struggling with fiscal austerity and the growth-sapping impact of elevated commodity prices. |
There’s an indisputable risk out there to growth projections slowing as already signaled on June 14 by the OECD composite leading indicators (CLIs). |
If confirmed, for investors it’s important to take notice that this could feed back into a second leg down for commodity prices following their already sharp retracement in early May. |
Interestingly, Bloomberg reports refined-copper imports by China tumbled to the lowest since level November 2008 as the world’s biggest consumer of the metal continued destocking, lowering local prices and making it largely unprofitable to buy from overseas. Inbound shipments dropped 47 percent from a year ago, accordi... |
For now, it is a fact that the still-developing Greek “contagion” is infecting more entities and places. |
• The Greek government may well have taken a step further in securing the funding that it so desperately needs, but the fact remains that the proposed new midterm plan that includes 6.5 billion euro ($9.4 billion) in fiscal consolidation for 2011, almost doubles the existing austerity measures that have so far proved t... |
Investors shouldn’t forget that Greece has, after all, a relatively small economy and the government has no monopoly of economic strife. |
• The IMF states that Spain faces considerable risks to its recovery in the near term and financial conditions could deteriorate further, reflecting rising concerns about sovereign risks in the euro area, which could put additional pressure on sovereign and bank-funding costs for Spain, which in turn could feed back to... |
• In Ireland, there are also clear indications that the EU/IMF-prescribed austerity isn't delivering the expected economic results in this country either, with no appreciable growth expected this year. |
• The German economy has remained somewhat “aloof” from the trouble that surrounds it, especially in the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) countries. But now in Belgium, output and new order growth are both slowing sharply. From its side, Capital Economics forecasts a mere 1.5 percent growth for the Ge... |
• The ECB has stated on June 9 that “… risks to the outlook for price stability are on the upside. Accordingly, strong vigilance is warranted…” hereby signaling the markets that another eurozone rate hike is on the way. |
• Finally, on this other side of the Atlantic, the United States is currently experiencing a period of soft growth with industrial production and retail sales surprising to the downside in May and although core inflation remains relatively muted, it has been on the rise with headline inflation now at 3.6 percent. |
Besides, U.S. unemployment remains stubbornly high and a report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors concludes that (only) by December 2014 over half of metro areas will have returned to their previous peak employment level. Keep in mind that the report’s forecasts are based on assumptions Congress will extend the debt c... |
I’d like to say it must be hoped that U.S. headline inflation, at 3.6 percent, doesn’t drag up core prices to the point where the FOMC must “prematurely” convey its plans for monetary policy normalization. |
I have already commented here before on the rather dark medium-term picture that zooms in on possible outcomes from the commodity price boom, in particular drawing a number of comparisons with 2008. |
Although the Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index (TR/J CRB), commonly called the CRB commodity price index, has bounced back over the past couple of days, it still is 9 percent off its April highs hereby reflecting, at least in my opinion, the inability of many commodities to recover lost ground. |
As things stand on the economic front across many, but not all, of the world’s major economies, it would seem that the prospects of their doing so may be diminishing steadily as the year progresses. |
Analysts are cutting European earnings forecasts by the most in almost two years just as equities in the region trail U.S. shares by the widest margin since the bull market began. |
Estimates for Stoxx Europe 600 Index profit growth dropped by as much as 4 percentage points this year, including the biggest three-month reduction since September 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Should analysts’ lowest projections for 2011 prove correct, companies would earn about 24 billion euros ($34 ... |
Lower forecasts are adding to investor concerns that also include the biggest plunge in commodity prices since 2008 and speculation that Greece will default on its loans. At 797 days, the 75 percent advance in the Stoxx 600 has lasted 93 percent as long as the average bull market since 1986, data from Birinyi Associate... |
Electrolux AB (ELUXB) in Stockholm lost 14 percent this year as the average estimate for its 2011 earnings fell by the same amount, data compiled by Bloomberg show. For Paris-based Lafarge SA (LG), analysts predict profit of 3.41 euros a share for 2011, down 14 percent from 3.98 euros on Jan. 1. The stock lost as much ... |
At this point last year, analysts had boosted projections for annual Stoxx 600 profit growth to 69 percent from 55 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Forecasts for the earnings increase for the S&P 500 in 2011 rose to 17 percent last week from 12 percent at the start of the year, data show. |
Now, profit estimates are falling, the European Central Bank is raising interest rates and bond investors are speculating leaders will fail to prevent sovereign defaults. Yields on two-year Greek government bonds reached a record high of 26.77 percent on May 12. |
Stoxx 600 companies are expected to earn 25.07 euros a share in 2011. While that’s up 19 percent from 2010, the estimate has declined from 25.13 euros at the start of the year, more than 12,000 forecasts compiled by Bloomberg show. The projection slipped to 24.63 this month from as high as 25.49 in January, according t... |
The falling estimates are a temporary adjustment and stocks in the region are attractive, said Tristan Hanson, head of asset allocation at Jersey, Channel Islands-based Ashburton Ltd. |
At 11.2 times estimated earnings, the Stoxx 600 is trading below its five-year average of 12.3 times profit, according to Bloomberg data. While the benchmark index lost 4.2 percent in the first half of 2010 as Greece got a 110 billion-euro rescue package from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, it r... |
Predictions for combined per-share profit on April 8 were 3.1 percent below the level of three months earlier, the biggest contraction for any comparable period since September 2009, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Income estimates decreased every month this year for European companies, the data show. |
Speculation sovereign defaults will spur bank losses and the rising euro will cut exports has held the rally in the Stoxx 600 over the last 26 months to 20 percentage points below the gain in the S&P 500. While the benchmark gauge for U.S. equities rose to a three-year high of 1,363.61 on April 29, the Stoxx 600 has fa... |
Seven bull markets in the European gauge since 1986 have averaged 853 days, according to Birinyi, the Westport, Connecticut-based money manager and research firm. A bull market is defined as gains of 20 percent from a low, while 20 percent declines signal the start of a bear market. |
The Stoxx 600 fell 0.3 percent last week to 280.5. Greece had its credit rating cut on May 9 two levels to B from BB- by S&P, which cited the risk of default and said Greek bondholders risk losing half their investment. The gauge slipped 0.1 percent at the 4:30 p.m. close in London today. |
The euro-zone currency has gained 15 percent against the dollar since June, making exports more expensive overseas. The ECB raised borrowing costs last month for the first time in almost three years from a record low, while the Federal Reserve has left its key rate at a record near-zero since December 2008. |
Higher costs for steel, resins and base metals prompted HSBC Holdings Plc analyst Colin Gibson in London to lower his 2011 per-share earnings forecast for Electrolux, the world’s second-largest appliance maker, by 10 percent on May 4. |
Analysts estimate the maker of dishwashers and cookers will boost profit by about 1 percent this year, down from 18 percent at the start of 2011, Bloomberg data show. |
UBS AG cut its prediction for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization at Lafarge for the next five years by an average of 5 percent on May 9, citing the euro’s gains. The world’s biggest cement maker reported a drop in operating earnings on May 5 as rising energy costs and violence in Egypt offse... |
Andrew Gardiner and Youssef Essaegh, analysts at Barclays Plc in London, reduced their 2011 estimates on May 3 for Geneva- based STMicroelectronics NV (STM) by more than 5 percent, saying Europe’s largest chipmaker will be hurt by a weakening dollar and a decline at its wireless-chip joint venture. |
STMicroelectronics has pared this year’s advance to 1.8 percent from as much as 23 percent in March. |
For Philippe Gijsels, head of research at BNP Paribas Fortis Global Markets, low valuations are not sufficient reason to buy European equities. |
LIVERPOOL starlet Kevin Stewart is set for a spell on the sidelines, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed. |
The 22-year-old midfielder has made five appearances for the Reds this season and was handed his Premier League bow in the 6-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday. |
However, he suffered an ankle injury in training and has been sent for scans. |
“We lost Kevin Stewart in training,” Klopp said. “He blocked a shot and his ankle was not stable. |
“It was a bit bruised so we have sent him for a scan. We think it’s the ligament. |
Adam Lallana joins Stewart in missing tomorrow's Europa League clash against Augsburg but Lucas is in the squad. |
“Lucas is back fit but not Adam - he has no chance for Thursday's game,” Klopp added. |
Forget your traditional tinsel and trimmings – a Doncaster mum is set to sparkle this festive season with this stunning Disney themed Christmas tree. |
Sam Pashley hit on the idea of decorating her tree with Disney toys after a recent family holiday to Disney World in Florida. |
The Pashley family have created a Disney themed Christmas tree. |
And the Wadworth mum-of-two has now become a viral web sensation after sharing the photo of her colourful creation on social media. |
She said: “The response has been incredible. Everyone thinks it looks amazing. |
Daughters Lacey and Harriet are huge Disney fans. |
Sam came up with the tree – which is festooned with soft toys of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Dumbo, The Seven Dwarves and even a Pluto popcorn maker – as the family flew home from the United States. |
She said: “We’d had a fabulous two week holiday and we’d had such a magical time that we didn’t want the magic to end. |
The family hit on the tree after a trip to Disney World. |
And the tree now takes pride of place in the family’s home with husband Adam and girls Lacey, 11 and Harriet, five all enjoying the attention the decoration has brought. |
“It wasn’t expensive to do at all,” added Sam. “It is the first time I’ve done anything like this, but it might not be the last. |
The family's Disney tree features Pluto and Mickey Mouse models. |
“We are all huge Disney fans now and we’d love to go back to Disney World. |
The health and lifestyle habits of both parents can affect a number of factors related to pregnancy. These include the chance of conceiving, the growth and development of the fetus during pregnancy, the health of the mother during and after pregnancy, the outcome of labor and delivery, and issues related to the future ... |
A father's role in successful conception and in the role his health and lifestyle habits play in his future child's health are often overlooked. Studies suggest that there are a number of steps a man can take to improve his success in becoming a father. |
Overweight and obese men appear to have lower sperm counts and a higher percentage of abnormal sperm. This means that as BMI goes up, fertility goes down. The nutritional quality of a man's diet can affect sperm quality as well — better diet, better sperm. A men's formula multiple vitamin containing about 100 percent o... |
Smoking can lower both the number and quality of sperm and can increase the child's risk of leukemia and lymphoma. Both parents should also consider quitting smoking before planning a family because of the negative impact of second-hand smoke. |
Men who consume high levels of alcohol can produce sperm with defects that impair fertility. Studies are inconclusive about the effect of moderate drinking, but the recommendation for men is to limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day if you are trying to conceive. Illegal drugs (such as steroids, cocaine, and ma... |
Some medications can affect a man's chance of conceiving. Check with your pharmacist to evaluate each medication you take. Some studies even suggest that men who work with their laptop computers in their laps for extended periods of time may lessen the chance of conceiving owing to the heat of the computer. Increasing ... |
For women, fertility can be affected by many of the same factors as men plus a few others — her age, stress, a poor diet, being over or underweight, smoking, drugs, alcohol, medications, environmental toxins, and some medical conditions such as poly cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and celiac disease. |
Besides planning for the possibility of conception, a mother-to-be needs to consider factors that get her body ready to supply needed nutrients to the baby, plus what her own body needs for health and the process of pregnancy, labor and delivery. |
If possible, a woman should work toward a healthy body weight before pregnancy. Being overweight can increase the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy, increase the risk of some birth defects, and increase the chance of complications during labor and delivery. Weight loss is not, however, recommend... |
Being underweight suggests inadequate nutrient and calorie intake to support a healthy pregnancy. Being at a healthy body weight means consuming a healthy nutrient-dense diet that provides an appropriate number of calories to reach/maintain weight goals. A multiple vitamin may also be a good idea. Adequate folate intak... |
Any medical conditions (anemia, PCOS, celiac disease, diabetes, etc.) should preferably be addressed before pregnancy. Women with established diabetes should work to get blood sugar levels under control. Elevated blood sugar can increase the risk of preterm labor/delivery, stillbirth, larger birth weight babies that ca... |
Daily exercise can help with weight goals, some medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, PCOS, high cholesterol), improved blood circulation, and overall fitness in preparation for an easier pregnancy, labor and delivery. Exercise can also reduce stress and improve mood. Include cardiovascular, streng... |
Medications should be reviewed for safety with pregnancy. Recommended vaccinations should be kept up to date before pregnancy. Women may also want to avoid alcohol and limit caffeine (less than 200mg/day) while trying to conceive. As with men, smoking cessation and avoidance of illegal drugs is important. |
Visit the dentist before planning to conceive and address any periodontal disease as it may increase the risk of preterm birth and low-birth-weight babies. Good dental care is important before and during pregnancy. Have any needed dental x-rays or local anesthesia for dental work done before becoming pregnant. |
The bottom line is that in planning for pregnancy, the lifestyle habits of both the male and female parent play a role in conception, as well as the course of pregnancy, childbirth, and the future health of the child. |
Pamela Stuppy, MS,RD,LD, is a registered, licensed dietitian with nutrition counseling offices in York, Maine, and Portsmouth and is teaching healthy cooking classes at Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School. She is also the nutritionist for Phillips Exeter Academy. Visit her Web site www.pamstuppynutrition.com. |
The hustle and bustle of what’s still considered the traditional liftoff to the frenzied holidays and shopping extravaganza could never be complete without the complement of a lousy weather forecast. |
Here it comes, just in time to help you chart your travel and shopping plans over the Thanksgiving weekend. |
Winter storm-watch alerts already are in place for most of the northeastern seaboard — yes, a dreaded Nor’easter — with projections of as much as 12 inches of the wet white stuff in the upper corners of New England. |
New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are looking at eight to 10 inches and Weather.com is calling for “significant amounts” of snow from the interior of Pennsylvania to as far west as Kentucky. |
As is usual, winter weather advisories are on for much of the upper Midwest and Montana and parts of Idaho. Rain will be the issue for much of the West Coast while the rest of the country basks in tepid temperatures. |
That’s the bad news and it’s all going to swoop in Wednesday evening into Thanksgiving Day night. |
“Travel will be miserable on Wednesday,” says Scott Bernhardt, president of weather analysts Planalytics. |
Weather havoc translates into what climate trackers call “travel-inhibiting events,” meaning flights will be tardy, even canceled at key airports nationwide, and roads will be congested with bumper-to-bumper autos moving at a turtle’s pace. |
Schneider Electric Weather, an analytics arm of Schneider Electric, has tagged 12 major airports as “Thanksgiving travel hazards.” It includes the usual suspects of O’Hare, Minneapolis-St. Paul, La Guardia, JFK, Newark and Logan as well as Dulles, Reagan, Philadelphia and Baltimore-Washington, plus Portland and Seattle... |
But come Thursday, all will be well in the U.S. weather world, says Ronald Sznaider, vice president of weather service at Schneider Electric. “There will be no showstoppers on Thanksgiving, per se, and things will really have quieted down by Friday,” he insists. |
That’s the good news, for the most part. The mad snow dump that hit Buffalo, N.Y., last week is projected to be a flooding problem later into the weekend. |
And if you plan to start your holiday shopping this weekend at Destiny USA in Syracuse, N.Y., the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Ill., or the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., be sure to bundle up and prepare for some snow flurries. |
Schneider Electric did the legwork for you and mapped out the top 10 shopping centers and malls in the U.S. and their corresponding wintry prognostications. The weather forecasts for those three project light snow and below-freezing temperatures, as low at 10 degrees at Mall of America. Even still, it could be worse at... |
It won’t be a whole lot nicer at Pennsylvania’s King of Prussia Mall or the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, N.Y., but it looks like you’ll be in fine stead in most shopping centers in California or Florida, according to Schneider Electric. |
Aventura Mall Aventura, Fla. Partly Cloudy: Low 56. High 73. |
South Coast Plaza Costa Mesa, Calif. Partly Cloudy: Low 56. High 77. |
Del Amo Fashion Center Torrance, Calif. Partly Cloudy: Low 56. High 76. |
Destiny USA Syracuse, N.Y. Cloudy with Lake Effect snow showers: Low 22. High 30. |
Sawgrass Mills Sunrise, Fla. Partly Cloudy: Low 54. High 72. |
The Galleria Houston, Tex. Cloudy: Low 43. High 69. |
Roosevelt Field Garden City, N.Y. Cloudy: Low 28. High 40. |
Woodfield Mall Schaumburg, Ill. Cloudy, with flurries possible: Low 14. High 30. |
As for the rest of the year, many experts predict a thankfully milder winter session than most of us suffered through last year. Don’t get too cocky too fast, though. There will still be frigid icy, very cold weather this winter — just not for the intolerable long bouts that persisted in January, February and March, bo... |
“There will be very, very cold outbreaks in January again, particularly in the eastern half of the country,” Sznaider says. “But the difference will be that we expect moderation much earlier this year compared with last year,” he adds. |
Last year, temperatures almost everywhere were anywhere from eight to 12 degrees below normal. This season, they’ll be below normal again in some choice spots, just not so much, he says. |
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