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A basket of 38 restaurant stocks I track, large and small, are up about 14% year to date.
The fourth quarter's dreadful performance may seem like a distant memory, but it was quite brutal.
Value investing is an important portfolio tool, even in this growth-focused market.
We have previous let our readers know that HTC intends of delivering three Windows Phone 8 smartphones which are rumoured to be releasing next month, the HTC Rio, HTC Accord, and HTC Zenith, but thus far we haven’t been treated to any images of the handsets. However that changes with one handset today as a render of th...
The picture of the HTC Accord Windows Phone 8 handset comes our way courtesy of the guys over at The Verge, and by way of XDA-Developers member Football, who used his Twitter account to reveal the HTC Accord image above, which apparently comes from an HTC ROM.
However it appears that the picture shows the device running Windows Phone 7, but does show the handset in purple, so the guys suggest HTC could possibly be adopting more vibrant colours for their Windows Phone 8 smartphones.
The details on the HTC Accord have already been revealed, which suggested that the WP8 handset would have a Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8227 processor; however apparently Football says the device will sport a 1.5GHz MSM8960 dual core processor, the same that powers the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Other known specs for the device include a 4.3inch 7250p Super LCD 2 touch screen 1GB RAM, an 8 megapixel camera, 1080p video, NFC, and microSD expansion. Obviously there’s no hard and fast word on just when HTC will deliver the Accord to the mobile space, but no doubt they will get round to revealing the device in the...
A report released this week at the 81st annual meeting of the National Catholic Educational Association warns that "the current sources of financial support for Catholic schools are not adequate to maintain them in the future."
The study, "Effective Catholic Schools: An Exploration," states that "declining subsidies from religious orders, parishes, and dioceses, which result from the more general social, economic, and demographic factors affecting the American Catholic Church, are a major problem confronting Catholic schools."
"For some schools, particularly those with large proportions of poor and minorities, these problems are especially serious," the study says. In addition, in the "quiet transformation of Catholic schools to lay institutions," the issue of "what to do with lay faculty" has never "been addressed fully," the report states.
The principal investigators on the project were Anthony S. Bryk, associate professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and senior research associate at the Huron Institute, and Peter B. Holland, a doctoral candidate in administration, planning, and social policy at Harvard.
"It would be a tragic loss were [the] commitment and dedication to be dissipated because Catholic leadership lacked the vision to reach beyond their present horizon and cultural bounds concerning the appropriate means for organizing and managing faculty concerns," the researchers state.
They note that "there are visible tensions within the schools over how they are Catholic, and as a result, whom they should serve."
Nonetheless, the researchers argue that "there is much goodness" in Catholic schools. Teachers are committed to professional development, they write, and have "a personal stake in the school and in the lives of the students." At the same time, students are "actively engaged in learning and the life of the school."
Moreover, the tradition of a rigorous academic core curriculum has enabled Catholic schools to "accomplish a great deal with very modest resources," the researchers note.
But the "goodness" of Catholic schools, they argue, is primarily a function of the value-oriented nature of Catholic education.
It is the focus on values in all endeavors that provides a common purpose for the school and binds it together as a social institution, according to the researchers.
Enrollment: Catholic schools have been hit by the decline in the number of school-age children that has affected public and private schools alike, according to "United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1983-84," a report on schools, enrollment, and staffing in 166 Catholic dioceses. The schools enrolled...
The 1.9-percent decline was roughly comparable to declines in Catholic-school enrollments over the past eight years averaging about 1.6 percent annually.
The ncea enrollment and staffing study indicates that despite the enrollment drop last year, the number of Catholic schools forced to close their doors this year was the smallest since the 1960's. For the past seven years, an average of 72 Catholic schools per year have ceased operations, but this year only 31 Catholic...
Today, there are 7,937 Catholic elementary schools and 1,464 high schools, noted the report, which was written by the Rev. Frank H. Bredeweg, a research consultant.
According to the report, the number of closings has declined because many "large-scale reviews of diocesan school systems have been completed, and obvious closings or consolidations" have already been accomplished. Moreover, it states, "budget procedures have become more sophisticated" and flight from the city to the s...
"Most important of all," the study says, "Catholic parents and students continue to enthusiastically support Catholic schools. Proponents of Catholic education have borne higher tuition charges and more intensive development and fundraising efforts in order to retain schools."
The report indicates that minority students constituted more than one-fifth of the total enrollment (20.4 percent) in Catholic schools during 1982-83. Black and Hispanic students made up the largest percentage of the minority enrollment (8.8 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively); Asian Americans made up 2.1 percent an...
The percentage of non-Catholic students in Catholic schools increased to 10.6 percent in 1982-83, compared with 2.7 percent in 1969-70. Non-Catholic students now make up 10.4 percent of the elementary enrollment and 11.2 percent of the secondary enrollment, according to the report.
In 1983, lay teachers constituted 78.8 percent of the teaching staff in Catholic elementary schools and 74.3 percent of the teaching staff in Catholic secondary schools, according to the enrollment and staffing report. "Today's lay staff holds almost the same majority that religious [staff] held in the 1960's," the rep...
Finances: Parish subsidies have declined over the last nine years from 52.9 percent of per-pupil revenue in 1973-74 to 45.7 percent in 1982-83. At the same time, the reliance on income from tuition and fees has increased from 38.6 percent to 42.7 percent of per-pupil expenditures, according to another report, "United S...
In the nine-year period, revenue from fundraising and other sources has increased by almost 45 percent, from 7.4 percent of per-pupil revenue in 1973-74 to 10.7 percent of revenue in 1982-83, the finance report found.
The report, which was also written by Father Bredeweg, indicates that per-pupil costs have risen by about 10 percent annually in the decade since 1972-83.
But operating expenses at Catholic elementary schools in 1982-83 were $1.74 billion, reflecting a national per-pupil cost of $782, a 19.8-percent increase over 1980-81.
"Despite fewer students and schools, higher salaries and other costs have caused the total annual expenditure to increase," the report states.
The percentage of schools that charge tuition of below $600 has declined from about 80 percent to 66 percent since 1981-82, while the percentage of schools charging tuition of more than $800 has increased from 4.3 to 13.1 percent.
Slightly over 54 percent of the schools this year charged tuition of under $499.
Characteristics: A report on a comprehensive survey, funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation, of 910 Catholic high-school principals nationwide provides some indication of how their schools encourage value-oriented education.
The classical season will officially begin with performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. The orchestra will also perform the world premiere of the orchestral version of Stomp, composed by John Corigliano. During the concert, Corigliano will offer commentary from the stage alongside Andrés Orozco-Estrada as part of a ne...
I'm single and on dating apps. While swiping through Tinder, I saw my friend's husband. I know without a doubt it was him. He and my friend met on Tinder three years ago and got married shortly after, so I think he would have deleted his profile by now. I was in shock when I saw it and my first reaction was to share it...
I am torn about what to do now. Do I let my friend know what I saw, having no proof, or just keep my mouth shut while she may be living with an unfaithful spouse? I see this friend maybe once a month, but she and I were best friends in high school and I care for her deeply. I have never had a bad interaction with her h...
I can make a case for sharing this information with your friend. I can also make a case for keeping it to yourself.
If you're not really close with this fried – if those monthly visits are small talk and a coffee – I'd keep the information to yourself. You don't know enough about this woman's marriage to get involved. You can't assume anything about his motives or her interests. Maybe she's on Tinder, too.
But if you are very close with her, and you do share intimate things about your lives, you can consider telling her the way you told us. You can explain that you saw him on there, swiped left, and wanted to make sure he knew his profile still lingers. It doesn't have to sound like the end of the world.
You don't have to make a decision right this second, by the way. If you see her a few more times, perhaps without him, maybe you'll feel the urge to forget or disclose.
The Butler County Emergency Management Coordinator says it could be several years before the area fully recovers from the severe weather that hit this spring and summer. Steve Ulrich says emergency personnel did a good job responding to the EF5 tornado on May 25th and massive, county-wide flooding a few weeks later. Ho...
"There’s no way that you’re going to be able to deal with this kind of devastation and prepare for it," Ulrich said. "Just the tornado by itself was bad enough, then when you add flooding on top of that…it just magnified everything."
In the storm’s aftermath, more than 40 emergency management coordinators from around Iowa arrived in Butler County to help with the clean up. Ulrich was busy thanking those individuals this week at the Governor’s Homeland Security Conference in Des Moines. Ulrich says Butler County set up an Emergency Operations Center...
A number of smaller counties in Iowa don’t have an EOC, primarily because of financial or space limitations or officials don’t believe there’s a need. Ulrich says the EOC in Butler County was critical in helping him and others communicate with rescue personnel, local residents and state officials.
Hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses in Parkersburg and New Hartford were either destroyed or damaged in the storms. Ulrich says they’re still welcoming volunteers to help with the rebuilding effort in those towns – but the need has shifted in recent weeks.
"Now, we’re being more focused on what volunteers we’re looking for," Ulrich said. "We’re looking for those groups that can come in and do framing on a house, or they can do dry wall work or painting or mucking out basements. We’re trying to find those groups and get them to the right areas of the county." Ulrich says ...
IT systems must place a strategic framework of values, and value, in motion, with an emphasis on trustworthiness, quality and customer service.
Countless words have been written and uttered about corporate leadership. Universities devote entire MBA programs to the topic and conferences dissect virtually every aspect of how to become a better leader.
Nevertheless, leadership is often MIA in business and IT. A recent study conducted by the public relations firm Ketchum found that only 22 percent of 6,509 respondents in 13 countries believe that today's leaders demonstrate effective leadership. Moreover, there's a 14 percent gap between expectations and delivery, and...
But wait, there's more. Only about four in 10 respondents believe that business leaders meet expectations and a mere 35 percent say they are effective communicators. The fallout? Customers financially punish companies that lack leadership. The Ketchum study found that 61 percent boycotted or bought less from firms that...
It's easy to brush off these findings, but the study has a couple of interesting points and subplots. First, low levels of consumer trust do not lead to loyalty and brand stickiness. However, companies that demonstrate strong leadership are poised to benefit. Among other things, this means leading by example, engaging ...
Second, leadership today is more than a command-and-control thing. Increasingly, there's a need for a more sensitive approach. It's also about embracing diversity in order to bring a much broader range of thinking and attitudes into the business—and sync with rapidly changing societal attitudes. This includes different...
CIOs can play a key role in all of this. Although digital technology serves up a heaping dose of challenges, it also provides the tools to address obstacles. IT systems cannot be designed around features, functions and capabilities. They must place a strategic framework of values and value into motion. According to Ket...
The upshot? Connect IT systems to a clear business strategy or face a big, painful leadership disconnect.
Samuel Greengard is a contributing writer for CIO Insight. To read his previous CIO Insight blog post, "Think Like a Venture Capitalist!", click here.
[MUSIC] Not only can the fingerprint scanner on the S6 and S6 Edge be used to unlock your phone, you can also use it to log into any website. You can bypass entering your username name and password by simply tapping you finger. Here. It is an opt-in feature, so start out by going to settings then lock screen and securi...
Your News is a place where you can submit the stories you want to see in print, it’s all about community events submitted by readers. Tell us what is happening in your neighborhood by filling out this form. Your News stories will be posted online and some may be chosen to be reprinted in the Union. The Union cannot gua...
The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, asked his MPs not to engage with the prime minister, who is attempting to come up with an EU withdrawal deal Parliament can accept, until she rules out a no-deal Brexit. Corbyn also wrote an open letter to Theresa May saying he would take no part in discussions until such a time. Many ...
In response to the open letter, May claimed it was impossible for the UK government to take no-deal off the table. In so doing, the prime minister undermined the chancellor, Philip Hammond, who had been quoted as telling business leaders a no-deal Brexit would be blocked by Parliament.
The public is “aghast” at the “Brexit pantomime” in Westminster, Sinn Féin’s deputy leader, Michelle O’Neill, has told the Northern Ireland secretary, Karen Bradley, in what the former termed a “frank discussion”.
With each passing day, our business community, our farmers, our community and voluntary sector are growing more concerned at where this shambles will ultimately end up. And it is they who will pay the price of a no-deal crash Brexit.
Unfortunately, that is where we are likely to end up if Karen Bradley’s government pursues a solution by attempting to placate and appease the DUP and the hard Brexiteers.
O’Neill added a plea that the backstop remained in any new withdrawal deal agreed between the UK and EU.
It is crucial, now more than ever, that the Dublin Government and the EU27 stand firm on the position that there can be no agreement without a backstop that prevents a hard border in Ireland and protects our peace and political process.
This is completely wrong. One of the useful outcomes from the first round of the discussions with the government was around the practicalities of a People’s Vote. These discussions brought to the surface the complete misunderstanding in government circles about the timeline to bring it about.
As Lord Tyler demonstrated today, it would be perfectly possible to organise a People’s Vote to take place as early as May without trampling on constitutional and practical requirements.
.@mrchriswilkins describes a scene in the Downing st flat in which four advisers were persuading Theresa and Philip May to go for an election in 2017. Philip was apparently most nervous and asked if they realised how much they would be putting at risk.
After a day of phone calls very strong sense among those who have seen the PM that she is not minded to move towards customs union, priority very much seems to be winning her own party back. At least for now. But a lot of different prices being put on that support.
The prime minister is in denial about the consequences of the scale of the defeat of her deal on Monday. To win support in Parliament, any new deal must ditch her red lines.
As opposition MPs who have met with the government today have discovered, the prime minister is not yet prepared for serious talks to find a way forward. The starting point for any talks must be that she commits to rule out no deal.
Corbyn made a similar demand in an open letter to Theresa May earlier this afternoon (see 1.53pm). In her response, May claimed it was impossible for the UK government to rule out a no-deal Brexit.
After a very, very agonising time I have come to the conclusion that we probably will have to have a second referendum.
I think there could be a referendum in May. I think that Article 50 would have to be delayed until the last possible moment, which is the end of June. And then, if the referendum was not carried in terms of staying in, then that would be that.
When politicians send public letters to each other, normally the content is not particularly interesting. They are effectively press releases, and it is common for the recipient to not even reply. But Theresa May has replied to the letter she received from Jeremy Corbyn today (see 1.53pm), and she does make some intere...
I note that you have said ‘ruling out’ no deal is a precondition before we can meet, but that is an impossible condition because it is not within the government’s power to rule out no deal. Let me explain why.
Under article 50 of the Treaty on European Union and the Withdrawal Act 2018, we will leave the EU without a deal on 29 March unless parliament either agrees a deal with the EU or the UK revokes article 50 and chooses to stay in the EU permanently.
So there are two way to avoid no deal: either vote for a deal, in particular a withdrawal agreement, that has been agreed with the EU, or to revoke Article 50 and overturn the referendum result.
I believe it would be wrong to overturn the referendum result.
As a technical explanation of the situation this is correct. Simon Usherwood, deputy director of UK in a Changing EU, an academic research programme, has explained why in a bit more detail in a Twitter thread starting here.
Everyone on the call will be aware that a bill has been tabled today and amendments will be tabled on Monday by backbenchers from across the House which would have the effect of removing the threat of no deal.
My understanding is that because the bill being brought forward will simply and solely rescind the article 50 notice, the legal opinion that they have is that that will meet the test that the European court of justice has laid down for unilateral recision of an article 50 notice.
It is not within their power to mandate any future course of action, that would be for a government to do. Their process simply and their bill simply withdraws the article 50 notice.
That’s is all from me for this evening.
Downing Street has released Theresa May’s reply to the letter she received from Jeremy Corbyn (see 1.53pm) saying he would only join cross-party talks if she rules out a no-deal Brexit.
Here is the full text. May claims it impossible for the government to rule out a no-deal Brexit.
I will post more on this in a moment.
Now that Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership will undoubtedly last until the next general election, the British public now have to decide what sort of society they want to live in.
Whether the Labour PLP likes it or not, the electorate will be offered a collection of mildly socialist reforms that has arguably not been on offer since the end of the Second World War. And why not?
While Tony Blair won two elections under the banner of ‘New Labour’, his ‘third way’ brand of politics was arguably as dead as a Dodo long before he resigned as Prime Minister in 2007. The Iraq war being just one reason why. Arguably, it was Ed Miliband’s failure to completely disentangle Labour from the political prag...
Despite the ‘pragmatic’ style of politics New Labour liked to think it projected, such pragmatism failed to improve life for many of Britain’s poor nor its middle classes, and did very little to protect the rights of British workers.
In reality, it offered a brand of political pragmatism akin to a woman having to put up with domestic violence from her partner, simply because she has nowhere else to go and no one to turn to.
It’s a political pragmatism that totally accepts the dominance of the dominant, without recoil and without exception, but hoping a few extra crumbs will be dropped from the table of the high and mighty in return for the favour.
Stephen Hawking poses with actor Jim Parsons on the set of "The Big Bang Theory."
The world lost one of its most brilliant minds today (March 14) when the renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking passed away at the age of 76.
As a physicist, Hawking rose to fame for his work on black holes and the origins of the universe. He was also a stellar science communicator who authored several best-selling books that made astrophysics and cosmology accessible to people with no scientific background. But Hawking was also someone with a remarkable sen...
Thawing permafrost is creating major problems for Alaskan communities, and the situation is poised to get worse as temperatures keep rising. Now scientists have pinpointed a new reason to be concerned about ancient soils coming out of the freezer for the first time in millennia: mercury. Lots and lots of it.
A study published Monday in Geophysical Research Letters estimates that northern permafrost-bearing soils are the largest reservoir of mercury on the planet, containing nearly twice as much of the heavy metal as all other soils, the oceans, and the atmosphere combined. Mercury, as you’re probably aware, is toxic, dange...
Permafrost is, as its name implies, permanently frozen-soil, built up over millennia as bits of dead plant and animal matter accumulate and become buried in some of the coldest regions on Earth. Permafrost is best known for storing billions of tons of carbon, but it can lock away other elements, too. Like mercury, whic...

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