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http://fortune.com/2015/04/17/amex-shows-the-scars-of-a-strong-dollar-and-the-costco-disaster/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150417160509id_/http://fortune.com/2015/04/17/amex-shows-the-scars-of-a-strong-dollar-and-the-costco-disaster/ | AmEx shows the scars of a strong dollar and the Costco disaster | 20150417160509 | American Express Co’s AXP woes continue. The world’s largest credit card issuer reported quarterly revenue that fell short of analysts’ estimates, hurt by a stronger dollar and the loss of several co-branded tie-ups.
AmEx said it was hurt, as expected, by the loss of deals such as that with Costco Wholesale Corp COST in Canada last year. AmEx’s exclusive agreement with Costco in the U.S., under which the retailer accepts only AmEx cards, is also set to end next March. The tie-up accounts for 8% of spending on AmEx cards.
“We are now seeing the full impact from the termination of this relationship,” a company executive said in a post-earnings conference call. Amex said in February the loss of the Costco contract in the U.S. would hurt earnings for the next two years.
Stiff competition has made the “co-branded” credit cards business increasingly tough across the industry due to wafer-thin margins. Such cards make up about a third of AmEx’s purchase volume.
That’s nowhere more true than in business travel, historically one of AmEx’s biggest strengths. The company also ended a co-branded deal with JetBlue Airways Corp JBLU in the first quarter.
Another predictable hit to business for a company that trades heavily on its global reach came from the dollar’s strength, which depressed the value of the earnings Amex gets from overseas.
Revenue from international operations, net of interest expense, fell 8% to $1.24 billion in the quarter ended March 31, accounting for about 16% of AmEx’s total revenue.
The dollar, which has gained about 22% in the past 12 months against a basket of major currencies, has been a spot of bother for U.S. multinational companies.
Total revenue, net of interest expense, fell 2.7% to $7.95 billion. Analysts had estimated revenue of $8.20 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Sluggish revenue growth in recent years has forced the company to rein in costs. It plans to cut more than 4,000 jobs this year.
AmEx, which raised interest rates for a large number of its credit cards for the first time in five years in February, also lost a case filed by the U.S. government and 17 states, which accused it of violating antitrust laws by prohibiting merchants from steering consumers to use cheaper credit cards.
AmEx shares fell 1.4% to $79.80 after the bell on Thursday. | Ever-stronger competition is eating away at credit card giant. | 39.916667 | 0.583333 | 0.75 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.people.com/article/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-cant-forget-moments-10th-anniversary | http://web.archive.org/web/20150421174142id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-cant-forget-moments-10th-anniversary | 6 Can't-Forget Moments : People.com | 20150421174142 | with Jolie's son Maddox in April 2005.
Now, a decade later, the famous duo's romance has swept the globe, still intoxicating fans and media with their undeniable infatuation and support for one another.
Flash forward to nine years of dating – and six children together – when the A-listers
. (Though we'll never get tired of staring at
"After 10 years we were such close friends and we have such history," the Oscar-winning actress told PEOPLE in November.
To toast the momentous occasion, PEOPLE rounded up six moments from the celebs worth reminiscing over. From babies, to beards to bare limbs – take a
It's no secret that playing house on screen sparked Pitt and Jolie's romantic connection while shooting the 2005 action film.
"I think a few months in I realized, 'God, I can't wait to get to work,' " Jolie
But becoming a real-life Mr. and Mrs. wasn't something at the top of the duo's to-do list back in the day. Pitt and Jolie had said several times over the years that tying the knot was not their goal or priority.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Stephen Vaughn / Twentieth Century FOX
Already mother to two adopted children (Maddox and Zahara), the actress welcomed her first biological child, Shiloh, with Pitt in May 2006. Pitt
And Jolie was ever-glowing – and ever-growing – alongside her man on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet in 2008, when she was pregnant with her biological twins
. The true star on the carpet was her giant baby belly, all glammed up with a
And pregnancy had a sexy side, the
"It's great for the sex life," Jolie
in 2008. "It just makes you a lot more creative. So you have fun, and as a woman you're just so round and full."
Angelina Jolie at the 61st Cannes Film Festival
Let's take a minute to revisit the questionable goatee that the
actor rocked circa Halloween 2009.
A bearded Pitt was first spotted out trick-or-treating with his kids, alongside Jolie, on the spooky holiday. But when he popped up at the airport in Japan to promote
a few days later still sporting the scruff, it became clear it wasn't just a costume.
But his leading lady was still a fan, Jolie said at the time.
"I like it when he changes," she
"I like that he's an artist and tries different things. I like him always."
Brad Pitt at Narita International Airport
Nothing says forever like permanent ink. Jolie's
sparked adoption rumors back when she debuted the new art in 2011 – but she soon after explained it was a mark for her man.
"Well if they know that it's latitude and longitude they would have figured out quickly that it was Brad's birthplace," she said while talking tats
Her hubby holds the title for most talked-about beard, but Jolie made one of her body parts famous enough to snag its
star's black Versace gown and
arguably made more headlines than the 2012 Academy Award winners themselves.
But if you got it, flaunt it, right?
Angelina Jolie at the 2012 Academy Awards
The famed couple graced their first red carpet together as husband and wife at the world premiere of Jolie's
in November 2014, both radiating that newlywed glow.
But the actress-turned-director may have sealed the marriage deal even one step further in recent months when she seemed to have taken her
The humanitarian published her March 24
op-ed about her decision to undergo a second preventive surgery – having her ovaries and Fallopian tubes removed – with the byline Angelina Jolie Pitt. (In May 2013, Jolie also had underwent a
after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene.)
The star was then identified as Angelina Jolie Pitt at the Kids' Choice Awards, which she attended with daughters Shiloh and Zahara, just five days later.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the world premiere of Unbroken
KHAP / GG / GC
As the couple approached a decade together, Jolie Pitt told PEOPLE last November she had a "beautiful year."
"I'm just happy the kids are healthy, I married their dad, our family's solid, and my health is good," she said. "I'm just very grateful every day." | PEOPLE rounded up our six favorite flashbacks starring the A-list lovebirds | 68.153846 | 0.692308 | 1.615385 | high | low | mixed |
http://fortune.com/2015/04/20/china-really-wants-a-rising-stock-market/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150424005749id_/http://fortune.com:80/2015/04/20/china-really-wants-a-rising-stock-market/ | China really wants a rising stock market | 20150424005749 | The big reserve cut in China over the weekend—a 1 percentage point reduction in banks’ reserve-requirement ratio, the largest such reduction since 2008—seemed to be about pumping more lending into an economy which struggled through the first quarter to a disappointing 7% GDP growth rate.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called first quarter data “not pretty,” and economists widely expected the country to respond with monetary stimulus.
But close watchers of China’s stock market had another take: the ratio cut was aimed at stocks and the wealth effect they supposedly create.
“As if the flames under Chinese equities weren’t hot enough already, Beijing is busy throwing fuel on the fire,” Gavekal Dragonomics Asia Research Director Joyce Poon wrote today in Hong Kong.
China, like the U.S., believes rising markets boost the overall economy. Rising stock markets make people feel rich, driving them to spend more, and spending trickles down to all rungs of society. The phenomenon has been challenged by top economists like Yale’s Robert Shiller, but it remains a government truism in most countries including China, which actually has a lower percentage of shareholders for its population than most people realize after seeing photos of “mom and pop” traders in the newspapers.
Beijing is taking the stock market wealth effect one step further. “It’s a political goal to create wealth effects in both [mainland China and Hong Kong] markets, so that Beijing can utilise the stock market to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship and channel liquidity to the real economy to hedge economic downside risk,” HSBC analysts led by Roger Xie, equity strategist in Hong Kong, said today.
The timing of the ratio cut supported the view that it was aimed at pumping up stocks. The Sunday announcement came two days after the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced new rules to limit the use of leveraged money for trading and encourage mutual funds to lend more shares to short sellers betting on stock’s fall. The regulator wants to cool a red-hot market that is up 80% over the past six months. That Friday announcement sent stock futures plummeting by more than 5%. But China’s central bank came right back two days later with the cut.
The reserve ratio cut may inject more than $200 billion in new liquidity into China’s markets. Lending should rise and short-term interest rates should fall, helping local governments restructure debt, notes Gavekal. And if the central bank gets its way, stocks will rise.
Despite Shanghai’s run-up this year, regular people all over Beijing are still talking about getting in.
On cue, Shanghai stocks jumped nearly 2% in Monday after the news before ending the day, probably to policy makers’ disappointment, in the red.
Watch more business news from Fortune: | Beijing believes in 'wealth effects' trickling down to the broader economy. It also wants to avoid its stock market going the way of its housing market. | 17.933333 | 0.733333 | 1.066667 | medium | low | abstractive |
http://www.people.com/article/kim-kardashian-instagram-armenian-genocide | http://web.archive.org/web/20150425133218id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/kim-kardashian-instagram-armenian-genocide | Kim Kardashian Instagrams Tribute to Armenian Genocide Anniversary : People.com | 20150425133218 | Kim Kardashian (left) and Khloé Kardashian
04/24/2015 AT 01:45 PM EDT
After visiting her ancestors' homeland,
says she has new insight into her heritage, honoring those lost in the Armenian genocide on its 100th anniversary.
"I am proud to now say I have been to Armenia," she captioned an Instagram photo Friday. "I have seen the memorials and the people who survived and I am so proud of how strong the Armenian people are!"
Kardashian West, 34, and sister
earlier this month, ending with a trip to Jerusalem to
. Their late father, Robert Kardashian, was of Armenian descent.
In 1915, the Ottoman Empire forced Armenian civilians out of their country, marching them to prison camps and murdering as many as 1.5 million people, according to
. Turkey still does not officially recognize the tragedy as a genocide – nor does the United States.
"I am saddened that still 100 years later not everyone has recognized that 1.5 million people were murdered," Kardashian West said. "But proud of the fact that I see change and am happy many people have started to recognize this genocide! We won't give up, we will be recognized by all soon!"
"My great-great-grandparents came from Armenia to Los Angeles in 1914, right before the genocide happened," she wrote. "We have no existing family left in Armenia. Had they not escaped, we wouldnât be here." | "We won't give up, we will be recognized by all soon!" she wrote on Instagram | 14.35 | 1 | 10.3 | low | high | extractive |
http://fortune.com/2015/05/06/work-from-home-jobs/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150508200716id_/http://fortune.com:80/2015/05/06/work-from-home-jobs/ | College grads: Your first job doesn't have to be in an office | 20150508200716 | Dear Annie: Please settle an argument. I’m graduating from college in a few weeks and have been dragging my feet about accepting a job offer — I’ve had three — because I dread the thought of being stuck in a cubicle. What I’d really like is a job that I could do from home, or even from the road if I’m traveling. Friends, however, tell me that companies where you can work from a remote location, or more than one, always require that you do some time in an office first. Is that true? — Footloose
Dear Footloose: You’ll be happy to hear that your friends are a bit behind the times. It’s true that, until recently, telecommuting was a privilege extended almost exclusively to people who had proven themselves in an office setting first, and maybe worked from home on a trial basis for a while until they demonstrated that they weren’t spending the day watching MacGyver reruns.
A few employers still approach telecommuting that way, but more and more, work is becoming untethered from the office, partly thanks to technology and partly because of Millennials like you.
“A new batch of college graduates is entering the workforce, and they’re demanding work flexibility,” says Sara Sutton Fell. She is CEO of FlexJobs.com, which lists flexible and telecommuting jobs. Fell says the number of these job postings went up 26% last year alone. FlexJobs’ database now has a database of about 30,000 companies, including positions at IBM, Apple, Amazon, Salesforce, American Express, and Aetna.
To give you an idea of the kinds of work you can do from home without doing time in an office first, here’s a current sampling:
Here’s another thought: Since you mention you’ve already received three job offers, have you talked with any of those employers about your reluctance to be “stuck in a cubicle,” as you put it? Most companies (84%) now allow or even encourage telecommuting for “some or select” employees, according to the latest survey on flextime and telecommuting from the Society for Human Resource Management.
Even better, almost as big a majority (70%) say they’re fine with telecommuting “on a regular basis” for any employee who can make the arrangement work. So, assuming you’re interested in one or more of the positions you’ve been offered, why not see if you can negotiate to work remotely? The deal might call for an agreed-upon period of getting your feet wet in an office first, but even so, it’s worth a try.
Talkback: Does your company encourage telecommuting? If you’ve ever done it, how did it work out for you? Leave a comment below.
Have a career question for Anne Fisher? Email askannie@fortune.com. | Until recently, working remotely was for experienced employees only. Not anymore. | 39 | 0.714286 | 1.142857 | high | low | abstractive |
http://fortune.com/2015/05/06/eu-web-giants-digital-market/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150508232106id_/http://fortune.com:80/2015/05/06/eu-web-giants-digital-market/ | EU to review behavior of web giants in digital market overhaul | 20150508232106 | The European Commission will conduct a comprehensive review this year of the role of web giants such as Google GOOG , Facebook FB and Amazon AMZN to decide whether it should regulate them more tightly, it said on Wednesday.
The inquiry will focus on the transparency of search results and pricing policies, how online platforms use the data they acquire, their relationships with other businesses and how they promote their own services to the disadvantage of competitors.
The review, which had been expected, is part of a Digital Single Market Strategy unveiled by Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip on Wednesday. A wide-ranging policy paper, it lays out a variety of proposals to boost economic growth in Europe by removing national barriers within the EU for online services.
As with other EU inquiries into new digital businesses, including a potentially costly antitrust suit launched last month against Google, the biggest targets are U.S. firms that dominate the European market — a trend that has prompted President Barack Obama to warn the EU against protectionism.
Ansip’s strategy includes a set of initiatives focusing on reforming copyright and telecoms rules, knocking down barriers to cross-border parcel deliveries and ensuring European online businesses can compete with their bigger U.S. counterparts.
The Commission also confirmed a competition inquiry into e-commerce, which is separate from the analysis of online platforms. Unlike the antitrust investigation launched last month into Google, the e-commerce competition inquiry does not carry an immediate threat of penalties for firms involved, though such legal proceedings could be launched as a result.
The review of online platforms is not intended to lead to penalties for firms involved, but could see new regulation of the sector — something Germany and France have pushed for.
“Europe has strengths to build on, but also homework to do, in particular to make sure its industries adapt, and its citizens make full use of the potential of new digital services and goods,” said Guenther Oettinger, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society.
The EU executive aims to deliver on its promises by the end of next year, setting itself up for a battle with several industry groups, from telecom operators to film makers.
The EU’s regulation of the telecom sector will also be overhauled next year. It will seek to coordinate the sale of airwaves, spur investment in high-speed broadband and address competition from services such as Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Skype. | European Commission to decide whether it should regulate the companies more tightly. | 35.461538 | 0.923077 | 3.538462 | high | medium | mixed |
http://fortune.com/2015/05/09/temple-st-clair-gold-jewelry/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150509190110id_/http://fortune.com/2015/05/09/temple-st-clair-gold-jewelry/ | Gold jewelry is having a moment. Temple St Clair is along for the ride | 20150509190110 | When Taylor Swift sang about a relationship that never goes out of style, she could have been referring to consumers’ love affair with gold.
The classic metal is currently having a moment, and few people know that better than designer Temple St. Clair Carr. One cannot find her haute couture jewelry collection in stores, although her signature rock crystal amulets and collectible cocktail rings can be found at select luxury retailers. She debuted her Mythical Creatures collection of nine statement pieces at the Louvre during Paris Fashion Week earlier this year. As demand for gold increases, designers like Carr—and her namesake company, Temple St. Clair—are introducing bigger and bolder collections to discerning customers who prize the true craftsmanship that comes from master makers.
Sally Morrison, managing director of jewelry for the World Gold Council, has noticed a trend toward stronger yellow gold looks among independent designers. It’s also present on fashion runways, red carpets, and at carriage-trade houses such as H. Stern and Cartier, all of which are driving consumer interest. The jewelry market still drives the biggest demand for gold, according to the World Gold Council’s 2014 Gold Demand Trends report, and last year’s U.S. jewelry sales were fueled by improved economic performance.
Increased interest in yellow gold and more sightings of those styles on the red carpet has led designers to respond with bigger, bolder collections, Morrison says. “I’m thinking particularly of things like Cartier re-visiting and re-issuing the nail bracelet, Juste Un Clou, that hadn’t been in circulation since the ’70s,” she says. “They brought it back in a larger scale, they made it in yellow, they made it in rose, and it was kind of a runaway hit.” Juste Un Clou was originally designed by Aldo Cipullo for Cartier in 1971. “It’s a very interesting piece,” Morrison adds. “It’s extremely iconic, it’s very specific and very edgy.”
The yellow gold trend doesn’t necessarily translate to flashy pieces, she says. For the sophisticated consumer, it’s more about craftsmanship. “I think there is a real return—or a new visibility—of an interesting craftsmanship of the hands of the maker of the piece,” Morrison says.
She points to one-of-a-kind pieces made with hand tools. “The really high-end market for very special things is very robust still, and I think that discerning people who have the sort of resources to get whatever they want are more and more looking for a kind of quality and specialness,” she adds. “I think that good design and boldness definitely plays into that but it’s also into the actual crafting of the piece.”
Pieces like the ones St. Clair produces using techniques perfected over hundreds of years in Florence, Italy.
“Gold has been well loved and in fashion for thousands of years,” Carr says. “In fact, it is really never out of fashion. Other metals and ideas come and go but gold is always there.”
St. Clair has found that its loyal fans are also big collectors. “My jewels are not merely accessories but objects to be enjoyed and treasured for generations,” Carr adds. “I cannot speak for general trends, but Temple St. Clair as a jewelry house is at a point where we have gained our clientele’s confidence, not to mention their curiosity.”
Carr describes her latest collection, Mythical Creatures, as a natural evolution of her experience working with unusual gemstones. “I have always used gold and gemstones as my materials through which I explore universal themes that interest me—from astronomical theory, to Buddhist thought to symbols of nature,” she explains. “With Mythical Creatures, I bring together both of these ways of working—rare, fine materials coupled with themes about which I am passionate—to an extreme.”
Carr settled on nine pieces for a simple reason: Because “odd numbers are always best,” she says. Seven of them have already sold, leaving the Phoenix Chick earrings and the Medusa Moon Jellyfish ring. “Each client was drawn to her specific piece for personal reasons,” she says. “We had a South American collector of unique serpent necklaces that just had to have the Secret Garden Serpent necklace and basically purchased it from a photograph she was shown. We have a lovely client who adores owls; she has collected my high jewelry pieces for years and when she saw the The Night Owl, she had to have him. The owner of The Frog Prince loves water creatures and the like.”
With a drop in gold prices, it is likely that more consumers will purchase pieces made from the metal. Designers and jewelers who once found gold inaccessible, or had to limit themselves to smaller pieces, can now respond with grander designs.
“It’s likely going to continue,” says Morrison, of the World Gold Council. “There has definitely been more of those gold statement pieces in very high-wattage cultural events recently. I would expect it to continue.” Big and bold or small and subtle, gold jewelry clearly comes back every time. | A strong economy and lower gold prices mean this classic metal is making a big comeback. | 59.117647 | 0.647059 | 1.117647 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater-art/2015/05/08/zeitgeist-submission-racial-tension-wrapped-tangled-web/AiTtrL3nhkSMxC2OUuS92O/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150510204309id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/arts/theater-art/2015/05/08/zeitgeist-submission-racial-tension-wrapped-tangled-web/AiTtrL3nhkSMxC2OUuS92O/story.html | Zeitgeist’s ‘Submission’: racial tension wrapped in a tangled web | 20150510204309 | Actor Victor Shopov says he’s built his career out of playing jerks.
“I like to take on anti-heroes,” says Shopov, “and make it hard to dislike them.”
Over the last five years, Shopov has brought his sympathetic portrayals to not-so-likable roles in SpeakEasy Stage’s “Bad Jews” and Lyric Stage Company’s “Death of a Salesman,” but he’s mostly honed his craft at Zeitgeist Stage Company, with standout performances in “Bent,” “The Normal Heart,” “A Bright New Boise,” “Punk Rock,” “Enron,” and “Farragut North.”
Shopov is currently playing Danny, an overly ambitious playwright in Zeitgeist’s production of “The Submission,” which runs through May 30 at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Plaza Black Box Theatre. The play, by Jeff Talbott, follows Danny’s excitement over his new play’s acceptance into the prestigious Humana Festival. The problem is, Danny has written the play under the pseudonym Shaleeha G’ntamobi. He doesn’t believe the selection committee would choose his drama about an African-American woman living in the projects with her cardshark son if they knew it was written by a young, gay, white man. Danny complicates the lie by hiring an African-American actress named Emilie (Aina Adler) to portray his imaginary playwright, and the comedy and drama lie in the tangled mess Danny’s lies create.
“This is a dramedy that covers issues of sexual identity and racial identity in a theatrical way,” says David J. Miller, Zeitgeist’s artistic director and director of “The Submission.” “It’s a good bookend to ‘Bent,’ ” Zeitgeist’s season opener about the Nazi persecution of gays, as well as Jews.
“People will be passionate about it, one way or the other,” he says.
The theater — and this play in particular — Shopov says, “allows us to talk about the issue of race in a safe venue. It opens up the discussion.”
“Danny constantly puts his foot in his mouth, telling Emilie ‘I know what you’re going through,’ when he really doesn’t have a clue. But the play also exposes the uncomfortable tension between racism and homophobia.”
Danny is charming and goofy, says Shopov. “He’s oblivious. He is so determined to succeed, he makes a stupid mistake and then just keeps making it worse.”
The characters in “The Submission,” both actor and director agree, are pushed to the breaking point and say things they might otherwise never reveal.
“Can one moment, one mistake, change all the good work that came before?” says Shopov. “My job is to find the humanity underneath Danny’s obsession with success, to find those moments of vulnerability.”
Reviews of the New York production mentioned the characters’ shallow qualities, but Miller says that’s exactly why he cast Shopov.
“Danny is a Victor kind of role,” he says, comparing the character with the strident activist Shopov played in “The Normal Heart,” Ned Weeks. “These are loud, temperamental characters, but Victor always finds the nuance that makes us sympathize with them.”
Despite a fistful of awards and a reputation for provocative work, Miller says that at the close of Zeitgeist’s 14th season, he has no ambition to move to a larger venue.
“The immediacy of the Black Box really works for us,” Miller says, and Shopov agrees.
“That’s what I love,” says Shopov. “During ‘The Normal Heart,’ when people were wiping their eyes, I could register it, even though the character of Ned did not. Being so close to the audience really helps with the performance.”
Directed by David J. Miller
Presented by Zeitgeist Stage Company
At: Plaza Black Box Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, through May 30
The 17th annual Boston Theater Marathon takes place Sunday at the Wimberly Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion. This year’s fifty 10-minute plays include works by Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich, Jami Brandli, Robert Brustein, Deirdre Girard, Israel Horovitz, and Ronan Noone, to name just a few. Each play is produced by a New England theater company, a tribute to the breadth of the area’s vibrant theater scene.
The marathon starts at noon on Sunday and runs until 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 the day of the event, and the ticket allows you to come and go as you please. Net proceeds benefit the Theatre Community Benevolent Fund, which provides financial support to theaters and theater artists in times of need. Go to www.bostontheatrescene.com for tickets.
On Saturday, the Marathon hosts the “Warm-up Laps” featuring free staged readings of three full-length plays, including “Hair of the Dog” by Constance Congdon (sponsored by the Huntington Theatre Company) at noon, “The King of Love Is Dead,” adapted by Liana Asim (sponsored by Company One Theatre) at 2 p.m., and “Uploaded” by Gregory Fletcher (sponsored by SpeakEasy Stage Company) at 4 p.m. In conjunction with the Dramatists Guild, Saturday will also feature 10 one-minute plays read before the full-length plays at 11:50 a.m., 1:50 p.m., and 3:50 p.m. For more information, go to www.bu.edu/bpt.
Mateo returns to the Cutler
To celebrate its 30th anniversary season, the José Mateo Ballet Theatre returns to the Cutler Majestic Theatre after a 15-year absence with its original production of “The Nutcracker.”
“Our warm and intimate production of ‘The Nutcracker’ is particularly well suited to this gem of a theater, and we take special pride to be performing there again,” choreographer and artistic director José Mateo said in a release.
The 28th anniversary of the production will run Nov. 27-Dec. 6, followed by a weekend of performances at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester.
The Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” was originally presented at the Majestic Theatre from 1990 to 1999, when the venue closed for renovations. The closure coincided with Mateo’s move to Cambridge. This “Nutcracker” will be “refreshed,” with new sets and costumes.
Tickets are on sale now: $20-$75. 617-824-8000, www.cutlermajestic.org. | Zeitgeist Stage Company is closing its season with a production of “The Submission,” a provocative play about racial and sexual identity. | 49.32 | 0.96 | 2.96 | high | high | mixed |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/05/08/recent-transactions-city/WhXytAYM7YMs5dz8Y81d3J/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150514165349id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2015/05/08/recent-transactions-city/WhXytAYM7YMs5dz8Y81d3J/story.html | Recent transactions: city | 20150514165349 | The Warren Group provides these listings to the Globe.
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71 Myrtle St. #501 Condominium Row-Middle, built in 1900, 778 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 778-square-foot lot. $742,300
245 Commonwealth Ave. #1 Condominium . $7,050,000
110 Stuart St. #26G Condominium , built in 2009, 1,871 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on 1,871-square-foot lot. $2,260,000
1 Charles St. S #3C Condominium , built in 2004, 1,495 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on 1,495-square-foot lot. $1,750,000
220 Boylston St. #1209 Condominium , built in 1985, 1,676 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 1,676-square-foot lot. $1,226,250
220 Boylston St. #1205 Condominium , built in 1985, 1,624 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 1,624-square-foot lot. $1,200,000
1 Avery St. #11G Condominium , built in 2000, 1,402 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on 1,402-square-foot lot. $1,195,000
34 Plympton St. #1 Condominium . $720,000
37-39 Litchfield St. Three-family Conventional, built in 1910, 3,208 square feet, 14 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, on 3,329-square-foot lot. $1,080,000
288 Foster St. Two-family Two Family, built in 1910, 3,366 square feet, 11 rooms, 7 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 3,859-square-foot lot. $857,500
355-359 Market St. Two-family Two Family, built in 1910, 2,785 square feet, 12 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 4,927-square-foot lot. $768,000
136 Bigelow St. #A Condominium . $565,000
9 South St. #3 Condominium Low-Rise, built in 1970, 1,285 square feet, 6 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 1,285-square-foot lot. $545,000
163-165 Chestnut Hill Ave. #106 Condominium , built in 2002, 1,108 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 1,108-square-foot lot. $484,000
65 Strathmore Rd. #38 Condominium Low-Rise, built in 1920, 750 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 750-square-foot lot. $335,000
11 Kinross Rd. Three-family Conventional, built in 1900, 4,004 square feet, 17 rooms, 11 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, on 9,221-square-foot lot. $155,000
64 Walker St. One-family Victorian, built in 1873, 2,751 square feet, 9 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on 2,555-square-foot lot. $2,150,000
8-12 Museum Way #2003 Condominium Condo/Apt, built in 1998, 1,853 square feet, 3 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. $1,450,000
10-14 Remington St. #10 Condominium Condo/Apt, built in 1900, 933 square feet, 5 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. $660,000
340 Concord Ave. #340 Condominium Family Flat, built in 1900, 977 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. $520,000
333 Harvard St. #11 Condominium Condo/Apt, built in 1843, 754 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths. $490,000
47 Homer Ave. #42 Condominium Condo/Apt, built in 1970, 903 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths. $432,000
21 Salem St. Three-family Row-End, built in 1890, 3,794 square feet, 14 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 1,716-square-foot lot. $1,150,000
272 Bunker Hill St. #2 Condominium , built in 1900, 1,296 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 1,296-square-foot lot. $801,000
7 Lawnwood Place One-family Row-Middle, built in 1855, 2,232 square feet, 8 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 1,146-square-foot lot. $679,000
42 8th St. #1516 Condominium , built in 1899, 670 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 670-square-foot lot. $480,000
6 Lawnwood Place #3 Condominium Row-Middle, built in 1900, 623 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 623-square-foot lot. $410,000
20-22 Rosaria St. Two-family Two Family, built in 1928, 2,160 square feet, 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 4,500-square-foot lot. $567,000
15 Spring Garden St. One-family Colonial, built in 1910, 2,467 square feet, 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 4,000-square-foot lot. $553,500
19-19A King St. Two-family Two Family, built in 1895, 2,955 square feet, 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 6,000-square-foot lot. $478,000
9 Victoria St. One-family Colonial, built in 1880, 2,010 square feet, 8 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 4,460-square-foot lot. $460,000
6 Taft St. Three-family Decker, built in 1905, 3,348 square feet, 15 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 1,920-square-foot lot. $450,000
38 Westglow St. One-family Colonial, built in 1920, 1,536 square feet, 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 3,304-square-foot lot. $430,000
54-56 Granite Ave. Two-family Duplex, built in 1940, 3,045 square feet, 13 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on 5,000-square-foot lot. $407,500
78 Train St. #1 Condominium Decker, built in 1905, 1,195 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,195-square-foot lot. $321,000
663 Adams St. #1 Condominium , built in 1925, 1,008 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,008-square-foot lot. $297,000
60 Florida St. #3 Condominium Row-End, built in 1930, 1,127 square feet, 5 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,127-square-foot lot. $295,000
554 Ashmont St. One-family Colonial, built in 1915, 1,344 square feet, 7 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 4,156-square-foot lot. $280,000
190 Savin Hill Ave. #3 Condominium Conventional, built in 1900, 843 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 843-square-foot lot. $279,000
30 Moultrie St. One-family Colonial, built in 1895, 2,494 square feet, 9 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 5,600-square-foot lot. $250,000
92 Spencer St. One-family Colonial, built in 1880, 1,676 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 4,500-square-foot lot. $227,000
1 Winston Rd. RES UDV LAND , on 4,189-square-foot lot. $172,500
20 Puritan Ave. One-family Colonial, built in 1900, 1,927 square feet, 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 2,146-square-foot lot. $159,000
189-191 Princeton St. Three-family Decker, built in 1910, 4,330 square feet, 14 rooms, 7 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 1,975-square-foot lot. $330,000
248 Princeton St. Two-family Conventional, built in 1900, 1,966 square feet, 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on 2,500-square-foot lot. $290,000
110-R Condor St. . $237,500
120 Mountfort St. #301 Condominium , built in 1960, 956 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 956-square-foot lot. $695,000
24 Peterborough St. #3 Condominium Low-Rise, built in 1900, 343 square feet, 1 rooms, 1 baths, on 343-square-foot lot. $260,000
945 Hyde Park Ave. Three-family Decker, built in 1905, 3,882 square feet, 15 rooms, 9 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 5,217-square-foot lot. $505,000
621 Cummins Hwy #A Condominium , built in 1950, 612 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 612-square-foot lot. $115,000
827 Centre St. Three-family Row-End, built in 1912, 6,423 square feet, 21 rooms, 9 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 3,702-square-foot lot. $1,400,000
101-103 Green St. #1 Condominium , built in 2008, 1,739 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 1,739-square-foot lot. $650,000
82 Carolina Ave. #3 Condominium Decker, built in 1905, 1,007 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,865-square-foot lot. $641,000
84 Sheridan St. #1 Condominium , built in 1905, 985 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 985-square-foot lot. $515,000
37 Peter Parley Rd. #1 Condominium Free-Standng, built in 1900, 1,347 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,347-square-foot lot. $451,000
26 Dalrymple St. #3 Condominium , built in 2003, 1,232 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,232-square-foot lot. $436,000
2 Hagar St. #1 Condominium , built in 1905, 807 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 807-square-foot lot. $409,000
4 Sunset Ave. #1 Condominium , built in 1898, 1,140 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,140-square-foot lot. $370,000
21 Brookside Ave. #1 Condominium Free-Standng, built in 1890, 1,389 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,389-square-foot lot. $360,000
35 Eldridge Rd. #103 Condominium Low-Rise, built in 1900, 1,180 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 1,180-square-foot lot. $350,000
76 Elm St. #118 Condominium , built in 1926, 675 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 675-square-foot lot. $305,000
19 Maryknoll St. One-family Cape Cod, built in 1958, 1,370 square feet, 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 5,775-square-foot lot. $354,000
67-69 Sanford St. Two-family Duplex, built in 1890, 2,579 square feet, 11 rooms, 7 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 10,000-square-foot lot. $140,000
25 Alabama St. Two-family Two Family, built in 1900, 2,154 square feet, 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 6,800-square-foot lot. $105,000
186 Walter St. One-family Colonial, built in 2008, 3,383 square feet, 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, on 5,322-square-foot lot. $789,900
243 Belgrade Ave. #2 Condominium . $515,000
6 Hayes Rd. #12 Condominium Low-Rise, built in 1964, 630 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 630-square-foot lot. $139,000
23-25 Bartlett St. Three-family Conventional, built in 1899, 4,158 square feet, 12 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, on 7,040-square-foot lot. $685,000
80 W Cottage St. Three-family Row-End, built in 1890, 3,372 square feet, 11 rooms, 7 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, on 2,818-square-foot lot. $525,000
18 Perrin St. One-family Row-Middle, built in 1890, 2,525 square feet, 7 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 2,697-square-foot lot. $480,000
14 Miles St. #14 Condominium . $383,000
14 I St. #6 Condominium . $1,100,000
405 E 7th St. Three-family Decker, built in 1905, 3,258 square feet, 15 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 2,014-square-foot lot. $830,000
14 I St. #3 Condominium . $819,000
660 E 6th St. #3 Condominium , built in 1899, 1,462 square feet, 8 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 1,462-square-foot lot. $807,050
239 W 3rd St. Two-family Conventional, built in 1890, 2,580 square feet, 11 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 1,500-square-foot lot. $745,000
141 Dorchester Ave. #508 Condominium , built in 2006, 954 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 954-square-foot lot. $740,000
118-120 Marine Rd. #1 Condominium , built in 1905, 1,492 square feet, 5 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 1,492-square-foot lot. $675,000
53 Gates St. Two-family Conventional, built in 1880, 1,962 square feet, 12 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, on 2,125-square-foot lot. $650,000
45 H St. One-family Semi Detachd, built in 1890, 1,460 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,170-square-foot lot. $600,000
335 W 2nd St. #23 Condominium , built in 2004, 1,020 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 1,020-square-foot lot. $567,500
302 W 3rd St. #1 Condominium Decker, built in 1900, 891 square feet, 4 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 891-square-foot lot. $457,000
314-330 W 2nd St. #407 Condominium Mid-Rise, built in 1920, 584 square feet, 4 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 584-square-foot lot. $425,000
265 C St. #11 Condominium Low-Rise, built in 1984, 908 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 908-square-foot lot. $395,000
838 E Broadway #1 Condominium Free-Standng, built in 1910, 443 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 443-square-foot lot. $300,000
390 E 8th St. #1 Condominium , built in 1900, 439 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 439-square-foot lot. $252,000
31 W 5th St. #3 Condominium , built in 1910, 706 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 706-square-foot lot. $196,500
12 Dartmouth St. One-family Row-Middle, built in 1890, 2,524 square feet, 9 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, on 1,072-square-foot lot. $1,950,000
488-488A Columbus Ave. #6 Condominium Row-End, built in 1900, 1,040 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 1,040-square-foot lot. $845,000
600 Massachusetts Ave. #6 Condominium Row-End, built in 1912, 1,210 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on 1,210-square-foot lot. $841,361
301 Shawmut Ave. #21 Condominium Mid-Rise, built in 1900, 873 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 873-square-foot lot. $702,300
18 Dwight St. #2 Condominium Row-End, built in 1890, 549 square feet, 3 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 549-square-foot lot. $475,000
9 Appleton St. #203 Condominium Low-Rise, built in 1880, 530 square feet, 2 rooms, 1 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 530-square-foot lot. $430,000
2400 Beacon St. #308 Condominium . $1,900,000
130 Mount Vernon St. One-family Victorian, built in 1895, 3,164 square feet, 7 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 29,509-square-foot lot. $780,000
30 Elgin St. Two-family Two Family, built in 1938, 2,803 square feet, 12 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 6,250-square-foot lot. $520,000
100 Vermont St. One-family Ranch, built in 1960, 1,014 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 6,000-square-foot lot. $485,700
19 Courtney Rd. One-family Colonial, built in 1930, 1,651 square feet, 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, on 5,000-square-foot lot. $459,000
39 Paragon Rd. One-family Colonial, built in 1940, 1,056 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 5,798-square-foot lot. $369,900
69 Keystone St. #1 Condominium , built in 1945, 771 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 771-square-foot lot. $315,000
1300 Lagrange St. #1305 Condominium Townhouse, built in 1985, 2,035 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, on 2,035-square-foot lot. $290,000
35 Westgate Rd. #1 Condominium Low-Rise, built in 1955, 770 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, on 770-square-foot lot. $205,000 | The Warren Group provides these listings to the Globe.
ALLSTON
30 Glenville Ave. | 212.705882 | 0.882353 | 7.352941 | high | medium | mixed |
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20150518-too-big-to-fire | http://web.archive.org/web/20150520001039id_/http://www.bbc.com:80/capital/story/20150518-too-big-to-fire | The problem with super stars | 20150520001039 | Big personalities draw attention, ratings, and revenue. It doesn't matter whether it’s the world of entertainment, sport, fashion, or any other kind of business, charismatic personalities can be a real boon. But what happens if something goes wrong?
What happens if the person who has been so valuable to the company crosses an ethical line, behaves in a way that brings disrepute to the organisation, or acts in an inappropriate way? And what role does a company board play in such a situation?
There have been several recent example of this in the media and entertainment world. Take Brian Williams, the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News in the US or Jeremy Clarkson, the now former co-presenter of the BBC show Top Gear — powerful and charismatic people who have brought creativity and recognition to their organisation. But Williams recently stepped aside after apologising to a group of Iraq war veterans for exaggerating the danger he and an NBC News crew faced while covering the start of the war in 2003. Clarkson was dismissed after allegedly physically assaulting a colleague, and there had been prior issues and complaints about his insensitivity in years prior.
The companies that employ high-profile stars who’ve gone astray have to think hard not only about what to do in each case, but also how they act as organisations full of talented and creative people with their own individual fan-base and following.
Sometimes the public expects the board to act — there is a belief that dealing with high-profile cases should be the responsibility of the board. Sometimes they are right, but perhaps not in the way that might be assumed.
To step back for a moment, it is important to remember the role of the board is one I term "hands on but not hands in." That is to say board members, and more specifically the independent directors, are not company executives and their role is not to run the company on a day-to-day basis.
Boards can ask questions and help set direction and company policy, but, except in the most extreme situations or those that deal with the most senior management team, we cannot march in and take over a human resource situation. We cannot interfere in hiring and firing where a process and professionals are in place to do that job.
The role of boards falls broadly into two categories. The first is reactive: what the company does when something has gone wrong and it needs to respond. The second is pre-emptive: what the company does to ensure any problems are spotted early and dealt with decisively (so they don’t escalate into an emergency, if that can be helped).
Often by the time these issues reach board level it is because the situation has escalated and become extremely serious, potentially harming the reputation of the company.
At the point a board hears about an issue as serious as the alleged sexual assault of the Jian Ghomeshi case — the former Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio host who faces five charges of sexual assault and one of choking in connection — for example, the news will have worked its way through several layers of human resources or hit headlines already. The board can make sure policies are being strictly enforced, and in a timely manner.
In this type of situation the board is in reactive mode, where there are decisions to made about whether there is a proper process of investigation, if someone needs to be fired and if so, if that dismissal requires board approval. The board can also put pressure on the executives by asking hard questions to make sure the issue is being investigated and viewed in an objective manner.
On the flipside, there is much more that the board can do in the pre-emptive or proactive category.
Boards can ask for a review of human resource policies to make sure the written policies are clear and unequivocal. We can also make sure to understand the path of reporting — that is the step by step process of how issues are reported and dealt within the organisation. Boards can also ensure there is a clear process for reporting, so if someone within the organisation feels their concerns are not dealt with appropriately, there is a means of reporting it up the chain.
But processes and procedures are only as good as the way they play out in real situations. Boards must make sure that these processes are seen as living and breathing the values of the company and are seen being enforced. Managers need to know that they will be held to account if unacceptable behaviour is swept under the rug.
By ensuring that clear policies are in place, and that they are enforced, the board makes sure that everyone in the company knows that they are not just window dressing. Good fences make good neighbours and clear policies that set strong standards of behaviour means everyone is aware of expected behaviour and the consequences of not acting appropriately.
Wise directors use high profile cases like these as an opportunity to ask hard questions in their own boardrooms. In any boardroom of a company with high profile talent, members are enquiring what policies are in place to make sure that small infractions don’t lead to big ones and that companies are not letting bad behaviour slide because they value revenue over an ethical workplace.
One other thing to note: although boards don’t see these cases presented to them until they have reached an urgent level, we still need to keep our fingers on the pulse of what’s going on. There will often be whispers of things and engaged board members will have an ear to the ground and pick up on them. Raising issues about specific cases that we have heard about can be done informally, and can help to ensure that cases are addressed in a timely manner.
Organisations need charismatic and creative individuals with a personal brand. However, we cannot need them so much that we let the values of the organisation slide so that they are living by a different set of rules.
Should the lines be crossed, the repercussions must be clear and acted upon, even if it means letting go of someone who is also worth a great deal to the company. In the long term, failing to act can cause a great deal of harm.
Lucy Marcus is an award winning writer, board chair and non-executive director of several organisations. She is also the CEO of Marcus Venture Consulting. Don’t miss another Above Board column by subscribing here. You can also follow Lucy on Twitter @lucymarcus.
To comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, please head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. | Big personalities with their own followings can bring great rewards to a company. But when they go astray, whatâs a board to do? | 49.269231 | 0.846154 | 1.461538 | high | medium | abstractive |
http://www.people.com/article/katherine-russell-bombers-wife-inside-her-world | http://web.archive.org/web/20150520214734id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/katherine-russell-bombers-wife-inside-her-world | Inside the Life of the Boston Marathon Bomber's Widow : People.com | 20150520214734 | It's rare that anyone catches a glimpse of Katherine Russell.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev is seldom seen in public – and when she is, she never speaks.
Of all the people affected by the April 2013 bombing, Russell – who reverted to her maiden name after her husband's death – remains one of the most enigmatic. Born to a Christian family, she became interested in Islam during high school. When she met Tsarnaev, the bubbly young girl who loved David Bowie changed. Katie Russell became Katherine Tsarnaeva, a studious, serious woman who seldom smiled and devoted herself to the Muslim faith.
Two years after the bombing that killed three and injured more than 260, the questions remain: What did Russell know?
One of Russell's biggest fears has been that she will be charged in the bombing, a fear that her attorneys acknowledge. "If she had done something wrong, they would have charged her," attorney Amato Deluca told
Added Deluca's law partner, Miriam Weizenbaum, "She cooperated with the government. We met many times with the Terrorist Task Force and the FBI and answered all their questions. The only reason she didn't testify in grand jury was because they wouldn't give her immunity."
It begs the question: Immunity from what? "The only concern I have is that there always can be prosecutorial overreach," said Weizenbaum. "She's young, she's vulnerable and she's just trying to live her life and raise her daughter."
After the bombing, Russell had nowhere to go. She and her then 2-year-old daughter, Zahara, moved in into her parents' Rhode Island home. There, she lived with her father, Warren, and her mother, Judith. She began to spend time with her younger sisters, Anna and Rebecca. "They began to reconnect," a relative tells PEOPLE. "For a while, everyone was happy."
But there was one point of contention, and it was a major one. Katherine and her family had fundamentally different religious beliefs. (The Russell family is Christian.) "In the end, there were too many issues," says the relative. "They just saw life differently. After a year, she decided to move out."
Russell moved to New Jersey, where she moved in with Tamerlan's sister Ailina.
In April, Russell's mother testified that she and her husband were unhappy when Katherine began dating Tsarnaev after meeting him in a club, introduced by one of Katherine's roommates.
"I got the idea that she really cared for him," Judith Russell testified. "I invited him to a family meal, but he didn't seem interested in getting to know us." When Tamerlan did arrive, he was very late. "It wasn't a very good way to start off," Judith said.
Judith also testified that Katherine and Tamerlan broke up after he cheated on her – but soon reconciled. Judith felt that Tamerlan wasn't the right man for her daughter, and that he was obsessed with boxing. "I didn't really want her to be with him," she said. "They weren't really a good match."
According to Judith, Tamerlan had one other obsession: his radicalized Muslim beliefs. "He would talk about it every time I saw him," she testified.
Katherine's circle of friends were also concerned. "Her friends didn't like him," Jesse Coyle, who dated Katherine's best friend,
last year. "She still wanted to hang out with her friends, but he wasn't letting her. All her friends told her to leave him, but she was hooked on him."
So what was life like in the small Cambridge apartment where the Tsarnaevs lived? "Katie worked a lot, maybe 80 hours a week sometimes," says a source close to her. During her off-hours, she would care for Zahara. "She loves that little girl," says the source. "Adores her. Dotes on her."
But there were issues in the home. Tamerlan was often aggressive. According to the source, he often left her out of the loop. "She had no idea how much money they had or how he was spending it," says the source. "But she was trying to be submissive, doing what she thought was right. But she had no idea what he was up to."
Even so, Russell did show signs of her husband's radicalization. During the trial of
, a computer forensics expert testified that Russell's computer showed several Google searches on the eternal rewards of dying as a martyr's spouse.
Also in court, her high school friend testified about bizarre text messages she received from Russell after the bombing. "A lot more people are killed every day in Syria and other places," she wrote. "Innocent people."
Whatever her knowledge of the events, Russell is planning for her future. "She just wants to live a quiet life," says the source. "She wants to raise her daughter and live quietly, and put this all behind her." | "She wants to raise her daughter and live quietly," source tells PEOPLE of the woman once married to Tamerlan Tsarnaev | 44.130435 | 0.913043 | 5.956522 | high | medium | mixed |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2014/04/22/critic-corner-for-wed-april/A2CiM6GHs1eVZLCW2Ar92L/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150521040229id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/television/2014/04/22/critic-corner-for-wed-april/A2CiM6GHs1eVZLCW2Ar92L/story.html | TV Critic’s Corner for Wed., April 23 | 20150521040229 | So far, this season belongs to Jonah, played so brilliantly unappealingly by the tall and toothy Timothy Simons. Now a D.C. blogger, Jonah is the epitome of a jerk, always spitting out cleverly written idiocies. He also inspires some of the show’s nastiest putdowns, as Selina’s staff members continually find new ways to make his name obscene. “Veep” has been Simons’s first big break. The 35-year-old actor has upcoming roles in Paul Thomas Anderson’s comedy based on the Thomas Pynchon novel “Inherent Vice” and Seth Rogen’s “The Interview.”
Nashville: On the Record 10 p.m., ABC
It’s still not clear whether this show, whose ratings have eroded across the season, will be renewed. But as a multimedia property, “Nashville” is still plugging along. The stars have been performing in concert, including this special built around a show in Nashville, and a fourth soundtrack of original material from the show is due next month. Given ABC’s thin lineup, as well as the added money from the music sales, “Nashville” will most likely be back for a third year.
The Americans 10 p.m., FX
TripTank 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central
Big Bold Builds 10 and 10:30 p.m., Bio | A glimpse at what’s on TV Wednesday night. | 24.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | medium | low | abstractive |
http://www.people.com/article/james-corden-sings-letterman-sting | http://web.archive.org/web/20150522042648id_/http://www.people.com/article/james-corden-sings-letterman-sting | James Corden and Sting Sing to Retiring Talk-Show Host : People.com | 20150522042648 | 05/21/2015 AT 07:15 AM EDT
to help him send off
in style Wednesday night, performing a version of "Every Breath You Take" dedicated to Letterman, and filmed on a bench in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater, where
Corden tried some freestyle rapping at one point, saying he thought he'd "add some lyrics to make it a bit more ghetto," to which Sting responds, "Do something, but make sure no one hears it."
Corden was a bit more sincere in a different segment, thanking Letterman for blazing a trail in the 12:30 a.m. slot (the one Corden currently occupies), and telling a story about how Letterman made him feel "less lonely" in his early days of trying to break into show business.
"He made me feel like he was talking just to me," Corden said, adding, "It's been an honor following you, and we will miss you." | Corden thanked Letterman for making him feel "less lonely" when he started out in show business | 10.222222 | 0.722222 | 2.611111 | low | low | mixed |
http://fortune.com/2015/05/20/atm-security-tips/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150523010757id_/http://fortune.com:80/2015/05/20/atm-security-tips/ | How to Avoid Being Hacked at ATMs | 20150523010757 | That ATM you’re using may not be safe.
As my colleague Daniel Roberts points out, citing a report in the Wall Street Journal: “withdrawing money from an ATM is more dangerous than it’s been in a long time—specifically, the worst it has been in two decades.”
The story features some alarming statistics from credit-scoring company FICO. Security compromises of debit card data that have been traced to ATMs on-site at banks rose 174% from the beginning of the year to April compared to the same time last year. And off-site ATM fraud spiked 317% in that time versus the same period last year.
In other words, criminals are having a heyday. So how can you remain safe when banking on the go? Here are Fortune’s top tips to keep you from getting ripped off:
Shielding the ATM keypad as you type in your security code will help prevent onlookers from glimpsing your PIN. It’s a simple solution but one of the best ways to thwart so-called shoulder surfers from stealing your passcode. (Be careful of video cameras, too.)
One of the most popular means by which criminals steal payment card data is through a device known as a “skimmer.” A crook will plant one of these gadgets on the “swipe” or “dip” port on an ATM, where it may read the magnetic strip on your card and rip its data. The thief can then create counterfeit cards, or use the card information to make purchases online.
ATMs that are on-site at your bank are less easily tampered with than ones outside. Just look at the numbers provided by FICO, as mentioned above: 174% increase in compromises for bank-based ATMs versus 317% increase for the rest.
Using ATMs less frequently will lessen the risk that you’ll encounter a bad machine. Try taking out larger sums of cash less often, or conducting more business at the counter or via mobile apps.
If you suspect that something is amiss, call your card-issuing bank immediately. Many of them require that you notify them of unauthorized transactions within a 60-day period after you receive your banking statement.
Heed this advice, and stay safe out there, friends. | Scammers are having a heyday. Here's how to stay safe. | 33.769231 | 0.846154 | 2.538462 | medium | medium | mixed |
http://www.people.com/article/orange-is-the-new-black-laverne-cox-actress-activist | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524041946id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/orange-is-the-new-black-laverne-cox-actress-activist | Laverne Cox Is an Actress Before She's an Activist : People.com | 20150524041946 | By Amanda Michelle Steiner and Abby Stern
05/21/2015 AT 01:30 PM EDT
As the winner of a Daytime Emmy Award for her
, Laverne Cox could find her work as an entertainer colliding with her work as an activist and outspoken advocate for LGBT rights.
However, Cox, 30, maintains that being an actress comes first, which can sometimes be challenging.
"The work of being an artist is about ⦠it's not about being politically correct," said
on a panel for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' screening of
in West Hollywood on Wednesday. "It's not always about making people happy. It's not about always being careful what you say, and I love that space of being an artist, and that is what I always prioritize."
The platform afforded to her by
, which returns for its third season June 12, is "very new," she added, but she's "learning. ⦠At the end of the day, I understand that I'm just a storyteller. Even in my advocacy, I'm really telling stories."
, "I was just giving other trans people a platform to tell
stories," Cox said. "I think through telling our stories ⦠we can make connections to people and raise awareness – critical awareness – and begin conversations that hopefully inspire social change." | "At the end of the day, I understand that I'm just a storyteller. Even in my advocacy, I'm really telling stories," Cox says | 8.709677 | 0.967742 | 22.129032 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/01/arts/the-pop-life-066028.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524075227id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/01/arts/the-pop-life-066028.html | THE POP LIFE - NYTimes.com | 20150524075227 | FIFTEEN years ago, the Rolling Stones and the Who were rock's angriest, most outspoken groups. The Rolling Stones demanded ''Satisfaction,'' and in ''My Generation,'' the Who sang defiantly, ''Hope I die before I get old.'' One might have expected both groups to fall to pieces after their first moments of glory; many of their contemporaries did.
Instead, they weathered the 60's and 70's and are prospering in the 80's. The Who have released a new album, their first since 1978, on which the guitarist and lyricist Pete Townshend muses on rock and aging. The Rolling Stones, who recently released a ''greatest hits'' album, are in the studio finishing a new lp and are planning to tour this year.
''When you're 20, you tell yourself, well, I'll play rock-and-roll for another couple of years,'' the Stones' Keith Richards, who is 38, said last week. ''When you're 25, you think, 'Well, I'll give it another five years.' At this point, I figure that as long as there's somebody out there who wants to hear it, I'll probably be out on stage doing it.''
Even when they have faltered as recording artists or seemed about to founder because of internal or external pressures, the Rolling Stones and the Who have redeemed themselves on stage. One suspects there is more than a little truth in the cliche ''the band that plays together stays together''; the Beatles, who were contemporaries of the Stones and the Who, began to disintegrate as a group when they stopped giving live concerts and stopped thinking of themselves as a performing unit.
But how long can a rock group keep going and still make a worthwhile contribution to the music? What does one sing about when material satisfaction is in one's grasp and it becomes evident that instead of dying, one is simply getting older?
Part of the business of being an established rock group is coming up with what the record industry terms ''product'' - new songs, new records. Whether the group actually has anything to say is immaterial; record companies demand product regularly so that they will have something to sell and so that fans will remember that the group exists.
The Who's latest product, ''Face Dances,'' is an elaborately packaged album of new songs, while the Rolling Stones have released ''Sucking in the Seventies,'' a collection of previously released songs (and two previously unreleased numbers) with aggressively plain packaging that has ''stopgap product'' written all over it. But both albums are also comments on longevity in rock, and indications of how two bands that have become institutions are dealing with it. Glossy Soft-Rock Sound
''Face Dances'' is the Who's first studio album since 1978's ''Who Are You'' and the first since the death at the age of 31 of the band's original drummer, Keith Moon, in September that year. Mr. Moon was a kind of methodical anarchist whose abrupt, lunging crashes and sudden silences helped define the Who's unpredictable but usually exhilarating live sound.
His replacement, Kenny Jones, is a more predictable player, but the fact that ''Face Dances'' is the Who's blandest album can't be blamed on Mr. Jones. Part of the problem is that the group has chosen an American producer, Bill Szymcyzk, whose specialty is a glossy softrock sound and who has managed to turn the Who's once-mighty roar into a kind of smooth, unassuming aural wallpaper.
Pete Townshend, who writes most of the group's songs, and Roger Daltry, who sings them, could have cut through this wall of Muzak, but, for the most part, they haven't. The first single to be released from the album, ''You Better You Bet,'' finds Mr. Daltry singing lustily and sails along on its macho swagger; most of the other tunes are more ambitious, and less successful.
Mr. Townshend, who addressed the dilemma of the rock star approaching middle age in several earlier Who songs and on his most recent solo album, last year's ''Empty Glass,'' now sounds defensive rather than philosophical. His ''Daily Records,'' for example, could have been a definitive study of a rock star growing older. The song's narrator complains that he feels alienated from younger punk rockers and from sedate suburban couples who are his own age, but instead of grappling with his place in this confusing scheme of things, he simply reiterates that he wants to keep on making records. If the Who had made a better record, the song would be more convincing. Honest About Its Intentions
The Rolling Stones' ''Sucking in the Seventies'' is a substandard compilation from a decade in which the band made its worst records, as the album's self-deprecating title cheerfully admits. But the Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are the group's producers, and even when songs or performances are below par, the music has a raw, intentionally ragged sound that's instantly appealing.
If ''Sucking in the Seventies'' is a holding action, at least it's honest about its intentions. It begins with the admission that ''I'm in tatters ... shattered'' and includes the ballad ''Time Waits for No One,'' which adds, ''and it won't wait for me.'' These practical, unpretentious thoughts on growing older are typical of the Rolling Stones' casual self-confidence.
The Rolling Stones' New York office was buzzing with activity last week. Mr. Jagger had returned from several months in the Peruvian jungle, where he was playing a starring role in Werner Herzog's latest movie, which has suspended production. Mr. Richards had come back from a Caribbean vacation looking tanned and healthy. Ian Stewart, the band's road manager and occasional pianist, had flown in from England, and talk of touring was in the air. New Album Nearly Ready
''We are going to tour this year,'' Mr. Richards insisted. ''And I hope we'll be able to warm up in Europe and hit America when we're really hot.''
He reported that the group's coming album of new material was nearing completion. ''We're choosing songs and having disagreements, as usual,'' Mr. Jagger said. ''We disagree a lot when it gets to this stage with an album, but I should imagine most bands do.''
Deciding to continue as a band means, among other things, agreeing to disagree. The Who's internal feuds are legendary and have occasionally resulted in on-stage spats. In the Rolling Stones, Mr. Jagger and Mr. Richards make most of the artistic decisions, and although they have sometimes alienated other members of the group, their respect for each other keeps any disagreements they may have from festering into lasting resentments.
Another reason the Rolling Stones have survived is that they have not taken themselves too seriously. The Who have often made this mistake, and it proves their (presumably temporary) undoing on ''Face Dances,'' their worst album. Who May Also Tour U.S.
''Sucking in the Seventies'' may be the Rolling Stones' worst album, but its title and cover art don't promise anything more, and one suspects it will be forgotten once the group releases an album of new material and starts its first American tour since 1978. The Who have been performing in England, and an American tour within the next year is a possibility for them, too.
Keith Richards, meanwhile, has his own thoughts on growing older with rock-and-roll. ''I've been to hear Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino recently,'' he said, ''and they're playing as great as ever.'' Mr. Lewis and Mr. Domino are more than 10 years older than Mr. Richards. ''I intend to be like them. I'll be out there playing if they have to wheel me out in a wheelchair.''
Illustrations: Photo of Keith Richards | FIFTEEN years ago, the Rolling Stones and the Who were rock's angriest, most outspoken groups. The Rolling Stones demanded ''Satisfaction,'' and in ''My Generation,'' the Who sang defiantly, ''Hope I die before I get old.'' One might have expected both groups to fall to pieces after their first moments of glory; many of their contemporaries did. Instead, they weathered the 60's and 70's and are prospering in the 80's. The Who have released a new album, their first since 1978, on which the guitarist and lyricist Pete Townshend muses on rock and aging. The Rolling Stones, who recently released a ''greatest hits'' album, are in the studio finishing a new lp and are planning to tour this year. ''When you're 20, you tell yourself, well, I'll play rock-and-roll for another couple of years,'' the Stones' Keith Richards, who is 38, said last week. ''When you're 25, you think, 'Well, I'll give it another five years.' At this point, I figure that as long as there's somebody out there who wants to hear it, I'll probably be out on stage doing it.'' | 6.39759 | 0.991968 | 82.799197 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/01/world/67-nations-debating-endangered-species.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524075459id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/01/world/67-nations-debating-endangered-species.html | 67 NATIONS DEBATING ENDANGERED SPECIES | 20150524075459 | NEW DELHI, Feb. 28— Under the intense gazes and passionate glowers of conservationists and animal traders, representatives of 67 governments are meeting here through the next week to debate how the multimillion-dollar international traffic in endangered species of plants and animals should be restricted. The technical chore facing the delegates is a review of the appendices to an eight-year-old treaty that limits trade in one category of plants and animals but forbids it entirely for another group deemed to be more seriously endangered.
By determining which species belongs in which group the delegated here cand alter the fortunes of furriers, hunters and food processers.
More than 150 observers from conservation groups and a smaller number of animal and plant traders are attending the meeting, which began last Wednesday. The key issues, both sides agreed, will center on parrets and whales. A sidelight was what some conservationists reported was the retreat of the Unithe States delegation from a strong conservationist position under directives from theReagan Administration. Conflict Over Parrots and Whales
But the real conflict will center on the parrots and whales. As of now 15 species of parrots are barred from trade altogether and 25 others are subject ot regulations that eblige the governments that sign to maintain accurate counts and tag and monitor the specimens sold.
According to an international group of ornithologinsts, however, the real problem is that many very rare and highly thredtned parrot species look very much like more plentiful members of the family and as a consequence they would remain in jeopardy from hunters and dealers even if fully protected.
The solution that the naturalists are seeking is simply to place all parrot species on one appendix or the other, thus controlling all trade in live parrtos, which now runs to about one million birds a year. The United States delegation had originally supported this proposal, but after its pro-conservation adviser was dismissed by the Reagan transition team, it reversed its view and now opposes a blanket limitation on trafficking in all parrots
The whale issue, which like the parrot question will be recolved toward the end of next week, centers on the proposal by West Germany, a major buyer of whale produce, to place the sel, sperm and fin whales on Appendix one, making it a treaty violation for any country to export or import produce from these species. Since apart from the more plentiful small minke whale the three species are the only ones hunted commercially, the conservationists view the debate her as critically improtant in their continuing campaign to end all commercial whaling. Japan to LResist Challenge
Similarly, Japan, the most aggressive whaling nation, which under attack from conservationists, has reduced what were once seven full-time whaling fleets to a single part-time fleet, is gearing up to resist the challenge. Japan signed the international convention just last year, and it did so while claiming a formal exemption from the provision on whaling.
There is also something of a jurisdictional dispute between the International Whaling Commission, a 33-year-old body, and the executors of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as to which group should have ultimate responsibility for whaling.
On this issue the United States is reportedly pressing for a nompromise that would bar trade in the three species of shale if they were taken in some parts of the world but permit it if the whales were seized in regions where their numbers are allegedly greater.
In addition the these species almost all other animals had their champions. For example, Shirley McGread of Summerville, S.C, who was here for the International Primate Protection League, was most concerned with rhesus monkeys.
I talked to the Chinese and they confirmed that they would begin selling them to the United Stated and now there is a rumor that the Indians may end their embargo and sell rhesus to the Soviet Union, she said. Proposals Under Consideration
In all the conference will deal with 92 proposals to amend either Appendix One, which identifies those species whose trade is totally banned, or Appendix two, whose exports are strictly controlled.
All but two of these proposals involve either adding new species to the lists or upgrading old entries from Appendix Two to Appendix One. One of the two exceptions is the United States proposal that the gyrfalcon, a bird, be shifted from the fully protected category and that its sale overseas be permitted under the strict regulations of the treaty.
The American position is that the population of the species has now stabilized. Conservationist groups here say that they are not convinced by the population studies that the United States group has submitted, and they are opposing this shift.
The Second proposal for downgrading has been made by South Africa, which contends that while the white rhinoceros is virtually extinct in the rest of Africa, its herds have thrived under strict protection. Since one of the major objectives of many of the conservationists have is eradication Yemen, which has not signed the treaty, the South African proposal is already drawing heavy attack. | Under the intense gazes and passionate glowers of conservationists and animal traders, representatives of 67 governments are meeting here through the next week to debate how the multimillion-dollar international traffic in endangered species of plants and animals should be restricted. The technical chore facing the delegates is a review of the appendices to an eight-year-old treaty that limits trade in one category of plants and animals but forbids it entirely for another group deemed to be more seriously endangered. By determining which species belongs in which group the delegated here cand alter the fortunes of furriers, hunters and food processers. More than 150 observers from conservation groups and a smaller number of animal and plant traders are attending the meeting, which began last Wednesday. The key issues, both sides agreed, will center on parrets and whales. A sidelight was what some conservationists reported was the retreat of the Unithe States delegation from a strong conservationist position under directives from theReagan Administration. Conflict Over Parrots and Whales | 5.064171 | 0.97861 | 54.197861 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/01/world/tale-of-a-swiss-spy-haven-was-ready-if-bern-fell.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524075500id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/01/world/tale-of-a-swiss-spy-haven-was-ready-if-bern-fell.html | TALE OF A SWISS SPY | 20150524075500 | GENEVA, Jan. 31— The recently dismissed director of the Swiss intelligence service's top-secret operations rented and refurbished a hotel in Ireland in the 1960's to serve as the home in exile for the Swiss Government should the country fall under enemy occupation.
This was one of the more startling revelations about the activities of Col. Albert Bachmann made in a report published by a parliamentary committee after the announcement this month of his discharge as a civil servant in the National Defense Department.
A second secret report to come out of the same investigation was handed to the Defense Department. The committee stressed that maintaining secrecy on some parts of the investigation was not intended to conceal poor conduct or spare military officials from criticism.
Colonel Bachmann, 52 years old, was suspended in late 1979 after the Austrian police arrested a subordinate he had sent to spy on Austrian Army maneuvers. The arrest was a source of keen embarrassment to both Governments, friendly neighbors that enjoy the same neutral status and have little in the way of military secrets to hide from each other. A Comic Opera Interlude
Colonel Bachmann's spy, a lieutenant in the militia named Karl Schilling, was so inept at covering his trail in the search for information otherwise freely available to the Swiss and other official foreign observers at the maneuvers that his arrest was viwed by much of the Swiss and Austrian press as a comic interlude worthy of an operetta. Austria got rid of him almost immediately by sending him home with a suspended five-month sentence to less than a hero's welcome.
The incident set off the investigation of Colonel Bachmann's activities in the intelligence department under the General Staff. He had a dual role after 1976, when he was put in charge of a new topsecret service dealing with intelligence-gathering missions involving extra risks for the agents. This job was added to the assignment of directing the highly secret special service for insuring continued resistance in the event of enemy occupation.
It was in connection with that mission, the parliamentary report disclosed, that the Irish hotel was rented for a time and that Colonel Bachmann, investing private money, built near it vacation residences that could serve to house Swiss Government services if need be. The report noted that the residences were later sold at a profit. Link With Private Agency
Another surprising revelation was that in the Irish venture Colonel Bachmann worked with a private Swiss intelligence agency that also put up money. The vacation residences served at one time as meeting places for agents of this organization, which was founded by a Swiss Army major in World War II.
Since Colonel Bachmann took over as head of the organization in 1975 with the approval of a superior officer, he was heading not only two top-secret Government intelligence services but a parallel private organization as well after 1976.
The parliamentary report sharply criticized the concentration of what it viewed as two distinctly different governmental intelligence services in the hands of one man and the mingling of official and private intelligence activities that resulted. The report said there was no longer any evidence of a continued relationship between Government and private agencies. | The recently dismissed director of the Swiss intelligence service's top-secret operations rented and refurbished a hotel in Ireland in the 1960's to serve as the home in exile for the Swiss Government should the country fall under enemy occupation. This was one of the more startling revelations about the activities of Col. Albert Bachmann made in a report published by a parliamentary committee after the announcement this month of his discharge as a civil servant in the National Defense Department. A second secret report to come out of the same investigation was handed to the Defense Department. The committee stressed that maintaining secrecy on some parts of the investigation was not intended to conceal poor conduct or spare military officials from criticism. | 4.451128 | 0.984962 | 43.015038 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/01/us/pow-deaths-laid-to-germ-war-tests-by-japan.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524075616id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/01/us/pow-deaths-laid-to-germ-war-tests-by-japan.html | P.O.W. DEATHS LAID TO GERM-WAR TESTS BY JAPAN | 20150524075616 | CHICAGO, Oct. 31— American prisoners of war were among 3,000 people who died as a result of germ-warfare tests and medical experiments conducted by Japan during World War II, according to a published report.
The report in the October issue of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists says United States officials, in exchange for information gathered in the tests, had granted the Japanese involved immunity from prosecution as war criminals.
Experiments included infecting victims with various diseases, freezing portions of bodies and exposing prisoners to exploding fragmentation bombs, the report said. Those subjected to the experiments, in addition to the Americans, included Chinese troops, Chinese civilians and Soviet prisoners.
The report contains previously classified information kept at Fort Detrick, Md., a headquarters for military biological research. Some information used in the article was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Disclosed for First Time
In a telephone interview yesterday from his home in San Francisco, John Powell, the author of the report, said that it disclosed for the first time that American soldiers, captured in the early part of the war, were among the test subjects, and that United States officials were aware of that when they decided not to prosecute the Japanese participants. Mr. Powell was an editor with the United States Office of War Information during World War II.
His report said some prisoners were led outdoors in extremely cold weather with their arms bared until they froze solid. The experiments included various procedures for thawing their arms.
In another test, 10 prisoners were lined up behind a protective screen with their buttocks exposed while a fragmentation bomb was detonated 100 meters away. All 10 men reportedly died of gangrene. Injections of Horse Blood
Chinese women were infected with syphilis to investigate means of preventing the disease, and other tests included giving prisoners massive doses of plague, typhus, dysentery, typhoid, hemorrhagic fever, cholera, anthrax, tularemia, smallpox and other diseases, the report said. Other subjects were injected with horse blood, had their livers destroyed by prolonged exposure to X-rays or were subjected to other medical experiments.
The article said the tests were conducted at an experimental station in Harbin in northern China, which was occupied by the Japanese. The station also produced material used in biological warfare. The report said fleas fed on plague-infected rats were dropped from airplanes on Chinese cities.
A confidential memorandum sent in 1956 to the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover, confirmed the report, Mr. Powell wrote.
The memorandum confirmed that captured Americans had been used in the tests and that the Japanese had also engaged in biological warfare against the Soviet Union and the Chinese, the article said.
Experiments on human beings had been condemned as war crimes by the International Military Tribunal. Some German scientists and doctors at the time were being tried at Nuremberg for offenses including experiments on human beings, the article said. | American prisoners of war were among 3,000 people who died as a result of germ-warfare tests and medical experiments conducted by Japan during World War II, according to a published report. The report in the October issue of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists says United States officials, in exchange for information gathered in the tests, had granted the Japanese involved immunity from prosecution as war criminals. Experiments included infecting victims with various diseases, freezing portions of bodies and exposing prisoners to exploding fragmentation bombs, the report said. Those subjected to the experiments, in addition to the Americans, included Chinese troops, Chinese civilians and Soviet prisoners. | 4.619835 | 0.983471 | 39.545455 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/02/us/error-voids-judicial-primary-in-philadelphia.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524075638id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/02/us/error-voids-judicial-primary-in-philadelphia.html | ERROR VOIDS JUDICIAL PRIMARY IN PHILADELPHIA | 20150524075638 | PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 1— A three-judge panel has thrown out the entire May 19 Democratic primary for judges of the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, adding a confusing wrinkle to this city's lively politics.
The ruling Thursday declared that a ''massive and monumental error,'' in the transposition of two candidates' names, had tainted the vote.
''I'm absolutely amazed and shocked by this result,'' said Samuel M. Lehrer, a Municipal Court judge who was one of the 11 seeming victors in the field of 30 candidates who sought nomination.
Gregory Harvey, attorney for the 11, said that he expected his clients to appeal and that if they did he would ask the State Supreme Court to declare the election valid.
In the meantime, the Democratic slate is in limbo. The judicial panel, in a split decision, had said that it had no authority to order a new election after setting aside the results of the old one. Party's Authority Limited
If the ruling stands, the election code gives the Democratic City Committee authority to nominate candidates for the November elections. But the law prohibits that committee from nominating ''anyone who has already been nominated by any political party for the same office.''
That provision could severely damage the six leading candidates in the voided primary. All had cross-filed, by entering the Republican primary, and won there. This would appear to make them ineligible to be put back on the Democratic ballot. In Philadelphia, where there are more than three Democrats for every Republican, they would be heavy underdogs.
All six, moreover, are now on the bench, serving out unexpired terms. They will have to give up their posts in November if the appeal fails.
The suit was brought by 70 voters, including Judge Thomas J. McCormack of Municipal Court, who contended that he had lost in a bid to move up to Common Pleas Court because his name had been switched with that of a candidate for the State Superior Court on about a third of the voting machines. Dissenting Judge's Arithmetic
Francis J. Catania, presiding judge of the Delaware County Common Pleas Court, dissented. He wrote, ''McCormack finished 20th in a field of 30 where only 11 nominated and he finished some 16,000 votes off the pace.''
Similarly, Mr. Harvey, attorney for the 11 original victors, said that a ''mere mathematical possibility'' that the 34,000 votes cast on the 1,209 machines might have given Judge McCormack victory should not be allowed to upset the choice of the electorate.
But the others on the panel, who were presiding judges of Common Pleas Courts in two other counties bordering Philadelphia, declared in their majority opinion that the printing error, which reversed the candidates' names, ''may have affected the results of the entire primary.''
That was so, they ruled, even though the error was discovered the morning of Election Day. Officials attempted to correct it by taping the names in their proper places.
''This had no affect on the outcome, all knowledgeable people know that,'' said Judge Lehrer. ''I just can't believe it.'' | A three-judge panel has thrown out the entire May 19 Democratic primary for judges of the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, adding a confusing wrinkle to this city's lively politics. The ruling Thursday declared that a ''massive and monumental error,'' in the transposition of two candidates' names, had tainted the vote. ''I'm absolutely amazed and shocked by this result,'' said Samuel M. Lehrer, a Municipal Court judge who was one of the 11 seeming victors in the field of 30 candidates who sought nomination. | 5.903846 | 0.980769 | 34.038462 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/05/movies/hollywood-s-long-running-romance-with-james-m-cain.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524075814id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/05/movies/hollywood-s-long-running-romance-with-james-m-cain.html | HOLLYWOOD'S LONG-RUNNING ROMANCE WITH JAMES M. CAIN | 20150524075814 | James M. Cain is talking to us again - metaphorically, of course - and many filmmakers are listening. In fact, the newest version of ''The Postman Always Rings Twice,'' directed by Bob Rafelson, is only the first of what appear to be several serious attempts to raise Cain.
''The Butterfly,'' a story written by Cain in 1947 and never filmed, reached its ''rough cut'' stage last week, and is to be released this summer starring Orson Welles and Stacy Keach. Stuart Birnbaum, a writer of comedy for Lily Tomlin, has the option on ''Galatea'' (1953) which, he says, Claudia Weill may direct. ''Love's Lovely Counterfeit'' (1942), which was transformed into ''Slightly Scarlet'' in 1956 by Allan Dwan, may again see the light of a new day. And United Artists, which bought the rights to ''Mildred Pierce'' from Warner Bros., regularly receives offers from those willing to risk a remake of the 1945 version that starred Joan Crawford.
To this can be added the publishing plans of Holt, Rinehart & Winston, which will issue the first Cain biography, by Roy Hoopes, in 1982, and the collected short stories of Cain, titled ''The Baby in the Icebox,'' in September.
The question, of course, is why? What about his work attracts them? Why - three years after his death and 25 years after the last film based on his work was made - are Hollywood filmmakers picking up the Cain standard again? The reasons, like Cain's work itself, range from the prosaic to the profound.
N.H. Swanson, Cain's agent for 40 years, and the Hollywood agent for F. Scott Fitzgerald, will crustily allow that Cain's are ''good stories,'' but Mr. Swanson says the reason for the current resurgence of interest has to do with the Hollywood laws of supplyand-demand.
''Hollywood is desperate for scripts, always has been,'' he says, sounding eerily like John Huston in ''Chinatown.'' ''There is a lot to choose from in the Cain inventory. But it's basically what happened with Fitzgerald. After he died, his work became more marketable. The inventory suddenly opened up and everybody wanted one. It's the same with Cain.''
For Matt Cimber, the director and producer of ''The Butterfly,'' the enticements are Cain's way with a plot, the intricate twists of irony and the sheer momentum of incident in his work. ''Movies,'' he said recently, ''are going back to plot. In the 70's, they had given up storytelling in favor of mood pieces, stories with little sense of narrative anticipation. Cain's appeal is that you don't know what's happening from scene to scene, but you stay engaged with the story. Nowadays, people want to go to the movies, eat popcorn and have a good time watching that story.''
Billy Wilder, who directed in 1944 what is perhaps the best film ever made from a Cain story, ''Double Indemnity,'' about a woman who plots to kill her husband with the aid of her insurance man and which starred Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, explains it differently: ''There is quality in Cain, strong story lines, extremely well-drawn characters, incredible pacing and situations dense with tension and levels of meaning. The stories are made of those variables that make life, for most people, worth living: love, sex and money. They have a lot of juice.''
Indeed they do. In ''The Butterfly'' a God-fearing man is driven to bootlegging and murder because of his insatiable passion for an 18-year-old girl he believes to be his daughter.
''Galatea'' tells the story of a second-rate boxer who slims his boss's 300-pound wife to something bordering on the statuesque, and then falls in love with her.
In ''Serenade,'' a tenor loses his voice, then regains it in a church in Mexico while making love to a prostitute. He falls in love and returns with her to the United States, which upsets his male lover, and the plot thickens.
In ''Postman,'' a drifter tries to hustle a meal from the Greek proprietor of a roadside diner. Through the kitchen door he sees the owner's overheated wife. He hustles a job, instead, then makes love to the wife, and together they conspire to kill the husband. Their second attempt succeeds. They break through their mistrust for each other and marry when they discover she is pregnant. At the end, he kills her accidentally in an auto accident, and is sentenced to ''burn in jail.''
In the novels cited here, as in most of Cain's other work, the plots turn on the female as ''hellcat,'' one of Cain's favorite words and themes. The dominant, primitive female with lies in her heart and a treacherous nature, tempts man with the promise of a relationship and leads him, inexorably, to his doom.
This mix of love, sex and money was often combined by Cain with such forbidden aspects of human behavior as incest, sadomasochism and homosexuality. The result was a series of acutely combustible and visceral tales that were not, as Cain said many times, detective stories, but stories of love.
In his 18 novels and several dozen short stories, those forbidden variables are frequently intertwined, each bringing with it the promise of violence and, often, the follow-through of murder. At the same time, they are just as inextricably entangled with American myths about success. | James M. Cain is talking to us again - metaphorically, of course - and many filmmakers are listening. In fact, the newest version of ''The Postman Always Rings Twice,'' directed by Bob Rafelson, is only the first of what appear to be several serious attempts to raise Cain. ''The Butterfly,'' a story written by Cain in 1947 and never filmed, reached its ''rough cut'' stage last week, and is to be released this summer starring Orson Welles and Stacy Keach. Stuart Birnbaum, a writer of comedy for Lily Tomlin, has the option on ''Galatea'' (1953) which, he says, Claudia Weill may direct. ''Love's Lovely Counterfeit'' (1942), which was transformed into ''Slightly Scarlet'' in 1956 by Allan Dwan, may again see the light of a new day. And United Artists, which bought the rights to ''Mildred Pierce'' from Warner Bros., regularly receives offers from those willing to risk a remake of the 1945 version that starred Joan Crawford. To this can be added the publishing plans of Holt, Rinehart & Winston, which will issue the first Cain biography, by Roy Hoopes, in 1982, and the collected short stories of Cain, titled ''The Baby in the Icebox,'' in September. | 4.350195 | 0.992218 | 106.844358 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/05/world/french-ambassador-is-slain-in-beirut.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524075947id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/05/world/french-ambassador-is-slain-in-beirut.html | FRENCH AMBASSADOR IS SLAIN IN BEIRUT | 20150524075947 | BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept. 4— The French Ambassador to Lebanon was fatally shot by four gunmen today as he was being driven to his West Beirut residence for lunch.
Ambassador Louis Delamare, 59 years old, was rushed by his chauffeur to nearby Barbir Hospital, where he died on the operating table.
By tonight, no one had claimed responsibility for the killing. The police reported that a white B.M.W. carrying four gunmen pulled in front of the Ambassador's smaller blue Peugeot at 2:10 P.M. and that the attackers jumped out and tried unsuccessfully to open its doors, which were locked. Then the gunmen reportedly opened fire with submachine guns through the closed rear window, hitting the Ambassador seven times in the head, chest and stomach.
There was speculation that the assailants might have been Iranians angry that France gave sanctuary to Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, their deposed President, or that they might have been opponents of the Palestine Liberation Organization who were angry that Yasir Arafat, its leader, met with Foreign Minister Claude Cheysson of France on Sunday.
A spokesman for the French Embassy, who asked that his name not be used, said, ''Here everyone kills everyone else and it would be difficult to determine who your enemies are.'' Family Had Left Beirut
Mr. Delamare had been here just over two years. The father of five children, he had, like many diplomats here, sent his wife and family abroad as conditions worsened this spring.
Before being assigned to Beirut, Mr. Delamare served in lower diplomatic posts in Rumania, Turkey and Tunisia, as Ambassador to Dahomey, now Benin, from 1969 to 1975 and as director of press and information at the French Foreign Ministry until August 1979.
He was ambushed near the place where the United States Ambassador, Francis E. Meloy Jr., and an aide, Robert O. Waring, were kidnapped in 1976. They were killed later.
Meanwhile, an Arab League peacemaking committee announced a plan to use ''effective control'' to stop arms smuggling through Lebanese seaports. The committee, composed of the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Kuwait, did not indication how the ban would be enforced or by whom.
It said nothing about weapons traveling overland into Lebanon - the main path for weapons going through Syria to the P.L.O. The plan appeared to be directed at the Christian Phalangists, who get their weapons through Christian-controlled ports north of Beirut. ---- Mitterrand Denounces Slaying Special to the New York Times
PARIS, Sept. 4 - President Francois Mitterrand denounced the slaying of Ambassador Delamare today as a ''cowardly assassination'' and praised him as a ''man of courage.'' Foreign Min ister Cheysson quoted the Ambassador as having said onlya few days ag o that he wanted to remain in Lebanon for the time beingbecause he wa s ''happy to contribute to the search for a dialogue in a world of vi olence, destruction and bloodshed.''
Yasir Arafat sent a cablegram to President Mitterrand denouncing ''this deplorable crime.'' The French Embassy in Beirut reported that Pierre Gemayel, the Phalangist leader, said, ''The crime is condemned by us and all those who knew Ambassador Delamare as a loyal friend of Lebanon.'' | The French Ambassador to Lebanon was fatally shot by four gunmen today as he was being driven to his West Beirut residence for lunch. Ambassador Louis Delamare, 59 years old, was rushed by his chauffeur to nearby Barbir Hospital, where he died on the operating table. By tonight, no one had claimed responsibility for the killing. The police reported that a white B.M.W. carrying four gunmen pulled in front of the Ambassador's smaller blue Peugeot at 2:10 P.M. and that the attackers jumped out and tried unsuccessfully to open its doors, which were locked. Then the gunmen reportedly opened fire with submachine guns through the closed rear window, hitting the Ambassador seven times in the head, chest and stomach. | 4.577778 | 0.977778 | 45.97037 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/08/magazine/design-an-a-frame-atop-the-dakota.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524080259id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/08/magazine/design-an-a-frame-atop-the-dakota.html | Design - AN A-FRAME ATOP THE DAKOTA - NYTimes.com | 20150524080259 | The designer, Ward Bennett, calls it a Manhattan A-frame, and indeed it does resemble that style of vacation house with its characteristically steep-pitched roof. But rather than clinging to a mountainside near a ski resort, this one-room A-frame is perched atop the Dakota, one of New York's most celebrated apartment houses, and its views are not pristine wildernesses and moonlit landscapes but the woods and meadows of Central Park and the skyline of Manhattan.
The sheer, clean lines of this modern structure strike a bold contrast to the filigreed Dakota, whose 19th-century exterior was described by one architectural critic as ''an elaborate, eclectic composition, sort of a mix of Germanic, chateauesque and English Victorian details.'' But the stark A-frame is not esthetically offensive or jarring, for it is incorporated into a soaring, two-story gable of the same shape. Originally used for storage, the gable is flanked by the water tanks used to run the building's hydraulic elevators.
Mr. Bennett, a designer acclaimed for his spare, clean-lined, yet meticulously detailed interiors, also lives in the Dakota. It was his own apartment, a remodeled tower adjacent to the gable, that inspired his neighbors, a couple who are both professionals in the art world and who own an apartment on the Dakota's top floor directly below the gable, to think of expanding upward when they decided they needed a retreat where they could consolidate their ever-expanding collections of art, artifacts and books.
They asked Mr. Bennett if he would design for them a room in the manner of his own apartment - providing that they were allowed to purchase the gable in the cooperative building. He agreed, the gable was duly purchased, and an aperture was created to allow access from the lower floor. Today a spiral staircase connects the modern 13-foot-by-15-foot room to the more traditionally decorated apartment below.
Linking the apartment with its new addition was the easiest structural challenge that Mr. Bennett faced. In order to take full advantage of the view, the sloping south wall of the steel-framed, masonry gable was replaced with an anodized, aluminum-framed glass wall. And because the structure is on the windswept and sun-baked roof, it had to be outfitted with auxiliary heating and airconditioning, with the mechanical equipment carefully concealed.
Once these obstacles were overcome and the structure completed, Mr. Bennett permanently divided the small room into two spaces and furnished them primarily with leather-and-steel furniture of his own design. The conversation area is next to the glass wall. On the other side of the room, where a book-lined wall dominates, there is a large marble-topped table supported by a fixed stainless-steel column. The kid leather, steel-framed chairs surrounding it are lower than the usual dining height, and the table is correspondingly 26 1/2 inches high, a height that Mr. Bennett finds ideal for dining or relaxing.
The lighting for the white room is provided by movable, matte-black quartz fixtures affixed to structural elements. The lights are on a rheostat, or dimmer, and can be turned up for reading or down for relaxing in the evening light. Says Mr. Bennett: ''The main objective for the night lighting was to get the interior light to match the outside city light. The lights of Central Park are also quartz and they reflect on the white walls. The idea was to balance the two light sources in order to produce a candlelit effect.''
The space is completed with the display of the owners' extensive collection of museum-quality Indian art and artifacts. For those who appreciate irony, the venerable Dakota's A-frame seems just the right place to house such a collection, for the Dakota's unlikely moniker springs from from the fact that, when the building was erected in 1884, its location was so far uptown on Manhattan's West Side that it might as well have been in the Indian territories. | The designer, Ward Bennett, calls it a Manhattan A-frame, and indeed it does resemble that style of vacation house with its characteristically steep-pitched roof. But rather than clinging to a mountainside near a ski resort, this one-room A-frame is perched atop the Dakota, one of New York's most celebrated apartment houses, and its views are not pristine wildernesses and moonlit landscapes but the woods and meadows of Central Park and the skyline of Manhattan. The sheer, clean lines of this modern structure strike a bold contrast to the filigreed Dakota, whose 19th-century exterior was described by one architectural critic as ''an elaborate, eclectic composition, sort of a mix of Germanic, chateauesque and English Victorian details.'' But the stark A-frame is not esthetically offensive or jarring, for it is incorporated into a soaring, two-story gable of the same shape. Originally used for storage, the gable is flanked by the water tanks used to run the building's hydraulic elevators. | 3.94898 | 0.994898 | 97.433673 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/07/opinion/civil-courts-uncivil-campaigns.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524080322id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/07/opinion/civil-courts-uncivil-campaigns.html | Civil Courts, Uncivil Campaigns | 20150524080322 | The most important point to make about the contests for Civil Court Judge in Thursday's Democratic primary, is that they shouldn't be taking place at all. Though New York State has elected most of its judges since the mid-19th century, the legal community has become uneasy with the process in recent years, for good reason. Many judgeships are decided well before Election Day in political party clubhouses. But even genuinely contested elections are a dubious way to choose judges.
The outcomes of two such contested races in this year's primary campaign are likely to be decisive in November. In Manhattan Harold Tompkins, Salvatore Fiorella and Jeffry Gallet are running in the 6th Judicial District; in Brooklyn, Barry Hurowitz and Ira Harkavy seek a borough-wide seat.
In the Manhattan race, Mr. Tompkins wins our endorsement as the best of three well-qualified candidates. His long career as litigator, Federal prosecutor and Assistant State Attorney General gives him a maturity and depth of experience not shared by his opponents.
The Brooklyn race presents a curious issue: Mr. Hurowitz, a highly qualified candidate, already serves as a Civil Court Judge. He won his seat as an independent and resists an alliance with the party organization. Though his current term runs for five more years, he seeks re-election only to gain early renewal of his lease on the bench.
His opponent, Mr. Harkavy, however, presents a more serious problem: He has a commendable record as a lawyer and civic leader, but the judiciary committee of the city bar association refused to approve his candidacy, citing his distribution of misleading campaign literature in an earlier judicial campaign. We endorse Mr. Hurowitz.
Mr. Harkavy's difficulty illustrates a strong reason to question election of judges. The pressures of politics hardly encourage appropriate judicial behavior. In addition, most voters are unfamiliar with the various kinds of judges let alone the qualifications of individual candidates.
There is a fatal flaw even in the theoretical argument that a campaign might serve to educate the public. The state code of judicial ethics forbids judges to comment publicly on matters that might come before them in court. ''If somebody asks how I stand on abortion,'' says one judicial candidate, ''I have to say, 'Sorry, I can't answer that,' - and I lose the vote.''
In 1977, the state began selecting Appeals Court Judges by merit. A bipartisan commission nominates candidates for the Governor to appoint. Mayor Koch also uses a merit system to select judges for Criminal and Family Court. The concept should apply to the entire judiciary. | The most important point to make about the contests for Civil Court Judge in Thursday's Democratic primary, is that they shouldn't be taking place at all. Though New York State has elected most of its judges since the mid-19th century, the legal community has become uneasy with the process in recent years, for good reason. Many judgeships are decided well before Election Day in political party clubhouses. But even genuinely contested elections are a dubious way to choose judges. | 5.670455 | 1 | 88 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/06/sports/transactions-081880.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524080448id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/06/sports/transactions-081880.html | Transactions - NYTimes.com | 20150524080448 | CLEVELAND (AL) - Named Al Galla- gher manager of its Chattanooga team in the Southern League.
HOUSTON (NL) - Signed Vern Ruhle, pitcher, to a three-year contract for $1.5 million.
PORTLAND (PCL) - Announced that it will not renew the contract of Pete Ward, manager.
MAJOR LEAGUES - Signed a two- year contract extension, through the 1983 season, with USA Cable Network for tele- vised coverage of Thursday night games. Financial terms were [ TEXT OMITTED FROM SOURCE ] | BASEBALL CLEVELAND (AL) - Named Al Galla- gher manager of its Chattanooga team in the Southern League. | 4.761905 | 0.904762 | 17.190476 | low | medium | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/09/nyregion/legislative-chiefs-seek-votes-for-aid-to-transit.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524080553id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/09/nyregion/legislative-chiefs-seek-votes-for-aid-to-transit.html | LEGISLATIVE CHIEFS SEEK VOTES FOR AID TO TRANSIT | 20150524080553 | ALBANY, Thursday, July 9— After a flurry of last-minute compromises by legislative leaders desperate to capture the necessary votes, the Assembly and the Senate hoped to begin debate in the predawn hours today on five new taxes to finance mass transit. The leaders had announced tentative agreement on the taxes last Thursday.
Debate had been delayed for a day while Assembly Speaker Stanley Fink, Democrat of Brooklyn, and the Senate majority leader, Warren M. Anderson, Republican of Binghamton, struggled to find enough support for the bills, including a 0.75 percent tax on the gross receipts of oil companies that could be passed on to consumers. They had considered the gross-receipts tax to be the most difficult measure to push through and had hoped to tackle it quickly.
The five taxes are intended to raise $793 million, most of which would go to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to subsidize its operating deficit and avert fare increases for two years.
The precarious coalition that the leaders built last week began eroding in the last five days under the pressure of heavy lobbying by businesses. Representatives of real estate concerns and oil companies said the new taxes would drive business out of the state and would push up gasoline prices. Anderson Seeks Amendments
At Mr. Anderson's request, amendments to the bills were being drawn early today that would create Inspector General offices for Conrail, the New York City Transit Authority and the Long Island Rail Road as well as a citizen advisory board for each of the areas served. Another amendment would delay for two months the effective date of a proposed capital gains tax on real estate transactions in New York City.
''There's a tremendous mood in the Legislature in terms of oversight on the M.T.A.,'' said Speaker Fink outside the Senate chamber just before midnight. ''There's a feeling that executive oversight has failed.'' He added, however, that he was not explicitly attacking Richard Ravitch, the M.T.A. chairman, saying that some of the transit system's problems had predated Mr. Ravitch's tenure.
Late last night Assemblymen in shirtsleeves voted the bills out of a Ways and Means Committee meeting that was jammed with aides and lobbyists.
The legislators, who recessed last Friday after their leaders had announced the agreement, returned here yesterday to find sheaves of opposition memos stuffed under their office doors from various business groups and industries.
Fourteen newspapers around the state yesterday carried full page advertisements from the Mobil Corporation addressed ''To: N.Y. State Legislators'' and asking them questions like: ''How much do you really know about these tax bills, which came off the printing press only a few days ago? Have you been told how many jobs they will cost your district? Have you been told of the chilling effect such legislation will have on attracting new business to the state?'' The oil company spent approximately $80,000 on the effort, according to a Mobil spokesman.
The Senate Republicans, who control their house, heard staunch opposition in their conference meeting from a number of upstate members objecting to statewide taxes that would primarily benefit New York City and that they said could drive business out of New York. They pointed out that the state does not subsidize the cars that their constituents find vital to get to work. Five Tax Proposals
The new tax revenues would include a statewide tax of 0.75 percent on the gross receipts of oil companies that could be passed on to consumers, a new way of computing the state's corporate franchise tax on oil companies that would tap the profits of their subsidiaries and out-of-state operations, and a ''long lines'' levy on the in-state portion of interstate communications, pipelines and commercial transport.
There would also be an increase in the sales tax of a quarter of a cent on the dollar in the state's area served by the M.T.A. and a 10 percent tax on capital gains in transfers of real estate valued over $1 million in New York City.
Each tax has been printed in a separate bill which, the leaders hope, would allow members to vote against the portion of the package most opposed in their districts while supporting the other taxes. Thus all five measures could be approved through various combinations of votes.
One of the few lobbyists here supporting the taxes was Gene Russianoff, an attorney for Straphangers Campaign which describes itself as ''a coalition of neighborhood associations and community residents working for improved public transportation for all New Yorkers.''
He was wearing a large plastic button - about Kruggerand size - made to resemble a subway token and carrying his organization's name. ''If the fare goes up to a dollar we're going to use these for slugs,'' he said.
Referring to corporations, Mr. Russianoff said, ''They shouldn't be jumping over the turnstiles while the riders are forking over 75 cents.''
Illustrations: photo of Lobbyists outside Senate Chamber (page A1) | After a flurry of last-minute compromises by legislative leaders desperate to capture the necessary votes, the Assembly and the Senate hoped to begin debate in the predawn hours today on five new taxes to finance mass transit. The leaders had announced tentative agreement on the taxes last Thursday. Debate had been delayed for a day while Assembly Speaker Stanley Fink, Democrat of Brooklyn, and the Senate majority leader, Warren M. Anderson, Republican of Binghamton, struggled to find enough support for the bills, including a 0.75 percent tax on the gross receipts of oil companies that could be passed on to consumers. They had considered the gross-receipts tax to be the most difficult measure to push through and had hoped to tackle it quickly. | 6.81295 | 0.992806 | 72.18705 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/10/business/market-place-using-leverage-in-a-takeover.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524080720id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/10/business/market-place-using-leverage-in-a-takeover.html | Market Place - Using Leverage In a Takeover - NYTimes.com | 20150524080720 | THINKING about buying a company? There's no need to worry about finding capital. Simply raise the money by using the borrowing power of the company itself.
This idea is not new. Norman Weinger and E. Michael Metz, analysts at Oppenheimer & Company, have suggested it before. But their third (and latest) list of acquisition candidates includes some surprising new names. Among them are the Boeing Company, the Gulf Oil Corporation and the E.F. MacDonald Company.
The report notes that shares of these and more than 80 other companies are ''extremely undervalued'' despite the extended recovery of the stock market since 1974.
The analysts write: ''We have used our computer to screen out those companies that, on the basis of balance sheet entries, would be particularly attractive to an acquirer since their assets could theoretically provide sufficient collateral values to permit borrowing the entire purchase price. In essence, a buyer could possibly use the borrowing power of the acquired company to completely finance the purchase of it.''
These are big companies, many with household names. Companies with stock market valuations of less than $10 million were excluded. In valuing assets, cash is listed at 100 percent. Receivables are valued after deducting the allowance for doubtful accounts and with a discount of 25 percent. ''Our assumption is that a factor would lend 75 percent of face value,'' the analysts explained.
Inventory is discounted by 60 percent because a lender would be expected to advance funds equal to 40 percent of the inventory book value. Gross plant is the undepreciated cost of the original plant, arbitrarily discounted by 80 percent.
A number of caveats are cited. First, the authors warn that balance sheet figures should be examined closely by potential buyers. Further, although a 25 percent discount for receivables is generally ''reasonable,'' a larger discount would be required if the business deals with numerous small, poorly financed customers -such as sole-properietor retailers. On the other hand, if the Government or a blue-chip corporation is the main customer, a smaller discount might be appropriate.
Of critical importance is whether trade relationships would suffer from the additional leverage. For example, suppliers might, as a consequence, insist on earlier or even immediate payment. So a company might need greater working capital after being acquired on a leveraged basis than it does under its present financial structure.
The report goes on to say that, ultimately, the key consideration is whether a leveraged purchase of a company makes business sense. That detemination, in turn, is largely a matter of whether the projected cash flow would be sufficient to service the new debt and to generate adequate funds for maintaining the company's profitability.
Textile and apparel companies are prominent on the analysts' list of candidates. These include the Graniteville Company, Jonathan Logan Inc., Mount Vernon Mills Inc. and the Phillips-Van Heusen Corporatin. Still another such enterprise, the M. Lowenstein Corporation, disclosed several weeks ago that it was having negotiations about a possible sale of the company. The talks have since been broken off.
Ashland Oil Inc., itself acquisition-minded, is on the list of candidates, and so is the Kaiser Steel Corporation, which reported some months ago that it had had conversations with various suitors interested in the company's assets.
Industrial giants on the analysts' list include the Ford Motor Company, the National Steel Corporation, the Republic Steel Corporation and the United States Steel Corporation.
Here are some of the others: the Amalgamated Sugar Company, the American Motors Corporation, the Armada Corporation, the Checker Motors Corporation, Elgin National Industries, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, the General Refractories Company, Glosser Bros Inc., the Hoover Company, the Interpublic Group of Companies, the Lukens Steel Company, McDermott Inc., the Mesta Machine Company, the Olympia Brewing Company, the Pabst Brewing Company, Penn-Dixie Industries, the H.K. Porter Company, Research-Cottrell Inc., Sterchi Bros. Stores, the Tonka Corporation, the Turner Construction Company and the White Motor Corporation. | THINKING about buying a company? There's no need to worry about finding capital. Simply raise the money by using the borrowing power of the company itself. This idea is not new. Norman Weinger and E. Michael Metz, analysts at Oppenheimer & Company, have suggested it before. But their third (and latest) list of acquisition candidates includes some surprising new names. Among them are the Boeing Company, the Gulf Oil Corporation and the E.F. MacDonald Company. | 8.797753 | 0.988764 | 47.910112 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/10/opinion/l-when-parties-deprive-voters-of-a-choice-006853.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524080803id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/10/opinion/l-when-parties-deprive-voters-of-a-choice-006853.html | WHEN PARTIES DEPRIVE VOTERS OF A CHOICE | 20150524080803 | I was pleased to read in an Aug. 27 news article that leading New York Democrats are dismayed over the Democratic Mayor's receiving permission to run on the Republican line in the November election (''Four Leading Democrats Assail Koch on His G.O.P. Alliance''). It has always been my firm belief that, for our electoral system to remain healthy, the public must have a choice between different candidates running for the same office.
I am alarmed at the increasing rate at which incumbent office holders, be they Republicans or Democrats, are being endorsed by the respective major party that should be opposing them. If this practice continues, there will be no reason to hold elections when incumbents seek re-election.
The electorate must have a choice regardless of how popular an incumbent is in the polls. We must presume, for democracy's sake, that, should a candidate be very popular with the voters, he will win on only one line on the ballot, just as he would if he ran on severallines.
I have filed Assembly Bill 8577, which would amend the Election Law limiting the number of parties that may designate or nominate the same candidate for a particular office.
If my legislation is not passed and signed into law, the trend of cross-endorsement by major parties will continue and, like an addictive drug, eventually kill our political system of giving voters the opportunity to choose on Election Day.
Many states now ban cross-endorsement by major parties. New York must follow suit before it is too late. I. W. BIANCHI JR., Member of Assembly, 3d Dist., Albany, Aug. 28, 1981 | To the Editor: I was pleased to read in an Aug. 27 news article that leading New York Democrats are dismayed over the Democratic Mayor's receiving permission to run on the Republican line in the November election (''Four Leading Democrats Assail Koch on His G.O.P. Alliance''). It has always been my firm belief that, for our electoral system to remain healthy, the public must have a choice between different candidates running for the same office. | 3.643678 | 0.965517 | 77.310345 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/10/us/producers-of-alaska-gas-win-victory-in-house-for-pipeline.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524081114id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/10/us/producers-of-alaska-gas-win-victory-in-house-for-pipeline.html | PRODUCERS OF ALASKA GAS WIN VICTORY IN HOUSE FOR PIPELINE | 20150524081114 | WASHINGTON, Dec. 9— The House of Representatives today approved an intensely lobbied series of concessions to sponsors of a proposed natural gas pipeline from Alaska.
The vote, 233 to 173, was much closer than expected after the Senate passed an identical measure by a lopsided margin Nov. 19. Today's action appeared to pave the way for bankers to arrange the financing of what would be the most costly private construction project in history.
Even as the pipeline consortium was celebrating its hard-won victory, however, critics of the bill were maneuvering under a technicality for Senate reconsideration that could lead to a filibuster in the waning days of the session.
Because of this parliamentary snag raised by the bill's critics, the House Rules Committee ordered another vote tomorrow. The new House vote is expected to confirm final passage of the bill and avoid a filibuster in the Senate.
The new legislation waives provisions of the law under which President Carter in 1977 selected a consortium led by the Northwest Alaskan Pipeline Company to build the pipeline. The most controversial waiver shifts some of the financial risk to users of natural gas if the line is not completed. Besides this so-called prebilling provision, other waivers allow the gas producers an equity stake in the pipeline and provide for inclusion in the system of a $6 billion conditioning plant.
The pipeline, which would be built over 4,800 miles at a cost of more than $40 billion, would originate on the North Slope of Alaska, run through Canada and split into two legs, terminating near Chicago and near San Francisco. Some southern portions of the pipeline have already been completed and are delivering Canadian gas to California. The entire line is scheduled for completion in 1987.
All states but Vermont are expected to receive some of the Alaskan gas, with the Middle West and Far West to be the heaviest users. How Prebilling Works
The consortium comprises 10 pipeline companies and three gas producers -the Exxon Corporation, the Atlantic Richfield Company and the Standard Oil Company (Ohio).
Under prebilling, utility customers might have to pay for gas they were not getting. The magnitude of this consumer liability is hotly disputed. The pipeline sponsors say it would be no more than $1.50 a month. Some critics such as Energy Action, which describes itself as a consumer group, puts the figure as high as $12 a month.
''This is nothing more than a subsidy for the oil companies'' and banks, declared Representative Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat. He was one of several members who used their brief debate time this morning to attack the waiver package.
The pipeline's supporters said the prebilling feature, which could take effect only if Government-approved completion dates for specific segments were not met, was a ''red herring.'' They said the charges would be small and might never be levied. They insisted that it was in the national interest to tap northern Alaska's Prudhoe Bay reserves, which contain an estimated 26 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, or about one-eighth of the nation's reserves. Bankers Making Plans
With today's House action, bankers prepared to step up negotiations to raise the estimated $36 billion of debt capital they will need to attract in the international market, but they remained uncommitted about the prospects.
''Now that the waiver package has been passed and we know the ground rules, the banks expect to recommence their discussions for the financing package very shortly, hopefully in the next 10 days,'' said a New York banker involved with the project who asked that his name not be used.
He acknowledged, however, that raising the money was ''far from'' assured. He added: ''The ingredients are out there. Whether they can be brought together in proper combination remains to be seen.''
The banks - led by Citibank, the Chase Manhattan Bank, the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company and the Bank of America - are known to be looking especially closely at the question of the marketability of the higher-cost Alaskan gas.
In the House, the New York State delegation voted against today's resolution, 19 to 17. Those representing New York City voted in favor, 9 to 8.
The New Jersey delegation voted 10 to 4 against, and the Connecticut delegation voted 4 to 1 against. Cost of Gas Estimated
Clarence J. Brown, an Ohio Republican, projected the cost of the Alaskan gas at $11 a thousand cubic feet in today's dollars and $18 in 1987 dollars. This would be about four times the cost of most natural gas today, but the companies would blend the Alaskan gas with other supplies.
Some House opponents said today they would have succeeded in blocking the legislation had they not been betrayed by key Democrats, including Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill Jr.
After the vote, Ralph Nader, the consumer activist, held a news conference in the House press gallery. He asserted that the project would fail because the gas would be too expensive to market. He complained bitterly that Mr. O'Neill had broken what Mr. Nader said was a pledge to delay the vote.
''The momentum was on our side,'' Mr. Nader declared. ''Another week and I think we would have won.'' He said the pipeline issue had produced ''a very serious rupture'' between the Democratic Party and the consumer movement. Supporters of Consortium
Many top Democrats were enlisted by the pipeline consortium in its drive for approval of the waiver package.
Among them were Walter F. Mondale, former Vice President; Robert S. Strauss, former Democratic National Committee chairman, and Anne Wexler, former aide to Jimmy Carter.
John G. McMillian, chairman and chief executive officer of Northwest Alaska, had engaged the public relations firm of Peter D. Hannaford, a former speech writer for Ronald Reagan.
The Administration has been lukewarm about the waivers Mr. McMillian wanted, but it agreed to recommend the package to Congress in mid-October. Under the law, the list of concessions could not be amended by Congress.
Illustrations: map of the United States and Canada (page D22) | The House of Representatives today approved an intensely lobbied series of concessions to sponsors of a proposed natural gas pipeline from Alaska. The vote, 233 to 173, was much closer than expected after the Senate passed an identical measure by a lopsided margin Nov. 19. Today's action appeared to pave the way for bankers to arrange the financing of what would be the most costly private construction project in history. Even as the pipeline consortium was celebrating its hard-won victory, however, critics of the bill were maneuvering under a technicality for Senate reconsideration that could lead to a filibuster in the waning days of the session. Because of this parliamentary snag raised by the bill's critics, the House Rules Committee ordered another vote tomorrow. The new House vote is expected to confirm final passage of the bill and avoid a filibuster in the Senate. | 7.269939 | 0.97546 | 33 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/13/business/credit-markets-bonds-may-become-more-attractive.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524081325id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/13/business/credit-markets-bonds-may-become-more-attractive.html | CREDIT MARKETS - BONDS MAY BECOME MORE ATTRACTIVE - NYTimes.com | 20150524081325 | Since mid-June, when yields for long-term Treasury bonds began climbing from 12.55 percent to almost 13.5 percent last week, many market analysts have been saying that a decline in short-term interest rates was the key ingredient needed to revive investor demand for bonds.
''The fundamentals point to lower bond yields - the economy is weakening, and double-digit inflation does not seem likely to return,'' one dealer in government securities said. His comments were echoed by many others, who said that 17 percent and 18 percent yields in the money markets are high enough to divert investor demand away from longer-term notes and bond issues.
By late last week, chances of a decline in short rates were said to be improved after the Federal Reserve announced that the nation's basic money supply had dropped for the second consecutive month. Analysts reasoned that overnight loan rates among banks in the Federal funds market drop when the Fed encourages faster money supply growth by making bank reserves less scarce. The lower funds rate would then pull down rates for other money-market instruments.
While specialists in Fed-watching seemed more confident in their predictions of slightly lower short-term rates, many said that the decline will be gradual, or may not come until the Fed compiles money supply data for the week ended July 8, which is to be reported July 17.
''They should have an idea of July 8 money data by Tuesday or Wednesday,'' said Maury Harris, an economist at Paine Webber Inc., ''and if the gain is $2 billion or less, I think they will be much more willing to let bank reserves grow and short term rates drop.''
Elliott Platt, an economist at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation, estimated that an increase of only a few billion dollars in M-1B could lead to a reduction in the discount rate, now at 14 percent, or the 4 percent penalty surcharge. The M1-B is the total of currency in circulation, plus deposits in checking accounts at banks and thrift institutions. If the M-1B increase is extremely large, Mr. Platt said that the Fed could leave its policy unchanged and Federal funds could trade in a minimum range of 18 percent to 20 percent through July. Varied Bond Outlook
Forecasts for the bond markets are more varied than for the shortterm markets, with some analysts predicting that 30-year Treasury bond yields will fall below 12 percent by the end of the year, while others say that yields should rise to new high levels over the next year. Institutional account salesmen at securities firms say there continues to be modest ''nibbling'' at longer-term issues, but no wholesale shift of sentiment that could accomodate the huge backlog of corporate borrowers while at the same time accepting lower yields.
Economists at Chemical Bank wrote in the July 10 Weekly Economic Package that short-term rates ''are likely to decline significantly during the next couple of months'' but added that ''one of the main uncertainties is how quickly investor inflation expectations will be adjusted downward.''
After the Consumer Price Index rose at double-digit rates in 1979 and 1980, it has subsided to a 9.8 percent gain over the past 12 months. Now, economists are trying to decide whether the decline is sustainable, and how much additional slowing of inflation is likely.
There continues to be much disagreement about the likely course of the economy and inflation over the balance of the year. Some analysts expect continued slowing of the economy and inflation, while others say that the combination of tax cuts and defense spending will keep the economy growing and put upward pressure on prices.
Following last Friday's money supply announcement interest rates dropped slightly for short- and long-term issues. In late trading, three- and six-month Treasury bills were bid at rates of 14.58 percent and 14.33 percent, down from 15.1 percent and 14.75 percent late Thursday.
The bellwether 13 7/8 percent Treasury bond due 2011 closed at about 105 1/4 to yield 13.15 percent, after trading as low as 102 3/4 earlier in the week.
Illustrations: Graph of long term rates Graph of short term rates | Since mid-June, when yields for long-term Treasury bonds began climbing from 12.55 percent to almost 13.5 percent last week, many market analysts have been saying that a decline in short-term interest rates was the key ingredient needed to revive investor demand for bonds. ''The fundamentals point to lower bond yields - the economy is weakening, and double-digit inflation does not seem likely to return,'' one dealer in government securities said. His comments were echoed by many others, who said that 17 percent and 18 percent yields in the money markets are high enough to divert investor demand away from longer-term notes and bond issues. By late last week, chances of a decline in short rates were said to be improved after the Federal Reserve announced that the nation's basic money supply had dropped for the second consecutive month. Analysts reasoned that overnight loan rates among banks in the Federal funds market drop when the Fed encourages faster money supply growth by making bank reserves less scarce. The lower funds rate would then pull down rates for other money-market instruments. | 3.804762 | 0.985714 | 54.414286 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/13/sports/new-76er-owner-was-tied-to-fraud.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524081405id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/13/sports/new-76er-owner-was-tied-to-fraud.html | NEW 76ER OWNER WAS TIED TO FRAUD | 20150524081405 | PHILADELPHIA, July 12— The new owner of the Philadelphia 76ers was involved in a Florida fraud case that resulted in his arrest in 1973, a published report said today.
In a copyrighted story, the Philadelphia Bulletin said that 44-year-old Harold Katz, who announced his purchase of the National Basketball Association team for $12 million Thursday, had been charged in 1973 with defrauding a Sarasota, Fla., woman of $20,000 in a deal involving a weight-loss company.
The Bulletin said Mr. Katz helped to persuade Marie Smith of Sarasota to buy franchise rights for Trim-a-Way figure salons in Florida in the early 1970's, after Mrs. Smith had rejected a sales pitch from Sam Bernard, an executive vice president of the New Yorkbased corporation.
Mrs. Smith and her husband, Raymond, a former Philadelphia policeman, visited Mr. Katz in Philadelphia to discuss the proposal. She then agreed in mid-1972 to become partners with Mr. Katz, with each of them putting up $20,000, the newspaper said.
In August 1972, Mrs. Smith received her canceled check for $20,000 and saw that it had been deposited into a joint account held by Mr. Katz and Mr. Bernard. Mrs. Smith said her lawyer then began questioning why Mr. Katz, her partner, was apparently part of the company in which he was supposed to be only a franchise holder.
Court papers were filed in Sarasota Circuit Court in July 1973 charging Mr. Katz, Mr. Bernard, the franchise company and another company with grand larceny. Two weeks later, Mr. Bernard was arrested in Scarsdale, N.Y., and extradited to Florida. Mr. Katz was arrested in Jenkintown, Pa., and also extradited, records show.
The Bulletin reported that in February 1974, inside the chambers of the 11th Circuit Court in Sarasota, Mr. Katz agreed to return $8,000 to Mrs. Smith and have his company plead no contest to the charge, which resulted in a $500 fine. Katz Denies Any Fraud
Mr. Katz, in an interview with the newspaper, admitted he returned $8,000 to the woman and that his corporation was fined $500, but he said there was no fraud.
He said he paid the money on the advice of his lawyer, who told him legal fees for a lengthy court battle would be expensive. | The new owner of the Philadelphia 76ers was involved in a Florida fraud case that resulted in his arrest in 1973, a published report said today. In a copyrighted story, the Philadelphia Bulletin said that 44-year-old Harold Katz, who announced his purchase of the National Basketball Association team for $12 million Thursday, had been charged in 1973 with defrauding a Sarasota, Fla., woman of $20,000 in a deal involving a weight-loss company. The Bulletin said Mr. Katz helped to persuade Marie Smith of Sarasota to buy franchise rights for Trim-a-Way figure salons in Florida in the early 1970's, after Mrs. Smith had rejected a sales pitch from Sam Bernard, an executive vice president of the New Yorkbased corporation. | 3.105634 | 0.985915 | 49.746479 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/13/books/common-constant-pleasures.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524081450id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/13/books/common-constant-pleasures.html | COMMON CONSTANT PLEASURES | 20150524081450 | Frederick Law Olmsted was an authentic American genius whose most visible and important bequest to the nation is a series of urban parks, each designed to provide a ''sense of enlarged freedom'' and ''a common, constant pleasure'' to city dwellers. A handsome, twovolume celebration of his work, ''Art of the Olmsted Landscape'' (New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission/Arts Publishers, $35), has been published in conjunction with a traveling museum show.
The Olmsted parks are living works of art; as he himself said, they are ''framed upon a single noble motive, to which the design of all its parts, in some more or less subtle way, shall be confluent and helpful.'' For example, one of the most brilliant innovations in Manhattan's Central Park is the multiple-roadway system, which allows pedestrian paths, bridle paths, through traffic and transverse traffic all to function simultaneously. The system is supported by 46 bridges and arches, no two of which are alike because, as Olmsted's partner Calvert Vaux wrote, ''if not varied (they would) have been odiously monotonous.'' Six of the arches are pictured at right. - E.R.L.
Illustrations: six photos of park bridges photo of Olmsted | Frederick Law Olmsted was an authentic American genius whose most visible and important bequest to the nation is a series of urban parks, each designed to provide a ''sense of enlarged freedom'' and ''a common, constant pleasure'' to city dwellers. A handsome, twovolume celebration of his work, ''Art of the Olmsted Landscape'' (New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission/Arts Publishers, $35), has been published in conjunction with a traveling museum show. | 2.652174 | 1 | 92 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/13/nyregion/hooker-co-cases-still-not-settled.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524081618id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/13/nyregion/hooker-co-cases-still-not-settled.html | HOOKER CO. CASES STILL NOT SETTLED | 20150524081618 | New York State officials are still trying to negotiate a settlement with the Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation two years after the state said the company had committed 400 violations of state law by dumping toxic chemical wastes into landfills on Long Island.
The announcement was made in September 1979 by Donald J. Middleton, Long Island regional director for the State Department of Environmental Conservation, after internal Hooker Company memorandums detailing the dumping became public.
The memos, released by Representative Norman F. Lent, Republican of New York, described 30 years of dumping of what Mr. Lent called ''a whole delicatessen of chemicals'' into local landfills. The chemicals included millions of pounds of such substances as vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, all suspected or known cancer-causing agents.
Hooker officials do not challenge the accuracy of the memos, but they contend that their actions did not violate any laws. 'They Deal in Rhetoric'
Mr. Middleton had also asked the Attorney General to press criminal charges against unidentified Hooker employees who, he said, had filed a false report with the state on the disposal of wastes. The Attorney General found no grounds for prosecution, because the reports had not been sworn.
According to Mr. Middleton, his announcement that Hooker would be charged with violating a state environmental law for its dumping after Aug. 28, 1977, when the applicable section took effect, was followed by more than a year of ''fruitless'' negotiations.
After ''going around and around with them, I became convinced that they deal in rhetoric,'' he said in an interview. The section that applies to Hooker states that dumping of toxic wastes into a municipal landfill is a violation of state law.
The case on illegal dumping was then sent to the first deputy commissioner, Peter Lanahan. Mr. Middleton says he then expected an enforcement action to begin. Instead, the case was referred to the department's hazardous waste disposal team, which has continued to negotiate with the company ''as expeditiously as possible,'' according to Michael Tone, the assistant counsel in charge of the case.
John Greenthal, director of the team, said litigation had not been started against the company because ''what we will be seeking is not penalties alone but a full cleanup of the landfills.''
He could not say how long this might take, especially since the negotiations with the company offficials are now focused on their disposal practices at their plant in Hicksville, where the Long Island office of the environmental department recently screened waste water being dumped by Hooker into a sump. A preliminary analysis found traces of tetrachloroethylene and dichloromethane, both suspected carcinogens. Love Canal Dumping Recalled
When and if these negotiations are successfully concluded, according to Mr. Tone, the dumping at the landfills will be taken up. Michael Reichgut, a spokesman for Hooker at the company's home offices in Houston, said in a telephone interview that while the memos were accurate, they should be interpreted ''in the context that they were part of a voluntary effort by the company to determine whether there were any possible problems resulting from past practices.'' The company made the review after its dumping in the upstate area known as Love Canal had forced the closing of two schools and condemnation of houses. A lawsuit by the state to assess Hooker for liability is pending.
Mr. Reichgut insisted that the company did not break any laws in dumping the chemicals on Long Island, and that the company was negotiating in good faith and would act responsibly if the dumping was found to cause pollution problems.
The memos, copies of which were published by the Public Interest Research Group in its study, disclose that Hooker used the Syosset dump, now closed, to dispose of all the chemical wastes from its plastics production from 1946 until 1968. The volume dumped was about 800,000 pounds of wastes per year. Old Bethpage Landfill Used
The memos say that after 1968, the company used the Old Bethpage landfill, still in operation, for disposal. There, they say, as much as 1.6 million pounds per year of wastes were dumped.
Neither landfill has a subsurface liner to prevent the chemicals from filtering into the ground water and possibly contaminating nearby water wells. Local water-quality officials say these wells still remain pure, but testing by the Town of Oyster Bay, which owns the Old Bethpage landfill, indicates that chemicals have penetrated the ground water.
This means that unless remedial steps are taken quickly, the materials will eventually reach the wells. The Old Bethpage landfill has been listed by New York State as eligible for so-called ''Superfund'' money that is to be made available under recent Federal legislation, to clean up hazardous disposal sites.
''Our feeling is that we can't wait for Superfund, and we can't wait for the state to nail Hooker,'' said Frank Di Stefano, a spokesman for the town. ''We have a problem that is threatening the drinking water.'' As a result, the town has embarked on a $14 million program to try to contain the pollutants already buried in the landfill and keep them from reaching the ground water. | New York State officials are still trying to negotiate a settlement with the Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation two years after the state said the company had committed 400 violations of state law by dumping toxic chemical wastes into landfills on Long Island. The announcement was made in September 1979 by Donald J. Middleton, Long Island regional director for the State Department of Environmental Conservation, after internal Hooker Company memorandums detailing the dumping became public. The memos, released by Representative Norman F. Lent, Republican of New York, described 30 years of dumping of what Mr. Lent called ''a whole delicatessen of chemicals'' into local landfills. The chemicals included millions of pounds of such substances as vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, all suspected or known cancer-causing agents. | 6.881944 | 0.986111 | 49.513889 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/17/arts/auctions.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524082027id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/17/arts/auctions.html | Auctions - NYTimes.com | 20150524082027 | HAS the auction boom in Art Deco and Art Nouveau wares leveled off? Was it buyer resistance or the owners' reserves - the prices below which they will not sell - that caused problems this season? Or has too much material become available too quickly for collectors and dealers to absorb?
According to dealers and spokesmen for Christie's, Sotheby Parke Bernet and Phillips, Son & Neale, all these factors contributed to a general decline in both sales and prices. Still, the specialists in these fields are not unduly alarmed. They contend that what is happening in the auctions of the 20th-century decorative arts is also happened elsewhere - particularly in sales of Impressionist and modern art, jewelry and old-master paintings.
''I foresaw a year ago that Art Nouveau and Art Deco would quiet down,'' said Alastair Duncan, Christie's specialist in these styles, which date from the turn of the century to World War II. The eight sales of this material at Christie's this season brought $7.4 million, equaling last season's figure. ''Art Nouveau was underpriced two years ago,'' Mr. Duncan maintained. ''Then it caught up. The market was running very fast - too fast, in fact. Now everyone is reassessing and collectors are buying more selectively.''
Barbara Deisroth, the specialist at Sotheby Parke Bernet, said she was optimistic about the market. ''We have been very conservative and have been able to read the market accurately,'' she reported. In comparing the nine Sotheby sales of the 1980-81 season - which brought in about $6 million -with the previous season, she said there were fewer spectacular prices but there were also fewer disappointments.
''I don't think we've gone from the heights to the depths,'' she said. ''I think we are seeing a stability in prices and I think it will continue for a year to 18 months.''
At Christie's in New York, the strongest sales took place in the fall when four of the year's six pieces that went for $100,000 or more at that house were sold. On Dec. 6, a footed glass coupe by Emile Galle sold for $250,000, a Galle record and the highest price paid at auction this season for an Art Nouveau piece. In the same sale, a Galle lamp sold for $150,000. The four other top prices paid were for Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps: on Nov. 15 a magnolia floor lamp brought $190,000 and a peony table lamp $100,000; on May 30 two table lamps sold for $135,000 - a rosebush and a fishbowl.
As for the Art Deco at Christie's, the most important work was the mural of eight lacquered panels from the Normandie, the French ocean liner, which was bought for $90,000 by Malcolm Forbes, the publisher. There were also notable sales of furniture designs by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann - a dining room suite for $55,000, a record for Ruhlman; a desk for $31,000 and a bed for $22,000.
At Christie's, expectations exceeded performance time and again this season. Of the eight sales , only the first brought what the house thought it would, and that figure - $1.2 million -was the low estimate. Later, the percentage of lots sold was a major disappointment in several auctions, including the Art Nouveau and Art Deco sale of June 27, in which 41 percent went unsold, and the Arts and Crafts specialty sale of April 25, in which 45 percent did not find buyers.
Sotheby's two Arts and Crafts specialty sales, in November and May, fared better, with only 17 percent of the offerings unsold in the fall and 14 percent in the spring. A new record was set for furniture in this style when a Gustav Stickley unsigned spindle back settle sold for $21,000 (Its presale estimate was $4,000 to $6,000).
One new area of this market was tested and found strong by Sotheby's in its two sales of the T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings 1930's designs that once decorated the home of Conrad Hilton. The sales brought a total of $591,450, some $200,000 above expectations. Of the 200 items offered, only two did not find buyers. The top prices in the sales were the $19,000 paid for a baby grand piano and the $13,000 each for an acacia wood console and a limewood and sycamore center table.
No records were set at Sotheby's Monte Carlo sales, in November and June, but in June high prices were paid for a bureau by Louis Majorelle ($84,000), an Edgar Brandt cobra lamp ($50,000), a Galle vase embellished with flowers ($80,000), a Marinot vase decorated with a face ($27,000), a Joseph Hoffmann chair ($25,000) and a Gerard Sandoz cubist-style pendant ($57,700).
At Phillips, the two biggest disappointments came in the specialty sale of Lalique on Nov. 23, when 42 percent of the offerings did not sell, and in the sale of posters on April 11, when 40 percent found no buyers.
Other specialty sales at Phillips fared better. In the Louis Icart sales on Sept. 29, Dec. 15 and April 13 the unsold lots were 7, 18 and 11 percent respectively. At the Jules Cheret poster sale, 12 percent did not find buyers. The total for Art Nouveau and Art Deco for the season was $2 million.
The final sale of Art Nouveau and Art Deco this season at Sotheby's York Avenue galleries takes place Wednesday at 2 P.M. and Thursday at 10:15 A.M. and 2 P.M. The offerings are moderate priced wares with estimates on the top four lots of Tiffany lamps ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
Illustrations: photo of a footed glass coupe by Emile Galle | HAS the auction boom in Art Deco and Art Nouveau wares leveled off? Was it buyer resistance or the owners' reserves - the prices below which they will not sell - that caused problems this season? Or has too much material become available too quickly for collectors and dealers to absorb? According to dealers and spokesmen for Christie's, Sotheby Parke Bernet and Phillips, Son & Neale, all these factors contributed to a general decline in both sales and prices. Still, the specialists in these fields are not unduly alarmed. They contend that what is happening in the auctions of the 20th-century decorative arts is also happened elsewhere - particularly in sales of Impressionist and modern art, jewelry and old-master paintings. | 8.130435 | 0.992754 | 70.644928 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/15/business/stocks-fall-amid-profit-gloominess.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524082115id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/15/business/stocks-fall-amid-profit-gloominess.html | STOCKS FALL AMID PROFIT GLOOMINESS | 20150524082115 | Stock prices fell sharply yesterday, reflecting investor apprehension over declining profits at a number of large corporations, the sluggish state of the economy and high interest rates.
The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 14.93 points, to close at 850.65, after being in the minus column throughout the session. It was the biggest drop for the blue-chip average since Sept. 3, when it fell 17.22 points amid fears over high interest rates.
The market's retreat yesterday was broadly based, with declines on the New York Stock Exchange outnumbering advances by a ratio of about 3 to 1. The worst casualties were the blue chips, technology stocks and transportation issues.
''The disappointing corporate profits for the latest quarter now being reported suggest that we may be entering a worse recession than expected,'' commented Alan C. Poole, vice president of Laidlaw Adams & Peck.
As institutional participation decreased, turnover on the Big Board slowed to 40.3 million shares from 43.1 million shares the day before. Profit Pattern Watched
In the last few days several leading corporations - including International Business Machines, International Paper, Reynolds Metals and NCR - have announced lower profits for the third quarter. Many analysts believe this trend will continue in the present quarter for a lot of companies.
Another deterrent to higher stock prices, analysts noted, is the fact that Wall Street is not convinced that the present slow decline in interest rates, which began a few weeks ago, will continue. Earlier this week a number of major banks cut the prime rate to 18 percent, its lowest level in more than five months, from 19 percent.
Stock prices generally advance when interest rates fall because such a drop reduces corporate expenses, thus tending to increase profits. This encourages stock purchases.
Robert G. Errigo, senior vice president and director of research at Prescott, Ball & Turben, commented that the stock market, after having risen about 50 points in the previous two weeks, ''is having a short-term correction.''
Mr. Errigo said that, when investors become convinced that shortterm interest rates will continue to drift lower, ''stock prices will again advance.'' Household Names Decline
Among the weaker blue-chip issues yesterday, American Brands fell 1 1/2, to 36 3/4; American Can 1 1/8, to 34; Eastman Kodak 1, to 65 3/8; General Electic 1 1/8, to 55 1/2; Procter & Gamble 1 3/8, to 73 3/4, and Union Carbide 1, to 48.
The technology group, which has been under pressure since some analysts recently lowered their earnings estimates for the large computer companies, continued to decline yesterday. I.B.M., which dropped 1 3/4 Tuesday after reporting lower earnings, fell 1 1/8 points in heavy trading yesterday, to 52 1/2.
Other losers in this group included Teledyne, which was down 2 3/8, to 142 1/8; National Semiconductor 1 1/4, to 19; Digital Equipment 2 3/4, to 92 7/8; Control Data 2 3/4, to 66 3/4, and Texas Instruments 3, to 83.
Reflecting the weakness in the transportation group, the Dow Jones transportation average dropped 6.91, to 363.71. In this category Delta Air Lines fell 1, to 58 3/4; Missouri Pacific 1 3/4, to 75 3/4; Northwest Ailines 1 1/8, to 30 1/2, and Overnight Transportation 1 1/4, to 26 3/4.
The stock of the Grumman Corporation, which is fighting a takeover bid by the LTV Corporation, was the most actively traded issue. Grumman was down 1 3/4, to 33 1/2. LTV rose 1/4, to 16 3/8, after the company reported sharply higher earnings for the latest quarter. After the market closed, the Federal District Court in Nassau County issued an injunction blocking a takeover by LTV. Some Additional Losers
Pennzoil, which rose 7 3/8 points Tuesday, was a big loser yesterday, falling 6 points, to 40. The company is regarded as a takeover candidate.
Schering-Plough declined 1 5/8, to 27 1/2, following word that the company's third-quarter profit might be down at least 50 percent. On the upside, the Seagram Company gained 2 1/8, to 53 5/8, in heavy volume. The company had announced Tuesday that it planned a tender offer for 5 million of its own shares at $60 a share.
The three major auto makers ended lower after reports of sharply lower car sales for early October. General Motors was down 1 1/8, to 42 1/8; Ford 1/4, to 18 5/8, and Chrysler 1/8, to 4 5/8.
Dow Chemical slipped 1 1/8, to 23 3/4, after news that an explosion yesterday killed five employees at its plant in Freeport, Tex. Prices on the American Stock Exchange also ended in the minus column amid slow trading. The market-value index was down 6.22, to 305.95. Texas American Energy rose 1/2, to 9 3/8, after one of its gas divisions in Kentucky received a rate increase.
In over-the-counter trading, the Nasdaq composite index closed with a loss of 2.49, at 189.43.
Illustrations: Market profile graph (Page D10) | Stock prices fell sharply yesterday, reflecting investor apprehension over declining profits at a number of large corporations, the sluggish state of the economy and high interest rates. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 14.93 points, to close at 850.65, after being in the minus column throughout the session. It was the biggest drop for the blue-chip average since Sept. 3, when it fell 17.22 points amid fears over high interest rates. The market's retreat yesterday was broadly based, with declines on the New York Stock Exchange outnumbering advances by a ratio of about 3 to 1. The worst casualties were the blue chips, technology stocks and transportation issues. | 7.92 | 0.984 | 42.12 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/22/us/shuttle-problem-laid-to-workmanship.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524082828id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/22/us/shuttle-problem-laid-to-workmanship.html | SHUTTLE PROBLEM LAID TO WORKMANSHIP | 20150524082828 | After a two-month investigation, space agency engineers have determined that poor workmanship, rather than design or materials defects, was primarily responsible for large patches of insulation tearing loose from the external fuel tank of the space shuttle Columbia in tests in January at the launching pad in Florida.
James B. Odom, manager of the external tank project at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said in a
Space agency officials hope that companies will use the shuttle, but business is wary over the industrialization of space. (Section 3, Page 1.) telephone interview that investigators had uncovered evidence of misapplied adhesives, contamination and other examples of uneven work in bonding the veneer of insulation to the aluminum skin of the 154-foot bullet-shaped tank.
Repairs on the tank, under way at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the last two weeks, were expected to be completed tonight or tomorrow, and the tank could be put to a critical test Tuesday. The tank is to be loaded then with the supercold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants at pressures that impose greater stress on the insulation than would normally be the case before launching.
The tank test was originally scheduled for tomorrow, but bad weather last week set back the repair work. The space agency announced yesterday a postponement of the eight-hour test until Tuesday. Hurdle Before Orbital Test
George F. Page, the launching director, called the tank-loading test the ''one big hurdle'' the shuttle must still surmount before being cleared for its first orbital test, a 36-orbit, 54 1/2-hour flight.
If the tank survives the loading test without damage to the insulation, and passes a subsequent test Thursday, officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration hope to be able to set a definite launching date for Columbia. Launching teams are working toward an unofficial target date of April 8 or 9. Further trouble with the tank insulation, however, could push back the launching by several weeks.
The fatal launching-pad accident last Thursday is another source of schedule uncertainty. Although space agency officials said at first that the accident would not affect the launching date, they are now raising the possibility that it will.
Investigators of the accident, in which one technician was killed and another critically injured, said that they intended to review all countdown procedures to make sure that similar accidents could not occur and to check other safety measures. Since the investigation could take several weeks, the launching might have to be delayed accordingly. Death From Lack of Oxygen
The accident occurred when technicians entered a work compartment inside the shuttle that had been purged of all oxygen as a precaution against fire and, through some possible human error, had not been restored to normal atmospheric conditions. John Bjornstad died of a lack of oxygen, and Forrest Cole remains in critical condition. The four other victims were treated and released from nearby hospitals.
The accident interrupted only briefly the repairs on the external tank, which is the largest component of the space shuttle system. At launching, the re-usable, winged space plane, known as the orbiter, is attached to the back of the big tank, drawing fuel from it to power the orbiter's three main rocket engines for the first nine minutes of ascent.
Attached to the sides of the tank are two solid-fuel rockets that give the shuttle an extra boost in the first two minutes after liftoff. The two boosters then separate and fall by parachute into the ocean off Cape Canaveral. The tank is jettisoned just before reaching orbit and is to plunge to destruction in a remote area of the Indian Ocean.
To protect the supercold liquid propellants from the Florida sun and the frictional heat of flight the tank's most heat-sensitive surfaces are covered with more than 400 half-inch thick panels of cork-epoxy and a spray-on polyurethane material. Insulation Becomes Unglued
In January, when the tank was being filled during a test, the aluminum alloy structure contracted and expanded in response to extreme temperature and pressure changes, as expected, but the stresses caused three patches of insulation, about 3 percent of the total surface, to come unglued.
Mr. Odom said that analysis of the largest area of debonding indicated that an insufficient amount of adhesive had been applied by workmen at the New Orleans plant where the Martin Marietta Corporation built the tank for NASA.
Engineers of Martin Marietta participated in the investigation of the insulation problem. A company spokesman said yesterday, ''We're not going to take a position on the report. If that's what Mr. Odom says, that's it.'' Applying the Adhesive
Mr. Odom explained that two coats of adhesives are used, with the first coat applied to the metal skin being a kind of primer. As any household artisan knows, it is difficult to glue two smooth surfaces together. The primer provides a rough surface more suitable for bonding the insulation panels with the second adhesive coat. But the primer coat was supposed to be almost immeasureably thin, not even one-thousandth of an inch. Somehow, Mr. Odom said, the primer coat in the one area was even thinner than it should have been, weakening the bonding.
In another, smaller area of damage, Mr. Odom said, investigators found evidence of contaminating particles, indicating that the metal surface had not been adequately cleaned before the insulation was applied.
Problems with adhesives and contaminants may have been partly responsible for the third area of damage, Mr. Odom said, but there was also some evidence of faulty procedures in the curing of the insulation. | After a two-month investigation, space agency engineers have determined that poor workmanship, rather than design or materials defects, was primarily responsible for large patches of insulation tearing loose from the external fuel tank of the space shuttle Columbia in tests in January at the launching pad in Florida. James B. Odom, manager of the external tank project at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said in a Space agency officials hope that companies will use the shuttle, but business is wary over the industrialization of space. (Section 3, Page 1.) telephone interview that investigators had uncovered evidence of misapplied adhesives, contamination and other examples of uneven work in bonding the veneer of insulation to the aluminum skin of the 154-foot bullet-shaped tank. | 7.42069 | 0.986207 | 53.22069 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/22/nyregion/carey-ending-hedging-assails-casino-gaming.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524082906id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/22/nyregion/carey-ending-hedging-assails-casino-gaming.html | CAREY, ENDING HEDGING, ASSAILS CASINO GAMING | 20150524082906 | ALBANY, Aug. 21— Governor Carey, who has frequently hedged his position on casino gambling, said today that he opposed it. In his strongest statement on the subject to date, Mr. Carey declared that ''after a visit to Atlantic City for the Governors' conference, I don't want that kind of casino gambling in New York State - or any kind.''
Earlier this year, Mr. Carey had said he wanted the State Legislature to pass a constitutional amendment legalizing casino gambling as a prelude to a voter referendum on the subject. But a variety of gambling proposals died in the Legislature, postponing the legalization of casino gambling indefinitely.
''All I wanted to do is get the measure to a referendum so the people could vote their preference,'' said Mr. Carey in explaining his earlier position. ''As an individual, when I saw what I saw in Atlantic City, I don't relish that kind of development in New York State.'' What Carey Didn't Like
''What turned me off?'' Mr. Carey continued. ''Well, the city wasn't improving, the city wasn't getting the benefit of what's going on there. And I saw a lot of people who I don't feel really could afford it losing a lot of money.''
Citing the Legislature's lack of support for legalized casinos, Mr. Carey said: ''I therefore don't see any future for it in New York State.'' He said that he would like to support ''gaming under very strong controls,'' but that he was not certain how an acceptable system could be set up.
During his first campaign for Governor in 1974, Mr. Carey said he favored casino gambling. In 1977, he said he would ''not oppose'' casino gambling in areas of New York State where it would be ''an ideal addition.'' The Governor's 'Position'
Mr. Carey said in early 1979 that he favored state-run casinos, but asserted later that he preferred them run by private concerns. At one point in 1979, Mr. Carey told a group of legislators: ''You all know my position on casino gambling and if anybody here can tell me what it is, please do.''
In 1980, Mr. Carey said that allegations of corruption in the licensing of New Jersey's gambling casinos ''certainly, probably constitute a setback'' for the idea of privately run casinos in New York. And this year, even as Mr. Carey asked the Legislature to pass a constitutional amendment that would legalize casino gambling, he also appeared to be suggesting that the legalization be limited to slot machines. | Governor Carey, who has frequently hedged his position on casino gambling, said today that he opposed it. In his strongest statement on the subject to date, Mr. Carey declared that ''after a visit to Atlantic City for the Governors' conference, I don't want that kind of casino gambling in New York State - or any kind.'' Earlier this year, Mr. Carey had said he wanted the State Legislature to pass a constitutional amendment legalizing casino gambling as a prelude to a voter referendum on the subject. But a variety of gambling proposals died in the Legislature, postponing the legalization of casino gambling indefinitely. | 4.283333 | 0.983333 | 43.416667 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/22/us/saturday-news-quiz.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524082945id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/22/us/saturday-news-quiz.html | Saturday News Quiz | 20150524082945 | Questions are based on news reports in The Times in the last week. Answers appear on page 14.
1. Grizzly bears, one of which is pictured above, are on the endangered species list. How many grizzlies are estimated to be surviving in the contiguous United States?
2. President Reagan lifted a ban on the shipment of jet fighters to Israel. How long did the ban last? 3. Tourism in New York City has dropped for the first time in five years. What is the primary reason, according to experts? 4. The average baseball player's salary by team ranges from a high of $242,937 to a low of $54,994. Which team has the highest average salary and which the lowest?
5. After 15 years, a Harlem preschool project is again being studied, and recent findings have surprised researchers. How? 6. In its second revision, a major economic indicator fell at an annual rate of 2.4 percent, indicating a major downward swing in the economy. What indicator is it?
7. Mild caloric deficiencies in the diet of an infant or pregnant woman can disrupt a youngster's (a) emotional stability, (b) higher intellectual functioning, (c) learning abilities, (d) all of the above.
8. Who is Sir Isaiah Berlin and why are his writings of interest? 9. A Federal district judge called the Federal Government's handling of a certain situation a ''disgrace.'' To what was the judge referring?
10. Anita Loos died this week at the age of 93. What book, seven chapters long, brought her international fame? 11. Two famous meeting places in New York are disappearing. What are they and what will replace them? 12. Navy jets shot down two Libyan jets in Navy exercises in the southern Mediterranean. When did American forces last engage in a combat incident?
13. Two world records in track were broken this week in Zurich. Who set the new records and in what events? 14. Employees of John Muir & Company got a surprise when they showed up for work Monday morning. What was it? 15. The Carter-Mondale Re-election Committee of 1980 got a bill from the Treasury Department. What was it for? 16. James A. Smith, one of the candidates in the New York City mayoral election, has raised campaign contributions of less than $2,000, but he caused a tremor in Mayor Koch's campaign. How?
17. The dusky sparrow is threatened by extinction, with only five males believed still alive. Some conservationists want to crossbreed them with females of similar species so as to preserve at least something like the original bird, and have aroused a controversy. What is its basis?
18. ''It occurred to me that winning games could mean losing a spot in the playoff.'' Who said that, and what was the result? 19. The OPEC oil ministers, unable to resolve their price dispute, made an unusual request. What was it? 20. A new study shows that women who take birth control pills run a greater risk of suffering a heart attack than women who have never taken the pill. This is not generally considered to be the most serious side effect of birth control pills. What is?
21. Twenty-five years after it opened on Broadway, ''My Fair Lady'' is back with the same Henry Higgins, Rex Harrison, pictured above. The new Eliza Doolittle is making her Broadway debut. Who is she? Donna Anderson
Illustrations: photo of a grizzly bear photo of Rex Harrison | Questions are based on news reports in The Times in the last week. Answers appear on page 14. 1. Grizzly bears, one of which is pictured above, are on the endangered species list. How many grizzlies are estimated to be surviving in the contiguous United States? | 12.763636 | 0.963636 | 24.018182 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/20/world/habib-meets-assad-confers-with-begin-on-missile-solution.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524083016id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/20/world/habib-meets-assad-confers-with-begin-on-missile-solution.html | HABIB MEETS ASSAD, CONFERS WITH BEGIN ON MISSILE SOLUTION | 20150524083016 | DAMASCUS, Syria, May 19— President Reagan's special envoy, Philip C. Habib, met here today with President Hafez al-Assad and in Israel tonight with Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Mr. Habib gave no details of the talks, saying only that he would continue his mission aimed at averting an Israeli-Syrian clash.
Shortly after Mr. Habib left Damascus, the Syrian Defense Ministry said an unarmed Israeli reconnaissance craft had been shot down over the Mediterranean port of Latakia. The report was immediately denied by an Israeli military spokesman.
Mr. Habib's meeting with President Assad, the third since he began his mission 12 days ago, lasted more than two hours. There was no report that he had made any progress in the efforts to persuade Syria to withdraw the antiaircraft missiles it deployed in Lebanon after Israeli jets shot down two Syrian helicopters. Israel has vowed to destroy the missiles if they are not withdrawn.
Begin to Meet Cabinet Today
There were unconfirmed reports in Jerusalem that Prime Minister Begin would call a Cabinet meeting tomorrow to discuss a proposal by Mr. Habib for defusing the crisis. It was not clear whether the envoy had made suggestions for a compromise as a result of his discussions with the Syrian President.
Early in the day, two newspapers in Beirut reported that Mr. Habib was carrying a ''modified'' proposal for which he had obtained Saudi support during his visit to Riyadh over the weekend.
The details of the original plan have never been announced officially, but its main points reportedly called for a phased withdrawal of the Syrian missiles in return for some restriction of Israeli flights over Lebanon. Replacement of Syrians Proposed
Other points were said to call for the end of Syria's siege of the Lebanese Christian town of Zahle, stationing of Lebanese Army regulars in the town and deployment of other Lebanese soldiers in nearby mountain positions now held by Syrians.
As reported by the newspapers An Nahar and Ash Sharq, Mr. Habib may suggest also that part of the plan would involve resumption by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and possibly the United Arab Emirates of financial aid of Syrian troops operating in Lebanon as members of the Arab League's peacekeeping force.
Syria has reportedly received $90 million for each six-month period of the force's mandate in Lebanon from other Arab countries, principally Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The Syrian Foreign Minister, Abdel Halim Khaddam, complained last week that the payments had stopped. President Assad has reportedly said that the monthly cost to keep Syria's forces is $72 million.
American officials in Damascus declined to comment on the Beirut newspaper reports, saying they were under strict instructions from the State department to say nothing publicly about the mission.
Reports from Beirut today said that artillery in both the predominantly Moslem western sector and the Christian east were silent today after about 48 hours of heavy exchanges in which Syrian forces were reportedly involved. A cease-fire arranged between rival factions last night became effective in the early morning hours.
The casualty toll yesterday was put at more than 20 killed and 100 wounded. Syrian Papers Are Critical
Meanwhile, newspapers here in Damascus stepped up their criticism of the Habib mission, after having accused the American envoy in recent days of reflecting an Israeli bias and not taking sufficient note of Syrian positions and sensitivities.
Al Baath, the newspaper of the ruling Baath Party, said: ''Habib is preparing the grounds for a large-scale Israeli aggression against Lebanon to partition that country, liquidate the Palestinian cause and eventually invade Syria.''
Another official newspaper, Tishrin, said that the missiles in Bekaa Valley, which the Assad Government regards as vital to Syria's security, should be kept out of the main discussions. In Tishrin's view, the main topic should be ''Israel's attacks on Lebanon.''
There were reports here tonight that President Assad had sent his Defense Minister, Maj. Gen. Mustafa Tlas, to Moscow for consultations. The Soviet Union is Syria's main weapon supplier, and the two countries have been linked by a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation since October.
The proposal Mr. Habib is reported to be carrying for defusing the crisis over the Syrian missiles in the Bekaa Valley is said to call for an end to Israeli flights over the valley and for limiting reconnaissance flights over Lebanon to the southern part. Israel and its Lebanese Christian allies in southern Lebanon have been regularly attacking suspected Palestinian strongholds. ---- 'We Don't Want War,' Begin Says Special to the New York Times
JERUSALEM, May 19 - Mr. Habib went into talks with Prime Minister Menachem Begin tonight immediately after arriving from Damascus. The session lasted more than an hour and a half.
There were unconfirmed reports that Mr. Begin would call a Cabinet meeting tomorrow to discuss a proposal by Mr. Habib. It was not clear, however, whether the envoy had brought any suggestion of compromise from his meeting this afternoon with the Syrian President.
Mr. Habib and Mr. Begin declined to give any details of their meeting when they emerged. Later, Mr. Begin told an audience of handicapped veterans: ''We won't start any war, and we don't want war.''
But he said the situation would be different ''if they attack us,'' adding: ''To go to war for your children and your grandchildren, there is no holier war than that.''
In his remarks, Mr. Begin criticized Boutros Ghali, Egypt's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, for his recent statement in London that Egypt would side with Syria in any war involving Israel. Noting that Egypt had signed a peace treaty with Israel, Mr. Begin declared: ''He is a Christian who wanted to prove that he was more Moslem than Mohammed himself.''
The Prime Minister has come under increasing criticism in the Israeli press for his comments during the missile crisis, and opposition leaders have accused him of making them with an eye on the approaching national elections. ---- U.S. Appears to Rebuke Begin
WASHINGTON, May 19 (AP) - The State Department indirectly rebuked Prime Minister Begin today for his suggestion yesterday that Saudi Arabia was incapable of playing any constructive role in the current crisis.
Asked for comment on the Begin statement, Dean Fischer, the departmental spokesman, said: ''We do believe that this is a time when everyone concerned in this crisis should restrain their rhetoric so as to get on with constructive diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation peacefully.''
Illustrations: Map of Syria (Page A5) | President Reagan's special envoy, Philip C. Habib, met here today with President Hafez al-Assad and in Israel tonight with Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Mr. Habib gave no details of the talks, saying only that he would continue his mission aimed at averting an Israeli-Syrian clash. Shortly after Mr. Habib left Damascus, the Syrian Defense Ministry said an unarmed Israeli reconnaissance craft had been shot down over the Mediterranean port of Latakia. The report was immediately denied by an Israeli military spokesman. Mr. Habib's meeting with President Assad, the third since he began his mission 12 days ago, lasted more than two hours. There was no report that he had made any progress in the efforts to persuade Syria to withdraw the antiaircraft missiles it deployed in Lebanon after Israeli jets shot down two Syrian helicopters. Israel has vowed to destroy the missiles if they are not withdrawn. | 7.452381 | 0.988095 | 57.916667 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/23/nyregion/when-new-residents-become-the-ins.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524083131id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/23/nyregion/when-new-residents-become-the-ins.html | WHEN NEW RESIDENTS BECOME THE 'INS' | 20150524083131 | NORTH HILLS THIS small village adjoining Manhasset has been converted in less than a decade from an area of patrician country estates into a scattered series of attached town-house condominium developments. The same speed-up has affected North Hills politics.
The Mayor and members of the Board of Trustees who were elected as insurgents in the late 1970's and then also constituted themselves as the Planning Board are now being perceived as ''the establishment'' by a group of even newer newcomers.
''It's what I call the gangplank theory,'' declared Mary Jane Davies, a Manhasset civic activist. ''It means 'I got in; now let's haul up the gangplank.' ''
The most recent arrivals, not having been residents of the village during the original transition, are now taking their turn at leveling charges of secrecy, unresponsiveness and mismanagement in zoning the remaining undeveloped areas.
Lowell Kane, who moved into the village in 1977 and was elected Mayor in 1978, laughed when he heard the ''gangplank'' theory. ''What I say is that as pioneers we're charting an unknown course,'' said Dr. Kane, a practicing physician.
By the time Dr. Kane moved into North Hills, the era of stone mansions nestling in wooded hillsides was starting to fade. Within a short time, a wave of construction transformed an entrenched enclave of the very rich into affluent but heavily populated condominium country.
Since the downzoning began in 1970, the village population has soared from 295 to its current estimated 1,863. The condominiums now occupied or under construction total about 1,020 in nine developments, ranging from 22 to 384 units. They include Acorn Ponds, The Gates, The Greens and The Estates.
At their monthly meeting on Wednesday, Mayor Kane and the Board of Trustees are expected to set a date, probably Sept. 23, for a hearing on the Mayor's proposal to expand the village's Zoning Appeals Board from five to seven appointed members. The point, according to A. Thomas Levin, the village attorney, would be to ''let new people in, let them get representation in the village administration.''
It was not so long ago that the Mayor and trustees themselves were newcomers clamoring for representation. Viewed as what Dr. Kane calls ''ancient history - three years or so ago,'' the transformation of North Hills is a picture of disorderly public hearings, tangled lawsuits and procedural maneuvers culminating in a series of official resignations. Shouts of ''conflict of interest'' ricocheted off meeting-room walls as landholders who were trustees downzoned their properties and sold to developers.
In contrast, the Mayor insists, the present trustees' stake is in preserving the village's livability because they themselves are all condominium owners who ''realized we had to make changes or the density would be destructive.'' One of their first steps was to abolish the Planning Board, which had revised codes to permit up to 10 or 12 dwelling units an acre.
Mr. Levin recalls that when Dr. Kane was elected, the new majority ''wanted to get a handle on it, give a new direction to the planning.'' But they could not legally replace the Planning Board members. ''According to law, they could only abolish the Planning Board and let its powers revert to the village board,'' Mr. Levin said.
As a second step, new trustees placed a moratorium on building. That ended in April 1980. During the moratorium, and after some false starts, they promulgated the current code. Aimed at a mix of condominium units and detached single-family houses, the new code permits densities of two to six units an acre.
The board moved last month to enlarge its base of support among newer residents by appointing an eight-person executive advisory committee comprising residents from both the recently built, more costly condominiums north of the Long Island Expressway and the older, less expensive ones to the south.
One of the appointees is William Morrison, who accused the board of ''lack of communication'' and of operating ''in virtual secrecy'' during his unsuccessful campaign last March for a trustee's seat. Mr. Morrison said last week that he preferred to defer comment on the proposed Zoning Appeals Board expansion until after Wednesday night's meeting.
The exclusion of commercial development has been maintained with one exception. That is the 40-foot-high office complex still to rise on eight acres of Community Drive just north of the Weight Watchers headquarters.
There had been fears of crowded schools, inadequate water and sewer facilities and roads clogged with cars. But so far, critics acknowledge that the low proportion of families with children has validated the developers' thesis that most condominium buyers are socalled ''empty nesters.'' The water-supply and waste-disposal systems are holding their own.
Traffic, however, even with much of the potential new population still to come, may already be getting, in Mayor Kane's words, ''a little hairy.''
But the Mayor said: ''I think we've accomplished what we set out to do. The area in general will be the beneficiary because the density is not going to be excessive.'' | NORTH HILLS THIS small village adjoining Manhasset has been converted in less than a decade from an area of patrician country estates into a scattered series of attached town-house condominium developments. The same speed-up has affected North Hills politics. The Mayor and members of the Board of Trustees who were elected as insurgents in the late 1970's and then also constituted themselves as the Planning Board are now being perceived as ''the establishment'' by a group of even newer newcomers. ''It's what I call the gangplank theory,'' declared Mary Jane Davies, a Manhasset civic activist. ''It means 'I got in; now let's haul up the gangplank.' '' | 7.522388 | 0.985075 | 43.447761 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/21/business/market-place.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524083211id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/21/business/market-place.html | MARKET PLACE - NYTimes.com | 20150524083211 | In a major marketing disaster, American manufacturers have lost their primacy in semiconductors. Two years ago, Japanese manufacturers brought out new random access memory - RAM - devices twice as powerful as the ones then in use and have since captured the bulk of the market.
But now, an American company, the Perkin-Elmer Corporation, is offering a partial solution to the American problem. The company has developed a machine that turns out high-powered semiconductor chips faster than the existing technology. Analysts believe that use of the new equipment should help American electronics companies become competitive.
The key to the market is being able to pack a lot of computing power onto a tiny piece of silicon chip and still retain a very high degree of reliability. In their approach to making these chips, known as 64K RAM devices, Japanese companies borrowed a page from the Intel Corporation, the United States company that designed the first practical semiconductor memory.
Intel's pioneering chip, developed more than a decade ago, had 1,000 active elements. Intel's device did not have quite the potential of those envisioned by its competitors, but the chip represented the genesis of the microprocessor age.
Like Intel, the Japanese chose simplicity in their approach to the 64K device while Intel and other American companies used more complex methods. American companies aimed for the best possible 64K device on the smallest possible silicon area. Such perfection, besides being more difficult to achieve, was not necessary, as the Japanese demonstrated. The Japanese required more silicon area but their larger chips were small enough for all practical purposes. Not only were they reproducible in high volume, but they were also highly reliable. The American companies, in the meantime, were finding that it was difficult to produce so much computing power on so small an area. The machines they built to do the job were effective but slow.
Applying the actual circuit pattern on the chip itself is accomplished through optical lithography - a form of microscopic printing. In devices as complex as 64K wafers the printing must be precise. What Perkin-Elmer is now offering is its new microscopic alignment Micralign 500 machine, which can produce up to 100 wafers an hour - five times as many as can be produced by the current technology. The Micralign 500 costs $675,000, while machines now in use have a $800,000 price. An even newer but slower Perkin-Elmer model, the Micralign 300, costs only $325,000 and produces up to 60 wafers an hour - three times as many as is customary. Each wafer is like a large, extremely thin sheet of cookie dough that is later cut into 250 individual 64K chips.
Thomas Kurlak, who follows the semiconductor industry for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., sees the new Perkin-Elmer machines as the most productive and cost-effective available. The Japanese have attained their high outputs using an even older technology than has been employed here. The American wafers, while not quite so compact as originally planned, still require better building methods than those used in Japan.
Mr. Kurlak said: ''Texas Instruments and Motorola are the only United States suppliers at this point. We believe that this new equipment can help sustain their relatively large positions in the market place. Intel and National Semiconductor, both still developing their wafers, may be able to enter the market at this late date with the new equipment and become competitive.''
The Japanese are expected to produce 70 million to 100 million 64K chips in 1982, while American companies are likely to produce 35 million chips - without Perkin-Elmer's new machines, he added.
The Perkin-Elmer machines can help American producers double their output, but this is unlikely to happen before 1983, Mr. Kurlak said - ''after the industry builds up a sufficient installed base of this new equipment and develops a proficiency in its use.'' He acknowledged that the Japanese were potential customers for the Perkin-Elmer devices but believes that the bulk of the demand will come from the United States.
Mr. Kurlak is recommending Perkin-Elmer for its ''excellent investment potential over the next three years'' but is not recommending the semiconductor producers themselves. ''We believe that the best way to invest in the substantial unit growth of semiconductors is through manufacturers of the production equipment,'' he added. ''There is less competition - none from the Japanese - and Perkin-Elmer is the dominant supplier here.''
At $27 a share, Perkin-Elmer sells at 10.6 times Merrill Lynch's estimate of $2.55 a share in the fiscal year ending July 1983. Perkin-Elmer earned $1.81 a share in the most recently completed fiscal year.
Robert Christensen, who follows Perkin-Elmer for A.G. Becker Inc., said that the market for semiconductor capital goods was ''not exactly buoyant.'' Even so, ''that division of the company has been growing - it accounted for 14 percent of sales in the most recent fiscal year and 10 percent the year before that,'' he added.
He said that the company's growth had been slowed by some divisions, such as analytical instruments, where business is off the normal pace of growth. ''We're not recommending purchase near-term but we think it an excellent company,'' he added. | In a major marketing disaster, American manufacturers have lost their primacy in semiconductors. Two years ago, Japanese manufacturers brought out new random access memory - RAM - devices twice as powerful as the ones then in use and have since captured the bulk of the market. But now, an American company, the Perkin-Elmer Corporation, is offering a partial solution to the American problem. The company has developed a machine that turns out high-powered semiconductor chips faster than the existing technology. Analysts believe that use of the new equipment should help American electronics companies become competitive. | 9.381818 | 0.990909 | 54.372727 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/22/nyregion/conservatives-open-an-anti-moynihan-drive.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524083821id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/22/nyregion/conservatives-open-an-anti-moynihan-drive.html | CONSERVATIVES OPEN AN ANTI-MOYNIHAN DRIVE | 20150524083821 | A national conservative group has opened a campaign against Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, labeling the New York Democrat in radio advertisements as ''the most liberal United States Senator.''
The campaign was instantly challenged by Mr. Moynihan's staff as ''an attempt by the radical right to move into New York'' and as displaying ''close ties'' to his probable Republican, Conservative and Right to Life opponent, Bruce Caputo, a former Republican Representative from Westchester County.
In rapid-fire dialogue that sounds like a quiz show, the advertisement calls Mr. Moynihan a big spender who ''helped develop our runaway welfare system.''
''And he voted against capital punishment, opposed the B-1 bomber, he supports increased taxes, he even voted foreign aid to Communist countries like Cuba, Cambodia and Vietnam,'' the advertisement continues.
''Wait, wait enough,'' says a woman. ''What would happen if the people knew this?'' A man replies, ''He'd be defeated.'' There is applause. ''Which,'' the man goes on, ''is why New York State taxpayers are fed up with Moynihan and why the National Conservative Political Action Committee has paid for this commercial. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.'' Terms Moynihan 'Duplicitous'
John C. Dolan, head of the conservative group, played the commercial for reporters at the Roosevelt Hotel yesterday and said Mr. Moynihan had been ''somewhat duplicitous'' in using a moderate image to mask a liberal voting record.
He said Mr. Moynihan was among half a dozen Senators his group lists as 1982 targets. The others are Senators Lowell P. Weicker Jr. of Connecticut, Paul S. Sarbanes of Maryland, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia and John Melcher of Montana. If the money can be raised, he said, the anti-Moynihan campaign will spend $750,000 on broadcast and direct-mail advertising.
He described the advertisement played yesterday as part of a $50,000 ''first wave.'' In 1980, Mr. Dolan's committee ran campaigns against Senators George S. McGovern of South Dakota, Birch Bayh of Indiana and Frank Church of Idaho. All were defeated by Republican opponents.
Robin Martin, head of the local branch of the committee, New York State Taxpayers Fed Up With Daniel Moynihan, said the group would ''expose'' the Senator's ''liberal voting record.'' Some Call Him Neo-Conservative
Some of Mr. Moynihan's critics have called him a neo-Conservative. He was thought to be vulnerable to an attack from the left, and so months ago he called attention to the planned assaults from the right, as a sort of signal that liberals should rally to his defense.
It appears that Mr. Moynihan will not have to run against an opponent in the Democratic primary, and he has been negotiating for the Liberal party line. Mr. Caputo appears likely to be nominated by the other three parties.
Mr. Moynihan's office in Washington issued a statement saying that lawyers were exploring a legal challenge concerning what it said were the ''close ties'' between the conservative committee and the Caputo campaign. | A national conservative group has opened a campaign against Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, labeling the New York Democrat in radio advertisements as ''the most liberal United States Senator.'' The campaign was instantly challenged by Mr. Moynihan's staff as ''an attempt by the radical right to move into New York'' and as displaying ''close ties'' to his probable Republican, Conservative and Right to Life opponent, Bruce Caputo, a former Republican Representative from Westchester County. In rapid-fire dialogue that sounds like a quiz show, the advertisement calls Mr. Moynihan a big spender who ''helped develop our runaway welfare system.'' | 5.065574 | 0.983607 | 42.508197 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/25/us/disclosure-of-two-fabricated-articles-causes-papers-to-re-examine-their-rules.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084013id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/25/us/disclosure-of-two-fabricated-articles-causes-papers-to-re-examine-their-rules.html | DISCLOSURE OF TWO FABRICATED ARTICLES CAUSES PAPERS TO RE-EXAMINE THEIR RULES | 20150524084013 | Many American newspapers, distressed by the idea that The Washington Post and The Daily News of New York had each printed a fabricated article, and concerned about their own reputations, say they are setting new rules and re-emphasizing existing rules to reduce the potential for fraud or misrepresentation.
The events at two of the nation's best-known dailies have inspired a wave of self-examination, formal and informal, by journalists who feel that the two incidents provide more ammunition for those who already thought the worst about what they read in newspapers.
The incidents have renewed questions not only about such phenomena as the ''New Journalism,'' with its emphasis on a seemingly omniscient re-creation of events, but also about such basics as the relationship between sources and reporters and between reporters and editors.
Reporters and editors say they are being questioned publicly in ways that they never experienced. ''My dentist talks to me about Janet Cooke,'' said G. Woodson Howe, executive editor of The Omaha World-Herald, referring to a Washington Post reporter who resigned after the discovery of her fabrication. ''The trustees of the museum want to talk about it,'' Mr. Howe added. He said it was their courteous way of saying they did not believe everything they read in the papers.
A Gallup Poll conducted for Newsweek magazine reported that 52 percent of 760 people surveyed by telephone late last month said they believed ''only some'' of the news they read and heard, and 33 percent said they thought reporters often made things up. Daily newspapers, the poll reported, ranked behind television and news magazines in providing accurate, unbiased news accounts. Safeguards Against Deceit
In interviews, editors and reporters emphasized a belief that journalists were basically honest and ethical and that the fabrications were aberrations that did not reflect common practice. They said that the usual standards of the craft, if enforced, provided adequate protection against deception.
Many said the incidents might affect the way the courts treated reporters. David Halvorsen, managing editor of The San Francisco Examiner, said, for instance, that he feared a ''substantial legal hangover,'' with lawyers who seek the name of a source ''planting the seed'' that perhaps the source does not exist.
In The Post incident, Miss Cooke, a 26-year-old reporter assigned to look into drug abuse in the slums, made up a vivid tale last September about an 8-year-old heroin user named ''Jimmy.'' After the article won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing last month, an editor at The Toledo Blade, where Miss Cooke worked previously, questioned published details about her academic credentials. This led The Post to question Miss Cooke and that led to her confession that the article was a hoax. The newspaper returned the prize and the reporter resigned.
At The Daily News, Michael Daly, a 29-year-old columnist, filed a dispatch May 6 about being on patrol in Belfast with a British gunner, ''Christopher Spell,'' and seeing a teen-ager shot. When two British publications raised questions about details of the account, Mr. Daly said that ''Spell'' was a pseudonym and, according to The News, he was ''unable to substantiate the story with independent sources.'' Mr. Daly resigned, defending the accuracy of the column in general and saying he was resigning to spare the newspaper ''further embarrassment.'' Informing Public of Policies
Some newspapers have issued formal guidelines for their staffs on such topics as identifying sources, the use of incomplete quotations or ''composite'' characters, staged photographs and prize competitions. In some cases they have published the guidelines, an action that both informs the public of the papers' policies and, presumably, encourages the public to trust the paper.
Editors generally say that they intend to reduce the number of articles that are inherently less credible because the principal sources are not named. They say that they will tolerate many fewer quotations attributed to anonymous ''key officials'' or ''highly placed sources.'' When they do allow such articles or quotations, they say, the reader can be sure that at least one editor knows the reporters' sources and believes that the sources are reliable.
In a ''memo to the staff'' that was also published on the opinion page of The Des Moines Register, James P. Gannon, the executive editor, said that the Janet Cooke incident did not require writing of new rules, but ''it does remind us that our most precious asset - our integrity - is fragile.''
News sources, he said, ''abuse the anonymity privilege because they know that reporters so easily grant it.'' He said that he was not banning anonymous sources entirely because they ''often are essential,'' but, he advised his staff, ''Don't be a pushover in taking things off the record that ought to be on the record.'' Identities of Sources
Eugene C. Patterson, editor of The St. Petersburg Times and Evening Independent in Florida, wrote in a memorandum to his editors: ''A reporter must share with his or her editor the identity of any confidential source on which we are going to hang a story before we publish it. Once confidentiality is pledged to a source, the editor must share with the reporter the burden of trust which neither can betray, even if it means going to jail together rather than breaking the confidence.'' | Many American newspapers, distressed by the idea that The Washington Post and The Daily News of New York had each printed a fabricated article, and concerned about their own reputations, say they are setting new rules and re-emphasizing existing rules to reduce the potential for fraud or misrepresentation. The events at two of the nation's best-known dailies have inspired a wave of self-examination, formal and informal, by journalists who feel that the two incidents provide more ammunition for those who already thought the worst about what they read in newspapers. The incidents have renewed questions not only about such phenomena as the ''New Journalism,'' with its emphasis on a seemingly omniscient re-creation of events, but also about such basics as the relationship between sources and reporters and between reporters and editors. Reporters and editors say they are being questioned publicly in ways that they never experienced. ''My dentist talks to me about Janet Cooke,'' said G. Woodson Howe, executive editor of The Omaha World-Herald, referring to a Washington Post reporter who resigned after the discovery of her fabrication. ''The trustees of the museum want to talk about it,'' Mr. Howe added. He said it was their courteous way of saying they did not believe everything they read in the papers. | 4.207171 | 0.988048 | 67.099602 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/28/arts/art-things-that-can-happen-to-a-print.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084038id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/28/arts/art-things-that-can-happen-to-a-print.html | ART - THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A PRINT - NYTimes.com | 20150524084038 | IF the A.A.A. Galleries, 663 Fifth Avenue, at 53d Street, have been in and out of this column all month, it is not because I view them with special favor. It is because they take the trouble to put on interesting and thoughtful exhibitions at a moment in the year when almost everyone else is away at the beach.
Their new show can be seen through Oct. 3, and it is called ''The Discerning Eye.'' It has an enormous subject -nothing less than a quick run-through of all the things that can happen to an artist's print from the moment it first comes off the press. It can leave the studio in any one of a number of successive states. It can be signed or annotated, either by the artist himself or by other people. It can start as a good impression, but it can also start as a defective one.
It can reach us in good shape, and it can also reach us in terrible shape. It may have changed its color - sometimes for good reason, sometimes not. The printer and the publisher may have done things to it, with or without the artist's consent. And it can be copied, forged or faked in ways that run the gamut of human intent from adulation to criminality.
All this is standard stuff, and in every textbook, but it's not often that the layman can see it so clearly detailed in relation to everything from Durer and Rembrandt to Matisse and Chagall. Given that New York State has recently passed a bill whose object is to protect the customer from prints that are not what they purport to be, and given also that forgeries and fakes exert an almost universal fascination, many visitors will turn first to that particular category.
There is, of course, a fundamental difference between the fraudulent reproduction of a known original and the act of bluff and deception that depends on the aping of a familiar style. There is, for instance, in the present exhibition a so-called ''Matisse lithograph'' that is neither a lithograph nor by Matisse. It is a freehand drawing in the style of Matisse that was made with a lithographic pencil and fitted out with a signature and an edition number.
This counterfeit is quite worthless, except as a curiosity; but it does at least manifest a certain rascally sleight of hand, though not one that should deceive the visitor who has ever looked closely at Matisse. This is drawing that is approximate, where Matisse is exact, and flabby where Matisse is lean.
What is duller, as well as even more disreputable, is the trade in mechanical reproductions - some of them very expensive - that are not like the original, have no resale value and do dirt to a famous name. The show touches lightly on this question, though the pirated Chagall may strike some visitors - myself included - as less repulsive than the genuine Chagall.
It is in the context of copies and variants that the exhibition most usefully broadens out in its historical references. When we speak of ''a copy'' today, the word usually has overtones of disparagement. A copy may well have been done from an underhand motive, we think; and such is our almost religious belief in the sanctity of the artist's hand that we have trouble believing that a modern copy can be any good. For these reasons, a modern copy tends to be bad news.
But it wasn't always so, by any means. When Degas copied Mantegna, it was because he loved the work and wanted to get as close to it as he could. And then there were copies of prints that were made because not everyone could have the original and the image was too precious to be lost from view. Sometimes, too, the original block or plate had worn out. And sometimes, as in the case of John Martin's illustrations for ''Paradise Lost'' in the 1820's, the original artist was perfectly happy to do the plate over in a different size.
These are matters on which every generation has its own ideas about what is permissible and what is not. The generations also vary in their ideas of what is worth big money and what isn't. So there are no fixed rules in the matter. There was a time for instance - around 70 years ago - when a mezzotint engraving after a portrait by Reynolds or Gainsborough was worth a great deal of money. But when taste veered toward an ideal of spontaneity and immediacy, those same engravings came to be regarded as of primarily documentary interest, and sank in value accordingly.
No exhibition can teach us to foretell the taste of the future, but ''The Discerning Eye'' is very good about the ways in which one version of a print can legitimately differ from another. A case in point is Lyonel Feininger's woodcut ''The Hack'' (whose subject is a carriage, by the way, not a hard-pressed critic). Feininger enjoyed changing the look of the uphill ground on which the carriage was traveling, and in doing this, he cut away at the block progressively, state by state. What might have been a crafty imitation by another hand was owed in this case to Feininger's sense of play.
Students of process may also like to note the illustration by John Sloan to Somerset Maugham's ''Of Human Bondage.'' This comes in three forms - the original pencil drawing, a first proof and a second proof. This is a group that has much to teach us about what can be transferred, and what cannot, from drawing to etching.
Other current exhibitions include: ''Homage to Anita Loos'' (Grand Central Galleries, Biltmore Hotel, Vanderbilt Avenue at 43d Street): Hardly since Samson tore down the great temple at Gaza has a building disappeared as rapidly as the Biltmore Hotel. But people have shown a rare persistence this last day or two in pushing their way upstairs at the entrance on Vanderbilt Avenue to where the Grand Central Galleries has been holding its own with an exhibition of portraits, photographs and memorabilia relating to Anita Loos.
And a very curious and affecting show it is, for anyone who cherishes the outsize figures who dominated what was called ''the commercial theater'' in the 1920's and 30's. Even in extreme old age these hardy veterans kept their fascination intact - and none of them more so than the tiny and indomitable Miss Loos. If you feel like beating a path through the ruins, don't delay. The show closes this evening.
Illustrations: photo of the counterfeit Matisse lithograp | IF the A.A.A. Galleries, 663 Fifth Avenue, at 53d Street, have been in and out of this column all month, it is not because I view them with special favor. It is because they take the trouble to put on interesting and thoughtful exhibitions at a moment in the year when almost everyone else is away at the beach. Their new show can be seen through Oct. 3, and it is called ''The Discerning Eye.'' It has an enormous subject -nothing less than a quick run-through of all the things that can happen to an artist's print from the moment it first comes off the press. It can leave the studio in any one of a number of successive states. It can be signed or annotated, either by the artist himself or by other people. It can start as a good impression, but it can also start as a defective one. | 7.424419 | 0.994186 | 89.889535 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/29/world/pope-calls-for-justice-and-peace-in-polish-quest-for-a-settlement.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084124id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/29/world/pope-calls-for-justice-and-peace-in-polish-quest-for-a-settlement.html | POPE CALLS FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE IN POLISH QUEST FOR A SETTLEMENT | 20150524084124 | ROME, March 28— Pope John Paul II said today in a letter to Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, the Primate of Poland, that the Polish people have an ''undeniable right'' to solve their problems alone.
Written in Italian and published in L'Osservatore Romano, the semiofficial Vatican daily, the Pope's letter said that he prayed for an accord soon between the Polish Government and the new trade union movement.
He said that the restoration of peace in Poland required reciprocal understanding, dialogue, patience and perseverance.
'At the Center of World Attention'
''I share the profound concern of the Cardinal Primate of the Church in Poland and that of the entire nation about the events in my beloved country,'' the Pope wrote. ''These events, given their social and international importance, are at the center of world attention.
''Reports that reach me from various parts of Poland show that vast masses of the working people are conscious of the necessity to devote themselves fully to their work in order to overcome the country's economic difficulties. They desire to work and not strike.
''Together with the church in Poland, I pray that this may happen and that an agreement is reached between the state authorities and representatives of the working people to strengthen internal peace and a renewal of those principles which were agreed upon by everybody last autumn.
''The realization of these principles requires reciprocal understanding, a dialogue, patience and perseverance. ''This is the fairest way to reinforce authority and a sense of responsibility, particularly in a society whose culture and historical experience have been difficult and painful.
''Precisely for this reason, the common opinion of nations who love peace is shown by their conviction that the Poles have the undeniable right to resolve their problems by themselves and with their own resources.
''Everybody recognizes that this is a task and a duty which has as its aim the good of the entire society. The rights which are the basis of international coexistence require that such efforts of the nation are respected by others.'' Cardinal Met With Prime Minister
The Pope's letter followed a meeting in Warsaw Thursday between Cardinal Wyszynski and Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski. The Pope, the former Archbishop of Cracow, has repeatedly expressed concern about the Polish crisis in recent months. Lech Walesa, the leader of the independent trade union organization Solidarity, had an audience with the Pope in January at which the Pope said he hoped Solidarity would be able to continue its work with courage and moderation. | Pope John Paul II said today in a letter to Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, the Primate of Poland, that the Polish people have an ''undeniable right'' to solve their problems alone. Written in Italian and published in L'Osservatore Romano, the semiofficial Vatican daily, the Pope's letter said that he prayed for an accord soon between the Polish Government and the new trade union movement. He said that the restoration of peace in Poland required reciprocal understanding, dialogue, patience and perseverance. | 5.191489 | 0.978723 | 32.191489 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/28/nyregion/about-westchester.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084217id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/28/nyregion/about-westchester.html | About Westchester | 20150524084217 | The setting is the Scarsdale Pool, and this is the senior class breakfast, a relatively recent addition to a much older tradition, the senior prom. Since 2 A.M., the class of '81 has been swimming in the floodlighted pool and eating scrambled eggs prepared by members of the Parent-Teacher Association, who are running this part of the evening. When the sun rises, those with stamina will drive to Jones Beach.
Earlier, there were graduation ceremonies and restaurant dinners, and, of course, the prom, but no one is tired. This, after all, may be the last time that staying up all night is not associated with finishing a college term paper or meeting a deadline, the last time that seeing daybreak is an exciting novelty.
At the center of the frenetic activity, always, is the prom. It used to take place in the high school gym or cafeteria, but in the early 70's, a quest for more glamour led to its being held at an outside establishment. This year, the location was the Shenorock Shore Club, a private club on the Rye waterfront. A huge, airy room, a deck on the beach, tables set with pastel cloths, flowers and candles, more balloons and a nearly full moon - the scene was a set designer's dream of a June event.
As for the action, it was slated to begin at 9:30, but it was closer to 10:30 before the first couple hit the dance floor. After that, the crowd - eventually 450 - swelled and the pace accelerated quickly. In their white plicate dresses and strapless full-skirted satin ball gowns, the young women looked startlingly grown up; their dates, in rented dinner jackets and tuxedos, were handsome but seemed somehow younger. Together they danced to the frenzied rock and roll of the Buoys -''I'm 30,'' said Steve Furmanski, asinger and guitarist - snacked on cake and soda and occasionally strolled the beach hand in hand.
These are ordinary enough activities for any teen-age dance, but this was the senior prom, and as such it was a time when every move seemed somehow meaningful. Larry Attia, for instance, was impressed with the fact that it was ''the first - well, the second - time I went to a fancy restaurant and picked up the check at the end of it.''
Paige Gilbert, 18, and her date, Jim Davidowitz, 17, found it ironic that they had been refused champagne at a restaurant earlier in the evening - after all, hadn't they just listened to an afternoon's worth of speeches about becoming an adult.
Then there was the matter of getting a date for the prom. Although it was not required that you show up a deux, the vast majority did, and more than a few could recall all too vividly what it had taken to do so. ''My heart was beating fast, I was so nervous,'' admitted one young woman of her ordeal in asking a male acquaintance to accompany her. ''It was a week before, and I didn't have a date.''
Elizabeth Gerstein, one of the members of the five-student prom committee, explained that people ''are scared because of rejection. Getting a date for the prom is probably the worst experience anyone has in senior year.'' She added that although ''we have some very involved couples who've been dating a long time, there is not a lot of dating'' at Scarsdale High. ''People travel in packs, as cliques, and socialize within those cliques.''
A lively, articulate young woman with delicate features, she described the clanishness that can be as much a rite of teen-age passage as the first date and first kiss. ''You start out with a clique. If somebody wants to get in, you have to meet up to their standards. It's an awful feeling.'' The reasons for being excluded, she said, are just as intangible as the reasons for being accepted; after a while she ''got out of the rat race'' and decided to ''survive by finding individuals I'll be friendly with.''
A different solution was proposed by Danny Handelman, a junior who was the date of Jenny Langsam. ''You don't find yourself in high school,'' he said, as Miss Langsam, a senior, nodded. ''You find other people. It's easier to make friends with some group or another than it is to just try and be yourself with all of them.''
There were also students who said that there was ''a lot of camaraderie'' at Scarsdale High, and there were those who, tapping their feet to the music, and scanning the room for friends, spoke from the vantage point of the cooly confident.
''Its been total security, socially,'' Lori Moskowitz said smoothly. College can help ''if you're not known in high school,'' offered Scott Waxenberg, admittedly one of the ''popular'' ones. ''Your reputation doesn't precede you.''
College, in fact, was the thing everyone seemed eager to discuss. In stark contrast to many high school graduates of a decade ago, these students were not planning to study Eastern Philosophy or Organic Farming when they got to a university. Rather, they boasted, Scarsdale was one of the finest schools academically, that the teachers were caring and the courses challenging. Harvard, Middlebury, Wellesley and the University of Pennsylvania - they solemnly reeled off names of institutions to which they were headed, even as they twirled on the dance floor to Bruce Springsteen's ''Born to Run.''
''I'm going to Wellesley,'' Amy Cohen announced with a broad grin. Asked what would be her major, she quickly replied, ''Being successful. My only goal is to do something successful, something marketable. My parents said to me, you have to come out with a skill. I could see myself as an entrepreneur. As my own boss, I could make or break my own success.''
A few hours later, Miss Cohen had exchanged her full-skirted lace ball gown for a bathing suit and a beach towel. Dancing to the disco music, diving, with screams and splashes into the pool, she and the others did not resemble young entrepreneurs. They looked instead, like what they still were, at least for the moment - teen-agers having a fun, although in some ways final, frolic.
''It hit me an hour ago, and it was a strange feeling,'' Peter Gelfman, president of the senior class, said as he looked up at the lightening sky. ''I'm starting Harvard in the fall; I'm looking forward to it. About an hour ago, it hit me that I had graduated. It's a strange feeling, to go off into something unknown.''
Illustrations: photos of the members of the Scarsdale High School class of '81 at | The setting is the Scarsdale Pool, and this is the senior class breakfast, a relatively recent addition to a much older tradition, the senior prom. Since 2 A.M., the class of '81 has been swimming in the floodlighted pool and eating scrambled eggs prepared by members of the Parent-Teacher Association, who are running this part of the evening. When the sun rises, those with stamina will drive to Jones Beach. Earlier, there were graduation ceremonies and restaurant dinners, and, of course, the prom, but no one is tired. This, after all, may be the last time that staying up all night is not associated with finishing a college term paper or meeting a deadline, the last time that seeing daybreak is an exciting novelty. | 9.37415 | 0.993197 | 73.605442 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/29/us/data-on-law-firms-raise-racial-issue.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084314id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/29/us/data-on-law-firms-raise-racial-issue.html | DATA ON LAW FIRMS RAISE RACIAL ISSUE | 20150524084314 | WASHINGTON, July 28— Less than one-half of 1 percent of the partners in the nations' largest law firms are black, according to a recent study, and many lawyers and scholars blame racism, although representatives of the firms deny that.
A survey by The National Law Journal, published this spring, found that in the nation's 50 largest firms, 20 of 4,251 partners were black. Of 6,408 associates at these firms, 151, or 2.4 percent, were black. Kutak, Rock & Huie of Omaha, Neb., is the only one of the top 50 firms to have more than two black partners.
Samuel C. Jackson, an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Nixon and Ford Administrations, was one of the first black partners in a major firm, becoming partner of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in New York in 1973. ''There is no doubt in my mind as to why there are only 20 black partners at the majors,'' he said. ''It is due to historic racism.''
''But the pattern is changing,'' he went on, ''and certainly in the last five years there is evidence that there will be stepped-up opportunity for partnerships. When you look at 1981, there is hope that there will be an increase.'' 'Firms Haven't Looked'
William A. Borders Jr., a Washington lawyer who is president of the National Bar Association, a black lawyers organization, said, ''With over 12,000 black lawyers in the country, there are qualified blacks to hold these positions, and major firms haven't looked at them.'' The group that Mr. Borders heads was started in 1925 because black lawyers were then barred from membership in the American Bar Association.
Gary A. Munneke, an assistant dean at the Delaware Law School in Wilmington, said, ''It is hard not to attribute the low percentage entering private practice to racial discrimination.''
Michael Magness, placement director at New York University Law School, called the figures ''troubling but not surprising.'' However, he said, ''We don't have enough data to make a firm pronouncement. Besides, firms are slow to move.''
Leaders of the legal profession maintain that the hiring of members of minority groups has lagged because until recently there were relatively few of them among law students.
Donald Madden, administrative partner at White & Case on Wall Street, said, ''We are interested in seeing black lawyers. We interview as many as we can.'' The problem, he said, is that ''we don't see that many.''
Mr. Madden noted that White & Case had two black women associates, bringing the firm's total number of women associates up to 29. The firm also hired two black law students this year for summer clerkships, he said.
But, according to Mr. Magness, the firms do not feel any obligation to hire the black law graduates. ''Large firms haven't given affirmative action a due respect or active appraisal as other hiring agencies have done,'' he said. ''This is just their choice.''
Bruce Zimmer, executive director of the Law School Admission Council, a nonprofit organization of law schools, said that blacks were not enrolled in law schools in proportion to their numbers in the population. In the 1960's, the council found rapid growth in the number of blacks enrolled in law school, but since 1973, he said, ''the enrollment has been quite stable at a level of 5,500.''
Mr. Zimmer said that about 83 percent of black applicants were accepted by law schools. The Minority Recruitment Committee, an arm of the Law School Admission Council, is commissioning radio advertisements entreating members of minority groups who meet certain qualifications to apply to law schools. | Less than one-half of 1 percent of the partners in the nations' largest law firms are black, according to a recent study, and many lawyers and scholars blame racism, although representatives of the firms deny that. A survey by The National Law Journal, published this spring, found that in the nation's 50 largest firms, 20 of 4,251 partners were black. Of 6,408 associates at these firms, 151, or 2.4 percent, were black. Kutak, Rock & Huie of Omaha, Neb., is the only one of the top 50 firms to have more than two black partners. | 6.413793 | 0.991379 | 60.62931 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/30/business/british-news-magazine-shuts-after-18-months.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084322id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/30/business/british-news-magazine-shuts-after-18-months.html | BRITISH NEWS MAGAZINE SHUTS AFTER 18 MONTHS | 20150524084322 | LONDON, April 29— The arrival of Now!, a lavishly printed news magazine, stirred the British publishing scene 18 months ago, although it had little effect on advertisers. Reporters' salaries at Now! averaged more than $35,000 a year, much higher than the going rate at London newspapers.
This week Sir James Goldsmith, owner of the magazine, surprised its staff of 80 by announcing that he was closing Now! The issue currently on newsstands is the last one.
For Sir James, one of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs, it was a harsh setback. He had hoped to make the weekly a British rival of Time and Newsweek.
''If I had felt we were investing to create a viable enterprise, we would have continued, but as it was we would have been turning investment into subsidy,'' Sir James said.
Now! suffered a total after-tax loss of $13 million during its existence. Circulation, with a goal of 250,000, was actually about 125,000 when the closing was announced. 'We Are Just Grocers'
''It was like the Concorde - a marvellous design, tremendous crew and everyone who flies it loves it, but you can't get enough passengers to make it a success,'' said Anthony Shrimsley, editor of Now!
Sir James is chairman of Generale Occidentale, which owned Now! through its Cavenham Communications subsidiary. Generale Occidentale is a Paris-based holding company with wide interests in retail food chains, oil drilling and forest products. ''We are very passive in Britain now,'' Sir James said. ''We are just grocers.''
Although Generale Occidentale has been disposing of some of its British operations over the last few years, it still owns the Lipton and Presto retail food chains, with sales of $2 billion a year. In the United States, Generale Occidentale owns the Grand Union and Colonial Stores chains.
Advertisers were unimpressed with Now! According to industry estimates, the magazine's advertising revenues ranked 52d among those of all nationwide British publications and television stations.
Previous attempts to start a national news magazine in Britain also ended in failure. Unlike the United States, Britain has a thriving structure of national daily newspapers, leaving little circulation or advertising potential for a weekly.
Illustrations: Photo of Now magazine | The arrival of Now!, a lavishly printed news magazine, stirred the British publishing scene 18 months ago, although it had little effect on advertisers. Reporters' salaries at Now! averaged more than $35,000 a year, much higher than the going rate at London newspapers. This week Sir James Goldsmith, owner of the magazine, surprised its staff of 80 by announcing that he was closing Now! The issue currently on newsstands is the last one. | 5.113636 | 0.988636 | 45.056818 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/28/style/elisabeth-reid-rw-taylor-jr-have-wedding.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084345id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/28/style/elisabeth-reid-rw-taylor-jr-have-wedding.html | Elisabeth Reid, R.W. Taylor Jr. Have Wedding | 20150524084345 | Elisabeth Reid, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ogden R. Reid of Purchase, N.Y., was married in the Rye (N.Y.) Presbyterian Church yesterday to Richard W. Taylor Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor of New York and Orange, Va. The Rev. Dr. Joseph P. Bishop performed the ceremony.
Anne Morgan and Steven Hart attended the couple as maid of honor and best man. Mrs. Taylor, a senior at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., was born in Israel while her father was Ambassador there. Mr. Reid, former publisher of The New York Herald Tribune, served for 12 years as a United States Representative from Westchester County. Mrs. Reid is a partner of Reid, Michelman & Associates, a marketing firm in White Plains.
The bride is a granddaughter of Mrs. William H. Stewart of Burlington, Vt., and the late Mr. Stewart and the late Ogden M. and Helen Rogers Reid, publishers of The Herald Tribune. She is a greatgranddaughter of Whitelaw Reid, who acquired The Tribune, predecessor of The Herald Tribune, from Horace Greeley, its founder, and was Ambassador to the Court of St. James's from 1905 until his death in 1912.
Mr. Taylor, an account executive with the Xerox Corporation in Boston, was graduated in 1979 from Babson College. His father is a vice president, corporate finance, with the investment banking house of Moseley, Hallgarten, Estabrook & Weeden.
The bridegroom is a grandson of Mr. and Mrs. William N. Westerlund of New Canaan, Conn., and Everett E. Taylor of Toledo, Ohio, and the late Hazel Broer Taylor. His maternal grandfather, now retired, was president of Marine Transport Lines Inc.
Illustrations: Photo of Elisabeth Taylor | Elisabeth Reid, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ogden R. Reid of Purchase, N.Y., was married in the Rye (N.Y.) Presbyterian Church yesterday to Richard W. Taylor Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor of New York and Orange, Va. The Rev. Dr. Joseph P. Bishop performed the ceremony. | 5.803571 | 1 | 56 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/24/world/navy-secretary-says-allen-voiced-resolve-to-hand-in-1000.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084436id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/24/world/navy-secretary-says-allen-voiced-resolve-to-hand-in-1000.html | NAVY SECRETARY SAYS ALLEN VOICED RESOLVE TO HAND IN $1,000 | 20150524084436 | WASHINGTON, Nov. 23— The Secretary of the Navy said today that he had signed a statement supporting Richard V. Allen's contention that he had intended to surrender to the Government the $1,000 he received from a Japanese magazine.
The Secretary, John F. Lehman Jr., said in a telephone interview that he was in Mr. Allen's office in the old Executive Office Building on either Jan. 21, the day Mr. Allen, the President's national security adviser, received the cash, or a day or two later. According to Mr. Lehman, a close friend of Mr. Allen, Mr. Allen expressed ''chagrin and amazement'' that the Japanese had handed him the cash. Conversation Recalled
''He said he had stuck it in a safe to turn it over to security,'' said Mr. Lehman, who took this to mean Government authorities. The Navy Secretary said he had provided a signed statement to Mr. Allen recalling their conversation of last January.
In another aspect of Mr. Allen's af- fairs, it was learned that a financial disclosure report filed by Mr. Allen in January stated that he had sold his private consulting business in 1978, although Mr. Allen and White House officials said he had actually sold the concern last January.
New information also emerged today on contacts between Mr. Allen and William H. Webster, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Allen is under investigation by the bureau for having taken the $1,000, which he described as an ''honorarium'' for Nancy Reagan, intended to be given to charity, after three women representing the magazine Shufu-no-Tomo interviewed the First Lady on Jan. 21 in the White House. Mr. Allen said that he had received the $1,000, had put it in a safe with the intention of turning it over to the Treasury and had then forgotten about it.
According to an Administration official, Mr. Webster made two telephone calls to Mr. Allen, not one as was reported earlier. Arrangements for Interview
In the first call last September, which had not previously been disclosed, Mr. Webster called Mr. Allen as the inquiry was getting under way to arrange for F.B.I. agents to interview him, the Administration official, who asked not to be identified by name because of the sensitivity of the matter, said.
Mr. Webster made a second call to Mr. Allen two weeks ago, just before a Tokyo newspaper, Mainichi, reported that an investigation was being conducted. The source said Mr. Webster told Mr. Allen that a Japanese newspaper would be printing an article about the investigation.
As reported Sunday, Mr. Webster was said to have told Mr. Allen that the Japanese had ''corroborated'' Mr. Allen's assertion that only $1,000 had been transmitted.
Mr. Webster has not commented personally on his contacts with Mr. Allen, and a spokesman for Mr. Webster said today that the director had no comment and did not expect to issue a statement at this time. The Justice Department generally considers it improper for investigative authorities to discuss cases with those being investigated. Investigation Criticized
Attorney General William French Smith and other high-level Justice Department officials have criticized the quality of the F.B.I.'s investigation of Mr. Allen, according to an Administration official. Department officials said that agents were ordered back into the field last week after Mr. Smith and other officials concluded that the bureau investigation was incomplete.
Mr. Allen reaffirmed today that he had sold his consulting business, the Potomac International Corporation, in January of this year. He commented after reports that the financial disclosure statement he filed last January at the White House showed that he had sold the business in January 1978.
''It was a dumb mistake,'' Mr. Allen said, in response to a query by telephone, noting that he had also dated the form Feb. 19, 1980, even though he signed it on Feb. 19, 1981. Mr. Allen said he had ''detected the error'' 10 days ago and had informed Fred F. Fielding, the counsel to the President.
He said he was not required by law to report details of the sale until he submits his new statement next May. That statement, he said, will cover his transactions in 1981, including the sale of the Potomac concern. Value Was Not Disclosed
Mr. Allen, who did not disclose the value of Potomac on the financial statement filed in February, sold the consulting business on Jan. 19 to Peter D. Hannaford, according to Mr. Hannaford, who is an adviser to President Reagan and a former business partner of Michael K. Deaver, the deputy White House chief of staff.
Mr. Hannaford declined to disclose the purchase price in a telephone interview last week. He said, however, that he still owed Mr. Allen ''a modest amount'' that would be paid off in three or four months.
He said that the purchase price was based on Potomac's net worth and asset value and that there were no contingencies involved in the sale. He said that the Potomac concern was now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hannaford Company, which he said was owned by him and several associates.
Mr. Allen and his supporters in the White House were said to have been buoyed by the news that Mr. Lehman had reported the discussion he had in January with Mr. Allen. 'Flap' Drew His Attention
Mr. Lehman was co-director of the national security team that dealt with transition matters for defense and intelligence during the changeover from the Carter Administration to the Reagan Administration. In that capacity, Mr. Lehman said, he often met with Mr. Allen.
Mr. Lehman said he had provided his statement, dated Nov. 16, to Mr. Allen after he ''saw this flap'' over Mr. Allen's receipt of the $1,000 from the Japanese journalists developing in the news media.
He said, however, that he had not given the statement to the F.B.I. and had not been questioned by the bureau. Mr. Lehman said that his statement was not made under oath, but that he would swear to his account.
He said in the interview that he was in Mr. Allen's office in the Old Executive Office Building, which the security adviser used in the first few days of the Administration, ''on the day in question'' - Jan. 21 - ''or a day or two later.'' Allen 'Amazed' at Getting Cash
He said that he had a brief conversation with Mr. Allen and that Mr. Allen was ''amazed and chagrined'' that the Japanese women had handed him the cash after the interview.
The Navy Secretary said Mr. Allen had told him that at the time he received the envelope he did not realize it contained cash. It was only later, Mr. Allen said, according to Mr. Lehman's account, that he discovered the money.
Mr. Lehman, who worked for Mr. Allen when Mr. Allen was a senior staff member of the National Security Council in 1969, said that Mr. Allen did not show him the envelope of cash. He said that Mr. Allen had not indicated how much money was involved, but had said that the envelope ''was full of cash.''
Mr. Lehman said that he had not been asked by Mr. Allen to prepare the signed statement. He said that it seemed to him a ''mountain was being made out of a molehill,'' and that he had provided the statement so that it could be circulated to key officials in the White House ''if there were people who were worried about the implication'' of Mr. Allen's actions.
A source close to Mr. Allen said that it was the security adviser's recollection that the meeting with Mr. Lehman occurred on Jan. 21, immediately after Mr. Allen returned from the interview in the White House to his office in the Old Executive Office Building.
Illustrations: photo of Richard V. Allen (page A6) | The Secretary of the Navy said today that he had signed a statement supporting Richard V. Allen's contention that he had intended to surrender to the Government the $1,000 he received from a Japanese magazine. The Secretary, John F. Lehman Jr., said in a telephone interview that he was in Mr. Allen's office in the old Executive Office Building on either Jan. 21, the day Mr. Allen, the President's national security adviser, received the cash, or a day or two later. According to Mr. Lehman, a close friend of Mr. Allen, Mr. Allen expressed ''chagrin and amazement'' that the Japanese had handed him the cash. Conversation Recalled ''He said he had stuck it in a safe to turn it over to security,'' said Mr. Lehman, who took this to mean Government authorities. The Navy Secretary said he had provided a signed statement to Mr. Allen recalling their conversation of last January. | 8.430168 | 0.98324 | 45.217877 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/30/business/no-headline-183937.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524084648id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/30/business/no-headline-183937.html | No Headline - NYTimes.com | 20150524084648 | Talking Businesswith Joseph Schlussel of The Diamond Registry The 2 Markets In Diamonds
As long as interest rates remain close to 20 percent, some experts say, the diamond market cannot be expected to regain its former vigor. Investors, they say, are reluctant to switch from highinterest certificates of deposit to diamonds with certified grading, and add that until interest rates come down and the proposed tax cuts are passed in Washington, consumer spending for such luxuries as diamonds will probably not change much.
However, the long-range forecast for the diamond industry remains bullish, according to the Bureau of Industrial Economics. ''The demand for gem diamonds can be expected to rise because of increasing personal income of the population of the United States and industrialized countries, and because of the development of an investment market for diamonds,'' the agency said. A diamond trade expert for two decades, Joseph Schlussel, publisher of The Diamond Registry, a monthly newsletter, and a diamond broker, was asked to discuss recent developments in the diamond industry.
Q. How are current conditions in the diamond business? A. Generally, the diamond market has thus far done quite well considering that there is a recession. Sales of diamonds for jewelry in 1980 have been at almost record levels. Last year's sales were higher by 9 percent in value over the year before. But one segment has a serious problem - diamonds bought purely for investment as though they were a commodity. Sales and prices in that field declined sharply, as they have in all hard-asset commodities such as gold and silver. But investment diamonds are only 2 percent of the entire market in terms of carats and 16 percent in terms of value.
Q. Why the disparity in sales and prices of the two types of diamond markets? A. Diamonds are bought for their beauty, glamour and status. They also have a lasting value. It's only in the last couple of years that the American public started to buy diamonds purely for their appreciation in value. The esthetic demand for diamonds is steady. Investment diamonds are bought by people who are afraid of their currencies or have reasons to have portable wealth. Because the U.S. economy is improving, inflation is coming down and there is reasonable stability in the world at this time, people are staying with their national currencies or normal means of investment, rather than investing in hard assets.
Q. How important is the recent discovery of the huge diamond deposits in Australia? A. The best estimate I have so far is from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, which is that the Australian mines will produce about 10 million carats annually or about 25 percent of present world production. The Bureau of Mines estimates that only 5 to 10 percent of the production will be of gem quality suitable for jewelry. So only 500,000 carats will enter into the world market and mostly be under one-half carat.
Q. Will that upset the world diamond market? A. Chances are that the Australian diamond interests will sell their production through the Central Selling Organization of DeBeers Consolidated Mines. That way they would realize bigger profits than if they sell on their own because open-market competition brings lower prices and profits. The movement of C.S.O.'s inventories are kept in proportion to demand and this creates stability. Thus, the Australian find will probably not have a disturbing effect.
Q. Do you envision a time when the prices of jewelry diamonds will be sharply lower? A. Definitely not. I believe that they are at the lowest level right now, only because some jewelers and dealers are pressed for funds. The demand for jewelry diamonds will always increase through DeBeers's marketing efforts. As diamond production increases, new markets are opened. DeBeers was able to introduce to Japan the engagement ring tradition, and the company, which is the world's largest diamond marketer, is constantly promoting new uses for diamonds. Demand then is elastic and prices will remain stable over the long term for jewelry diamonds.
Q. Should jewelry diamonds be bought as an investment? A. In a way, every diamond bought for jewelry is an investment. A diamond bought for jewelry should be enjoyed for its own beauty and when it is sold years later there will probably still be a value, leaving the pleasure of wearing it as a dividend. An auto depreciates, a perfume evaporates but a diamond endures. Isadore Barmash
Illustrations: photo of Joseph Schussel | Talking Businesswith Joseph Schlussel of The Diamond Registry The 2 Markets In Diamonds As long as interest rates remain close to 20 percent, some experts say, the diamond market cannot be expected to regain its former vigor. Investors, they say, are reluctant to switch from highinterest certificates of deposit to diamonds with certified grading, and add that until interest rates come down and the proposed tax cuts are passed in Washington, consumer spending for such luxuries as diamonds will probably not change much. However, the long-range forecast for the diamond industry remains bullish, according to the Bureau of Industrial Economics. ''The demand for gem diamonds can be expected to rise because of increasing personal income of the population of the United States and industrialized countries, and because of the development of an investment market for diamonds,'' the agency said. A diamond trade expert for two decades, Joseph Schlussel, publisher of The Diamond Registry, a monthly newsletter, and a diamond broker, was asked to discuss recent developments in the diamond industry. | 4.247475 | 0.989899 | 87 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/06/nyregion/about-face-at-the-news-news-analysis.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524104951id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/06/nyregion/about-face-at-the-news-news-analysis.html | ABOUT-FACE AT THE NEWS | 20150524104951 | The sudden announcement Friday that the present owners of The Daily News would continue to operate the paper reflected a variety of factors, according to officials of the paper and its unions and also representatives of would-be buyers.
Some of those factors, they say, were inherent in the situation at The News last winter; others grew out of the Tribune Company's fourmonth search for a new owner.
Asked whether that search and the accompanying threats to close the paper had been tactical steps to discover the unions' bottom line on cost cuts, the officials said they were convinced that was not the case.
The notion that the owner of The News, the Tribune Company of Chicago, had never intended to sell or shut the paper ''can be dismissed out of hand,'' said one News officer. ''It doesn't make any sense that they would do it in such a contorted way, ripping up the staff and slowing whatever momentum we had going, if they weren't serious.''
The Tribune Company has declined to explain why it canceled its effort to sell the paper to Joe L. Allbritton, a Texas financier, and why it did not carry out the threat to close the paper. Its public statements have concentrated on the future, promising ''substantial'' investment if the unions agree to significant operating cost reductions.
The paper lost $12 million last year, and the owner's projected losses this year could easily triple that figure. That prospect was a major reason for putting The News on the block, but it was also a major bar to finding a buyer.
Ultimately the owner's deal with Mr. Allbritton still obligated the Tribune Company to pay up to $45 million to get workers to quit - nearly as much as it was refusing to pay for the plant improvements its own publisher, Robert M. Hunt, had said were needed to make the paper profitable.
The decision to sell was announced in mid-December, prompting immediate speculation that the paper would be closed if it were not sold. But many union leaders - and some comptitors -concluded as early as January that a shutdown was unlikely, simply because the paper was so big. Multimillion Revenues Noted
Its revenues last year were more than a third of a billion dollars, meaning that the losses were an underwhelming 3 percent of gross. And the losses included most of the cost of the failed afternoon edition, Tonight, which is now described even by management as an embarassing, but not fatal, mistake.
In addition a shutdown would have cost at least $85 million for severance and pension payments, all a dead loss to the owner. The union conclusion that there was no substantial economic reason to close conditioned the talks with Mr. Allbritton. The unions had said at the outset they preferred to have the Tribune Company continue in New York, and ultimately they rejected Mr. Allbritton, not just because they thought his demands were too stiff, but also because they did not think he could operate the paper successfully.
The test came in the confrontation over the negotiability of his demand for a wage freeze. When he agreed to a five-day extension of the talks, they concluded that he had blinked. So, according to several News aides, did the Chicago owner; it called off the deal because it saw no chance that it would go through. Shutdown Costs Escalated
In the maneuvering with Mr. Allbritton, however, the unions had indirectly succeeded in escalating the potential shutdown costs for the Chicago owner. The contracts with the 550 printers and 60 stereotypers guarantee their jobs for the life of the paper. The unions contend that if the paper dies basically because of economic reasons, the guarantees end; if it is killed as a bargaining tactic, to force them to concede jobs, they said they could sue for lost wages for the lifetimes of their members.
Allbritton aides said the Tribune Company had been aware of that potential $100 million liability but had not stressed it in the initial stages of bargaining. But the company's promise to let the unions try to buy the paper themselves and the announced willingness of Rupert Murdoch, the owner of The New York Post, to acquire The News apparently forced a recalculation late last month and the conclusion that the unions just might win a lawsuit.
All of the factors that blocked the sale to Mr. Allbritton would continue to inhibit a sale to anyone else, one News aide said, so there was no choice but to take the paper off the block. In effect, he and another aide said, the Tribune Company is being forced to run The News because it cannot sell it and cannot afford to shut it.
Union and other officials say, however, that the Tribune Company could benefit from the process that ended last week. It may choose, for instance, to follow some of the operating and marketing schemes Mr. Allbritton devised to take advantage of the reader and advertiser loyalty that persisted through the turmoil of the sale effort.
Having proved their power in blocking Mr. Allbritton, the union leaders expect to be in a better position to sell their members on whatever bargain they now strike with the Tribune Company. And they say privately that the deal will be more generous to The News than it could have been last Dec. 21, when they were originally due to bargain on concessions. Those talks are now expected to start next week. | The sudden announcement Friday that the present owners of The Daily News would continue to operate the paper reflected a variety of factors, according to officials of the paper and its unions and also representatives of would-be buyers. Some of those factors, they say, were inherent in the situation at The News last winter; others grew out of the Tribune Company's fourmonth search for a new owner. Asked whether that search and the accompanying threats to close the paper had been tactical steps to discover the unions' bottom line on cost cuts, the officials said they were convinced that was not the case. The notion that the owner of The News, the Tribune Company of Chicago, had never intended to sell or shut the paper ''can be dismissed out of hand,'' said one News officer. ''It doesn't make any sense that they would do it in such a contorted way, ripping up the staff and slowing whatever momentum we had going, if they weren't serious.'' | 5.34359 | 0.984615 | 53.179487 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/09/world/venezuela-s-territorial-claims-worry-guyanese.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524110018id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/09/world/venezuela-s-territorial-claims-worry-guyanese.html | VENEZUELA'S TERRITORIAL CLAIMS WORRY GUYANESE | 20150524110018 | WASHINGTON, May 7— The Government of Guyana has begun to worry - in part because of the Falkland Islands crisis - that Venezuela, its rich and more powerful neighbor, is about to press its claim to five-eighths of Guyana's territory.
A protocol that placed a 12-year moratorium on the Venezuelan-Guyanese dispute expires June 18. Venezuela has told Guyana that it does not want the protocol renewed.
Guyana's Ambassador to the United States, Cedric Hilburn Grant, said in an interview here that while there was still no hard evidence, there had been reports of Venezuelan military activity near the nations' shared border. There have also been Venezuelan efforts, he said, to weaken Guyana's already fragile economy through pressure on international lending institutions, foreign investors and developers.
''Right now we are very much concerned about the military option open to Venezuela - not only in the wake of the present crisis and because of recent reports we had on the movement of Venezuelan troops,'' the Ambassador said.
''Last year we had on record 81 violations of our airspace by Venezuelan aircraft,'' he added. Guyana, with a small land-defense force, has no air force or navy. Venezuela has an army of about 40,000 troops, a navy of 10,000 and an air force of 8,000. The Venezuelans are in the process of buying American F-16 fighter jets, the most advanced planes the United States has sold in Latin America. The planes will not begin to arrive for two years.
Venezuela bases its claim to the Guyanese territory on the belief that an 1899 arbitration award that established the present border was the result of British duplicity. What is now Guyana was then the colony of British Guiana. Venezuela Cites Secret Deal
The Venezuelans say memoirs published after World War II prove that there was a secret deal between Moscow and London that led a Russian arbitrator on a five-judge panel to cast the deciding vote for the British.
The Guyanese insist that the border is not negotiable. The attitude of the United States will be of critical importance to Guyana, according to Ambassador Grant, a British-educated diplomat who became Ambassador to the United States early this year. Guyana rests its claim on the 1899 award. That arbitration, Ambassador Grant said, was forced on a reluctant Britain by the United States.
''If the United States sits back on the fence and says it will say or do nothing that would prejudice its relationship with one side or another,'' he said, ''then Venezuela must interpret that as an encouragement - or certainly that it is not being discouraged.''
The Ambassador discounted diplomatic speculation that the opposite sides taken by Washington and Caracas in the Falkland Islands dispute would cool Venezuelan-United States relations. 58,000-Square-Mile Area
At issue is a 58,000-square-mile area of Guyana west of the Essequibo River. The region is thought to be rich in minerals, oil, gemstones and timber. It is the site of the proposed Upper Mazaruni River hydroelectric project.
''Historically, the British developed only the coastal areas, with sugar, rice, agricultural products,'' Ambassador Grant said. ''The hinterland was left neglected and therefore undeveloped.''
''It is only really since 1966 when Guyana became independent that there's been something of a hinterland thrust,'' he added. ''If I may venture to resurrect the most recent past,'' he said, ''it was in that context of this hinterland thrust, and of peopling the place, that the whole thing of Jonestown arose.'' He was referring to the Guyanese Government's decision to allow the followers of the Rev. Jim Jones to set up a commune in the interior. It became the scene of mass suicide and murder in 1978.
The region still has few people, few roads and enormously high costs for basic services, the Ambassador said. The Government of Guyana, facing severe fiscal problems, does not have the capital needed for development. It has sought to attract both foreign investment and settlers.
''We are trying to attract Guyanese who are living abroad, and also West Indians,'' the Ambassador said. ''If there is a structural defect in Guyana, it is its lack of population. Guyana has only about 800,000 people, 90 percent of them confined to the coastline.'' Economy Is in Disarray
The Guyanese economy, in the view of international economic experts, has suffered from external pressures and the results of internal planning.
One economist described Guyana as ''living from hand to mouth,'' with foreign credit almost nonexistent and with difficult choices having to be made between capital and consumer goods. According to this economist, even beer production has all but stopped because hops can no longer be imported.
Guyana has nationalized its major export industries. According to some international experts, about 80 percent of Guyana's means of production fell into Government hands, and inefficiency growing out of inexperience began to take a toll. Economists say Guyana has begun to lose to China its former virtual monopoly on the sale of calcine bauxite, which is used in blast furnaces. The sugar industry is said to be in diasarray. | The Government of Guyana has begun to worry - in part because of the Falkland Islands crisis - that Venezuela, its rich and more powerful neighbor, is about to press its claim to five-eighths of Guyana's territory. A protocol that placed a 12-year moratorium on the Venezuelan-Guyanese dispute expires June 18. Venezuela has told Guyana that it does not want the protocol renewed. Guyana's Ambassador to the United States, Cedric Hilburn Grant, said in an interview here that while there was still no hard evidence, there had been reports of Venezuelan military activity near the nations' shared border. There have also been Venezuelan efforts, he said, to weaken Guyana's already fragile economy through pressure on international lending institutions, foreign investors and developers. | 6.924138 | 0.986207 | 52.751724 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/17/world/third-world-rejects-us-proposal-to-change-law-of-the-sea-treaty.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524110520id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/17/world/third-world-rejects-us-proposal-to-change-law-of-the-sea-treaty.html | THIRD WORLD REJECTS U.S. PROPOSAL TO CHANGE LAW OF THE SEA TREATY | 20150524110520 | UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., March 16— The third world today rejected United States proposals to overhaul the projected treaty to exploit the oceans' mineral wealth.
''We can't accept to consider these proposed changes as a basis of negotiation,'' Alvaro de Soto of Peru, chairman of the Asian, African and Latin American nations told a news conference. The third world's tough stance, at least in public, improves the prospect that a Law of the Sea treaty will be completed without a United States signature.
However, a key American negotiator, Leigh S. Ratiner, refused to accept these words at face value. He said that the third world needs the United States and other industrial nations to make the treaty effective and ''negotiations will undoubtedly proceed in an effort to accommodate U.S. concerns.''
Even Mr. de Soto acknowledged that it was ''premature'' to predict that a treaty excluding the United States will emerge. He added, however, that it ''is difficult to foresee how we can bring the U.S. on board.'' Compromise Is Being Drafted
An effort was started today by 10 countries, including Australia and the Scandanavian nations, to draft compromise amendments to bridge the gap between the United States and the third world.
The proposed treaty, eight years in the making, has critical military as well as economic implications. The United States and the Soviet Union are enthusiastic about the military side. It would give their navies freedom to move through narrow straits and waters up to 12 miles off any nations' coast.
The big quarrel lies over the trillions of dollars of nickel, copper, cobalt and manganese lying on the sea bed and owned by no nation. The treaty would create a global authority or cartel to control sea-bed mining and limit rigorously the output of minerals to protect the prices of metal producers on land.
The United States wants to wipe out the production limits, open the sea beds to any qualified private company and put the power to make mining rules in the hands of no more than four industrial nations. The third world is eager to preserve the cartel as a model for other raw materials they produce and preserve the decisive voice in ocean mining for their members. Indignant Over U.S. Demand
''The proposals'' by Washington ''call into question the fundamental elements of what has been negotiated,'' Mr. de Soto said. He was particularly indignant over an American demand that the treaty must remain unchanged unless the United States and other members of a projected policy council all agree at a review conference.
Mr. de Soto said that the American stance had created ''a slight snowball effect,'' that ''some of the industrial countries have joined that bandwagon for a free ride.''
This appeared to be a reference to Britain, West Germany and Belgium, who backed Mr. Ratiner. France, Italy and Japan are also regarded as sympathetic to Washington's approach.
Both industrial and third world nations now face a quandary. The advanced nations have the capital and the knowledge to extract the minerals. The third world does not. But if the third world, with the Soviet bloc, complete their treaty, a legal cloud will be cast over the ownership of minerals mined outside its rules. This would threaten the prospects for private mining companies who need to borrow billions of dollars for their ventures. | The third world today rejected United States proposals to overhaul the projected treaty to exploit the oceans' mineral wealth. ''We can't accept to consider these proposed changes as a basis of negotiation,'' Alvaro de Soto of Peru, chairman of the Asian, African and Latin American nations told a news conference. The third world's tough stance, at least in public, improves the prospect that a Law of the Sea treaty will be completed without a United States signature. | 7.054348 | 0.98913 | 58.054348 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/19/business/market-place-datapoint-s-gloomy-news.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524111150id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/19/business/market-place-datapoint-s-gloomy-news.html | Market Place - Datapoint's Gloomy News - NYTimes.com | 20150524111150 | THERE'S a rule of thumb in Wall Street that, once earnings estimates are reduced, they are likely to be reduced again. That is exactly what has been happening with Datapoint. The company's management met with analysts yesterday only to disappoint them further.
Datapoint has been a highflier for years. Its highly regarded line of data processing and communications equipment has made it one of the premier growth companies. But in January, Datapoint's management forecast income of 66 cents a share for the fiscal second quarter ended that month.
This would have represented a continuation of growth, although at a rate well below 35 percent, the company's historic pattern of profit increases.
Wall Street was evidently willing to live with the indicated 10 percent growth for a short period, particularly in the midst of a sharp recessionary environment. The shares wavered and dipped into the lower 50's. Still, the market accorded Datapoint a premium price/earnings multiple of about 25 times the prior year's earnings.
This was a much lower multiple than Datapoint's peak, but in the current market few companies were accorded multiples implying such high future rates of growth.
But that was not the end of the tale. Two and a half weeks ago, Datapoint startled the Wall Street community when it revised its weeks-old estimate for the fiscal second quarter to 56 cents a share.
Since the company earned 60 cents a share in the similar period a year ago, Datapoint was acknowledging that the company was about to suffer its first quarterly earnings decline in many years.
The company did cushion the blow when it indicated that secondhalf earnings would be an improvement over those of the first half. Nevertheless, Wall Street was unforgiving. Datapoint's setback was regarded as an unmitigated disaster. In that week, ended Feb. 5, the stock fell 16 1/8, to 34 7/8, a slide of 30 percent, for a paper loss in excess of $320 million. Turnover for the week was a remarkable 2.84 million shares.
Thereafter, the stock traded in the low 30's. Bewildered Wall Street analysts lowered their estimates to $2.45 to $2.50 a share from $2.80 to $2.90.
One exasperated analyst said last week that he was unwilling to say anything on the record about Datapoint until the company clarified the source and extent of its problem.
Datapoint set about to do just that at yesterday's meeting. But the reaction, once again, was absymal. Management said that the rate of incoming orders for the January quarter was below the levels of the previous quarter.
One analyst who attended the Datapoint meeting said the company withdrew the statement that the second half would be better than the first half and was no longer willing to forecast what would happen in that period.
The analyst, Stephen T. McClellan of Salomon Brothers, was especially disappointed. He had just returned from a visit to the company's San Antonio headquarters and had been impressed enough to write a favorable report strongly recommending the shares.
Mr. McClellan said yesterday that he was still positive about Datapoint but not so bullish for the near term as he had been. He thought the shares were reasonably priced - at that point, they were down 3 points from Wednesday's close - because the company in his view still has 30 percent growth prospects long-term.
''I still think it's a buying opportunity, but I am disappointed that this current fiscal year is not as certain and as clear as I had thought a week or two ago.''
Mr. McClennan went on to say that his report, published on Feb. 11, had alluded to four or five cost pressures that would abate, and ''that's still true.''
''Whether that will offset the company order rate weakness is not clear,'' he added. Howard Geiger, who follows small data- and word-processing companies for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, said: ''In my view, the company has now backed away from the prediction that the second half would be up from the first half, when Datapoint earned $1.08 a share. This extends the time period during which the uncertainty will continue. They've had two weeks to analyze, and it appears to me that the characteristics of the backlog may not support the earnings guidance given in that Feb. 2 press release.''
Datapoint said yesterday that, in fact, the company had earned 55 cents in the second quarter, but as it did so, analysts were hurriedly downgrading their estimates for the entire year. The total was $11.2 million, down 8.2 percent from a year earlier. The feeling was that $2.20 a share would not survive as the bottom limit of the range. But even these estimates are shaky pending further information from the company itself.
Datapoint was the eighth most active stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday with a loss of 5 3/4 points, to close at 28 5/8.
The lesson, it seems, is that, once problems develop, the extent of the damage is rarely clarified quickly. Datapoint has taken its licks and is selling at less than half the price of a few weeks ago. The 12-month high has been 67 1/2. Still, the company has its fans - for the long term. It remains to be seen whether this volatile stock will recover and sell at a major premium to the market in the foreseeable future. | THERE'S a rule of thumb in Wall Street that, once earnings estimates are reduced, they are likely to be reduced again. That is exactly what has been happening with Datapoint. The company's management met with analysts yesterday only to disappoint them further. Datapoint has been a highflier for years. Its highly regarded line of data processing and communications equipment has made it one of the premier growth companies. But in January, Datapoint's management forecast income of 66 cents a share for the fiscal second quarter ended that month. | 10.376238 | 0.990099 | 49.524752 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/21/world/warsaw-replaces-dissolved-association-of-journalists.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524111634id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/21/world/warsaw-replaces-dissolved-association-of-journalists.html | WARSAW REPLACES DISSOLVED ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS | 20150524111634 | WARSAW, March 20— The Government's announcement last night that it had abolished the Polish Journalists' Association culminates a campaign against a group that had been a spearhead of liberal change during the days of Solidarity.
Within 24 hours the Government announced that a new, officially sponsored organization, the Journalists' Association of the Polish People's Republic, had been created to take the place of the old one.
The announcement last night by the Mayor of Warsaw, Gen. Mieczyslaw Debicki, said the old association was being dissolved because it acted ''against state and social institutions of public information'' and raised ''difficulties to the fulfilment of tasks by journalists in a socialist state.''
The Government campaign against the association and independentminded journalists has taken the form of widespread dismissals, suspensions and intimidation by committees conducting ideological ''verification.''
A document circulating among journalists this week says that between 10 and 15 percent of the 10,000 journalists in Poland have been dismissed or disciplined after questioning from a panel that includes editors, party officials and sometimes military and security officers.
The action against the Jounralists' Association followed an announcement this week that the Polish Socialist Student Union would be allowed to resume activities, after the dissolution of the Independent Students' Union, which supported Solidarity. The actions signified that the martial-law Government was moving ahead with ''normalization'' to reassert authority through control of groups that had become estranged during the 16-month existence of Solidarity, the independent labor union.
Journalists especially were radicalized by the liberalization. One reason is that they had been bitterly castigated by workers for purveying propaganda during the decade of rule by Edward Gierek, the Communist Party leader, that ended with the strike movement in the summer of 1980.
At a congress of journalists in November 1980, the old leadership of the Journalists' Association was thrown out, and a new group more in tune with Solidarity's aspirations for an unfettered press was voted in. It was headed by Stefan Bratkowski, a 46-year-old journalist and Communist Party member who had not been able to find work for seven years because the paper he once edited, a weekly supplement to Warsaw's major daily, Zycie Warszawy, was critical of the authorities. Was Expelled From Party
Mr. Bratkowski, who saw his mission as restoring public confidence in the press, occasionally served as a go-between between the Government and Solidarity. But as tensions heightened, his activities became controversial. Last October he was expelled from the Communist Party by its watchdog control commission, which charged that he had ''disoriented'' public opinion.
Since martial law was imposed Dec. 13, Mr. Bratkowski and other top officers of the Journalists' Association are in semi-hiding. From time to time he issues broadsides against the regime in underground publications.
A Polish press agency commentary attacking the Journalists' Association today said some of its leaders had ''openly sided with undertakings of extremist anti-socialist groupings, going so far as to publish tendentious accusations leveled againt state authority.''
''The aim of activities by a professional organization of journalists should consist in rallying the journalistic milieu around the goals of a socialist state, normalizing life in the country and building credibility of the profession,'' it said. Statement Tacked to Door
In response to last night's move, a statement bearing the signatures of 19 officers and members of the Journalists' Association, with Mr. Bratkowski's at the top, was tacked onto a door at the association's headquarters in downtown Warsaw. It charged that the association's dissolution was ''the latest step in the unfounded and illegal repression that for several months has fallen'' upon journalists. It cited ''the shameful and improper process of verification'' and what it called puppet courts.
It objected strongly to the notion that the Journalists' Association had in any way acted against the interests of socialism in Poland and came out against using the press ''as a primitive instrument of propaganda.''
According to reliable sources, about 60 journalists were among the thousands detained after Dec. 13 and of them about 40 are still interned.
The sources also cited information that they said came from Wladyslaw Loranc, the head of the State Committee of Radio and Television, that 513 of its employees had been dismissed, 109 demoted and 134 placed on special leave, out of a total staff of 6,000 journalists and technicians. The figures, they said, were thought to be low. In Warsaw television alone, some there said there had been 404 dismissals, compared with the 299 cited by Mr. Loranc. | The Government's announcement last night that it had abolished the Polish Journalists' Association culminates a campaign against a group that had been a spearhead of liberal change during the days of Solidarity. Within 24 hours the Government announced that a new, officially sponsored organization, the Journalists' Association of the Polish People's Republic, had been created to take the place of the old one. The announcement last night by the Mayor of Warsaw, Gen. Mieczyslaw Debicki, said the old association was being dissolved because it acted ''against state and social institutions of public information'' and raised ''difficulties to the fulfilment of tasks by journalists in a socialist state.'' The Government campaign against the association and independentminded journalists has taken the form of widespread dismissals, suspensions and intimidation by committees conducting ideological ''verification.'' | 5.611465 | 0.980892 | 39.770701 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/22/obituaries/louis-tannen-73-magician-is-dead.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524111842id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/22/obituaries/louis-tannen-73-magician-is-dead.html | LOUIS TANNEN, 73, MAGICIAN, IS DEAD | 20150524111842 | Louis Tannen, a magician and magic-trick inventor who founded one of the largest and best-known magic-supply stores and mail-order businesses in the world, died Saturday at Biscayne Medical Center in North Miami Beach. He was 73 years old.
Mr. Tannen also published hundreds of how-to magic books, including the Tarbell magic course. He redesigned the course, which had been put together by Harlan Tarbell as a series of mail-order lessons, to fit into a seven-volume series that is still considered one of the best guides to the art of sleight of hand and illusion.
Mr. Tannen started his career as a magic-trick dealer at the age of 16, when he used a $1 bill that he had found one day to purchase two magic tricks and then promptly sold them for a profit. Although he started his business in New York City, where he was born on Feb. 14, 1909, he traveled around the country selling his magic supplies. Opened Store in 1940's
''He was a magician's magician - he had to be,'' said Mr. Tannen's son Peter. ''After all, if he had not been able to fool the professionals, they would not have been interested in his tricks.''
Mr. Tannen opened his magic-supply house in the Times Square area in the 1940's and he was involved in its operation until his retirement to Florida eight years ago. The concern, Louis Tannen Inc., is still doing business at 1540 Broadway, at 45th Street, and among its frequent customers is the magician Doug Henning.
During World War II, Mr. Tannen toured as a performer with the United Service Organizations Inc. In 1963 he established the Lou Tannen Magician's Jubilee, a sort of summer camp for magicians and would-be magicians and their families. The annual workshop, held in the Catskill Mountains, still atracts more than 1,000 magicians each year.
Mr. Tannen was a member of the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He is survived by his wife, Natalie; two sons, Peter and Charles; two brothers, Barney and Irving, and a sister, Faye Cotler. A service will be held today at 12:45 P.M. at the Riverside Chapel, 76th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. | Louis Tannen, a magician and magic-trick inventor who founded one of the largest and best-known magic-supply stores and mail-order businesses in the world, died Saturday at Biscayne Medical Center in North Miami Beach. He was 73 years old. Mr. Tannen also published hundreds of how-to magic books, including the Tarbell magic course. He redesigned the course, which had been put together by Harlan Tarbell as a series of mail-order lessons, to fit into a seven-volume series that is still considered one of the best guides to the art of sleight of hand and illusion. | 3.771186 | 0.991525 | 59.228814 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/23/sports/star-gallant-is-easy-winner.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524112159id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/23/sports/star-gallant-is-easy-winner.html | Star Gallant Is Easy Winner | 20150524112159 | HALLANDALE, Fla., March 22— Alonzo Couenciel knew who had won the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park today only 24 seconds into the race.
''There he is, my horse, Star Gallant!'' Couenciel yelled as the undefeated colt he grooms led by two lengths after the unusually slow first quarter mile. ''No one can catch him now.''
Couenciel was right. Star Gallant led every step of the way to score a four-length victory over Distinctive Pro and rise to prominence among the Kentucky Derby hopefuls.
Distinctive Pro, the 11-10 favorite, ran second all the way and was 2 1/4 lengths ahead of the 60-1 Cut Away at the finish. D'Accord, the 2-1 second choice, was a length farther back in fourth.
Star Gallant, a son of My Gallant out of Liza Star, returned $6.60 for $2 to win and carried Sandy Hawley through the mile and a sixteenth in 1:43 1/5, three seconds above the track record.
Couenciel knew the race was over after that first quarter because Star Gallant had shown he could conserve the blazing early speed with which he has dazzled clockers at his home base of Hialeah Park this winter. It was the first time that either Star Gallant or Distinctive Pro had raced around two turns, and it seemed that the two speedsters might engage in a suicidal speed duel.
But Distinctive Pro, a front-running winner of five of his seven previous starts, was being held in a tight wrap by Jorge Velasquez, his jockey. Velasquez was trying to get the colt to relax early, but Distinctive Pro reacted to the snug hold by bearing out and drifting wide around the first turn.
''Star Gallant was running so easily that I never had to rate him,'' Hawley said. ''I was really surprised that Distinctive Pro didn't come right to us. When he finally did, I let out a notch and we just coasted.''
That challenge came midway down the backstretch, when Distinctive Pro came up outside of the winner and raced evenly with him for a few strides. Hawley loosened his grip on the reins, and Star Gallant was off and running.
With no pressure to run any faster, Star Gallant led through six furlongs in 1:11 1/5 and the mile in 1:36 3/5. He drifted a bit during the stretch, and Hawley showed him the whip a few times ''just to keep his mind on business,'' as the jockey put it.
It was D'Accord's second defeat as a 3-year-old after a 2-year-old campaign in which he won three of four starts and was rated the third best colt in the country. Bert Firestone, who owns and trains the son of Secretariat, appeared unconcerned and said that the race ''was part of his training and will make him a better horse by May 1'' -the date of the Kentucky Derby.
Lenny Imperio, Star Gallant's trainer, had been saying all week that his colt would win easily. He said that Star Gallant would probably make his next start in the April 3 Florida Derby, which looms as a showdown between two top Derby hopefuls - Timely Writer and Star Gallant. Imperio said that Star Gallant is nominated to both the April 17 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the April 22 Blue Grass at Keeneland and would run in one or the other as his final Derby prep.
Star Gallant, a small colt with a tiny white star on his forehead, won twice at Aqueduct last fall. He beat Shimatoree, the winner of the Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct Sunday, by six lengths in a maiden race, and scored by 2 1/2 lengths in the Alsab Stakes after dropping almost 10 lengths behind the field. After a six-week rest, he easily won a seven-furlong allowance race at Hialeah five weeks ago.
He earned $54,630 from the race purse of $91,050 today to bring his career earnings to $104,790 for Mahmoud Fustok, his owner and the proprietor of Buckram Oak Farm in Lexington, Ky. | Alonzo Couenciel knew who had won the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park today only 24 seconds into the race. ''There he is, my horse, Star Gallant!'' Couenciel yelled as the undefeated colt he grooms led by two lengths after the unusually slow first quarter mile. ''No one can catch him now.'' Couenciel was right. Star Gallant led every step of the way to score a four-length victory over Distinctive Pro and rise to prominence among the Kentucky Derby hopefuls. | 7.949495 | 0.979798 | 33.909091 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/25/magazine/on-language.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524114739id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/25/magazine/on-language.html | ON LANGUAGE - NYTimes.com | 20150524114739 | ''When I was in school,'' writes Betty Hoyt of Youngstown, Ohio, ''the phrase used to be: 'But more important ... .' When did the 'ly' come into vogue, and since when is it correct? Shouldn't the ending 'ly' be used only when modifying a verb, such as, 'He strutted importantly into the room'?''
A great many readers take umbrage - indeed, have become umbrage mainliners -at sentences that begin ''More importantly ... .'' They point out that the phrase is a shortening of ''What is more important ...'' and that the addition of the ''ly'' turns the adjective into an adverb and is incorrect; as several complainants put it, ''Wrong wrong wrong!''
The issue was drawn in the late 1960's with the publication of the American Heritage Dictionary, which included this usage note: ''Important, rather than the adverb importantly, is prescribed by most grammarians in the following typical construction: His research has helped to verify several medical theories; more important, it suggests a whole new field of inquiry. More important is thus construed as an elliptical rendering of what is more important, with important (adjective) modifying is.'' The note went on to declare the adverb importantly an ''acceptable alternative'' in such a sentence, a tolerant attitude which surprised some hard-liners who considered the usage prescriptions in American Heritage as antidotes to the roundheeled descriptiveness of Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary.
A few years later, Randolph Quirk's ''A Grammar of Contemporary English'' showed how the mysterious ''ly'' popped up in other cases where an ellipsis was taking place: The first word in ''Strange, it was she who initiated divorce proceedings'' was the short form of ''What is strange''; although you could not say, ''What is strangely,'' you could start the sentence with ''Strangely,'' with what Quirk called ''little or no difference in effect.''
The reason that the adverb with the ''ly'' on the end is acceptable - the reason it sounds right to so many native speakers - is, I think, that it is a sentence adverb. (Mail will arrive in bulk on this; there are those who become incensed at the very notion of sentence adverbs. Thankfully, I remain fearless; hopefully, so will you.)
Prof. John Algeo of the University of Georgia illustrates the function of the sentence adverb with this example: In ''He died happily,'' the adverb ''happily'' modifies the verb, but in ''Happily, he died,'' the adverb ''happily'' modifies the whole sentence and changes the meaning to something like ''It's a lucky thing he died before he blew up the world in his pique at her strange initiation of divorce proceedings.''
Here is Algeo on the Importance of Important(ly): ''There's been a lot of pontificating on this question already, so I'll do a bit too: (1) Both more important and more importantly are correct because both are used by good speakers and writers. (2) Both can be described grammatically as modifiers of the whole sentence, though the adjective form can alternatively be described as what is left after an ellipsis of (What is) more important or of (It is) more important (that). (3)The adjective form (important) is doubtless the older and more conservative, so those who favor continuity may prefer it; however, the adverb form (importantly) is simpler to describe grammatically, so those who don't like to be confused, and have limited knowledge of grammar, may prefer it. (4) Anyone who thinks anything of importance depends on the choice is a fool.''
He has tenure and can afford to offend the hordes of those who take their importantly hating seriously; since I am relatively new at this dodge, and tend to identify with masterly writers who preserve distinctions, I am inclined to wish the importantly haters well as they defend their burning, crumbling ramparts. Were it not for that sentence-adverb notion (and where else but in this space can you find a sentence adverb used as a compound adjective?), I would join them in denouncing ''More importantly ... .''
Sadly, however, I am copping out. (I have heard that expressed as ''outcopping,'' which I hope is not upcoming.) ''More important'' is my preference, but if ''more importantly'' turns you on, go ahead and use it. Now, at least, you know how to defend yourself. Guerrilla Wordfare
''With the continued fighting in Central America,'' writes Robert Glesner of Forest Hills, L.I., ''journalists are continually referring to antigovernment forces as 'leftist guerrillas.' My question is: 'What other kind of guerrillas are there?' ''
His question - which might better have been ''What other kind of guerrilla is there?'' -is timely. As he notes, irregulars are rarely called rightist guerrillas; there are only rightist extremists (except in Lebanon, where there are rightist Christians). You don't find leftist extremists or leftist Christians in editorial lexicons.
Government forces label as terrorists those irregulars who prefer to be called guerrillas or commandos; the irregulars call the government the hard right. The use of insurgent is in sharp decline.
Groping for a neutral term to describe organized revolutionaries as well as government-sponsored militia, journalists have come up with paramilitary, an adjective that is now being used to cover any armed group not part of a uniformed, ''official'' army. Para is Greek for ''alongside,'' and should properly be limited to a group serving as an adjunct to another group, but the need for the appearance of neutrality is breaking that down. Today, a paramilitary force can be a bunch of leftist guerrillas or rightist extremists, but never a bunch of leftist extremists or rightist guerrillas. N.M.I.
What's happening to middle initials? Are women eschewing them for the full maiden name, and are men dropping them to save space or avoid pretension? Are middle initials needed only to give identity to John Smith and Jane Doe? Should newspapers include them in writing about famous people, such as Margaret H. Thatcher? Lexicographic Irregulars are urged to send brief but fierce opinions to William L. Safire, The New York Times, 1000 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20036. Gnat Swallowers
''The United States is straining at gnats and swallowing camels,'' wrote Hodding Carter 3d in The Wall Street Journal. When sculptor Elijah Pierce tried to depict that familiar figure of speech, Time magazine reviewer Robert Hughes wrote: ''Pierce's carving of one person straining at a gnat while another literally swallows a camel, the beast halfway down his throat, comes out of the same impulses that drove the Romanesque carvers at Vezelay or Autun to their didactic grotesqueries.''
''How did such an expression ever arise?'' asks Eileen Evans of Chapel Hill, N.C., alarmed at the sudden rise of figurative straining and gulping.
The original spokesperson, lest we forget, was Jesus of Nazareth, who rebuked the hypocrites of his time in Matthew 23:24 with ''Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.'' Writers who keep using it should remember that the original blast was directed at scribes. | More Important(ly) ''When I was in school,'' writes Betty Hoyt of Youngstown, Ohio, ''the phrase used to be: 'But more important ... .' When did the 'ly' come into vogue, and since when is it correct? Shouldn't the ending 'ly' be used only when modifying a verb, such as, 'He strutted importantly into the room'?'' A great many readers take umbrage - indeed, have become umbrage mainliners -at sentences that begin ''More importantly ... .'' They point out that the phrase is a shortening of ''What is more important ...'' and that the addition of the ''ly'' turns the adjective into an adverb and is incorrect; as several complainants put it, ''Wrong wrong wrong!'' The issue was drawn in the late 1960's with the publication of the American Heritage Dictionary, which included this usage note: ''Important, rather than the adverb importantly, is prescribed by most grammarians in the following typical construction: His research has helped to verify several medical theories; more important, it suggests a whole new field of inquiry. More important is thus construed as an elliptical rendering of what is more important, with important (adjective) modifying is.'' The note went on to declare the adverb importantly an ''acceptable alternative'' in such a sentence, a tolerant attitude which surprised some hard-liners who considered the usage prescriptions in American Heritage as antidotes to the roundheeled descriptiveness of Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary. | 4.844371 | 0.990066 | 106.937086 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/25/sports/derby-trial-stakes-is-won-by-56-1-shot.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524115510id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/25/sports/derby-trial-stakes-is-won-by-56-1-shot.html | DERBY TRIAL STAKES IS WON BY 56-1 SHOT | 20150524115510 | LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 24— Star Gallant fell from the top flight of serious Kentucky Derby candidates today in the Derby Trial Stakes, and Royal Roberto showed he might be a serious factor in the race next Saturday. But both of them finished behind a 56-1 shot who is not even nominated for the Derby.
Listcapade, who returned $115.40 for $2 to win, caught Star Gallant about 50 yards from the finish and drew off to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The winner carried Darrell Haire through the mile in 1:36 1/5. Star Gallant, sent off at 1-5 by an opening-day crowd of 25,825 at Churchill Downs, lasted by a neck over Royal Roberto, who came from 13 lengths behind in the final half-mile and might have been in front in a few more strides.
The Derby distance of a mile and a quarter now seems too long for Star Gallant, who won his first four starts, all sprints, but has now lost two in a row going a mile or more. He faded to lose the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby by only two lengths to Timely Writer, but today he struggled badly down the long stretch at Churchill Downs.
''He ran very fast early, and did not change leads properly,'' said Moustapha Fustok, who manages the American-based horses, including Star Gallant, that are owned by his brother Mahmoud. ''We will correct those things. He is still the best 3-year-old and, if he came out of the race sound, will definitely run in the Derby.''
Jimmy Iselin, who trains Royal Roberto, was perfectly happy to finish third. He said before the race that he viewed the Trial as a tightener for his colt and only wanted to see him run well down the stretch. Royal Roberto certainly did that, running the fastest second-half time in the field of 10. Royal Roberto ran that half-mile in 48 4/5. It took Star Gallant 51 2/5 to cover the same distance. Stablemate of Favorite
If Star Gallant had won impressively, he would probably have been made the morning-line favorite for the Derby. That ranking will now probably be given to Air Forbes Won, the lightly raced but undefeated winner of the Wood Memorial. He will be only a tepid choice, given his lack of experience and his slow winning time in the Wood.
Listcapade is a stablemate of El Baba, one of the Derby favorites. Dewey Smith, who trains both colts for Mrs. Joe W. Brown, said he did not nominate Listcapade to the Derby because ''he only started getting good a couple of months ago,'' after the nominations closed.
Star Gallant, as expected, was quick out of the gate today under Sandy Hawley, although Good N' Dusty was half a length ahead of him after a blazing first quarter in 22 seconds. Star Gallant moved inside of him, disposed of him after a half-mile in 45 seconds, then opened up five lengths after six furlongs in 1:09. Listcapade moved up from fourth on the outside while Royal Roberto, with Miguel Rivera up, was getting into high gear in the middle of the track. Listcapade gradually pulled even with, and then passed, Star Gallant, but Royal Roberto was closing fastest of all as they reached the wire.
Star Gallant and Royal Roberto carried 122 pounds, 6 more than the winner. For the last 57 years, the Trial was run the Tuesday before the Kentucky Derby. Five colts won both races, but none more recently than Tim Tam in 1958, and most recent Trial fields failed to attract or produce more than a marginal starter or two for the Derby. Sweetening the Purse
To compensate, Churchill Downs finally pushed back the Trial to the Saturday before the Derby this year, and increased the added money from $30,000 to $50,000. The move paid off as the race attracted Timely Writer, Star Gallant and Royal Roberto. But last Tuesday, Timely Writer, the heavy pre-Derby favorite, underwent emergency abdominal surgery that has put him out of the Triple Crown picture.
A field of 15 to 19 now appears likely for the 108th Derby, following defections by all but one - Gato Del Sol, the runner-up - of the nine colts who ran Thursday in the Blue Grass.
Those most likely to run in the Derby are Air Forbes Won, Hostage, Muttering, El Baba, Royal Roberto, Star Gallant, Gato Del Sol, Laser Light, Wolfie's Rascal, Rockwall, Water Bank, Cassaleria, Bold Style, Soy Emperor and Cupecoy's Joy.
Illustrations: photo of Darrell Haire on Listcapade | Star Gallant fell from the top flight of serious Kentucky Derby candidates today in the Derby Trial Stakes, and Royal Roberto showed he might be a serious factor in the race next Saturday. But both of them finished behind a 56-1 shot who is not even nominated for the Derby. Listcapade, who returned $115.40 for $2 to win, caught Star Gallant about 50 yards from the finish and drew off to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The winner carried Darrell Haire through the mile in 1:36 1/5. Star Gallant, sent off at 1-5 by an opening-day crowd of 25,825 at Churchill Downs, lasted by a neck over Royal Roberto, who came from 13 lengths behind in the final half-mile and might have been in front in a few more strides. | 5.901961 | 0.986928 | 53.666667 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/03/arts/leisure-the-catalogues-are-coming-the-catalogues-are-coming.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524122141id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/03/arts/leisure-the-catalogues-are-coming-the-catalogues-are-coming.html | Leisure - THE CATALOGUES ARE COMING, THE CATALOGUES ARE COMING - NYTimes.com | 20150524122141 | -------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick McGourty is editor of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbooks. By FREDERICK McGOURTY
Already the garden catalogues have started to come, in a trickle. By February, all will be here except a few strays . They are the stuffwinter dreams are made of. Crisp four-color illustrations of tomatoes, ast ilbes, dogwoods, all juicy enough to eat, yes even astilbes.
The promise of a new gardening season is with us. Notice how often you read the word new. Catalogues are made to sell plants as well as support dreams. This is a good season to pause before the flood begins and to make garden plans for the year ahead.There is an aspect of consumerism to gardening. These days the household shopper does not go to a supermarket on an empty stomach, nor should the gardener order turnip seed without sober contemplation, particularly if one doesn't like turnips.
Sometimes it is better to let a neighbor grow the empress tree of China, or Zoom Zoom, The Wonder Tree, as it has been called by hardselling promoters. Fast-growing, the tree is considered a ''junk'' trees. There are others, such as the short-lived, disease-ridden lombardy poplar or weak-wooded silver maple. They better appreciated in other people's gardens. Gardeners also learn as they go along that not many flowers except the dandelion are everblooming, in spite of what some plant promoters say.
The problem is not so much with the type of nursery stock or, in some cases, its condition on arrival, as it is with anticipation. There are few truly bad plants. There is just so much space to plant them, or time to care for them. There is a tendency to create a horticultural jungle or a sense of frustration because we have bitten off more than we can chew. Oh that a gardener's energy in August matched his aspirations in March!
For instance, the little blue spruce always looks so innocent. But there is ultimately no such thing as an innocent blue spruce unless it is a dwarf form such as Montgomery. Spruce trees - all plants do grow. That can be another problem.
People below the Mason-Dixon Line remember a vine the United States Department of Agriculture once promoted with great zeal. It's called kudzu. Now it is better known as the vine that ate the South where it covers many an acre in Georgia and Alabama.
Oriental bittersweet is doing the same thing here in the North. Japanese honeysuckle has overtaken parts of the mid-Atlantic states. These plants have largely disappeared from catalogues, but there are others taking their place which seed themselves all over creation and cause a nuisance for future generations. The plants include Japanese barberry, multiflora rose, and Norway and sycamore maples. In their native haunts, they are good plants, but aggressors in the garden, warriors that have never heard of the Geneva Convention.
While studying the new catalogues, remember the garden of last summer. Memory is not yet clouded. Refer to that diary, where hopefully there are regular weekly entries recording the successes and failures.In practice, the avid gardener often has trouble lifting a pencil after a day working in his earthly Eden. Now, there is time and spirit to write down the five outstanding successes of the past gardening year and, more important, the five failures. Gilders of the lily or masochists will make longer lists.
Think of ways to enhance the successes. If potentillas were powerful performers, add more. But also consider why they succeeded. Was it full sun and moisture they received? Are there similar plants to try under the same conditions? To a large degree go with your strengths, but always do a little experimenting, for this is how we, as gardeners, grow.
There are two kinds of gardeners, the impatient and the observant. A friend of mine who is the former gardens with certain easy-to-grow annuals. His marigolds, sweet alyssum and impatiens bloom quickly and long from seed started indoors under lights. The annuals are colorful from May to frost. He has few failures and his garden is always lovely, but rather predictable. He is proud of his red salvia.
Another friend delights in exclaiming, ''You haven't failed with a plant until you've failed three times!'' He is a fine grower. His success with ramondas and haberleas, hardy relatives of the Africanviolet, is so great that I get the impression that these plants are as simple to raise as chickweed. They are not, they're ''iffy.''
Is lower maintenance an aim? There is an old gardener's saying, ''The length of the border should not exceed the length of the hose.'' Would it be better to concentrate on installing an inexpensive underground PVC pipe before the border is extended to accommodate new plants?
A good house rule is not to order seeds or plants without knowing exactly where they are to go in the garden. One of May's frustrations is in wondering where to put everything ordered in winter. A corollary to the above is that the vegeta ble garden should never be out of view of the house. The closer, the better, for this will atleast provide a sense of guilt in July, when it needs to be weeded. Was waterin g a problem last summer? In mild periods this winter or early next sp ring when the ground is dry enough to work, the digging of compost, p eat moss or other decayed organic matter into the soil has a number of advantages. Not the least is better moisture retention tha t will become evident next summer.
Did you apply mulch? There is hardly a garden in the Northeast that would not benefit from a two to three inch summer cover of some sort - coca bean hulls, old grass clippings, shredded leaves, whatever.
Despite the best of care, were water requirements of some plants too high? Celery, astilbes, delphiniums? Find another place for them in the garden, ideally where they will not receive the hot, therefore drying, afternoon sun. Maybe you should not be growing them at all, instead concentrate efforts on drought-tolerant sorts such as New Zealand spinach, portulaca, sedums, sea-holly, cytisus or other brooms. There are plants for virtually every location except a cave.
Insects or diseases a problem? We tend to forget about them now. Did sawflies buzz through the mountain-ash as it was coming to orange-berried maturity? How many times was it necessary to spray the honeylocust to control mimosa webworm? Did bounty from the apple trees justify efforts to do in the codling moth?
The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva has released a variety of apple called ''Liberty,'' which is said not to need spraying. However, many fruits cannot be grown well without some sort of spray program. If you are unwilling to spray because of time, labor or environmental concerns, avoid fruit trees. Concentrate on blueberries and other small fruits most of which are relatively pest resistant. Virus-free raspberry stock is not to be taken for granted, except where stated specifically in catalogues.
In the vegetable garden the yearly rotation of crops, especially tomatoes and eggplant, cuts down on soil-borne diseases. Check catalogues to see if the initials VFN are next to the entries of tomato and cucumber varieties. The capital letters signfiy resistance to two soil-borne diseases: verticillium, fusarium and nematodes.
Grow cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, if you will, but understand that you will probably have to spray them a few times each summer with BT (Bacillus thuringensis) a biological control for cabbage worms.
Somehow, despite the problems, the garden goes on. In this lean winter season, there are many successes to look back upon and more to look forward to. But let us resolve to make the dreams of a coming gardening year come to a realistic fruition.
Illustrations: photo of seed packages and catalogues | -------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick McGourty is editor of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbooks. By FREDERICK McGOURTY Already the garden catalogues have started to come, in a trickle. By February, all will be here except a few strays . They are the stuffwinter dreams are made of. Crisp four-color illustrations of tomatoes, ast ilbes, dogwoods, all juicy enough to eat, yes even astilbes. The promise of a new gardening season is with us. Notice how often you read the word new. Catalogues are made to sell plants as well as support dreams. This is a good season to pause before the flood begins and to make garden plans for the year ahead.There is an aspect of consumerism to gardening. These days the household shopper does not go to a supermarket on an empty stomach, nor should the gardener order turnip seed without sober contemplation, particularly if one doesn't like turnips. | 8.948276 | 0.971264 | 49.603448 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/07/us/required-reading.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524122846id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/07/us/required-reading.html | Required Reading | 20150524122846 | John Diebold, president of The Diebold Group Inc., in a paper published by the International Chamber of Commerce: Countless words have been written and spoken about the impact of big government; far less attention has been paid to what steps the business community could take to counter the trend and render its effects less damaging. The collectivist grip on academic life permeates our great institutions of learning allegedly dedicated to the open-minded pursuit of knowledge. In the realm of economics the time for non-collectivists to press home their case has never been riper. My plea is for the business community to recognize and seize with both hands the opportunity offered by public disenchantment with interventionist economics to demonstrate the superiority of competitive, private-enterprise capitalism.
Businessmen cannot afford to dismiss broad ideological debate as academic froth or idle intellectualising remote from the real world where things get done and wealth is created. The minimum need is for sustained financial support of first-class ac ademic research to refurbish the intellectual appeal of capitali sm. In view of the enormous audiences that can be reached throug h the mass media, it cannot be stressed too of ten how important it is for busin ess to learn how to use them effectively both to explain the acti vities and objectives of particular corporations and industries and t o influencethe coverage of business and general economic issues.
So, to sumarize, although companies in several countries already carry out a sizeable amount of economic education, there is scope for much more in terms of quantity, methods, imaginativeness, and the number of targets aimed at. Businessmen must no longer accept that the economic and social environment in which they operate is a given condition determined by others which they must adapt to. As part of the community, businessmen must be active agents in helping shape their environment. | Big Government John Diebold, president of The Diebold Group Inc., in a paper published by the International Chamber of Commerce: Countless words have been written and spoken about the impact of big government; far less attention has been paid to what steps the business community could take to counter the trend and render its effects less damaging. The collectivist grip on academic life permeates our great institutions of learning allegedly dedicated to the open-minded pursuit of knowledge. In the realm of economics the time for non-collectivists to press home their case has never been riper. My plea is for the business community to recognize and seize with both hands the opportunity offered by public disenchantment with interventionist economics to demonstrate the superiority of competitive, private-enterprise capitalism. | 2.429577 | 0.992958 | 136.091549 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/23/business/air-fares-to-florida-tumble-to-77.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150524125126id_/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/23/business/air-fares-to-florida-tumble-to-77.html | AIR FARES TO FLORIDA TUMBLE TO $77 | 20150524125126 | A pell-mell round of cuts yesterday in air fares between New York and Florida brought the price of a one-way, economy-class ticket to $77. Air Florida set off the fare cutting. Then Air Florida's fare was undercut by P an American World Airways, with other major carriers matching Pan Am's new level. Air Florida in turn decided to match thePan Am prices , though with certain restrictions.
The $77 fare is effective Monday, replacing current fares of $107 weekdays and $127 on weekends between New York or Washington and such Florida cities as Miami, West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale.
The tumult at times left carriers unclear who was doing what. By late afternoon, however, major carriers such as Delta Air Lines, Eastern Airlines and Trans World Airlines had reluctantly matched the reductions, with small variations.
But J.A. Cooper, senior vice president of marketing at Delta, which had begun a previous series of fare cuts on Christmas Eve, said in a telephone interview from his Atlanta headquarters: ''Discounts are too deep. It won't generate the traffic to offset what you lose through the lower fares.''
Before Christmas Eve, one-way fares between New York or Washington and the Florida destinations were $135 and up. Even though some carriers, including T.W.A., said they had thought of holding out, they fell into line yesterday when their major competitors went along. ''Why do you give your seats away at a prime time?'' asked Sally C. McElwreath, director of public affairs for T.W.A., as she confirmed that the carrier would match the cuts.
Pan Am, which greatly expanded its service to Florida last autumn and now has 12 daily fights from New York and 4 from Washington, said that, unlike Air Florida, its new $77 fare, seven days a week, would run indefinitely. Air Florida's lower fare will expire by mid-February.
Pan Am said, however, that the l ower fare w ould not be in effect during the periods of Lincoln's and Washingto n's Birthdays, Easter and Passover: The fares for those holiday per iods will be $135 weekdays and $149 on weekends. Former Colleagues Compete
Some executives such as Mr. Cooper noted that the current round of fare cuts had pitted C. Edward Acker, the chairman of Pan American, against a former colleague, Eli Timoner, the chairman of Air Florida. Before Mr. Acker joined Pan Am last fall, he was chairman of Air Florida, thrusting the carrier into new markets by undercutting competitors.
The day began with Air Florida's announcement of a series of fare cuts for flights before Feb.9 southbound and Feb.13 northbound. Its new weekday fares were to be $79 from New York to Florida and $89 from Washington to Florida. Weekend fares were to be $109 from both cities.
But when these fares were undercut by Pan Am's $77 fare, Air Florida matched Pan Am on those routes, but kept the expiration dates, as did T.W.A.
Delta and Eastern matched Pan American's package entirely. Lower First-Class Fares
Pan Am also announced cuts in one-way, first-class fares, which are to drop to $125 from $169. Mr. Acker said that Pan Am had had a good January on its Florida flights and that it planned to add to seating capacity on those routes.
New fares on other major Florida routes, effective yesterday, included Boston to Fort Lauderdale and Miami, $99 weekdays and $119 on weekends, and Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa and West Palm Beach, $79 weekdays and $109 on weekends. ---- Bus Lines Cut Fares
DALLAS, Jan. 22 (AP) - Trailways Inc. and the Greyhound Corporation have begun offering discount bus fares in an apparent effort to counter airlines' price-cutting.
Trailways reduced fares as much as 40 percent this week and is offering to ''meet or beat'' any fare offered by a bus company or airline.
Greyhound has countered by offering a package that allows two persons to travel for the price of one on trips that cross state lines and carry a fare of at least $38. Greyhound is also offering a $1 fare for return trips between certain cities.
Officials at Trailways and Greyhound would not speculate on the effect the lower fares might have on profits. | A pell-mell round of cuts yesterday in air fares between New York and Florida brought the price of a one-way, economy-class ticket to $77. Air Florida set off the fare cutting. Then Air Florida's fare was undercut by P an American World Airways, with other major carriers matching Pan Am's new level. Air Florida in turn decided to match thePan Am prices , though with certain restrictions. | 10.378049 | 1 | 82 | low | high | extractive |
http://fortune.com/2015/05/26/gigaom-acquisition/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150527035338id_/http://fortune.com/2015/05/26/gigaom-acquisition/ | Can a news site be reborn? Gigaom readers are about to find out | 20150527035338 | For many, the name Gigaom may have already faded into the mists of time, like any number of other media startups that have failed to thrive and ultimately disappeared beneath the waves. After all, it shut down three months ago, and for a digital-news operation, three months is a lifetime. So it came as a surprise to some when a company called Knowingly announced that it has acquired all of Gigaom’s editorial assets and plans to re-launch the site in August under the same name.
Knowingly is run by a former Demand Media executive and Austin, Texas-based businessman named Byron Reese, who founded it last year. In a press release about the purchase that was posted at Gigaom, he says he is “excited to be a chapter of the Gigaom story” and looks forward to “continuing its mission of humanizing the impact of technology.”
Gigaom, which closed in March, was in business for eight years and built up a sizeable audience for its technology and business news, along with an events business and a subscription-based research product. But the company reportedly ran into cash-flow problems, in part because it raised as much as $10 million in debt (even though it was not profitable) and those creditors eventually helped trigger the shut-down.
In the interests of full disclosure, I worked at Gigaom for five years as a writer before I joined Fortune, but I was not involved in the business side of the company. If you want to read more about it, Peter Kafka at Re/code and Farhad Manjoo at the New York Times have both looked at the sequence of events that led to Gigaom’s demise.
Although the terms of the Knowingly purchase haven’t been made public, sources who looked into buying some or all of the assets said the initial price for the editorial part of the company was $6 million, but eventually that was reduced to $1 million, and still many bidders backed out—in part because the editorial staff had all been let go. That suggests Knowingly likely paid less than $1 million.
Reese said in an email that he isn’t talking about the deal or his plans for Gigaom at the moment, but a source with knowledge of the purchase said the Knowingly founder wants to monetize the existing content at the site by making the “evergreen” articles about popular topics easier to find, and then eventually intends to create more content of that nature—not news, but background and context about tech topics. Despite being dead for three months, the site still gets about 80,000 pageviews a day.
Such a strategy would fit with Reese’s background: Demand Media, a startup often referred to as a “content farm,” was essentially an SEO (search-engine optimization) play, which used targeted content on sites like its flagship eHow as a way to drive traffic. The site used algorithms to predict what articles would do well at what times—articles on how to change a snow tire in winter, for example—and as Chief Innovation Officer, Reese was instrumental in designing and implementing that approach.
The company became known as a content farm in part because it paid writers very little, and the content catered specifically to search engines rather than readers. After going public in 2011, Demand was hit by an update to Google’s indexing algorithms, which the company said was designed to weed out “low-quality” content.
According to its news release, Knowingly offers a number of online services, including one called iForetold—which allows people to post their predictions about the future—and a tool called Correctica that does copy-editing for websites. A former client of Correctica’s said it uses algorithms to predict what some of the most likely spelling and grammar mistakes are, and then uses that to find and correct them.
Reese also appears to have been the founder of a site called Santa Mail, which charged parents a fee to have a letter from Santa sent to their child (the site redirects to an eHow article), and his name appears on a patent for a kit that allows parents to simulate a visit from Santa. The Austin-based businessman has also written and published a book called “Infinite Progress: How the Internet and technology will end ignorance, disease, poverty, hunger and war.” | Three months after being shut down by its creditors, the tech-news site Gigaom has been acquired by Knowingly, a startup run by a former executive at "content farm" Demand Media | 23.416667 | 0.944444 | 1.777778 | medium | high | mixed |
http://www.people.com/article/fifa-officials-arrested-corruption-charges | http://web.archive.org/web/20150529232200id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/fifa-officials-arrested-corruption-charges | FIFA Officials Arrested on Corruption Charges : People.com | 20150529232200 | Soccer officials are led out of the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich on Wednesday morning
05/27/2015 AT 07:25 AM EDT
Several top FIFA officials were arrested on Wednesday morning on corruption charges as the leaders of the world soccer organization gathered for their annual meeting at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich.
Swiss authorities made the arrests peacefully, according to
, escorting those involved out of the hotel behind a sheet for privacy. The officials will be extradited to the United States.
The early morning operation came as the result of a joint investigation between the FBI and the Department of Justice.
In a 47-count indictment, which was
and posted to the DOJ website on Wednesday morning, nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives were indicted for racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies, which had been ongoing for more than two decades.
"The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States," said Attorney General Lynch in a statement. "It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks."
Four of the individuals arrested have already entered guilty pleas, as have two of the sports marketing companies involved.
Longtime FIFA President Sepp Blatter was not among those arrested. A FIFA spokesperson insisted that Blatter, who is widely recognized as the most powerful name in sports, was innocent of any wrongdoing.
A Russian soccer official told
Wednesday that the arrests would not affect the country's hosting of the 2018 World Cup. | "The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted," said Attorney General Lynch | 15.5 | 1 | 11.6 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.people.com/article/caitlyn-jenner-kids-still-call-her-dad | http://web.archive.org/web/20150604215645id_/http://www.people.com/article/caitlyn-jenner-kids-still-call-her-dad | Excited for Freedom and Coffee Runs : People.com | 20150604215645 | 06/04/2015 AT 04:25 PM EDT
told her kids that she would make the transition from male to female, they were supportive – but they couldn't help wondering how to address the family member they used to call "Dad."
It turns out that some things haven't entirely changed.
"[Caitlyn] spoke to each of the kids separately and told them to take their time in getting used to this," says a Jenner family friend. "She would prefer not to be called 'Bruce,' but told the kids that they could still call her 'Dad,' at least for now."
"Caitlyn has been really understanding that it doesn't come naturally for anyone," the source continues. "No one expects this change to happen overnight. If one of the boys slips up, it's not a big deal."
, Jenner's eldest daughter, Cassandra, referred to Caitlyn as 'Dad' – and voiced her complete support. "There's so much more to being a woman than our external appearance," she says. "I am really looking forward to exploring that more with her."
Even Jenner's mother says that adapting to the news has been a process. "It takes some time getting used to," Esther Jenner
. "I've called [Caitlyn] Bruce since the day he was born. It's going to take some time, but I will adjust."
The Kardashians, too, have struggled with using the correct pronouns – but are determined to address Caitlyn properly.
"This is the new normal," a Kardashian family source tells PEOPLE. "They all still slip up and refer to Caitlyn as Bruce, or she as he, him, all that. It takes a lot of work to get it right."
And if anyone makes a mistake, the rest of the family steps in. "The whole family is correcting each other when they get it wrong," continues the source. "Not in a joking way, but just a reminder that, 'Hey, everything's changed, and we need to respect how she wants to be called.' "
Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, on the cover of PEOPLE | "She has been really understanding that it doesn't come naturally for everyone," says a family friend | 21.95 | 0.95 | 7.25 | medium | high | mixed |
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jul/06/cy-twombly-remembered | http://web.archive.org/web/20150606120848id_/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jul/06/cy-twombly-remembered | Knockout. Hero. Genius: Cy Twombly | 20150606120848 | I can't remember exactly my first encounter with his work, but it was a knockout. I think it was in Philadelphia: there was, or is, a room in a gallery there totally devoted to his work [Fifty Days at Iliam, 1978, inspired by Homer's Iliad]. The experience was one of total immersion. He painted with such emotional freedom. I went to see the new exhibition of his work alongside Poussin's at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London last week, and they were well matched. Much of his work refers to Poussin, as well as to other artists.
I never met him, unfortunately, though I think I would have been very uncomfortable if I had: I would have felt jealous. Painters don't necessarily get on well with one another. What would I have been jealous of? I think the fact he made his work so expressive in all sorts of ways, without it becoming expressionist. At a time when painting is perhaps not taken as seriously as it once was, he was an extraordinary beacon for other painters. Certainly I learned from him, from that total emotional openness. His work became increasingly sensitive and romantic.
I don't have a favourite painting; and if I did, I wouldn't tell you.
For me, he was the greatest living painter. The life force he achieved with the touch of his paint could certainly not be achieved by any mechanical means. He was so moved by his subjects – the upward thrust of a tulip, the fragility of a rose, the noise of a street market, the abandon of a bacchanal – that he moves us, profoundly.
It is as if his paintings are being made in front of me: they are not dead, finished things. The juxtaposition of life and death is finely balanced in every mark: the paint breathes. I am taken into unknown territory that is made immediately familiar.
In these days of so much dry, clever, soulless trivia, completely lacking in worthwhile subject matter, Twombly stood a towering hero. His mixture of intimacy and grandeur, force and delicacy, creates a sexy dynamism. He advanced the language of paint – from late Titian, through Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Rothko and Pollock – and so takes his place among the elite. He is dead, but the courage of his work lives on.
I first encountered Twombly as a student in the early 60s. I've been thinking about how his work seemed then, how it was thought about – which I'm not sure is the same as it is now. The dominant art of the period was abstract expressionism: a very assertive, extrovert, macho art like that of Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning, very gestural. And then there was Twombly's work, which was introspective and fragile. It was also abstract, but the mood could not have been more different.
One of the amazing things about his work, from the earliest days to now, is that you can see him in it – right through the whole thing. It is a very sustained and powerful body of work. But in his later years, when he was in his 70s, the paintings themselves got bigger and the gestures got bigger; they became much more extrovert.
He brought a certain kind of mark-making to art – that slightly childlike feeling of scribbling on paper, but which suddenly becomes very sensual and full of potential meaning. These were the kind of marks that didn't really exist in painting before him: seedy-like marks and scratchings. You can see that, say, graffiti art came after him: he is the person before [Jean-Michel] Basquiat.
He started this thing of being delicate and understated, but more sensual than emotional. His works showed different possibilities in painting. Now that he's famous and his work is familiar, it's easy to forget what an invention that was, what unknown territory this was.
The paintings themselves are very obscure, full of fleeting meanings. If you're not attracted to that, and want an explicit subject matter and message – which people often do today – these paintings are probably too subtle, ungiving. They're like a mental speculation - when your mind is slightly wandering. They're not didactic.
He was such a distinctive voice; there wasn't anybody else quite like him.
It feels like the end of an era. With Robert Rauschenberg and Sigmar Polke also gone, most of the major heroes of contemporary painting have disappeared.
His paintings have influenced me enormously. They seem full of an improvisatory spirit and embody a freedom to express and include whatever he wanted – whether words from poems, or scrawled cartoonish hearts, or loopy, repetitive drawing. To me they seemed full of humour, as well as the spiritual profundity for which he is the well-known poster boy.
His sculptures had a fantastic sense of the bathetic and hand-made, too: he was just as likely to include bits of scrunched-up coloured tissue paper on top of an object as more tasteful, sculptural materials. His paintings straddled high and low, with intensity and feeling, like sad bouquets.
As a student, I went to the Menil Collection in Houston, which has a whole gallery devoted to Twombly's work. It had a huge effect. When you see a range of his work you realise how adept he was at handling paint.
The first time I met him was about four years ago, when I worked on the 2008 Tate Modern retrospective with Nicholas Serota. We both spent a lot of time talking to Cy about his life and work. The word genius is used quite often, but he's probably the only person I would mark down in that category: the way his mind worked was so riveting. All kinds of things would make him laugh – not just things that were scholarly, but things that were bawdy. That combination of high and low was really crucial. It was a completely natural, spontaneous reaction; it wasn't premeditated. He was an incredibly warm, generous, thoughtful person.
It would be a shame if the work seemed different after his passing. It has an element of melancholy, but always leavened with a sense of the pleasures of life. His position in art history is assured. We're now able to go to Paris and see his ceiling in the Louvre, a permanent commission, and his uniquely beautiful works, which proliferate in museums around the world.
Nicholas Cullinan was co-curator of Tate Modern's 2008 Twombly retrospective, and of the current exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery.
I remember seeing his Discourses on Commodus paintings in 1964, soon after I moved to New York. It was the show [artist and critic] Donald Judd famously panned. There was a centralised grid and a lot of loose paintings, and I was struck by the combination of that grid and the looseness of the painting. I used to wonder what happened to them, why I never saw them around. Now, reading the obituary in the New York Times, I see that everyone hated them. Later, when I became [Robert] Rauschenberg's assistant, he bought Twombly's Panorama, white chalk on black or brown; it was quite a treat to see that every day.
I call myself an abstract painter, and he's one of the greats, so he's definitely an influence. Cy wasn't afraid of paint, and he made it do the most beautiful things. I don't think he was too affected about whether or not he was fawned over on the art scene. He was amazingly relaxed, very comfortable with himself. I never heard him discussing his work, or Roman poets. You knew he liked to hang out and watch things; everything else went into the painting.
It's always very interesting to see him in relation to Jasper [Johns] and Rauschenberg. They all came out of abstract expressionism, but Jasper and Bob are realists, they used real images; Cy stayed abstract. There is that European touch, a certain elegance – and I don't mean that in a derogatory sense.
Yesterday, I was trying to imagine him at work. I can see Richter, all these other people, but it's hard to see him physically applying the paint. There was the relaxed demeanour he had, but such an intensity to the paintings. Was the relaxed demeanour because he had to be that way to work up that kind of intensity? I don't know. I sent him a note once, about his sculpture show in Basel, and he told me he taped it on his wall. It was an unbelievable show.
• This article was corrected on 2 August 2011. The original wrongly had Brice Marden seeming to speak of "roof paintings". This has been corrected. | Full of explosive scrawls and poetic fragments, Cy Twombly's work changed art. Howard Hodgkin, Michael Craig-Martin, Maggi Hambling and others explain his extraordinary talent | 55.612903 | 0.516129 | 0.774194 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.people.com/article/little-couple-jennifer-arnold-no-longer-seeing-patients | http://web.archive.org/web/20150607152545id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/little-couple-jennifer-arnold-no-longer-seeing-patients | TLC Star Dr. Jennifer Arnold Is No Longer Seeing Patients : People.com | 20150607152545 | By Mia McNiece and Emily Strohm
06/06/2015 AT 02:30 PM EDT
star Dr. Jennifer Arnold says she made some big changes in her life.
"You look at things differently," she tells PEOPLE.
Arnold, who works as a neonatologist at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, recently decided to scale back her workload so she could spend more time with her husband, Bill Klein and their children – 3-year-old daughter
, whom they adopted from India in 2013, and son
, 5, whom they adopted from China earlier the same year.
"It's this work-life balance that's very hard for anyone, and I think having gone through what I've gone through has made me re-evaluate," she says. "I just took a big step down from clinical and am no longer seeing patients."
Arnold who has now been
for two years, says her physical health also played a role in her decision.
"Being a little person it's getting harder and harder, but it's also just trying to make sure that I have enough energy in me to enjoy being a mom and actually be there for my kids." | Now cancer-free for more than a year, Arnold says that "having gone through what I've gone through has made me re-evaluate" | 7.965517 | 0.896552 | 7.241379 | low | medium | mixed |
http://www.people.com/article/gina-rodriguez-jane-virgin-minorities-media-glam-belleza-latina | http://web.archive.org/web/20150612002746id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/gina-rodriguez-jane-virgin-minorities-media-glam-belleza-latina | Jane the Virgin Star Speaks About Minorities in Media : People.com | 20150612002746 | 06/09/2015 AT 01:50 PM EDT
, but there's still a lot more the actress wants to accomplish.
"I want to change the idea of minorities in the media," Rodriguez says in the summer issue of
. "Growing up, I never saw my home life reflected on-screen, and that made me feel a certain way about myself."
Says Rodriguez, "It's not only about my ethnicity; it made me feel a certain way about my beauty. Not seeing a woman like me as a lead made me feel like I'd never be skinny enough, I'd never be pretty enough. I want to give young girls, like my niece, the tools to see a billboard and think, 'That [non-Latina] girl
beautiful, but thatâs not the only form of beauty.' "
The 30-year-old captured America's eye with her starring role in
and then won its heart with
after winning the Golden Globe for best actress in a TV series, musical or comedy – only the fourth Latina to win an acting Globe since the awards' inception in 1944.
"The win was fantastic, but the nomination itself was the win," states Rodriguez, who says that even when "people post pictures of me on social media looking crazy, in mid-speech, I can still see beauty in those pictures." "I want to be acknowledged for what I do. For people to stop and say, 'She can act her ass off. I want to work with her.' "
Rodriguez continues, "That way I can tell more stories. And I can open up more doors."
Rodriguez told PEOPLE in March that she's constantly told she's not
, but she affirms that she's "real."
"I'm not put-together all the time," she tells
. "That is just the truth. And to live up to that is just too much."
Rodriguez, who recently landed her
, says it's not nerve-racking to walk red carpets "because I belong there. I just do."
She adds, "We all do. Genesis Rodriguez, Natalie Martinez, Melonie Diaz. I support them all. I've got their backs because we're not alone." | "Growing up, I never saw my home life reflected on-screen, and that made me feel a certain way about myself," said Rodriguez | 15.724138 | 0.965517 | 21.724138 | medium | high | extractive |
http://www.people.com/article/matthew-modine-near-death-experience-skydiving | http://web.archive.org/web/20150613170457id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/matthew-modine-near-death-experience-skydiving | Matthew Modine Talks Near-Death Experience He Had While Skydiving : People.com | 20150613170457 | By Emily Strohm and Emily Zaumer
06/12/2015 AT 06:25 PM EDT
The actor tells PEOPLE he was jumping out of an airplane for an ESPN program that showcased people tackling dangerous feats when his high-flying adventure took a terrifying turn.
Just as Modine, 56, pulled the handle down on his parachute, his worst fears came true. "It was caught on itself," he tells PEOPLE. While the parachute eventually opened, "It was really horrifying and it made my heart go in my throat."
Modine remains scarred by the incident to this day. "I will never, ever jump out of an airplane again," he vows. "Just the thought of it makes me squeamish."
Modine won't shy away from other challenges, however. He's embracing his latest role as a terminally ill tech billionaire who funds a life after death project in TNT's
"He just wants to know what happens when we die," Modine says of his character Ivan Turing. "That's the premise of the show, and it's been really fun."
also stars Modine's longtime pal
"It's like going back to a family reunion, a high school reunion, where you're seeing old friends," says Modine of working on set. "We're all really enjoying working together."
premieres June 16 at 10 p.m. on TNT. | The Proof actor tells PEOPLE about a terrifying moment that occurred thousands of feet above the ground | 15.941176 | 0.529412 | 1 | medium | low | abstractive |
http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/06/12/07/48/airfares-to-be-calculated-on-postcode-and-travel-history | http://web.archive.org/web/20150615014328id_/http://www.9news.com.au:80/world/2015/06/12/07/48/airfares-to-be-calculated-on-postcode-and-travel-history | Airfares could be calculated on ‘postcode and travel history’ | 20150615014328 | A Vueling plane lands. (AFP)
A passenger's postcode and travel history could soon determine how much they are charged for airfares, according to the head of a Spanish low-fare carrier.
Vueling head Alex Cruz told the International Air Transport Association conference in the US "the barriers were coming down" and it was "inevitable" postcodes would begin to influence prices offered to passengers.
Those from wealthy suburbs would be charged more than those from poorer suburbs.
Some airlines have been accused of changing fares depending on the web browser used to book the flights, the Daily Telegraph reports.
American Airlines reportedly charges Safari and Apple users more, on the assumption they are more wealthy.
Stored information such as “cookies” can reportedly also store details of past travel bookings allowing airlines to charge higher fees for favoured routes.
Qantas and Virgin both confirmed to the newspaper they had begun using passenger data to “personalise” or “enhance” the travel experience but stopped short of saying they used postcodes to determine fares.
Tom Godfrey from consumer advocacy group Choice warned travellers to be wary of loyalty schemes and other efforts to collect personal information.
“There’s a misguided perception that loyalty brings value, whereas so often loyalty brings higher prices,” Mr Godfrey told the newspaper.
“As consumers we really should have a debate about what data is being kept and how it’s being used.”
Do you have any news photos or videos? | A passenger’s postcode and travel history could soon determine how much they are charged for airfares, according to the head of a Spanish low-fare carrier. | 9.862069 | 0.965517 | 25.172414 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.people.com/article/kim-kardashian-letter-self-jimmy-kimmel-james-corden-parody | http://web.archive.org/web/20150619135009id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/kim-kardashian-letter-self-jimmy-kimmel-james-corden-parody | Jimmy Kimmel, James Corden Parody Glamour Letter to Self : People.com | 20150619135009 | Jimmy Kimmel and James Corden
06/18/2015 AT 05:50 PM EDT
are doing their best to keep up with
of Kardashian West, the magazine's July cover star, writing
that should not to be opened until 2025. And on Wednesday night, Kimmel and Corden could not help but poke fun at the reality mogul's thoughtful missive.
, Kimmel, 47, gives Kardashian West a run for her (loads of) money with a spot-on homage, including a pink turtleneck, pale walls, matching rose nail polish, a marbled laptop and corresponding background music.
While Kardashian West, 34, reviews her hopes for her famous family (among her wishes are that
is still a runway favorite), Kimmel offers more humorous desires. He waxes poetic, "I hope Guillermo is still cute. I hope my Aunt Chippy isn't dead. But let's be honest, she probably is. LOL."
And while Kardashian West wonders about the fate of her reality show, her home, the selfie and modern-day lingo like "on fleek," Kimmel asks a different set of questions: "Am I still hosting my show? Am I finally gay? Did my Latisse treatements work? What's the new kale?"
that he supposedly wrote to himself in 2005. Throughout the lighthearted note, he made a series of hilariously incorrect predictions: "Are you still on the Atkins diet? Man, you must be so skinny by now. ... I just invested all of my money in MySpace, so I bet by now you must be a billionaire. ... No matter what happens, I just hope you don't end up at some job where you have to wear a suit to work and sit behind a desk all day."
While 2005 is in the past and 2025 is a mystery, one thing is for sure – Kimmel and Corden are totally "on fleek" in 2015. | After Kardashian West wrote a letter to her future self, the late-night hosts read their own letters on air | 17 | 0.545455 | 0.727273 | medium | low | abstractive |
http://fortune.com/2013/03/19/the-tech-ipo-drought-is-only-going-to-get-worse/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150623024011id_/http://fortune.com/2013/03/19/the-tech-ipo-drought-is-only-going-to-get-worse/ | The tech IPO drought is only going to get worse | 20150623024011 | FORTUNE – Last week, Silver Spring Networks went public on the New York Stock Exchange, an event notable not merely for being the stock market debut of a clean-tech star, but also because it was only the second technology IPO of the year.
Silver Spring SSNI raised $81 million in an offering priced at $17 a share. Its stock is trading 25% higher. Last month, Xoom XOOM , an online money-transfer service, raised $101 million; its stock is 41% above its $16 offering price. And Professional Diversity Network IPDN , an online job-networking site, raised $21 million. It’s currently 17% below its $8 offering price. Other IPOs so far this year — like Health Insurance Innovations HIIQ — mention the cloud or online platforms in their business models but are more focused on other industries like health insurance.
In other words: We’re nearly a quarter of the way through 2013, and three companies have raised $203 million.
This is not what investment banks were hoping for in the wake of the long-awaited Facebook FB IPO, which was once expected to reignite a recession-battered IPO market the way Google’s GOOG 2004 offering wiped away all the bad memories of the dot-com crash.
Ever since Apple AAPL went public in December 1980, technology startups looked forward to the chance to go public. The dot-com mania cooled investor interest for a few years, but names like LinkedIn LNKD , OpenTable OPEN , and Zynga ZNGA received warm welcomes. But ever since the glitch-plagued Facebook IPO last May, all but a handful of tech companies have braved the IPO pipeline.
MORE: Electronic Arts CEO resigns abruptly
In 2011, 44 tech companies went public on U.S. exchanges, raising $9 billion, or 27% of the total proceeds raised in all industries, according to Renaissance Capital. If you factor out Facebook’s $16 billion IPO, then in 2012 only 37 tech companies went public, raising $4.4 billion, or 17% of the total. This year’s pace so far is dramatically slower.
More tech companies are in the pipeline, including Model N, a life-sciences software company that hopes to raise as much as $94 million; and Marin Software, a cloud-based ad-management company, which is looking to sell as much as $91 million in shares.
But such modest deals are the exception to companies that aspire not to deal with the onerous duties of being a publicly traded company. (They seem to prefer to be acquired by a bigger company or, simply, to stay public as long as possible.) Groupon GRPN serves as a cautionary tale to startups that follow the IPO route. Rebuffing Google’s $6 billion offer in 2010, Groupon went public and is currently valued at just $3.5 billion.
In an illustration of how dreadful the idea of an IPO market has become to tech-startup founders, a panel of VCs, investment bankers, and attorneys convened at the f.ounders conference, which has been described as a Davos for geeks. The panel’s title: “The road to IPO.” Its bottom-line message: “Don’t go public.” (Keep in mind that this panel was hosted at Nasdaq’s MarketSite in Times Square.)
The troubled Facebook IPO is only one reason for the new aversion to tech IPOs, and one of the lesser ones. Nasdaq’s trading glitches last May only underscored bigger factors that put tech founders off: the increased scrutiny of investors and reporters, the quarterly earnings circus, the costs and complexity of Sarbanes-Oxley, the exposure to short-selling hedge funds, the specter of activist investors. Mark Zuckerberg put off a Facebook IPO as long as he could. Today, he can look back and wish the company were still privately held.
MORE: Startups are about to blow up the textbook
Many of the new crop of tech startups are much smaller operations than the biotech, manufacturing, or retail companies that fill up today’s IPO queue. Those devoted to web sites or mobile apps are often no bigger than a couple dozen employees, or even fewer, who have found success.
In many cases, an acqui-hire by a giant like Facebook or Google offers a simpler exit strategy — even if it means being swallowed into an entirely different corporate culture. For bigger web startups, secondary stock markets provide access to institutional funds and wealthy investors without the regulatory burdens and scrutiny of public markets. Small surprise that Nasdaq is working with SharesPost to create a market for private-company investments.
All of those factors have driven IPOs out of fashion in the tech industry. It’s getting to the point where a tech IPO has lost its cachet — even signaling a potential desperation for quick capital. In Silicon Valley, the IPO just isn’t as cool as an acqui-hire. It’s like watching everyone make a Harlem Shake video, and then dancing the Macarena. | Silicon Valley has fallen out of love with the initial public offering. | 74.769231 | 0.769231 | 1.230769 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jun/18/yoko-ono-serpentine-review | http://web.archive.org/web/20150628200039id_/http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jun/18/yoko-ono-serpentine-review | Lost in the Yoko Ono labyrinth | 20150628200039 | Thwunk! I walk straight into one of the clear walls of Amaze, an exhibit in Yoko Ono's new show at the Serpentine gallery in London. Turning and turning inside this little labyrinth of Perspex and aluminium, backtracking and feeling my way towards the centre, I do it again, the noise reverberating through the gallery and in my head. When I do reach the centre, I find a square column, waist high, grey, and half-full of water. I look down at my own dazed reflection.
First made in 1971, Amaze is the centrepiece of this exhibition of early and late Ono work, from her 1960s fluxus art to more recent and sometimes unwise indulgences. In the first room, upturned soldiers' helmets dangle like hanging baskets from fishing line strung from the ceiling. Each is filled with jigsaw pieces, depicting fragments of the sky; on the floor sit three large conical mounds of earth, labelled Country A, Country B and Country C; behind them is a worn 1969 War Is Over (If You Want It) poster, for ever associated with the heady days of John and Yoko. These elements have been brought together as a single installation called Pieces of Sky. Were it not by Ono, we wouldn't linger. War is bad, the message seems to be, so consider the sky or take up gardening. Later, I come across a live feed of the London sky from a camera on the roof. The show is called Yoko Ono: To the Light. Those who have suffered near-death experiences often complain of a bright light – and a voice telling them to go towards it. This is a mistake.
Don't go there. I always liked the idea of Yoko Ono. I liked her screams on her early records. Now all I hear is the sudden mew of a Cambodian hawk in a work called A Hawk/Cambodia, and the monotonous heartbeat Ono has piped into the gallery as her show's "soundtrack", along with the echoing "boing" as another visitor walks into that Perspex wall.
Ono's work invites all kinds of readings, especially inappropriate ones. The harder she tries to be meaningful, the easier it is to resist. The bronze shoes, mangled coathanger and keepsake box in A Family Album, all drooling and spattered with painted blood, are obvious and trite, whatever they are meant to suggest (family secrets, murderous desires and abortions come to mind). Other dangerous objects – a long needle erect on a plinth called Forget It, a crystal sphere titled Pointedness – have a mild surreal bite, but it is not sustained.
"Take all the anger out of the room," begins one of her framed instruction pieces. (I was once told the same thing by a marriage guidance counsellor.) There's a lot to read here: little framed anecdotes and apercues, instructions and bald statements. "This is the ceiling," says a note on the floor. No, it isn't. Anyway, Italian artist Piero Manzoni (Ono's exact contemporary, both born in 1933) once inverted the world more effectively with his Socle du Monde or The Base of the World, an upside-down plinth that stood on this very floor. Manzoni's Serpentine exhibition was a great monographic exhibition. Ono's isn't.
When she was part of the lively international rag-tag group of composers, conceptualists, dancers and artists who met, and sometimes showed, in her New York loft in the 1960s, Ono was a vital conduit of ideas and inspiration. The story of this period – and of Ono's life and relationships with John Cage, fluxus founder George Maciunas, and dancer Trisha Brown among others – would make for a far more profitable and engaging exhibition. Fluxus was full of humour, asides, wild performances and genuine experiment. It was, as art historian Kristine Stiles has noted, multicultural and multiracial, with more women than most avant-gardes before it.
Ono's art is better seen in the context of dialogue, as part of an artistic community, rather than her own somewhat dubious uniqueness. But this would probably not be alluring enough for the Serpentine's summer show this Olympic year. Much of the work she is known for – like 1967's Film No 4 (Bottoms), which follows the naked buttocks of male and female friends as they walked on the spot in her loft (she made a second version in London) – has the innocent charm of period pieces, even if Bottoms was rated X by the British censors.
In #smilesfilm, Ono has revisited her 1968 film Smile, which focused on the face of Lennon. People across the world can now upload their smiles to a website, while gallery visitors can also have theirs digitally recorded. The results, shown on a huge screen, include the Serpentine's directors: there's Hans-Ulrich Obrist grinning gamely, and Julia Peyton-Jones making a face. You'll not catch me baring my tombstone teeth for any project linked to the London 2012 festival.
At best, and a long time ago, Ono's art was far tougher and genuinely painful. "Bandage any part of your body," says her 1962 Conversation Piece. "If people ask about it, make a story and tell. If people do not ask about it, draw their attention to it and tell. If people forget about it, remind them of it and keep telling. Do not talk about anything else."
Her 1965 performance work Cut Piece – recorded in film here and shown opposite a second re-enactment in Paris in 2003 – invited audience members to mount the stage and cut off her clothes with a large pair of scissors. She sat impassively as they reduced her clothing to shreds. The original performance had enormous strength and tension. It was a play on power and self-objectification, in much the same way as Marina Abramović would later take to extremes.
Fly, made with Lennon in 1970, follows a fly as it journeys across a woman's naked body, wandering through her hair, round her ear and over her breast, stomach and pubis. At the end the camera pulls back, revealing not one but a number of flies, both destroying the artifice of this being a single fly's intimate meanderings and calling up the idea of death and forbearance – a body covered in flies. It demands concentration and, like much else here, looks like an animated illustration. No Ono work since has had this much charge; the film would be shown to greater effect were it installed and aired alone.
A little flashing light in the Serpentine's cupola winks on and off, day and night, sending out a message across Kensington Gardens in the artist's own, private code. "I love you," I'm told the signal reads. Love me? She doesn't even know me. Please do not presume to love me, I want to flash back, in my own special code that would alarm the families playing with the infant-sized chess pieces on the board outside the gallery. This is Play It By Trust and the pieces and squares are all white.
Real chess players don't need a board to visualise the game. They can do it in their heads. Much of Ono's art is like this, too. You read her early instruction pieces and imagine enacting them. Other works invite you to exercise your own creativity. In one room a couple of tables have been set up and you are asked: "Where do you go from here?" You can fold up your response and slip it into a glass. "To the pub," I thought to reply; or, "To kill myself." But that would be to rain on Ono's parade.
In one 1966 film, the artist blinks. Blink and you'll miss it. This is more fun. On another screen a match is struck, flares and dies, over several slow-mo minutes. Innumerable artists have continued to work in this vein, often to even lesser effect. But there was a genuine innocence to early Ono, inevitably and irreparably lost to her several kinds of fame. Would she deserve a Serpentine solo exhibition in 2012 if she were not Yoko Ono? Would her cries for universal peace have any more clout? Thwunk! There goes another one, walking into a wall. | A see-through maze, naked buttocks filmed mid-stroll, an all-white chess set … Yoko Ono is best when she's not trying to be meaningful , writes Adrian Searle | 45.361111 | 0.722222 | 1.277778 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.people.com/article/jim-obergefell-reacts-supreme-court-gay-marriage-decision | http://web.archive.org/web/20150628220159id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/jim-obergefell-reacts-supreme-court-gay-marriage-decision | Jim Obergefell Reacts to Supreme Court Gay Marriage Decision : People.com | 20150628220159 | By Tierney McAfee and Sandra Sobieraj Westfall
updated 06/26/2015 AT 04:45 PM EDT
•originally published 06/26/2015 AT 01:45 PM EDT
nationwide is political, historic. But for Jim Obergefell, one of the plaintiffs in the
case, it is intensely personal.
Obergefell's late husband, John Arthur, died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease) just three months after the two men married in July 2013. Together they filed suit to try to force their home state of Ohio, where gay marriage was previously not legal, to recognize their out-of-state union.
Just hours after the ruling, he told PEOPLE that he especially savored hearing joyous demonstrators singing the national anthem on the court plaza: "It was beautiful to hear that on a day when, inside that courtroom, I felt more like an equal American than I had in a very long time."
Now that his surname is destined for a place in American history books alongside the likes of Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade, the soft-spoken man known for his bow ties says he can't wrap his head around that enormity. President Barack Obama told him he changed America.
"I don't feel like I belong in that company in some ways; I don't feel worthy. This was just John and me fighting for our marriage. I know it is so much bigger than that, but when I think of this case, I keep coming back to just the two of us. We were living for the day because the future meant John's death and we didn't want to think about that."
As Obergefell stood on the steps of the Supreme Court on Friday, he felt the full impact of his efforts when he received a phone call from
"I just want to say congratulations," the president told Obergefell, per the
. "Your leadership on this, you know, has changed the country. Not only have you been a great example for people, but you're also going to bring about a lasting change in this country. And it's pretty rare when that happens. I couldn't be prouder of you and your husband."
"It's really been an honor for me to be involved in this fight and to have been able to fight for my marriage and live up to my commitments to my husband," Obergefell responded. "I appreciate everything you've done for the LGBT community, and it's really an honor to have become part of that fight."
Jim Obergefell with a picture of his late husband, John Arthur, and his ticket to be first in line to sit in the gallery at the Supreme Court
Before today's decision, Obergefell, 48, had been
nearly every day to ensure he would be there, front and center, when the court ruled on whether gay couples had the constitutional right to wed.
"I look at it as another commitment that I made to John," he recently told PEOPLE. "We started this fight for each other and I've completed it for him and for our marriage."
The lawyers, law students and activists who lined up outside the court alongside Obergefell may have noticed him holding only what was allowed inside the courtroom: a notebook and pen to take notes. But the grieving widower also carried something much dearer to his heart:
After Arthur's death, a jeweler friend fused together the couple's wedding bands for Obergefell, carving out a channel that now holds some of his late husband's ashes.
"So John was with me today in my heart and in my thoughts and he was physically with me," Obergefell told PEOPLE after the Supreme Court heard arguments in the gay-marriage case in April. "It was a comfort to play with my ring in the courtroom and think about John."
Celebrating with champagne was a tradition for Obergefell and Arthur, who first met in the fall of 1992 and fell in love by the time the bubbly was uncorked on New Year's Eve.
They popped another bottle together after they married in Maryland in July 2013. And when the Supreme Court heard arguments in his case on April 28, 2015, Obergefell, along with his niece and two friends, broke out the champagne again.
"We will be raising glasses of champagne in memory of John. We'll toast him," Obergefell told PEOPLE at the time. "His approach to life was always, 'I'm alive and breathing, so let's have champagne!' "
In an open letter Friday, Obergefell laments the fact that his husband isn't here to celebrate the milestone ruling with him, but he rejoices in America's "step toward the promise of equality enshrined in our Constitution."
"John and I started our fight for a simple reason," he explains in the letter. "We wanted the State of Ohio to recognize our lawful Maryland marriage on John's impending death certificate ... We wanted to live up to the promises we made to love, honor, and protect each other as a committed and lawfully married couple."
"Couples across America may now wed and have their marriage recognized and respected no matter what state they call home," he continues. "No other person will learn at the most painful moment of married life, the death of a spouse, that their lawful marriage will be disregarded by the state. No married couple who moves will suddenly become two single persons because their new state ignores their lawful marriage."
"I can finally relax knowing that Ohio can never erase our marriage from John's death certificate, and my husband can now truly rest in peace." | "It's really been an honor for me to be involved in this fight and to have been able to fight for my marriage and live up to my commitments to my husband," Obergefell told President Obama Friday | 27.121951 | 1 | 33.487805 | medium | high | extractive |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/06/04/vertex-shareholders-reject-multimillion-dollar-bonuses/UEb75EPCSfYAogadhmKnfN/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150708151600id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2015/06/04/vertex-shareholders-reject-multimillion-dollar-bonuses/UEb75EPCSfYAogadhmKnfN/story.html | Vertex shareholders reject multimillion-dollar bonuses | 20150708151600 | Shareholders at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. have spoken, and their message is clear: The Boston biotech company went too far when it lavished huge pay packages on its top executives.
In a rare rebuff of management, Vertex’s investors objected to the company’s executive compensation, including a tops-in-the-state $36.6 million awarded to chief executive Jeffrey M. Leiden for 2014.
Vertex plans a total of more than $53 million in one-time “retention” bonuses for a dozen executives — nearly $15 million for Leiden alone — if its new medicine for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening lung disease, tips the company into profitability.
The outlays would be a lot of money for a business that has been in the red every year except one since going public in 1991. The payment would make Leiden the highest-paid chief executive of a publicly traded company in Massachusetts, according to the compensation research firm Equilar Inc.
Because the shareholder vote (55 percent of shares cast were against the payouts) was not binding, the company is expected to go ahead with them.
Vertex is committing millions to managers before its new treatment even reaches the market.
Still, there could be a cost.
“Clearly, the message is maybe they should dial it back a bit,” said James Love, director of the Washington public-interest group Knowledge Ecology International, which focuses on high drug prices. “If you’re charging high prices and generating controversy over the pay of your executives, it draws attention in ways that could eventually hurt the shareholders.”
The company faces a crucial test within weeks, when the Food and Drug Administration issues its decision — expected to be positive — on US approval of the new cystic fibrosis drug.
Two advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass, Lewis & Co., last month recommended that investors vote against the compensation packages, terming them “excessive” and “exorbitant.”
Both firms cited the retention bonuses, which would be payable in three years if the company earns one annual profit during those years.
“It’s very unusual, especially because the stock has been up and they’re a top performer,” Mark Williams, a finance and economics professor at Boston University’s School of Management, said of the shareholders’ vote. “But shareholders are saying enough is enough. Success is one thing, but excess is another.”
Nationally, stockowners so far this year have voted against executive compensation only 2 percent of the time in “say-on-pay” votes at nearly 1,400 publicly traded companies, according to Institutional Shareholder Services. In more than three-quarters of cases, at least 90 percent of shares supported the pay packages. The votes were required under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009, which took effect in 2011.
At many public companies, including Vertex, most shares are owned by large institutional investors, such as pension and mutual funds, not individuals.
A Vertex spokesman, Zach Barber, said the company had no plans to rescind the retention awards, approved by the board last year.
“It’s an advisory vote,” he said. “The board will take this into account as it reviews the compensation process going forward.”
Company officials disclosed the results of the vote, but did not discuss them at a low-key annual shareholders meeting Thursday at Vertex headquarters that drew about 30 people, mostly directors and employees, and took about 15 minutes.
After the meeting, Leiden declined to talk about the shareholder vote. In an April interview, he defended the retention bonuses as critical to preventing talented executives from defecting to other companies in the Boston area’s booming biotech industry.
Vertex investors followed the advice of management by rejecting a resolution proposed by the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust of Ann Arbor, Mich. It sought to require Vertex to report to stockowners on the risks from a potential backlash against high drug prices.
The company, which has priced its current cystic fibrosis drug at more than $300,000 annually, is expected to charge hundreds of thousands of dollars a year per patient if the FDA approves its new combination therapy. Critics have said the retention bonuses could give executives an incentive to price the drug high.
“Vertex should be providing enough information to investors about the structure of their incentive program to allow investors concerned about unsustainable drug prices to determine the extent to which a compensation program design contributes to decisions that are not in the company’s long-term interests,” Cambria Allen, corporate governance director for the UAW retiree trust, told the annual meeting.
Analysts have projected that Vertex will generate billions in sales and profits in the coming years as its medicine, called Orkambi, hits the marketplace — initially for about 8,500 Americans, but eventually for about half of the 30,000 Americans and 70,000 people worldwide who suffer from the most common form of the lung disease.
Vertex stock has soared in anticipation of FDA approval, appreciating by 75 percent over the past year. The share price gained 2 cents, to $126.94, on Thursday.
While there was no debate on compensation at the annual meeting and Leiden spoke only to introduce board members, one independent shareholder who attended said that she voted in favor of the pay packages.
“I think we’re in a competitive market,” said stockowner Nancy P. James, who owns an insurance agency in Concord. “Vertex’s [financial] results speak for themselves, and we thank management for that. I’m not here to dispute the pay. I work hard, and I have no complaint against the 1 percent.” | The shareholders have spoken at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. And even though they’ve prospered from the company’s stock surge, they don’t like how much top executives are paid. | 34.28125 | 0.71875 | 1.40625 | medium | low | abstractive |
http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-statue-removed-walt-disney-world | http://web.archive.org/web/20150710200830id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/bill-cosby-statue-removed-walt-disney-world | Disney Removes Statue of Comedian : People.com | 20150710200830 | Bill Cosby statue at Walt Disney World
07/08/2015 AT 07:55 AM EDT
Walt Disney World is the latest institution to distance itself from
after his legal drama spiraled Monday when
revealed he gave drugs to a woman with the intent of having sex with her.
The statue of the comedian's bust, located within Disney's Hollywood Studios at the resort near Orlando, Florida, was removed Tuesday night after the park closed, a
confirmed to NBC News. The section of the resort also houses tributes to television celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and Lucille Ball.
with Cosby after the incriminating information became public include
, which announced Monday it will no longer air reruns of
. Ben's Chili Bowl restaurant in Washington, D.C., which has featured a large mural of the star and offered him a pass to eat for free,
boasted an image of him Tuesday afternoon, according to the
However, the Smithsonian Institution is standing behind a museum exhibition that relies in part on the art collection of Cosby and his wife, Camille,
Walt Disney World's move came just a day after a Pennsylvania judge unsealed court documents from a 2005 sex-assault case, in which the TV icon admitted under oath to obtaining quaaludes and giving them to a woman before having sex. (The document excerpts were made public at the request of the Associated Press.)
The case, brought by former Temple University employee
, was settled in 2006 for an undisclosed amount.
There is now an open criminal investigation against the actor, and
who have come forward in recent months with
against Cosby said they will pursue new action, ABC News reported.
Cosby's lawyer, Marty Singer, said
in November after multiple accusers spoke out against his client: "This is utter nonsense. People coming out of nowhere with this sort of inane yarn is what happens in a media-driven feeding frenzy." | The statue removal came a day after unsealed court documents from 2005 revealed he obtained drugs to give a woman with the intent of having sex | 14.192308 | 0.884615 | 3.961538 | low | medium | mixed |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/07/10/with-consumer-demand-soft-printing-goes-back-school/HuqCESWQZnvqgsBAREfN6K/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150712072145id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2015/07/10/with-consumer-demand-soft-printing-goes-back-school/HuqCESWQZnvqgsBAREfN6K/story.html | With consumer demand soft, 3-D printing goes back to school | 20150712072145 | A few years ago, 3-D printers were touted as the hottest new gadget by the technology world’s early adopters.
Regular people, it turns out, were less excited by the idea of a device that could turn gobs of melted plastic into toys, art, and spare parts for their broken appliances.
The gap between startup hype and market reality has been best reflected by New York-based MakerBot. Founded in 2009, the company offered one of the first mass-market desktop 3-D printers and raised $10 million from venture investors including Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos.
In 2013, MakerBot was acquired by industrial prototyping company Stratasys Ltd. for about $400 million. But earlier this year, after reporting that sales of the consumer-friendly devices were slower than expected, Stratasys wrote down the value of MakerBot by $194 million.
Stratasys also shut down its MakerBot retail storefronts, including one on Boston’s tony Newbury Street, and appointed a new chief executive of the subsidiary, Jonathan Jaglom, to help turn it around.
Jaglom was in Boston this week as part of a 22-state “listening tour” of large MakerBot customers, meant to help him refocus the company on more lucrative markets, particularly education.
MakerBot is hoping to follow a pattern established in the personal computer era, when schools and libraries installed desktop computers several years before most consumers brought one home. “We see that analogy taking place also in the 3-D printing space,” Jaglom said.
MakerBot’s products are typical of the 3-D printers that have emerged over the past several years. Starting with a software mockup, the printer head traces the form of a physical object while laying down tiny layers of melted plastic, which harden at room temperature.
Industrial designers and engineers in fields like auto manufacturing have used heavy-duty versions of these machines for years to create prototypes and models. These printers can cost more than $300,000.
Makerbot offers several sizes, selling from less than $1,500 to more than $6,000 — prices that were thought to be appealing to consumers who regularly spend thousands of dollars on laptops and high-definition TVs.
In 2014, Stratasys reported that MakerBot accounted for $66.5 million of the company’s revenue of about $750 million. But sales have fallen, likely because an early community of enthusiasts became saturated before a general consumer market could develop, said Sophia Vargas, an industry analyst with Forrester Research.
“I think their focus on education makes a lot of sense,” she said.
MakerBot’s renewed focus on professional and research markets is similar to the approach taken by some of its competitors, including Somerville-based Formlabs, which has generally shunned a broad consumer market in favor of selling to professionals in art and design fields.
One of MakerBot’s biggest bets in the education market is a mass-installation model that ties together 30 or more printers in a network.
One of the first customers is the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which paid less than $300,000 for about 50 printers of various sizes, along with the software and networking gear to connect the devices to computers across campus.
The MakerBot center is set up at the school’s library, and officials with UMass and MakerBot are testing the connections and working out the kinks before a broad opening in the fall. Eventually, everyone on campus and perhaps people from the community will be able to access the machines, university spokeswoman Carol Connare said.
Some can’t wait that long. Alex Schreyer, a construction technology professor, said he’s been called on to help colleagues from across campus try out the printers — art historians wanting to replicate a sculpture, or biologists who needed a large-scale model of mole paws for their class.
“It’s great to have them here,” Schreyer said. “We can go there and, within a few hours, actually get something printed. And students are always last-minute, as you know.” | 3-D printing heads to the academy after finding consumer demand too soft. | 59.076923 | 0.538462 | 0.846154 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/02/your-own-private-jet-for-4.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150712161538id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/02/your-own-private-jet-for-4.html | Your own private jet for $4 | 20150712161538 | JetSuite, the California-based light-jet operator, is running a special promotion for July 4 offering the $4 planes (yes, a whole plane) for travel on Saturday. There are catches of course: you won't know where you're flying until the night before or even the morning of July 4. And you'll have to be lucky, since only six or seven planes could be available.
Read MoreRussian billionaire builds largest sailing yacht
But for those who want to their own plane, plush leather seats and free-Wi-Fi this holiday, it may be worth the trouble.
"It's the ultimate fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants experience," said a spokeswoman.
Here's how it works: Customers have to sign up on JetSuite's website and list their top picks for departure and destination airports. JetSuite will then post its empty leg flights—or flights scheduled with no passengers booked—online on Friday, July 3 for travel on July 4. It will also send customers an email notification and customers who respond to the email notification first will get the flight.
Read MoreThese celebrity skinflints are stiffing their kids
Last year JetSuite had six planes available for the deal. The company won't know this year's total until the end of Thursday. The $4 pays for the entire plane, which can seat between four and six people depending on the type of plane available. JetSuite operates Phenom 100s and Citation CJ3s.
Examples of routes that could be offered include Teterboro in New Jersey to Miami or Palm Beach in Florida; Aspen, Colorado, to Teterboro; or Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.
The company's "daily deals" last-minute flights usually go for around $530 or $550.
Another hitch: The $4 plane is only for one way—passengers will have to figure out their own way home. | Talk about Fourth of July sales! JetSuite has the ultimate jet-setter bargain: a private jet for $4. But there are a few hitches. | 12.533333 | 0.633333 | 0.9 | low | low | abstractive |
http://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/27/adult-stars-taking-health-matters-into-their-own-hands.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150712211803id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/27/adult-stars-taking-health-matters-into-their-own-hands.html | Adult stars taking health matters into their own hands | 20150712211803 | As an industry, adult entertainment is adept at circling the wagons.
Historically, any porn-related health-care crisis has performers, studios, agents and trade organizations reading from the same script: expressing sadness that someone has contracted an illness but quickly following up with a rundown of the industry's safety protocols and a notation that the condition was almost certainly contracted off the set.
Last year was rough for porn in terms of health, though. After four confirmed cases of HIV and three moratoriums that pretty much shut down the industry, both performers and studios say the system might not be as strong as the industry portrays it.
"I've never seen so many positive HIV diagnoses in all of the time I've been in the business," said Scott Taylor, president of the adult film studio New Sensations. "The more bullets you shoot at a target, the more you're likely to hit it. The more this continues to happen, the more I'm concerned this will spread in the industry."
(Read more: The economics of being an independent porn star)
The Free Speech Coalition, the trade group for the adult entertainment industry, counters that last year's revelations prove the effectiveness of its program. Adult stars are tested every two weeks for HIV and a number of other sexually transmitted diseases.
"What we found and know is the four performers who tested positive were infected outside of the industry," said Diane Duke, executive director of the coalition. "We have the most rigorous testing panel you will find anywhere. Our performers test every two weeks. ... Performers, in their private lives, may contract HIV ... but when it happens in our industry, it gets a lot more attention."
As a result of safety concerns, though, more stars—especially in porn's upper echelon—are taking matters into their own hands. None is more public about it than Lisa Ann, a 23-year industry veteran.
Last summer, Lisa Ann announced via a series of tweets that she had been booked to work with someone who she discovered had not been cleared to work by the industry's self-regulated health-screening service. She did not name the performer but accused him of attempting to work with hepatitis C.
(Read more: Adult toymakers lust for 'Fifty Shades' movie)
"This is to protect myself and my peers," she wrote. "This is also to remind the evil doings of 'Breaking the Trust' they will be called out. Come on people, I love this business, I will always fight for it, But it is scarier than ever with the lack of trust. Putting others' health [at] risk to make a bit of money is unacceptable."
At the 2014 Adult Entertainment Expo, Lisa Ann said that while the performer in question was pursuing legal action against her, she has otherwise received nothing but positive feedback from the adult community.
She did not directly identify the actor in the tweets but later acknowledged she was referring to Alex Gonz.
Replying to the allegations in October on a conference call set up by his agent, Gonz said he does have trace levels of hep C in his blood but that medical experts had told him those were so low that he has never been infectious.
(Read more: Building the iTunes of porn)
During that same call, he announced that he would no longer be a performer in adult films.
"I've had it since I was born," Gonz said."I've never put anyone's life at risk by doing anything harmful or dangerous. ... I never lied on or tampered with any test result, nor have I ever concealed or deceived the industry with any test result that could negatively impact the thousands of talented performers I am proud to call my colleagues. I have consistently been cleared to perform by all of the testing facilities I have ever been tested at, and never been given any reason to believe otherwise,"
Chanel Preston, another prominent performer, believes the safety system works as well as it can without mandating condoms, but that actors and actresses are concerned and yet feel powerless.
"It's hard, because we're putting a lot of our faith in the Free Speech Coalition," she said. "As performers, we want some rights and some say in what's happening. ... People say we do because we are the ones who make the scenes, but it's really hard to have a voice in this industry."
(Read more: Is the porn industry overcoming its bitcoin shyness?)
Some stars say they're taking extra steps to ensure their safety these days. Lisa Ann pays for a fresh round of tests for her co-stars to ensure they're clean. And performer Bonnie Rotten says she limits the number of male performers she's willing to work with. | After a rash of HIV cases, adult performers have taken steps ranging from extra testing to outing fellow actors. | 45.190476 | 0.761905 | 0.952381 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/01/25/02/16/rebels-launch-assault-on-ukraine-port | http://web.archive.org/web/20150713123827id_/http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/01/25/02/16/rebels-launch-assault-on-ukraine-port | Rebels launch major rocket assault on crucial Ukraine port | 20150713123827 | At least 27 people have been killed in the coastal Ukraine city of Mariupol. (AAP)
A top pro-Russian rebel has announced the launch of a major offensive on Ukraine's government-held port of Mariupol, confirming responsibility for rocket fire that killed at least 27 people.
"Today, we launched an offensive against Mariupol," Russia's RIA Novosti news agency quoted Donetsk separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko as saying.
Residents pass by burning houses in Mariupol, Ukraine where at least 27 people have been killed. (AAP)
"This will be the best tribute possible for all our dead."
The rocket attacks were launched overnight after Russian-backed rebels rejected peace talks, the Mariupol mayor's office said.
"The shelling killed 27 people and wounded more than 90 people," Oleg Kalinin, a spokesman for the mayor's office said, adding that the figure could rise as authorities conduct search operations.
The office said several buildings went up in flames and cars were torched in the attack that saw Grad rockets smash into a packed residential district.
Do you have any news photos or videos? | Pro-Russian rebels have confirmed they have launched a major assault on the Ukrainian port of Mariupol where rocket fire has killed at least 27 people. | 7.821429 | 0.857143 | 2.5 | low | medium | mixed |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/06/05/computer-sciences-paying-settle-sec-fraud-charges/wMcvULk7Hd6rxMDw7EQaBP/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150716121436id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/06/05/computer-sciences-paying-settle-sec-fraud-charges/wMcvULk7Hd6rxMDw7EQaBP/story.html | Computer Sciences paying $190M to settle SEC fraud charges | 20150716121436 | WASHINGTON — Computer Sciences Corp. is paying a $190 million penalty and a former CEO is returning $3.7 million in compensation to resolve federal regulators’ charges of accounting fraud involving an important foreign contract.
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced the settlement Friday with the big information technology company. Computer Sciences, based in Falls Church, Virginia, neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing in the settlement of civil charges.
The SEC also brought charges against eight former finance executives in the company’s international businesses. Five of the executives agreed to settle the charges; the other three are contesting them in federal court in Manhattan.
The SEC said Computer Sciences and the executives improperly inflated financial results in 2010 and 2011, and concealed the company’s losses on a multibillion-dollar contract with Britain’s National Health Service. | A former CEO is also returning $3.7 million in compensation to resolve federal regulators’ charges of accounting fraud. | 7.65 | 1 | 10.7 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/06/08/iron-mountain-sweetens-its-offer-buy-recall/N0wwhZDaLiIrwskSZKwKIM/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150716171520id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/06/08/iron-mountain-sweetens-its-offer-buy-recall/N0wwhZDaLiIrwskSZKwKIM/story.html | Iron Mountain sweetens its offer to buy Recall | 20150716171520 | Iron Mountain Inc. increased its bid for Recall Holdings Ltd. a second time, adding a cash component to a deal that will value Recall at $2.6 billion including debt.
Boston-based document storage company Iron Mountain will offer 50 cents in addition to 0.1722 shares for each Recall share, it said in a statement Monday. Recall investors will also have a choice of accepting $6.49 a share in cash, subject to a cap of about $172 million, with preferential access to the cash pool for the first 5,000 shares owned by each shareholder.
Recall had been seeking improved terms after a fall in Iron Mountain’s shares cut the value of its offer for Recall, a data protection company with its headquarters in Atlanta, people with knowledge of the matter said last week. Iron Mountain offered investors the same equity ratio, which was equal to about $6 when the takeover was announced April 28, after its original bid was rejected in December.
Shareholders of Recall will own about 21 percent of the combined company and two current Recall directors will be appointed to its board, according to the statement. The deal is expected to deliver about $155 million in cost savings and has been unanimously recommended by Recall’s board in the absence of a superior proposal.
The company will have a secondary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange after the deal, it said in the statement. Iron Mountain was advised by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., while Recall was advised by Bank of America Corp. and UBS Group AG.
Recall rejected an initial $1.68 billion takeover offer from Boston-based Iron Mountain in December, saying the price was too low when savings from the combination were taken into account. Recall was spun off from Brambles Ltd., a Sydney-based supplier of cargo pallets, in 2013. | Iron Mountain added a cash component to a deal that will value Recall at $2.6 billion including debt. | 17.2 | 0.95 | 14.65 | medium | high | extractive |
http://www.people.com/article/countess-luann-de-lesseps-girl-code | http://web.archive.org/web/20150717231452id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/countess-luann-de-lesseps-girl-code | Countess LuAnn de Lesseps' Girl Code Rules : People.com | 20150717231452 | 07/16/2015 AT 03:00 PM EDT
If there's one thing in life women of any age should never do, it's break the "Girl Code."
And to spread that awareness,
called "Girl Code (Don't Be So Uncool)" on
The Countess tells PEOPLE the song was inspired by the women on the show: "This is about girls who steal boys from other girls," says de Lesseps, 50. "It's an anthem for all women everywhere to have each other's backs. It's really multigenerational from a young age to women who are much older."
To educate women beyond the lyrics of her third single, de Lesseps shares seven rules a woman should never break:
"If you want to keep your girlfriends, always know when it's appropriate to flirt."
"It means you share the bill – and always have each other's back."
"Never bash a girl's career. And always be honest when a friend asks, 'How does this look?' "
"Don't gossip about each other and never speak of nips and tucks."
"This is so prevalent in the television business: If you or a friend has an 'in' with a designer, you should always share that."
"Don't be a friend stealer! It drives me crazy when a girlfriend steals another girlfriend."
"They take forever to grow out." | The Real Housewives of New York City star talks about the inspiration behind her third single, "Girl Code (Don't Be So Uncool)" | 10.178571 | 0.678571 | 5.035714 | low | low | mixed |
http://www.people.com/article/alex-trebek-rihanna-umbrella-jeopardy | http://web.archive.org/web/20150719004858id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/alex-trebek-rihanna-umbrella-jeopardy | Alex Trebek Speaks Lyrics to Rihanna's "Umbrella" : People.com | 20150719004858 | 07/16/2015 AT 12:50 AM EDT
Lesson learned: The internet gets a kick out of
speaking the lyrics to popular songs.
host scored a viral hit when he expressively song-spoke his way through some of the lyrics to
. On Tuesday, it happened again, more or less – a clue had him reading the lyrics to
2007 hit "Umbrella," and now the clip is everywhere.
So what gives? Is it just the novelty of hearing Trebek's clear and precise diction enunciating words we'd never expect to hear in the context of
? Is it the pride pop fans can take in knowing that Trebek didn't quite nail the pronunciation of the "eh eh eh" part of the song?
All we can say is that we're absolutely fine with Trebek taking on more Top 40 hits whenever the mood strikes. | Alex Trebek spoke the lyrics to Rihanna's "Umbrella" on Tuesday, and the internet is eating it up | 7.857143 | 0.809524 | 1.571429 | low | medium | mixed |
http://www.people.com/article/bill-clinton-granddaughter-charlotte-kids-concert-nyc | http://web.archive.org/web/20150719025529id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/bill-clinton-granddaughter-charlotte-kids-concert-nyc | Bill Clinton Takes Granddaughter Charlotte to Kids Concert in New York City : People.com | 20150719025529 | Chelsea Clinton and family leaving Lenox Hill Hospital with baby Charlotte Mezvinsky
07/17/2015 AT 01:05 PM EDT
and making public appearances as a former President of the United States of America, but that doesn't mean
is too busy to squeeze in some granddaughter bonding time.
The former leader of the free world was spotted taking granddaughter
to a children's concert in Manhattan's Madison Square Park Thursday morning.
Clinton, 68, could be seen holding on to baby Charlotte, 9½ months, as the duo bopped along to the music of Songs for Seeds, a music class put on by
, an indoor play space mom
"They were dancing along to the music, moving to the beat," says an observer. "He has the most present, positive energy, and he was exuding that to her. He seemed like a very, very happy grandfather."
The sweet outing comes just after Clinton gushed about his role as grandpa during a Texas event alongside another former president and current grandfather:
"When we started this program, he said to me that when you becomes a grandfather, you fall in love all over again," Clinton said while sitting next to Bush at the graduation of the inaugural class of the
last week. "And that's what happened."
He also got giddy talking about how Charlotte reached a milestone that lit up his life.
"[Last night] my granddaughter – 9½ months – for the first time when I walked to her room, [Hillary] said "Oh, thereâs your granddad," and she turned around and pointed at me," said Clinton. "That was worth more than anything anybody has said or done." | "He seemed like a very, very happy grandfather," says an eyewitness | 22.133333 | 0.933333 | 5.6 | medium | medium | mixed |
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20150717-the-latest-billionaire-toy | http://web.archive.org/web/20150719071414id_/http://www.bbc.com:80/capital/story/20150717-the-latest-billionaire-toy | The ultra-rich dive into a brand new obsession | 20150719071414 | Tucked away in an industrial park in Vero Beach, Florida, 34-year-old engineer John Ramsay is painstakingly drafting a design for a submarine that will be able to reach the five deepest points in the ocean.
The catch? It's a personal vessel for a billionaire.
“It’s going to be a world- or certainly industry-changing vehicle,” Ramsay said. The $25m, two-man submarine will take six months to design and another two years to build by Triton Submarines. “Nobody has built a deep-going [personal] vehicle that has been used again and again, but that’s what we are trying to do.”
His client is one of several who see the ocean depths as a new playground. A new breed of billionaires is tapping into their inner Jacques Cousteau — the famous undersea explorer — and they're willing to pay big. With pricetags starting at a $3m, and requiring a yacht to park on, these personal submarines are not only for adventure, but also for their owners to help advance research and exploration in ways that weren’t dreamed about a decade ago.
“Part of this trend is that it is cool to have a submarine and part of it is that a private person can support research with it,” said Charles Kohnen, owner of submarine builder SEAmagine Hydrospace Corp in California. “This is not just an effort to go where no man has gone before. This is going where no man has gone before — and come back to tell about it.”
Still nascent, the personal submarine industry comprises four companies that account for just 20 to 30 privately owned and manned subs across the globe, according to Kohnen, an early pioneer who sold his first sub in 2000.
These sub owners frequently offer charters, at a price often up to $30,000 a day. Some of these vessels have been rented out by other billionaires looking for a new holiday adventure, while others have been lent to research groups to discover new sea life or explore shipwrecks.
Few research organisations can, after all, afford to buy a submarine, let alone pay for upkeep and maintenance or cover the cost of the expensive ship that's required to transport it out to sea. So, teaming up with a private owner has proven to be one promising strategy.
In 2013, researchers travelling in a privately owned submarine off the coast of Japan filmed a giant squid in its natural habitat for the first time. And, in March of this year, a team using submarines owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen found the Japanese battleship Musashi, which had been sunk off the coast of the Philippines in World War II.
Sometimes, however, the thrill of discovery lies purely with the submarine owner. In 2012, filmmaker James Cameron broke a record for the deepest solo dive when he used a sub he owned to explore the Mariana Trench, the deepest spot in the oceans, located in the western Pacific. Cameron’s vehicle wasn’t designed for multiple trips into the extreme pressure of deep water and was retired after its only trip.
Most private subs reach depths of 1,000m or less. The biggest construction challenge remains the compartment that holds passengers, which become compromised when under pressure at depth. Triton’s subs include a 6.5-inch-thick acrylic passenger bubble made in Germany at a cost of about $1m. To go deeper, the sub must be far more durable, including a sphere of ultra-thick glass that could cost four or five times as much, Ramsay said.
Just how effective these private owners can be at research or exploration is unclear, said George Bass, professor emeritus at the Texas A&M University Nautical Archaeology Program. Bass is one of the world’s most prolific hunters of shipwrecks, especially in the Mediterranean. Using a SEAmagine submarine off the coast of Turkey, he once found 14 wrecks in a month.
But Bass doubts that private owners could have the same kind of luck. “It’s possible [that private sub owners] could stumble on a shipwreck or a new discovery,” Bass said. “But it takes a lot of research and knowledge to make that happen.”
In the name of science
In Costa Rica, a submarine named DeepSee is being used by adventure travellers, researchers, and scientists for dives predominantly around Cocos Island, about 350 miles off the mainland. With its unique cross currents, the water surrounding the islands is rich with rare coral and marine life, from crustaceans to whale sharks.
DeepSee’s owner, an eponymous private company, allows researchers from the University of Costa Rica to take the sub down for free, said operations manager Shmulik Blum, and they sometimes find new sea life never seen before.
Two years ago, the Costa Rican researchers discovered an entire new family of coral, the kind of discovery that hadn’t been made in 40 years, Blum said. The new, soft coral is in waters so deep that it never sees light and lacks any pigment. Using DeepSee’s robotic arm, researchers scooped up a sample that they later analysed in the lab.
“Usually, the lack of access to waters this deep limits the ability to learn about it,” Blum said. “Once we can get down there, it gives us access to an entirely new world.”
Blum was speaking by phone from DeepSee’s office in the small port of Puntarenas. Hours later, he and his submersible team would be making the day and a half journey to the Cocos Island for a new set of dives. “Maybe we’ll find something new this time too,” he said. “You never know.”
To comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. | The latest billionaire playground is somewhere you'd never expect. | 102.818182 | 0.636364 | 0.636364 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2015/07/16/album-review-galactic-into-deep/9u3m3ogr8gWxoecSMejhWN/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150721000612id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/arts/music/2015/07/16/album-review-galactic-into-deep/9u3m3ogr8gWxoecSMejhWN/story.html | Galactic, ‘Into the Deep’ | 20150721000612 | New Orleans party band Galactic has hit on a smart formula by releasing albums that showcase multiple vocalists spanning numerous genres, with jammy instrumentals providing extra sauce. Its newest dish of sophisticated gumbo features Macy Gray on the title track, JJ Grey of Mofro on the Neville Brothers-like “Higher and Higher,” and the sassy Ms. Charm Taylor on the Amy Winehouse-style “Right On.” The legendary Mavis Staples brings a soulful Stax/Volt feel to the breakup song “Does It Really Make a Difference,” and Boston’s own Ryan Mont-bleau stars on the funky “Domino” (not the Van Morrison song). Galactic backs each act with professional, jazz-influenced ease and, on some songs, a hedonistic, dance-rock pulse a la Prince, all the while keeping its Mardi Gras flavor. The instrumentals are mostly solid as well, from the organ riffs that spice “Long Live the Borgne” to the brass-band ambience of “Sugar Doosie.” Only “Buck 77” doesn’t work, hampered by a self-indulgent jam; otherwise this is an adult party record with a lot to recommend it. (Out Friday) | Having struck a winning formula by mixing star singers and jammy instrumentals, NOLA funk-soul band Galactic keeps the good times rolling on its latest LP. | 7.827586 | 0.482759 | 0.689655 | low | low | abstractive |
http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/07/29/01/57/giant-panda-celebrates-37th-birthday | http://web.archive.org/web/20150729123251id_/http://www.9news.com.au:80/world/2015/07/29/01/57/giant-panda-celebrates-37th-birthday | Giant panda Jia Jia celebrates 37th birthday in Hong Kong | 20150729123251 | Giant panda Jia Jia tastes her birthday cake made with ice and vegetables at Ocean Park in Hong Kong. (AAP)
Captivity's oldest ever giant panda has tasted a vegetable ice cake and, of course, bamboo in celebration of her 37th birthday.
Jia Jia was recognised on Tuesday as holding two Guinness World Records, the oldest ever and the oldest living giant panda. Her mate, An An, also marked a birthday, his 29th.
Born in 1978, Jia Jia was sent to Hong Kong Ocean Park with An An in 1999. They were given by China to mark the second anniversary of Hong Kong's handover.
Jia Jia has had six babies and four are still living.
The park's veterinary service director, Paolo Martelli, says typical panda life expectancy is about 20 years and only eight of about 400 living in captivity today are older than 30.
So, he says, "it's quite exceptional to reach such an old age for a panda".
Giant panda Jia Jia munches on some bamboo on her birthday. (AAP)
Jia Jia's age equals about 110 for humans. She suffers high blood pressure and arthritic pain, though her health is stable.
Do you have any news photos or videos? | Hong Kong's giant panda Jia Jia has become the oldest panda in captivity, celebrating her 37th birthday. | 12.25 | 0.9 | 2.6 | low | medium | mixed |
http://www.people.com/article/obama-huckabee-trump-ridiculous-sad | http://web.archive.org/web/20150730013922id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/obama-huckabee-trump-ridiculous-sad | Obama Calls Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump Ridiculous and Sad, Is Correct : People.com | 20150730013922 | President Obama in Ethiopia on Monday
07/27/2015 AT 01:40 PM EDT
had seemed content to let the
On Monday in Ethiopia, Obama used a question at a press conference with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to swipe back at the recent rhetoric of GOP leaders and presidential candidates, calling it all "ridiculous if it weren't so sad."
Asked specifically about criticism by former Arkansas governor
– who alluded to the Holocaust when he said that the president's international nuclear deal with Iran would "take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven" – Obama said on Monday that issues of war and peace are too grave for Republicans to "play fast and loose that way."
"The particular comments of Mr. Huckabee are, I think, part of just a general pattern that we've seen that ... would be considered ridiculous if it weren't so sad," Obama said.
"We've had a sitting senator call [Secretary of State] John Kerry Pontius Pilate. We've had a sitting senator who also happens to be running for president suggest that I'm the leading state sponsor of terrorism. These are leaders in the Republican Party."
That was Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas who likened Kerry to the Roman governor who turned Jesus over for crucifixion, and presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas who said that, under the Iran deal, "the Obama administration will become the leading financier of terrorism against America in the world."
Obama suggested this may all be a ploy to pull the spotlight away from the current GOP presidential front-runner, businessman
"When you get rhetoric like this, maybe it gets attention and maybe this is just an effort to push Mr. Trump out of the headlines, but it's not the kind of leadership that is needed for America right now," Obama said.
"In 18 months, I'm turning over the keys [to the White House]. I want to make sure I'm turning over the keys to somebody who is serious about the serious problems the country faces and the world faces."
After the president's news conference, Huckabee released a statement to the media saying, "What's 'ridiculous and sad' is that President Obama does not take Iran's repeated threats seriously. For decades, Iranian leaders have pledged to 'destroy,' 'annihilate' and 'wipe Israel off the map' with a 'big Holocaust.' 'Never again' will be the policy of my administration and I will stand with our ally Israel to prevent the terrorists in Tehran from achieving their own stated goal of another Holocaust." | The president says he wants to turn over keys to the White House to "somebody who's serious" | 25.45 | 0.85 | 1.55 | medium | medium | mixed |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/07/06/commodities-fall-most-since-november-china-greek-woes-mount/DYoS2SZCudzi17cWvIgkJO/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150731170201id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/07/06/commodities-fall-most-since-november-china-greek-woes-mount/DYoS2SZCudzi17cWvIgkJO/story.html | Oil price drops amid economic woes | 20150731170201 | NEW YORK — Commodities tumbled the most since November as industrial metals fell to the lowest in almost six years and crude oil had the biggest decline in five months after mounting turmoil in China and Greece suggested demand will weaken.
The Bloomberg Commodity Index of 22 raw materials fell 2.7 percent to close at 99.11, the biggest drop since Nov. 28. The London Metal Exchange’s gauge of six prices dropped 2 percent to 2,558.3, the lowest since July 21, 2009. West Texas Intermediate plunged 7.7 percent, the most since Feb. 4.
US-traded Chinese stocks plummeted the most in four years as the government’s latest support measures failed to stem the rout in mainland equity markets. Greece’s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, was given hours to come up with a plan to keep his country in the euro and stave off economic disaster.
“Investors will be thinking ‘safety first’ ” following news in China and Greece, Ric Spooner, a chief analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney, said in a note.
China, the world’s top consumer of energy and metals, suspended initial public offerings and brokerages pledged to buy shares in measures aimed at halting the steepest three-week stock plunge since 1992.
The Bloomberg commodity gauge has dropped 5 percent this year.
On the LME, copper for delivery in three months plunged 2.9 percent, the biggest decline since Jan. 14. Nickel fell 2.5 percent.
“The China risk now looks to be becoming a bigger issue than Greece,” Will Yun, commodity analyst at Hyundai Futures Corp. in Seoul, said. “The issue is the stock bubble on top of cooling demand.”
WTI futures for August delivery fell $4.40 to $52.53 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. US gasoline and heating oil also slumped.
“We’re getting our summer correction, and I don’t know where it will stop,” said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research in Winchester, Mass.
“We could soon be looking at a $50-a-barrel ceiling.” | Commodities tumbled the most since November as industrial metals fell to the lowest in almost six years and crude oil had the biggest decline in five months after mounting turmoil in China and Greece eroded prospects for demand. | 10.179487 | 0.948718 | 29.769231 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/24/cable-providers-must-adapt-to-cord-cutting-frontier-exec.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150801224755id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/24/cable-providers-must-adapt-to-cord-cutting-frontier-exec.html | Cable providers must adapt to cord cutting: Frontier Exec | 20150801224755 | Traditional cable companies must adapt to cord cutting or they'll watch their business slip away, Frontier Communications' Maggie Wilderotter said Friday.
Content companies are already starting to buckle and package content for the smaller bundles that some cable and Internet service providers are now promoting, but the changes won't stop there, said Wilderotter, Frontier's executive chairwoman.
"I think you'll also see new ways of content being developed on the Internet that will create the new channels of tomorrow, that'll be really geared around [intellectual property] and not necessarily about a traditional linear video play," she told CNBC's "Squawk Box"
"We actually launched over-the-top-type TV programming several years ago because we knew that there was going to be a change. Customers don't want to buy 500 channels anymore and only watch 12."
Read MoreUS judge says Internet streaming service should be treated like cable
Old line players must move beyond their traditional business, or else someone will take that business away from them, she said. She pointed to Comcast as an example of a company that had pivoted to embrace a content-focused strategy. The cable provider purchased a minority portion of CNBC parent NBCUniversal in 2011 and took full control of the media company in 2013.
"They've gotten very formidable in content, where 10 years ago they weren't in content," she said.
Verizon Communications, which purchased AOL in May, and AT&T have been formidable competitors over the years, as well, she said.
AT&T's purchase of DirecTV will make the company the dominant player in video, she said. The Federal Communications Commission is expected to approve the deal Friday. | Cable companies must adapt to cord cutting or they'll watch their business slip away, Frontier Communications' Maggie Wilderotter says. | 14.347826 | 1 | 19.26087 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.9news.com.au/technology/2015/07/21/06/40/australian-telescope-to-be-used-in-100-million-dollar-search-for-alien-life | http://web.archive.org/web/20150802132344id_/http://www.9news.com.au/technology/2015/07/21/06/40/australian-telescope-to-be-used-in-100-million-dollar-search-for-alien-life | Are we alone? Australian telescope to be used in $100 million search for alien life | 20150802132344 | Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking speak at the launch of Breakthrough Initiatives in London, a $100-million project aimed at detecting alien signals. (AAP)
The Parkes telescope in NSW will be used in a Russian billionaire’s $100 million project to scan the earth’s atmosphere for radio signals from alien civilisations.
Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking spoke at the project launch in London yesterday after 53-year-old entrepreneur Yuri Milner announced that the Breakthrough Initiatives project would use the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia in the US, and the giant Parkes telescope in rural NSW, BBC News reported.
The £64 million (A$100 million) project bills itself as the “biggest scientific search ever undertaken for signs of intelligent life beyond Earth”.
The telescope in Parkes, NSW, will be used in the Breakthrough Initiatives project. (AAP)
Hawking said humanity must be committed to finding out whether extra-terrestrial lifeforms exist.
“We are alive, we are intelligent, we must know. Somewhere in the cosmos, perhaps, intelligent life may be watching these lights of ours, aware of what they mean,” he said.
Milner, a US-based technology mogul, said the initiative used a “Silicon Valley” approach to the search for alien life.
"We are alive, we are intelligent, we must know - somewhere in the cosmos, perhaps, intelligent life may be watching these lights of ours," Stephen Hawking said at the launch. (AAP)
“Current technology gives us a real chance to answer one of humanity’s biggest questions – are we alone?” he said.
The Parkes telescope and observatory was built in 1961 and played a prominent role in relaying signals back to earth from the US manned moon landing on July 20, 1969.
Do you have any news photos or videos? | The Parkes telescope in NSW will be used in a Russian billionaire’s $100 million project to scan the earth’s atmosphere for radio signals from alien civilisations. | 12.714286 | 0.928571 | 8.357143 | low | medium | extractive |
http://fortune.com/2012/10/31/venture-capital-deals-233/ | http://web.archive.org/web/20150810002457id_/http://fortune.com:80/2012/10/31/venture-capital-deals-233/ | Venture capital deals | 20150810002457 | The Rainmaker Group, an Atlanta-based provider of profit optimization solutions for the multifamily housing and gaming and hospitality industries, has raised $33.8 million in VC funding from Norwest Venture Partners. www.letitrain.com Big Switch Networks, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based software-defined networking company, has raised $25 million in Series B funding. Redpoint Ventures led the round, and was joined by Goldman Sachs and return backers Index Ventures and Khosla Ventures. www.bigswitch.com Glassdoor Inc., a Sausalito, Calif.-based operator of an online career and jobs community, has raised $20 million in new VC funding. DAG Ventures led the round, and was joined by return backers Benchmark Capital, Sutter Hill Ventures and Battery Ventures. The company previously raised $20.2 million. www.glassdoor.com
Lumi, a provider of nutritional beauty products in China, has raised $20 million in new VC funding.ClearVue Partners led the round, and was joined by Fidelity Investments, Jafco, Capvent and return backer DCM. www.lumilady.com Thesan Pharmaceuticals, a San Diego-based developer of treatments for dermatological disorders, has raised $16 million in Series A funding co-led by Novo Ventures and Novartis Venture Funds.www.thesanpharma.com
Reflexion Health, a San Diego-based provider of physical therapy services that leverage Microsoft Kinect, has raised $4.25 million in first-round funding from the West Health Investment Fund. Helpshift, a San Francisco-based provider of mobile-enabled customer service solutions, has raised $3.2 million in seed funding co-led by True Ventures and Nexus Venture Partners. www.helpshift.com
VitaPortal, a Russian provider of online and mobile health management tools and content, has raised $2 million in Series A funding. Prostar Capital led the round, and was joined by Esther Dyson.www.vitaportal.com
Pug Pharm Productions Inc., a Vancouver-based provider of customer gamification, retention and activation solutions, has raised C$1 million in Series A funding led by Goal Holdings.www.pugpharm.com
Sign up for Dan’s daily email newsletter on deals and deal-makers: GetTermSheet.com | The Rainmaker Group, an Atlanta-based provider of profit optimization solutions for the multifamily housing and gaming and hospitality industries, has raised $33.8 million in VC funding from Norwest Venture Partners. www.letitrain.com Big Switch Networks, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based software-defined networking company, has raised $25 million in Series B funding. Redpoint Ventures led the round, and was joined by Goldman… | 4.7875 | 0.9375 | 23.8625 | low | medium | extractive |
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/31/euro-zone-inflation-for-july-steady-at-02-percent.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150810052316id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/31/euro-zone-inflation-for-july-steady-at-02-percent.html | Euro zone inflation for July steady at 0.2 percent | 20150810052316 | Sean Gallup | Getty Images
Price reductions in Berlin, Germany
May's pick-up boosted hopes that inflation was returning to the 19-country single currency zone, which dipped into deflation earlier in the year.
However, prices have failed to accelerate since May, with inflation remaining far below the ECB's target of close to 2 percent.
This will provide further impetus for the central bank to continue its 1 trillion euro ($1.1 trillion) stimulus program of asset purchases launched in March. The ECB has already signaled that this stimulus will continue well into next year.
Unemployment also held steady in June at a seasonally adjusted 11.1 percent, Eurostat reported Friday.
As expected, unemployment was highest in Greece, where over a quarter (25.6 percent) of the population were unemployed in April—the latest month for which data is available.
Click here for the latest on European markets. | Euro zone annual inflation held steady at 0.2 percent in July, far below the European Central Bank's target. | 8.285714 | 0.857143 | 1.428571 | low | medium | abstractive |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/08/10/baxalta-chief-outlines-plan-exceed-value-billion-takeover-offer/rqKXjn69hGadsw90h2WthM/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150814025228id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com:80/business/2015/08/10/baxalta-chief-outlines-plan-exceed-value-billion-takeover-offer/rqKXjn69hGadsw90h2WthM/story.html? | Baxalta chief outlines plan to exceed value of $30 billion takeover offer | 20150814025228 | Under pressure from Shire PLC’s $30 billion unsolicited takeover bid, Baxalta Inc. chief executive Ludwig N. Hantson outlined a growth plan Monday that he said would enable his company to realize the same value on its own over the next six to 12 months.
“Shire opportunistically showed up a handful of days after we began trading as a new, independent company and then went public with its offer without warning,” Hantson told investors in a call hosted by the investment bank Cowen & Co.
The Baxalta biopharma business became an independent public company when it was spun off by health care giant Baxter International Inc. last month.
Hantson said Baxalta’s board voted to reject the Shire bid, first when it was presented privately in July and again last week, because the offer “does not reflect full and fair value for our shareholders.”
Last Tuesday’s public offer from Shire, which is based in Ireland but has its senior executives in Lexington, valued Baxalta shares at a 36 percent premium over their previous day’s closing price.
The companies specialize in medicines that treat rare genetic diseases, but both want to broaden their product portfolios into other disease areas.
Baxalta’s stock rose $2.20 to $39.80 Monday, a gain of 5.8 percent. Shares of Shire climbed $1.49 to $251.33, a 0.6 percent increase.
Although not responding directly to Hantson’s comments, Shire spokeswoman Michele Galen said the company wants to open talks with Baxalta on a proposed merger. “It would be in the best interests of shareholders to move forward as soon as possible and complete a negotiated transaction, which we believe unlocks value for both Baxalta and Shire shareholders,” she said.
Stock analysts said Shire’s bid was financially attractive but the outcome uncertain. They cited antitakeover measures set last month by Baxter International when it spun off the Baxalta business. Baxter retains a 19.5 percent stake in Baxalta.
Cowen biopharma analyst Ken Cacciatore issued a report Monday calling the proposed Shire acquisition “value-creating and appropriately aggressive.” But he noted, “It does appear that there are sufficient defenses that could be enacted if the Baxalta management . . . does not want to consider the offer.” It was not immediately clear if Shire’s bid could prompt other growth-hungry drug companies to launch competing offers for Baxalta.
Hantson said Baxalta, based in Deerfield, Ill., aims to launch 20 new drugs by 2020 with potential combined sales of more than $2.5 billion. To succeed, it will lean heavily on its new research and development center in Cambridge, which is working on cancer, hematology, and immunology drugs.
It is also trying to develop so-called “biosimilars,” generic versions of existing biotech medicines.
The new Kendall Square site, led by executive vice president John J. Orloff, has hired 250 employees since last fall and plans to add at least 250 more by year’s end.
Baxalta is also collaborating with a pair of Cambridge biotechs just blocks away: Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc. on cancer therapies and Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. on biosimilars.
In his remarks to investors, Hantson sought to refute the contention by Shire chief executive Flemming Ornskov that the two companies have highly complementary portfolios.
“The nature of Shire’s interest in Baxalta is puzzling,” Hantson said, adding that Shire’s offer was “wholly inadequate as a basis to engage.” He said Baxalta has “an attractive set of franchises and it would be a shame to hand it over for a low-ball valuation.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the stake Baxter has in Baxalta. Baxter retains a 19.5 percent stake in Baxalta. | Under pressure from Shire plc’s $30 billion takeover bid, which he summarily rebuffed last week, Baxalta Inc. chief executive Ludwig N. Hantson outlined a growth plan Monday that he said would enable his company to realize the same value on its own in the next six to 12 months. | 13.074074 | 0.962963 | 16.111111 | low | high | extractive |
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/05/star-wars-gives-walt-disney-a-100-year-plan-rentrak.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150814165639id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/05/star-wars-gives-walt-disney-a-100-year-plan-rentrak.html | Star Wars gives Walt Disney a ‘100-year plan’: Rentrak | 20150814165639 | Having grossed over $1.27 billion in box offices worldwide, "Frozen" does not appear to be slowing down, he said.
Looking at Rentrak's small screen analytics, Dergarabedian said "Frozen" had generated around $300 million on DVD and Blu-ray sales. He added that its power remains, noting that for 69 out of the 71 weeks it has been in the home video marketplace, the film has been in the top 50 performers.
"With the sequel coming up, certainly that's a big deal for them, that's a franchise that will bear fruit for a very long time. There's also merchandising potential as well."
Along with these films, "Inside Out," the Marvel franchise and Pixar, Dergarabedian said the overall picture for Disney—on both big and small screen—"looks very bright indeed." | The forthcoming "Star Wars" movie could be even more magical for media giant Disney than its blockbuster “Frozen,” according to one analyst. | 5.857143 | 0.392857 | 0.392857 | low | low | abstractive |
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/12/as-oil-prices-fall-banks-serving-the-energy-industry-brace-for-a-jolt.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150816065629id_/http://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/12/as-oil-prices-fall-banks-serving-the-energy-industry-brace-for-a-jolt.html | As Oil Prices Fall, Banks Serving the Energy Industry Brace for a Jolt | 20150816065629 | "It's been a hot industry, probably a little too hot," said Dick Evans, chief executive of Cullen/Frost Bankers of Texas, which has a relatively sizable energy practice. "But it is not time to panic. We have been in the game a long time. I am comfortable with what we have been doing."
There is a flip side to lower oil prices that helps the banks, or at least those with large consumer businesses. The less cash consumers have to spend filling up their gas tanks or heating their homes, the more emboldened they may feel to sign up for a credit card or take out a mortgage.
Read MoreGas slump fuels tax hike talk
"As consumers have more money in their pocket, surely that helps Wells Fargo," the chief executive of that bank, John G. Stumpf, said at a financial services conference last month. "I would say net-net this is a good thing for the country."
Still, if oil prices remain near $50 a barrel for long, economists and industry analysts expect a sharp deceleration in production this year, idling energy bankers and cutting into their lucrative fees.
Two of the banks that may be the hardest hit by lower investment-banking fees are among the biggest. Wells Fargo derived about 15 percent of its investment banking fee revenue last year from the oil and gas industry, while at Citigroup, the business accounted for roughly 12 percent, according to the data provider Dealogic.
At some of the larger banks in Canada, a slowdown in fees could be even more pronounced. At Scotiabank, about 35 percent of its investment banking revenue came from oil and gas companies last year.
And Wall Street firms that financed energy deals may now have trouble offloading some of the debt, as they had originally planned.
Morgan Stanley, for instance, led a group of banks that made $850 million of loans to Vine Oil and Gas, an affiliate of Blackstone, a private equity firm. Morgan Stanley is still trying to sell the debt, according to a person briefed on the transaction. Similarly, Goldman Sachs and UBS led a $220 million loan last year to the private equity firm Apollo Global Management to buy Express Energy Services. Not all the debt has been sold to other investors, according to people briefed on the transaction.
A precipitous drop in oil prices can quickly turn loans that once seemed safe and conservatively underwritten into risky assets.
The collateral underpinning many energy loans, for example, is oil that was valued at $80 a barrel at the time the loans were made. As oil has dropped well below that price in recent months, the value of the bank's collateral has sunk.
Many oil companies have bought hedges on oil prices, which are providing lenders with additional cushion. But when those hedges expire, and if oil prices remain low, the banks may need to reserve money against the loans.
"At $50 a barrel, things can get a bit testy," said Christopher Mutascio, a banking analyst with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.
Some of the greater risks may be the loans the banks have extended to the many kinds of services companies that work in and around the oil industry. Some of these services companies, lured by the boom, may have short track records, analysts say.
Low oil prices can have ripple effects that many banks may not anticipate, particularly in states such as North Dakota and Oklahoma where energy is a large driver of the economy.
When oil prices crashed in the 1980s, many Texas banks failed not because of loans to oil producers, but because of loans to local real estate developers who had been caught in the energy bust.
Read MoreOil sector in dire straits: Schork
Just over 20 percent of the loans at MidSouth Bank, based in Lafayette, La., are to oil and gas companies, a high proportion relative to its peers. But Rusty Cloutier, MidSouth's chief executive, said the bank had focused its lending on services companies with seasoned management that were most likely prepared for a dip in activity. | Why banks that have exuberantly extended credit to oil companies may feel the pinch of tanking oil. | 44.444444 | 0.777778 | 1.111111 | high | low | abstractive |
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/08/14/greece-euro-partners-approve-billions-new-loans/zg1WGFJYoQ7nXcBV5pxoNP/story.html | http://web.archive.org/web/20150816161545id_/http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/08/14/greece-euro-partners-approve-billions-new-loans/zg1WGFJYoQ7nXcBV5pxoNP/story.html | Greece’s euro partners approve billions in new loans | 20150816161545 | BRUSSELS — Finance ministers of the 19-nation euro single currency group on Friday approved the first $29 billion of a vast new bailout package to help rebuild Greece’s shattered economy.
The approval came after Greece’s Parliament passed a slew of painful reforms and spending cuts after a marathon overnight session that divided the governing party, raising the specter of early elections.
‘‘Of course there were differences but we have managed to solve the last issues,’’ euro group chairman Jeroen Djisselbloem told reporters in Brussels. ‘‘All the intense work of the past week has paid off.’’
Eleven billion dollars will be available to recapitalize Greece banks, while a second slice of $17.7 billion will be paid in installments, starting with $14.4 billion by Aug. 20 when Greece must make a new debt payment to the European Central Bank.
‘‘On this basis, Greece is and will irreversibly remain a member of the euro area,’’ said Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, after the deal was sealed.
The final rescue package would eventually give Greece up to $93 billion in loans over three years in exchange for harsh spending cuts and tax hikes.
The deal must still be approved by some national parliaments, including Germany, but that is largely considered to be a formality. Some nations, such as Finland, have already given their approval.
The move saves Greece from a disorderly default on its debts which could have come as soon as next week and helps end months of uncertainty that has shaken world markets, but it means more hardship for ordinary Greeks. Greece’s most influential creditor and perhaps its harshest critic welcomed the agreement as ‘‘a good result.’’
‘‘We must nonetheless remain cautious because of course we are providing huge sums of money,’’ German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.
‘‘If the Greeks don’t want this program, it won’t work,’’ he told ZDF television. ‘‘But that’s why we are only paying out step by step and making sure that we don’t make the risks greater than is inevitable if we want to help Greece.’’
A key sticking point has been whether to forgive some of Greece’s debts.
The International Monetary Fund has insisted that Greece must be given some form of debt relief before it will participate in any new bailout, but a number of the country’s euro partners oppose such a move.
‘‘It is equally critical for medium- and long-term debt sustainability that Greece’s European partners make concrete commitments . . . to provide significant debt relief, well beyond what has been considered so far,’’ IMF chief Christine Lagarde said in a statement.
Keen to have the IMF on board, the finance ministers said the euro group ‘‘stands ready to consider, if necessary, possible additional measures’’ such as longer repayment periods.
But this would only take place in October, once a review has been made of whether Greece is fully respecting the bailout terms.
The bailout bill passed through the Greek Parliament thanks to support from opposition parties, with 222 votes in favor, 64 against, 11 abstentions, and three absent. | Finance ministers of the 19-nation euro single currency group on Friday approved the first 26 billion euros ($29 billion of a vast new bailout package to help rebuild Greece’s shattered economy. | 17.542857 | 0.914286 | 13.885714 | medium | medium | extractive |
http://www.people.com/article/jennifer-aniston-justin-theroux-wedding-peter-bogdanovich-shes-funny-that-way | http://web.archive.org/web/20150817022144id_/http://www.people.com:80/article/jennifer-aniston-justin-theroux-wedding-peter-bogdanovich-shes-funny-that-way | Peter Bogdanovich Sends Well Wishes : People.com | 20150817022144 | Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston; Peter Bogdanovich (inset)
08/13/2015 AT 01:00 PM EDT
have another famous name to add to their list of post-wedding advocates – her friend and collaborator,
"I wish them both well. I'm very fond of her, and Justin is a terrific guy," the director-actor tells PEOPLE in this week's
. "I wish them a happy life."
Bogdanovich, who directed Aniston in the upcoming romantic-comedy romp
, adds, "Justin is very talented and she's talented and let's hope they can have a good life together – she certainly deserves it."
In a bit of a role reversal, Theroux actually directed Bogdanovich in his 2007 film
. "I played a small part and he was a very good director and a nice guy," the 76-year-old remembers.
While he's never known the famous couple together, Bogdanovich says he can "see that they would get along very well."
, Aniston plays "the therapist from hell" in the screwball romantic farce Bogdanovich co-wrote with his wife, Louise Stratten.
"She's great to work with and had great suggestions," he says of Aniston, who turned down the part of
's onscreen wife (played by
) to take on the part of the offbeat psychologist.
"She thought the therapist was a funnier part and everybody who read it agrees," Bogdanovich says. "She's outrageous in the part and she played against type – she's not like that. And that's part of the fun of it – she plays the bitchy character."
Aniston is scheduled to hit the red carpet on Aug. 19 for the movie's premiere in L.A., and
opens in theaters and on-demand on Aug. 21. | Jennifer Aniston's director in She's Funny That Way, Peter Bogdanovich, wishes her and Justin Theroux well in marriage | 16.181818 | 0.818182 | 1.181818 | medium | medium | abstractive |
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