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Hittite Microwave Corp. announced it has acquired a license from IBM to manufacture and market silicon IC millimeter-wave transceivers developed by IBM. Also covered by the license are certain 57 to 64 GHz IC, package and antenna technology, as well as 71 to 76 GHz and 81 to 86 GHz IC intellectual property. Hittite will apply this advanced high frequency technology to markets that require highly integrated solutions. The company also entered into a Joint Development Agreement with IBM related to millimeter-wave technology.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.


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- User Name: thundercatlord
- Member Since: Monday, September 5, 2005, 1:38 AM
- Donation Level: Total Leech (Donator)
- Name: Dusten Todd
- Studio: Thundercatlord Productions LTD
- Location: Renton, Washington, USA
- Homepage: http://www.myspace.com/thundercatlord
- Last Login: 2020-10-10 03:36:16
- Forum Info: Profile Posts (226)
- Usefulness: 116.7 with
13 opinions
[average 119.5 of 231694 opinions; standard deviation 432.2 ]
- Profile: Well here we go, I started making Music Videos when I got my laptop and I discovered a program on my computer called Windows Movie Maker....I began to tinker around a try it out, my first videos were just glorified slide shows, just pictures no video. Then I moved on to pictures and video, then finally full out video projects. I didn't do AMVs at first either. I've done assorted other, including: Beast Wars, Thundercats, etc. Actually I'd like to put those up for download somewhere too, but anyway back to the Anime...My friend got me back into anime and showed me this site, after he saw some of my videos and suggested that I try some AMVs. He then lent me "Chrono Crusade"....I was comepletely blown away and got started making an AMV right away. I have since made several AMVs most of them to Chrono Crusade, because it was the most readily available. Ah but alas...(not) Windows Movie Maker has seen it's last AMV making days from me...now I have Sony Vegas .
I have since made several AMVs using Vegas, I've even had videos make the finals the past couple of years at Conventions.

subset: commoncrawl


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Actually, I doubt it was to the day, but I couldn't resist the Sergeant Pepper's reference, even though it doesn't scan. Anyway, it was twenty-two years ago when I made the fateful decision to bunk off school and go along to a book signing by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean instead.
I was fourteen years old, just starting my GCSEs at a rather bleak comprehensive school in Salford. This was the kind of school where the P.E. teacher forced you to do press-ups in an icy puddle at the start of every lesson, Woodwork and Metalwork were mainly concerned with the production of concealed armaments, and Chemistry lessons a constant battle for control of the gas taps between the kids who wanted to blow up the Science block and those of us who wanted to live. It wasn't the kind of school where authors popped in to chat about their latest books and reveal the secrets of the writing life. To me the idea of meeting a writer was as strange and exotic as the idea of meeting an astronaut (another childhood ambition, as yet sadly unfulfilled).
It wasn't that I didn't know about authors; my brain was full to bursting with their names. I was the Incredible Book Eating Boy before Oliver Jeffers had even drawn him, devouring the shelves of my local library. J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Susan Cooper, John Wyndham, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Cormier, Ursula Le Guin. With every book I took out, a new favourite author could be discovered and I'd then eagerly seek out everything that they had written.
As well as books I loved comics, a passion born from my paper round. As I waited for the newsagent to load up my delivery bag, I flicked through old DC and Marvel comics on a spinner at the back of the shop, the worlds of these four-colour heroes a welcome escape from the slate-grey streets. Then when Saturday came around, I'd spend every penny of my wages on these comic books: Batman, Detective Comics, Daredevil, 2000AD. That newsagent must've loved me!
After a while though, I'd finally depleted his stock of comics and had to look further afield for a fresh source. I'd seen an advertisement in the pages of 2000AD for a comic shop called Odyssey 7 in Manchester. So one Saturday morning, leaving the paper shop with my wages in my pocket for a change, I jumped on the bus into town to search out this shop. Trudging down Oxford Road, I turned into the shopping precinct at Manchester University and entered an Aladdin's Cave.
Odyssey 7 didn't just have a single spinner filled with comics; it had boxes of them running down the central aisle of the shop. Flicking through them, I could see comics about every superhero I had ever heard of and dozens more that I hadn't. Along the walls were posters, magazines, and on a section of shelves filled with large, glossy books, something called graphic novels. That's where I discovered Violent Cases.
I can't remember what initially drew me to this book. Maybe it was the illicit promise of the title that appealed to my teenage mind. But when I picked it up and started to flick through the pages, I was entranced. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It was like nothing I had ever read before. In black-and-white and without a superhero in sight, it was a story about childhood told in the most remarkable way. This wasn't a comic book, this was something else. Leaving behind the handful of Batman comics I'd already picked up, I took the book to the counter and bought my first graphic novel.
Over the next week I must have read Violent Cases more than a dozen times, each time finding some new detail to obsess over. For those who haven't yet read it, I won't give away too much, but something in this story sang to me. Its depiction of the narrator's memories of his childhood: a fuzzy and confusing world, where adults lied and the threat of violence was never far from the surface, fascinated and troubled me at the same time.
The next Saturday I was standing at the counter of Odyssey 7 again, and, using the same logic that had served me so well in the library, asked if they had any more books by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. The man at the counter pointed me in the direction of a couple of new comic books, Black Orchid and the first issue of something called The Sandman, and then he told me something that changed my life.
"They're coming in to do a signing next week."
I looked up at the poster in the shop window. Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean would be signing copies of Violent Cases, the book that had blown my mind, next Friday afternoon. It was incredible – here was a chance to meet a real live author and a fantastic artist too. There was only one problem. The only way I'd be able to get to the signing in time would be to bunk off school at lunchtime. I think the time of the signing was 2pm, enough time I reasoned to get the bus into town, get my new favourite author to sign my books (I'd now bought the first issues of both Black Orchid and The Sandman as well) and still get home before my mum got back from work. That way I could pretend that I'd been in school all day, just like normal.
That was the plan. When Friday arrived, I sneaked out of school as the lunchtime bell rang and caught the bus into town. But arriving at Odyssey 7 just before two in the afternoon, I discovered my plan's first flaw. Outside the store a queue snaked across the shopping precinct and out onto Oxford Road. (Remember, this was a signing for his very first book – Lord knows what kind of monstrous wyrm a Neil Gaiman signing queue looks like nowadays!) Joining the back of the queue I slowly started to worry. With the speed the queue was moving at, there was no way I'd get back home in time to pretend I'd been in school all day. If I stayed put, I was going to be in trouble. Big trouble.
Standing around me in the queue were trench-coated university students, their comic books and graphic novels tucked under their arms. I was still wearing my school uniform, my copy of Violent Cases, Black Orchid and The Sandman shoved in the depths of my school bag. This was the only chance I'd ever have to meet the extraordinary people who had created these stories. I stayed in the line
Eventually, sometime after four I think, I made it inside the shop, the remnants of the queue now snaking around the central aisle and back up to the counter where two guys were seated, patiently signing each book that was thrust in front of them. They didn't look much older than students themselves, but the face of one of them was strangely familiar. From my bag, I dug out my copy of Violent Cases and turned to the first page. There, staring out at me in black and white was the same face. This was Neil Gaiman.
It's funny, I'm trying to remember now what happened next, but my memories are turning out to be as fragmentary as those of the narrator of Violent Cases. I don't really remember getting to the front of the queue, can't recall what I said when I handed over my books to Neil and Dave to be signed. But when I finally stepped out of the comic shop and started walking back to the bus station and the inevitable mountain of trouble I was in, I remember thinking one thing: I wanted to be a writer.
Fast forward twenty-two years. Neil Gaiman is now one of the most famous authors on the planet. He's written a mountain of books that I love: Coraline, Stardust, The Wolves in the Walls, American Gods, The Graveyard Book; not to mention all his comics and graphic novels, film screenplays and TV scripts (including possibly my favourite-ever episode of Doctor Who). Dave McKean is an award-winning artist, author and filmmaker.
As for me, well, at the end of this week my novel The Dead Ways is published, whilst early next year sees the publication of Twelve Minutes to Midnight. Two very different books, but both the realisation of a childhood dream. And on the 29th October at Octavia's Bookshop in Cirencester, I've got my first signing session.
Unfortunately, it's on a Saturday, so I'm not going to present any school-age children with the same moral dilemma I faced. But there will be ghostly happenings, a fancy-dress competition in the queue, and prizes for the reader wearing the spookiest outfit. I can't wait.
When I finally got confirmation of the event, I tweeted about how twenty-two years after I'd skipped school to go along to a book signing by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, I finally had my own to announce. And then to my utter astonishment, Neil Gaiman replied!
"That makes me so proud! And so old!"
With a grin as wide as the Joker's on my face, I tweeted back to try and thank him in 140 characters or less for all the inspiration he'd given me and, more importantly, finally let him know how much trouble he'd indirectly got me in. (I was grounded for a month for bunking off school!) Then a few minutes later, his reply popped up.
"You did the right thing."
And I know he's right. That day twenty-two years ago, was the first time I believed it was possible to become a writer. An outlandish dream sparked into life as I stood in front of the counter in that Manchester comic shop and met Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. The day that changed my life.


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Since the weather is beautiful, I'm wearing my new Tom Taylor dress. My sister bought it a couple of weeks ago, and ever since I saw her wearing it, I needed to have it!
It would have looked better with some different shoes, but since I wasn't home and I didn't bring a lot of shoes with me, I had to go for these black heels. What shoes would you wear it with?
Tom Taylor dress, Zara heels and bag.
Photos: Annemiek Kessels


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September 1990 SPORT Cover featuring Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys and Chris Miller of the Atlanta Falcons.
Take home a piece of history with a SPORT Magazine cover, available as a fine art stretch canvas or fine art print.
Each reproduction is printed on 100% Hahnemuhle Photo Pearl paper using UltraChrome K3 pigmented inks and produced to the highest standard of archival quality available. Canvases are printed and stretched by hand in Toronto.
Each print and canvas is done by hand and made to order in Toronto, Canada. Production time may take anywhere from 1-2 weeks. This does not include shipping time. Please note framed prints are only available as in-store pick-up due to the weight and fragility of the glass and frame.
Exchange Policy
Exchange or store credit within 30 days of receiving the item. We do NOT OFFER REFUNDS. But our team is here and happy to help you find something else! All holiday items can be exchanged in-store until January 30th, 2021. Sale items and custom order items are always final sale.
Get free shipping on all orders over $50! Shop Early: Due to the ongoing pandemic, you can expect delays from all shipping carriers this year. Shop early to prevent delays! Shop-in store in Toronto's Distillery District. We're open and ready to help you find the perfect gift!
Shop in-store, or shop online and choose in-store or curbside pick-up. All in-stock items are available for SAME DAY pick-up. We're also shipping all in-stock items within 1 business day. We are asking if you come visit us in store that you please wear a mask. Hope to see you soon!


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Ramy Bourgi
We have great regret to inform you of the sudden death of Ramy Bourgi, Head of Emerging Markets for SGSS.
We have just received confirmation of this unfortunate news and are immensely saddened by it.
Our first thoughts are of course with his family and friends to whom we extend our sincere condolences.
In addition to his contribution to the international development of our business, we will remember Ramy for his enthusiasm and genuine values.
I would like, on behalf of all the members of the Executive Committee, to express our immense sadness.
Alain Closier
Global Head of Societe Generale Securities Services
For those of you who would like to share your condolences with Ramy's family, please send your message to email@example.com.


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Are Bacteria Actually Driving You Crazy?
The same bacteria strain that gives you strep throat (and scarlet fever – retro) might also cause you to develop obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), according to the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Here's how: After it detects a Streptococcus infection, the body's immune system responds by creating lots of antibodies. While these antibodies do fight the Streptococcus bacteria (a good thing), they also sometimes mistakenly attack the heart, joints, and brain (a very, very bad thing.)
In children, this attack on the brain can cause the bundle of nerves called the basal ganglia to become inflamed. This, in turn, can cause kids to develop, seemingly overnight, severe symptoms of OCD and anorexia.
As a press release today put it:
"Parents will describe children with [Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS)] as overcome by a 'ferocious' onset of obsessive thoughts, compulsive rituals and overwhelming fears."
Here are some heartbreaking examples of the kinds of behaviors children stricken with PANS may display, practically out of nowhere (taken from the NIMS website):
- appearing terror stricken
- suffering extreme separation anxiety
- shifting from laughter to tears for no apparent reason
- regressing to temper tantrums, "baby talk," or bedwetting
- undergoing sudden deterioration in school performance or learning abilities
- exhibiting sensory and motor abnormalities
So, if you encounter a kid doing any of the above, they are either just being a kid or they are afflicted with an extremely debilitating neuropsychiatric syndrome.
The NIMH has now launched a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of antibody treatments on reversing the symptoms of children diagnosed with PANS. The study will also attempt to determine whether there is a culprit other than strep bacteria (still a somewhat controversial theory) at the root of the problem.
[Image via AP]


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Hong Kong Aggravates U.S.'s Snowden Problems
Edward Snowden is on the run from Hong Kong, with supporters saying he will seek political asylum in Ecuador. The WSJ's Jake Lee discusses China's motives for letting him go and the implications for U.S.-China relations.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... all ... that off as it emerges that Edward Snowdon ... the leak ... of NSA Secret has left Hong Kong ... is in an airport in Russia and is now ... heading to Ecuador according to his supporters ... welcome to Asia today on my because Sanchanta with me is Jake Lee ... Asia Markets Editor for The Wall Street Journal ... it's been an extraordinary twenty four hours ... um let's turn the beginning so as we noted has left Hong Kong the there's been a lot of criticism that ... the Hong Kong government shouldn't have let him go ... up what does this mean and tell us about the statement the Hong Kong government made yesterday Shel say he's going out of the speculation ... he's left Hong Kong listed Hong Kong on Sunday bound for Russia wheat in the new debt when Hong Kong Reese's statement midway through the flight I read was quite a pointed statement against the U S ... they will what he could see weak US coatings but in saying the U S extradition request says was a doting quite correctly so Hong Kong eleven guess I'll its diplomats say the tunnel then go without China's permission China's total foreign fast Hong Kong ... now he's in Russia unlike say supportive saying he's trying to get technical his head side he's in a hotel is surrounded by when he surprised me with wiki leaks that supports what they're saying ... China Gets aqua tool another country wet surprisingly you be safe from the U S ... hands ... it's ... extraordinary that Hong Kong basically says that because of the paperwork snafu ... at led Edward Snowden go and surely this is going to take the pressure on U S China ... relations to the different items didn't pass it ... and its approval to let him know what is it that that is pretty extraordinary and in the US is I'm happy to say the very least and very pointed statements from the new will make a safe and the US very angry with with while the Hong Kong and China have done absolutely putting it to China they think that I'm quite well this would diplomats and analysts are saying ... this and a so-called between a hard place in a row ... if a given is that going to be extended stay in Hong Kong the Nexus requested comp ... which I did get him back with of the week if they have to be kept in well I'm that nice ovations in U S China right now we've just had a bomb I and and the need is a trend of China misting ... so very difficult situation maybe China has his hand quite well letting him go to Russia and now that they will be spread around what is Russia did Hongkong seven goat weighs in at ... so let's talk about the backstory little bit why Edward Snowden finally decides to leave Hong Kong we understand that there's been some help ... from the WikiLeaks team and that they intervened at the last minute ... and added a bit and then leaving Hong Kong which is surrounded Omens bias a small company buys from them in an Eagle hit he came here with that with a time when college in a report says and will sit the proceeds would watch in peace with it ... then later on ... we had to eat go together with some Hong Kong ... lol my hands ... so really speak human rights ... and of course the weeky leaks just paintings riding the end ... and eight this and they come to him back simply surrender quite different people say different things what we are hearing that it is the last minute decision by Sneddon ... to get him to the mosque that I'm a it was the summing up what can happen quite a rush quite suddenly ... and a comfy by which seeks to could be a lot of tension between these different fines is considered part of the weeky leaks Tepco when a news events of decision append to trying get at Madison's Ospel ... I looks like there was just in time as well ... obviously there's a connection to Ecuador and Chile assigned as we all know has been holed up in the Ecuador an embassy in London for the past year ... now ... and do we think that at the door as an apprentice I limit what is it in a deal when it gets to the country do we have any idea of what the future holds for this and we just didn't know that stage does the sport is saying that that they're working closely with that with the adoring officials in stock ... at Couture Lucky say has a strong history of supporting the salsa people I choose songs hold up in the London embassy for a very yet says he likes the Ecuador would settle me well can welcome and ... so we still try to chase down these days have only just been that I was so much the story has a lot of speculation ... thus we have is going to Iceland and Venezuela in our head neck still some still treacherous out to chase the stock ... I'm stating the ... cat or he tells himself because he ... is the absence of anything about it safe by ... soaring in its second hand but it looks like a good deal will warmly welcome and women on ... the big difference of course if you're in a sign that there actually are charges against Snowden out to register with these charges are ... Shoal stated ... Union he's Diq's to think of three things and that's saying in effect of government documents for sale at spreading its not chooses to step onto the stuff we seen that has seen the report made on in the Washington based ... C police together is pretty heavy handed me can see why the US want to get him back ... of course not everyone even though was the question of touch with us you can press charges ... aam but stated that the going down the treatment and down very hot ... and we don't know what is this going and how much pressure ... on Russian until ... the Senate for now ... looks like the US has been snubbed by Hong Kong and China ... is near the walls Ms wanted fugitive has managed to escape and then be free for now ... thank so much Jake Lee Wall Street Journal Markets editor ... say wising on top of the story all day today ... is that it WS J dot com for the latest updates for Asia Today Ahmadi the Sanchanta ...


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The California Premiere of Pure - A New Bouldering Flick by Chuck Fryberger
On February 26th, 2009, at 7:15pm at the Rialto Theatre in Santa Rosa, featured athlete Kevin Jorgeson will be hosting the CA Premiere of Chuck Fryberger's new bouldering flick. From the producer of Dosage V - Alpine Blocs comes a 35mm bouldering flick about bouldering on planet Earth: PURE. Pure is about 19 extraordinary climbers in six countries on three continents, with no ropes.Featured Climbers:Nalle Hukkataival: This young Finnish climber has put in his time on the world cup circuit and is now focusing on climbing the most daunting boulders on Earth.Kevin Jorgeson: Pure features exclusive footage of Kevin's first ascents and first rope-less ascents in California. A unique perspective on the mind control necessary to solo, and the rehabilitation needed when you screw up.Kilian Fischhuber: Winner of the Mens 2008 Bouldering World Cup. No climber has ever had a more dominant season on the World Cup Circuit then Kilian, and few have the sense of humor.Anna Stoehr: Winner of the Womens 2008 Bouldering World Cup. Professional Climber. 20 years old.Fred Nicole: No introduction needed. The author of the lion's share of hard boulder problems in the world. The leader and grand master of the sport.Cody Roth: Psyched to get on just about anything, PURE showcases Cody on hair-raising first ascents from Rocklands to Europe.Areas Featured: Rocklands, South Africa. Sonoma County, California. Fountainebleu, France. Innsbruck, Austria. Colorado. Arco, Italy. La Vallei, Magic Wood, and Brione Switzerland Join these visionary climbers as they test their limits against the rock of planet earth in search of Taller, Harder, Cleaner, and Farther.About the Director:Chuck Fryberger is an award-winning cinematographer who has been climbing for 13 years. Pure is his vision of the sport he loves and the athletes who do it in style. A portion of the proceeds of PURE will be donated to the Elizabeth Fontaine Primary School located near Rocklands, South Africa.CLICK HERE to watch the PURE trailer Distributed exclusively through Vista Cerro / vistacerro.com


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Tonight Evander Holyfield steps back in the ring. The 46 year-old claims to fight on because it is the will of God, but everyone paying attention knows that it's primarily the will of his creditors.
The former champion's latest payday comes against the seven foot Russian Nikolai Valuev just minutes from now in in Zurich, Switzerland on pay-per-view. Needless to say, if you did order this fight then you are basically contributing to the fund to mentally cripple one of the best athletes of his generation. Fortunately for Holyfield's head, and all of us who would prefer to not see him develop into a punch-drunk shell of his former self, Valuev isn't the ferocious puncher you might see at first glance. In fact, Valuev hasn't registered a knockout in two years, an 11th round stoppage of Monte Barrett.
For Holyfield to have any success against the heavily favored giant he'll have to stick and move like in the old days when he was stepping up from the cruiserweight division. Whether his middle age body still has the stamina to pull off such a strategy is highly doubtful, and he'll probably wind up trying to out-slug a man who outweighs him by 95 pounds. If he can pull off the upset as a 4/1 underdog Holyfield will become champion for the fifth time.
Pray for Evander. You know he'd pray for you.
Bad Left Hook has the tale of the tape as well as their fantastic round-by-round coverage.


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TORONTO - Love is in the air in Victoria as the B.C. capital regains its crown as Canada's most romantic city.
The picturesque city topped the rankings in the fourth annual list compiled by Amazon.ca after falling to the No. 5 spot in 2012.
North Vancouver landed in the runner-up position, with Waterloo, Ont., in third place.
Victoria unseated last year's champ, the eastern Ontario city of Kingston, which sits in fourth place, while Guelph, Ont. — the 2012 runner-up — placed fifth.
They're followed by Saskatoon, Vancouver, Calgary, Nanaimo, B.C. and Lethbridge, Alta.
Rounding out the top 20 are: Oakville, Ont., Kelowna, B.C., Edmonton, Regina, London, Ont., Red Deer, Alta., Kamloops, B.C., Thunder Bay, Ont., Winnipeg and Burlington, Ont.
The online retailer compiled the list by comparing sales data of romance novels, relationship books and romantic comedy DVDs from Jan. 1, 2012 to Jan. 23 2013 on a per capita basis in cities with more than 80,000 residents.
The sales of romantic CDs by the likes of Canadian crooner Michael Buble, R&B singers Maxwell and Miguel and late musical legends like Dean Martin, Luther Vandross and Barry White also factored into the rankings.


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Operations / departmental manager
Managing teams and projects in line with a private, public or voluntary organisation's operational or departmental strategy.
Summary of this apprenticeship standard
- Level
5 (equivalent to foundation degree)
- Typical length
- 30 months
- Current funding band
Up to £7,000 per apprentice.
More information about funding
- Entry requirements
Set by employer.
Candidates will usually have 5 GCSEs at grade C (or above).
- What apprentices will learn
- operational management principles - including operational planning, contingency planning and continuous improvement
- business management principles - including business development, business finance, sales and marketing
- project management - including business change, prioritisation techniques and time, resource and risk management
- performance management - including achieving targets, delivering objectives and setting KPIs
- leadership and management techniques - including coaching and mentoring, delegation, decision making, recruitment and problem solving
- relationship management - including negotiation and networking skills and partner, stakeholder and supplier management
- communications - including active listening, interpersonal skills, report writing and digital, verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills
- Qualifications
None specified.
Before taking their end-point assessment apprentices must:
- achieve level 2 English and maths (equivalent to GCSEs at grades A* to C)
- Professional registration
Apprentices will be able to register as full members of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).
Apprentices with 3 years management experience will be able to apply for chartered manager status through the CMI.
- End-Point Assessment
View a list of end-point assessment organisations for this standard
- More Information
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has more detailed information about this apprenticeship.


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Orion Township counseling center fights against bullying using positive words
Willows Edge Counseling and Art Center in Orion Township is bringing free anti-bullying workshops to the community and addressing the recent suicides of young adults in the Lake Orion and Oxford School Districts.
Words can physically affect the lives of others. Both victims and perpetrators of bullying are at a higher risk for suicide than their peers. According to studies, children who are both victims and perpetrators of bullying are at the highest risk. And so the idea for the workshop Taglines was born -- using positive words to help reduce this risk of suicide.
Taglines began as a community response to the suicides of Orion Township resident Ryan Edwards, 22, Oxford middle school student Shane Hrischuk, 14, Lake Orion High School junior Dan Taylor, 17, and Lake Orion High School graduate Jeremiah Hargett, 20. These young men all lost their lives to suicide within the last year. Students within these school districts reported feeling powerless in response to the news of the deaths.
To encourage students to use positive words that promote kindness and resiliency, master level clinicials have been hosting tagline workshops. Students create clay "Taglines" -- beads with a positive message as a visual reminder of the power of words. The taglines were made into pendants, bracelets or keychains.
Studies show that when people are working on creative projects, the left frontal cortex is stimulated and depression is alleviated.
Individuals can participate in two free creative workshops at Willows Edge Counseling and Art Center, 81 Indianwood Road Suite 2 in Orion Township. For teens only, the workshop is from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 is the all ages workshop.
For groups who want to schedule a workshop date, call 248-834-0614. It is recommended for youth groups, girl scouts, boy scouts, home schooled students and other school groups. Groups can schedule for the workshop to be brought to them.
This activity is run by Master Level trained Counselors and Art Therapists.
Visit taglinesforchange.com for more information.


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Nick Foligno
Buffalo New York
Eligible for draft:
Trade with Ottawa, 2012
205 lbs.
Prospect Talent Score
Probability of Success
If pedigree was all it took to get an invite to the NHL then the son of Mike Foligno, Nick Foligno, would already have his ticket punched. He has worked hard, however, to step out of the long shadow that his father – who also serves as his coach in Sudbury – has cast over him.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Foligno has continued the family legacy in Sudbury. His father was a standout player for the Wolves before making his own jump to the NHL. The prodigal son returned to coach in Sudbury and brought his son aboard. But instead of living off a sense of entitlement, the younger Foligno has shown the willingness to roll up his sleeves and lead his team both off and on the ice.
2004-05: After a solid rookie season where he scored 10 goals and 28 assists in 65 games, Foligno had a coming-out of sorts in the 2005 playoffs when he ramped up his production and scored five goals and five assists in 12 games.
2005-06: Foligno continued to improve and averaged better than a point-per-game en route to a 70-point total in 65 games. He's combined a familiarity with getting to the net (10 goals in year one, 24 in year two) with a familiarity with the penalty box. In two seasons, the young forward has racked up 257 penalty minutes, in large part due to his proficiency at getting into the corners and in front of the net.
Foligno did not make a good impression with Team USA and was subsequently cut from the World Junior team.
2006-07: Following a decent training camp with the Ottawa Senators, Foligno returned to Sudbury. Lofty expectations were placed on his shoulders when he was named Alternate Captain. In addition to leading the team, Foligno was also expected to continue his offensive production. He did not disappoint and led the team in scoring while setting career highs with 31 goals and 56 assists in 66 games. His steady play earned him a trip to the OHL All-Star game where he notched a goal and an assist.
The Sudbury Wolves finished a mediocre season with 67 points, good enough for third in the Central Division and a playoff spot. Foligno's playoff performance was a key factor in Sudbury's second OHL Final appearance in franchise history. In the Finals, Sudbury fell to the Plymouth Whalers in six games despite Foligno's nine-point effort. Altogether, Foligno scored 12 goals, 17 assists and was a +14 in 21 playoff games.
2007-08: Foligno made his Senators debut at the regular season opener on Oct. 3 against Toronto. He recorded his first NHL goal on Oct. 18 against Montreal. After a short 14 game campaign with Ottawa, Foligno was assigned to AHL Binghamton for the first time on Nov. 14. He recorded an assist in his first career AHL game on Nov. 16 against Philadelphia. Foligno appeared in all four of Ottawa's post-season games against Pittsburgh, and recorded his first career playoff goal on Apr. 14, the lone goal in a 4-1 loss. He was ranked fourth among B-Sens rookies in scoring with 19 points, six goals, and 13 assists even though he dressed for only 28 games.
Talent Analysis
Not a huge goal scorer, Foligno is nonetheless a rugged forward with some skill who is not afraid to put his body in jeopardy in order to engineer a scoring chance. Apparently the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. Foligno often plays with a chip on his shoulder. He combines an ability to put the puck in the net with the willingness to get his nose dirty and do the hard work in the corners.
He is a decent skater and is regularly involved, but one knock on him has been that he is sometimes selective in when he wants to work and compete. Foligno possesses a quick wrist shot and shows good hockey sense and vision. He makes creative plays and can impress with some nifty stickhandling. He is an opportunistic offensive player who is often found in the right place at the right time. Like most young forwards, work on the defensive aspects of the game is definitely required.


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Influential Educators Elected to Represent 3.2 Million NEA Members
Princess Moss and Len Paolillo will join NEA Executive Committee
WASHINGTON - July 05, 2008 -Two educators from Virginia and Massachusetts will join the National Education Association's Executive Committee, the nine-member governing body that oversees the 3.2 million-member Association. Princess Moss and Len Paolillo were elected by nearly 10,000 educators gathered in Washington, D.C., for NEA's Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly. Moss and Paolillo will begin their three-year terms on September 1, 2008.
Princess Moss is an elementary school music teacher in Louisa County, Va., where she has taught for 21 years. A champion of children and public education, Moss is known for being proactive, progressive and productive.
"The time has come for us to embrace new opportunities, new technologies, and new ideas if NEA is to stay in the forefront leading the way in public education," Moss said. "I look forward to working with members to preserve best education practices and push for the resources our children need to be globally competitive."
Moss is currently serving her second term as president of the 62,000-member Virginia Education Association. She also sits on the NEA Board of Directors and previously served as vice president of VEA and president of the Louisa Education Association.
Len Paolillo is a sociology professor at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, formerly known as North Adams State College, in North Adams, Mass. Paolillo, a seasoned activist, says NEA's diversity is its strength.
"We all play a vital role in carrying out our mission, whether you are a teacher, professor, librarian or school bus driver," Paolillo said. "NEA's members have so much to offer in furthering the Association's objectives. I plan to continue to push for comprehensive strategies to overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act in order to get it right. I also want to repeal offsets that reduce public employees' Social Security benefits."
Paolillo has served as chair of NEA's Committee on Legislation for the past three years. He previously served on the NEA Board of Directors and as vice president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. As part of the Massachusetts State College Association, he acted as president, vice president and negotiator.
"Their dedication has swelled from the school campus to the nation's capital," NEA President Reg Weaver said of the newly elected Executive Committee members. "They bring a great spirit to the governing body of NEA. They inspire, encourage and get the job done for America's students and educators."
The NEA Executive Committee consists of nine members-three executive officers and six members elected at large by the Representative Assembly. The committee is responsible for guiding NEA policy and acts for the NEA Board of Directors in between its four regularly scheduled meetings each year.
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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
Contact: Ramona Parks Kirby at (202) 822-7823


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Faster than a speeding bullet train
It's early Sunday morning and after yesterday's rainout, the team is up and at 'em with a trip across the country to the city of Kaohsiung. We'll take a bus to the train station, a bullet train to the Southern part of Taiwan, then another bus to the ballpark for the series finale.
Josh Towers, who was supposed to start yesterday's game, will start in place of Hong-Chih Kuo, who said he felt a little soreness in his elbow yesterday after throwin a bullpen session on Friday. He doesn't seem very concerned, but of course he and Joe Torre want to play it safe and that's a huge bummer for him and his fans, as he was going to pitch in front of his family and friends here (he is leaving about 100 tickets), in many cases for the first time as a Dodger. But, he'd rather be safe than sorry and that makes all the sense in the world.
We were also very sorry we couldn't get yesterday's game in, but the rains were just too strong and made the field unplayable. Thousands of fans sat in the pouring rain for a few hours waiting to see if we could make it work. The weather should hopefully be much better on the other side of the island.
Otherwise, it's been a great trip so far…we've seen a ton in a short amount of time and the passion here for baseball is palpable. Hope to add more on that front when we get to the next ballpark.
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I am loving all the updates you are giving us! Keep them coming!
My baseball draft was today for the MLBlogs league. We got 20 teams and is a keeper league that was started last year but I barely joined this year. Is going to be tough but I ended up with Etheir, Broxton, Kershaw, Elbert, Pujols and Tulo. Surprised I could get Pujols! My Locos Azules are ready!


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Governments are employing tools to help combat the growing numbers of baby boomer retirements and the challenge of attracting a new generation of employees into public service.
When Henderson, Nev., advertises a job, often hundreds of people apply. And in the days when those applications came on paper, the city had no way to evaluate them all. "We'd have to limit it to the first 150, 200 or 300," said Bill Howlett, the city's manager of training and organizational development. So some candidates never got a glance — possibly including individuals with excellent qualifications.
Today, job hunters apply for city jobs online, and an applications management system searches the entire pool for likely candidates. "We're able to take a lot more applications and filter on the key factors we're looking for," Howlett said.
Application management is one of many functions in a category of software devoted to talent management. State and local governments use talent management solutions to help them with activities along the entire human resources continuum, from hiring to retirement.
These systems also help organizations manage documentation connected with those activities, said Adrian Woolcock, managing principal at consulting firm ProSidian, which includes a practice in talent management. "If I take training that is a requirement for promotion, how is that captured?" he asked, by way of example. "How do I know what training is required for me to be promoted or to be in compliance?"
Governments are seeking talent management solutions because of several trends in HR, said Peter Dong, senior associate at ProSidian. One is the need to accomplish more within the constraints of tight budgets; another is the need to comply with an array of government policies focused on HR.
"Mainly on the federal level, but also trickling down to state and local, we've seen renewed emphasis on diversity initiatives, for instance, and on being able to track what people are doing, where and when," Dong said. All this forces government agencies to manage employees in more sophisticated ways and to better document their HR activities.
And, more importantly, these actions are all part of a larger public-sector trend that's becoming a crucial issue for CIOs and hiring managers. The need for governments to become more sophisticated about how they hire, train and retain employees is driving more interest in talent management systems, and that requirement is due in part to growing numbers of baby boomer retirements and the challenge of attracting a new generation of employees into public service.
According to a survey published in May by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, 49 percent of responding governments saw more employees retire in 2013 than in 2012. And those numbers will continue to increase.
With the looming number of retirements come concerns about losing skilled workers and their institutional knowledge, and in response, agencies are seeking help with succession planning. Governments also are using technology to capture what their senior workers know before they leave. "A lot of places try to put in an institutional or organizational knowledge store," Dong said.
Those factors are all leading governments to seek better and smarter ways to manage their workforce — an issue no one can ignore for long.
In Henderson, the quest to improve and automate talent management activities started several years ago. Based on a consultant's recommendation, city officials decided to take a best-of-breed approach, rather than invest in an integrated talent management suite.
To assist with employee training, the HR team chose a learning management system (LMS) from PeopleSoft (now owned by Oracle), the vendor of its enterprise resource planning system. The city chose an applications management system from NEOGOV of El Segundo, Calif., and a performance management system from Halogen Software of Ottawa, Ontario.
The hosted NEOGOV solution not only helps Henderson to better manage incoming applications but also allows job seekers to register interest in specific kinds of future opportunities. "When we open that position, you'll automatically get an email saying this job is open and you can apply for it," Howlett said. That improves the chance of hearing from qualified candidates.
The NEOGOV system has helped to shorten the hiring cycle, Howlett said. Also, hiring officials within city agencies have become more involved in the recruiting process, because with electronic applications, it takes less effort to evaluate more candidates. The HR department used to pass along only the top five or so applications. "Now we might give them the top 10 or 15, and they make the decision," said Howlett.
Henderson implemented Halogen's cloud-based eAppraisal software for its police and fire departments about five years ago. Leaders in those departments wanted to replace the paper-based performance management processes, which took too long and were difficult to track, Howlett said.
For example, it took several months to complete a police officer's quarterly review and get signoffs from people in the chain of command. In addition, the paperwork kept getting lost, said Howlett. With the electronic process, a police performance review now takes 45 days and there's no paper to lose.
The police department also uses the system to document comments from supervisors throughout the year. "That's automatically shared with the employee, and the employee can rebut it," Howlett said. "And that's pulled into the appraisal at the end of the year."
Having automated those transactions, the police department will soon require supervisors to offer documented feedback at least once per quarter. That practice could help improve officer performance. "They're going to be able to address issues at the front end, before they become disciplinary," Howlett said.
Beyond the police and fire departments, Henderson is rolling out eAppraisal for employees represented by the Teamsters union and non-unionized professionals. The city also plans to add an onboarding package for managing newly hired employees and, eventually, a succession planning package.
For the state of Pennsylvania, talent management was part of a larger strategy to cut down HR costs. The 2008 recession provided the impetus. "We were looking for any and all solutions that would help us not only to save money, but to become more efficient," said Jim Honchar, Pennsylvania's deputy secretary for HR.
At the time, each state agency managed HR for its own employees, and the decentralized approach was expensive, Honchar said. It also created inconsistencies, since employees in each department received information from a different HR organization. And if an agency lost an HR expert, it was hard to find a replacement with the necessary knowledge and skills. "It would take you six months to a year to hire someone and bring them up to speed," he said.
To address those problems, Pennsylvania officials created a consolidated HR center serving all of the state's 38 agencies and 80,000 employees. The center opened in February 2010, with support from two cloud-based talent management modules from New York City-based Infor.
One of those modules provides a self-service knowledge base, which employees log onto for benefits information. "You can go in and ask, for example, 'What are my entitlements under our dental plan?'" Honchar said.
The second module, customer relationship management, helps employees in the service center manage transactions with other employees as well as agency-based professionals to enroll someone for benefits, for example, or to correct a payroll error.
In November 2012, Pennsylvania added a third Infor module to address onboarding, the process of bringing new employees into the organization. In the past, an HR representative had to sit with the new hire for one to two days while the employee enrolled in benefit plans and signed forms agreeing to comply with government policies.
Now, before they even report for work, new hires go online for a virtual orientation. The system explains their benefits and outlines the policies that apply to their jobs. New employees also use the system to enroll for benefits and conduct other necessary transactions, such as completing the federal Employment Eligibility Verification Form.
"Onboarding allows us to take care of all the preliminary things that are normally done during the first week of employment, even before the person sets foot in their job," Honchar said. "So when the person comes to work on the first day, they're ready to work."
The onboarding system also helps new employees forge an immediate connection with the state, said Kelly Powell Logan, secretary of the Governor's Office of Administration. "They feel well oriented, and they get a consistent orientation."
Thanks to the centralized service center and talent management technology, Pennsylvania has eliminated 70 HR positions, Honchar said. "That was a payroll benefit of roughly $3.5 million a year." Because everyone in the service center receives the same training, there are now far fewer HR errors. And the state has increased its HR "bench strength," he said. "If someone walks out tomorrow, we have sufficient staff to back them up."
The onboarding system is saving the state an additional $1 million a year, Logan said.
Pennsylvania also uses SAP's Learning Solution LMS for employee training and development. In addition, the HR organization is looking for other opportunities to harness technology. "We are looking at performance management, for sure," Honchar said. "Resources permitting, it's at the top of our priority list."
The Denver Public Library (DPL) turned to talent management software to help improve its extensive staff development program. In January 2013, the DPL implemented the Cornerstone Learning Cloud, a cloud-based learning management system from Cornerstone OnDemand in Santa Monica, Calif.
Employee training has been a vital element of the DPL's culture since its founding in 1889, said Learning and Development Manager Sandra Smith. "We very much believe that learning is part and parcel of what you need to do to be an excellent staff person." The library system employs about 650 people, and each of them is required to take at least one or two classes per year.
The DPL's training programs cover job-specific topics such as database searches, early childhood literacy, the use of e-readers and, for custodians and other trade workers, safety and ergonomics. It also trains employees in soft skills such as management and how to deal with difficult customers.
The library system often uses staff members to teach other employees, and in the past, it delivered most training face to face. It didn't have enough storage capacity to support much e-learning, Smith said.
The DPL published a quarterly newsletter, both in print and in electronic form, to publicize upcoming classes. To enroll, an employee filled out some paperwork, obtained a supervisor's signature and then faxed or delivered the paper to complete the registration. "A huge amount of staff time was being taken just to go through the mechanics," Smith said.
Smith and her team wanted to streamline the process and put more power in employees' hands. "We wanted them to be able to manage their learning in a very efficient, effective way," she said.
With the Learning Cloud in place, the DPL now posts new learning opportunities continually and staff sign up for classes online. Logging onto the library system's myTRACKS (Training Resources and Continuing Knowledge for Staff) system, employees also keep track of which classes they've taken and put others on their wish lists for the future. "They use that with their supervisors to manage their skill levels," Smith said. "The LMS allows us to manage employee development in a much more interactive, one-stop shop."
The learning management system has also increased Smith's ability to analyze and plan — determining, for example, which classes are in greatest demand.
Because the Learning Cloud hosts online courses, e-learning now plays a much bigger role at the DPL. "I beg, borrow and steal webinars from all over," Smith said. The online courses allow employees to learn at their convenience, and employees appreciate the chance to manage their own training schedules.
Before implementing the LMS, the Denver library system offered 100 different "learning objects" — in-person classes, webinars, videos and other opportunities — at any given time, Smith said. "Now we have over 800 learning activities and resources."
By increasing the number of available classes, and making it easier for staff to take advantage of them, the Learning Cloud has spurred a huge jump in employee training. "From 2012 to 2013, we had a 435 percent increase in attendance," Smith said.
When resources allow, Smith hopes to implement Cornerstone's Performance Cloud system. "Learning and performance, of course, are closely tied together in an organization," Smith said.
And with a wave of baby boomers getting ready to retire, she also hopes one day to implement a succession management system. "What kind of plan do we have for continuing our organizational knowledge?" she asked. "Who are the people who are going to step in and be our leaders? We all have to look at that now."
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Ad and marketing creatives
The Political Wordscape
Continuing our political theme this week, columnist Nancy Friedman takes a look at the buzzwords of the current campaign season. Her background in developing names and brands gives her a unique perspective into how new political coinages bubble to the surface.
No matter what your perspective on the current presidential campaign (maybe you just want it to be over already!), you've probably noticed some new words and phrases emerging from this very interesting political season. Senator Barack Obama alone has been responsible for a slew of coinages, thanks largely to his easily combinable first and last names: visit Slate's Encyclopedia Baracktannica to play with an automatic generator of "Obamified" words such as Obamanation (the states whose primary elections Obama has won) and Baracklamation (anything that Obama says).
As a name developer, I'm naturally fascinated by the process of new-word creation. Here are some of the political neologisms I've been tracking this year:
Bittergate: In the beginning—1972, to be precise—there was Watergate, the Washington, D.C., hotel that lent its name to the scandal surrounding President Richard Nixon's doomed re-election campaign. In the decades since then, the -gate construction has become the code for any scandal. (From the Clinton presidency: Monicagate and Whitewatergate. From the UK: Cheriegate and Squidgygate. From sports: Gategate and Skategate. See even more in this Wikipedia article.) A new -gate was coined in April 2008, after Sen. Obama gave a speech to a private fundraiser in which he commented that small-town residents "get bitter" because of years of job losses and government letdowns. It's a long way, logically, from Constitutional crimes to ill-advised word choice, but such is the staying power of -gate that it's become the all-purpose marker for any headline-making ruckus.
Day One: Hillary Clinton has repeatedly used the phrase "ready from Day One" in reference to her experience and leadership ability. According to New York Times language columnist William Safire, the term may have first appeared in print in 1968; it probably acquired its slightly ominous overtones with the release of Day One, a 1989 docudrama about the birth of the atomic bomb. Semantically, "Day One" bears a resemblance to "Ground Zero": in both phrases, the modifier follows the noun, instead of the more natural (in English) opposite. Switching the word order in that way focuses attention on the modifier and lends a sense of urgency and drama to the phrase.
Dunkin' Donuts Democrats: Brands are big in this election year: voters are what they eat, drink, and buy. Early in 2008, "Dunkin' Donuts Democrats" began appearing as a descriptor of Sen. Hillary Clinton's supporters, who, according to one British newspaper editor, represented the "75-cent coffee and doughnut crowd" with "no money to waste" on fancy caffeinated beverages, unlike Obama's "latte liberals," who favored the "elite" Starbucks. (Sen. Clinton had made a photo-op out of mingling with the regular folks at a Dunkin' Donuts after the Massachusetts primary.) In fact, Dunkin' Donuts is no mom-and-pop corner store: the company was bought in 2006 for $2.4 billion by The Carlyle Group, the multinational private equity firm. Dunkin' Donuts now has about 1,900 stores in 30 countries. It sells a Mochi Ring, made with rice flour, in its Asian outlets.
Republicans have their brand associations, too. While he was still in the race, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said he wanted to be the choice of "Wal-Mart Republicans" rather than "Wall Street Republicans." The feeling was apparently mutual: Wal-Mart donated $10,000 to the Arkansas Republican Party.
-mentum: It's just a suffix, not a whole word, but -mentum definitely has momentum. The most prominent example has been O-mentum, short for "Obama momentum," but language reporter Mark Peters, writing in the Boston Globe, also found citations for Obamamentum, Mo-bama-mentum, and Obama-rama-mentum. For a while, when Mike Huckabee seemed to be a viable challenger to John McCain, we also had McMentum (or MacMentum) vs. Huckmentum. Then there's mutnemom—momentum spelled backward—to signify "reverse momentum," which Slate blogger Mickey Kaus coined to describe Hillary Clinton's sudden (albeit temporary, as it turned out) deceleration.
Monumentous: This portmanteau word, a blend of monumental and momentous, surfaced in late 2006 as a descriptor of "the Obama phenomenon" (sometimes called the Obamanon, another portmanteau). A commenter on the blog From the Left wrote in December 2006, "The next election may be the most monumentous since the elections at the end of the Civil War and end of the Great Depression." But the word, which may be based on a mis-hearing or a misunderstanding, actually antedates Obama's candidacy. It appeared in February 2004 in "Monumentous task of making a list of all DDoS Zombies," a post on a computer-programming bulletin board.
Shoulder-pad feminists: "Some women in their 30s, 40s and early-50s who favor Barack Obama have a phrase to describe what they don't like about Hillary Clinton: Shoulder-pad feminism." So wrote Maureen Dowd in March 5 New York Times op-ed column that went on to define the phrase as symbolizing the "men-are-pigs, woe-is-me, sisters-must-stick-together, pantsuits-are-powerful era that Hillary's campaign has lately revived with a vengeance." The phrase—and the rest of Dowd's column about racism and sexism—struck a tender nerve among many readers. Shoulder pads make an interesting metaphor: out of fashion in women's clothing for more than a decade, they suggest both historic achievement and sartorial not-with-it-ness. The image of broadened shoulders also evokes football-like aggression and unwelcome pushiness. Feminist has also become a highly charged word: for many young women, it seems to carry no positive implications at all (such as equal pay for equal work), but only stridency, man-hating, and—those shoulder pads again—bad fashion choices.
Under the bus: To "throw someone under the bus" is to throw him or her to the wolves, to scapegoat him or her, or to make him or her take the blame for something. The metaphor gained currency during the storm over Obama's outspoken former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Some critics wanted Obama to "throw Wright under the bus," while others admired Obama's loyalty. According to linguist Geoff Nunberg, who teaches at UC Berkeley and is a frequent contributor to National Public Radio, the phrase has been traced back as far as the 1980s; it may have its origins in a standard announcement in minor-league baseball: "Bus leaving. Be on it or under it." The "bus" metaphor seems old-fashioned in an era of campaigning by private jet, but "toss him out of the plane" probably sounds too harsh. Interestingly, the blogger who reported on Obama's "bitter" comment that led to Bittergate writes for a Huffington Post blog called Off The Bus. That title is most likely a reference to Timothy Krause's 1973 book, The Boys on the Bus, about the 1972 presidential election. The "boys" were members of the campaign press corps.
Is there a bit of campaign lingo that you especially love (or loathe)? Leave a comment and tell us why.


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Inspired by the fast-growing electricity industry and the promising results of son Gerard's own experiments to make reliable carbon filaments, in 1891 Frederik Philips financed the purchase of a modest factory in Eindhoven. Their plan? To bring cost-effective, reliable electric incandescent light bulbs to everyone who needed them.
Over the years since then, we have continued to improve people's lives with a steady flow of ground-breaking innovations.


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Two French Navy schooners are on the way from Brest to Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) for a weekend of R&R before heading to Jacksonville, Savannah, Annapolis, Philly and New York: sister ships L'Etoile and La Belle Poule ("the Star" and "the Pretty Hen").
We'll welcome the sailors with open arms. And treat them to a wonderful petanque tournament / festival along the river. What better way to celebrate friendship.
May the best win!
Video clip of l'Etoile's visit to Cannes and Monaco last summer. Gives you a pretty good idea of the atmosphere on board:
The ships are here to celebrate the 450th anniversary of French Captain Jean Ribault's arrival in Florida in 1562.
Fernandina Beach events
Jacksonville events
April 15, 2012
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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — In 2010, Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs referred to the company's efforts in TV as a "hobby." To investors, that meant it lacked the scale to be called a business.
In fact, Apple
The topic of what Apple will do next in this arena went on to become an obsession among investors, especially after reading comments by Jobs in Walter Isaacson's 2011 biography.
"I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," Isaacson quoted Jobs as having said. "It would be seamlessly synched with all your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."
So far, though, Apple has never confirmed a plan to develop its own television. In 2012, a Wall Street Journal report stated that the company was talking to cable operators about a set-top box, but it could not negotiate any deals that would let it offer more ambitious programming, including live television. Recent reports indicate a new set-top box is in the works, with content deals still being ironed out.
But talks with one key potential video content partner, Time Warner Cable Inc.
could now be in jeopardy. Investors are now wondering how the proposed $45 billion merger of Comcast Corp.
Apple traditionally does not comment on unannounced products, and a spokesman declined to comment to a MarketWatch reporter late last week on a Bloomberg story about its talks with Time Warner Cable.
"There is no way that Comcast is going to do this with Apple," said Colin Dixon, chief analyst and founder of nScreenMedia. "They are really competitive with Apple. Comcast rents and sells movies; Apple rents and sells movies. They certainly don't want Apple messing around with their interface and getting in with their customers."
Many analysts are expecting that the Comcast proposal to buy Time Warner Cable will get regulatory approval, as newer entrants in streaming video have made the market more competitive. So if indeed Comcast looks upon Apple as a foe and is not interested in its set-top box, what does that mean for Apple TV's future? Investors and consumers alike have held out hope that Apple would change the TV business, much as it upended other product categories.
Some have been counting on Apple to introduce its own television or a Mac realizing Jobs's vision of a big-screen HDTV that's ultrasimple to use and can be controlled by any Apple device. On Monday, ReadWrite suggested that one way Apple could realize that vision would be to turn its current iTunes service into a streaming service more like Netflix Inc.'s
Apple investors keep hoping for new products or new product areas to reactivate earnings momentum. In fact, investors are so hopeful that Apple will enter a new product arena that they were riveted by a report in the San Francisco Chronicle over the weekend that Apple's M&A chief, Adrian Perica, had met with Tesla Motors Inc.
Whether Apple TV or something further afield, as implied by the Tesla talks, is being targeted by the company for its next world-changing foray cannot at this point be determined. Recent reports and rumors have steered investors toward hoping for a March or April launch of a next-generation Apple TV set-top box. But until something concrete is introduced by the company, the guessing game continues unabated.
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