text:
County hopes to lure Hollywood bucks, film projects
Area officials encourage crews to film at locations in the region
Capturing small-town charm is not easy when filming in the bustling streets of Los Angeles.
That's why location scouts from the popular television show "Glee" turned 60 miles north to re-create Lima, Ohio, in quaint Santa Paula.
Music blasted outside the usually quiet offices of the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce recently as the cast and crew of the Fox television show filmed scenes for the final episode of the show's third season.
"Our job is to find Ohio here in Southern California," said Peter Sands, location manager for "Glee." "When they go out of the high school scenes, we try to find locations that would be compatible with what we would find in the Midwest. We have been here in Ventura County a few times ... and always making sure we don't shoot any palm trees."
While Ventura County has served as the backdrop for many major movie and television shoots over the years, local officials and business owners hope to increase Hollywood traffic in the county by streamlining filming logistics and providing a local workforce.
Meanwhile, state officials are working to prevent more "film flight" and keep Hollywood dollars through legislation that would extend income tax credits for pictures shot in California.
In March, the Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County launched an Internet database for film, television and commercial productions. The goal of Ventura County Film411 is to provide industry professionals with a one-stop center to find local support from caterers to costume designers, said EDC-VC President Bruce Stenslie.
There are about 3,500 union members and their families who are involved in some capacity within the film, stage or television industry in the county, said Marilyn Valenzuela, executive secretary-treasurer for the Tri-Counties Central Labor Council.
That number includes members of the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the International Association of Theatrical and Stage Employees.
Making Ventura County more film-friendly also means helping production crews navigate the oftentimes lengthy process for permits in various jurisdictions if filming crosses city limits. To help expedite the steps, officials with EDC-VC, who also serve as the county's Film Commission, have talked to county and city officials about streamlining their permit requirements.
Shooting on location could generate anywhere from $50,000 to $225,000 for the local economy, Stenslie said.
"A day shoot with a full studio production can result in a several hundred thousand dollars in a day," Stenslie said. "Unfortunately, a lot of those revenues are for catering companies or staff that also come from Los Angeles. We want to capture more of that spending for our local vendors, contractors, and hotels and other businesses that come as the collateral expenditures that occur in a film shoot."
The city of Moorpark recently made some changes to its permit process, which would allow crews to lease city property to use as filming base camp, said redevelopment manager David Moe. The Moorpark City Council could officially approve the changes in a proposed ordinance that will come before it this summer, Moe said.
"We've had very positive feedback and believe we are moving on the right path," Moe said. "Now they can come here and secure permits painlessly as long as our residents and businesses are not negatively impacted."
While local officials are trying to increase filming in the county, the California Film Commission is continuing its efforts to entice studios to film big budget projects in Tinsel Town and nearby cities.
Since the implementation of the state tax program three years ago, a total of 165 film projects with budgets of $75 million or below received a 20 percent tax break, said California Film Commission Director Amy Lemisch.
Among those films were "Water for Elephants," which was filmed in Fillmore, and "We Bought a Zoo," which was shot at Greenfield Ranch in Thousand Oaks.
The tax incentive was a response to the "film flight" that has hurt not only film production in the state but also resulted in negative economic impact.
According to a 2010 study released by the Milken Institute, movies that were either wholly or partially filmed in the state dropped sharply from 272 in 2000 to 160 in 2008 as studios were lured to New York, North Carolina, New Mexico, Georgia and Canada.
Large budget films like "The Avengers," "Captain America," and the upcoming Tom Cruise film "Rock of Ages" were all shot outside California because their budgets were larger than the $75 million cap.
"It is still a very big concern for the California entertainment industry and we do continue to lose projects that leave the state to access these incentives," Lemisch said. "It is certainly frustrating for the people whose livelihood depends on this industry."
The existing tax credit bill is slated to end on July 2015, but there are bills already in the pipeline that could keep the program going. Two bills — SB 1167 introduced by Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, and AB 2026 by Assembly member Felipe Fuentes, D-Sylmar — could extend the film tax program to July 2020 if approved.
Fuentes bill was read last week and sent to the Assembly appropriations committee. Calderon's SB 1167 was scheduled for a May 9 hearing, which was canceled.
Fillmore & Western was one of the local companies to benefit from the state tax break. The film "Water for Elephants," starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, used trains outfitted by the company.
Charlie Sheen's upcoming television sitcom "Anger Management" also used the Fillmore & Western car for a wreck scene, while one of the company's trains was used for the "Glee" shoot at the Santa Paula depot.
"We try to use as many local people as we can," said Dave Wilkinson, Fillmore & Western owner. "We always recommend the local hardware stores because a lot of these guys bring everything ... except that one little hinge that they really need right away. They're also staying in local hotels, renting lifts, generators and other supplies that they can get faster with our local sources. We want to help as many of the local businesses we can here in the county."
Online: http://venturacountyfilm411.org
Subscribe to the Ventura County Star
Need Help? Call us at 1-877-710-6182.
Monday-Friday: 6am-3pm / Saturday: 6:30am-10:30am / Sunday: 7am-11am


text:
Corsicana Daily Sun
Corsicana —
Carrie Borsellino Laxson and Douglas Laxson of Waco, TX, would like to announce the birth of their daughter, Chloe Elaine. She was born on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 12:13 p.m. at Providence Health Center in Waco. She weighed 7 lbs and was 21 inches long.
Paternal Grandparents are the late Charles and Betty Laxson. Maternal Grandparents are Betty Borsellino of Waco and Paul and Jamie Borsellino of Ft. Worth. Maternal Great Granparents are the late Kenneth and Wanda McGlohen and the late Frank and Lillian Borsellino.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Oracle Announces Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 2
Key features of new Oracle Kernel release include: Btrfs filesystem, improvements in performance, scalability, virtualization and others.
Oracle has announced the release of Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 2 (2.6.39). This is Oracle's second major release of its optimized operating system kernel for Oracle Linux 5 and Oracle Linux 6.
According to Oracle's Linux Blog, the RPM packages are now available from the Unbreakable Linux Network and the public yum repositories. This kernel can be installed on both Oracle Linux 5.8 and newer as well as Oracle Linux 6.2 and newer. By simply updating the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel, Oracle Linux customers can benefit from the latest improvements without having to re-install their distribution or applications.
According to the announcement, the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 2 is based on mainline Linux 3.0.16 and includes a few selected patches from other mainline Linux versions. The source code is available from the public git source code repository. Some key features of this release include: Btrfs filesystem, improvements in performance, scalability, and virtualization, transparent "Huge Pages" and memory compaction, improvements to Cgroups and OCFS2, Linux Containers, and updated device drivers.
More information is available from the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 2 features and benefits document.
Issue 166/2014
Tag Cloud
Password Management Services Vulnerable to Attack
Should you trust an online service to store your online passwords?
New Raspberry Pi Adds Two USB Ports
New B+ board lets you build cool things without the complication of a powered USB hub.
Microsoft Grabs No-IP.com Domains
Redmond rushes in to root out alleged malware haven.
Firefox Steps into 3D
New initiative will bring futuristic virtual reality effects to the web surfing experience.
New Trojan Targets Online Banking
Dyreza malware launches a man-in-the-middle attack that compromises SSL.
HP Rolls Out Massive Cloud Network
New cloud combines worldwide access with local attention to data security.
New Attack Targets Wireless Logins
A first cousin of the recent Heartbleed attack affects EAP-based wireless and peer-to-peer authentication.
Geeks Petition for Free Lenovo BIOS
FOSS community acts to protect freedom of choice for laptop devices.
Firefox Says Yes to DRM
Quintessential open source browser shores up its market share with a step toward the proprietary dark side.
Webcam Hijackers Busted
Authorities in 16 countries take action against users of the imfamous BlackShades malware tool.


text:
Larry Downes, Contributor
Customers vent, whistle blowers reveal internal turmoil, CEO Brian Dunn responds
For years I've worked with clients who want to tap the power of the Internet to distribute and transform information, but I've never experienced that power quite like I did last week.
My article, "Why Best Buy is Going out of Business…Gradually," became something of a sensation. By the end of the week, the article had generated coverage in major business media and across the Internet. Late Friday, even the company's CEO, Brian Dunn, posted a response. (More on that in a moment.)
A few numbers tell the tale:
Yet my purpose in writing the article couldn't have been more modest. I have long been interested in why managers and executives misinterpret changing market dynamics. (I've written two books on the subject, including "Unleashing the Killer App," which is still relevant to Best Buy's current problems.) I've just started work on a new book on disruptive market transformations, which will teach even large companies to avoid getting caught in the trap.
Then a pre-New Year's visit to a local Best Buy store had the unintended consequence of focusing my attention on the electronics retailing giant, which continues to struggle despite the disappearance in 2009 of one of its main competitors, Circuit City.
The poor service at the store led me to dig into the company's balance sheet and strategic plan, as well as the company's embarrassing decision to cancel 30,000 online orders just a few days before Christmas for lack of inventory.
Like many companies surprised by the unpredictable transformation of markets at the hands of disruptive digital technologies, I concluded, Best Buy appeared to be going out of business two ways: "Gradually, then suddenly."
By early Monday morning, it was clear something unusual was happening. In the middle of the night on a national holiday, there were over 100,000 page views just in the first few hours.
As the week went on, momentum built. The page views accelerated mid-week, and new stories about the article proliferated in print, on the radio, and on the web. After Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn wrote his own response to the article on a company website, the volume of buzz amped up again.
By week's end, the article and its response had been reported by, among many others, The Wall Street Journal ("Best Buy CEO Defies Critics"), The Financial Times ("Best Buy Chief Hits Back at Critics"), and National Public Radio ("Is Best Buy Built for the Long Haul?").
Clearly, I'd struck a chord with Best Buy customers. And while any large retailer is bound to have generated its share of horror stories, there was something more personal about the abuse Best Buy customers reported and the sense of combat fatigue they felt on entering the store. Just page through the comments on the original post to see what I mean.
(As a side note, I apologize to those who sent me literally thousands of emails, Tweets, and discussion comments. I feel your pain, and wish I had time to respond to each of you individually.)
But the story inevitably hit a few nerves as well.
The company did not respond to my written request for comment or reply to the article. But Best Buy insiders passed along what appears to be the company's internal script for responding to customer and press inquiries about my story:
Refer to the following PR talking points when handling any customer inquiries about this article:
We disagree with the premise of blogger Larry Downes in his recent post on forbes.com. We think Best Buy is here for the long term. After all, Best Buy plays a unique role in the world of consumer electronics – we combine the "what" of the industry (the world's most comprehensive portfolio of cutting-edge products) and the "how", services to turn everything on, connect it and protect it. We have strong growth initiatives that include global connections, expanded services, expansion into China and a growing e-commerce presence.
Yes, we know that we had issues with some online orders over the holidays and as a result, we disappointed some customers. We are truly sorry if we ruined anyone's holiday. Rest assured that we are working on resolving the issues that caused those problems so that they will not occur again.
We know our accountability starts and ends with our customers.
We will continue to define ourselves by relentlessly focusing on the customer and going where the growth is.
I also heard from plenty of current Best Buy employees, both via Forbes and through private emails. Best Buy has a strong sales culture at the stores, and some employees took the article personally. I called out some of their (non-obscene) comments on the original post, in part because I think they inadvertently highlight what's wrong with the company's current strategy.
Employees, I learned, are strongly conditioned to see every customer who walks in the store as a potential target, one who needs to be coerced into buying something other than what they came looking for.
But you can't treat the customer as an adversary in a battle of wills. You can't provide superior service when you've been drilled to view each person who walks into your store as prey. You can't be a trusted source of expertise on consumer electronics when, as many former employees told me, failure to follow the company script means getting your hours cut or simply being fired.
Best Buy employees are trained to focus on customers. But not so much to serve them as to overpower them. It is not being "customer-centric" when your laser-beam focus is on sizing the customer up and looking for weaknesses in their resistance to buying products and service they didn't come looking for.
That, at least, was the conversation until Friday. Then the other shoe dropped.
Most of the big box retail stores have inept people on the sales floor as well as higher prices than what is found online. The only reason I go to the local stores is if I need something right away.. and even then it's a hit and miss if they do have what I'm looking for. While your story got the enough coverage to get the CEO's attention, the emails you got shows that it is not a unique story. We all have 'been there' unfortunately, we as individual customers are like ants yelling at a monster… hopefully if we all join together we can make a difference when it comes to them offering us decent customer service. Good job on the article.
Yea, don't mention how all of those customers that had there orders canceled received a 50 dollar gift card. Pfh, 50 dollars is nothing right?
Whats funny to me is that you were "fuming" from some kid getting paid 9.50 to simply ask you a few questions.
Was it too hard for you to say "I'm not interested, thanks".
Even better is I doubt the guy was even a best buy employee… He was probably affiliated with Direct TV or one of those other package companys. And to be honest I probably wouldnt have helped you find the blue ray after you talked to me like that either.
I like how you write this big article on how bad the customer service is and yet here you are being a complete jerk to some dude trying to do his job. Goes both ways.
I for one am a former best buy employee from burbank ca and i can honestly say im happy that this company will go out of buisness soon the managers are scum ! the distric managers are worse! ive seen so many of my co workers get screwed over by these managers ! i have so much dirt on these managers i can have them fired but im not a evil person like that ! its honestly the worst place to work as a young adult i would steer your kids away from a job there managers treat you like dirt for not getting customers to buy there worthless products and services ! they make us at times work longer after our pay and it may seem stupid for a employee to do that but we get promised the world and get nothing in the end unless your a brown nose! BEST BUY IN BURBANK CA DONT BUY!!!
fishfunk, how long have you been working at Best Buy?
I am still shocked that Best Buy allows third party (MLM) in there stores to push product. These vultures prey opon you when you shop in the store. They are like sharks they smell blood in the water when your shopping for a TV. I question any company that allows this. I would say it is very short cited and over a period of time will decrease traffic in your store. I would not allow a 3rd party rep to ruin my customers experience as CEO wake up.
@fishfunk – $50 is nothing when the majority of your christmas shopping was done…. or so you thought. It went something like this:
-about three hours researching what I wanted to buy and comparing prices to place several orders across amazon, best buy, and others
-waiting weeks to find out why my order hadn't shipped – after checking the site for shipment updates, writing an e-mail, calling, and waiting for some kind of follow-up that ended up being a notice of cancellation
-spending about 6 or 7 hours cleaning up the mess created by my order being cancelled; visiting other retailers locally to find the items, giving up on some altogether, and rushing orders online to ensure they arrived in time
-about $65 lost in having to pay higher prices as a result of the cancellation
My time is important to me, so $50 IS nothing in the face of the time I don't get back, the stress of having to make sure presents were where they needed to be, and the general lack of help from BB when seeking their assistance. That coupled with ending up having to pay more anyway was a pretty awful slap to the face.
Larry agree 100%. In today's day and age of on line shopping Best Buy should understand that it is extremely important that the in store experience be nothing other than great. Have staff that is informed and helpful when needed. If they continue this practice of allowing 3rd party groups to push product they will over time keep eroding their customer base.
It smells of desperation. Yes you can measure the increase in sales today but I ask Best Buy can you measure the long term effect on your business?
Just think if Best Buy Corporate allows and promotes this marketing why would the local manager's care and that is where the problem lies. They lose 1 customer after another and just shrug it off and say who cares it's only 1 customer.
I followed the link posted in the article to read Brian Dunn's rebuttal. I read the comments of people in response to that, and comment #37 is an interesting defense of Best Buy. I may be reading it wrong, but is that comment from Ken Greene or Mr. Brian Dunn? If it's Mr. Dunn using an alias, it's pretty pathetic.
I think that it is good that you are responding to the attacks on Best Buy. I am a former Associate with Best Buy, and still a very loyal customer.
I find that like most retailers, there is never enough help, but that is part of trying to compete with the online retailers, it is hard to always have as much help as you like. I did, however, shop in my local Best Buy in Snellville, Georgia over the Christmas Holidays, and was pleasantly surpised at the level of service and friendy folks working hard to make sure that I did not leave without getting everything that I needed…and yes, I did get offered a protection plan, which is a good thing. I have saved a lot of money over the years by being able to protect my purchases. It really comes down to the Leadership at the local Best Buy, when you come right down to it…The standard that they set everyday in how they treat their employees and Guests, makes all the difference in the world. As for me, I will continue to shop at Best Buy and root for better times. Keep the faith, hard work always pays off in the end…
Ken Greene
Comment by Mr Brian Dunn — January 7, 2012 @ 12:44 am "
I personally work at a Best Buy, like any retail store you have great times working there and other times you dislike every single minute of it. I have read and reread the articles and the response from CEO Brian Dunn. I myself see there are many opportunities for the company to fix itself. The problem is the company does not know what it wants to be. Does it want to be a destination for the latest and greatest or do they want to be destination for "hot value" laptops. We sell these products but at the same time are discouraged to sell them and up-sell them to something superior. As an employee and tech afficionado I know most people are buying laptops for price not because of specifications. So why discourage the sales of these laptops, if there is so much angst against these laptops let's not sell them and be a boutique store of Microsoft Premium and Apple Laptops. Best Buy locations are not equipped to sell this lower priced laptops, not enough employees per store, or they open stores where not necessary because there is another location only 20 minutes down the road, instead of filling the higher tiered stores. On the issue of "inept" employees, I personally see it. The company does hire people who have no idea of technology other than turning a computer on and using the "blue e" icon on the desktop to get on the "internet" (in reality the web is coming to them and the internet is the combination of protocols, the web and emails working together). I have a huge problem with this level of ineptitude of hired employees or they create new positions and employee leaders who know nothing of the products that they are trying to sell other than some specific item and number or "goal" they are trying to achieve. Create a "sales specialist" position the most knowledgeable and best sales people in the store then change the way it works a month later and change what it is suppose to be to push another product that makes Best Buy more money and place someone in the head who knows nothing of the department because they are from another department. I myself am very knowledgeable and know what I speak when I talk to the customer. I have never lied to a customer and always receive high regards from those customers but I personally tell them not to do the survey or talk to my managers; I personally do not care for recognition I am doing my job. I also dislike third party vendors, and reps, they slow down my role as an employee, are usually not very knowledgeable and have horrible customer experience but what can I do Best Buy and these third party vendors have to make money somehow. All in all I may have several complaints about Best Buy, but at the end of the day I do enjoy my job. It awesome flexibility for those who go to school, which im going for, studying Internet Services Technology, highly knowledgeable in Apple, Microsoft and Linux products. I love all the new technology that comes through the doors and get to play with it first. It doesn't pay well but what retail store does? I would wish you Larry Downes would come into my store and actually experience a Best Buy the way it should be, please excuse the third party reps though. Quiz me on any product sold in my Computers and Tablets department and I will have an answer, and if I do not I will not fluff one, I will not try to sell you things that you do not need, I will meet all of your computing needs. I go with what's right for the customer and give them the right experience. I go against managers sometimes and what they want, and yet I am a Full Timer working there three years and one of the best employees for that store. I know not all stores are like mine, but what can I do about that, nothing. I know it is a lot to write and it is a ramble, but I would hope this would catch your attention. Best Buy can truly be a great company and great place to go when wanting something technological, they just need to stop comparing to past financial numbers and think of the future and stop making excuses of why something went wrong and remedy the situation, or issue and move ahead, and when they do something right do not change it adding other things that will not work. Ramble over.
Former employee here as well but not in CA. I try not to give BBY much thought these days. I worked there for 5 years and about 4 of those I was in leadership. Where is the toxicity developed in BBY? I had several bad managers that by the company standards were "Achievers." For the customer on the outside this is what they see. Brian Dunn should go on a surprise road show and pop in during leadership meetings and take a look at the performance management rhythm of the leaders. Too many politics in the stores.
Thanks for the positive notes in your reply. I also work at Best Buy but in Greenville, SC in the computer dept. too. I spend my free time researching new products as they arrive or the Kindle vs. Nook tablet debate that was going on. I do not push anything onto my customers but I do help them make informed decisions. For instance when the Kindle was waiting for an update bc of a too quick release in my mind, they did push the update but the issue was before Christmas. Customers appreciate the friendly, knowledgeable staff. No store has this 100% of the time and I have heard many complaints even at my store. It is much easier to complain when you feel neglected or not helped I should say, but the customers I encounter NEED to pick my brain, they need my help for which router, cable or modem, why 2 vs 8 Gb and 320 vs. 500 HDD. I personally try to give each and every customer the same time, attention and information they need and deserve. I have had many repeat customers bc of the knowledge I possess…. yes I am pursuing a degree in Networking also so not all of us are walking around clueless :) No matter what the reviews and comments are I am being paid for my services and when I am on BB time that is exactly what I give with full dedication. It is sad that a handful of truly hard workers (although I believe it to be more), get the all around how dumb we are. Thank goodness my customers tell me how much they appreciate my help….
The time has come for Mr. Dunn to step aside, or fired by the board. The new CEO should be an outsider to cleanup the senior management mess. They all want to dance to the tunes of wallstreet metrics and don't care about long term plans or how thousands of employees and their families will be affected if it goes out of business. BBY has customes issues for years, and online commerce is going on for years. If they still can't figure out, it is too late. Just look at Netflix, though the stock went down, it is the right move to separate streaming vs mailing..
I also believe Brian Dunn should go out, he was never for the part. He is in the past and does not know how to run the company, like Schultz or Anderson did.
I have no way of knowing if your analysis is correct or not, as I have virtually no experience in a Best Buy store. I would, however, like to make the following observation re your comment:
"It's more denial, now tinged with a dose of anger."
And the feeling of your whole critique in general.
It reminds me a lot of the responses of both PALM and RIMM CEOs: Denial. Comments – in particular by RIMM – on the advent of the iPhone, led me to believe that they were on the road to disaster.
Another brilliant post. Definitely buying your book. I also feel like you've given somewhat of a voice to all the disgruntled customers that have been wronged by the poor customer service of Best Buy. I really wish Dunn and delved further into their poor customer service, because that's really the root of the problem. Whether it's cancelled internet orders or just treating someone in one of their B&Ms poorly, it all comes down to poor customer service. Your response reiterates this and your comment that he set up a straw man and knocked it down is spot on. He's mincing words and beating around the bush. Where's the accountability? What is he going to do to make it right? Nothing. None of us that don't go there anymore will ever be satisfied anymore because they are riding that wave of people that aren't angry enough yet just like you said. Then, when things start getting worse and worse they'll be filing for bankruptcy and scrambling to improve things, but it will be too late because I've already gone elsewhere. But Dunn will get his parting bonus and go ruin another company.
It's interesting to contrast Best Buy with a brick and mortar that is getting it right. I like Barnes and Noble.
As a storefront they do great. A coffee shop and comfy chairs make it a destination. I enter the mall through B&N about 80% of the time. I always check their "new releases".
The storefront helps me find books I wouldn't ordinarily find. I wasn't "looking for" about 70% of my purchases.
We own two Nooks and the storefront technical support is a large selling point. All the employees are readers themselves and quickly help out.
I usually read using an Android phone rather than one of the Nooks. My shopping process is to browse the storefront and keep a wish list on my phone. Latter, I compare Amazon, B&N and Google Books and purchase the cheapest.
B&N could get more of my sales if I could scan a book cover on my phone using the Nook app and have it automatically added to an on-line B&N wish list. (I wish the app would also store my last page on-line so I can quickly switch devices.)
The convenience of not manually typing titles and easy on-line wish list purchases would make price shopping less attractive.
The Book market is definitely on-line and B&N has/is facing tremendous issues, but B&N storefronts provide a better "book discovery" showroom than on-line only stores.
Maybe the Best Buy CEO should visit both B&N storefronts and on-line and see how they have made lemon-aid from what is commonly considered a lemon.
Mr. Dunn,
Take Mr. Downes advice!
Another great article. I don't remember if I commented on your first one (I usually don't if there are already tons of comments), but you and your reader-commenters hit the nail on the head.
The in-store customer service is THE asset that Best Buy could be using to delight their customers. Instead, they have very little product knowledge and do the opposite.
By the way, Radio Shack is quickly going in the same direction. They need to learn that informed customers aren't going to go to Radio Shack to buy a cell phone plan, digital picture frame, or MP3 player accessories- we can get all of those things cheaper elsewhere. Where Radio Shack has a HUGE advantage is that they are the store I know I should go to if I need ANY electronic component- switches, cables, wires, HDMI, TV antennas, etc.
But what is their staff educated on? Phone plans, headsets, picture frames, and MP3 player accessories. I go in there looking for a stereo audio cable switch (to switch between two devices that will input to one speaker), and they guy steers me away from my suggestion that turned out to be the right answer, and steered me toward what I knew was a wrong answer (I convinced him it was also a wrong answer). It turns out they had what I needed, and if the guy had been smarter, I would have spent $20 that day. Instead, I concluded that they didn't have what I needed and spent $0.
I completely agree. As a long time Sales Associate of RS, now SM, the company does not offer enough training for our employees into the smaller items. Thankfully the new directives for 2012 fix that issue to a small extent. I can honestly say, if I went to a different RS and asked the same question, I would probably have seen the same answer as you did. Thankfully in my current and previous store, we made a point to learn those items. As you say, more than half of our customers come in looking for those smaller items, not easily found outside the internet sales market.
I can say there are multitudes of markers popping up here and there showing how even RS is having some serious issues. The previous CEO did the same thing as Best Buy and instead of fixing the issues brought up to him by critics/customers, he figured it would be better to clear out 94% of the senior sales reps/store managers. As sad as it is to say, out of 5600 stores, I am one of the few with more than 9 years experience in our company, my DM, RM, RSD, and even our RVP (Retail Vice President), are newer to the company than 5 years.
That directive has thankfully been replaced with a different model of customer services first. If we managers are not taking care of our customers and we receive multiple surveys below 70% satisfaction, we will be on our way to unemployment (this is why we print and circle the surveys on the bottom of each receipt). I can say this though, it has brought alot of the bad stores/managers to light in the company using this method. We have, in my district alone, seen an increase of customer satisfaction by over 35%.
I can defenitely say things are slowly looking up for RS, but there are still plenty of problems that need fixing before they can even hope to be in a safer spot than even Best Buy at this point. Please feel free to look into our company. I am sure you will see alot of the same indications as you did with Best Buy, but hopefully, you will also be able to find some of the positives. If not, then RS may be next before Best Buy. I personally dont think so, but I do have SM goggles with RS on :). Amazing article, keep up your amazing work.
Yep. My brother's favorite variation on Radio Shack's slogan of a couple of years ago was "You have questions? We have blank stares!"
Bravo, Bravo Mr. Downes. I think that the article was right on the money and that is why I feel compel to write again seeing that Mr Dunn is still missing the bigger picture that your article brought to the table. Best buy needs to go back and re-think about its strategy, it is clear from the response of your article that WE the CUSTOMER still feel that Mr. Dunn should stop wasting his time on responding to the media and maybe sitting down with you and other successful people on how he can come up with a better strategy , lets face it it is not a secret anymore Best Buy is struggling in the market we live today, and they are still trying to say otherwise. As a matter of fact if anything Best Buy and Mr Dunn should thank you and all that commented to your past article that we are concern and interested enough to let him and Best Buy know what they are doing wrong so that they can fix it.
Mr Dunn, you should feel lucky that people are interested enough to tell you where you are going wrong , look at it this way I think we are more concern about you not loosing the battle and your job then your own self.
I personally would hate to see Best Buy go down but Best Buy needs to focus on GREAT customer service.
Once again awesome job on the article.
i don't know where to begin, first i would like to address the myth that best buy employees are trained to see customers as walking targets. they are trained to build relationships with customers to make them purchase now but also remain as a loyal customer. they are trained to provide mention all the little accessories like hdmi cables memory cards, cases and many other things. they all have uses most of them need to be used in conjunction with the hardware for better use of course some are over the top for example if you bought a 720p 32 inch t.v and got the $120 monster wire… you're way over the top… but also if you bought the 55 in 1080p 240hz 3d t.v and did not buy ANY hdmi wire you should have bought a 55 in 720p 60hz.
of course employees are driven by managers to upsell but thats where you come in and make your desicion… Best Buy employees are not paid commission so they will not coerce you into anything they will mention the product but will not "go hard" for you to get it, there are always options best buy has great variety i.e HDMI wires for $24 to well over $100 look around. i hope somehow that i clarified things a bit with my rough examples. I would like to remind everyone that Best Buy sales associates don't earn commission they get paid hourly… which brings me to my next topic… people complain about bad customer service this is mostly because employees have no incentive to fully take care of the customer and even follow up on purchases.. in the perfect world i live in i follow up on customers and love when i get C.U'S or people that come and ask specifically for YOU. even though this never has a positive or negative effect in my pocket… but honestly speaking best buy's pay policy is complete communism if i sell well i get paid and if i don't I STILL GET PAID. so there is no incentive for the young sales people in best buy to do any better. which brings me to the next topic " inept sales people" as mr Juan Sanchez mentioned below best buy doesn't seem to retain any talent. at wages from 9 to 11 dollars an hour and miniscule raises the average employee stays for roughly over a year which is just enough time for them to get trained in everything they need to know and then they find a better paying position elsewhere. which brings me to my last point most (smart) bestbuy employees defect after a few years which leaves the less than proficient employees behind to go up the ranks or they get people from the outside hire them to fill important corporate possitions which generates a huge vaccum or separation between Corporate and the actual sales people … so the decision makers never set a foot in the stores and just go by statistics and sales trends… and you should see what a circus a bestbuy becomes when corporate is there… corporate is always trying to fix something they don't know about and make it worst… which pisses of all the sales people and also corporate adding to the divide… information does not travel well up the ranks.. best buy could also do a lot better if the concentrated on fixing their problems in Best Buy U.S before trying to open stores all over china and the U.K with the same problems. i would also recomend to stop wasting millions of dollars buying have-been chains and other less than profitable ventures like rhapsody
You know as well as I do that that's complete malarkey. If you don't sell, your hours get cut. Maybe your store hasn't gone in that direction yet, but they will. BBY is virtually commissioned now, as much as they don't want to admit it. As I had it explained to me by a manager once, who do you want on the sales floor most of the time? Someone who can sell, or someone who can't?
I can tell you as an employee, a student and a single mother of a 12 and 14 yr old…. there is no commission. Yes, there are young people who don't know a whole lot and I am sure that hurts them in a certain way but with the desire to learn it is not rocket science if you have a beginning in the area you are working in and before you are allowed on the floor Best Buy requires you to take approx 80 Elearnings. (these are study skills you must pass to make sure you are knowledgeable in your area.. a foundation). But that is rambling on… seriously if we made commission it would be great yes, but I also think some customers would not be taken care of as thoroughly….
Thank you for the much needed follow-up. I was a little vexed at your first article as it failed to mention a few key points.
Many years back in '93 being part of the <1% (Those online at the time) I saw the birth of digital revolution from the start. I am no longer that <1%. With the world changing, I whole heartedly agree that Best Buy will either need to change or die slowly. There are some immediate changes that Best Buy needs make to overall impact the customer experience to survive.
The first is metrics. No longer should the company be competative with itself. This is a failing model. I do understand that you need a way to gauge a stores overall health but doing so at the cost of your own business is self-inflicting. Store-to-store/Store-to-dotcom competition is draconian and needs to end immediately. You are one store, treat it as so.
Employees, your main real asset directly affecting/interacting with customers. Please treat us as an asset. Since I started with the company over 5 years ago, working with customers has turned from an experience to an interaction. With less training, staffing, labor hours, more responsibilities and "management" (will get into that next), Best Buy turned from a fun interactive experience with each customer to a "get all" with customers. Both customers and employee's morals have shown their disdain towards the company actions and it has reflected on the companys overall health.
Management. I know this will be a tough challenge to face. How to manage employees to make sure they give the customer the best possible experience while trying to thrive in a tougher economy. Hounding of customers/employees, delagation of work that management is responsible for onto lower paid employees, brown-nosing, no flexibility, not customer facing, no tasking and a slew of other problems will not fly going into the future. Management should be the support of customer satisfaction, not a crutch to hold to. I do know that Best Buy has been actively pursuing to change this over the last few (~<6) months by actively shifting management positions and weeding out the dead weight (Hundreds of managers/GM's across the nation) but this needs to be accelerated. There are far too many coporate/territory/district/store managers who's inability to change will be the death of the company.
Outsourcing. Either fix it, drop it or handle it internally. If you want to set yourself apart from an online retailer by having a physical presence, you need to back your products. There is a reason why your appliance section and home theatre sections have declined over the years. With no accountability on behalf of the company, your service plans (or "Black Tie Protections") have turned into a headache of an expensive piece of paper.
Systems. Did you know that Best Buy has well over 10 completely different systems on how to handle customer sales/service/returns. With little redundancy and less training for employees, it has literally become "The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing".
Layout. In fact you pointed this out in your first article. Your friend wanted to get a copy of a movie that only Best Buy carried. You looked and couldnt even find the correct section for your main reason for the visit, this is intentional. I've seen complete chunks of the store completely re-arranged sometimes up to 3-4 in a week making it very difficult for customers to find the right products they were looking for, even if they frequently visit Best Buy. They then compounded this with a new layout model called "connected" stores. The "concept" was great, execution was a failure. The criterion to force an employee onto a customer to almost make any purchase for upselling is a strategy that may have worked in the past on the un-educated customer but consumers are more educated now than ever. Make it easier for customers to find the right products they need without being forced to pair with an employee. Its just as frustrating for employees not to know where product has moved to as it is for the customer.
These are the main flaws seen throughout the company. If these are not addressed immediately, any other coporate strategy to gain/winback customers is doomed to fail within the "system". The balance (and positive customer experience) may come with a hybrid system of membership club/retail store but not until these glaring problems are addressed.
i would like to see Mr Dunn and many of his top executives replaced by a bunch of accounting, finance, and marketing degree holders who also happened to be long time best buy sales people, supervisors and store managers. i have seen too many times a fellow worker get his degree and run full speed away from best buy with obious reasons… less than $20 an hour and stagnant carreer growth
Let me preface this post with the fact that I am currently employed by Best Buy. I know that my company is not perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination, but we can offer more than typical retailers when it comes to merging online and in-store sales. For instance, we will match our website's pricing on the vast majority of products that we have to offer. There are not many retailers that offer consumers that ability. Walk into a Barnes & Noble, or even Target and Wal-mart for that matter, and ask them to match their website prices. With regard to aggressive upselling tactics, how can we do it better? Everybody does it, even Amazon. They have extended policies, a credit card, and they also offer that wonderful "… user's also purchased Items X, Y, and Z with this." section. I don't see people complaining about that. Is there just a break down where if an actual person offers you those same options it's just so they can fatten their own wallets? We don't work on commission, we get paid hourly.


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Reviews/Comments on Twins Prospect Handbook 2014
I have intentionally not pushed the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook here on Twins Daily very much because I know that a lot of people don't like that.
However, I do want to set up a place here in the minor league forum to have a place where people can talk about it. I know that I (and Jeremy and Cody) would love to hear your thoughts, positives and negatives. Which articles did you enjoy. What are your thoughts on the profiles, the format... just anything.
(If you do want to order one, or more, or previous years, click here: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/sethspeaks)
Thank you for your support and encouragement!
Any feedback, positive or negative, is welcome!
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I'd love to hear if there are other things that people would like included. We pretty much kept it status quo as far as information we included, though we did break up the bios differently.
Is there something we missed?
Forward by John Bonnes!?! How'd you get that guy!?
Ill buy the book after my holiday bills are paid next month. I do in enjoy Jeremy interview with scouts and how you guys break up the work load. One thing you could add is a break down of what each team level represents. Avg age of the league, who go where (example most high schoolers drafted go to the gulf coast league) and a side by side comparison of how the Twins set up there system with at least two other Organizations. How does the Twins not having a SS A ball team affect promotions, or is the Twins set up of 6 American minor league teams typical or unusual.
I would love to see a piece on the week in the life of a gulf coast rookie league player.
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diehardtwinsfan (12-31-2013)
Check out the C.J. Nitkowski interview over at MLBtraderumors. If people get the time, interview guys about how it is to move in-season to a new level and town. Or just interview a player at each level so we know what their experience is like in small-town minor league baseball.
Great feedback, and we'll definitely jot those down. However, I have always included a page that gives Avg Age and Stats by level. I have the league averages and the Twins affiliates' averages.
Also, Jeremy came through again this year with a terrific interview with Twins' Scout Freddie Thon.
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I've read about half of the handbook and I love it so far. I particularly like Seth's players of the year articles and how the prospect profiles are organized (amatuer, stats, scouting report, forecast). Here are a few more things that I think would be great:
- More/Expanded prospect lists at the the back, like top 40 or 50 instead of 20 or 30, and maybe include another list or two from other contributors at Twins Daily
- Include these "rankings" in each propsect profile. For example: Kohl Stewart (4, 3, 4). I'm not super familiar with players outside the top 10, so I find myself constantly flipping back and forth from the writeups to the prospect lists.
- More info on each affiliate, espcially 2013 stats. I like what you've got on page six, with location, twitter, and manager, but I'd love it if it were expanded to 1/2 page to 1 page per affilliate with 2013 results, hitting/pitching stats, and maybe team MVP, pitcher of the year, etc.
- Oraganizational leader lists. I remember Seth doing this once towards the end of last year and it was really interesting. I'm thinking top ten lists for things like IP, K, ERA, H, BB, OPS, HR, etc. players across all Twins affiliates combined.
- Tool Ratings. I imagine this is asking too much, but I'd love to see someone's 20-80 scale rankings of each tool for each player.
- "Day in the life" articles. As other commenters have mentioned, I'd love more articles that focus on what life is like in the minors, and perhaps some player interviews. I know a lot of that kind of thing already gets posted on TwinsDaily, but the prospect handbook seems like a good place to include a couple.
Thanks for a great handbook!
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I think that it would be very difficult to translate that into print. B-R does an incredible job with this, with sortable lists of all organization position players (by position and by level) and pitchers (by L or R, starter reliever and level), over more than 20 categories. But it is somewhat hidden. You can find the 2013 Twins organization position player list here, and the pitchers here. Truly great tool and I am sure that it will not translate well into print...
Seth's (and Cody and Jeremy's now) handbook is getting better year after year. I have been getting them since the first year (the pink one - I think) and every year there is a noticeable set of additions and the price has stayed about the same.
Major kudos to all 3 of you and I am sure that next season you will add some more features to it. I really cannot make any specific requests, because I know that you all have day jobs and this is a labor of love and I suspect that you barely break even (or make like 10 cents an hour for the time you put in it.) I think it would be unfair to ask you to write about stuff you don't enjoy writing under these circumstances. Just keep doing what you are doing guys, it has been great.
Only one request: Keep it portable and small. You cannot believe how many of those handbooks I have seen every Spring Training by the bleachers on the side fields...-----
Blogging Twins since 2007 at The Tenth Inning Stretch
twitter: @thrylos98
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Chance (12-31-2013)
I appreciate your feedback and understanding about our time and energies, but that's (admittedly selfishly) one of the reasons I wanted to start this forum. We want to make sure we're providing the most bang for the buck, and hopefully we continue to provide a product that people will want. New ideas are always good!
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This is my first year buying the Handbook and I'm loving it! It's perfect for browsing. I don't know what you've done for the layout in the past, but having the pitchers and batters separate and alphabetical is a great format. I can't think of one that would be better.
I had a conversation with my brother over Christmas where he mentioned that in high school, he'd batted against pitcher Tim Shibuya, who is now in the Twins system, though he hadn't heard much about him since. It was worth the price of the book alone to be able to whip it out and read him Shibuya's half-page bio.
I've only skimmed and read a small handful of the articles to date, but here are a few of my "asks" for next year's book (more or less in order of priority):
1) This is a book organization thing more than anything, but I liked the 2013 Draft Review after reading it (it was one of the first articles I read)--then wondered why there wasn't anything on the 2013 international signings. Yesterday, I figured out that's basically what "On the Cusp" is, but it might be useful to group these two articles together in future handbooks.
2) Along those lines, I'd love a page or two that simply list (a) the draft order of the Twins' draft picks in the amateur draft (with just name, position, and school of origin with location) and (b) the Twins' international signings listed by signing bonus (with just name, position, and country of origin). It's probably somewhat duplicative of the general player sections, but I'd still find it useful as a supplement to Jeremy's summaries of what happened in the draft and international signings, and I could see it being a useful reference page five years down the line, to see where the names making noise came from.
3) I like Sssuperdave's idea of somehow highlighting or spotlighting the top prospects when they're listed in the general player listings. Maybe just take your listings and denote players as "Consensus Top 10", "Consensus Top 25", and "Consensus Top 40" or something.
4) I have yet to read it, but I'm looking forward to reading Cody's "Anatomy of a Five Tool Player." However, I sometimes listen to Baseball Prospectus's Effectively Wild podcast and I remember hearing one episode right after Ben Lindbergh went to scout school on how the 20-80 scale is applied to pitchers, and how their tools are examined. It could be nice to incorporate that into such an article in the future.
5) I like maxisagod's suggestion of outlining how the Twins' organizational structure compares to others. I have no idea what "the Twins not having a SS A ball team" means, and I've just assumed every organization has R-/R+/A-/A+/AA/AAA as their structure. Is that not typical? Or is it typical, but are their divergences? I'd be interested in hearing about that.
6) I also agree with Rosterman that a little something on the life of a Rookie baller would be worthwhile. Just slot it in after the affiliate year summaries (which I admit I've yet to read), but mainly emphasize how Rookie ball is different from all the other levels. It doesn't need to be a specific "team year in review" so much as an explanation of rookie ball. Personally, I get what most minor league teams are by thinking of them in relation to MLB teams, but Rookie ball seems to be a whole different animal that I just don't know much about.
It's a great product that I'm sure I'll be picking up annually from here on out! Thanks for all your hard work!
Last edited by Wookiee of the Year; 12-31-2013 at 08:48 PM.
Wonderful feedback Wookie! I really do appreciate it, and as you read more of it, feel free to add further comments. I'm really glad I put this here because we are getting some great ideas for improvement.
As an FYI, I agree with you on the format, separating the hitters and pitchers and then going in alphabetical order. The first few years, I just had all of the names in alphabetical order. I just think the new way makes sense.
If anyone has any good marketing ideas, let me know. I'm willing. Any publicity is good publicity, right?
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I like the ideas. I know in one of the first editions (or maybe the first edition?), Seth had the prospect ranking right with the player capsule. Maybe the three of us will have to put together a Top 50 together (in addition to our own lists). I think that would be fun.
Rating tools would be hard, but if you're familiar with BA's prospect handbook, they give an overall 20-80 score with the risk factor. For example, Thorpe would probably be 65 extreme, Stewart would be 70 high and Meyer would be 65 medium. Basically ceilings and floors. When they added that, I enjoyed their book even more.
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Did some more reading in the Handbook this morning--lots of great stuff. I didn't realize "Anatomy of a Five Tool Player" included the top three Twins prospects for each tool--that was awesome and I had fun making my own top three lists beforehand to try to predict who'd be named.
I also really enjoyed the 2014 draft preview and the comprehensive look at the draft class generally with the breakdown of some of the top names.
Also, I had a thought on labeling prospect quality: in terms of maximizing their utility to readers while minimizing your difficulty in generating them, maybe simply giving each prospect a letter grade like with John Sickels' A/B/C scale would work well? Obviously, 20-80 scores with risk factors would be great, but that sounds extremely time-consuming for you guys, where I'd think with letter grades you could take your top prospect lists, figure out where to draw the lines between grades, and then label every prospect accordingly.
We'll have to come up with a means of ranking, I can see.
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I am on page 145 reading it cover to cover. You guys have done an amazing job and I am enjoying your work thoroughly. You have far exceeded my expectations and hopes. Does any other teams have people doing this type of great work? In short, Thank You!
I Definitely love having hitters and pitchers separated.
I would not make many changes as the concise manner this is produced has a value of it's own. Having said this, here are my two suggestions:
1) I agree with the concept of expanding the forecast to include scouting projections or Something that would give us some idea of the odds we could see this guy in Minni. When it is all boiled down what we really care about most is how these guys will impact the big club.
2) Get an improved editor system. There are a lot of really silly mistakes that as you guys read your own work, I am sure you shake your heads at. My suggestion, offer someone you'd trust a free book to read it cover to cover and point out the little mistakes before you send it out. Not trying to be picky but you guys really are way too professional for the number of minor editing errors I found. (examples, pg 136, "amateur days:" is substituted with "amateur: amateur:" pg 146 "Scouting Report: Roberts in a talented player...")
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I hear you with the mistakes. We'll get better. Unlike last year, we really wanted to have the book available by Christmas, which sped up the process.
Yeah, I like the idea of adding a final editor to catch some of those things. Jeremy, Cody and I looked at it so much, and I know we missed some things... We'll get better.
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I started to keep a minor-league transaction log on January 1st of 2013, but it got to be so long that I stopped doing because I figured it would tie up a dozen (at a minimum) pages in the book. Is that something that people would be interested in?
Or maybe simply lists of All-Stars and/or League Players of the Week?


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By Phil WilliamsChief Investigative Reporter
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- A longtime Upper Cumberland Development District employee has abruptly quit as UCDD's interim director, delivering an explosive resignation letter that blames the agency's board for much of its financial problems.
Earl Carwile was named to the post back in February amid a financial scandal uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates that later led to the resignation of UCDD boss Wendy Askins.
"It is clear that this board does not have the best interest of the agency's employees or those which are served throughout the Upper Cumberland region in mind when making decisions for future success," Carwile wrote in a letter delivered Thursday to UCDD board members.
"I have been a faithful employee of UCDD for over 16 years; however, I will not continue to be associated with such an organization."
Carwile's letter accused board members of ignoring warnings about financial improprieties during Askins' tenure and continuing to lead a campaign to root out NewsChannel 5's sources.
It follows a UCDD board meeting last week where Carwile expressed frustration over the decision by board chairman Mike Foster and other board members to hire former agency employee Amanda Mainord as an independent contractor to handle grants for their counties.
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Read Earl Carwile's resignation letter
More stories, documents:NewsChannel 5 Investigates: UCDD
Tell Us What You Think!On Facebook:NewsChannel 5 InvestigatesNC5_Phil Williams
On Twitter:@NC5Investigates@NC5PhilWilliams
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A Brookline man was arrested Thursday, accused of attempting to extort money from retired Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, multiple news sources are reporting.
Police charged Joshua Roberts Van Auker, 26, on Thursday with two counts of criminal attempt, court documents show.
According to WTAE, Van Auker sent a text message on Wednesday, Oct. 17 to Ward's personal assistant indicating that if he did not receive money, Van Auker would either sell or release materials alleging Ward paid women for sex.
Van Auker also demanded $15,000, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, telling Ward through his assistant, "It's called buying silence, brother."
The assistant contacted investigators the same day to report Van Auker was trying to extort money because he believed his girlfriend had been involved in a prior physical relationship with Ward, the P-G reports.
On Thursday, authorities provided $15,000 to the assistant, who met Van Auker on Broad Street in Sewickley and gave him the money. Detectives with the Allegheny County district attorney's office arrested him after the exchange, WTAE reports.
Van Auker was awaiting arraignment Thursday night, according to court documents.
This article first appeared on Sewickley Patch.


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Chicken with a Creamy Marsala Sauce11 Reviews 1 Pic
Prep10 m
Cook20 m
Ready In30 m
"This recipe is super quick and served over rice its amazing. Even picky eaters enjoy this one."
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Adjust Servings
Original recipe yields 4 servings
- Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Press chicken tenders in the flour to coat completely; shake gently to remove any excess flour.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium, tilting the pan to coat the cooking surface in oil. Melt the butter in the skillet. Cook the chicken tenders in the hot butter until evenly browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
- Pour the Marsala wine into the skillet and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; cook until the wine is hot, about 30 seconds. Pour chicken stock into the skillet.
- Stir heavy cream and mustard together in a bowl; add to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook another 10 minutes.
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Reviews (11)Rate This Recipe
This recipe had a nice mild flavor and the sauce was good over the chicken and the rice that I served with it. I followed the recipe, except used half and half instead of the heavy whipping cream. Next time (and there will be a next time) I will probably add some seasoned salt, extra pepper, and minced garlic. Thanks Stephanie for a really good recipe.
Wow, this was fantastic, and a huge hit with my family! I used 14 ounces of chicken tenders, and 8 ounces of slice mushrooms (cooked them in step 3 with the marsala and broth). I also subbed 1/2 and 1/2 for the cream, and dijon for the ground mustard, since that's what I had on hand. It was similar to chicken dishes with cream of mushroom soup, but probably much healthier/natural, and just as easy to make. Thank you!
I love Chicken Marsala when I go out to eat, but have never made it myself. I'm a pretty decent cook. I followed these directions to the T (with the only exception, I only had 1/2 and 1/2 on hand- no heavy cream). It didn't meet my expectations. It was ok, my family didn't complain, but didn't finish their plate either. I can't put my finger on what is missing, I will probably try other recipes and "play" with it, until I find that restuarant taste!
Similar Recipes
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Amount Per Serving (4 total)
- Calories
- 684 cal
- 34%
- Fat
- 42.1 g
- 65%
- Carbs
- 12.9 g
- 4%
- Protein
- 53.6 g
- 107%
- Cholesterol
- 236 mg
- 79%
- Sodium
- 298 mg
- 12%
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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Whether they are driven by a love for teaching, a desire to see standardized test scores rise, a push for higher wages for teachers or frustration over diminishing school funding, people get passionate about education.
People have rallied in Lansing, they fill school board meetings, and they write to legislators. They cheer for young people at sporting events and beam when students receive honors at awards ceremonies.
Patch is now partnering with The Center for Michigan, a think-tank focusing on helping citizens drive important changes in the state. This year the center has been leading conversations on education throughout the state. Patch will be collaborating with local community organizations and leaders in Patch towns throughout southeast Michigan, beginning March 15 at City Hall in Farmington Hills. The next one be March 20 at the Troy Chamber of Commerce and then April 25 at Pioneer Middle School in Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. The goal is to have conversations in every Patch community in Michigan.
During these sessions, topics will range from teacher preparation to class sizes, and participants will have opportunities to offer their opinions.
"Our pledge is that you will learn something and that your voice will be heard," said CEO John Bebow, himself the father of a second-grader who attends a public school. "This isn't me sitting in my pajamas coming up with ideas. This is all about the people."
Bebow quickly illustrates the power of community conversations and how they helped spark change in Michigan a few years ago.
"We were holding these meetings, and a few of the parents were saying they weren't sure kids were going to school as often as they were supposed to," Bebow said. "Sure enough, we looked at the statewide data and found that kids were going to school one or two or three weeks less than they used to."
The center helped bring that concern to the attention of lawmakers, and within six weeks, Bebow said, the law was changed and the current 180-day calendar was adopted.
"That came out of average citizens coming to these meetings," he said.
'Customers' of education
Each year the center chooses a different topic to explore. This year's community conversation topic is education.
The focus is on the customers of the school industry: students, parents and employers — "people who have been left out of the conversation," said center founder Phil Power, former owner of HomeTown Communications Network Inc.
The goal is to involve 5,000 citizens in about 200 forums from northern Michigan to downriver. The center will release a report that will be given to every legislator in office at the beginning of 2013.
Bebow helps run the forums. Like Power, he is a former journalist. Bebow said the community conversations operate like a traditional town hall meeting, with about 30 participants who receive a small polling machine that looks something like a calculator. Bebow or another moderator asks questions that are projected onto a screen, and participants vote on their hand-held machines and see the results in real time.
The forums last 90 minutes — enough time for polling and conversation.
The Center for Michigan
Power said after retirement, he set about creating a nonprofit organization that would serve as a kind of megaphone for Michigan voices.
He said he founded The Center for Michigan in 2006 "because as a practical matter, ordinary people's voices are almost excluded from our political system. Political parties are interested in fierce partisans or in people who are part of interest groups that support their parties."
Any person who isn't in one of those groups, he said, finds himself or herself excluded. "Our purpose was to try to find ways to call forth those voices, amplify those voices, and bring them into the corridors of power," Power said. "The way to do that is through small, informal discussion groups."
In 2008, the center launched Michigan's Defining Moment, a series of 90-minute discussions that drew Michiganders into the process of developing an action plan to move the state forward. During a three-year period, 580 conversations took place with more than 10,000 citizens.
"It was the single largest public outreach campaign in Michigan history," Power said, and it resulted in a "bottom up, common-ground agenda" given to every 2008 gubernatorial candidate. That agenda formed the basis of much of Gov. Rick Snyder's legislative program, he added.
A conversation near you
In the next few days, Patch editors will be in touch with school and community leaders in their towns to plan similar events in the coming months. Patch will report on the findings and track the Center for Michigan as it takes the people's thoughts and concerns to the Legislature this year.
"I admire what Patch is trying to do, which is focusing on local communities and their concerns," said Power, whose background is in community news. "Everyone lives somewhere, and one's hometown is close to one's life."


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YELL COUNTY, AR-- A story still developing around the nation and the Natural State a memorial service is now set for the Greenwood father who was dead with his son this week in Yell county.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR-- Folks here see what's happening at the U.S. border and with no end to the crisis in sight, they are taking matters into their own hands.
It's time for The Pulse!
FOX 24 -- We shared some of our favorite pics from Thursday's contest. Take a look!
(UPDATE) FAYETTEVILLE, AR-- Fayetteville Police now say investigators are 'confident' a missing woman pregnant with twins is safe.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR (Washington Co.)--Two Northwest Arkansas forces are coming together to help those in need.
BENTONVILLE, AR--It's the first day of August which means school is right around the corner.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR--A Northwest Arkansas man, received the most coveted military decoration in the world.
This is the second year for the Dough for Dogs Event!
FORT SMITH -- Fill your bags then treat your tummy! Central Mall in Fort Smith is offering back to school shoppers free lunch during the Tax Free Weekend.
FOX 24: Back to school means heading back to the store for parents - and filling the cart can mean emptying your wallet.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR. --- According to police, a man burglarized a Fayetteville apartment and told those inside, "I'm going to kill you."
You can laugh at her selfie obsession, but Kim Kardashian is laughing all the way to the bank, thanks to her new mobile game.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - A Sherwood man is in jail after being arrested with a Samurai-like sword during a road rage incident.
LITTLE ROCK -- The shady street looks like any other family-friendly neighborhood. Those living there say it's not somewhere they expect a sex offender to stay.
It's time for the Pet of the Week!
FAYETTEVILLE -- This fall there will be a lot of ladies, who according to Coach Brett Bielema, may know more about football than the men in their lives. Three-hundred women turned out tonight for Coach Bielema's Football 101.
LITTLE ROCK, AR - Fewer teens have died in car crashes since the 2009 according to data from a new study conducted by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement in partnership with the Injury Prevention Center at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
BENTON COUNTY, AR-- The Benton County Quorum Court met this week to decide on an ordinance for folks to vote on, but at the end of the meeting, no progress was made. Now, the EMS saga sits at a standstill.
It's time for The Pulse!
A "monster" tops #1!
HUNTSVILLE, AR (Madison Co.)--A jail in the area strapped for cash, is looking for a solution.
SILOAM SPRINGS, AR -- The city of Siloam Springs is holding public meetings on the final draft of it's master plan for future economic growth and development.
VAN BUREN -- The Van Buren Boys and Girls club kicks off their great futures campaign. Local clubs joined clubs nationwide to release balloons at exactly 3PM to support kids and empower today's youth to achieve great futures.
KENNENBUNK, ME -- A New England man pulled over in traffic was stopped by the right officer. The driver was having a heart attack and the cop knew just what to do.
FOX 24-- In the cover letter, he said he "won't waste your time inflating my credentials, throwing around exaggerated job titles, or feeding you a line of crap about how my past experiences and skill set align perfectly for an investment banking internship."
YELL COUNTY, AR-- The surviving member of a family of three is at the center of an investigation two days after search crews found a man and his baby in the woods of the Ouachita Mountains.
(CNN) - There's still plenty of time between now and labor day to host simple summer gatherings without breaking the budget.
A movie sequel returns to the screen, Netflix subscribers are rejoicing and the Obama may have a lawsuit on his hands. These are your top trenders for July 31, 2014.
GRAVETTE, AR -- Voters in the Gravette School District will soon decide whether they want to help fund a new school in September.
OKLAHOMA-- A man wanted for murder in Oklahoma could be in Northwest Arkansas.
Arkansas is consistently ranked in the top 10 for most obese states.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR -- The University of Arkansas is rallying behind an employee in her battle against cancer.
The Pulse: July 30th, 2014
After spending years separated by hundreds of miles, a father and son reunite in California. In Part Three of a Special Report, Fresno reporter Jack Highberger captures the reunion of 19-year-old Manuel with his father, Santos, and asks them if it was all worth it in the end.
SPRINGFIELD, MO. -- It's been almost four months since the March 31st deadline to enroll in health care through the Affordable Care Act and doctors are experiencing an influx of patients with the new marketplace insurance.
KNWA/CNN--Dessert lovers, rejoice! Wednesday is National Cheesecake Day!
ROGERS, AR -- Down Syndrome Connection is teaming up with the "I Can Shine" organization to host the first "I Can Bike" camp in Northwest Arkansas.
FOX 24-- With the deadly Ebola virus taking lives around the world, here are four things you need to know to protect yourself.
FAYETTEVILLE, AR -- According to Fayetteville Police, the FBI served a search warrant on Betty Jo Drive.
YELL COUNTY -- After a five-day search, the bodies of a missing Greenwood man and his 10-month-old baby boy have been found.
The kid now known as "Batkid" may have a movie in the works, new details are emerging in the V.A. scandal, and country acts are now outpacing the biggest names in pop music. These are your top trenders for July 30, 2014.
The Common Core State Standards have caused controversy from parents to politicians.
LITTLE ROCK, AR - The State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Board approved 2015 premium and benefit rates Tuesday for more than 42,000 public school employees.
FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance is making "Grower's Gift" spaghetti sauce to raise support for the Arkansas Gleaning Project.
The Pulse, July 29th, 2014
For undocumented migrants surging into the U.S., the long journey from Central America doesn't end at the border. In Part Two of a Special Report, Fresno reporter Jack Highberger catches up to Manuel as he prepares to leave El Salvador to join his father Santos in California, who's been saving to send for his son for years.
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS -- Mercy Hospital has a new tool to help folks in rural and underserved areas.
BELLA VISTA, AR-- The city of Bella Vista has given the go-ahead to a resolution calling for a change to the state's sex offender registration law.
FORT SMITH -- A power strip caused house fire in the River Valley.


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Hillsborough County's Economic Prosperity Stakeholder Committee has issued its report on what local government should do to improve the area's financial climate. Now, the county's commissioners want to hear from you about the effects of the recommendations on life in Bloomingdale and Riverview and beyond.
The deadline to provide feedback on the committee's 30 recommendations is Feb. 28.
Do you think the county needs to streamline regulations? Should it create a comprehensive economic development strategy? Should the county provide more incentives for job-creating businesses to move here?
Those are among the recommendations made.
Provide your feedback in these ways:
- You can take an online survey that goes over the committee's recommendations
- Comment on the county's blog
- Email your comments directly to firstname.lastname@example.com
The committee was created last year to provide commissioners with insights on what local leaders think needs to be done to turn the area's economy around. While Hillsborough's economy is looking up and the county's budget figures are improving, officials say more needs to be done.
To make that happen, the committee has made recommendations that fall into two categories:
- Economic development and planning
- Regulatory streamlining
Before action is taken on the recommendations, commissioners decided to gain feedback from residents. To see the full recommendation report, visit the county's website.
What do you think Hillsborough County needs to do to boost the local economy? Let us know in the comment box below.


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SKU:164.127 | Saffron LEATHER
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You are seeing double! Yes, this Double Pen Case is made to hold not one but two of your favorite writing instruments. Good things do come in pairs, don't they? Made from top quality leather with turned edge construction, our Double Pen Case is designed to protect those fine writing tools you receive on special occasions, like as gifts, at graduation, or at retirement. Designed to hold 2 large pens, pencils, or whatever else you want to store, it features a flap closure with a round band to secure it shut. Your quality pens deserve better protection than just going in a drawer like those bags of pens you buy at the grocery store, so let our Double Pen Case be their home when not in use.
Ruben's charming lizard-embossed pattern makes for a truly unique leather finished with a soft sheen and firm hand feel.
Great product. Wonderful quality; very nice soft leather - just what I was looking for.
The picture of this item is incorrect and does not reflect the pen case that I received. The slots for the pens are excessively tight so that normal sized pens will not fit; only very thin pens will fit.
Workmanship appears excellent. Web picture is accurate rendition of actual case
good service, very prompt delivery in nice gift box; product was as expected - good value
Very classy packaging. Well done.
Perfect for a gift.
Price point is spot on.
Would have preferred a slightly thicker leather but this is a quality product.
Just the item we wanted for our college graduate. It was fine and very appealing
Makes carrying a pen and pencil so much easier. And more professional than clipping them on your collar. Fits neatly in your pants pocket.
Wonderful item. Wish it came in more colors.
Whether you are treating yourself or giving a gift to someone else, we want you to have an amazing and memorable experience. All items will be shipped using our signature gift packaging. Depending on the type and size, your item(s) will come wrapped in our signature microsuede sleeve, drawstring bag or soft velour bag (each with black tie accents), and be packaged inside a high-density bronze gift box. You will also have the opportunity to add a personalized gift note when you place your order.
All of this extra attention to detail is complimentary.


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Friday - Bellefonte - Daytime Adult Book Club
Friday, March 29, 2013 - 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Interested in a monthly book group that meets in the daytime? Members will help to choose the book selections.
Hidden Power: Presidental Marriages that Shaped our Recent History by Kati Morton
Check at the circulation desk for copies.


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The room choice is plentiful at Clarion Collection Etoile Saint-Honoré. With 4 stars, you know what to expect a little better. Transport connections are easily accesible via the nearby Gare Saint Lazare. Parc Monceau is one of the many attractions found within the hotel's close surroundings. A few minutes' walk leads to the interesting Musée du Petit Palais. The proximity of Palais des Congrès is an advantageous point of staying here when traveling on business.
In addition to the bedrooms, a bar/lounge is part of Clarion Collection Etoile Saint-Honoré. Useful services for your stay are a baby-sitting service, a concierge service and a bell boy service. When you need to finish some work, you will be happy to know that there is a conference space here. This hotel offers 85 rooms. For car drivers, it's useful to know that paid parking is also available.
Warmth can be controlled via an air conditioning system in the rooms of Clarion Collection Etoile Saint-Honoré. One of the services included in the rooms here is a housekeeping service. Guests of this accommodation can use wireless high-speed Internet access (complimentary). A Premium bedding set makes for pleasurable sleeping. The rooms are supplied with kitchen amenities, for example a coffee/tea maker.
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|From 14:00 Check-out: Until 12:00
|Wireless high-speed Internet access (complimentary), Computer Station
|Paid parking
|General facilities:
|Extra common areas:
|Business facilities:
|Note: It is the responsibility of the hotel chain and/or the individual property to ensure the accuracy of the photos displayed. We are not responsible for any inaccuracies in the photos.
Please provide this reference number to our customer service center representative on request, so we can help you better


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STOP Handgun Violence Movie Premiere of The 5K Motion at Yale University's Sprague Hall on November 11, 2012. The 5K Motion is a short film that showcases girls' and women' roles in violent crimes. The REACH Foundation has been working cohesively with the New Haven Family Alliance for arranging the movie premiere of The 5K Motion, where local at-risk kids from the 3 major CT cities auditioned and debuted their talent in this movie. Admission is free.
Copyright ©2014 Planck LLC d/b/a Patch Media. All rights reserved | Patch Network


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DAMASCUS, Syria — Hours after two car bombs exploded recently in Syria's capital, the few residents still willing to venture out on what would normally be a lively Friday night were gathered at the Sham City Center mall, inside thick walls with entrances guarded by metal detectors.
In the food court, families and young couples lingered over ice cream cones and greasy American-style fast food. Most shops were empty save for their sales staff.


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Forecasting the path of a hurricane is no simple matter. Many factors can affect the probable course, even at the last minute.
That's why meteorologists use a forecast cone to outline areas that are in a probable strike zone. Although forecasts are often uncertain, it's important to pay attention to the cone, Pinellas County spokesman Thomas Iovino says.
Here's what Iovino recommends if your home falls inside the forecast cone as a storm approaches.
When a Storm Is Forming
Even when a storm is a week or more away and there's no clearly defined path, Iovino said it's a good time to:
- Check your plan and make sure things are prepared.
"Use that time wisely," he said.
Five Days Away
If the Tampa Bay area is in the 5-day cone, it's time to:
- Know your .
- Put important papers together in a safe, waterproof place.
- Make or double-check arrangements for and/or .
- Decide where to go and where to stay if the storm does come our way. Just having a city as a destination isn't good enough, Iovino said.
Three Days Away
- Check your again.
- Buy any special supplies that are needed for infants, pets or special-needs family members.
- If your area has to be evacuated, secure a place to stay. If it's a hotel, put a deposit down on the room, but check into refund policies in case you don't have to go.
48 Hours Away
- Fill up gas tanks.
- Get cash in small bills because ATMs may not work after a storm.
- Fill up containers with water. Consider using resealable bags, filling them three-quarters of the way up and tossing them in the freezer. "Have your water do double duty," Iovino said.
- Bring in yard furniture, grills and other items that might blow away.
- Shutter windows.
36 Hours Away
- Pay attention for evacuation warnings, and continue to monitor storm progress.
- "Complete all your final preparations and make sure you can evacuate if you have to," Iovino said. "The earlier you leave, the better — (there's) less traffic and you'll be someplace safer sooner."
For more tips on storm preparedness, just click on the "2012 Hurricane Guide" link below, or visit
Pinellas County Emergency Management online.


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The New York Islanders on Friday re-signed goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal were not released, but Newsday reported the value at $3.25 million. The club also reportedly signed depth forward Peter Regin.
Nabokov, 37, went 23-11-7 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 41 games with the Islanders in 2012-13, helping the team make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2007.
All the rest


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It is true that for the greater half of this decade, iPods have been one of the best-performing and most sought-after media devices world-wide. It boasts of a minimalist design, which makes for superb ease-of-use and simplicity. However, as the competition thickened between portable media devices, newer iPods, including the redesigned Nano, began to lose some steam.
The competition was catching up and the iPod's basic design was getting stale. Fortunately, with the coming of the Apple iPod Touch 32 GB media device, the iPod brand is ready to storm the market once again. Get ready for the brand new iPod experience and see why everyone is so excited about it.


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Buffalo Grove Village President Jeff Braiman is challenging Judge Daniel Shanes in Lake County's 19th Judicial Circuit, 3rd Subcircuit.
The 3rd Subcircuit includes portions of Buffalo Grove, Grayslake, Hawthorn Woods, Indian Creek, Kildeer, Libertyville, Long Grove, Mundelein and Vernon Hills.
Click on a candidate's name for biographical information and answers to our candidate questionnaires, and check back for updates.
- Jeff Braiman
- Daniel Shanes
- Election Results: Braiman vs. Shanes
- Braiman Confirms Bid for Circuit Court Judge
- Judge Offers Insight into Lake County Court System


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Seattle Public Library's Misha Stone is no stranger to giving out book suggestions. It's what she spends her day doing. Stone put together her list of the top five books every Seattleite should read -- it was no easy feat.
Find out what five titles give some insight on what it means to live right here in Seattle and happy reading!


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Are weeks gray without a sliver of Tuscan lardo? Do you crave coppa made from Cinta Senese pigs? Have you ever considered attaching a gold chain to a whole prosciutto in an attempt to persuade a customs inspector that it was a kicky Fendi bag?
You may be in luck. According to the Italian wire service ANSA, the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services announced Friday that the long-standing USDA ban on the import of Italian cured meats will be lifted starting May 28, and presumably the flood of salami, bresaola and pancetta will start washing into U.S. markets and restaurants not long thereafter.


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Mark Schlachtenhaufen
The Edmond Sun
On April 18, 1995, Carrie Lenz had ultrasound photos taken and she and her husband Michael learned they were going to have a boy. They immediately named him Michael James Lenz III.
They didn't know it at the time, but it would be the last time Carrie spoke to the people she loved most.
The next morning, April 19, 1995, Carrie left early for work to show the ultrasound photographs to her co-workers at the Drug Enforcement Administration office in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. At 9:03 a.m., Michael was no longer an expecting father or a husband.
At 9:02 a.m., when Timothy McVeigh detonated his homemade bomb in a moving van, 168 men, women and children — and three unborn children — were killed. The lives of their loved ones, a city, a state and a nation were forever changed.
Monday evening Doris Jones, Carrie's mother, was among those present when Oklahoma City National Memorial officials announced the 9:03 Fund had received $7.5 million, half of its $15 million goal. About $5 million of that will fund changes in the Memorial Museum, said Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum Executive Director Kari Watkins. Several major donor gifts announced are helping make these changes possible to the museum and to grow the memorial's endowment.
Following the announcement, museum designers Patrick Gallagher, Michal Carr and Hans Butzer walked members of the original Memorial Task Force and donors through changes coming to the museum during the next two years.
The changes were illustrated with models, designs and plans floor to floor of what is coming to the museum before the 20th anniversary of the bombing in 2015, Watkins said. Plans call for growing the interactive program, sustained exhibit development and expanded opportunities to teach the importance of understanding and overcoming the impact of violence and terrorism, especially to youth who were not alive in 1995.
New artifacts, including items connected to McVeigh, have already been added, Watkins said. Other structural interior changes will be coming, but the museum will remain open during the process.
Families of victims, survivors, rescue workers, those who helped build the memorial and museum and donors who have joined the Memorial Foundation as the guardians of the memorial went on the tour.
Afterward, Jones talked about hearing the bomb detonate — as did many Oklahomans — about the loss of her daughter and her future grandson and the uncertainties of that day. Where her daughter's office had been was completely gone. On a Friday she was notified about her daughter.
"I was at home. I live in the country and I saw headlights coming," she said. "I knew what it was."
Shock, sorrow and grief ensued.
"There's no closure. I've said it a million times — it's kind of like there's a chain and a link is missing," she said.
It's been almost 18 years since that day. Today, her grandson would be approaching 18 years old. Jones said she got involved with the memorial from the beginning.
"It's very amazing," she said of the changes, which include incorporating youth-friendly technology. Youth will be able to easily use it, she said. "I can't wait to see it."
Regarding her daughter and the other victims, Jones had one simple request: "I don't want them to be forgotten. And that was my biggest fear at the time. She was a wonderful person and I don't want her forgotten. This has certainly done that."
The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum's top two priorities are remembrance and education. The 30,000-square-foot interactive learning museum tells the story of April 19, 1995. It includes reasons why McVeigh detonated the truck bomb, the actions of the first responders, the criminal investigation and information about the victims.
Since opening, the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial has hosted more than 4.4 million visitors and the museum more than 1.6 million visitors. The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum does not receive any annual operating funds from the federal, state or local government. Museum admissions, store sales, the OKC Memorial Marathon, earnings from an endowment and private fundraising allow the site to be self-sustaining.
email@example.com | 341-2121 ext. 108


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Description:10 x 18GB Ultra320 3.5-inch SCSI Hot-Plug 15K Dell Hard Drive in Dell 9D988 3.5-inch Hot Plug Hard Drive Tray (as pictured) Dell serial number and firmware
Part Number(s)Manufacturer Part# H4890
Overview:Dell Hard Drives undergo an intense qualification process that eliminates data integrity problems firmware and O/S incompatibilities and other causes of data corruption or premature failure. Dell Hard Drives are specifically designed and tested for flawless operation in your equipment. Supply your Dell server a Genuine Dell Hard Drive and you will prevent incompatibilities that can rob your system of performance or cause you to lose valuable data.
CategoryDell HardDrive
Part NumberH4890-10Pack
Products ID458533
InterfaceUltra320 SCSI
Disk Size5.75 inches x 4.0 inches x 1.0 inch
Spindle Speed15000RPM
Data Transfer Rate320MB/s
Seek Time4.9ms
ApplicationServer Storage
Backward CompatabilityU2 and U3 speeds
Pre-Failure WarrantyYes
Refurbished Product:
This is a refurbished product. Refurbished products include Factory Refurbished products, evaluation units and cosmetically blemished units. All products are re-tested and if neccesary replacement of components is performed to bring the product up to its original, fully functional condition. These units come with a 90 day - 1 year limited replacement warranty covering parts, labor and technical phone support. Advance exchange via FedEx P1 overnight is available for any defective product during the warranty period.