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That's all for today - thanks everyone for reading the blog and please do come back tomorrow from 9.30am.
Here's our evening wrap of today's session.
Some things to look out for overnight are US retail sales numbers and the US producer price index.
Locally, there's still not much happening on the corporate front tomorrow, but some more economic data is expected:
11.00am - Westpac/Melbourne Institute Survey of Consumer Sentiment
11.30am - ABS Lending finance for November
11.30am - ABS New motor vehicle sales for December
Billabong was one of the day's biggest winners, surging 16 per cent to 98 cents after the struggling surfwear company received a second takeover proposal.
Billabong received an offer from a consortium led by San Francisco-based private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners and clothing group VF Corp worth $1.10 per share. That matches a $556 million bid led by Billabong's US boss, Paul Naude, and New York-based private equity firm Sycamore Partners.
Some more on Rio: the miner stands to benefit the most from a healthy market for ore, given its sub-$US30 per tonne average production costs and heavy weighting to the sector versus its other business units.
A $US10 per tonne rise in the iron ore price can increase Rio's full-year earnings by more than 10 per cent.
UBS is forecasting a drop in Rio Tinto's earnings before interest and tax to $US13 billion in 2012 from $US15.3 billion in 2011 after iron ore prices came under pressure for most of last year.
In the last month, iron ore has rebounded by about a third, although a further rally will hinge on whether Chinese demand outpaces the rise in global supply this year.
Rio Tinto is targeting an annual production rate of 290 million tonnes by the end of 2013 (from 253 million tonnes in 2012) before lifting output to 360 million tonnes in 2015 pending board approval. The tonnage also includes output from the company's iron ore mines in Canada.
It said it had most board approvals in place for the next phase of its expansion work to take output to 360 million tonnes.
Here's how some of the blue chips performed:
- Rio: -0.1%
- Westpac: -0.5%
- Fortescue: -1.9%
- Telstra: -1.3%
- Woolies: +0.1%
- Wesfarmers: +0.1%
- Newcrest: +2.05%
Among the sectors, materials lost 0.2 per cent, industrials fell 0.5 per cent, telcos dropped 1.3 per cent, while financials ended flat, gold gained 0.8 per cent and energy stocks added 0.6 per cent.
The market has closed slightly lower. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index slipped 3.1 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 4716.6, while the broader All Ords lost 2.7 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 4743.
The Australian dollar has been caught in choppy trade against the yen today as a warning against excessive yen weakness by Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari gave markets an excuse to trim large short yen positions.
The dollar has dropped 0.7 per cent on the day to 93.77 yen, from a four-year peak of 94.63 yen.
"The Aussie went from 79 to 95 yen (in three months), so around 20 per cent... That is quite a dramatic move. Having the currency gone so far already, left it vulnerable to a pullback," said Matthew Johnson, a rate strategist at UBS.
He said the Japanese government would probably still favour more yen weakness and does not expect a major correction.
"(But) It's certainly a reminder to people that it's not a one-way bet," Johnson added.
The yen leapt across the board after Amari said an excessively soft yen could have a negative impact on people's livelihoods through higher import prices.
The comments prompted some participants to book profits on massive long positions for the dollar. The yen rebound weighed on the dollar against its US counterpart.
The Aussie was contained at $US1.0555, from $US1.0568 early, though still within easy reach of a four-month peak just shy of $US1.0600 set last week.
Rio Tinto has achieved its goal of producing more than 250 million tonnes of iron ore in 2012, after a strong three months for the company at its Pilbara operations.
Rio's final iron ore production tally of 253 million tonnes was achieved by producing 66 million tonnes in the three months to December 31.
That figure includes some volumes that are owned by joint venture partners, such as Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.
Rio's share of annual iron ore production was 199 million tonnes. The record iron ore result was contained in Rio's December quarter results which were published to market shortly after 3pm.
Rio shares were down 49 cents to $65.50
Origin Energy, Australia's biggest electricity and gas retailer, said it will hold onto the proposed Stockyard Hill wind farm in Victoria state after considering a sale of the project.
"Stockyard Hill is one of Australia's premier wind farm sites and Origin has elected to retain the right to commercialize it at the best time," the Sydney-based company said today.
Origin last year started a process to identify development options for Stockyard Hill, which has approval for 157 wind turbines at a site west of Melbourne.
The company, also ConocoPhillips's partner in a $23 billion liquefied natural gas project in Queensland state, has said it sought proposals from companies interested in supplying wind turbines, building Stockyard Hill or buying the development.
Fortescue has terminated a proposed deal that would have seen the company diversify into Western Australian shale gas.
Less than two months after shale minnow Oil Basin Limited claimed to have secured Fortescue as a cornerstone investor and new biggest shareholder, Oil Basins conceded that Fortescue had walked away from the proposal.
Cancellation of the proposed deal does not come as a massive surprise, given it was behind schedule and had attracted the attention of Australia's corporate regulator in relation to movements in the Oil Basins share price prior to it being announced.
When announced on November 15 the deal lifted Oil Basins share price by about 35 per cent, as it appeared to represent a major coup for the tiny company to pair with a big company like Fortescue.
Worth just $4.2 million, the deal was financially trivial to Fortescue, but loomed as a symbolically significant diversification beyond iron ore.
Fortescue shares are down 1.9 per cent, while Oil Basins is in a trading halt.
Meanwhile, Shanghai stocks are extending yesterday's 3.1 per cent rally, adding another 0.4 per cent.
The Shanghai Composite Index has risen 18.5 per cent since December 3 to just above 2300 points at midday today.
The rally could be in part due to the suggestions by the Chinese government that it could allow foreign investoers greater access to Chinese equity markets, Arab Bank's David Scutt says.
Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said on Monday that the money invested by foreigners in China's stock and bond market accounts "at the moment" for 1.5 to 1.6 per cent of the total.
"So I think at least we can increase it 10 times, nine times," he said at the Asia Financial Forum in Hong Kong.
Scutt says the recent spike could also be due to China's preparations ahead of the official changeover of political leadership. Xi Jinping is set to take over as China's president in March.
Here's a chart form Bloomberg showing the steep climb of the Shanghai Composite since early December:
The ASX200 has just plunged into the red and is currently down 0.1 per cent, led lower by Telstra and some of the miners.
The materials sector is down 0.2%, financials are also down (-0.1%) as are industrials (-0.5%), while energy stocks are up 0.6 per cent.
Here's how some of the blue chips are doing:
- BHP: flat
- Rio: -0.8%
- NAB: flat
- Westpac: -0.4%
- Fortescue: -1.9%
- Telstra: -1%
Billabong faces a break-up if the latest suitor successfully acquires the struggling surfwear maker.
VF Corp, the retailer behind other well-known brands such as Timberland, The North Face and Vans, says it's only interested in the Billabong brand itself.
Its private equity partner, Altamont Capital Partners, is interested in the rest of the business which includes the vast retail network that proved to be the company's undoing.
''This interest is consistent with VF's stated intent to pursue acquisitions, particularly in the Action Sports category, to continue to build shareholder value,'' VF said in a statement. ''Altamont's interest lies in acquiring Billabong's other brands and related assets, and is predicated on the firm's mandate to invest in situations where it can provide strategic and operational support to build business success stories.''
VF said the $1.10 per share proposal did not constitute a binding offer for Billabong nor did it impose any obligation on VF or Altamont to make an offer for Billabong.
Shares are up 12.4 per cent at 95 cents.
While America frets over the debt ceiling, the amount Australia owes its creditors is insignificant, economist Stephen Koukoulas suggests:
As of 11 January, Australia's gross govt debt was $262.3 billion. This is a trivial amount on any measure.
— Stephen Koukoulas (@TheKouk) January 15, 2013
The size of Australia's GDP is roughly $1.3 trillion.
As the world waits for Oprah's interview with Lance Armstrong, here's an interesting read in the New York Times: The banker who put his faith in Armstrong
When Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey about his suspected use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs is broadcast on Thursday (US time), an investment banker will most likely be watching it very carefully (and nervously): Thomas Weisel.
Mr. Weisel is a legend in finance and Silicon Valley. He was the banker behind Yahoo's public offering and some of the biggest deals during the dot-com bubble. He famously sold the firm he ran, Montgomery Securities, for $1.2 billion in 1997. And he sold his next firm, Thomas Weisel Partners, for $300 million to Stifel Financial in 2010.
But it is Mr. Weisel's extracurricular activity that connects him to the news of the moment: he was Mr. Armstrong's biggest financial backer and the single individual most responsible for the money machine that propelled Mr. Armstrong's career.
Depending on what Mr. Armstrong says in the interview about his purported doping, Mr. Weisel, who was a co-owner of the United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team through a cycling management firm that he helped found called Tailwind Sports, could be subject along with his partners to lawsuits from corporate sponsors seeking millions of dollars. Already, there is a False Claims Act case contending that Mr. Armstrong and the team defrauded the Postal Service.
Billabong looks in an unassailable position at the head of the field on the ASX200 today. It's currently sitting on a gain of 12.43 per cent. The general market is up 0.2 per cent. Here are the other major gainers on the benchmark index:
- Beadell Resources: +6.49%
- Mount Gibson Iron: +5.59%
- Bathurst Resources: +4.82%
- FKP Property: +4.2%
- Metcash: +3.22%
- Seven West: +3.1%
- Ten: +3.03%
A post-script to yesterday's 3.2 per cent gain on the Shanghai composite from Arab Bank's David Scutt:
On the 3 previous times the #shcomp has rallied more than 2.5% in a session, 2 times it's fallen the next day with the other a gain of 0.45%
— David Scutt (@David_Scutt) January 15, 2013
One for readers with frustrated ambitions of becoming a pro golfer. Here's Bloomberg on why Rory McIlroy is not the new Tiger Woods, but why it was wise for Nike to sign him to a reported $US250 million sponsorship deal.
Given McIlroy's effortless talent, beaming smile, aw-shucks disposition, and celebrity girlfriend (tennis star Caroline Wozniacki), the transition would seem to make sense. It's undeniable that he represents the future of golf. But it's doubtful Nike's investment in McIlroy will produce the Tiger-size returns the company's executives and shareholders are hoping for.
A bit more on the dollar. Easy Forex senior currency dealer Francisco Solar said the currency traded in a tight range both before and after the public question and answer session with Dr Bernanke earlier today.
''There has been nothing really to warrant a move higher or lower, so it's been holding in the high 105 (US cent) area,'' he said.
''Dr Bernanke's speech didn't really move the markets. It was pretty much the same rhetoric.'' Since 7am AEDT, the Australian dollar has traded between 105.56 US cents and 105.70 US cents.
But Mr Solar said Dr Bernanke's assertion the Fed wouldn't want to ''raise interest rates prematurely'' had weakened the US dollar slightly.
Mr Solar said the Australian dollar was likely to remain in a narrow range today but would be driven by events in the US over the next few days, ahead of the release of key domestic employment figures for December on Thursday.
One of the world's top diamond retailers has flagged interest in buying out Rio Tinto's interest in a Canadian mine, giving Rio hope that plans to divest its diamond assets are finally gaining traction.
North American diamond group Harry Winston is Rio's joint venture partner in the Diavik mine, and flagged overnight that it was interested in lifting its 40 per cent stake to 100 per cent if a deal could be struck with Rio.
"We are aware that Rio Tinto wants to sell its 60 per cent interest in the Diavik mine where we already own the 40 per cent, that's an obvious one for us to look at as long as the price is right,'' said Harry Winston's chief executive Robert Gannicott.
Rio shares are down 0.6 per cent after the iron ore price slipped for a third session overnight.
The miner will release its December quarter and 2012 full year production figures later this afternoon, with the market interested in any economic outlook given as well as the actual numbers.
Stocks are struggling a bit for direction, with the ASX200 up a miserly 0.1 per cent.
OptionsXpress market analyst Ben Le Brun describes it as an eclectic mix of sectors that are in positive and negative territory.
''It looks like the banking sector is supporting itself most positively and the energy sector is going along quite nicely,'' he says. ''There are a few stocks out of favour as well in mining services and I think the market is on hold as we want to see those Rio Tinto production numbers.''
The strong dollar has continued to cause headaches for Australian companies ... this time for Yellow Tail, the best-selling Australian wine in the US.
Casella Wines posted a loss of $30 million in the last financial year, The Wall Street Journal notes.
But at the same time, exports of bottled wine from Australia were being taken over by ''bulk wine'', which is ''packed in giant bladders inside shipping containers and bottled in its end-market'', Bloomberg reports.
Meanwhile, the dollar has scaled a new four-year high against the yen, rising as high as 94.7 yen on expectations the Bank of Japan will take bold action to beat deflation and jump-start the sluggish economy.
It's currently trading at 94.56 yen, $US1.0557 and 78.9 euro cents.
And while we're overseas: Bank of Japan governor Masaaki Shirakawa says the central bank will continue with powerful monetary easing as the economy is likely to remain weak for the time being.
Shirakawa stuck to the central bank's view that the economy will eventually resume a moderate recovery as overseas growth gradually emerges from a slowdown, helped in part by resilience in domestic demand.
But he warned that the outlook remained highly uncertain, pointing to risks such as a continued slowdown in overseas growth and a diplomatic row with China that has hurt sales in one of its biggest export markets.
"Exports and factory output are declining as overseas economic growth continues to slow," he told a quarterly meeting of the central bank's regional branch managers today.
The BoJ is under intense pressure from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose party surged to power in a lower house election in December last year, to take bolder action to beat deflation.
The central bank, which eased policy five times in 2012, will thus consider expanding stimulus again and double its inflation target to 2 per cent this month, sources have told Reuters.
Some more international news: US banking regulators have ordered JPMorgan Chase to tighten its risk controls after the bank lost billions of dollars due to bad bets from a trader known as the "London Whale".
The Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the consent orders which levy no monetary penalties and place no specific blame on any individuals.
Instead, JPMorgan and its board agreed to submit an improvement plan to the Fed within 60 days, including taking risk outcomes into account when considering top executives' pay packages.
In a separate action, the banking regulators also ordered JPMorgan to improve its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering requirements.
More outlets are now reporting that PC maker Dell is in talks with private equity firms on a potential buyout.
Reuters quotes two sources familiar with the matter as confirming initial Bloomberg reports that sent shares in the world's No. 3 PC maker soaring 13 per cent overnight.
The firms are now holding discussions on a deal with billionaire chief executive and founder Michael Dell, who owns about 14 per cent of the company, according to one source with knowledge of the matter.
The Wall Street Journal cited unidentified sources as saying TPG and Silver Lake could team up on an offer, possibly in conjunction with other investors such as pension funds. JPMorgan Chase was also involved in the negotiations, it added.
The first source told Reuters any potential deal could be structured as a management-led buyout with Michael Dell at the helm.
Talks had progressed for two to three months, heating up in late 2012, and a deal could be reached in six weeks, the Journal cited sources as saying.
Tokyo stocks have opened 1.05 per cent higher as the yen remained weak against other major currencies.
The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange opened up 113.08 points at 10,914.65 after a three-day holiday-extended weekend.
''The declining yen continues to pull investors off the fence, while earnings expectations from US companies, as well as for a broader global economic rebound, remain relatively firm,'' says SMBC Nikko Securities general manager of equities Hiroichi Nishi.
Jobseekers may be in for a rough 2013, with the latest official employment figures expected to show a disappointing end to 2012.
AAP's survey of 14 economists reveals a median forecast for the unemployment rate to increase 0.2 percentage points to 5.4 per cent in December. The total number of employed people is expected to remain flat in the month, according to the forecast, with population growth pushing the unemployment rate higher.
The participation rate - the percentage of the working-age population either employed or looking for a job - is expected to remain unchanged at 65.1 per cent.
JP Morgan economist Tom Kennedy said more than 20,000 additional people needed to find jobs every month in order to maintain the current unemployment rate.
''And we don't think, considering the structural and fiscal headwinds facing it, that the economy can produce that many jobs over the month,'' Mr Kennedy said.
He said the unemployment rate was likely to continue to move higher throughout 2013, as the mining investment boom peaked and underperforming sectors like housing struggled to make up for the shortfall.
And while we're with Billabong, here's a good read that offers some background to the latest bid: Bain alumni battle for Billabong:
Alumni of Bain, the consulting firm formerly led by Mitt Romney, are squaring off in a $527 million takeover battle for Billabong International, Australia's largest surfwear maker.
Jesse Rogers and Stefan Kaluzny, who previously worked for the Boston-based company, have put their private equity firms Altamont Capital Partners and Sycamore Partners Management behind rival bids for Billabong after three other approaches were rejected or scrapped over the past year.
Altamont and VF Corp, the largest US clothing company, will match a $1.10 offer that Sycamore and Billabong's US head Paul Naude made December 19, the Gold Coast-based company said in a regulatory statement yesterday.
JPMorgan has upgraded its recommendation on Billabong to neutral on the grounds that a successful bid is now more likely.
Rretail analyst Shaun Cousins says: ''We think this is a positive development for BBG, now with two credible private equity and industry bidders.''
But he adds ''we think it (a bid) is unlikely to occur at $1.10 per share given due diligence and earnings uncertainty risk, while the possibility no bid occurs remains.''
Billabong shares are currently up around 12 per cent at 95 cents - still well off the $1.10 offer.
The Seven Network has signed a new broadcast deal with V8 Supercars barely a month ahead of the 2013 season start in Sydney.
Financial details of the new deal, which extends the relationship for another two years, were not released but V8 Supercars was expected to struggle to get any bidding tension with Nine Entertainment, and the Ten Network, focussing instead on the more important cricket broadcast rights which are also up for grabs.
V8 Supercars is majority owned by Archer Capital which paid $180 million for 60 per cent of the business in 2011. Its other shareholders include the V8 teams with 35 per cent and Tony Cochrane who owns 5 per cent.
V8 Supercars will continue to produce its own broadcast coverage for the Seven Network and their other broadcast partners.
Will Davison drives his Ford Falcon during the V8 Supercars qualifying session at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Getty Images
Elsewhere in the region, Japanese stocks rose, with the Nikkei 225 Stock Average headed for its highest close since April 2010, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks the next central bank governor who can execute bold monetary policy.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 1.1 per cent to 10,917.39, headed for the highest close since April 30, 2010. Japanese were closed for a public holiday yesterday.
The losing streak referred to here is just three days long. That gives you some indication of how robust the iron ore price has been since its recent bull run:
Shanghai spot #ironore fell 30c to $154.60 d/mt overnight, now the longest losing streak seen since 30 Nov - 3 Dec, 2012 #ausbiz #miningboom
— David Scutt (@David_Scutt) January 14, 2013
Billabong shares are trading again following the announcement of another takeover offer, this time from the American consortium led by the manufacturer of Lee Jeans.
Its shares jumped as much as 14.3 per cent, but have since settled back to a gain of 12.4 per cent, or 10.5 cents, to 95 cents.
CSL shares are doing well - up 1.4 per cent, or 70 cents, to $52.45. And it could be thanks to a lot of sick people in the US. Although the vaccine maker might not capitalise on it fully this year, analsyts at UBS expect flow on benefits next year.
UBS's Andrew Goodsall wrote this morning:
US Centers for Disease control has indicated the US flu season has crossed into epidemic territory; media reports offer that this US flu season may rate the 'worst in a decade'. Long production lead time makes it unviable to bring volume late in the season & it appears that all existing vaccines will exhaust, incl CSL's Afluria ...
Typically, a severe season influences vaccine take-up rates in the followingyear (ie. up 5% after a severe season) & 'knock' on effect for Australian/Sthn hemisphereseason.
The major retailers are also trading in positive territory:
- Woolies: +0.73%
- Wesfarmers: +0.11%
- Harvey Norman: +0.67%
- David Jones: +0.22%
- Myer: +0.22%
Three of the four big banks are trading higher:
- CBA is 0.52% higher to $61.95
- ANZ is 0.16% higher to $25.25
- NAB is 0.16% higher to $25.78
- Westpac is 0.9% lower to $26.47
Mixed performance among the big miners in early trade:
- BHP is 0.25% higher to $36.66
- Rio is 0.56% lower to $65.62
- Fortescue is 0.53% lower to $4.70
Looking ahead to the Rio production update, Deutsche Bank researchers are expecting solid quarter-on-quarter gains. In a note to clients this morning, analyst Paul Young writes:
Key highlights should be: a 3% increase in iron ore sales to 68Mt, and total iron ore production for 2012 of 254Mt, above guidance of 250Mt. We expect the announcement of first concentrate production from Oyu Tolgoi (but not commercial production), an increase in TiO2 volumes from the 37% purchase of RBM, and a further rebound from some of the large underperforming assets (Escondida, Bingham, Alma).
Stocks have pushed higher in early trade after a weak start. Both the All Ords and the ASX200 are now 0.2 per cent higher after a sluggish open. But at least one analyst can see some dark clouds on the horizon.
IG Markets strategist Evan Lucas said while the market had opened fairly flat to higher he was expecting it to fall during the day after a bad night for commodities.
''We see it moving lower today with mining stock continuing to drag the market down, with the 4700 level to be tested later on,'' he said. ''Commodities were down heavily in London overnight with copper and aluminium falling after four days of gains.''
Toll Holdings has revealed a possible cost of $NZ19 million from its battle with the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (IRD) over the use of optional convertible notes (OCNs) to shuffle trans-Tasman income.
But the company has yet to include provisioning in its accounts for the possible loss of its tax dispute as a key Court of Appeal decision is still pending on the issue, which could see as many as 16 Australian companies with New Zealand subsidiaries hit with additional tax bills of up to $NZ300 million in total.
Toll Group (NZ) declared a $NZ35.9m loss for the year to June 30 due to major changes in finance income and expenses between the last two financial years, in accounts lodged with the Companies Office.
The best-performed companies on the ASX200 in early trade include:
- Paladin: +7%
- Beadell Resources: +5.24%
- Ten: +4.55%
- Amcor: +2.28%
- Henderson CDI: +2.27%
Other early losers on the ASX200 include:
- Alumina: -2.67%
- Resolute Mining: -2.63%
- Bradken: -2.18%
- Western Areas NL: -1.76%
BlueScope shares are down sharply - about 3.2 per cent - after yesterday announcing layoffs at its Western Port facility.
The steelmaker closed yesterday marginally higher - up 0.27 per cent - but maybe the reasons for the job cuts have led to a reappraisal since the announcement. The 170 workers were being sacked as the company reconfigured its workforce to cope with lower demand for its products.
The mining and financial sectors in the ASX200 are flat early on. Here's how the other sectors are travelling:
- Consumer staples: +0.4%
- Health: +0.23%
- Energy: +0.15%
- Telecoms: +0.12%
- Industrials: -0.13%
- Utilities: -0.04%
There's a word for it - becalmed.
In early trade, the All Ordinaries index is dead flat at 0.4 points higher, or 0.0 per cent, to 4746.1, while the benchmark S&P/ASX200 is 0.7 points higher, or 0.0 per cent, to 4720.4.
On the ASX 24, the March share price index futures contract was up one point at 4,690, with 3,732 contracts traded.
A quick heads up about today's main piece of corporate news. We've got Rio delivering a fourth quarter production update today, which we understand will be at about 3pm. Full coverage here when it arrives.
Where's the local market headed today? Not dramatically higher or lower, says Ric Spooner of CMC Markets:
Today's market is likely to remain firm. Investors have started the new year expecting a lower risk environment in 2013. This together with lower interest rates is allowing investors to push PE values higher. Against this background, the local market is likely to remain relatively firm today as it awaits news on China's economic statistics scheduled for later this week.
A quick note on Asian trade yesterday. China's Shanghai composite ended the day up 3 per cent after the head of China's securities regulator said the investment quota for foreigners in the domestic equity market could be increased 10-fold.
Interestingly, some large-cap some energy stocks also gained after air quality in Beijing dramatically worsened and the city's pollution monitoring centre warned residents to stay indoors. Other northern Chinese cities were also affected.
Investors bet that policies aimed at curbing pollution would lead big, listed companies to profit at the expense of smaller players that could be harder hit by new regulations.
Some thoughts here from IG Markets on the Dell speculation and what it foreshadows in the merger and aquisition space in 2013. IG's Evan Lucas writes:
We see Dell as one of the first of many M&A deals for 2013 after two-years of very low volumes.
Increased M&A activity brings additional capital to the table and moves dormant funds back to the markets that have otherwise been parked on the sideline. In the medium-term, watch for data showing increases in consumer spending and demand, as well as advances in energy and raw materials; M&A activity will pick on these indicators.
Known take-over targets are already being pursued again this year, with Australian surf wear company Billabong receiving a $526.8 million from a consortium of private investors, including clothing giant VF Corp after-market.
Watch for increased M&A activity in energy and materials with the likes Beach Petroleum (BPT), Fortescue Metals (FMG) and Atlas Iron (AGO) all looking cheap on fundamentals.
While Apple shares were sinking, Dell shares were climbing as rumours spread that the Texas-based computer maker is exploring the option of going private with the help of equity firms.
Dell shares were up more than 12 per cent to $US12.27 as the close of the trading day neared on the Nasdaq exchange, giving the company a stock-based value of nearly $US22 billion ($A20.96 billion).
Unconfirmed word reached investors that Dell was in talks to delist itself from the exchange and sell itself into private hands, according to Meeschaert Capital Markets president Gregori Volokhine.
Dell declined to comment on what it referred to as rumour and speculation.
In overnight trade, Wall Street lost ground as Apple reportedly cut orders for screens for iPhone 5 - its shares hit their lowest it's been in 11 months and dipped below $US500.
Apple ordered about half the 65 million iPhone 5 displays it originally targeted for this quarter, according to a report on the Nikkei newswire, citing an unnamed executive at a component maker.
But manufacturing curbs have been widely known since December, according to Steven Milunovich and Mark Moskowitz, analysts at UBS and JPMorgan Chase, respectively.
Last month, Apple cut production by about 30 per cent, which may be the result of inventory rebalancing or lower consumer demand, Milunovich wrote in a research report today. Order cuts may also be due to suppliers becoming more adept at building the latest iPhone, reducing the need for Apple to order excess parts, Moskowitz wrote in a note to clients.
Australian bond futures prices are higher as markets react to a public comments from US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.
UBS interest rate strategist Matthew Johnson said local bond futures opened higher on Tuesday morning as the Fed chairman was giving a closely-watched question and answer session in the US.
''I think Bernanke is, basically, being positive for bonds and negative for the US dollar,'' he said.
Mr Johnson said Dr Bernanke's comments had so far increased expectations the Fed's bond-buying program, known as quantitative easing (QE), would continue into 2014.
Speculation the Fed would end the program in 2013 was bolstered earlier this month when the minutes to the latest meeting of the Fed's Federal Open Markets Committee meeting revealed some policy makers believed it would be appropriate to stop the bond purchases this year.
''The headlines we are seeing right now from Bernanke are that inflation has been very low, it is on track to remain below two per cent and the cost of high unemployment is enormous,'' Mr Johnson said.
''I would say that means Bernanke is not in the group of voters at the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) who thinks QE will end this year.''
At 8.30am AEDT on Tuesday, the March 10-year bond futures contract was trading at 96.570 (implying a yield of 3.430 per cent), up from Monday's local close of 96.560 (3.440 per cent). The March three-year bond futures contract was at 97.180 (2.820 per cent), up from 97.160 (2.840 per cent) previously.
For a comprehensive look at this morning's business news, check today's need2know. Here are this morning's key markets numbers:
- SPI futures are 3 points lower at 4686
- The $A is higher at $US1.0570
- In recent trade in New York, the S&P500 was 0.09% lower at 1468.66
- In Europe, the FTSE100 lost 0.22% to 6107.86
- China iron ore lost 30 US cents to $US154.60 a metric tonne
- Gold added $US3.68 to $US1669.25 an ounce
- WTI crude oil added 14 US cents to $US93.70 a barrel
- Reuters/Jefferies CRB index added 0.04% at 296.66
Morning folks. Welcome to the Markets Live blog for Tuesday.
This blog is not intended as investment advice
Contributors: Thomas Hunter, Jens Meyer, Max Mason
BusinessDay with agencies


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7 � . : * � � � � < College News VOL. XIV. Np.20 BRYN MAWR (AND WAYNE). PA.. WEDNESDAY. APRIU3.1928 PRICE. 10 CENTS RECOLLECTIONS OF THOMAS HARDY Dr. Chew Tells of Personal Interviews, Recalls Opinions. WESSEX - IS DESCRIBED ?, PtoLs Day is gone awd past"� "Since the. death of Hardy a fe\v months ago there have been publishedj some thousand essays and articles upon him and his work," said Dr. Samuel Chew in Taylor Hall last Saturday night when speaking on Thomas Hardj. "These have shown an element of gen- uine? sincere reverence �fer--the well-] known writer. He was very modest and would have dreaded the idea of _ lectures in his memory. An estimate of his work would be inappropriate." Dr. Chew spoke mostly of his inter- views with Thomas Hardy, for he was pv-.ioirally acquainted with film, and told of his conversations with him. He first spoke of his death, however^ and of Hardy's own meditations on that subject. He had written several poems about it,.such as Friend Beyond. In one *�� CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Essence of Faith Bye, Bye, "April Fool is gone a�d past "- alas! this little ditty of MM child- hood may Dflrhaps come*Viie. An unfeeling society of candy manu- facturers has decreed that here- after candy shall not be made with fake centers. Therefore, "gather ye rosebuds while ye may," and let there be a g*reat wailhg and gnashing of tdeth for posterity which will never know the joys that April first held for us. Figure of Jesus Has�Inspired a Concentrated Devotion tc* Much of World. "It is a natural, law," said Dr. Cad- bury in speaking -in chapel Wednesday morning, "that concentrated essences have pervasive qualities. It is not neces- sary to swing a censer to fill a house with perfume. The house can be filled from some one concentrated portion," Dr. Cadbury Jock .'" ��-.� ' - -- *b� book of John, the chapter which tells of Mary's anointing Jesus' feet with pre- cious nard, after which the "house was filled with the odor of the ointment." Not only does this passage interest him because of its pictorial possibilities, but also because he has recently been mak- ing a study of divine smells 1 . "All of us," he continued, "must have once translated in our feeble way the first,book of the Aeneid. The usual school translation of the lines o? which I am thinking runs this way, 'And Venus with her flowing locks breathed forth ambrosial odors from her vortex.' Per- jfiimes and, fragrances liave_always.-been-J allied with religion. But there must- be some" subtle meaning behind these words of Vergil and John. In what lies the connectiori? That is the difficulty. Concentrated Effort Has Value. In the world of scholarship a doctor's tbesis is a portion of concentrated essence. It is a futile thing in itself, but the fact of its being concentrated, causes the intellectual outlook to be- come transformed and fused. The works of Henry James are examples of concentration in the moral world. Con- centration^ is as powerful as bulk. This can be proven by the apparently inef- fectual oozing of water, which, if given time, will create its effect. Dr. Cadbury cited Pasteur as, an ex- ample in the world of Science. Fo> many years he worked patiently and unseen, and made inventions that could save as many lives, in fifty years as could be Tost in seventy-five years of war. Benjamin Franklin in his autobiography tells of how to progress in the world of character. Set apart one month for the cultivating of one virtue. In this way one will honestly progress. Character which one acquires is an essence filling/]1 one's life. It is not a mathematical addi1 tion to a person. In religion the same is true. "The benefit of religion has been exaggerated, and there is lots in it to which we need not subscribe. But there is no mystery and no need for faith to believe in what it has stood for and accomplished. For a thousand years and more Christianity bas had its influence, and the concen- CONTWUED ON PAGE 8 / . Vacations Next Year to Have Extra Week-ends Dean Manning opened chapel Mon- day morning by telling us that she had a very pleasant announcement to* make, and indeed it proved to be much more than pleasant. We. might even venture to call it startling, for Bryn Mawr has broken through the long-clinging tradi- tion of Wednesday to" Thur�Hay.vaca- tions. Lest those who were not in chapel become unduly excited, we hasten to add that the new regulation does not go into effect until next year. College will begin on Tuesday instead of the customary Wednesday, and thus, when Saturday classes are dropped off at the end of the semester there will be no academic days lost. This early be- ginning will not affect Freshman week, or rather it will only shorten it by a day, and not make it begin any earlier. The second semester will also begin on Tuesday, thereby shortening the mid- year vacation. Commencement will therefore be on Tuesday, when this new system is in effect. The Christmas vacations will include three week-ends instead of two, as they do at present. This will make them more variable, as they will have to lie changed when Christmas comes on Sunday. There mtU.^.alway^-JVe^two weeks -Jx'tween '(^fisfmas'"ano,r* "Mi<f-Yeats, and some- times three. In the same way, Easter vacation will include two week-ends in- stead of a meagre one that we are" al- lotted this year. When vacation begins on Good Friday, students will be ex- cused to attend services in Bryn Mawr. but not to go home. When Faster Mon- day would Ik the regular day of return. we shall not have to come back until the next day, and Saturday classes will be held some time later to make up Faster Monday's lectures. Friday I.a!>oratory presented a further complication to this new sched- ule, but the Science Department genially agrewTto change It to Wednesday at thel�*'011' l cannot allow the-college-to be ^eginmngs of -vacations,�and where con- flicts arise student* will have to make up the Laboratory later. The announcement showed a great change in the policy of Bryn Mawr._ be- cause hithertofore. three week-ends to a vacation have been considered by the faculty as disastrous to the student. In CONTINUED ON PAOE 2 Prominent Senior Ousts ' Self for Fourth Offense Josephine Young, the revered Presi- dent of the Bryn -Mawr -Self-Govern- ment Association, dealt a death blow to the ideals and illusions of one hundred and twenty freshmen and a few upper classmen when she announced on the night of Sunday, April 1, that, after re- peated offenses and due warning.-she had expelled herself from college. Without a break in her voice, and with determi- nation in every line of her face she communicated' her decision to a repre- sentative of the College News. Brands Self Criminal. "I had to go," declared Miss Young. "For a hardened criminal like myself there was no other remedy. Difficult, as it is to admit it, this is a case where self-discipline has broken down com- pletely. About two months ago I no- ticed my deplorable habit of leaving the top off the tooth-paste. After a. long 'mental struggle, conscience conquered, and I reported myself to myself as President ot the Self-Government Asso- ciation. In an informal interview the President spoke to me kindly but firmly about the necessity of stopping this sort of thing in a college like ours. It was harder on herself than it was on me, she declared sincerely, and advised, me to use tooth powder. I soon found however that the powder was being bor- rowed by my friends to clean bath tubs and white shoes, so I returned to my Pepsodent. In two days I was back at my old tricks; again I reported, again I was reproved, this time by a formal spoken. I could see in the mirror that Miss Young meant what she said and I did my best to improve. I tied a string to that elusive cap, but there was no holding it. It slipped down the drain and I had to cut the string or lose the whole tube. When I tell you that I was born in New England, need you ask which alternative I chose? "I can only say for myself that I did not hesitate. That very evening Miss Young- knew of my transgressions, but why should I prolong the disgraceful tale? Things went from bad to worse. I tried everything. Finally, last night, the end came. I had changed to Col- gate's in ord^er to break the charm; but habit was too strong. I never knew the top was gone till I sat down on my bed. and the paste came out like a rib- bon on the pillow. This capped the climax; I gave myself three days to pack my trunk. Wednesday morning I shall leave, never to return again. As President of the Self-Government Asso- LORD DUNSANY STREWS BRIGHT PEBBLES BEFORE LARGE AUDIENCE News Elections The News regrets to announce the resignation of Cornelia Bruere Rose, '28, Editor-in-Chief for the past year and a member oT the Board since the fall of her Sopho- more year; Helen McKelvey, '28, Copy Editor this year and \>n the Board since the spring of her Sophomore year; Caroline'Smith, '28, on the Board since the fall of her Junior year; Mary Gaillard, '28, Business Manager and mem- ber of the Business Board siuce the fall of her Sophomore year; Eleanor Jones. '.'28. Subscription Manager this year and on the Hoard since her Freshman year,t Mary Pettit. '28, a member of the Business Board since the �fall of her Junior year. It gives the News great pleas- ure to announce "the election of h!l,.o!/vi.i .fnVland Linn, ':.�!). as Fditor-in-Chief; Mary Randolph Grace, '8fc Copy Editor; Jane Barth. '20. "Business Manager, and Juliet Garrett, '2D. Subscription Manager. Katherine Balch, '29, Catherine Howe, '30, and Erna Rice. "30, have been elected Edi- tors. -Miss Linn has been on the News since her" Freshman year. She has lieen a member qf the Curriculum Committee and was � Hall Representative. In spite of- her absence from the Board last semester she is one of its oldest members. Miss Grace was Hall Represen- tative last year and in charge of Blind School workers for two years. She is now Hall President of Radnor and will l>e the Head of Bates House this summer. She has been on the Editorial Board of the News for a./ea^t.-fly�� miss bar.ii" 1-r.tV r^eii 'An�-tnV. Business Board since Freshman year and is a meml>er of the Bates House Committee. Miss Garrett has been a member of the Board this vear. corrupted by .such slovenliness."___ Verdict Is Immutable. From the harshness of this decision there is no appeal. As President of the Self-Government Association she has the final say; and nothing will now persuade her to ask from herself or to grant to herself any delay in the execution of CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Useful Information for- Inquisitive May Day Prospects May Day will be held May 4 and .">, rain or shine. In case of rain on. either day a third performance will be held on Monday, May 7, only if fine. The price of adhiission tickets is $:i for adults and $2 for teach- ers, students and children; the price of reserved seats on the grandstand is 75 cents and unreserved, 50 cents. For use in case of rain, tickets for reserved seats in Goodhart Hall will be sent to holders of reserved seats On the grandstand and tickets for unreserved seats in Taylor Hall to holders of unreserved seats on the grandstand. Those who have admis- sion tickets only will go to the gymnasium. Tea will be served on the campus, but neither luncheon nor dinner. Luncheon at $1.50 will be served at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hill Collins, Jr., on Friday and Saturday for the benefit of the Art Club, and the College Inn will serve luncheon and dinner on all days. Reservations should be made in advance. On Saturday a special through train with coaches, Pullmans and dining cars will leave New York at 11 o'clock (Daylight Saving Time) for Bryn Mawr. stopping at Newark, Elizabeth. Princeton Junc- tion and Trenton, and returning, will leave Bryn Mawr 7.15 Daylight Saving. Special coaches and Pullmans will be attached to certain trains from the South, and sleepers to the Quaker from Boston. Trains to and from the West will stop at Bryn Mawr. Further information will be found in the Pennsylvania Railroad schedule which with order forms will be enclosed in the announcement booklet to be mailed April 9. Don't forget that Spring Vacation is the time to interest your friends in May Day! God's Purpose So-Called Christians Form Our Greatest Single Handi- cap. Artist Should Reveal to World Through Imaginary Events. READS hiis~NEW. PLAY "Like a child playing on the beach, who ffhds a pebble more Jieautiful than the rest, and wants to run and show it to some one, is the artist who discovers something beautiful. He finds things' out, and in relation to his ability lie shows them." In this waylflid Edward John Plunkett, Lord Dunsany, introduce the charming and variegated collection of pebbles which he laid before the audience in Taylor Hall yesterday afternoon, . under the auspices of the Parents' Asso- ciation of the Phoebe Anna Thome School. An artist, lie continued, is not more clever than the rest of men. but more sensitfve"to what he sees. On his tiny stretch of, the shore of infinity he hunts for bright things! amidst the surge of the ages. His material, the material of the dramatist especially, is anything that he finds; that is, anything-that has ever happened in history or is, happening now. There has never lieen any occur- rence surprisingly just, any working out of supreme- fitness which has not been? noted, and made use of as dramatic ma- terial by some lonely scholar by the fireside, or perhaps by the man in the street. Things trend blindly and un- seen toward the making of enormous events�like the march of the German armies. Unperccivfd. like a vast fog or a mountain to which we are too close, they accumulate, till in a flash, by some little incident, the whole is given mean- ing. Drama Like Fate But eve* more imporfanfa's dramatic material than the occurrences of history aj^..those imaginary events which live * �W4^!aV tf)*" their destiny in the minds of artists alone. Thete are ..�. �,�.'.*. . enough actual events to clearly show his path to man- Therefore it is necessary for the artists to present happenings which are not actual truth, but which reveal Jhe eternal truth. One way of � finding otit our path through life is to live it; but that is not the best way. It therefore becomes the duty of the artist to give us our experience vicariously, to show us the road as well as to give us CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE "God demands a great deal of us, but He helps us to make the' best of'our--"0011'4 Tread 0n Me>" SaXS sdvesr-'-Baid Dr. Philip Stemmetz-hT chapel Sunday evening, April 1. As. we read the newspapers today we see that this man or woman has gone wrong; we read some such story every day of our lives. It is not a common thing that people go wrong. That is why the newspapers print such stories; because it is out of the ordinary it at- tracts attention. Even the best people, those who have led fairly respectable lives, suddenly find themselves the cen- ter of interest because some crooked- ness has been discovered in tbeir lives. Then we who read their story say that there is no such thing as religion; and if there is sucl�a thing, it is no good. One of the greater handicaps in the world is that group of people who claim that they believe in religion. "These so- called "Christians" are not, on the whole, as interesting as they ought to be. They are the ones who give the rest of us the wrong idea of religion. We think that s,,les aml hign hee,s !" being a Christian involves coldness^-' "U hat (l" yo" ,h,nfc ward all worldly things and a cerfain tendency to pass judgment readily on things which are not our concern. Con- s�(|iiently, as young people, we say we can do without religion, and further- more, can live quite properly without it. Faith Is Not in Human Beings. Suppose that all these newspaper cases were not isolated. Suppose ninety- five per cent, of all the Christians in the world were crooks. Your Christian faith is independent of that fact. Our faith is not in human beings. If it were -Reasonable-minded Grass �"Like everyone else, I distinctly object to being walked over," said the Campus Grass when interviewed by a representa- tive of the Coi.i.ki.k News who stood con- siderately on the pavement. "I believe- that the down-trodden should assert their rights, so I very much appreciate the opportunity this in- terview gives me to make my views known to the public," the Grass said graciously. The .representative of the College News bowed slightly to signify that she was aware of the compliment, and asked for a few facts about the life of Grass. � "My existence is short, as you know, and I do feel that what there is of it should be rendered at least pleasant. You don't know how much the efforts ot the Whistling Committee mean to mc. They certainly do lighten my burden�and what a burden it can become under crepe CONTINUED ON PAOB � nk about May Day-?" the representative of the College News then asked, "That will certainly affect you seriously." "Oh, yes, it will affect me�it will probably shorten my,life to a certain ex- tent. But what of that? I don't mind sacrificing myself for something like that." Having discovered the attitude of the Grass on this important point the repre- sentative of the College News took her leave, greatly cheered to find that it h'ad so reasonable an attitude toward an affair in which it, more than anything else, was bound to suffer..
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Global Women's Rights Awards 2014
The Global Women's Rights Awards are given annually to a select few individuals who have contributed significantly – often against great odds and at great personal risk – to advance the rights of women and girls and to increase awareness of the injustices women face on account of their gender.
For nearly sixteen years, we have been a part of this most remarkable organization and its work for women's rights in the United States and around the world, especially in their efforts to help the women and girls of Afghanistan reclaim their full rights, for which the Feminist Majority Foundation was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
We have seen first-hand the Feminist Majority Foundation's powerful work, and that is why the two of us are honored to serve for an eighth year as the Co-Chairs for the Global Women's Rights Awards. The awards will be presented at a dinner on May 5 at the Hammer Museum
Mavis Nicholson Leno and Jay Leno
Global Women's Rights Awards tickets are no longer available.


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quote:Romney was also going to allow the tax holiday to expire.
quote:Teaching = Not a real job.
quote:I guess you won't need a teacher to educate your dumb arse kids then.
quote:And how hard can teaching really be when the average parent can order a home school curriculum and teach it themselves.
quote:I voted for Romney, not Obama, so don't accuse me of hypocrisy. My reference on 25 was sarcastic.
quote:That's only part of the equation for teachers...are you in a union?
quote:Not sure if you've checked lately, but there is a pretty big crop of recent graduates who can't find work in my area
quote:I think it's the same guy that increased the deficit more than all others before him combined, raised unemployment, just weakened our economy (it shrunk for 1st time in 6 years),raised federal spending, passed unaffordable GOVMNT run policies
quote:Who'd you vote for the last two elections? That'll decide the question of whether you did it to yourself.
quote:I must have missed something. Who was it that continued such excessive spending since 2009 that increased the debt burden of every American?
quote:Wait, I thought we were talking about Obama not Reagan.
quote: $2,397 annually. That's more than I anticiparted considering I only make about $58,000 between them.


text: Panera Bread's plan for America: no artificial flavors and community cafes Posted on 06/04/2014 by admin When you hear the word company, what comes to mind? You might think about business, or perhaps the military (a company of soldiers), the arts (a touring company) or the evening ahead (are you expecting company?). Continue Reading → Share


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5 A great origin for a great character - an excellent thrillerAndyGinner | 26/01/2009 | See all AndyGinner's reviews (32)I was introduced to Jack Reacher in The Hard Way, and enjoyed it so much I thought I'd see where it all began. Killing Floor is a great introduction to the character of Reacher, and is a very efficient and exciting story.While the ex-policeman turned investigator is not exactly an original concept, the twist of Reacher being an ex-military policeman affords the author a broader canvas to discuss military issues, training and politics, and of course gives him free rein to unleash some viscerally violent set-pieces utilising Reacher's particular skill set.A thoroughly enjoyable page-turner, I would heartily recommend this to any fan of thrillers.
5 Superb Thriller!AndyLander24 | 03/08/2009 | See all AndyLander24's reviews (1)This is only the second book i've read in 8 years and it gripped me from start to finish! I couldn't put it down and completed it in 2 weeks! With twists and turns in every chapter i highly recommend this to any fan of thrillers or just fans of reading and being able to lose yourself in a very cleverly written story with a brilliant main character.
5 Intelligent and Hard as Nails HeroMarnico | 18/07/2007 | See all Marnico's reviews (132)Top 100 DVD Reviewer This is the one that started the Jack Reacher series. He's an intelligent, hard as nails and uncomprimising hero. The more you read the more you'd want him on your side rather than looking for you. An extremely satisfying read and it will set you up to read the whole series of Reacher books. You will not be disappointed.
5 Greatallday | 07/08/2007 | See all allday's reviews (11)This is a great book and an introduction to a great charachter. Reacher is uncompromising and full of morals. The book moves at a perfect pace and I really couldn't put it down. Easy to read. Can't fault it
5 One man westernindiansummer | 05/06/2009 | See all indiansummer's reviews (4)I enjoyed this book a lot. After page 200, read it in one day - just totally needed to know what happened next:)You will be captured by Jack Reacher and his laid back no nonsense personality.Lee Child is very much into describing things, places and people, and if you are not into this, don't hesitate and give it a go anyway - this story needs to be read! :)Going to read more of Jack Reacher stories for sure.


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Windows Phone uses Internet Explorer as it is default web browser and Bing search comes integrated with it. The service may vary depending on your country, for instance, the Bing search integrated with Yandex in Russia.
If your Lumia is running on Windows Phone 8, it allows you to choose your default search provider, to do that go to Settings, then swipe left to Applications > Internet Explorer > advanced settings, and change the Default search provider.
As an optional search engine, you can download the Google search app from the Store (formerly known as Marketplace) and pin it to your start screen.


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quote:Bingo. I don't get what is so hard for some of these people to understand about this.
quote:C. LSU paid Les to reward him for his consistency and success.
quote:BECAUSE IT COINCIDED WITH THE ARKANSAS TALKS.
quote:abiding by his current contract
quote:Sooo that eliminates the possiblity that they gave him a raise so quickly to keep around him at LSU, when there was the possibility of him leaving, to reward him for his consistency and success?
quote:You must have some keen insight just like TXTiger. I was unaware that it was written in Miles' contract that he go 13-0 and shite the bed in the National Championship game.
quote:You must have some keen insight just like TXTiger.
quote: Les guides a team to a national championship last year with the two worst QB's in college football history. But nobody talks how that was a ridiculously good accomplishment because we lost in the NCG. Added that it was Saban.
quote:Which is logically inconsistent.
quote:You have no fricking insight. You are a god damn sheep who believes any line fed to you.
quote:No it isn't.
quote:LSU knew that he had the potential to leave
quote:which was deserved because of his success.
quote:Didn't mean to make that so difficult for you to grasp.
quote:Or maybe you are just a ignorant prick
quote:LSU knew that he had the potential to leave and there could be other demand around the league for Miles,
quote:That's what INCENTIVES are for...and he already had those!
quote:why did LSU give him the raise and extension?
quote:LSU under Les Miles is one of the most overrated teams in the nation. Rivals did an article a while back. Les disappoints yearly, finishing lower than where he starts in the preseason.
quote:As for Miles and co. concerning offense, will always be a weakness and lose games for us, unless superior defense from Chavis.


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quote:Oh, and Marc Pelosi was added to Liverpool's Europa League roster
quote:Dempsey played on the left for 4 years at Fulham, would you consider him to be a winger? The word winger implies that he's going to take on defenders, get the the touchline and send in crosses.
quote:Marc Pelosi arrived at the Academy from DeAnza Force Club in California. The USA starlet caught the eye of Liverpool's scouts during the 2011 FIFA U17 World Cup in Mexico where he skippered his country to a place in the last 16. A versatile, left-footed player, Pelosi is comfortable in central midfield, on the left wing and at left-back. The second year scholar was born in Germany but has dual nationality and is highly regarded by staff in Kirkby.
quote:@BrianSciaretta: Good reporting by @USAprospects to reveal that Fluminense and Brazil U17 NT winger Robert 'Kennedy' Nunes holds a USA passport Well that certainly would be interesting. Obviously I've never heard of this kid, but the words Brazilian, winger, and us passport are definitely sparking some interest. Go find your wingman Juergen
quote:USAprospects ?@USAprospects ex-#usynt Neven Subotic convinced current US youth star Junior Flores to join Borussia Dortmund once he turns 18.
quote: USAprospects ?@USAprospects "I spoke constantly w/ Neven & he told me how great the people are-how everyone cares [about the club]" Flores told Inside Bundesliga #usynt
quote:Pelosi carted off with a broken leg today


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quote:Let me ask the question a different way: What is it about a $150 seat that makes it worth 10 times what a $15 seat costs?
quote:Make your mind up
quote:While I agree with you about that wholeheartedly, I mean for those participating to ponder what is it that makes the difference and share.
quote:. I'm a upper corner guy. I `cheat' since I'm in row 1, but I'm an upper bowl guy. I think I always will be.
quote:I'll be sure to report that to the Hornets and NOPD that your gf is sneaking in waters and thus pissing off the patrons who have to pay $4 for a bottled water. You should feel ashamed.
quote:LAwhoDat: Tell me what you think about this, my history. I'm a upper corner guy. I `cheat' since I'm in row 1, but I'm an upper bowl guy. I think I always will be. I've snuck down there in the past and saw not enough pluses (for me) to justify the price, risk, or loss of my social circle upstairs. I've also bought the cheap tickets as a `treat' for someone who wanted to come to a game, etc. Still nothing. I've had a 4 top notch club seats given to me. Nice on the part of the client, but nothing. I got courtside for a game. Novel, but nothing. Clearly, not all of this is related to sneaking, but I'm laying it all out there so people can add what they think or like about the lower and upper bowls.
quote:you're right on top of the action, but depending on where you're sitting you sometimes cannot see all that is going on.
quote:Accurate. I do think, noted above, that it's novel and a nice treat, but I'm just an upper bowl guy. It's takes both types to (happily) fill the Arena, so cheers.
quote:I'll save a pair for you Friday or Saturday if you want to come see how the other half lives, TTT! I know you have tickets, but that way you won't be lapping up.
quote:also I forgot to mention, the biggest flaw with the Arena is the upper bowl seats are extremely tight together where as the lower bowl is much more comfortable. even for people of normal size the upper bowl seats are offer little to no leg room
quote:I agree with this but being on row 1, I don't have this problem


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You are viewing an old revision of this post, from 13 November, 2011 @ 5:06. See below for differences between this version and the current revision.
This is a TEST document – do not Reference
Draft Specification: X October 2011 – Barcelona Edition
- Editors:
- Renato Iannella, Semantic Identity, risemanticidentity.com
- Susanne Guth, Vodafone, susanne.guthvodafone.com
- Helge Hundacker, University of Koblenz, hundackeruni-koblenz.de
- Daniel Paehler, University of Koblenz, tulkasuni-koblenz.de
- Andreas Kasten, University of Koblenz, andreas.kastenuni-koblenz.de
Status of this document
The W3C ODRL Community Group publishes a Draft Specification to indicate that the document is believed to be stable and to encourage implementation by the wider community. The W3C ODRL Community Group expects to advance this document to Specification once demonstrable interoperability has been achieved.
Discussion of this document takes place on the W3C ODRL Community Group mailing list (see Contributor Archive). Feedback from the public is encouraged and can be send to email@example.com (see Public Archive).
This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than "work in progress". Publication as a Draft Specification does not imply endorsement by the W3C ODRL Community Group.
Table of contents
- 1. Overview
- 2. ODRL Core Model
- 3. Scenarios (Informative)
- 4. Profiles (Informative)
- 5. Experimental Features (Informative)
- Acknowledgements
- References
1. Overview
The ODRL policy expression language has benefited from a robust underlying information model that has captured its semantics and provided extensibility paths for various communities. ODRL Version 2.0 is a major update for ODRL and will supersede Version 1.1.[ODRL11]
The ODRL Core Model is designed to be independent from implementation mechanisms and is focussed on the optimal model and semantics to represent policy-based information.
The following documents are planned for ODRL Version 2.0:
- ODRL V2.0 – Requirements [ODRL-REQ]. The Requirements document represents requirements for the language that have been gathered since ODRL Version 1.1 has been released. Not all requirements are aimed to be met.
- ODRL V2.0 – Core Model (this document)
- ODRL V2.0 – Common Vocabulary. This document will specify the potential terms (vocabulary) used by the Core Model for policy expression needs across communities. (This was called the "data dictionary" previously.)
- ODRL V2.0 – Core Model – XML Encoding. The XML Encoding document will specify the serialisation of the Core Model in XML, including the normative XML Schema for the new Model and examples.
- ODRL V2.0 – Core Model – RDF/XML Encoding. The RDF/XML Encoding document will specify the serialisation of the Core Model in RDF/XML.
The new model is based on additional semantics and requirements gathered from the DRM community, the latest research on security, access control, obligation management as well as the past experiences in implementations and research of ODRL. The requirements for Version 2.0 are documented [ODRL-REQ] and will be directly referenced in this document to ensure that they have been adequately addressed (where applicable).
The model shall be formally specified using UML notation [UML] [ODRL-REQ-6] and shall utilise the key words "MUST", "MAY", "REQUIRED", and "OPTIONAL" in accordance to [RFC2119].
To make keywords easily distinguishable, this document uses syntax highlighting based on the following rules:
- Core Model entities (classes in the UML diagram) begin with a capital letter and are formatted coded typeface, e.g.
. - The entities' attributes begin with a lower-case letter and are formatted in coded typeface, e.g.
. Attribute names comprising several words are written in "camelCase", i.e. each new word begins with a capital letter, e.g.inheritFrom
. - The concrete values that the attributes can take begin with lower-case letters and formatted in italic coded typeface, e.g.
. CamelCase is also used for values, where necessary.
2. ODRL Core Model
Figure 2.1 below shows the complete version 2.0 ODRL Core Model. Policy
is the central entity that holds an ODRL policy together. In its encoded form, e.g. in an XML document, it makes the policy addressable from the outside word via its uid
attribute. Policy
can refer to Permission
s and Prohibition
A Permission
allows a particular Action
to be executed on a related Asset
, e.g. "play the audio file abc.mp3″. A Constraint
like "at most 10 times" might be added to specify the Permission
more precisely. The Party
that grants this Permission
is linked to it with the Role
, the Party
that is granted the Permission
is linked to it with the Role
, e.g. "assigner
VirtualMusicShop grants the Permission
to assignee
Alice". Additionally, a Permission
may be linked to Duty
Similar to Permission
s, a Duty
states that a certain Action
should be executed by the Party
with the Role
for the Permission
to be valid, e.g. "Alice must pay 5 EUR in order to get the Permission
to play abc.mp3″.
The Prohibition
entity is used in the same way as Permission
, with the two differences that it does not refer to Duties
and (obviously) that it forbids the Action
, e.g. "Alice is forbidden to use abc.mp3 commercially".
Figure 2.1 – ODRL Core Model Version 2.0 |
The following sections describes each entity of the Core Model in greater detail.
2.1 Policy
The Policy
entity is the top-level entity and contains the following attributes:
: the unique identification of thePolicy
entity (REQUIRED)type
: indicates the semantics of thePolicy
entity (REQUIRED). These are further described in the Common Vocabulary and ODRL Profiles.conflict
: indicates the precedence betweenPermission
s andProhibition
s (OPTIONAL)undefined
: indicates how to handle undefinedAction
s (OPTIONAL)inheritAllowed
: indicates if thePolicy
entity can be inherited (OPTIONAL)inheritFrom
: the identifier from which thisPolicy
inherits from it's parentPolicy
: the identifier for the relationship type of this inheritance structure (OPTIONAL)
The uid
attribute MUST be a unique identifier.
The range of values for the Policy
entity's type
attribute will be described in the Common Vocabulary document or in community profiles. This value may also impose further constraints on the Core Model, such as are exemplified in the Scenarios for types Offer
and Agreement
. It is important that the type
attribute be clearly understood in policy expressions as the semantics may impose restrictions on the expression language constructs such as cardinalities between entities.
The conflict
attribute is used to resolve conflicts arising from the merging of policies, specifically when there are conflicting Action
s in the Permission
s and Prohibition
s. If present, the conflict
attribute MUST take one of the following values:
: thePermission
s will always takes precedenceprohibit
: theProhibition
s will always takes precedenceinvalid
: the policy is not valid
If the conflict
attribute is not explicitly set, its default value will be used instead. The default value of the conflict
attribute is invalid
The undefined
attribute is used to indicate how to support Action
s that are not part of any known profile in the policy expression system. If present, the undefined
attribute MUST take one of
the following values:
: theAction
is to be supported as part of the policy – and the policy remains validignore
: theAction
is to be ignored and not part of the policy – and the policy remains validinvalid
: theAction
is unknown – and the policy is invalid
In the support
case, even though the Action
is unknown, the policy still is valid and the consuming parties or system of the policy MUST be made aware of the unknown Action
. This may be via a user interface that displays the unknown Action
for human readability.
In the ignore
case, even though the Action
is unknown, the policy still is valid and the consuming parties or system of the policy MAY be made aware of the unknown Action
In the invalid
case with the unknown Action
, the policy is invalid and the consuming parties or system of the policy MUST be made aware of this.
If the undefined
attribute is not explicitly set, its default value will be used instead. The default value of the undefined
attribute is invalid
Other attributes may be added to the Policy
entity to support additional functions and requirements. Typically, these will be from different community vocabularies. For example, to indicate the issued date or valid dates of the Policy
entity, use of the Dublin Core Metadata Terms would be recommended.
2.1.1 Inheritance
The inheritAllowed
attribute in the Policy
entity is used to indicate if the Policy
expression can be used in any inheritance relationship [ODRL-REQ-1.20]. If present, the value of the inheritAllowed
attribute MUST take one of the following values:
: thePolicy
expression can be used for inheritancefalse
: thePolicy
expression can not be used for inheritance
If the inheritAllowed
attribute is not explicitly set, its default value will be used instead. The default value of the inherit
attribute is true
Only if the inheritAllowed
attribute has the value true
can the inheritFrom
and inheritRelation
attributes be specified.
The inheritFrom
attribute in the (child) Policy
will uniquely identify (via a UID) the (parent) Policy
from which the inheritance will be performed.
The inheritRelation
attribute in the (child) Policy
will uniquely identify (via a UID) the type of inheritance from the (parent) Policy
. For example, this may indicate the business scenario, such as subscription or other inheritance structures such as expression, manifestation. Such terms may be defined in the Common Vocabulary or community Profiles.
The following restrictions apply when using inheritance:
- Single inheritance is only supported. (One Parent
to one or more ChildPolicy
entities. No ChildPolicy
can inherit from two or more ParentPolicy
entities.) - Inheritance can be to any depth. (Multiple levels of Children
entities.) - Inheritance cannot be circular.
- The Child
will always override the ParentPolicy
. i.e.: If the sameAction
appears in the Parent, then it is replaced by the Child version, otherwise the ParentAction
s are added to the Child'sAction
s. - No state information is transferred from the policy in the Parent
to the ChildPolicy
2.2 Asset
The Asset
entity is aimed at identifying the content that is the subject of an ODRL policy, e.g. a media file or ebook. Furthermore, it can be used to represent other Asset
entities that are needed to undertake the Policy expression, such as with the Duty
entity. The Asset
entity is referred to by the Permission
and/or Prohibition
entities, and also by the Duty


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- Overview
The Aqua-Pure® MCA Series Iron Reduction System includes a heavy-duty lead-free brass valve. This system reduces rust and iron stains in laundry and on plumbing fixtures, as well as providing better tasting drinking water. - Specifications
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I have 0 Followers and well...I feel like a looser so follow me. :P @Pwarps
I have 0 Followers and well...I feel like a looser so follow me. :P @Pwarps
Currently Playing: Dawngate, LoL, FFXIV, Random Steam Games
What the hell is a Pwarp?
You gotta follow me on facebook then
Haha, if I can figure out how to use twitter quick I'll do it.
i have a twatter but i only created it so i could tell some guy from sony that they should localise yakuza 5. don't plan on using it again.
someone explain to me how twitter works
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League Cup - Police probe alleged racist abuse by 'Chelsea fans' on train on Sunday
Police have launched an investigation after reports of racist and abusive behaviour from Chelsea fans on a train from London to Manchester. More »
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Chelsea's League Cup win could be the start of a glorious period for the club as Mourinho proves why he is a 'Special One', writes Desmond Kane. More »
Eurosport - 8 hours ago Premier League - Paper Round: Manchester United set to battle Liverpool for Ezequiel Lavezzi
Manchester United are apparently keen to beat Liverpool to the signing of Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi. More »
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Andy Murray has responded to claims that he is anti-English by insisting that it is complete "nonsense". More »
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Alexander Netherton returns with his weekly column and shouts the facts that others don't even have the balls to whisper. More »
Eurosport - 3 hours ago


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I hope this works. I have always used the free Blogger software to run this website, which is owned by Google. And they changed it. And they are making me use it and even though I had three months of "warning" that this change was going to happen I'm slightly irritated.
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East Windsor Residence, Austin, Texas
An inviting mix of black lueders limestone and ipe greet visitors as they approach the Austin, Texas, home.
Paul Finkel
A restrictive lot forced the architects to design a thin home, but it also helped promote light-filled loft-like spaces.
A restrictive lot forced the architects to design a thin home, but it also helped promote light-filled loftlike spaces.
The client requested open, loft-like spaces that can accommodate large parties.
The client requested open, loftlike spaces that can accommodate large parties.
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The first-floor plan.
Courtesy Alterstudio
The second-floor plan.
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principal in charge: Kevin Alter, Alterstudio Architects project team: Ernesto Cragnolino, AIA, and Russell Krepart, Alterstudio Architects general contractor: Don Crowell, Crowell+, Austin, Texas landscape architect: James David, David/Peese Design, Austin interior designer: Kathy Spinks, Kathy Spinks Interiors, Austin project size: 4,500 square feet site size: 0.50 acre construction cost: $750 per square foot photography: Paul Finkel
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Award Winners
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alterstudio architects
Nigel F. Maynard
residential architect design...
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custom / more than 3
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This elegant pavilion by David Jameson Architect takes the tea ceremony to a new level.
Two architects inserted a sliver of an addition into an existing commercial space.
A lot of effort went into the restoration of this 1959 Frank Lloyd Wright home poised above the Potomac River rapids.


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Jacquard Animal Wrap
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This is the show where our loyal, adoring, and inquisitive fans and listeners get to hear us comment on their comments about our stories and comments… it's the Circle of Entertainment Life!
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Remembering Steve Jobs
The late Steve Jobs may have been known for his signature black turtleneck, but it is for his green diet that he probably will be most fondly remembered by people who care about animals. The Apple cofounder, who died yesterday, was a vegetarian and a longtime health advocate who reportedly once handed out containers of carrot juice at Halloween.
We remember Jobs for so many innovative ideas, including Apple's iPhoto facial recognition software, which recognises the faces of cats in addition to those of humans, reflecting the importance of companion animals in … Read more.


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In addition to local television or radio stations, the Indiana State Police encourages you to refer to the following weather information resources:
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ISP can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
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The City of Houston Mayor's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security released a video providing key steps to follow should you encounter an active shooter. Get informed, watch the video: Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving an Active Shooter Event


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5 A must-have for hardcore RPG fans!stevenfall | 22/05/2012 | See all stevenfall's reviews (24)The Witcher 2 revitalises some classic RPG aspects as it sets Geralt of Rivia out on an adventure to solve the mystery of the assassins of kings. The storyline is in-depth and, unlike other modern RPGs, the dialogue sequences are interesting and fun. The combat is very challenging and a bit 'clunky' to begin with, but is extremely rewarding when you master it. You will find yourself being killed a few times towards the start of the game, but when you get to grips with the combat system you will find fights progressively more fun. The only downside to the game is the longevity - including side quests it will take around 30-40 hours to complete. However there are achievements and new challenges on the 'dark' difficulty mode, including 3 new sets of cursed armour which will prove difficult to get hold of. Overall, I would recommend this game to the majority of RPG fans, but beware it is not for the light-hearted; and will prove frustrating at the beginning but if you stick it out you will have one of the best RPG experiences of the year.
5 An upgrade on the typical RPG experienceMisterontheThames | 25/04/2012 | See all MisterontheThames's reviews (3)The game has 8 possible endings and to see them all would require you to play at least 3 times. The game takes a step away from the RPG scene where you define you character to an exclusive class or type. In Witcher 2 you are required to invest talents as you level up so that you can anticipate the next skirmish or quest. Bombs and traps form an integral part of the game. However, your best to invest in one solid path rather then become a jack of all trades.
5 Like a Moviekaoslord | 20/04/2012 | See all kaoslord's reviews (4)The Witcher 2 is one of the best RPG i played. The game is based most around the story where the player is playing the hero (Geralt of Rivia) and will be searching for the kings assassin. From there on you will be teleported into this beautiful world like a movie and will investigate how and why all this happened to you. The graphism is stunning as much as the sound atmosphere or the music design but this is not a free roam game but never the less the few maps are big and a lot to explore...Quests with characters environments and even weapons and items are all designed to fit the story rather than the other way around. The quests for example arent of the (kill this many of monster x for a bounty) variety. The contracts you take require you to fight and study the beasts until you unlock the necessary knowledge of how to get rid of them for good from there you typically must create a special trap or perform an action unique to that quest. Crafting is designed to work with the fiction as well requiring Geralt to obtain blueprints then collect mundane components like twine and raw metal in addition to the epic components like troll skin. This makes crafting extremely expensive or time consuming at times but it makes the process much more immersive and the reward that much more gratifying. The game have alternate endings depending on player choices throughout the story. I was happy to discover was that the game can be played through two completely different campaigns depending on some choices and that the end game differences are much more substantial than (character x is your friend instead of character y because you took his side.) Not to spoil too much but key characters can be killed kingdoms can be shifted and the information you know about your opponents is all different based on how you play. You may not even meet some characters and you certainly wont know the secrets behind many events unless you play the game through again from the alternate perspective. Bear in mind these arent good/evil decisions either. The developers do a great job making each option in the scenarios seem valid and there was never a clear solution to any given problem I faced. In combat you carry a silver sword to slay monsters and an iron sword to kill men because thats the way a Witcher fights. Potions can only be drunk prior to combat when Geralt is in meditation mode. Why? Because Geralt does all his preparations prior to battle so the gamer plays by the same constraints. I personally found myself completely absorbed by the game world and my place in it. Civilians occasionally insulted Geralt mutant nature and I began to take offense. Going into battle I started to think ahead and plan reading up on the types of monsters I will be facing rather than just jumping into combat. There are occasional breaks from this perspective as you see events through another partys eyes but for the most part you live the life of Geralt of Rivia. The story is very dark with clear themes of racism/rape/genocide ect... in many of the subplots. The characters tend to be rather vulgar but not necessarily in an immature way it comes across that they are more coarse than immature and the dialogue tends to fit well with the oppressive atmosphere of the game world. As you can probably tell from the above points I really loved The Witcher 2 but it is not without its flaws. There are no changes on the controller if you dont like original setup. The interface is a bit difficult at time to manage or some stupid fact like you cant swim but overall this is a beautiful game for a more mature audience than the button bashing kind of game.
5 Exceptional Titlebaconchaney | 03/08/2012 | See all baconchaney's reviews (2)For a relatively unknown company this is leagues better than alot of mainstream RPG's. I actually bought this on the PC when it was first released based off the original trailer and i wasnt disappointed. I have played alot of the modern RPG games but this is definitely one of my favourites.It is definitely a worth addition to any collection.
3 It's really not all thatKillerBees | 20/01/2013 | See all KillerBees's reviews (1)Repetitive gameplay, overly simplified combat mechanics, dull side missions and blocky graphics. The choice of storylines is a nice touch, but your choices only have a limited effect on the game (unlike say in ME3 where individual characters respond to you differently) and they play out in a rather linear manner. Skyrim / Dragon Ages / Mass Effect 3 this game is not. And I had such high hopes too :o(