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Miura Gorō
Viscount Miura Gorō | |
General Miura Gorō
Born | January 1, 1847 Hagi, Chōshū Domain, Japan |
Died | January 28, 1926 Tokyo, Japan |
(aged 79)
Allegiance | Empire of Japan |
Service/branch | Imperial Japanese Army |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
Battles/wars | Boshin War Satsuma Rebellion |
Other work | Privy Council |
Viscount Miura Gorō (三浦 梧楼?, 1 January 1847 – 28 January 1926), was a lieutenant general in the early Imperial Japanese Army.
Miura was born in Chōshū Domain (modern Yamaguchi Prefecture), to a samurai of the Hagi clan. After studying at the Meirinkan clan military academy, he entered the Kiheitai irregular militia of the Chōshū domain and played an active role in the Boshin War to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu. He later held various posts in Army-Navy Ministry and was commander of the Hiroshima District. During the Satsuma Rebellion, he served as commander of the Army's Third Brigade.
In 1884, he accompanied Ōyama Iwao on a tour of Europe, to study the military systems in various western countries. In 1888, after coming into conflict with politicians in the Chōshū clan clique, he was transferred from active duty to the reserves. In November of the same year, he retired and became president of Gakushuin Peers' School.
In 1890, Miura was appointed a member of the House of Peers, and elevated in title to shishaku (viscount) under the kazoku peerage system.
In 1895, Miura was appointed Japan's resident minister in Korea, succeeding Inoue Kaoru. Later that year, the political situation in Korea became increasingly unsettled due to the international outrage over the assassination of Korean Empress Myeongseong. Miura played the critical role in the assassination and was recalled to Japan and placed on a farcical trial with the involved military personnel at the Hiroshima District Court. The trial was held for political purposes to give an impression of rule of law to western nations. Miura's attorney argued in defense that killing is no murder when done to achieve political supremacy with Miura even admitting to the assassination. Nonetheless, the court found him not guilty on technical grounds of insufficient evidence[1] and Miura and cohorts emerged from trial as national heroes.
Later, after the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910, Miura became a privy councilor and focused on mediating talks among the heads of the political parties to protect the Meiji Constitution.
See also[edit]
- ^ Chung, Henry (1921). The Case of Korea: A collection of evidence on the Japanese domination of Korea, and on the development of the Korean Independence Movement. New York, Chicago, London and Edingurgh: Fleming H. Revell Company. p. 327. ISBN 978-1-104-57912-8. "Notwithstanding these facts, there is no sufficient evidence to prove that any of the accused actually committed the crime originally meditated by the,. Neither is there sufficient evidence to establish the charge that Hirayama Iwahiko killed Li Koshoku, the Korean Minister of the Household, in front of the Kon-Chong palace.
As to the accused, Shiba Shiro, Osaki Masakichi, Yoshida Hanji, Mayeda Shunzo, Hirayama Katsukuma, and Hiraishi Yoshitarom there is not sufficient evidence to show that they were in any way connected with the affair.
For these reasons the accused, each and all, are hereby discharged in accordance with the provisions of article 165 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The accused, Miura Goro, Sugimura Fukashi, Okamoto Ryunosuke, Adachi Kenzo, Kunimoto Shigeakira, Terasaki Taikichi, Hirayama Iwabiko, Nakamura Takewo, Fuji Masahira, Iyuri Kakichi, Kiwaki Sukenori, and Sokoi Masutaro, are hereby released from confinement. The documents and other articles seized in connection with this case are restored to their respective owners.
Given at Hiroshima Local Court by Yoshida Yoshihide, Judge of Preliminary Enquiry; Tamura Yoshiharu, Clerk of the Court."
External links[edit]
- National Diet Library. "Miura, Goro". Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures.


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Northland Resources SA Updates on Reorganization; Expects to Launch Bond Offering
Northland Resources SA announced that it supports a bondholder-led restructuring of the Company. The contemplated bond offering enables Company to complete Kaunisvaara Project. The Company expects to launch a new USD 362 million senior secured bond offering with 12% interest and an Original Issue Discount of 7%. Three existing restricted bondholders signed commitment letters for an amount of approximately one quarter of contemplated bond issue. A bondholder meeting is to be held on May 3, 2013 to approve terms of reorganization and main terms of contemplated bond. The Company's Board will see certain revisions as part of the reorganization. After completion of reorganization four new Directors are expected to be proposed by bondholders and key suppliers. Based on the anticipated financing the Company will be fully funded and reach full production in second half of 2014. The Company expects to be able to emerge from reorganization around early July 2013. After restructuring, existing shareholders will retain approximately 5.14% of the fully diluted equity of the Company. In addition the Company expects to offer existing shareholders the opportunity to participate in a repair issue of up to USD 25 million at the conversion price applicable to the new second lien convertible bond. Discussions with key suppliers are at an advanced stage and the Company expects to receive formal support for the proposals before the Bondholder meeting on May 3, 2013.
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USA Travel thread #30
Started by
, Nov 15 2012 12:00 PM
148 replies to this topic
#126Posted 20 December 2012 - 08:03 AM
love reading about everyones holidays also love your blog kee that is very helpful.
What are hawaiian airlines like to fly with? We have to transfer from Domestic to International in Brisbane airport, we have 2 hours to do this so hopefully it all goes in a timely manner. Do I need a different sim card for my phone, i use prepaid so does that matter? I probably have heaps more questions too. #127Posted 20 December 2012 - 09:08 PM QUOTE (kristin5 @ 19/12/2012, 07:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Finally, i feel like it's a little more real. After months of talking about our trip, we have made our first booking - the Grand Californian hotel & spa (for part of our Disney stay). We never thought we'd be able to afford the prices they usually charge, but thanks to gay day rates, we can! We are looking at either the Fairfield Inn or hojos for the other part of our stay in Disneyland. And then probably the Signature Suites in Las Vegas (have any of you stayed there?) And we will book a hotel in downtown Denver (hoping that the NFL draw is kind to us and that the Broncos will be playing on the weekend we are there :-) ) Just waiting for the flight specials for September to be released now, wish they'd hurry! I can't recommend Hojo's enough Fiona, they were amazing super clean, very very friendly and helpful and we would stay there again in a heartbeat.......we wish we were there right about now! Talk about post holiday blues guys, we have been back about 4 weeks and I'm missing everything about the holiday soooooo much. We are trying to decide when the return trip will be, either November 2014 or if we should do Christmas 2014 and trying to make up our minds if we do the West Coast again or if we do East Coast and hope for a white Christmas, either way it is way way to depressing thinking about how far away it is Do you know what else is a side effect of our Holiday? I am struggling to find much for the kids for Christmas as we shopped up such a storm that they need absolutely nothing!And even if they did, Aussie prices are killing me! Oh I'm so jealous of you guys planning for trips that actually have a set date. #128Posted 23 December 2012 - 08:49 PM
I just wanted to come in and wish all my travel buddies here a Merry Christmas
You're all amazing and make me so happy, it's a great feeling to be able to so freely discuss traveling to the USA with a group of like-minded people as nice as you all are. Your support and good wishes over the last 5 weeks since I lost my Dad have also deeply touched my heart and lessened the pain a little so thank you to each and every one of you. I hope 2013 brings you all amazing adventures, lots of fantastic accommodation sales and plenty of smooth flying Edited by ~Kee~In~Hawaii~, 23 December 2012 - 08:50 PM. #129Posted 23 December 2012 - 09:33 PM
Ditto to you Kee, our Cruise and Hawaii Queen!
I hope everyone here has a safe and happy Christmas and I look forward to reading all of your lovely travel plans next year! #130Posted 23 December 2012 - 09:43 PM
Hi all
We are about to take off for a US trip, DH & I have been quite a few times before but it's our first visit with our new bub ! I've already bought us a nice new stroller that we're picking up when we arrive but a few other things popped into my head, one of them being nappies. So ... does anyone have recommendation for the best nappies/diapers in the US ? We use Huggies here but a friend told me she didn't have a great experience with the same brand in the US. My DS is nearly 5 months old. Thanks ! #131Posted 23 December 2012 - 10:30 PM QUOTE (Jaxxie1 @ 20/12/2012, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I can't recommend Hojo's enough, they were amazing super clean, very very friendly and helpful and we would stay there again in a heartbeat.......we wish we were there right about now! Yeah, have heard it is good and our travel agent (who is also a friend) recommends it too. I am waiting to see what price we can get for a premium room (as the standard queens are freeway view rooms and we want Disney views). Otherwise we will say at the Fairfield Inn which is where we stayed last year. I know what you mean about post holiday blues - to alleviate those with this trip (which isn't even until September!) we have already started planning (loosely) another big trip after this one, hopefully around Christmas/New Year of 2015, which will also be our 10th wedding anniversary. We'd like to go to Disney World at Christmas time and be in NY for New Year's Eve (our anniversary). Does anyone know how long Christmas decorations stay up in the Disney Parks for after Christmas? And yes, part of the reason we keep returning to the US is the shopping. Merry Christmas everyone, and a safe and happy New Year to all! Edited by kristin5, 23 December 2012 - 10:31 PM. #132Posted 23 December 2012 - 11:33 PM
minidiamond - I've actually had most sucess with some of the store brands rather than the big name brands. Definitely skip on the Huggies - the Pampers I don't mind, but really if you can find Top Care, or Baby Basics, Baby Luvs(depends where you shop) these are all pretty good. The Target brand have good absorbancy but can be a bit saggy on some babies, Walmart brand I like too. Also make sure you know your babies weight in pounds so you can figure out what size (multiple kg by 2.2). I generally find if you're near the top of the listed range you're better off going for the next size up. Have fun
Merry Christmas everyone. #133Posted 24 December 2012 - 06:02 PM
I just gave myself a Christmas present, I'm all booked for our flight to Hawaii before the cruise back. I *unfortunately* had to book us to leave on September 18th rather than the 21st as the cost was half - I forgot that school holidays start in NSW next year on the 20th so the flights for the day we were meant to be leaving are already way OTT. I'm willing to suck it up and deal with an extra 3 nights in Waikiki if it means I save $990. Adding on the accommodation only cost me $100 because I've hit the threshold for free nights so it was cheap. Better to have $800 in my pocket than in Jetstar's!
I'll need to be changed to the 18th September on the list, thanks Return date is still the 23rd of October. The only thing I'm a little grumpy about it that the purpose of the trip has turned into being about scattering Dad's ashes so Mum is paying for my financially irresponsible sister, BIL and nephew to fly over and stay for 2 weeks but when I just spoke to her about booking our one way flights (hers included) she asked what the total is, divided it by 3 people and is coming tomorrow to pay us back HER airfare. She has no intention of paying our way over to Hawaii like she is doing for my sister. I don't want to be sooky but it hardly seems fair that she keeps preaching the whole "Dad would want me to cover the trip costs with his life insurance money - like it's an inheritance" and then she only pays for my sister because she is too lazy to work and therefore cannot afford a trip herself. Why should I be punished because my husband and I work our butts off to have the good things in life? Especially if she is going to keep going on about it being Dad's money and how it should go towards the trip. I'M ON THIS TRIP TOO YOU KNOW?! Sorry, I'm a bit annoyed by Mum's attitude today. I personally think the money should be in the bank for her to live off in her retirement and if my sister can't save up for the trip then tough titties but I'm outnumbered in that regard. The other logical idea (if the money must be used) would be to pay for all of the trip EVENLY and make it all fair but I'm outnumbered in that too apparently. Eh, enough ranting. The good point is that I am booked to fly out on the 18th and I can't wait! #134Posted 24 December 2012 - 07:57 PM
Merry Christmas travel buddies! Hope everyone has a great day.
#135Posted 27 December 2012 - 01:45 PM
Hi, have decided to start thinking about our first big o/seas family holiday to coincide with a milestone birthday but have no idea where to start..... We want to go MEL - LA for family of four for around three weeks. Virgin are currently having their Boxing Day sales so managed to get tic's for $1077 for same date but 2013 (was doing a hypothetical to get a cost idea).
It's been 12 years since I have been to the US so I have no idea where to begin. Can anyone suggest hotels, itinery etc please. We want to do the usual Disney, Legoland, Universal type stuff. We will have a 7 and 5yo at the time. It is worth breaking up the flight with a Hawaiian stop over? Thanks in advance. #136Posted 27 December 2012 - 10:48 PM
add me to the list.
Myself and DD (10) 24th August till the 7th September 2013 LA-Anaheim-New York-Los Vegas That's a lot in a short time, I know! I just can't afford to take anymore time off work or take DD out of school for any longer. This is DD's first USA trip and will be my second. We are flying air NZ, with a stop-over in Auckland. I got the flights for a bit less than $2000 (for both of us.. return!). In LA we are staying at Loews - I got a great rate through hotelclub (at least I think it was). In Anaheim we are staying at HoJos.. I just booked through Disney, I though the prices were quite reasonable anyway. In New York we are staying at The Casablanca and I am still deciding where to stay in Vegas.. so many choices! #137Posted 29 December 2012 - 06:00 PM
Hi All,
Just thought I would pop in to say Jet star are having their $329 each way flights on at the moment. The bugger thing is for us that DH has the whole of March off and the cheap days are 27th February or end of the first week of March ( there are other dates but these are my options for our travel dates).. And his boss wont budge on two days earlier for his leave So I will continue to wait... But still semi holding off to hear back on a couple of verbal job offers to see if they come through in written form then I may need to postpone until September or something as I don't want to take too much time off work in a new job. And have pacific cruise in April next year for my friends 40th, my current boss is fine with the whole month of March then back at work for a week before disappearing for a 9 day cruise lol... Ohh And Kee.... I booked our cruise through vacations 2 go #138Posted 29 December 2012 - 06:12 PM
Ohh and another question too...
Is shopping in Hawaii noticeably more expensive than the main land? A friend of mine suggested flying over and cruising back as there is no weight limit on the cruises.... but then that will limit the area of travel.. Hmm decisions decisions #139Posted 30 December 2012 - 10:17 AM QUOTE Ohh And Kee.... I booked our cruise through vacations 2 go Great to hear - if only there was commission in it for me from them! lol QUOTE Is shopping in Hawaii noticeably more expensive than the main land? I've heard islanders say that while I've been there but, having now been to the mainland as well, I didn't notice a difference. All the prices seemed as cheap as ever when compared to Aussie costs and my first US shopping experiences were in Hawaii so I should have really noticed if things were cheaper again once I got to the mainland. It can't have been much over a couple of dollars difference or it would have caught my attention. The idea of shopping in Hawaii and sailing back without luggage limits is the bonus of our cruise too I just had to make sure I booked extra baggage on the domestic flight home from Sydney when we get back to Oz. Now I am focused on saving all the spending money I will need - which is turning into quite a large amount what with all my make up supplies and now the photography equipment I have found over there for a fraction of the cost of here. As for me, there's been one last change - sorry! DH and I decided to see what combining the 2014 mainland trip and the Alaska trip together would come in at. It ended up being a fabulous itinerary so we've gone ahead with the decision that it should be one big trip rather than 2 smaller ones. It looks like this: Sept 11, 2014 - Oct 19, 2014 - Hawaii, Seattle, Cruise Alaska, LA/Disneyland, Miami, Cruise Mexico/Jamaica, NYC, Las Vegas, Hawaii. We couldn't go past adding a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas to the itinerary while in Florida, even though we are already cruising Alaska. And guess what? The whole trip comes in at only $12,000! I thought it would be a lot more than that. It's knocked a lot of money off of doing them as separate trips, which means more smaller trips in the meantime - and yes, I consider a quick trip to Hawaii a "smaller" trip So that's the major trip for 2014 done, now I just have to continue watching the price of flights to Hawaii for Christmas and see what they are like as that will be the decider as to whether we just do a Pacific Cruise around Noumea/Fiji etc or go back to Waikiki for Chrissy next year. Waiting for f;ight prices to be released is killing me. Oh well, 88 days until our little Easter cruise and I am looking forward to the break! #140Posted 30 December 2012 - 04:24 PM
Hi ladies, I hope everyone had a good chrissy
I will update the list in a minute, sorry for taking so long...slacker! We are heading down south on a road trip this Thursday to stay near dh's parents in Umina NSW. We're staying in a holiday house right across the road from the beach, I cannot wait! Long drive down but we're taking it slow and stopping two nights each way so we can enjoy it. Kee, let me know asap when you see sale fares to Hawaii for Christmas 2013, we want to be far far away for our next Christmas!!! Dh starts holidays on the 21st Dec for two weeks.....not that we're organising early or anything cause that would be so unlike me and my usual last minute planning #141Posted 30 December 2012 - 04:44 PM
Will let you know Jo, DH goes on work break on the same day so we may well be having Christmas together next year Cocktails are on me!
#142Posted 30 December 2012 - 07:39 PM
hi everyone hope you all had a great christmas,i spent mine in surfers paradise and had a blast of a time we went on a few day cruises with lunches,we also went parasailing,snorkeling,had a play on a jetski,swimming,shopping(i got 2 big suitcases for our USA trip was $219 each down to $109 each yay)
Im super excited for our USA trip now as i got our flights during the webjet sale (yay) i managed to get SYD-HNL with jetstar and HNL-NYC-HNL with delta all up for $1979.10 ,im very happy with that as other prices i was looking at before the sale was $3000. #143Posted 30 December 2012 - 09:37 PM
Thanks Kee...
I think that vacations to go do have some sort of referral thing if we use the same booking agent, apparently you get on board credits or something. That's what the guy was telling me if we book additional cruises or if our friends book through him and mention that I referred or something like that. What is your agents name? ( PM me if you like and your full name and I will start using that one and see if that gets you OBC) I was not overly ecstatic with our agent, he didn't seem very interested at all. But we got our cruises cheaper than some others that are going and who booked through an aussie agent here in Canberra. Is there a Marshall's in Hawaii??? It's one of my favourite stores Edited by Becca81, 30 December 2012 - 09:40 PM. #144Posted 31 December 2012 - 11:53 AM
Becca: Unfortunately there's no Marchall's in Hawaii, that's why I stick to Ross. I'd love a Marshall's there and I don't know why they haven't started up in the Hawaiian Islands.
My PM's don't seem to be working properly for some reason (they keep sending blank) so my cruise consultant is Nassim Diaz and she's lovely and told me it's fine to pass her name around. Just tell her Keely and Anthony from Adelaide, South Australia sent you She knows us well now! Mellie Kate: Well done on those flight prices, they are great! Jo: No sign of December airfares from Jetstar yet but I will be keeping my eye out as the new year gets underway. I just booked accommodation at Ohana West from December 21st until the 28th just because it's now available and only $116 per night - which is good for Christmas since it's normally $100 per night at other times of the year. All up our accommodation is costing $926.48. I figured I may as well book it since there is no deposit and it's easily changeable or can be cancelled if we choose other dates or go somewhere else. At least the room is booked if we are going. #145Posted 01 January 2013 - 06:31 AM
Happy New Year!!
So who going to America THIS YEAR!!? Sadly not me I can't believe I was saying that a year ago! #146Posted 01 January 2013 - 07:25 AM
Not me. Maybe next year, but probably the year after.
#147Posted 01 January 2013 - 08:06 AM
Happy New Year!!
Hi everyone, sorry I've not been in. I need to update my dates if I could So excited!! we are going to Hawaii!! we decided that after 4 awful New Years Eves in a row, we are going to spend the next one out of the country! 27th December to 6th Jan 2014! can't wait. Is it too soon to book anything? Kee?? Ive been reading your posts with great interest - will be picking your brain in the future. #148Posted 01 January 2013 - 01:02 PM QUOTE So who going to America THIS YEAR!!? Me, me, me! Hawaii counts, right?! 8.5 months to go 2anewme: I'm more than happy to have my brain picked. DH and I only booked our accommodation with Ohana West for Christmas because they weren't taking bookings into 2014 yet but last night we decided the same thing, we're going for Christmas and New Year too so I will be changing the booking when I can get dates for the following year (probably a few weeks away yet) and will be on the lookout for the flights in the next month too. I'd say anywhere you decide to stay won't have dates into 2014 available yet either but once you've decided where you want to stay, check their site every day and get ready to pounce as soon as they are available. I have learnt from cancelling this past NYE over there that the prices for that date never goes down from it's first released price so get it as soon as you see it available. Better to be early than miss out or pay double. I had booked NYE in Hawaii back in Feb last year and it was only $109 per night. We decided that with the mainland trip, we couldn't afford to go again (and with DH getting made redundant twice) so we cancelled. When I looked it up again in September it was triple the price I had booked it for originally! The early bird really does get the best deal in this case. I guess there's a few of us on the lookout for flights and hotels for the end of next year #149Posted 01 January 2013 - 01:04 PM
New thread time
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Is that you bossman!? Didn't recognise you there! The diet looks as if it's working
Is that you bossman!? Didn't recognise you there! The diet looks as if it's working
simon is terry tibbs, i've finally put my finger on it!!
after a few posts on here I have since used Joe at CP for a couple of bits. Kit has always arrived on time, he's a nice guy to deal with and on the stuff I have got from them the pricing has been excellent
Simon is a dude too!
Very charming lol...
He's charming to me too, don't feel as though you're special
Tut, and there was me thinking the great prices and service were all for me!
Simon made me look great on friday lol. I was asked to source a product, I went straight to CP. 5 minutes later told the teacher and my line manager that i could get what they wanted, free next day delievery and cheaper then what they found them at!
Yay Simon!
Thanks to Simon and CPLTD for the swift service and pleasant chat
Are CPLTD still about? I tried to send Simon Collins an email about getting a quote done recently, but haven't had a reply - wonder if I've got an old address or something!
I am here lol havent recieved any email from you , can you resend to firstname.lastname@example.com or give me a quick call on 0845 249 1779
look forward to hearing from you,
Joe is a diamond, i give him grief on a daily basis prices needed for this and that, orders for loads of stuff. Everything arrives, sometimes hand delivered, always on time.
The reason CP get most of my business is they are damn hot on prices, I've probably stretched the budget by 10% with the savings i've made on bits and pieces that are bought regularly compared to the supplier that was in use before i started. And i gave them Plenty of chances.
Oh and Simons alright too, even if he does sound like he's eating the phone mouthpiece when you talk to him! LOL
Catch u later
Last edited by SkreeM1980; 9th January 2009 at 12:11 PM. Reason: bad grammar
We were on the hunt for some fibre modules for 2 old switches we have on the network and were struggling to find any place that had them (Amazon could get us only one) and I happened to have Simon from CPD on my msn and I thought what the hell, if you dont ask.
Gave him a message and he went on the hunt and found us 2 for the same price as amazon and could source them quickly as well. Even though we ordered from them 2 days before close of play for christmas he was about to get us the part in the 2nd week back which imo very fast for something we struggled to find. Throughout the order too Simon was let me know of updates using MSN which was very helpful.
I would easily recommend them again and I will post how we get on in future transactions but for a first order it was a good as service as you want plus more.
I'd always recommend CPLTD. They're usually the first supplier i turn to when im on the hunt for anything. Simon is always ready to help!
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CrunchBang Linux (or #! for short) is a lightweight Debian-based distribution featuring the Openbox and GTK+ applications. The distribution has been built from a minimal Debian system and customized to offer a clean balance of speed and functionality.
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Just installed #! and I have a screen flickering problem. (self.CrunchBang)
submitted 1 year ago* by [deleted]
Installed the latest #! tonight and I can't figure out what is wrong with my screen. I have tried messing with the AMD catalyst drivers to get it back to working again, but have not had any success. I have to have the AMD drivers or my laptop gets really hot and runs like shit. Any suggestions?
EDIT: I installed the fglrx driver and it seems to be fixed. It even runs cooler than it did with the catalyst software. Go #!
[–]rockzombie2 0 points1 point2 points 1 year ago
I had a similar problem with my computer that was using AMD hardware. I got some helpful feedback from a member there. I'll see if I can't find the link real quick...
[–][deleted] 0 points1 point2 points 1 year ago
I figured it out. Thanks!
[–]Thankskindly 0 points1 point2 points 1 year ago
Check your resolution and screen settings. You may be pushed just out of the 'comfortable' range. Happened to me with stock intel integrated graphics and that cleared it up for me!
I just forgot to install the fglrx driver. Its fixed now. :)
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text:
The Laptop Theater
The health of Hollywood is not the same as the health of motion pictures.
The way people talk about the movie business these days, you might expect Hollywood itself to show up in the death montage at next year's Oscar ceremony. Heavily hyped films are fizzling. Online filesharing is cutting into box office receipts. The city's reliance on sequels and remakes has gotten so intense that it is now the conventional wisdom to say the studios are out of ideas.
The conventional wisdom is a little overwrought—surely it means something that one of the most critically and commercially popular films of the year, Toy Story 3, is not just a sequel but a sequel to a sequel—but the larger indictment isn't far off. Hollywood is undeniably in an unhealthy state. But the state of Hollywood should not be confused with the state of motion pictures, just as the state of the dominant record companies should not be confused with the state of American music, the state of the Big Three should not be confused with the state of automobile manufacturing, the state of newspapers should not be confused with the state of journalism, and the state of public schools should not be confused with the state of public knowledge. The last decade has seen movies breaking free of traditional Hollywood shackles and finding new creators, venues, and formats, some of which stretch the conventional conception of what a movie can be.
The number of films produced by U.S. companies has been sliding over the last few years, from 928 in 2006 down to 677 in 2009. The number of films released in American theaters actually increased slightly over part of that period, from 594 in 2006 to 633 in 2008, but in 2009 it descended to 558, the first decline since 2003. These drops are partly a reflection of the recession, and in part they reflect the effects of the Writers Guild strike.
At the same time, though, there was a surge in movies that never made it to standard American theaters at all. The Internet Movie Database reports that 9,591 features were created last year—a number that excludes documentaries, direct-to-video and made-for-TV movies, and a substantial number of the pictures that never got past the festival circuit. In 1999, by contrast, there were just 3,275. That isn't necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison, as small and foreign filmmakers today might be more likely to make an effort to get listed in the IMDb. But I doubt such a change in practices would be enough to account for a nearly threefold increase. Over the same time period, meanwhile, the number of documentaries more than doubled. Chris Hyams—chief operating officer of Slated, a New York-based company that does market research for movie producers and distributors—estimates that the number of new features playing at festivals worldwide last year was even higher than the IMDb allows, perhaps as many as 30,000.
And don't forget the movies that aren't feature length. The most important figure here may be the amount of footage uploaded to the Internet, which keeps climbing. YouTube, for example, revealed in March that 24 hours of content were being uploaded to the site every minute, up from 15 hours per minute in the middle of 2008 and six hours per minute in the middle of 2007. There are no reliable figures on how much of that is excerpted without alterations from commercial films or television and how much was created explicitly for the Web. But speaking anecdotally, there seems to have been a sharp increase in both kinds of content. Thanks to YouTube, Vimeo, and similar sites, there's a larger audience than ever before for independently produced motion pictures.
It's a safe bet that most of those movies are mediocre or worse. But as Brian Newman writes in The Wrap, "I never walk into the record store and think there are too many bands out there, too many albums to pick from. Instead, I value the diversity of artists available for my listening pleasure." When the cost of filmmaking falls and more people, in more places, from more social backgrounds, learn to shoot and edit, the results may include an increase in crap, but there will also be an increase in creativity, variety, and verve.
For decades, cineastes bemoaned the death of the short, a form exiled from mainstream theaters and abandoned to the marginal worlds of film schools and film festivals. Now there's a sudden increase not just in the production of shorts but in the size of their audience. Small, bizarre, formula-busting movies can actually become hits, though we don't call them hits; we say they've "gone viral." And if some of those hits involve nothing more profound than a dramatic chipmunk or a well-choreographed wedding march, that merely means the usual art-to-trivia ratio is still in place. At least this trivia is content to deliver its single joke and then end, which is more than can be said for the typical Saturday Night Live movie. (Or, for that matter, the typical Saturday Night Live sketch.)
Moving pictures aren't just getting shorter and simpler. They're getting longer and more complex. American television is arguably in its most creatively rich period ever, and one strand of that richness is the rise of tightly woven, season- or series-long story arcs. Such extended narratives were riskier undertakings in the past, back when it was easier to miss an episode altogether and impossible to hit "rewind" while you were watching. Those aren't problems anymore, thanks to DVDs, DVRs, and online streaming, so executives are willing to embrace more narrative complexity. And with smaller outfits such as HBO in the TV production business, those executives are ever more willing to serve niche audiences as well. Not every long-term story arc is actually good, of course, but that's true of traditional films and TV shows as well; the important point is that masterpieces like The Wire, a 60-hour megamovie released in weekly installments, are now possible at all.
It is also now possible to gorge on such shows in a handful of sittings, and to do so on the same devices we use to watch YouTube shorts and mainstream features. That's one of the reasons I'm comfortable discussing all three categories as though they represent the same art. They're all moving pictures; it's just that more and more of them aren't limited to the constraint of being "feature length."
One last thought about those sequels and remakes. Are they really more likely to be lousy than other movies? Most films are based on well-worn plot formulas and character types, even if they don't explicitly borrow a story or a character from an earlier picture. I suspect that sequels and remakes aren't worse than other releases so much as we're much more likely to resent them when they fail, lest they stain our memories of the originals.
But that resentment hasn't been a problem for online shorts, a great deal of which consist of remixes, mash-ups, parody trailers, and other reimaginings of well-known movies. No one mistakes the ASCII version of Star Wars for an official Star Wars product, so even if you dislike it the Star Wars brand name won't suffer any damage. (The prequels, on the other hand...) When it comes to making something new out of something old, the termite artists in the YouTube hive have a better track record than the studios that actually own the rights to the material.
"Film," Jean Cocteau once said, "will only become art when its materials are as inexpensive as pencil and paper." I don't know if we'll ever literally reach that day, but if nothing else we've come to the point when the pencil-and-paper wing of filmmaking can make far more artful use of the same raw materials that fuel the established movie studios. If that's a sign of decline in Hollywood, it's also an indication that there's no shortage of creative energy in the culture at large.
Managing Editor Jesse Walker is the author of Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America (NYU Press).
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time. Report abuses.
Things like The Wire and The Sopranos or Breaking Bad are really just the perfection of the old Saturday afternoon serials. Artistic talent flows like water. It goes wherever it can find a home. When an organization becomes unreceptive to it, it moves somewhere that does.
In many ways Big Hollywood is very unreceptive to artistic talent. It takes millions to fund a movie. And movie executives are loath to fund anything that is not a proven formula. So the talented writers and artists have gone elsewhere.
Yeah, the Wire is a megamovie. But it also could have been a three hour epic and kick ass movie. But no way would it have ever gotten funding.
And Dexter is the epitome of that perfection
"And movie executives are loath to fund anything that is not a proven formula."
Which is why you get 80 proof shit that is "Grown Ups." I deserve to die for watching that.
What is this "The Wire" of which you speak? Is int anything like the insulated copper wire i have for....well, fuck whats its for, you dont need to know!
Show set in Baltimore chronicling the narcotics department of Baltimore PD, the heroin trade of the inner-city, the stevedore (dockworker) union, the public school problems, the local newspaper's troubles, and all sorts of corruption and crime sprinkled liberally. One of the best shows I've ever had the great fortune to watch.
filesharingtheft is cutting into box office receipts. -
Then they must have been filesharing since the 80s.
Logic fail.
Copyright infringement is not theft, hell most of the time it's not even criminal! Note the difference between §501 and §506. Intellectual property as a concept is a perversion of the free market, it's a government granted monopoly. Something I think most libertarians would be against!
Saying "Intellectual property is a perversion of the free market" is like saying private property is a perversion of the free market, as it's a government granted monopoly.
Don't make stuff up just because you want to download stuff for free.
The technology to deliver movies and other video programs on demand, for cheap, has existed for a long time. There is even Netflix, which will use old-school postal delivery to rent you DVDs. I subscribe to Netflix and Comcast cable, so very probably, in effect, pay multiple times for the content I view, however I obtain it. The fact that I can't get ALL my content on DVD via Netflix, or On Demand via Comcast as part of the normal (exorbitant!) cable fee, is not a (dys)function of technology, but rather a function of greed on the part of what I'm going to call the "Hollywood Establishment," in the full realization that this goes way beyond Hollywood.
Right now, when you want to obtain a program to watch, it's as if, during the heyday of recorded popular music, you had to go to one store for Beatles records, another store for Bach, another store for Herb Alpert and the TJB (or for Capitol, Columbia, or A&M releases, respectively), and so forth. We need an online supermarket of audio-video, where individual item prices are very low, or access to individual items is covered by a reasonable blanket subscription fee. If the owners of intellectual property want many more people to pay for content, they really need to make purchases and payment easier and more reasonable. On Demand has a piece of the puzzle. So does Netflix, iTunes, YouTube, and Hulu. For the good of the industry, those and other involved parties had better put the puzzle together and start providing the public with the integrated, reasonably priced service that we need and want. Too much greed will just cause everyone more grief.
I agree with this on principle but if only one place had said method of distrubution, they could control the price. Hense the problem. There almost needs to be many multiple sources carrying the same product which will create a market. But even that runs the risk of turning into a cartel.
Private property has existed before and would continue to exist without government intervention. Intellectual property only exists because of government regulation. This is because private property ownership is the best method for allocating a scarce resource. Intellectual property is a way to attempt to make a non-scarce resource scarce. Not only that it violates our rights to speech and our private property rights. In the past we gave up some of those rights to encourage others to create and share, but now that artistic creation and sharing have gotten so cheap and easy is this trade off still worth well? This article highlights that despite how easy it has gotten to "violate" others' intellectual property rights we have more movies being created than ever! I'd say the time has come to end the rent-seeking monopolistic bureaucracy that is intellectual property rights.
BTW this has nothing to do with downloading stuff for free, anybody can do so now if they want to with little repercussions, it has everything to do with our culture being locked up and technology advances being regulated away. Though that's a nice straw man.
Jack, can't you discern between physical private property and "intellectual property"? It seems you can't. A person has a right to their property, to a idea that is open for debate. I think intellectual property retards progress and innovation. However it is different if I own a house, a car etc. That is physical property and can be dealt with in the confines of the law. So being against IP isn't free market, your position is. Read the law a little closer buddy.
I disagree, as far as I am concerned, if something does not have mass, it cannot be owned. You or someone may own a physical book/cd/hard-drive/etc, but can an arrangement of numbers, letters, and sounds really be owned? I think not.
Intellectual property as a concept is a perversion of the free market,
The corporate ball licking liberal-tarians here, want to string up anyone that acknowledges that truth.
How does M. Knight Shamalayan get to keep making movies?
$280M in production costs alone. Brutal.
Because production companies are incredibly stupid and say to themselves "this will be another Sixth Sense. It has to be!"
I liked Avatar the last Airbender. (saw it with my kids). It wasn't awesome or anything, but it was just what it was supposed to be: a Kung-Fu movie with magic and shit.
EmKnightShamalamadingdong just needed to get over his suspense/surprise ending scctick and make a regular movie.
Vancouver became the New Hollywood a long time ago.
[citation needed]
Do your own research. Start by checking out the end credits to your favorite movies and TV shows for the past thirty years. It isn't just that BC offers great locations for shooting. The whole international infrastructure is in Vancouver, in ways you don't find in New York, Prague, Toronto, or other places where vinema and video "get done." And to Malone, I realize that the money and power likes to stay in Hollywood, but hell man, yesterday was July 4th. Surely the story of colonies who outgrew their abusive parent country and attained independence is not lost on you. Hollywood needs Vancouver more than Vancouver needs Hollywood, is all I'm sayin'.
Vancouver is one of the primary locations for filming now - as are Prague & Toronto - but all the production offices are still right here in "my" town.
There also some small filming in Montreal, Chicago and...Detroit with Gran Torino and an upcoming movie called The Double.
The best movie I've seen in the last ten years was Moon by Duncan Jones.
It was made for $5 million and barely used any CGI at all. Hollywood needs to remember that good acting, a quality script and a director who knows how to engage the viewer and make them think is all you need to put together a great film.
Also, The guy from RedletterMedia (who did the hilarious Star Wars Prequels critiques) did a review of Avatar and explained in that review so much about what's wrong with Hollywood today.
We should give him $100 million to make a movie.
No doubt. This dude is the funniest critic I've ever heard by far. And he does such a good job of deconstructing the movie he's reviewing while he makes you laugh. The Avatar review is especially educational. I never realized that Cameron wisely released both Titanic and Avatar a week before Christmas, thus guaranteeing he had no blockbuster competition to deal with as they do during the summer.
He's a funny critic and a talented filmmaker. There's a real art to making those video reviews.
There's a real art to making those video reviews.
The Frito Pendejo narration is sublime.
Does he make the same comment about LOTR and Hairy Pooter?
That was beautiful, thanks! Loved the ending:
And lastly, for those of you suffering from depression because Pandora is not a real place, you need to really get your fucking head out of your ass. You've been played by a Hollywood snake-oil salesman for the cash in your wallet, you fools. Take your Prozac and get back in the tollbooth. Hey do you think James Cameron is going to donate the huge profits made from the technological advancements of this film to some beautiful indigenous African tribe? Yeah, probably not. And only watch this movie once. For fuck's sake, do you want them to make more?
It's like video poetry. Glad u enjoyed it.
Thanks for that link! I think his review of the Star Wars prequels was more enjoyable than actually watching them.
I hear that is good but haven't seen it. Most of the good movies I have seen in the last 10 years have come from Europe. I am anything but some Euro art film about gay cowboys kind of movie fan. But the movies out of Europe in the 00s were just better than much of the crap that came out of Hollywood.
Il Postino (from 1995).
Most European films aren't art films. They have suspense thrillers, psychological thrillers...
...as well as horror films, dramas, etc. etc.
And awesome action flicks - Taken.
That was a great flick.
[Rec]: Spanish zombie movie!
Banlieue 13: One of the best action movies ever. -
Moon was pretty much just a hard SF short story on film. That's actually pretty unusual, since most "based on a (often Phillip K. Dick) short story" movies are completely different from the short story and altered to feel like a movie.
Still, at the same time I sort of felt like I'd rather just read the short story.
I bet the story would be a great read, but then you wouldn't get Sam Rockwell's amazing performance or Kevin Spacey's perfect robot voice-overs.
Rockwell got screwed by the Academy this year because he put up the best acting performance I've seen in years.
Oh, I agree. And Kevin Spacey, as noted below, was amazing at playing a robot.
I also liked Moon, for many of the same reasons I liked "Blade Runner." In some ways, I think the lack of special effects brought us the best parts of the movie. Instead of even a televised human face, as we got as long ago as Red Dwarf, Spacey's robot character just had the restricted range of expression possible with a smiley-face and his tightly-controlled HAL-like voice. That was genius, and you can't really buy that kind of thing.
Love Red Dwarf!
Did you know Duncan Jones used to be known as Zowie Bowie? He's the son of David Bowie.
Which appears to be a worse movie Knight and Day or Salt? With the exception of Toy Story 3, which was cute but not as good as the first two, every movie this summer has been a steaming pile of crap. This has to be the worst summer of movies in my lifetime.
Hot Tub Time Machine was awesome.
That looked okay. Definitely a get drunk of a Friday night renter. But that is the best you can do?
It's the least pretentious movie I've seen in years. Absolutely zero moral of the story moments, and tons of people behaving ethically challenged and morally deranged. And the ending is just as ridiculous as the premise of the movie which was perfectly satisfying.
Summer is 10 days old, John. Patience.
Sorcerer's Apprentice might be all right. And you can't go wrong with a Chris Nolan movie, so Inception is going to be awesome until proven otherwise.
It's a dream, no it's real, no it's a dream, no it's real... yeah Inception is going to be a 'mindblowing' but only in a single sheet of Kleenex sorta way.
Nolan is so overrated, Batman sucked, it's some guy whining about how hard it is to be be Batman the whole time. I guess depth for Nolan is having a character complain about what he's doing, and eat up most of the screen time. The character chose to fight crime in a stupid Halloween costume, then all he does is bitch about having to wear his Halloween costume and fight crime.
Even the Joker couldn't take it anymore and finally took the easy way out.
I guess this proves that not everyone views the world the same. Much to Hollywood Studios chagrin.
Most of the good movies I've seen lately have been porn.
At least that shit's honest about being dishonest and has no moral pretensions.
My girlfriend and I went to the movies twice last summer (Harry Potter and Star Trek). Two tickets, one modest diet soda, one pretzel bites package. Cost? $26 each time. $52 total.
They just put a Redbox three blocks from her apartment. Two movies, two six packs of quality beer. Cost? $1 apiece rental, $8 per six-pack. $18 total.
Golly, whatever could be happening?
Plus no crying babies, cellphone and other talkers, and you can hit pause to go to the bathroom.
My for year old has been raised on a steady diet of DVD's, with all of the flexibility that allows. We went to see the latest Chipmunks movie. When he got up to go to the bathroom he was really mad that they wouldn't pause the film for him.
Ha! Kids say the darnedest things. A few years ago I made a little garden border out of some junk LPs, and a neighbor girl asked her mother about the "black CDs."
It's been years since I've spent more than $7 per person at the movies.
It's called "going to the early show" and "not eating at the theater". You might want to look into it.
Or bringing your own food in!
Let's see. For about the price of one theater ticket I get 1-at-a-time DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming of an ever-increasing number of movies with Netflix. On top of that I have my choice of regularly-priced popcorn and beer, front row parking, no traffic, the show starts when I'm ready, comfier seating, better surround sound, perfect view and distance from the screen, can get drunk and yell at the movie all I want, don't have to hear other people's stupid comments, hear their cell phones ring, or their babies cry. Why on earth does Hollywood think I would ever go to a theater? On top of that, if I can re-rent the move whenever I want, why on earth would I ever buy a DVD?
I'm looking forward to watching Hollywood and the cable companies fall. Most the major networks have already made at least a partial move to online content. I'd gladly pay for HBO online, but screw cable.
Well, I suppose people might go to a theater if they could rent it for a modest fee and then play whatever movie they wanted for all of their pals for a party or something. There's something to be said for the entertainment value of showing stuff on the big screen. Having that big of a screen also encourages buying the high quality DVD since it otherwise makes every compression artifact in lower quality videos painfully easy to see.
That'll never happen, though, unless Hollywood loosens its copyright restrictions to allow for it. The theaters are getting squeezed harder than Hollywood itself is because they're not allowed to branch out like that and give the customers what they want. (One exception: some theaters are starting to rent themselves out for TV events like the Super Bowl these days.)
That's a cool idea, as long as they serve alcohol.
Uh, the way the law is in most places, I think it'd have to be strictly BYOB.
Jeff, your home surround system, can't compare. You're missing about 10 channels of content and direction. Most DVDs are mixed terribly in surround, cheesing out with a stupid formula that puts most dialog on the center channel, and summing all lower frequencies from all channels into one 'subwoofer' that they try to tell you is 'multi-directional'. Even if you've got full range speakers with 15"s in them on all channels and a room large enough (60x40) to benefit from the low frequencies, you're still settling for a dismal ghost of what true 'surround sound' is.
Lazy is a fine excuse to not go out, and there are a lot of electronic manufacturers that will help you say 'lazy' with a bunch of bullshit 'audiophile' mysticism, but you should at least try to be honest with yourself.
I just have a TV and a DVD player. That is more than sufficient for most Hollywood output. Some things, however, I want to see on the big screen. Good to know that even if I got off my ass and tried to put together a home theater system, it still wouldn't compare. Now I don't have to try.
Until the theater figures out a way to make everyone else be quiet, the sound in my house is much better.
Also, those 10 channels mean nothing unless you show up 30 minutes early to get a seat in the center of the theater.
What I like about DVD's is that you get English subtitles for the Scottish movies (unfortunately, they didn't have subtitles for Movern Callar - but she probably wasn't saying anything so profound) It also helped with the Downey Sherlock Holmes movie, as I couldn't understand what he was saying no matter how high I cranked the sound.
You're regressing and have lost the excitement in your relationship?
Soon you'll be watching primetime sitcoms, those are even cheaper and don['t requre you to move.
Maybe go out once in a while... you're puny home theater system can't compare with a real theater. At best you get a 5.1 audio system (6.1, 7.1 if you count redundant slightly-out-of phase preamp tricks on the same 5.1 source) compared to the true multi-channel audio systems at the movies. Also pretty hard to argue with a screen that's taller than your house. I know there are a lot of horrible socially deficient types, but you become one by sitting at home alone in your cave too.
There are also other things you can enjoy with your date while out... walking for starters... might even do something else while you're out.
So...sitting next to a bunch of strangers in a movie theatre is somehow more socially active? LOL.
If you went to see Star Trek, you got what you deserved.
Even then, it was a pathetic, impotent attempt at anal rape.
At least if you drop the soap around George Lucas, he has the decency to attempt a full prison shower gang bang.
JJ Abrams version of violation, is pointing at unsharpened pencil at your orifice from across the room and saying 'ooh baby, if only I had testicles'.
Let's get Neil Hamburger into the next Batman film as The Riddler:
Hollywood has always been bereft of ideas. I post on the TCM boards, and fairly regularly there's one or another poster shrieking about how terrible it is that Hollywood is going to be remaking some classic movie.
Every single time, I point out that Ricardo Cortez was the ultimate Sam Spade. It's amazing how many of the film buffs don't get the point.
I hear you. An earlier draft of the article made the point that it took three tries to get The Maltese Falcon right.
The Wizard of Oz took four tries to get right, if you include an animated attempt.
Wow, I hope that didn't come off as dickish one-upsmanship. It was meant as corroboration.
Anyone who thinks that foreign ==> good needs to watch a Bollywood flick all the way through. If you haven't gnawed your ears off by the end, you're a better man than I.
Bollywood isn't necessarily bad; it's just radically different. I will admit, however, that I'm generally not a fan of musicals.
My candidate for foreign != good that doesn't have a bunch of singing would be The Damned (1969).
There are some decent Indian musicals, such as Lagaan. (In general, I don't like musicals either.) But most are cookie-cutter crap, mass produced the way Hollywood did it in the 1940's. Not to mention shameless product placement.
Here is the plot of roughly half of Bollywood musicals: the ungrateful son of hard working parents (who scrimped their whole lives to provide him with an education) gets a good job in the city, and prefers to revel in his new found wealth rather than repay his parents. Only when one parent comes close to dying does the son realize the true value of family, and pay for the life saving cure.
You really should put a spoiler warning on that for all the people who haven't seen Bollywood movies yet.
Sorry, Tulpa. My bad.
Second Asian movie plot: Nice young girl marries into family where mother in law is evil bitch. Life is horrible for new daughter in law since the mother in law is constantly on her case. Eventually mother in law becomes seriously ill and daughter in law steps in to save her life. All live happily thereafter. In Indian films the cast breaks into song periodically, even after someone dies. Chinese and Japanese films have the same plot but without the song and dance numbers.
This is true. I'm impressed that you could make it to the end. I'd have to be strapped in like Alex in A Clockwork Orange to sit through an entire Bollywood musical. Satyajit Ray is another story.
I liked those Indian lesbians in...well, I forget the name, but not the women!
American television is arguably in its most creatively rich period ever, and one strand of that richness is the rise of tightly woven, season- or series-long story arcs. Such extended narratives were riskier undertakings in the past, back when it was easier to miss an episode altogether and impossible to hit "rewind" while you were watching.
Thank Joss Whedon for that.
I still refuse to forgive him for Dollhouse.
I was thinking more JJ Abrams, since Whedon's recent offerings have barely lasted a season.
Not that I like that impulse; I hate Abrams' piling of nonsensical plot twists on top of one another to the point where there's no way they can ever be untangled. What he did to Star Trek may never be forgiven.
Are you talking about Firefly? Because most of what people were experiencing was a combination of acne medicine stinging their eyes and crystal meth.
It's like someone said... "If only Harlequin romance novels made a sci-fi TV show... with sub-par character and set design!"
Hot, queer men and women, violence, cool technology: it's the shotgun effect.
You silly people!!!
Movies don't get made because they are good movies....
Movies get made because somebody is making money on making them ... no matter how they are made.
Good or bad - it doesn't matter to Hollywood.
It's all about how much you can make BEFORE it hits the screen - not afterward. (And then if it does well afterward, you come out looking like a genius too)
But the real point was the money you made in making it before it hit the screen, that's what people here admire you for ... (and not in the money it made or loss after it got made).
That's the way the system works like it or not.
Only the truth will change that ...
I suspect that sequels and remakes aren't worse than other releases so much as we're much more likely to resent them when they fail, lest they stain our memories of the originals.
That's part of it, and there's also the fact that a sequel is usually rushed through production because they want to release it before the name recognition of the original wears off, and the studio knows they don't have to create a positive critical buzz before release to have a big opening weekend. For example, there is no way that Men In Black 2 gets released in the state that it was in if it hadn't been a sequel to a blockbuster.
So, it's not so much that sequels are inherently worse than originals, just that bad sequels are much more likely to be released than bad originals.
The way Hollywood invests in creating entertainment has changed dramatically.
Before there was competition between actual original scripts and concepts between the studios. Now competition is only between acquiring well-tred franchises and barrel-scraping of already used material. It's a great way to save development costs, but over time the well runs dry, and becomes an example of the law of diminishing returns. The same thing already happened in the music biz. Worse... you lose the people who can recognize talent and the expertise of developing it.
For example, today studios want a writer to have a minimum 6-10 scripts before they even start to play footsie. Its all about quantity, a ridiculous concept in creating art. A good script is a rarity, and there's almost nobody with 1 good one, much less 6 of them.
...but over time the well runs dry, and becomes an example of the law of diminishing returns. The same thing already happened in the music biz. Worse... you lose the people who can recognize talent and the expertise of developing it.
This is a much better explanation of the pathetic state of the recording industry than filesharing.
I agree.
"At the same time, though, there was a surge in movies that never made it to standard American theaters at all. The Internet Movie Database reports that 9,591 features were created last year—a number that excludes documentaries, direct-to-video and made-for-TV movies, and a substantial number of the pictures that never got past the festival circuit. In 1999, by contrast, there were just 3,275."But for real movie lovers, the choices are ever expanding. The great expense of movies - simply the cost of film, distribution, etcetera is collapsing. Great Korean, Iranian, Spanish, Japanese movies are now available. internet word of mouth groups helping overlooked but great movies get an audience.
This is truly the golden age of movies. -
Just keep McG out of the picture and I'll be satisfied.
My suspicion is that Hollywood is cursed by the same problems that killed live theater, specifically, escalating production costs. The rise in production costs leads investors and production firms to be less diversified. As a result, they become systematically more risk averse in their output: leveraging known franchises, featuring known box office draws (70-year-old action movie stars?), and focusing on more formulaic fare. While artistically dreck, the resulting output is financially quite stable.
Intellectual property as a concept is a perversion of the free market, it's a government granted monopoly.
Props to the commentariat for not being jacked.
I used to love Hollywood summer blockbusters, but looking back over the last several years,
(1) The majority of movies I have seen in theaters have been animated,
(2) The (bare) majority of movies I have seen in at home have been foreign.
(3) I have seen very few summer blockbusters in any setting.
I have a nice 50" LCD and a good (but not quite stupidly pretentious) surround sound system at home. It is more than adequate for an involving movie experience. Anyone nattering on about compressed pre-amp 7.1 fake channels or whatever needs to get a grip.
One more thing:
While much talent has undoubtedly been diverted to TV, I wonder if even more hasn't been diverted to video games. For all their shortcomings in scripting and what-not, the level of visual and design talent can be pretty astonishing.


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LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — A former part-time deputy in the Cowlitz County Coroner's office is accused of using a dead man's debit card to steal nearly $12,000 from his estate.
The Longview Daily News (http://is.gd/arxdj0 ) reports 44-year-old Jeffrey Wayne Hart of Castle Rock is scheduled to be arraigned next week on charges of first-degree theft, identity theft, second-degree possession of stolen property and official misconduct.
County prosecutors plan to seek a sentence above the standard range for each charge because Hart is accused of using his position to trust to commit a crime.
Coroner Tim Davidson says Hart was fired upon his arrest on Aug. 16.
Information from: The Daily News, http://www.tdn.com


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Gambling 101 »
Bet Against Me is the new, free sports gambling site
Have you ever wanted to have a bet on sports without having to deposit real money , yet still win large cash prizes? If the answer is yes, there is now a website to
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The 2009 NFL over/unders have been released and there are some interesting lines. As expected the New England Patriots top the number with 11.5 wins and the Detroit Lions bring in the low number
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Today is Derby Day! Zach over at Midtown Lunch (one of my favorite sites) has one of the greatest pictures ever. It is a great reminder for everyone to get over to your local
Read More »Giselle Bundchen is hot and bets on sports
Giselle Bundchen reportedly has won $1 million betting on Italian soccer juggernaut Inter Milan with British-based bookmaker Stanleybet International. "According to the Metropolitan Post, Gisele has "complete faith†in Jose Mourinho and started placing
Read More »Casinos decide to ban Allen Iverson
You know it has to be bad when the MGM and Greektown casinos decide to ban Allen Iverson. With the amount of money he is known to lose there, his actions must be atrocious.
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Not only is Ty Lawson regarded as the best point guard in the country, it seems he has handles off the court as well. Craps is probably my favorite pit game in the casino
Read More »I see your wine and raise you a bushell of oranges
Mayor Gavin Newsome of San Francisco and Mayor Manny Diaz of Miami have a little bet on tonight's Emerald Bowl, where the Miami Hurricanes take on the Cal Bears at AT&T Park. Newsom has
Read More »Vegas rooting against the cinderella Rays
Naturally the feel good story of the baseball season has been the Tampa Bay Rays. And wouldn't it be a story book ending if they finished the season winning the pennant and the World
Read More »Vegas thinks Brett Farve is only worth half a game
Now with Brett Farve finally a New York Jet, we can really look to see what the experts think. And by experts, I mean Vegas. Back in May the 2008 NFL Over/Under Team Totals
Read More »2008 NFL Undefeated Odds
We all know that the chips are stacked against you when gambling, but as VegasWatch points out they are really against you if you bet on this prop. BetUS has released their odds on
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- Copernicus Science Center Planetarium LOGO design contest
- This is my go at a logo contest. The newly opened Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw was getting ready to open to the public it's newest attraction - Planetarium.
The brief for this mentioned that the object would not only display movies of a night sky but also host laser shows and musical performances.
I was inspired with the radiant shapes of laser beams and hyper-space-like images taken out of StarTrek series. Hope you like it.


text:
Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish, 127.5g
Click on the image to zoomProduct information
Smoothest surface facial exfoliator
Why we love it:
Dull skin from daily stress? Refined finish facial polish beautifully brightens the complexion, gently exfoliating to purify the skin & help minimize the appearance of pores to reveal skin's natural radiance.
What else you need to know:
Contains natural clay & seaweed extract rich in minerals, nutrients & sugars, known to purify the skin.
How to apply: after polishing skin, follow with our moisture prep toning lotion, a hydrating, smoothing, toning lotion that preps face for moisturizer.
- Brand
- Benefit
- Eligible for International Delivery
- Skin Type
- Normal
- Type
- Exfoliating
Click & collect
Free Click & Collect from John Lewis and Waitrose shops for collection tomorrow from 2pm
258 participating John Lewis and Waitrose shops - Free
Standard UK delivery within 5 working days
- £3.00
Next, named or Saturday UK delivery.
- £6.95
Next/named day UK delivery pre-10.30am.
- £9.95
Collect+ from a local shop from Monday - postcode exclusions apply for Collect+ deliveries
Trial in Scotland, Wales, SW England and N Ireland only
1500 participating Collect+ shops - £3.00
International delivery not available
We want you to be happy with your purchase. If you're not, just return the products to us or to one of our shops. Unless faulty, we'd like this to be within 90 days of purchase. Exceptions apply to certain products - find out more about our refund policy.
Depending on the type of product, you can make free returns via our shops, Royal Mail (or courier collection for large or heavy items), Collect+ or via MyHermes.
Q & As
UK delivery:
£3.00 Standard UK delivery within 5 working days
Click & collect
Free Click & Collect from John Lewis and Waitrose shops for collection tomorrow from 2pm
£3.00 Collect+ from a local shop from Monday (Trial in selected areas)
International delivery not available:
Returns are free
See more details about returning this product


text:
Quotes & Info
USNA > SEC Filings for USNA > Form 10-K on 11-Mar-2013 | All Recent SEC Filings |
Annual Report
The following discussion and analysis of USANA's financial condition and results of operations is presented in ten sections:
ş •
ş Overview
ş •
ş Customers
ş •
ş Recent Developments
ş •
ş Presentation
ş •
ş Results of Operations
ş •
ş Quarterly Financial Information
ş •
ş Liquidity and Capital Resources
ş •
ş Contractual Obligations
ş •
ş Inflation
ş •
ş Critical Accounting Estimates
This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this report.
We develop and manufacture high-quality, science-based nutritional and personal care products that are distributed internationally through a network marketing system, which is a form of direct selling. Our customer base includes two types of customer: "Associates" and "Preferred Customers." Associates purchase our products for their personal use and are also permitted to resell or distribute our products. Preferred Customers purchase our products strictly for their personal use and are not permitted to resell or to distribute the products. As of December 29, 2012, we had approximately 247,000 active Associates and approximately 64,000 active Preferred Customers worldwide.
We have ongoing operations in the following markets, which are grouped and presented as follows:
ş •
ş North America/Europe-United States (including direct sales from the
United States to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands), Canada,
Mexico, France(1), and Belgium(1)
ş •
ş Asia Pacific-
ş •
ş Southeast Asia Pacific-Australia, New Zealand, Singapore,
Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand(1)
ş •
ş Greater China-Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China(2)
ş •
ş North Asia-Japan and South Korea
In 2012, net sales outside of the United States represented approximately 76.5% of consolidated net sales. Because we have operations in multiple markets, with sales and expenses being generated and incurred in multiple currencies, our reported U.S. dollar sales and earnings can be significantly affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
ş (2)
ş Our business in China is that of BabyCare, our wholly-owned subsidiary.
Because we utilize a direct selling model for the distribution of our products the success and growth of our business is primarily based on our ability to attract new and retain existing Associates to sell and consume our products. Notably, sales to Associates account for the majority of our product sales and represented 91% of product sales during 2012. Changes in our product sales are typically the result of variations in product sales volume relating to fluctuations in the number of active Associates and Preferred Customers purchasing our products. The number of active Associates and Preferred Customers is, therefore, used by management as a key non-financial measure.
The following tables summarize the changes in our active customer base by geographic region. These numbers have been rounded to the nearest thousand as of the dates indicated. For purposes of this report, we only count as active customers those Associates and Preferred Customers who have purchased from us at any time during the most recent three-month period, either for personal use or for resale.
Active Associates By Region As of As of Change from Percent December 31, 2011 December 29, 2012 Prior Year Change North America/Europe 78,000 35.1 % 78,000 31.6 % - 0.0 % Asia Pacific: Southeast Asia Pacific 49,000 22.1 % 58,000 23.5 % 9,000 18.4 % Greater China 86,000 38.7 % 103,000 41.7 % 17,000 19.8 % North Asia 9,000 4.1 % 8,000 3.2 % (1,000 ) (11.1 )% Asia Pacific Total 144,000 64.9 % 169,000 68.4 % 25,000 17.4 % 222,000 100.0 % 247,000 100.0 % 25,000 11.3 % |
Active Preferred Customers By Region As of As of Change from Percent December 31, 2011 December 29, 2012 Prior Year Change North America/Europe 52,000 81.3 % 53,000 82.8 % 1,000 1.9 % Asia Pacific: Southeast Asia/Pacific 6,000 9.4 % 6,000 9.4 % - 0.0 % Greater China 5,000 7.8 % 4,000 6.2 % (1,000 ) (20.0 )% North Asia 1,000 1.5 % 1,000 1.6 % - 0.0 % Asia Pacific Total 12,000 18.7 % 11,000 17.2 % (1,000 ) (8.3 )% 64,000 100.0 % 64,000 100.0 % - 0.0 % |
Recent Developments
During 2012, we executed several strategies designed to grow our business. These strategies are discussed in the following categories:
ş •
ş Personalization. We officially launched our global marketing strategy,
which focuses on personalizing our product and incentive offerings to
our customer base around the world. Under this strategy, we expanded
the availability of our flagship MyHealthPak™ product to all of our
international markets. MyHealthPak is a fully personalized supplement
pack that can include any of our Essential and Optimizer products.
Under this strategy, we also introduced two proprietary health
assessment applications for our Associates and Preferred Customers
called True Health Assessment and True Health Companion. These
applications are designed for use on iPads and
other platforms through the web and are intended to provide our Associates with a new and personalized way to market USANA to potential customers. We launched these new applications at our 2012 International Convention and also gave every Associate in attendance a free iPad with a pre-loaded version of the True Health Assessment. Personalization will be our marketing and operating strategy over the next several years. We believe this strategy will facilitate our short-and long-term growth objectives, which include: (i) returning our North America region to growth; (ii) growing our business in Greater China, and (iii) international expansion.
ş •
ş North America Growth Strategy. In North America/Europe, we continued
to execute our growth strategy, which focuses on strengthening our
partnership with our Associate sales force, introducing North
America-specific incentives, and innovating to develop new products
and technologies. During 2012, we held an increased number of meetings
and events where members of our management team worked closely with
our Associate Leaders to grow our business. We also launched our new
Lifetime Matching Bonus, which was well received by our Associates and
provides us with the flexibility to offer other incentives
specifically for North America. We also offered a new bonus for our
Associates in Mexico periodically during 2012, which helped drive
results in that market and North America in general. Finally, in 2012,
we hired a new executive to lead our Research and Development group
who shares our passion for innovation. With his leadership, we plan to
launch a variety of new products and technologies under our
personalization strategy over the next several years.
ş •
ş China-Growth Strategy. We continued our efforts to grow our Greater
China region in 2012 and are encouraged by the results in that region.
This strategy included integrating our China operations and systems,
to the extent possible, with our worldwide operations. It also
included educating our Associates on the USANA products that we have
introduced in China, as well as on our China business opportunity.
Additionally, we opened a new branch office in Shenzhen, which is a
key city for our business in southern China, and held our Annual
Celebration where new products and sales tools were introduced. During
2013, we plan to continue to execute our strategy in Greater China, or
more specifically China. This strategy will continue to focus on
educating Associates and opening a new branch office, and will also
include registering for additional provincial licenses. Notably,
subsequent to the year ended December 29, 2012, we received three
additional provincial direct selling licenses in China. We now have
direct selling licenses in Beijing, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, and Tianjin.
ş •
ş International Expansion. We increased our international expansion
efforts in 2012 by commencing operations in Thailand, France and
Belgium. Each of these markets is heavily consumer focused, which
means that it will take time for our Associate leaders to develop
entrepreneurs to grow these markets. We continue to believe that
Thailand, France and Belgium will be successful markets for USANA and
we will continue to support the efforts of our Associates to grow
these markets. In 2013, we will continue our international expansion
efforts by opening a new market around the middle of the year.
In 2013, our primary objective will be to strengthen and grow our Active Associate counts throughout the world. To this end, we will continue to execute each of the strategies mentioned above, as well as introduce additional market-specific strategies. For example, beginning in January 2013 we implemented a pricing initiative in several of our mature markets, which includes price reductions in certain markets. This pricing initiative is intended to make our products more consistently priced for our Associates and Preferred Customers in all of our markets. Our launch of this initiative will likely create some short-term pressure on our net sales and earnings in these markets. We believe, however, that this strategy will create greater long-term customer growth in these markets.
Product sales along with the shipping and handling fees billed to our customers are recorded as revenue net of applicable sales discounts when the product is delivered, title has transferred, and the risk of loss passes to the customer. Payments received for undelivered products are recorded as deferred revenue and are included in other current liabilities. Also reflected in net sales is a provision for product returns and allowances, which is estimated based on our historical experience. Additionally, the Company collects a nominal annual renewal fee from Associates that is deferred on receipt and is recognized as income on a straight-line basis over a twelve-month period.
Cost of sales primarily consists of expenses related to raw materials, labor, quality assurance, and overhead costs that are all directly associated with the production and distribution of our products and sales materials, as well as duties and taxes that are associated with the import and export of our products. As our international sales increase as a percentage of net sales, cost of sales are increasingly affected by additional duties, freight, and other factors, such as changes in currency exchange rates.
Associate incentives expense includes all forms of commissions, and other incentives paid to our Associates. Incentives paid to Associates include bonuses earned, rewards from contests and promotions, and base commissions, which makes up the majority of our Associate incentives expense. Bonuses are paid out to Associates based on certain business-related criteria, total base commission earnings, and leadership level. Contests and promotions are offered as an incentive and reward to our Associates and are typically paid out only after an Associate achieves specific criteria. Base commissions are paid out on the sale of products. Associates earn their commissions based on sales volume points that are generated in their down-line organization. Sales volume points are assigned to each commissionable product and comprise a certain percent of the product price. Items such as our starter kits and sales tools have no sales volume point value, and commissions are not paid on the sale of these items. Although insignificant to our financial statements, an Associate may earn commissions on sales volume points that are generated from personal purchases that are not considered to be part of their "Qualifying Sales." To be eligible to earn commissions, an Associate must reach a certain level of Qualifying Sales each month, which may include product that they use personally or that they resell to consumers. Associates do not earn commissions on their Qualifying Sales. Commissions paid to Associates on personal purchases are considered a sales discount and are reported as a reduction to our net sales.
Selling, general and administrative expenses include wages and benefits, depreciation and amortization, rents and utilities, Associate event costs, advertising, professional fees, marketing, and research and development expenses. Wages and benefits represent the largest component of selling, general and administrative expenses. Significant depreciation and amortization expense is incurred as a result of investments in physical facilities, computer and telecommunications equipment, and systems to support our international operations.
Sales to customers outside the United States are transacted in the respective local currencies and are translated to U.S. dollars at weighted-average currency exchange rates for each monthly accounting period to which they relate. Most of our raw material purchases from suppliers and our product purchases from third-party manufacturers are transacted in U.S. dollars. Consequently, our net sales and earnings are affected by changes in currency exchange rates. In general, sales and gross profit are affected positively by a weakening U.S. dollar and negatively by a strengthening U.S. dollar. Currency fluctuations, however, have the opposite effect on our Associate incentives and selling, general and administrative expenses. In our net sales discussions that follow, we approximate the impact of currency fluctuations on net sales by translating current year net sales at the average exchange rates in effect during the comparable prior year periods.
Results of Operations
The following table summarizes our consolidated operating results as a percent of net sales, respectively, for the periods indicated:
Fiscal Year 2010 2011 2012 Consolidated Statements of Earnings Data: Net sales 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % Cost of sales 18.4 % 17.5 % 17.9 % Gross profit 81.6 % 82.5 % 82.1 % Operating expenses: Associate incentives 45.0 % 45.7 % 43.2 % Selling, general and administrative 23.3 % 23.6 % 23.8 % Total operating expenses 68.3 % 69.3 % 67.0 % Earnings from operations 13.3 % 13.2 % 15.1 % Other income (expense), net 0.0 % 0.0 % 0.0 % Earnings before income taxes 13.3 % 13.2 % 15.1 % Income taxes 4.5 % 4.6 % 4.9 % Net earnings 8.8 % 8.6 % 10.2 % |
Summary of 2012 Financial Results
Net sales increased 11.5%, or $66.8 million, to $648.7 million in 2012, when compared with 2011. This increase was driven by sales growth in each of our regions with the exception of North Asia. Price increases that were implemented earlier in the year in certain markets in our Asia Pacific region also contributed what we estimate to be between $17 million and $18 million. Further discussion on these and other factors contributing to our sales results during the year is provided below under our regional results.
Net earnings increased 30.9%, or $15.7 million, to $66.4 million in 2012, when compared with 2011. This increase was the result of higher net sales, lower relative Associate incentives, and a lower effective tax rate, partially offset by lower gross profit margins and slightly higher relative selling, general and administrative expenses.
Fiscal Year 2012 compared to Fiscal Year 2011
Net Sales
The following table summarizes the changes in our net sales by geographic region for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2011, and December 29, 2012:
Net Sales by Region (in thousands) Year Ended Change from Percent 2011 2012 prior year change North America/Europe $ 236,386 40.6 % $ 244,333 37.7 % $ 7,947 3.4 % Asia Pacific: Southeast Asia Pacific 111,447 19.2 % 139,651 21.5 % 28,204 25.3 % Greater China 204,822 35.2 % 235,626 36.3 % 30,804 15.0 % North Asia 29,284 5.0 % 29,116 4.5 % (168 ) (0.6 )% Asia Pacific Total 345,553 59.4 % 404,393 62.3 % 58,840 17.0 % $ 581,939 100.0 % $ 648,726 100.0 % $ 66,787 11.5 % |
North America/Europe: The increase in net sales in this region was
primarily due to (i) increased sales volume per Associate and Preferred Customer
due mainly to a growing number of Associate leaders within our active Associate
base who are actively selling our products and building sales organizations,
(ii) growth in Mexico, which contributed $5.5 million to the year-over-year
increase in net sales in this region and was largely the result of growth in
active Associates, and (iii) to a lesser extent, the addition of France and
Belgium to this region, which contributed $1.8 million. During 2012, we
increased our focus on strengthening our Associate sales force by holding
additional events, trainings, and interaction with management. Sales in this
region also benefitted from a short-term promotion that we offered with the
introduction of our Lifetime Matching Bonus and a promotion for our Associates
in Mexico. These improvements were partially offset by the impact on sales
volume from a decrease in the number of active Associates throughout 2012 in the
United States and Canada.
As mentioned in our Recent Developments section above, in January 2013 we began implementing a pricing initiative in several of our mature markets, which will include price reductions in certain markets. This strategy may create some short-term pressure on our net sales in these markets, with Canada being one of the larger markets included.
Asia Pacific: The increase in net sales in this region was driven by growth in Southeast Asia Pacific (led by a $21.4 million increase in the Philippines), and Greater China (led by a $24.2 million increase in Hong Kong). Growth in this region was primarily the result of: (i) an increase in the average number of active Associates throughout the year, (ii) the impact of price increases that took place in certain markets (including the Philippines and Hong Kong) in the first quarter of 2012, (iii) a surge in sales ahead of these price increases, and (iv) the short-term promotion that we offered with the introduction of our Lifetime Matching Bonus. We estimate that price increases added between $17 million and $18 million to net sales for the year, that the surge in sales ahead of these price increases added $11 million, and that the short-term promotion added nearly $4 million. Net sales also benefited from the inclusion of Thailand in the current year. Although we expect continued growth in this region throughout 2013, certain markets in Southeast Asia Pacific could be negatively impacted by our pricing initiative in the short-term.
Gross Profit
The decrease in gross profit as a percent of net sales from 2011 to 2012 can primarily be attributed to: (i) increased raw material costs, (ii) production inefficiencies related to managing scrap throughout our personalization/rebranding process, and (iii) the change in sales mix by market. These decreases were partially offset by price increases in several of our international markets during the first quarter of 2012. In 2013, we expect gross profit margins to decrease further as a result of our 2013 pricing initiative and a continued change in sales mix by market as some of our lower gross profit markets are expected to increase as a percent of sales.
Associate Incentives
The 250 basis point decrease in Associate incentives as a percent of net sales is due, primarily, to a lower payout under Matching Bonus associated with the implementation of our Lifetime Matching Bonus, and price increases. These improvements were partially offset by an increase in spending on contests and promotions. In 2013, we expect Associate incentives as a percent of net sales to decline modestly to around 42.5% as we will have a full year impact from our Lifetime Matching Bonus.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
In absolute terms, our selling, general and administrative expenses increased $17.2 million from 2011 to 2012. The most significant components of this increase were as follows:
ş •
ş An increase in wages and benefits of approximately $5.4 million;
ş •
ş New market costs of approximately $4.0 million;
ş •
ş An increase in spending of approximately $2.0 million on our Annual
International and Asia Pacific Conventions; and
ş •
ş An increase in credit card and bank fees of approximately $1.6 million
that vary with sales.
Income Taxes
Our effective income tax rate was 32.5% in 2012, compared with 34.5% in 2011. This decrease in our effective tax rate was primarily due to a favorable adjustment (approximately 100 basis points) in our manufacturing deduction for the 2011 tax year, which was recognized in 2012 following the completion of a formal study and subsequent to the issuance of the 2011 financial statements. In addition, we recognized a one-time tax benefit (approximately 60 basis points) from restructuring USANA's Hong Kong and Singapore operations as well as on-going tax benefits (approximately 30 basis points) from lower statutory tax rates in these markets.
Diluted Earnings Per Share
Diluted earnings per share increased 36.5% in 2012 to $4.45. This increase was due to higher net earnings and a lower number of diluted shares outstanding, which was the result of share repurchases by the Company throughout the year.
Summary of 2011 Financial Results
Net sales increased 12.4%, or $64.3 million, to $581.9 million in 2011, when compared with 2010. This increase was largely due to strong sales growth in certain markets within our Asia Pacific region and includes a full year of our China operations, compared with only partial results in 2010. Net sales during 2011 also benefited from favorable changes in currency exchange rates by approximately $15.0 million, without which net sales would have increased 9.5%. Notably, all of the benefit we received from favorable changes in currency exchange rates took place over the first three quarters in 2011.
Net earnings increased 11.2%, or $5.1 million, to $50.8 million in 2011, when compared with 2010. This increase was the result of improved gross profit margins on higher net sales, offset in most part by an increase in Associate incentives and selling, general and administrative expenses.
Fiscal Year 2011 compared to Fiscal Year 2010
The tables below summarize the changes in our active customer base by geographic region as of the dates indicated:
Active Associates By Region As of As of Change from Percent January 1, 2011 December 31, 2011 Prior Year Change North America/Europe 86,000 37.7 % 78,000 35.1 % (8,000 ) (9.3 )% Asia Pacific: Southeast Asia Pacific 41,000 18.0 % 49,000 22.1 % 8,000 19.5 % Greater China 93,000 40.8 % 86,000 38.7 % (7,000 ) (7.5 )% North Asia 8,000 3.5 % 9,000 4.1 % 1,000 12.5 % Asia Pacific Total 142,000 62.3 % 144,000 64.9 % 2,000 1.4 % 228,000 100.0 % 222,000 100.0 % (6,000 ) (2.6 )% |
Active Preferred Customers By Region As of As of Change from Percent January 1, 2011 December 31, 2011 Prior Year Change North America/Europe 54,000 77.1 % 52,000 81.3 % (2,000 ) (3.7 )% Asia Pacific: Southeast Asia Pacific 6,000 8.6 % 6,000 9.4 % - 0.0 % Greater China 9,000 12.9 % 5,000 7.8 % (4,000 ) (44.4 )% North Asia 1,000 1.4 % 1,000 1.5 % - 0.0 % Asia Pacific Total 16,000 22.9 % 12,000 18.7 % (4,000 ) (25.0 )% 70,000 100.0 % 64,000 100.0 % (6,000 ) (8.6 )% |
Net Sales The following table summarizes the changes in our net sales by geographic region for the fiscal years ended January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011: Net Sales by Region Change (in thousands) Approximate excluding . . . |