text:
Tech's Untold, Underrated and Most Extraordinary Story
NEW YORK ( TheStreet) --
I thought it was disgusting ... Bill Ackman has blood on his hands for being the one who brought Ron Johnson in.
Via The Financial Times, that's what Starbucks (SBUX) CEO Howard Schultz thinks of hedge fund manager Bill Ackman's role in JCPenney's (JCP) continuing saga.
And, via me, from March, in The Best Companies Can Tell Shareholders to Go to Hell, there's the fantastic exchange between Schultz and a seemingly homophobic SBUX shareholder who came off more than miffed that the company supports same-sex marriage:
Last year Starbucks announced its support for Washington's state's
sicreferendum backing gay marriage, and in response the National Organization for Marriage launched a boycott of the coffee chain.
Miffed Shareholder: "In the first full quarter after this boycott was announced, our sales and our earnings, shall we say politely, were a bit disappointing," said the shareholder, Tom Strobhar . . . the founder of the anti-gay marriage Corporate Morality Action Center.
Schultz's response: "Not every decision is an economic decision. Despite the fact that you recite statistics that are narrow in time, we did provide a 38% shareholder return over the last year . . . Having said that, it is not an economic decision to me. The lens in which we are making that decision is through the lens of our people. We employ over 200,000 people in this company, and we want to embrace diversity. Of all kinds. (Applause and cheers from the audience). If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than the 38% you got last year, it's a free country. You can sell your shares in Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much."
Once again, Schultz deserves another round of chest bumps and fist pumps for taking an important step forward on the heels of Amazon.com (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife's decision to donate $2.5 million to Washington's gay marriage campaign.As I ponder potential reasons why Starbucks transcends sectors -- it's really a tech company wearing loose retail clothing -- I keep coming back to its CEO. As the two above-mentioned public incidents illustrate, Howard Schultz creates a culture at Starbucks that, even if indirectly, gives his employees the courage to step out. As abstract as it is, that's really the only explanation I have for why Starbucks has done such an amazing job leveraging mobile and digital technology, whereas other retailers, such as Best Buy (BBY), have performed poorly. If you have been following my Best Buy coverage over the past year or two, you know that, beyond Schultz, much of the conversation regarding Starbucks' success circles back to its former CIO and former Best Buy EVP, Stephen Gillett, now COO at Symantec (SYMC). It was Gillett who brought in Adam Brotman, now Starbucks Chief Digital Officer. That's when the magic started to happen. According to Brotman, who I spoke to late last week, when he was hired in March 2009, senior leadership, particularly Schultz and Gillett were "open to the idea" of making digital and mobile (referred to interchangeably as "technology") a central component of Starbucks' business. That's when Gillett recognized the opportunity to create the Digital Ventures group that Brotman now leads. The success has been astounding. Schultz singled out Brotman on the company's most recent earnings call. Brotman could have shouted SCOREBOARD as he updated data points related to Starbucks' otherworldly digital efforts:
In our third quarter, we saw 3% year-over-year growth in total dollars loaded on Starbucks card in retail North America and nearly 100% year-over-year growth in dollars loaded on our cards via Starbucks mobile apps and web properties ...
I'm pleased to report that now when 10% of all transactions in our U.S. stores are made with a phone ...
Select the service that is right for you!COMPARE ALL SERVICES
Action Alerts PLUSTry it NOW
Jim Cramer and Stephanie Link actively manage a real portfolio and reveal their money management tactics while giving advanced notice before every trade.
Product Features:
- $2.5+ million portfolio
- Large-cap and dividend focus
- Intraday trade alerts from Cramer
- Weekly roundups
TheStreet Quant RatingsTry it NOW
Only $49.95/yr
Access the tool that DOMINATES the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500.
Product Features:
- Buy, hold, or sell recommendations for over 4,300 stocks
- Unlimited research reports on your favorite stocks
- A custom stock screener
- Upgrade/downgrade alerts
Stocks Under $10Try it NOW
David Peltier, uncovers low dollar stocks with extraordinary upside potential that are flying under Wall Street's radar.
Product Features:
- Model portfolio
- Stocks trading below $10
- Intraday trade alerts
- Weekly roundups
Dividend Stock AdvisorTry it NOW
Jim Cramer's protege, David Peltier, identifies the best of breed dividend stocks that will pay a reliable AND significant income stream.
Product Features:
- Diversified model portfolio of dividend stocks
- Alerts when market news affect the portfolio
- Bi-weekly updates with exact steps to take - BUY, HOLD, SELL
Real Money ProTry it NOW
All of Real Money, plus 15 more of Wall Street's sharpest minds delivering actionable trading ideas, a comprehensive look at the market, and fundamental and technical analysis.
Product Features:
- Real Money + Doug Kass Plus 15 more Wall Street Pros
- Intraday commentary & news
- Ultra-actionable trading ideas
Options ProfitsTry it NOW
Our options trading pros provide daily market commentary and over 100 monthly option trading ideas and strategies to help you become a well-seasoned trader.
Product Features:
- 100+ monthly options trading ideas
- Actionable options commentary & news
- Real-time trading community
- Options TV


text:
Take a minute to tour your dream mansion
Published On: Oct 07 2013 07:57:33 AM HST
Updated On: Oct 05 2013 06:00:00 PM HST
Updated On: Oct 05 2013 06:00:00 PM HST
Take in spectacular panoramic ocean views of Diamond Head, Waialae Golf Course to Koko Head from this $1.75 million mansion.
If you're a mobile user, click here to begin tour this property now.
The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.blog comments powered by Disqus

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Welcome to the CivilWarTalk, a forum for questions and discussions about the American Civil War! Become a member today for full access to all of our resources, it's fast, simple, and absolutely free! If you aren't ready for that, try posting your question or comment as a guest!
Obama vs Romney
Discussion in 'The Ballot Box' started by Rebel from Finland, Apr 19, 2012.
- Thread Status:
- Not open for further replies.
(Membership has it privileges! To remove this ad: Register NOW!)
- Thread Status:
- Not open for further replies.


text:
Close X
Montana Woodworks MWHCET Homestead Entry/Sofa Table
Product Description
Homestead Entry/Sofa Table
- Handcrafted in the mountains of Montana using solid, American grown wood
- Artisans rough saw all the timbers and accessory trim pieces
- Uniquely reminiscent of the timber-framed homes once found on the American frontier
- Hold and keep safe the many items found in entry or living area
- 2 spacious drawers
- Full length shelf underneath
- Comes fully assembled
- 20-year limited warranty included at no additional charge
All of Montana Woodworks® furniture is handcrafted by the Amish of Montana in the United States using solid wood.
|Lodgepole Pine
Some products are shipped to your door step assembled while others may require light assembly.
|Assembly Required
This field allows you to specify the base / support style of the table in the dining set.
|Base Style
Furniture distressing is the act of making a piece look as though it is worn out or antique. This style has become a very popular finish in the industry. Narrow your results here by whether or not you desire a distressed finish.
|Distressed Finish
Generally entry tables are built with useful features to help you organize or display decor to enhance your living space
|Entry Table Features
We offer sofa tables from many high quality manufacturers with many features including Lift Tops, Tray Tops, and Open Storage. Narrow down your results by the function you want your sofa table to have.
|Sofa Table Features
|Drawers, Open Storage
Would you like to update product info, give feedback on images, or tell us about a lower price?
Coordinating Items
View more coordinating items
- Montana Woodworks MWHCBWR Homestead…
- Montana Woodworks MWHCSB Homestead Si…
Items in this collection
From $868.00
You Save Up To $265.00
From $606.00
You Save Up To $107.00
More items in this collection
From $435.00
You Save Up To $70.00
$583.00Your total:
Add to Cart
Shop Accessories
$583.00Your total:
Add to Cart
Questions & Answers
Didn't get the answer you needed?
We'll respond to your question in three days or less
There are no questions from the community yet
Customer Reviews
This product has no customer reviews yet
Write an online review and be the first to share your thoughts with other customers
Write an online review and be the first to share your thoughts with other customers
Tag This Product
A tag is a keyword assigned to a product which helps describe the item and allows it to be found by other customers
Add a new tag:
Separate multiple tags with commasWhat's this?
Additional Details
|Mfr Part #
|Group #
|Sofa Tables - 1022
|Rustic - 119
|Sales Rank
Your Recently Viewed Items
You have no recently viewed items. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to products you are interested in.
Your Recommended Items
You currently have no recommended items. Browse a few more items to give us an idea of what you like.
©1999 - 2014 ATGStores.com.Copyright notice | Site Map | By using this site you agree to our Terms & Conditions of Use and Privacy Statement
Server: EASTWEB121 DBServer: EASTDB01 Created On: 12/24/2014 11:41:37 PM