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Japan's Big Three are still bullish on pickups by Doron Levin @FortuneMagazine January 23, 2015, 12:50 PM EDT E-mail Tweet Facebook Google Plus Linkedin Share icons Japanese automakers, fighting a long and so far frustrating battle to sell pickup trucks in the U.S., are nevertheless refusing to surrender. Last week's press preview of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit highlighted the latest tactics in pickups by the Japanese Big Three. Selling trucks in the U.S. can be highly profitable, though the market remains dominated by General Motors Co. GM , Ford Motor Co. F and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' FCA Ram division. Toyota TM , the biggest Japanese automaker, has shown the most ambition in trucks, having invested an entire assembly plant dedicated to full-size Tundra pickups in San Antonio, Texas. But Toyota full-size pickup sales haven't yet lived up to expectations: the plant now assembles the midsize Tacoma, capacity Toyota had hoped to devote to Tundra. Learn more of the latest news about Toyota from Fortune's video team: Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for autotrader.com, said Toyota's facelift for Tacoma, shown in Detroit, "is long overdue" and only to answer competition in a category that's been abandoned by Ford and others. Nissan's new Titan full-size pickup will be available in two versions, light and heavy duty, with the goal of drawing more than the trickle of buyers enticed by the slow-selling first generation. "I have a sense that Nissan is looking as much at commercial market as the individual retail customer with the focus on diesel and heavy duty," Krebs said, referring to a new diesel engine option. "That may be a good strategy since Nissan has had some success with its commercial vans, so they may be able to convince commercial customers with vans to add trucks to their fleets." Stephanie Brinley, senior analyst for IHS, said "the high profitability of pickups and the advantages of having a full product line are among the most compelling reasons for the Japanese makes to continue. In maintaining pickup truck entries, these mainstream, high-volume brands can claim offerings in most or all major vehicle segments." She said Titan "has a long way to go to build credibility amongst pickup buyers loyal to the Detroit-based brands." I asked Carlos Ghosn, Nissan chief executive officer, if it made sense to invest in a next generation pickup after such poor results for the first one. He said once the capital is sunk, subsequent iterations aren't prohibitive. He's told his troops he expects 5% share for the new Titan, rising eventually to 10%. The current model stands at less than one percent. Honda is "reengineering" its Ridgeline midsize pickup to give it a more conventional look. The idiosyncratic Ridgeline hasn't contended against more mainstream midsize trucks such as Tacoma, selling fewer than 14,000 units last year. Tacoma, the segment leader, sold more than 155,000, to give Toyota about 60% share of the market. The debut of GM's Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins will make the midsize pickup segment much more competitive in 2016. Some analysts are wondering if Ford Motor might bring a version of its global Ranger midsize to the fray. Last year the industry sold two million full-size pickups in the U.S., making it one of the biggest market segments, along with midsize family sedans like the Ford Fusion and compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V. The midsize segment topped 250,000. With so many new entries and upgrades, planners will be watching closely to see if the 2016 total will surpass last year's. The other component of the equation will be transaction prices. If manufacturers have to pile on financial incentives to move their trucks, the profit rationale for investing in them will be eroded. The average transaction price of a pickup can vary from $40,000 to $45,000—meaning a variable profit of up to $10,000 a unit. As Krebs noted, Hyundai displayed a pickup concept in Detroit to gauge reaction. The moneymaking potential of trucks isn't lost on the South Koreans. Full-size pickups, especially loaded with options, are Detroit's luxury cars, the big moneymakers that carry the enterprise. The tussle for this business is worth watching.
Renault-Nissan: Can anyone succeed Carlos Ghosn? by Doron Levin @FortuneMagazine December 29, 2014, 7:11 AM EDT E-mail Tweet Facebook Google Plus Linkedin Share icons Can a corporation literally become unmanageable? That's a question that some are starting to raise about Renault-Nissan. Its CEO, Carlos Ghosn, who has done a brilliant job creating this auto giant, has consolidated his power by constructing what's arguably the most complicated management structure anywhere outside the Vatican—one so convoluted that he may well be the only person in the world capable of running it. Who else oversees two Fortune Global 500 companies, never mind ones separated by a 12-hour flight and language barriers? He holds the chairman and CEO titles at both Nissan, with headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, and Renault in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Says Michael Useem, a Wharton professor who has studied the companies: "For any other person, the two-CEO thing would be preposterous." Ghosn seems to be built for the job: He has the ability to connect with strangers instantly and to compartmentalize, no discernible private life outside his family, and a willingness to travel 300,000 miles a year (that's 11 circumnavigations). The question is, Who will run this leviathan, which he calls the Renault-Nissan Alliance, after the 60-year-old retires, or if, God forbid, something happens to him? It is such a demanding, bone-crunching job that Ghosn himself has said that after he leaves no one person should replace him. In fact, on numerous occasions he has said to a close former colleague: "Who would want this job?" For the time being, Ghosn wants it. Over the years he has built Renault-Nissan into the fourth-largest carmaker in the world, after Toyota, GM, and VW. Yes, the Alliance is doing reasonably well—Nissan's sales were up about 12% in the U.S. in 2014 thanks to a garageful of new models rolling out. The stocks of both companies have done well over the past three years, with Nissan rising 50% and Renault more than doubling. But the CEO will have to do some fancy maneuvering if the company is to become one of the top three global automakers, a goal he set at Renault's annual meeting last April. (Currently Renault-Nissan sells 8.5 million cars a year. Toyota, GM, and VW each move nearly 10 million a year.) There are obstacles. Of late Ghosn (rhymes with "phone") has witnessed an exodus of top executives from both automakers. A large part of his company's growth strategy is to conquer the BRIC markets, but the economies in Brazil and China are starting to slow, and Russia appears headed for recession or worse. Then there's Infiniti, which has been unable to gain traction in the luxury market and has missed its long-term sales targets—Ghosn a year ago even floated the idea that Nissan sell it. On top of all that, his $6 billion bet on the electric Nissan Leaf has yet to come even close to paying off. Ghosn exudes confidence about his challenges. "We still have a long way to go," he told a town hall meeting at Nissan's Smyrna, Tenn., plant in November, "but I'm not worried because we know what to do—we just need to execute." Will that be enough? On a visit to the Smyrna plant, which produced more than 640,000 vehicles in 2014, Ghosn grilled employees about efficiency gains, quality control, and cost savings.Photograph by Mark Peterson—Redux Well, we will find out the answer to that question because it looks like this Machiavelli of management isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He's been the head of Nissan for 15 years now and of Renault for eight. Six months ago Ghosn signed a four-year contract to remain chairman and CEO at Renault, and he has until March 2017 on his Nissan contract. Renault currently has a 43.4% (fully voting) stake in Nissan, and Nissan holds a 15% (nonvoting) stake in Renault, which effectively gives Renault control. No one on the board of either company seems to be pushing for a leadership change. Nissan's board is mostly executives, and Renault's board is largely controlled by the French government, which owns 15% of the automaker. Ghosn's real power, however, resides in a small, nondescript office building in Amsterdam, where he holds the title of Renault-Nissan Alliance chairman and CEO. It has its own board, composed of at least three Renault senior executives and at least three Nissan senior executives. The Amsterdam office is where most of the major strategic decisions are made. Dizzy yet? It gets even more convoluted. Last summer the Alliance acquired the Russian automaker AvtoVaz, which makes that country's top-selling Lada. Ghosn is now AvtoVaz's chairman, so in effect he runs three auto companies, with three different official languages, responsible for 10% of all cars sold in the world and ringing in an expected $140 billion in 2014 sales. Take a deep breath: The Alliance also owns 3.1% of Daimler, and Daimler, which makes Mercedes, in turn owns 3.1% each of both Nissan and Renault. Daimler and the Alliance have been working on 12 major projects on three continents. The most recent: Renault is providing diesel engines for Mercedes, and the German carmaker is providing powertrains for Infiniti. Anyone who would take on Ghosn's job would have to be a glutton for punishment. Last January he explained to an audience at the Stanford Business School that his schedule was already filled for all of 2014. He has homes in France, Japan, and Brazil, and is divorced with four grown children. When asked, numerous executives who have worked for him over the years say they cannot think of anything he does outside of work besides following soccer. Executives who have worked for Ghosn talk about sacrificing their lives for their jobs. Renault-Nissan has 68 factories around the world.Photograph by Mark Peterson—Redux Ghosn still works 15 to 16 hours a day, circling the globe in his Gulfstream (which can fly from Paris to Tokyo nonstop), running town hall meetings, taking factory tours, dropping in on dealers, and attending executive and board meetings. He spends one-third of his time in France, a third in Japan, and a third bouncing around the 68 other countries where the Alliance has plants. It's hard to imagine having the stamina to handle all that jet lag, the different cuisines, and an endless stream of decisions to make. Ghosn says he lives "like a monk," keeping to a strict schedule of eating, sleeping, and exercise. Ghosn is most famous for his turnaround of a struggling Nissan in 1999. This Brazilian-born Lebanese who speaks four languages—French, English, Arabic, and Portuguese (although not Japanese)—did what everyone said couldn't be done in Japan: He broke up Nissan's cozy keiretsu, abandoned the seniority system, and restored the carmaker to profitability within two years. He worked relentlessly and became a master of efficiency. The auto press nicknamed him "le cost cutter." Such was his hard-driving fame that a Japanese publisher created a seven-part comic book about his corporate heroics. The manga has sold more than 300,000 copies. Jose Muñoz, the chairman of Nissan North America, says that Ghosn makes decisions only at the appropriate place and time: "There's no 'Okay, you can do this' conversation by the water cooler." Like a general who has drawn up a detailed military campaign, Ghosn follows some strict basic rules. When he's in Japan, he's making decisions for Nissan. When he's in Paris, he's making decisions for Renault. And when he's in Russia, he's making decisions for AvtoVaz. That, he says, helps keep his life simpler and makes each team feel as if it has his undivided attention. While Ghosn has been flying around the world, the auto industry has been abuzz with speculation about the growing number of departures from Nissan and Renault. In 2014, Andy Palmer, Nissan's chief planning officer, left to run Aston Martin. Johan de Nysschen, who headed up Infiniti, left to run Cadillac. That followed a defection by Carlos Tavares, the COO of Renault, who in 2013 told Bloomberg (before telling Ghosn) that he wanted to run his own company. He now runs PSA Peugeot Citroen. Tavares's predecessor Patrick Pelata left, taking responsibility for an industrial espionage scandal at Renault that turned out to be a hoax. He now works at Salesforce.com. The partings seemed amicable, for the most part. Ghosn can be a tough boss, but even his critics admit he's fair. He's not abusive and never takes down an employee in public. Sources close to the departed executives give various reasons for their leaving, from being tired of the grind to having lived overseas too long to being offered a great opportunity at another company. Even so, it's hard to imagine that Ghosn's entrenched position doesn't have something to do with it. "Every time someone starts understanding how the Alliance works," says a former executive, "something happens, and they leave." .Photograph by Mark Peterson—Redux for Fortune "It's interesting," says Ghosn, "that everyone's talking about executives leaving Nissan and Renault, although I don't think the turnover is higher than what I see at GM, Ford, and VW." As an example, he points out that Infiniti recently lured Roland Krüger from BMW to replace de Nysschen. Krüger will have his work cut out for him at the underdog luxury brand, but he seems to have the energy for the job. Recently he became the first German to trek solo to the South Pole. Whether or not that level of turnover is normal, the fact remains that neither Nissan nor Renault has a clear candidate to replace Ghosn. Most of today's top-line executives are in their fifties and sixties, and with Ghosn having at least four more years at the helm, the next leader is likely to be someone younger, says one former employee. The CEO says that each board has an envelope with the names of two or three candidates, though there are no obvious front-runners, at least to the outside world. "I'm not planning to go anywhere soon," says Ghosn. "But this image of someone hanging onto his chair and eliminating all this potential is just a joke." The succession question is no joke for shareholders. "Ghosn will have to tell the world who's going to take over," says Ian Fletcher, a principal analyst at IHS Automotive in London. "He has to make his heir clear to shareholders and to the industry. If he doesn't, he's going to raise worries." If Renault-Nissan cannot find another globetrotting polymath like Carlos Ghosn, the remaining options leave much to be desired. In one scenario Renault-Nissan would be run by two CEOs, but we know how well dual-leadership models have worked out. (Citigroup or SAP, anyone?) Nissan and Renault could split up, but it's hard to imagine two small companies surviving in an industry where scale counts. The third and likeliest scenario, say analysts, is that Nissan and Renault merge and have a single CEO. Even that wouldn't be easy. One former employee who worked on a task force to analyze a merger of the two carmakers said that the cultures are so different, and the interlocking share structures of the Alliance so complex, that it would probably keep top management distracted from the core business for a year or two while they sorted out a corporate marriage. Photos, Pelata: Patrick Kovarik— AFP/Getty Images; Tavares: Thibault Camus—AP Many in the industry consider Nissan a good but not a great car company, and Ghosn would like to see it move from good to great. How is he going to do that? Ghosn says his strategy is "mobility for all." Asked what he means, he replies, "You have to be present in every market in the world and in every segment in every market." If that sounds fanciful, the Alliance at least is making progress. It produces 110 different models in 170 different markets. Taking advantage of a sophisticated and flexible platform-sharing system, the company has a host of new models lined up, including new Nissan Maxima sedans and Murano SUVs. Renault debuted its new Espace minivan at the Paris auto show in October. This will be followed with replacements for the Megane compact car, Scenic compact minivan, and Laguna midsize sedan. Some industry consultants wonder how the Alliance will pull off its "mobility for all" strategy, especially since the company has a reputation for being somewhat volatile—the opposite of a Toyota that just marches forward. The Alliance, for example, does a lot of things right—the new Nissan Rogue crossover is hot, on track to see a respectable 200,000 units this year. Renault's low-cost Dacia brand is booming in Europe. But when Nissan revived the Datsun nameplate in India to compete with the $3,700 Tata Nano, the international car safety organization NCAP awarded the car zero stars for safety and recommended its withdrawal. The NCAP said the body shell is so weak that even if the company were to install airbags, it wouldn't improve the survival chances of the occupants. A Nissan spokesperson says, "The Datson Go meets all local safety regulations, and we will continue to sell it in India." To make it to the ranks of the top three automakers, Ghosn is depending upon do-or-die stretch goals. He's pushing Nissan to achieve what he calls his Power 88 Plan, meaning the company aims to achieve 8% global market share and 8% operating margins by the end of fiscal year 2017, which ends in March. Ghosn knows it will be hard to achieve his goal. The company is currently at what you might call Power 66—6% market share and margins—which means it has less than three years to increase its market share and profits by 33%. It is one thing to set aggressive stretch goals; it is quite another to make sure they're achievable. Wharton's Useem says that a CEO has to make sure that even the most extreme stretch goals are achievable. "If not, good executives can become frustrated and leave." There's no question that the Alliance, on one level at least, has helped achieve efficiencies of scale and offers the best hope of Ghosn's meeting his operating margin goals. That's because the cross-shareholding structure gives Renault and Nissan an interest in seeing each other do well. In an age when most auto alliances have failed—Chrysler/Daimler and GM/Fiat come to mind—Ghosn has succeeded because he has given both Nissan and Renault the autonomy to act within certain bounds. Ghosn once compared the Renault–Nissan partnership to a marriage: "A couple does not assume a converged, single identity when they get married. Instead, they retain their own individuality and join to build a life together." Says one former Nissan executive: "There's none of the usual 'I'm a winner and you're a loser' syndrome you see in traditional mergers." Ghosn uses logic and sometimes a little coercion to persuade the managements of Renault and Nissan to share designs and parts. If it's mutually beneficial, it happens. (The downside is that if a collaboration envisions a winner and a loser, it probably won't happen, even if there would be a net gain for the Alliance.) During the past year the Alliance has pushed to achieve even more efficiencies: Functions such as HR, supply chain, R&D, and purchasing are now being run out of Amsterdam. The company claims that such synergies helped the Alliance shave $3.6 billion in costs in 2013. While he's shaving costs, Ghosn must also figure out how to stay a leader in self-driving cars (see related story), rejuvenate Infiniti, and make electric cars go mainstream. No one has been as gung ho about electric vehicles (EVs) as Ghosn. In 2010 he launched the Leaf, a five-passenger electric sedan that got rave reviews from the car press. It was not the first electric car on the market, but it was the most ambitious. Nissan has invested $6 billion in the project. Around the time he launched the Leaf, Ghosn boasted that Nissan and its sister company Renault, which offered a similar EV under the Zoe nameplate, would sell 500,000 of the vehicles by 2013. It hasn't quite worked out that way. By many measures, the Leaf is a success. It is the world's bestselling EV. This year American consumers will snap up about 30,000 of the cars, making it the bestselling plug-in vehicle in the U.S., ahead of the Tesla S and the Chevy Volt. The car, which has a range of 86 miles and a sticker price of $29,010 (before a $7,500 federal tax credit) has proved popular with drivers who have short, regular commutes. Even so, the Leaf has fallen far short of Ghosn's target, having sold only 152,000 units since its launch—a far cry from the 500,000 he predicted for 2013. To put Ghosn's goal into perspective, so far global sales of all plug-in vehicles worldwide, according to the Plug-In Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center at UC–Davis, amount to just more than 500,000 units. What went wrong? The age-old problem with EVs: range anxiety. Ghosn argues that the problem is a lack of charging stations. The country has only about 10,000 installed, compared with more than 115,000 gas stations. That ratio doesn't sound too bad, especially for a new technology, until you remember that it takes three to four hours to charge an EV compared with about five minutes to fill up a traditional car. Ghosn says that sometime in the not-so-distant future, electric cars will have a 300-mile range. Also, he believes that super-fast chargers, which will be able to fill an electric car in about 12 minutes, will become widely available soon. "We already have prototypes that can do that," says Ghosn. Datsun: Simas Ardian—Bloomberg via Getty Images As for Nissan's luxury division, Infiniti, the brand has been growing, but not at a pace that satisfies Ghosn. A few years ago Ghosn said that Infiniti would be selling 500,000 cars a year by 2017. This year it will sell only 120,000. That goal was recently moved back to 2020. The division is profitable but seems stuck in the second tier of luxury brands. Its cars simply can't compete with high-end luxury makers such as Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. Muñoz, who is currently in charge of Infiniti, says, "Typically, Infiniti buyers aren't cross-shopping BMWs or Mercedes, but are Chevy and Ford owners looking to trade up." Infiniti, needing a reason besides horsepower and a lower price to lure well-heeled customers behind the wheel, has been stressing the self-driving capabilities of its cars. That can't hurt, but the brand will need more than that. Bringing Krüger from BMW to run the division will help instill some of that Bavarian motoring DNA. The marque has also hired a new advertising agency to stress that Infinitis are about excitement. We'll see. Perhaps the most hopeful sign is that Ghosn, in 2013, shifted Infiniti's headquarters from Japan to Hong Kong to move its employees out of the shadow of Nissan and its bureaucracy. Ghosn is betting that electric cars, autonomous vehicles, and a sharp eye on costs will help drive the Renault-Nissan Alliance toward a bright future. Given his impressive track record and his willingness to experiment with new technology, he may well succeed in bringing the Alliance into the ranks of the world's top three automakers. Yet even if he does, there still remains the question of who, if anyone, can run this Rube Goldberg organization when he steps down. If Ghosn in the next few years can't figure out how to make the Alliance more manageable, or clone himself, in all likelihood it will have to undergo a long, costly restructuring. That's not the kind of legacy any CEO would want to leave behind.
Nissan's turn from the eccentric to the mainstream by Doron Levin @FortuneMagazine November 25, 2014, 2:48 PM EDT E-mail Tweet Facebook Google Plus Linkedin Share icons Critics have been stretching to find just the right words to describe the Juke, a small crossover made by Nissan. When the updated 2015 model was shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, Autoblog said it "reeks of bad ideas. Another web outlet, Digital Trends, referred to it as "Nissan's ugly duckling" and declared the new edition was "even wackier than before." Summed up USA Today: "[It] lacks the true versatility of an SUV. And its high-riding stance robs it of the nimbleness of a lower-slung sports sedan or hatchback would deliver. From its frogs-eye turn signals to its over-styled wheel arches and radically-sloping rear roof, the Juke makes even the old Pontiac Aztek look conventional by comparison. Yet despite its polarizing design, Nissan has managed to sell 34,021 Jukes for the first 10 months of 2014. Just about everything with a Nissan badge has been selling in 2014. The automaker has transformed what previously had been an eccentric assortment of models into a more mainstream lineup that has broader appeal. There is no secret sauce: Nissan is systematically upgrading its product line with more elegant designs that share a strong family resemblance and more comfortable interiors that are closer to business class than coach. In the process, it has managed to make itself the second best performing automaker in the U.S. this year after Chrysler. When results from Infiniti, its premium brand, added in, Nissan sales have climbed at double the industry average this year, up 13%. This late-blooming success comes as something of a vindication for the management of CEO Carlos Ghosn. Ghosn (rhymes with phone) who took over Nissan in 1999 and is the industry's longest chief executive, sets tough numerical targets for his managers. He is unsparing when they aren't met and turnover at the top of the company is high. "Once the commitment is set, no matter what happens, you have to go for it," Tatsuo Yoshida, a former Nissan employee who is now an analyst at Barclays told the Wall Street Journal in September. "If you give up, you are out." That kind of pressure to perform, combined with a product line that could be charitably described as uneven, has often forced Nissan to use extreme measures to meet its sales targets. Over the years, became known as the king of discounts because its incentives were so generous. But there are fewer discounts this year. Nissan has been able to grow market share while curbing incentive spending," says Edmunds.com analyst Jeremy Acevedo. "Obviously this is great for the company's bottom line and is an encouraging indicator of sustainable growth." Credit for the improved performance goes to one of Ghosn's more recent hires, Fred Diaz, who joined Nissan in April 2013 from Chrysler, where he was in charge of Ram Truck. As head of sales, marketing, and operations, Diaz pushed a strategy of cutting prices to boost turnover while reducing incentives to build margins. The strategy was risky, but it paid off. Demand is so great that Nissan is running all its North American plants on three shifts and has even begun importing cars from Japan to meet shortages. Currency fluctuations have provided a nice bonus. "The yen has been a handicap for us for the past three years, but it's no longer a handicap," Ghosn told Automotive News in an interview published in November. "We haven't changed our strategy [about building cars in North America]. But now, with the yen at 114 or 115 to the dollar, shipping some cars from Japan to support our offensive here makes sense." Diaz has also been pruning slow-selling niche models like Cube and the Murano CrossCabriolet from Nissan's lineup and focused on four high-volume core vehicles that draw customers into sales rooms. Ranked in size, they are: Altima: The Altima has managed to make sales gains (3.4%) in the fiercely competitive midsize segment. Nissan's style leader and lightest car in its class, it ranks as the fourth most popular passenger car in America, just behind the Toyota Corolla. Rogue: A surprise hit, this midsize crossover was redesigned this year to add an optional third row of seats and its sales are up 23%. Like Altima, it is built at Nissan's manufacturing complex in Smyrna, Tenn. Sentra: Nissan upscaled the Sentra to make the one-time compact larger and more like the Altima. One critic described it as "cheap and roomy," but customers love it and sales have risen 44%. Versa: A makeover made the Versa look more like the Sentra, with big new headlights and a chrome-surrounded grille. With sales up 21%, the Versa is America's best-selling subcompact. That kind of momentum should hold Nissan in good stead over the next couple of months as it launches a couple of important new models. Just arriving in dealers is the reengineered Murano, a mid-size crossover with eye-catching concept-car styling , and a sportier Maxima sedan coming to reclaim its standing as the flagship of the Nissan line. New models almost always boost sales, and this time shouldn't be any different. "Look for Nissan to continue to gain market share going forward as it releases updates to the Murano, Maxima, and Titan," says Edmunds.com's Acevedo. Ah, the Titan. Nissan is bringing out an all-new version of pickup, reengineered for the first time since its original introduction in 2003. Ghosn had high hopes for the Titan, but he couldn't convince loyal truck buyers to switch out of more familiar brands, and sales shrank as the truck aged, approaching 100,00 early in its run but falling off sharply after that. Only 10,686 have been sold this year—a pittance when you consider that industry leader Ford F has moved 620,447 F-series trucks in the same period. Not surprisingly, Ghosn sees the volume from a successful Titan as crucial to meeting his target of 10% U.S. market share, up from 8.5% today. The wraps come off the new Titan at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Ghosn will undoubtedly be pressing Diaz to put his Ram experience at Chrysler to good use to make it a success. But all he really needs to do is to absorb the lessons from Nissan's wonderful year: Give customers elegant designs and nicer features than they expect—and they will come.
Aston Martin poaches potential Ghosn successor from Renault-Nissan by Doron Levin @FortuneMagazine September 2, 2014, 1:49 PM EDT E-mail Tweet Facebook Google Plus Linkedin Share icons The senior executive merry-go-round at the Renault-Nissan Alliance keeps whirling at high speed, now with the departure of Andy Palmer, executive vice president and top vehicle planner, to become the chief executive officer of luxury carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda. Palmer, 51, once regarded as a potential successor to Carlos Ghosn, chief executive officer, saw those prospects dim last November when Ghosn remarked that his eventual successor as Nissan CEO probably should be a Japanese executive. In July, Johan de Nysschen, who had been recruited in 2012 by the Renault-Nissan Alliance to revamp Nissan's Infiniti luxury franchise, announced he was jumping ship to run General Motors Co.'s GM Cadillac luxury division. De Nysschen had reported to Palmer. Last year, Carlos Tavares, who had been Ghosn's number-two at Renault, abruptly resigned to take over the reins at PSA Peugeot Citroen, the troubled French automaker. At least one analyst suggested to Reuters that Ghosn's 15-year tenure running Nissan, and then Renault, caused "a kind of deadlock" for the careers of other senior executives. The Nissan Renault executive cadre is known for its broad ethnic and gender diversity. "Against that backdrop, there tends to be more moves as people look for change," Nakanishi said. "For Nissan, Andy's departure is a blow and the question is what will happen to the continuity of Nissan management." Nissan and Renault own significant equity stakes in one another and have functioned as a single group since 1999, when Ghosn and the French automaker rescued Nissan from near-bankruptcy. Palmer, a British national and highly-respected planner in automotive circles, will be moving to a small elite brand, privately owned by several investment groups and operating on the fringes of mass marketing. Aston Martin's main claim to fame is its identity as the car fictional British spy James Bond drove in movies and novels. It recently signed an agreement to buy engines from Daimler AG, the maker of Mercedes-Benz automobiles. Succeeding Palmer as chief Nissan planner, based in Yokohama, will be Philippe Klein, a senior Renault executive. One of the pressing question in light of Palmer's departure will be the near-term future of Infiniti. An underperforming luxury franchise since its introduction in the 1980s, the hiring of De Nysschen from Audi marked a renewed effort at competitiveness, including a spate of new vehicle models. For the time being, Jose Munoz, Nissan's top U.S. executive will be responsible for Infiniti. But Ghosn, a famously demanding boss, likely is focused on finding a strong replacement for De Nysschen, which may mean having to poach from another luxury manufacturer. Ghosn, 60, shows no signs of slowing down or reorganizing the executives at the two automakers for his eventual retirement – which must be regarded as positive development in light of their results. Under Ghosn's strong leadership – and, perhaps, because of it – senior executives at both automakers have tended to come and go at a quick pace. Each and every one of them likely can attest to the rigors of serving one of the most durable, creative and impressive industrial leaders of his time.
Nissan and Honda battle for second place by Doron Levin @FortuneMagazine July 10, 2014, 1:32 PM EDT E-mail Tweet Facebook Google Plus Linkedin Share icons Toyota TM , the world's No. 1 automaker, also has enjoyed top-dog status among Japanese automakers since anyone can remember. The fight for second place in that group is getting fiercer of late, with Nissan nipping at the heels of No. 2 Honda HMC , in the U.S. Nissan's position trailing Honda is a particular vexation for Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's famously demanding boss. According to Nissan executives in the U.S., Ghosn is prodding his legions to erase the gap, pointing out that while the automaker outpaces Honda globally, in terms of unit sales – it's behind in the U.S. Ghosn has demanded to know from subordinates why Nissan sells a bigger variety of models in the U.S. yet fewer total vehicles? The point, according to Nissan executives, is that Honda gets its sales by concentrating on "core" models, led by Civic and Accord. Addressing this disparity, Nissan recently dropped its Murano convertible and Altima coupe, for which demand is limited. "Our product portfolio is broader than theirs," acknowledged Pierre Loing, head of Nissan's vehicle development in the U.S. "But ours is going to get narrower and stronger." Within hours of his comment, Nissan disclosed that its idiosyncratic Cube small crossover was being dropped from the U.S. lineup for 2015. Honda, with a long and stellar reputation in the U.S., has built its sales on Civic and Accord sedans, as well as CR-V compact crossover and Odyssey minivan, usually rated tops in its category. Honda is regarded as the blander and more reliable of second-tier rivals. Nissan, which benefits from edgier and more expressive styling, sells 18 models in the U.S., not counting the soon-to-be-departed Cube. In 2013, Nissan and its associated brands, such as Infiniti, grabbed a 6.2% share of the world automotive market, to Honda's 5.2%. (Toyota was first with 12%) In the U.S. last year, Honda had 9.8% share to Nissan's 8%, a lead of about 280,000 vehicles sold. This year, through June, Nissan had narrowed the share lead to 0.5 points, with Nissan at 8.6 and Honda at 9.1. Which implies a lead of about 40,000 vehicles. Some of the narrowing may be attributed to pressure from Paris, where Ghosn presides over Nissan and its alliance partner Renault SA. He hasn't been shy about sacking executives who disappoint and replacing them with new blood. Jose Munoz, who led Nissan's operations in Mexico to the lead there now runs the U.S., assisted by Fred Diaz, who left Chrysler to become head of U.S. sales and marketing. Both are regarded as hard-chargers. "Among the issues Nissan may have in capturing market share from Honda in the US over the coming years is the competitiveness of the US market—this is far from a two-player market, of course," said Stephanie Brinley, senior analyst for IHS Automotive. "To increase market share, Nissan has to conquest across all mainstream brands; it could increase share over time without necessarily taking it from Honda." Nissan's core models – Altima, Sentra, Rogue, Pathfinder, Versa – could be joined by a sixth, if the new Titan pickup scheduled to debut next year can make a dent among its stronger competition. If not, the Nissan brain trust may have to decide if it's significant enough to renew one more time. In the meantime, expect a down-and-dirty battle of clever discounting and marketing gambits as Nissan battles Honda for every new-vehicle sale.
Ghosn-Zetsche bromance key to Nissan-Mercedes automaking alliance by Doron Levin @FortuneMagazine June 30, 2014, 11:53 AM EDT E-mail Tweet Facebook Google Plus Linkedin Share icons In the early 1990s, a German executive running Daimler's U.S. truck operations happened to meet a French executive running Michelin's U.S. tire operations in South Carolina. The two were simpatico. Acquaintance blossomed into camaraderie. Friday, they announced a joint venture between the Renault Nissan Alliance and Daimler AG to build luxury sedans in Mexico starting in 2017. Dieter Zetsche, Daimler's chief executive officer, used to run Freightliner; Carlos Ghosn, the former Michelin chief in the U.S., now leads Renault and Nissan. Collectively, the automakers have decided to operate a new assembly plant in Aguascalientes, where Nissan already builds vehicles for North America. The $1.4 billion investment will cover an assembly plant rated at 300,000 cars annually on two assembly lines. The models to emerge from the new plant will be small, front-wheel-drive luxury cars, branded as Mercedes-Benz and as Infiniti. "Joint development of compact premium vehicles and joint production in Aguascalientes together represent one of the largest projects between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler," Ghosn said. "It also shows how our collaboration, which began in Europe, has become global in scope." Automakers are exploring myriad types of cooperation to increase scale and share costs, as larger enterprises like Volkswagen, Toyota, and General Motors GM press the advantage of their large size across global markets. Daimler acquired Chrysler in 1998 in a merger that failed, with Chrysler eventually going bankrupt and joining forces with Fiat. Renault, by contrast, undertook a financial rescue of Nissan in 1999 and quickly determined to create an alliance—including exchange of equity—while preserving the independence of both companies. As such, the two automakers cooperated jointly only on projects that made sense to both, though lately Ghosn is pushing the two closer. Daimler, while historically protective of its elite Mercedes-Benz brand, began cooperating with Renault Nissan in 2010. The alliance began slowly and cautiously, steadily tackling more ambitious projects. Shortly prior to the Mexico announcement, Daimler and Nissan disclosed that Nissan will manufacture 2.0-liter engines for Mercedes-Benz C-class models at its Decherd, Tennessee factory. Renault has helped Daimler with its Smart small cars by developing a new version, and manufacturing it, alongside its Twingo, which is old in Europe. Gaining access to Mercedes-Benz technology for the mechanical and electronic underpinning of new Infiniti models represents a big potential win for Nissan. Nissan has struggled since the late 1980s to elevate Infiniti luxury models among top tier brands that include Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Lexus. (BMW, currently the top-selling global luxury brand, is expected within days or weeks to announce a new North American assembly plant as well, quite possibly in Mexico, rather than at its South Carolina complex.) Zetsche has declared a goal for Daimler of regaining global leadership of luxury automotive sales by 2020. Mercedes-Benz is likely to face, along with other obstacles, a resurgent Infiniti. Whether the contradictions of assisting a rival while competing with it becomes too contradictory for Zetsche or some future Daimler chief remains to be seen. In the meantime, the alliance among French, Japanese and German automakers looks like a match made in heaven, not to mention a delectable subject of inquiry for business school students.


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Ohh there is gonna be some crazy stuff going down when Julian finally comes out and says 'No More SW for you!'.
"Channel 5 is now reporting that a man has taken hostages and is demanding a case of 'Old Rip Van Winkle Pappy 15'." I mean, that's just nuts!

subset: commoncrawl


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Thursday June 27, 2013Erik Murphy Drafted 49th Overall by Chicago Bulls
Gainesville, Fla.
Gainesville, Fla.
Erik Murphy has been drafted 49th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2013 NBA Draft, the 35th Florida player all-time to be selected and 17th under head coach Billy Donovan. Florida has had at least one draftee in six of the past seven years, and Murphy joins a Chicago team that includes Gator great Joakim Noah.
Im really proud of Erik, Donovan said. He has worked hard to reach this point and has a great opportunity in front of him.
The 6-foot-10 Murphy joins a quickly-growing list of Florida big men making the jump to the NBA. Since 2003, he is the 11th Gator standing 6-foot-9 or taller to be drafted. Those 11 players along with the undrafted Udonis Haslem have combined to earn five NBA All-Star appearances (two by Al Horford, two by David Lee, one by Noah), two All-NBA Teams (Horford, Lee), three NBA All-Rookie Teams (Udonis Haslem, Horford, Chandler Parsons), two NBA All-Defensive Teams (both by Noah) and five NBA Championships (Matt Bonner, Corey Brewer, three by Haslem).
Murphy also fits the mold of several other four-year Florida players who have developed from role player as a freshman into an All-SEC performer as a senior before being drafted, much like Bonner, Lee and Parsons. After averaging just six minutes per game as a freshman, Murphy grew into a two-year starter who averaged 12.2 points and 5.5 rebounds as a first-team All-SEC performer as a senior in 2012-13.
The South Kingstown, R.I., native scored 1,052 career points at UF and led the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage (.453) last season. He is the third Florida player to be drafted by the Bulls, along with Noah (2007) and Bonner (2003).
Gator Big Men in the NBA
Since 2003, the Gators have had 11 players listed 6-foot-9 or taller drafted into the NBA in addition to Udonis Haslem, who entered the league in 2003 as a free agent. Here is a look at their resumes:
Player |
Year Drafted |
Team |
NBA Accomplishments |
Matt Bonner |
2003 |
Chicago Bulls |
2007 NBA Champion; 2011 3-Point FG Pct. Leader |
Udonis Haslem |
Miami Heat |
2006, 12, 13 NBA Champion; 2004 NBA All-Rookie Team |
Christian Drejer |
2004 |
New Jersey Nets |
Elected to play overseas |
David Lee |
2005 |
New York Knicks |
2013 All-NBA Team; 2010, 13 NBA All-Star |
Al Horford |
2007 |
Atlanta Hawks |
2011 All-NBA Team; 2010, 11 NBA All-Star, 2008 NBA All-Rookie Team |
Corey Brewer |
2007 |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
2011 NBA Champion; Has averaged 9.5 points per game over the past six seasons |
Joakim Noah |
2007 |
Chicago Bulls |
2013 NBA All-Star; 2011, 13 NBA All-Defensive Team |
Chris Richard |
2007 |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
Played 70 games over two seasons and has played overseas |
Marreese Speights |
2008 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
Has averaged 7.8 points per game over the past five seasons |
Chandler Parsons |
2011 |
Houston Rockets |
2012 NBA All-Rookie Team |
Vernon Macklin |
2011 |
Detroit Pistons |
Played 23 games as a rookie and has also played in the NBDL and overseas |
Erik Murphy |
2013 |
Chicago Bulls |
????? |
© 1998 - 2015 University Athletic Assoc., Inc., Sun Sports & IMG College. All Rights Reserved.


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Based on 1 review
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back to topProduct Description
Smith T-Tops provide welcome shade for your center console with strong 316L stainless steel construction and custom-built styling. The clean and simple bolt-together design is easily installed in 3 to 4 hours. Styled to fit most center console boats up to 24'L with consoles up to 50" wide, this T-Top provides 76" of clear, unobstructed standing room under the canopy. The unique V-brace system can be installed in front of or behind the windshield. Integrated handholds add confidence in the canopy and uprights. Pre-drilled for wiring lights and antenna. Left and right uprights: 1-1/2" OD. Canopy frame: 1" OD.This Smith T-Top Kit includes left and right uprights and a 60" x 85" canopy frame. Additional shipping charges required.
Note: To complete your order, you will need this T-Top frame (#72546), 4 stand-offs to fit your console, and the canopy fabric (#72554) in your choice of colors. Please check the accessories tab on this page to see available options for Electronics boxes and stand-offs. To order your canopy, use item #72554 and choose from pacific blue, black, navy, teal, and burgundy colored fabric.
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back to topDo you have questions about this product? 4 easy ways to get the answers you need:
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2 Questions | 2 Answers
Displaying questions 1-2
#1,What size is the stainless tubing that it's made out of.
#2,To fit in my garage I would have to remove the top, how hard is that & how much does it weigh.
#3,My boat is a Spectrum series model 1703, 17' with a wrap around windshield & built in seat in the front of the center consol,
I'm not crazy about the X-bracing in the 1st place, but where would it go?
Finally are their any diffrences in size-fit-ect between this top & the trampoline type that you also sell.Asked on 9/3/2009 by Steve from Hayward CA1 answer
Please contact our tech department at 1.800.334.6541.Answered on 9/25/2009 by Jordan from Overton's
will this fit a 17' center consoleAsked on 8/20/2009 by Rainey1 answer
This console should work great for you. Just be sure your console is no wider than 50" and you should be fine. If you would like assistance in choosing the appropriate stand-offs, please contact our product support staff at 1-888-683-7866Answered on 8/24/2009 by Matt from Overton's Tech Support
Displaying questions 1-2


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Air Ronge Bear Creek Beauval Black Lake Black Point Brabant Lake Buffalo Narrows Camsell Portage Canoe Narrows Cole Bay Creighton Cumberland House Denare Beach Deschambault Lake Descharme Lake Dillon Dore Lake Fond-du-Lac Garson Lake Grandmother's Bay Green Lake Ile-a la-Crosse Jans Bay Kinoosao La Loche La Ronge Michel Village Missinipi Molanosa Montreal Lake Nemeiben River Patuanak Pelican Narrows Pinehouse St. George's Hill Sandy Bay Sled Lake Southend Stanley Mission Stony Rapids Sturgeon Landing Sucker River Timber Bay Turnor Lake Uranium City Weyakwin Wollaston Lake
The residents of Nemeiben River often referred to as Sucker River as the Cree name is translated, are part of the Lac La Ronge First Nation. The people of this small community that lines the banks of the Nemeiben River near the shores of Lac La Ronge follow a traditional lifestyle and although their close proximity to La Ronge affords many residents the occupational variety available in a larger center some still chose to "live off of the land" in the traditional way.
The community sprang from camps that had been established in the area for many generations to harvest the abundant fish that the settlement takes its name from. A road and bridge that came through the community has allowed easier access and made the area conducive to year round living and so the community has grown to the point where it has developed a modern infrastructure and a growing population.
Many of the elderly residents have retained the skills of old, that when mastered offer a person something traditional, real and tangible to apply towards living a northern life. The community wants to see their children and grandchildren attain skills in the new ways but they want to pass a piece of the old ways down for future generations to discover.
Nemeiben River is a place to visit to gather an appreciation for the northern lifestyle, the forest, the river, the clear lake waters, and the myriad stories of the old ways will not be lost.
The residents of Sucker River take pride in the growth of their community and appreciate the benefits that living in a "quietly serene" northern community can provide.
Sucker River Links
Northern Affairs
Saskatchewan Maps
La Lac Ronge Indian Band News


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culinarydelight's Profile
Title | Last Reply |
Where to go for brunch this sunday? We are three ladies seeking recommendations for a mid town brunch location open this sunday. Preferably somewhere comfortable and not noisy where we can chat leisurely. |
Where to buy good quality stainless steel flatware in GTA or online If you are willing to stand in line, it might be worthwhile visiting the William Ashley warehouse sale..I believe it is on now. A number of years ago, I bought some stainless there at a very good price..You could enquire if they still stock such at this sale. |
dinner suggestion near Massey Hall We are going to a concert at Massey Hall and would like suggestions for a quick dinner before the concert..somewhere within easy walking distance please! Good food, reasonable price since we won't be spending much time there..thanks in advance! |
I would second the Picklebarrel rec. |
Recs for a casual dinner - Yonge & College I'm not sure if you would be willing to take subway to College and University and walk south-west a few blocks to Baldwin St..lots of interesting restaurants. eg La Bodega, Midi Bistro, Matahari Grill. |
What can I wrap fish in to bake it that is natural? I am interested to read all these suggestions using vegetables to wrap fish in and bake. I would use bok choy, since I love it so much. But I am wondering if it should be baked covered or open, knowing that one would wish to eat the bok choy as well? Those of you who are experienced,does it dry out too much if baked uncovered? Thanks for your help! |
Restaurants near Bloor/Islington Help, |
Dinner suggestion dundas and chesnut? We are going to stay at the Metropolitan Hotel and are looking for suggestions for dinner in that area..perhaps something more reasonable than Hemispheres or Lai wah heen in the hotel itself.. For example are there any suggestions within a 2 - 3 block radius of the hotel..smaller dining rooms with good food? Any chinese restaurant on Dundas that is really good? |
suggestions for a dinner in the west end..mississauga or port credit We are meeting friends from Hamilton for a dinner mid way between our homes and would appreciate recommendations for an upscale dining experience in the mississauga to port credit vicinity. Open to suggestions of all types of food, but would like high quality with price under $50 per person for appetzer and entree...please tell me I am not dreaming?? |
suggestion for dinner near the Fairview theater? We re going to meet friends for a play at the Fairview library theatre on Saturday ( near Sheppard and the DVP). Can anyone suggest a nice dining room/restaurant with really good food closeby? Any help appreciated, but preferably not a chinese food venue. |
has anyone been to mezza misto ? wondering about going to this "new" restaurant near Yonge and Lawrence on saturday night for dinner..has anyone been there, would you recommend certain dishes..what is the price range? |
I have inherited a slow cooker and would like to use it next week when I am entertaining some guests after a busy day at work. Does anyone have an entree recipe that they would share for either chicken, beef or pork that is outstandingly delicious ? Preferably not simple stew like fare ! Thanks so much. |
Hi All, |
recommendations for reasonable dining in Las Vegas ? [Moved from Elsewhere in America board] I am coming to Las Vegas next week and would appreciate some "chowhound Finds " Could anyone please recommend some favourite dining rooms in Vegas, where the food is great and the prices are reasonable? I know some of the buffets are good value...but so much food!..are there some small places that you love to go to for a great value meal ? |
Balsam dinner much better than star review suggests As a follow up to a post several weeks ago, I just wanted to let you chowhounds know that myself, plus 3 others had a delightful dinner at Balsam (queen and balsam) earlier this week. We had agreed to go there last week before reading the star review, but decided , on the recommendation of another friend to try it anyway...and we were glad we did. The portions are not large, but the waiter went out of his way to warn us..and also point out that mains were included in the entree only..in other words you need to order any "sides" you wish. Dinner was initiated with a complementary appetizer of a seared scallop on tomato relish with horseradish froth..yummy..then we sampled different dishes including a spinach salad with candied walnuts, beet and warm goats cheese..truffle papardelle...rack of lamb with vanilla sauce..expresso coated filet..quail..I'm sorry I don't remember the details of all the seasonings..I do remember that the sides of rapini in a balsamic demiglaze and bok choy with chili sauce were delicious..as was the chocolate cream cake for dessert. Dinner was about $50/person including dessert and a glass of wine and tip |
Hello Beachdiva, |
Yes, we did go to 5th Elementt on Sat. and were able to take advantage of the 2 for 1 prix fixe which was truly a bargainat $30. for 2. The scallop wrapped in smoked salmon was the best appetizer that our party enjoyed, the lamb shank was delicious as was the shrimp risotto for a main, dessert was not outstanding,,creme brule had odd "lumpy" texture and chocolate mousse was ho-hum..word of caution though , the wines were marked up very high, some 5 X , so they are making for price reduction through the alcohol. Service was excellent, owner pleasant and asking for feedback. The waitress mentioned another 2 for 1 deal in March? |
As far as I know, no one has yet replied to me, stating that they have been there. I am possibly going on Feb 24, will post a critique afterwards if so. |
Try 5th Elementt, on Bay north of Wellesley ..They have a special Prx fixe $15 for lunch that I am meaning to try..haven't been there yet and would appreciate a post or reply if you do go? |
Visit the link below and I believe you should be eligible for the dinner for 2 @ $30. |
Recently received an internet 2 for 1 offer(thru menu palace) on the prix fixe menu at 5th Elementt and wondered if anyone has tried this restaurant..on Bay near Wellesley? Menu sounds interesting and 2 for 1 makes it INCREDIBLY cheap so am sceptical??? |
Wheatberry availability in Toronto? I have bought them in bulk barn and possibly John Vince |
Thanks, I believe Cake Boutique was the one mentioned.. |
Last summer I read a recommendation for a bakery near Bathurst and Wilson that made very good butter tarts..does anyone remember this place and are they still operating? |
A group of us are going out on the weekend for a BD lunch. Can anyone suggest a midtown local that has excellent food and ambience at reasonable prices..and of course if open at lunch! |
Can't help you with the scarborough area, but from that campus they could take the U of T shuttle down to the University ave campus and then explore Baldwin street (2 blocks SW of University and College).It is a delightful assortment of cuisines, they could wander and chose restaurant of interest. Most are safe choices! |
Adega- any recent visits, pls share your review. Yes, I was there last Friday, service was quite good even though it was busy. |
german restaurant on Victoria park? there used to be a small german place on victoria park, north of st clair but south of Ellesmere that was excellent, does anyone know if it is still there and what the quality is like? THanks so much! |
restaurant near St Clair and Warden We will be visiting a patient at Providence villa this evening and I wondered if anyone had a recommendation for a little favorite place in that neighbourhood to eat at. Can be italian, thai, whatever, food of excellent quality, but very reasonable , definitely not a chain..the sort of place you would go to frequently for a quick bite, not planning to spend alot of hours there, fast and friendly..I think you get the picture.. |
Where is your favourite butcher to use for a good quality fresh turkey at a reasonable price? Please suggest for the Toronto area only, Thanks |


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7 Salty Potato Chips You Can Make at Home
I am a huge fan of potato chips. In fact, so much so that I don't buy them that often because if they are in the house I will eat the whole bag at once. Instead, I keep a few potatoes around so I can make a batch of my own potato chips now and then for a treat. I feel better about eating them homemade and I think it is more fun to do. Luckily, there are a lot of easy ways to make potato chips at home. You'll be surprised at how easy they are!


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Documenting Experience for Licensing
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Documenting Experience for Licensing
Hi all;
For those of you who have applied for either 6-pack or master''s licensing in last few years: what do you actually have to show the USCG to document your experience?
I''ve recently decided to log everything so I can apply for a license when I qualify. I''m recording most of the logs on my computer for trips I do on my own (actually, club-owned) boats. I log anything over 4 hours as a day, but only 1 per 24 hour period, as per USCG rules. Have not done any watch standing per se, so the 1.5 rule hasn''t applied yet.
I also crew on a race boat and have done some crewed charters. In the latter case, I had the skipper of the boat sign off my sailing log, since it was 5 days of sailing time. But all the rest of my time has nobody "witnessing" it, except the racing.
6-pack needs 360 days; master''s near-coastal 720. At the rate I''m going, I''ll log 360 in about 4 years (sigh.)
My logs record date, start/end locaitons, boat name & type, crew position, skipper name if not me. Anything else I should be logging?
Bob Walden
Corte Madera, CA
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This weekend's dip into the Video Vault brings us the wit and wisdom of Milton Friedman.
In watching this classic clip of Dr. Milton Friedman I was struck by one thought.
I wish Chief Justice John Roberts had seen and understood the last answer about the wisdom of the founders and how the Constitution is established as a limit on government(around the six minute mark).


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More The Food Lion Kitchen
Salmon with Mango Pico de Gallo Recipe
Updated: Tuesday, August 27 2013, 11:38 AM EDT
Looking for a healthy, easy-to-make dinner recipe that's kind on the wallet? Try this delicious and simple salmon recipe, topped by mango Pico de Gallo! Stratford University's Robin Levy demonstrates this easy dish.


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In honor of Kanye West's week of dominating social media, here's the new TV spot for The Social Network, featuring the music of (who else?) Kanye West.
Friday, July 30, 2010
James Franco Dies on 'General Hospital'
After reading this week's Inception-like mind-fuck of a profile on James Franco in New York Magazine it was very exciting to watch this, his final death scene on General Hospital (via The Daily Beast).
james franco
Al Franken Explains Net Neutrality
At last week's Netroots Nation conference, Al Franken frames net neutrality as "the first amendment issue of our time."
al franken,
net neutrality,
Matt Zaller at Tim and Eric's Awesome-Con
Joshua Jackson wasn't the only one presenting an alternative to Comic-Con last week. In this video, The Zaz reports from Tim and Eric's Awesome-Con.
matt zaller,
tim and eric
Mike Huckabee on Obama and the Apocalypse
Mike Huckabee starts preparing for his likely 2012 presidential run by setting up Obama as a catalyst for the "end times."
LETTERMAN: Paul Rudd is the Tooth Fairy
Paul Rudd tells Dave about how he's a very generous tooth fairy, angering parents across the country.
late night,
paul rudd
DAILY SHOW: Obama on 'The View'
Jon Stewart takes on the media taking on Obama taking on The View.
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
Leader's Digest | ||||
www.thedailyshow.com | ||||
daily show,
jon stewart,
late night,
the view
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Train leaves Ukraine war zone with victims of Malaysia plane
DONETSK, Ukraine — After days of resistance, pro-Russian rebels on Monday yielded some ground in the crisis surrounding downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 — handing over passengers' bodies, relinquishing the plane's black boxes and pledging broader access for investigators to the crash site.
The developments offered some hope that an international investigation might clarify how the civilian jet carrying 298 passengers and crew members was shot down Thursday in territory held by the separatists in eastern Ukraine. Experts warned, however, that the site had been compromised.
The breakthroughs came after days of international outrage over scenes of bodies decaying in meadows under a hot sun. The U.N. Security Council and world leaders had demanded that the rebels allow professional investigators unfettered access to the site.
Still, underlining the intensity of the broader conflict, combat continued in eastern Ukraine. A rebel leader said he was skeptical about discussions to reach a temporary truce in the fight with the pro-Western government of Ukraine, which would have made it easier for experts to study the crash site.
For its part, the Ukrainian military on Monday pressed an assault near Donetsk's city center, 40 miles from the area of the crash. Artillery strikes hit targets near the Donetsk railway station and airport, including residential buildings, witnesses said. The government denied aiming at civilian facilities.
The Malaysia Airlines jet, the recovery of passengers' bodies and the ensuing investigation have all fallen victim to the conflict that has raged since spring between the Ukrainian government and separatist groups that are armed and, in some cases, led by Russians. The Malaysian airliner was struck by a missile that Ukraine, the United States and many other governments believe was fired by separatists, though the rebels and Moscow have denied it and blamed Kiev instead. The rebels had allowed onlookers to roam around the crash site and had limited access to investigators while they dickered with international and Ukrainian authorities seeking to retrieve the bodies and assess evidence.
Early Tuesday, the rebels handed over what they said were the plane's black boxes. The transfer took place in a ceremony with a Malaysian delegation in the rebel-controlled regional administration building in Donetsk.
Hours earlier, just before nightfall, the train bearing the bodies of the plane victims finally departed the railway station in Torez, near the crash site, heading for the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kharkiv, where the Dutch military had sent coffins. The majority of the passengers on the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight — 193 — were from the Netherlands.
The Ukrainian government announced that 282 bodies have been recovered, leaving 16 passengers unaccounted for. The remains are to be taken to the Netherlands, where they will be identified and turned over to families who feared their loved ones had become political pawns. It was unclear whether all the bodies were aboard the five intermittently refrigerated cars on the train.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said it could take as long as 12 hours for the train to make the journey, depending on conditions.
Late Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said he had reached agreement with Alexander Borodai, a rebel leader, for a Malaysian team to take custody of the two black-box data recorders from rebel fighters who had retrieved them and had previously refused to turn them over. He also said international investigators would be guaranteed safe access to the crash site.
Meanwhile, three Dutch investigators, whose access to the crash site had previously been blocked by the Russian-backed separatists, began gathering evidence Monday.
In an interview with CNN, Borodai insisted the separatists were eager for the bodies to be collected quickly. He said the rebels had been hampered by statements from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that the separatists were responsible for any bodies that were moved.
"It got to the point where it resembled, if not a horror movie, then black humor," he said. "When an old woman comes to our rebel groups and says: 'Look, there is a body of a headless man [that] fell through the roof straight onto my bed. Please take this man away.' But the rebels say no, because they are following instructions."
Underscoring the antagonism that contributed to the delays, Borodai told reporters in Donetsk that the bodies and the objects that the rebels believed to be the black boxes would be handed over to "foreign experts, but not to the Ukrainian side."
He said that he was doubtful that talks with the OSCE on a temporary truce with the Ukrainian military would yield fruit.
"I am not very optimistic about this meeting," he said. "The previous ones had no results."
Even as final negotiations progressed over the train carrying the bodies, the Ukrainian military attacked the center of Donetsk. Its central train station was partially evacuated for several hours, although trains continued to run and the facility was not damaged, a representative of the station said.
Ukrainian military authorities made no apologies for carrying out a military assault just miles from where a team of international observers was gathering to inspect the scene of the plane crash.
"This is a planned offensive," said a Ukrainian military spokesman, Vladislav Seleznev. The military is trying to push rebels away from the airport, he said. "Aviation and artillery are not aiming at civilian residences. Their only aim is to block the terrorists and fighters."
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that the investigation into the crash would be based in the Netherlands.
In remarks carried by the Ukrainian Interfax news agency, he described the rebels as "barbarians" who murdered 298 innocent people and then looted children's toys from the luggage that dropped from the sky. He said the rebels had committed three crimes — shooting down the plane, treating the bodies with negligence and disrespect, and tampering with evidence.


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Healthy Heritage Kitchen - Kwanzaa Edition
Program Description: Chicago chef Wilbert Jones prepares healthy versions of holiday meals for ethnic communities.
All Upcoming Episodes
There are no broadcasts currently planned. Please check back for future broadcast dates.
Past Episodes
These episodes of Healthy Heritage Kitchen - Kwanzaa Edition aired in the last few months on Iowa Public Television.


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TEMPE, Ariz. Albert Pujols has played 12 years in the majors. He has played in All-Star Games and World Series.
Still, when the Angels slugger stepped up to the plate in the first inning Tuesday, in front of 4,170 fans in a half-full Tempe Diablo Stadium, he had butterflies.
"My dad used to say if you aren't nervous, you aren't ready," Pujols said. "I get nervous the first at-bat of the spring, first at-bat of the regular season, and first at-bat of the playoffs."
This particular first at-bat was perhaps the most anticipated spring debut of his career, because Pujols is rehabbing from offseason knee surgery that kept him out of the first 10 days worth of exhibition games.
Pujols said he didn't mind missing so many games because he knew this spring has an extra week's worth of games because of the World Baseball Classic.
Although Pujols had said last week he had no plans to play anytime soon in spring training, and that he didn't need the at-bats, he acknowledged Tuesday that this was the game he'd been aiming for all along. He started at designated hitter.
"You need to get your at-bats as much as you can because this is what gets you ready for the season," Pujols said. "It doesn't matter how much you swing in the cage. It doesn't matter how much you do, you still need to see some live pitching."
Pujols broke his bat on a groundout in the first inning against Cincinnati Reds right-hander Mike Leake. In the fourth, Pujols struck out on a slider from lefty Aroldis Chapman. In the sixth, he grounded out against lefty Wilkin De La Rosa, a minor leaguer.
Pujols did not run hard to first on either of the groundouts, which was the plan. He has not yet run the bases, so the Angels told him to take it easy Tuesday.
The Angels made an agreement with Reds manager Dusty Baker to allow them to pinch-run for Pujols and keep him in the game, had he reached base.
Pujols said he's expecting to play every other day for the rest of this week, then start playing two games in a row. Pujols is still a couple weeks away from being able to play first base in a game.
"It's good to get in the game and see live pitching," Pujols said. "I'm just trying to get at-bats and build toward April. That's our main goal, to get my swing ready for the season."
Right-hander Chad Cordero said he's still feeling good about his comeback even after giving up six runs in two-thirds of an inning Monday. "For the most part everything is going a lot better than I thought arm-wise," Cordero said. "I've had one bad outing. I've had many of those. I know how to handle those. Plus, I've been through a lot tougher times, so I know how to deal with stuff better." …
Infielder Bill Hall ran for the first time since injuring his quad last week. Hall said he'll able to play again in a couple days.


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Candidates Reply Date Most colleges participate in an agreement to let all students know of their admissions status no later than mid-April for regular admissions options. Then you have until the common reply date of May 1 to let the college know if you will be attending. Typically, colleges require by May 1 a deposit of a few hundred dollars to hold a space for you. Check the instructions you receive from the college. At this time (by May 1) students should also notify colleges if they will not be attending to make room for students on wait lists. Above all, do not deposit at more than one college. "Double-depositing" is frowned on by all colleges and may result in both colleges withdrawing their acceptances. If you are unable to meet the May deadline for some reason (for example a missing financial aid offer), you should request an extension from the admissions office.
Waitlists Inevitably, in addition to being admitted to some colleges, some students will end up on waitlists at some others. Waitlists are the colleges' insurance against being under enrolled in September. They do not know how many deposits they will receive on May 1, and if they appear to be running short, they will soon make offers to those students on the waitlist. Usually this might happen in early May. If you are on a waitlist, there is no guarantee of getting off it, so you must deposit at some college on May 1. If later you are admitted from a waitlist, you of course can choose to go to that college, but let the first one know you changed your mind and expect to lose your original deposit.
Choosing Your College In mid-April you need to decide which college to attend. If you are accepted at your first choice college, you need to be sure that the criteria you were considering in October are still important to you now. Do you have the highest chance for success and fulfillment at this college, or might you do better academically and feel better about yourself if you choose another college from among your acceptances? This choice will be particularly important if you will be pursuing a professional school after graduation. It is a good idea to make one more visit if you are undecided over a couple of colleges or if you have not seen one of your colleges, but you need not spend too much time doing this and interrupting your course work. Keep in mind that it is your decision, and you should pick a college that meets your needs. If you have been attending to each step of the process, the answer should be evident.
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4/22/2015Tom Lombardo Named St. Edward Head Football Coach
4/20/2015Spring Day of Service: May 16, 2015
4/17/2015Faculty Blog: Mr. Falk, Pre-Engineering
4/16/2015Edwardian Players Present "Fiddler on the Roof"
4/13/2015Update: Four Student Films Place in 2015 iMagine Film Festival


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Up one level (MSF index) Up two levels (Moto index) Back to Home |
Interfacing an ACC RC-850 Repeater Controller to an MSF5000 CXB Station Originally titled: Specifications Covering the Line-up and Installation of the VHF Motorola MSF5000 (possibly published by ACC itself) Transcribed by Robert W. Meister WA1MIK (with some corrections and improvements) |
Disclaimer from WA1MIK:
The original author and source are unknown. This document was something I found on the web and printed in 2002 and stuffed into a binder. It is incomplete and there are lots of omissions and errors. I merely transcribed it. You get what you pay for. See the "Contacting Us" page on the Repeater-Builder main index page if you can offer improvements or corrections.
This document summarizes the changes in configuration as well as the interface specifications for a VHF Motorola MSF5000 in order to be used with the ACC RC-850 repeater controller.
The equipment covered by this specification is as follows.
Software Configuration:
"SoftPot" settings for initial installation were changed as follows.
SoftPot | Signal Being Adjusted | Original | Modified |
0 | Coded (Decrypted) RX Level | 50 | 00 |
1 | Flutter Fighter Level (896 MHz only) | 10 | 00 |
2 | Repeater Squelch Level | 78 | 78 |
3 | Receiver Squelch Level | 73 | 73 |
4 | Maximum Deviation Level | 82 | 82 |
5 | Receiver (Repeater) Level | 99 | 99 |
6 | Coded Deviation Level | 89 | 00 |
7 | Transmit Line Audio Level | 41 | 00 |
8 | Status Tone Level | 50 | 00 |
9 | High End Equalization Level | 00 | 00 |
A | Low End Equalization Level | 00 | 00 |
B | Trunking Data Deviation Level | 00 | 00 |
C | Line 2 Output Level | 50 | 00 |
D | Line 4 Output Level | 00 | 00 |
E | Coarse Line Output Level | 02 | 00 |
[The following paragraph added by WA1MIK:]
You must enable the MRTI interface port on page 6 of the Advanced Information settings. You must also add "M" (MRTI) to the PTT Priority field list and set the MRTI TOT (Time-Out-Timer) field to 000 for the mode being used by the repeater. There are other configuration parameters that also must be set when using an external repeater controller. All of these settings are changed using the Radio Service Software (RSS).
Hardware changes from the original configuration (as purchased)
Secure Capable Station Control Board (SSCB):
Trunked Tone Remote Control Board (TTRC):
Secure Module:
Interface Specifications:
Upon researching the various options for interfacing the control and audio lines from the RC-850 to the MSF5000, it was determined that using the MRTI interface connector on the MSF5000 was the most effective option. It was also decided to combine all of the audio and control lines to and from the MSF5000 into a female DB9 connector to be mounted to the chassis. This was done in order to assist in the ease of installation and removal of the MSF5000 or the RC-850.
The pinout of the MRTI (J802) connector is as follows. Click on the image for a larger view.
Note that this connector can have either 20 pins (older board) or 14 pins (newer board), but the usage of the first 12 pins is the same. The pins used on this connector are as follows.
Pin | Signal Name | Use or Function |
1 | Logic Ground | Ground connection used as reference for logic connections. |
2 | /MRTI PL Strip | Active low input. Tied to Autopatch Offhook output from RC-850. Allows DPL transmitted during normal operation to be turned off during an autopatch call to facilitate selective monitoring. |
5 | /MRTI PTT | Active low input. Used as PTT input from RC-850 to key transmitter. |
7 | Audio Ground | Ground connection used as reference for audio connections. |
8 | In MRTI Audio | Audio in from RC-850 to be transmitted. |
10 | Out MRTI Audio | Audio out to RC-850 from receiver. |
The pinouts of the TTRC connectors (J2900 and J2901) are as follows. Click on the image for a larger view.
Most of the pins used for the interface to the RC-850 are available from the MRTI connector (see above). However, one pin that is required but is not available on that connector is some sort of Carrier On Receive (COR) signal.
That signal is available as either active low or active high as required. The pins involved are:
The only other signal required is an external keying signal (/PA KEY) for the power amplifier. This signal is active low and is available from the RF Tray Interconnect Board on either J502A, pin 6 or J596A, pin 4 as desired. Ground, if required, is available at J502, pin 5 or J596A, pin 3.
[The following paragraph added by WA1MIK:]
I don't know why they need the external keying signal described in the paragraph above. This signal isn't brought out to the DB9 connector or the RC-850 controller via the interface cable below. They DO seem to want /AC FAIL, an active low signal that comes from the power supply. This IS available on the RF Tray Interconnect Board at J701A, pin 4 as documented below.
DB9 Connector Pin Specifications:
The pinout of the DB9 connector added to the MSF5000 chassis for interfacing to the RC-850 is as follows:
DB9 | MSF5000 | RC-850 | Description |
1 | J802, 7 | DB15, 2 (AGND) | Audio Ground |
2 | J802, 8 | DB15, 1 (J10, 10) | Audio From RC-850 |
3 | J802, 10 | DB15, 9 (J10, 2) | Audio To RC-850 |
4 | J2900, 8 | DB15, 8 (DGND) | Logic Ground |
6 | J701A, 4 | (J6, 14) (Digital Input) | /AC Fail |
7 | J802, 1 | DB15, 8 (DGND) | Logic Ground |
9 | J802, 2 | (J7, 8) (Digital Output) | /DPL Disable |
RC-850-MSF5000 Interface Cable Specifications:
The cable below was constructed to interface the MSF5000 to the RC-850. A resistor divider network was used to reduce the audio to the RC-850 from about 6.4 Vpp to 1 Vpp (at 1kHz).
Up one level (MSF index)
Up two levels (Moto index)
Back to Home
This article transcribed 03-Dec-2011.
This web page, this web site, the information presented in and on its pages and in these modifications and conversions is © Copyrighted 1995 and (date of last update) by Kevin Custer W3KKC and multiple originating authors. All Rights Reserved, including that of paper and web publication elsewhere.


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The Scholarship of the Class of 1867, with an income of $150, will be awarded soon after the beginning of the second half-year to a Freshman in Harvard College thought to be "meritorious and in need of assistance." Preference will be given to sons of the members of the College Class of 1867.
Freshmen who have this academic year applied unsuccessfully for the second assignment of Price Greenleaf Aid will be considered, without further action on their part, candidates for the Scholarship. All other Freshmen wishing to become candidates must apply on Forms which may be obtained at the Recorder's office, and must leave their applications with the Recorder before February 20, 1897.
RICHARD COBB, Corresponding Secretary.


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Merry Christmas!!
That is such a great photo!! Hope you've had a great Christmas!Steph
Sweet photo! Merry Christmas (it's not over YET...)
Such a fun picture, I loved the card!! Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year Scotts!
I absolutely LOVE your Christmas card! It's a beautiful, candid moment.
I'm dying to know what you have to say, so talk already! Thanks!


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Cotolette di Mortadella
Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
3 eggs well beaten
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2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 (1/2-inch) thick slices mortadella
Slowly heat oil to 375 degrees F.
Place the beaten egg, bread crumbs and Parmigiano into each of 3 separate pie plates. Dip each slice of mortadella in the beaten eggs then the breadcrumbs, back to the egg, then into the Parmigiano, back into the egg, and finally back in to the breadcrumbs. Make sure that the mortadella slices are coated completely.
Place the coated slices of mortadella into the hot oil.
Fry until they are golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately.
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text:
Sarnoff Turns His Back on Blacks
Dressed in a fire-engine-red short-sleeve button-down shirt and matching slacks, George Symonette leans back in the barber chair where he has clipped hair for more than a decade. The 65-year-old's face tightens and his words come fast as he discusses city Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who represents Coconut Grove and many of Miami's wealthy bayfront communities.
"He doesn't want to make himself known to the real people, and he's trying to get all the black businesses out," says the goateed Symonette, who runs one of the few shops left on once-bustling Grand Avenue. "Around here, Sarnoff means 'signed off.'"
Whispers have circulated at city hall in recent weeks that the commissioner is contemplating a run for mayor in 2009, when Manny Diaz will have to step down. If Sarnoff is to achieve his goal, it's clear he must win back African-American voters like Symonette and others in the West Grove, where 80 percent of the population is black, mostly of West Indian origin, and 26 percent of the residents live below the federal poverty level.
Sarnoff's credibility with the community took a major hit after he publicly disclosed a memo detailing an alleged conversation he had last May 8 with former City Manager Joe Arriola. Sarnoff wrote that Arriola told him that to win Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones's vote on two controversial condo projects, the developers had to hire two of her friends.
Arriola claims the conversation never happened. Spence-Jones, the city's only black commissioner, denies any wrongdoing. And well-known black leaders, including Liberty City activist Billy Hardemon and former U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, have called the Anglo commish a "liar" and a "racist."
Perhaps as a way to establish a connection with the black community, Sarnoff unveiled on February 13 a three-point plan to ban assault rifles in the city. During a press conference, he was flanked by Miami Police Chief John Timoney, several deputy chiefs, and the wife and parents of Det. James Walker, a black officer killed by an assault-rifle-wielding perpetrator this past January 8.
As TV news cameras from seven local stations filmed, Sarnoff said Miami is under seige by gang members carrying machine guns and assault rifles. "Our police are outgunned and outmanned," he said. "These weapons are designed to kill with lethal force."
After the press conference, he refused to comment about his political future.
One person Sarnoff is unlikely to win over is Walter Parlins III, owner of Rustic Treasures, an African-themed coffee bar at 3670 Grand Ave., across the street from Symonette's shop. He says the commissioner — a lawyer whose practice is located in his house on nearby Shipping Avenue — hasn't helped black areas. "He's not making a strong effort to help sustain the businesses," Parlins says. "This man should be held accountable to this community."
The heavy-set, 42-year-old Archbishop Curley Notre Dame High School graduate operates Rustic Treasures with his 47-year-old wife Bonna. The two Grovites are also on the board of directors for the Coconut Grove Village West Island District Merchants Association. "Unlike Commissioner Sarnoff, I don't have the luxury of running a law firm from my house," Parlins says. "I have a grassroots business that is struggling to get people through the door."
It was at a 2006 candidates forum that Parlins first met Sarnoff, who was running against incumbent Linda Haskins. "He kept painting himself as this David versus Goliath," Parlins says. The next day, he invited Sarnoff for tea at his shop. "I wanted to brainstorm with him — you know, get inside his head.
"We made an appointment for him to come [to Rustic Treasures]," Parlins says. "He never showed up."
Then, a month after Sarnoff defeated Haskins on November 21, 2006, the merchant association held its Christmas party at Basil's in the Grove, a Caribbean restaurant at 3301 Grand Ave. "We invited Sarnoff and his staff," says Parlins, adding that only Yvonne McDonald, Sarnoff's sole black aide, showed up. "By 11:30 p.m., we knew he wasn't coming."
Basil's owner, Samir Nadkarni, a tall man with a bushy black beard who also lives in the Grove, confirms Parlins's account. He points out that Sarnoff spends a lot of time at trendy Green Street Café in the heart of the Grove's business district, but rarely visits predominantly black areas nearby. "He is not as available as I thought he would be," Nadkarni says. "He won't come here, yet he says he is a man of the people."
Nadkarni criticizes the commissioner for not cracking down on slumlords and crime. "My place has been broken into three times in the last six months," he says. "All Sarnoff has given me is lip service."
Timothy Williams, owner of Smokey's Fish Market at 3646 Grand Ave., says he hasn't met the commissioner. "He's never been in here," he says. "And I've been here four years."
Avoiding the Grove's black businesses is just one example of Sarnoff's insensitivity, Parlins claims. He cites a commission meeting this past September 11 as another instance. Bonna Parlins attended the hearing to find out why their coffee bar failed to receive a $10,000 grant from a $370,000 community development fund set aside for small businesses in the commissioner's district.
At the time, Rustic Treasures had hit rock bottom, the Parlinses admit. Four months earlier, the couple had been evicted from a location at 3700 Grand Ave. The owner of that property is Andy Parrish, a real estate investor who gave $250 to Sarnoff's 2006 political campaign.
Parrish says he notified Sarnoff he would go after the grant money if it was awarded to the Parlinses. "It was my fault they didn't get the grant," he says. "They promised they would leave without forcing me to get a lawyer and evict them. That didn't happen. So there was a lot of animosity."
The property owner has since forgiven the Parlinses' debt because of Bonna. "She works very hard," Parrish says. "But her husband wants to blame everyone for their problems."
During the hearing, Spence-Jones asked the city's interim community development director, Hector Mirable, if she could give Rustic Treasures the money from her district's community development funds. "I know they're doing wonderful work in the West Grove," she said.
That set off Sarnoff. He warned Spence-Jones that Parrish had won a judgment against Rustic Treasures, and that the grant money "would be subject to a right of seizure by the court" to pay back rent. "The landlord ... is well-known to this commission," Sarnoff said. "[He] gave her quite a bit of free rent, and then she overstayed her welcome. She had to be evicted."
Bonna Parlins says Sarnoff humiliated her and that Rustic Treasures did not owe Parrish any money. "Instead of sending out an aide to talk to me, he put out our dirty laundry in public," she says. "He was being very arrogant."
Sarnoff claims Spence-Jones had no business meddling in his district's affairs. "The West Grove is my issue and my problem," he says. As far as Rustic Treasures, Sarnoff explains, he didn't think it was appropriate to help a failing venture. "I'm very different from the way Spence-Jones operates."
Walter Parlins says he wasn't looking for a handout. "If there are grants out there to help businesses like ours, then why wouldn't we take advantage of them?" he contends. "It is the American way."
Rustic Treasures has struggled because there is no foot traffic on Grand Avenue, Parlins says. "We've got crack dealers and drug addicts out here. People don't want to come inside your business with that stuff going on out here."
Bonna Parlins says Sarnoff doesn't appreciate the work she and her husband have put into their business. "I don't really want a beef with Sarnoff," she explains. "I only want him to respect people like us who are trying their hardest and who take pride in their shop."
Responds Sarnoff: "The West Grove is comfortable with my representation." And he accuses his detractors of unfairly playing the race card. "If you use [the claim of racism] like a disposable baggie, it becomes like the boy who cried wolf," he says. "It dilutes the purpose."
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Moving up
Tom Yunt was named president and chief executive officer of Sierra Vista-based Wick Communications Co.
The company publishes 28 newspapers and 18 specialty publications in 12 states.
Its Southern Arizona papers include The Daily Territorial, Inside Tucson Business, the Tucson Weekly, the Green Valley News & Sun, the Sahuarita Sun, the Sierra Vista Herald, the Arizona Range News, the Bisbee Review and the Nogales International.
Yunt was most recently president and CEO of Woodward Communications Inc., a multimedia company with media and marketing services businesses in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.
Yunt, who is scheduled to start work Monday, replaces John M. Mathew, Wick's president and CEO since 2001. Company officials say Yunt and Mathew, who resigned in May, will work together through a transition period, The Associated Press reported.


text:
85 East Pendleton Street
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At Tanner Chrysler Products, we take pride in providing friendly and honest service to the Stanton KY community. Our friends and neighbors have been trusting us for their Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM buying needs for many years. Our attentive staff would be pleased to answer your questions, or view our new Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM vehicle inventory online:
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Things never get dull for the country's lone satellite-radio provider. Shares of Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI ) were unchanged heading into the final trading day of the week, before matching the Nasdaq's 2.15% slide on Friday.
The company also announced that it will release its fourth quarter results on Feb. 4. It will also make next week's birthday bash for Howard Stern available for free anywhere in the world, and it firmed up its due diligence in response to Liberty Media's (NASDAQ: LMCA ) takeover proposal.
Let's take a closer look.
Yearning for earnings
Sirius XM will post fresh financials in 10 days. The company has already divulged how many subscribers it had at the end of the quarter, but naturally the market will want to see how it's holding up everywhere else.
Analysts see Sirius XM posting a profit of $0.02 a share, matching the prior year's bottom-line performance. They also see revenue climbing to $981.4 million. Sirius XM is closing in on its first $1 billion quarter, but that will probably have to wait until the second quarter of this year.
Stern embrace
One of Stern's traditions when he was on terrestrial radio, a celebrity-studded birthday celebration, is making its way to Sirius XM on Friday. In an interesting move, Sirius XM announced on Wednesday that the Jimmy Kimmel-hosted affair will be made available to anyone in the world for free through its siriusxm.com website.
It's going to be a pretty big deal. Jon Bon Jovi, Louis C.K., Davide Letterman, Sarah Silverman, John Fogerty, and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler have already agreed to be a part of the fete. Making it available as a worldwide stream for free will help grow global awareness for the brand and help the media giant push the service to potential new users closer to home.
It's a smart move all around.
Give them Liberty
The market's generally been unimpressed with Liberty Media's lowball offer to absorb Sirius XM into its bloodstream, but now the special committee of board members assigned to review the proposal is expanding its research efforts.
Sirius XM announced on Friday that the committee has retained Evercore Group to serve as its financial advisor and Weil, Gotshal & Manges to be its legal counsel in evaluating the deal. Investors seem generally skittish about accepting non-voting Liberty Media shares without a healthier premium, but we'll see what the third-party advisors think.
A Sirius future
It was an interesting week for Sirius XM. The new week isn't likely to be dull. But when it comes to entertainment trends, do you know how to profit? There's $2.2 trillion out there to be had. Currently, cable grabs a big piece of the war for your living room. That won't last. And when cable falters, three companies are poised to benefit. Click here for their names. Hint: They're not Netflix, Google, and Apple.