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What would it take to build an online TV service that regular people would use instead of cable or satellite?
Microsoft's new Xbox Live IPTV services are about as close as anyone seems to have gotten so far, but it still feels like a complement rather than a replacement. What I'm describing here is more ambitious than that -- which is why it's not going to happen anytime soon -- but I think it's also useful to think through. Doing so helps us understand the big challenges any provider would face if they tried to build something, and it also gives us a better sense of what needs to happen before there will be any large scale shift in consumer behavior. The obstacles really aren't technological at this point; broadband penetration is high enough. We're just dealing with the legacy business model of a television industry that's having trouble making the transition to a new distribution platform.
Anyway, here are a few elements I think any online TV service will need if it wants people to be a replacement for cable or satellite:
1. Live TV
Whether it's sports, awards shows, or political stuff like the State of the Union, this is the number one reason people cite when they tell me they can't or won't cut the cord. So any service which wants to sign up regular people will have to have some kind of live TV component.
2. Have the shows people want to watch
The other big reason people don't cut the cord: they can't watch the shows they like. (Hulu does an admirable job here, but they're at the mercy of what the networks will give them.) I don't know how you solve this without paying through the nose, but regular people aren't going to give up their cable or satellite otherwise unless they feel like they can get enough programming they care about. The scary thing for the cable and satellite companies is that the high price of service is leading to a generation of young people who are never signing up in the first place and who won't have all that many shows they care about.
3. Have a great back catalog of content
Think about how many thousands and thousands of television series have been created over the years and how only a fraction of those are available online. An online service with serious breadth and depth would be another factor in convincing people to sign up.
4. Price it right
This might surprise you, but I don't think the price for this service needs to cost the same as Netflix or Hulu. A true substitute cable or satellite only needs to be significantly cheaper than the average cable or satellite bill, which is usually in the range of $60 to $70. The right mix of live programming and on-demand programming could come in around $25 or $30 and still be very successful.
5. Somehow don't piss off the cable companies
Most people -- at least in the US -- get their internet over cable, so anyone offering an online TV service is going to draw the ire of the Comcasts and Time Warner Cables of the world. They're already raising the prospect of tighter bandwidth caps and expensive overages in response to the rise of Netflix, how do you think they'd react if twenty million households canceled their cable service and signed up for an online TV service? It's not that they're opposed to people watching stuff online -- they just want to get paid for it no matter what. The cable and satellite companies love TV Everywhere (which lets you watch programming on your PC, mobile device, or Xbox) because you need to be a paid cable or satellite subscriber to access the content. Sort of defeats the purpose as far as I'm concerned, but the cable and satellite companies are going to do everything possible to keep people on the hook. I honestly don't know how you solve this problem. You may end up treating them like the mob, where you have to pay them off every month to get what you really want.
Would love to get your thoughts, what else do you think is needed?
I think we are at the point where we need to talk about reforming the Telecom Act of '96, with the main item on the agenda being to make it illegal to tie connectivity with content services. If cable companies are not permitted to use their monopoly on the wires into our homes to sell content, I think the landscape would look completely different.
Bits are bits and we need to stop wasting the 5.6Gbps of throughput into our homes on reruns.
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the real issue is how to deploy a system that does this effectively. presumably, that's what Jobs meant when he told Isaacson that "cracked the code" for TV or whatever.
this implies a system that can effectively pull metadata from disparate sources, scrub and unify that data for consistent presentation (not trivial), and deliver the content via a simple yet compelling UI.
sadly, MSOs remain committed to IR remotes with the old "up, down, right, left" paradigm - which cripples the UI with a slow and tedious method to search and/or browse for content that is downright primitive in comparison to what many of us have become accustomed to on our phones and tablets.
some of the "smart TV" systems (internet connected TVs) from Sony, Samsung, and LG show promise, but in each case it's often necessary to switch video sources in order to use a STB, a game console, a media player such as BR/DVD/DVR, an OTT box such as Sling, Boxee, Roku, etc., or OTA sources. there is no consistency in UI (in terms of physical remote or on screen control) from source to source, and there is a lot of latency in every system as sources are switched.
mainstream consumers are waiting for a system that unifies the experience, improves the UI, eliminates latency, and kills the multi-remote table clutter once and for all.
there will be those here who *like* the control provided by dedicated systems - but that doesn't respond to Peter's question re: "regular people"
whatever Apple is planning will probably have that appeal. the problem with Apple TV today is that it's saddled with the up/down/right/left remote (albeit one of the better implementations) , the iTunes pay wall, and it's just a source - not a hub.
the "real" solution will integrate paid and free content (including local/live, sports, etc.) from multiple sources in one seamless experience.
worth checking out www.hillcrestlabs.com...
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Once multiple tv systems can be delivered over one pipe, using IP, then issues like what is the best UX possible can be one of the terms of competition.
Any one of the current cable or satellite company players could offer this sort of service, if they could get content providers to make the deals (which it does not seem like they can.)
For example, why does a company like DirectTV need satellites in this day and age? Why not just offer a similar service over IP? Or why doesn't someone compete with them for that market?
#5 is the reason. It is also the reason why net neutrality matters and the fact that we all know that not pissing off the cable companies matters, suggests that we don't really have net neutrality.
It is a sad truth but politically at this time, cable companies are too powerful to allow direct competition with their cable TV franchises. The FCC could be imposing the sort of competition that would create this type of service but they are not going to do it. Too much influence from the current players who have been ready and blocking this sort of thing from happening.
It also seems to be the case that content providers are colluding with cable companies, some are now owned by cable companies, not to make deals that would allow the cable box to be bypassed for certain current programming. That is why your iPad can't stream certain stuff to a TV over Airplay. The content is locked up to prevent that very thing from happening.
We need an Open TV coalition to expose the way cable, content and policy are being tied together to limit competition for TV delivery over IP. Then we might actually get to a point where TV is untethered from your ISP and we might actually have competition and choice between many IPTV providers.
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I know that this falls into your first requirement, but it is a variation worth mentioning. In an ideal world, an IPTV service would not just have live coverage of emergency situations, but it would also have the ability to alert you somehow, no matter what you're watching.
And... we don't watch sports.
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Dish Welcome has (of note):
- Local networks
- Comedy Central
- Food
- History
- Oxygen
- Hub
- Hallmark
- Bloomberg
- Weather Channel
- The usual shovel-fulls of religious and shopping channels.
- Public Interest educational channels like UCTV and Link.
Comcast Economy has (may vary slightly by market):
- Local broadcast channels
- Discovery
- Univision (Spanish)
- Telemundo (Spanish)
- Disney
- Cartoon Network
- Animal Planet
- Weather Channel
- Fox News
- History
- TruTV
- Spike
- Comedy Central
- TVLand
- Food
- Lifetime
- Religious/Shopping whatnot.
- Community access whatnot.
If you're interested in a cheap way of getting something like HBO-GO, Dish Welcome + HBO (total: $31) is the cheapest way I know of, and you get AMC and Comedy out of it to boot.
The only catch here is HD. Dish charges extra for it and you need to own or rent an HD box. Comcast will charge you the HD box rental (an SD-only box is included).
If you can't negotiate with the leagues then you'd have to convince the networks to cut out the cable companies from equation and stream their sports content on the Internet. Again this goes to relationships. You'd have to convince the networks to annoy the cable providers which would require way too much money per subscriber.
The thing with sports on the Internet is that there isn't the same P2P threat that movies and music faced in the last 15 years that will force them to lower their prices for the Internet. Illegal streaming of live events is still too hard and unreliable to be used at similar levels that Napster had.
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Not trying to prophesy here, but just making the point that Steve never believed in doing what everyone else was doing only a little better. If he threw his heart and soul into it, he went for the gold and tried to take what everyone else was doing and fix it... which means change it drastically. Based on his comments around this project, it seems like he may have invested himself in it enough for that.
In regards to the networks, they are finally getting a clue. I just watched the Sunday night Saints vs. Lions NFL game streaming live on nbc.com Sunday night and it was amazing... way better than watching it on television. The little picture-in-picture view of the above-field camera is awesome. Convincing these networks to treat Apple like another service provider may not be so far-fetched.
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Other issues are the if-I-dont-watch-it-now-I'm-going-to-miss-it effect and the I-want-to-see-it-before-everyone-else syndrome, and my personal favorite: the if-I-can-watch-it-anytime-I-want-then-I-don't-need-to attitude, which is related to the if-I-can-always-win-there's-no-need-to-play idea in gaming.
Then remember that Comcast has around 22 million subscribers and TWC has another 12 million. 34 million x $0.10 is not chump change.
Now ask yourself how much they have to charge to get $3.4 million from only one million subs, instead of 34 million. And this is assuming the one million viewers all cut the cord and use an OTT option for viewing.
The price tag on your "a la carte" shopping cart is going to fill up pretty quickly if you don't have millions of other viewers subsidizing your choices. That is, assuming these smaller TV networks even survive without the regular paycheck from the cable MSOs.
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1. A channel that is kept alive by subsidy either deserves to die, OR... it is exactly the sort of channel that is ripe for distribution on a lower cost medium like online. Look at TechTV, a channel theme that collapsed on cable, but the content of which has found its way to a much better outlet via IP in entities like TWiT and Revision3. There's no reason your Food Channel and DIY and the like couldn't follow suit.
2. Some consolidation needs to happen anyway. We have more channels than content to fill them. That's why basic cable is so full of redundant low budget reality crap. It's just filler so the channel owners can jack up the number of ad slots available and theoretical number of eyeballs watching. History International is the TV equivalent of a heavily SEO'ed 2 paragraph article with 10 ads flashing around it.
3. More and more, the classic Cable model is being sustained by one thing: Sports. There are a LOT of sports fans out there and they want their games as live and as HD as freaking possible, and more than any other cable constituency they are willing to PAY. ESPN/Disney and the leagues have become
4. THEME-BASED PACKAGES instead of tiers or a-la-carte. Cox was experimenting with this when I was with them a few years back. You subscribed to a basic package of mostly all-purpose channels (locals, Public interest, general interest (USA, TBS, WGN...)) and added themes on top of it, which could be Movies, News, Sports, etc, priced accordingly. This let them bundle weak channels along with stronger ones and still let viewers opt out of things they didn't care about categorically. Of course you still couldn't opt out of ESPN-1, because if Disney couldn't spread the egregious cost of that programming across an entire subscriber-base, the subscribers that do watch it might realize how overpriced sports programming really is and decide that they don't need it so much after all. (Similar to what is happening to Cable TV as a whole for the people who aren't shackled to a sports addiction.)
So, practically speaking, I think there needs to be the intermediate step of breaking up the tier-based system within the old distribution medium before moving to a new one. It will better illustrate to the programmers and cable companies that there is money to be made under a more horizontal business model.
for all this talk about disrupting television there is an awful lot of desire to make the online alternatives exactly like cable. what's most interesting is that the cable companies and studios want it this way -- what they're doing is working. they're sabotaging the disruption by appearing to give us what we want, almost, but never quite letting anything match the enjoyment and simplicity of cable.
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How about letting me choose which channels I want to get? There's probably less than a dozen channels my family actually cares about, so turn off the rest and lower my bill if you want me to stick around. I don't channel surf, and I don't watch sports, so don't make me pay for all that other stuff. i'd still keep a "basic HD" set of channels, but I want to choose the channels.
Broadcast cable (e.g. multicasting) is still a great (and efficient) way to download TV shows into a lot of people's DVRs without having to send individual "on demand" Internet streams to all those cable-cutters (which also slows down everyone's cable Internet speed).
The single big thing that will never get anyone to jump is mentioned by beau above and that's sports. Microsoft attempted to bring this to the Xbox with their Summer Olympics plug-in a while back but it wasn't that great. A. it wasn't updating with the most recent stuff, B. none of it was live C. it required someone have another PC running in their place with WMC on top of it. The Xbox integration of ESPN360 is nice but again there are problems mostly with the overall quality of the feed and the #1 biggest problem with online sports is Blackout rules. Until blackout rules go away a proper online service providing sports is never going to take off.
Edit: I think one factor some are overlooking too is bandwidth, but I think that deviates a bit from what you're asking.
also want to watch when I'm ready. DVR's suck and are old tech which the cable and satellite companies don't have an interested in upgrading to something better. I can only record two things at once and when doing so I have to either watch one of those two programs or something I've already recorded. I'd much rather sit down to watch TV when I am ready and download exactly what I'm in the mood for. Also, DVR interfaces are awful and slow and the remotes (like many other television remotes) need updating.
I'm not a huge sports fan so I don't really care about live TV and at this time I'm having a hard time thinking of a reason why I would need live TV except for an emergency news broadcast. Maybe I'm not a typical television viewer. I can accept that.
As far as not pissing off the cable companies I'm not sure how that is possible at this time. They want to keep collecting the vast amounts of cash they have been for far too long. They have tons of money to use to make their product better and they don't. They couldn't care less about customer satisfaction.
Matching the money content producers get from the networks is going to be a challenge - especially given that ties between cable providers and content producers are growing tighter (Comcast/NBC Universal).
1 - The first includes #5 - but not just cable companies wanting to preserve their profits, the studios and media companies have profit margins to maintain too (for good or bad). Many of the less popular channels are owned and subsidized by revenues from higher-profit ones. You're still paying for all the channels you don't watch in your cable plan, and that does enable valuable and meaningful, even if niche, variety in programming to mass audiences. If we are able to pay less for our TV content, we would need to ensure that the production of new content isn't starved of funding, otherwise i think we'd suffer from the same kind of saturation of "pop" content that's happening to music. Only that with mass appeal would thrive, and the fringes would be littered with low-budget and low-reach media. It's not intractable, but it needs innovation in technology to drive a new wave to helping content reach audiences if we disempower the cable companies from doing it for us.
2 - Cable companies are not technology companies. That's why we still have cable boxes that are stone-age technology. They don't get it - and it's not their priority to innovate the user experience. There are many companies trying to do the innovation around the edges that have been mentioned by other commenter, but none have the control over the content and pricing like the cable hegemony does, and so the offerings really aren't compelling yet for consumers. It's either too cumbersome or clunky to stack these boxes on top of your cable box (because the cable box is still necessary), and so as glamorous as the UI might be the overall user experience still suffers because it's not reducing the complexity of it all. Or, added monthly fees (Xbox live) make it even more expensive, which is definitely not what people want.
3 - Studios licensing rules for their content are often ridiculously ridiculous. Valuable content in back catalogs sits unused for all the wrong reasons when it could be generating revenue and pleasing consumers. For example, either it's tied up in blackouts, or there isn't enough air time, or they're afraid of diluting its value by licensing it for digital distribution. It's short-sighted, and this needs to change from inside the studios or they risk the fate of the labels.
Apple, as much as I hate to say it, may be the only company with the clout to push change. They have the gravitas and proven revenue-driving potential to cajole big cable and big media to try new things. They also have the consumer devotion and UI prowess to make it easy, sexy and an instant hit. Unfortunately, with this Apple secretly moves into a choice position as your best-friend-slash-worst-enemy.
As another commenter suggested, an open tv initiative is sorely needed. Whatever special dispensation Apple receives to control access to back-catalog content should be available to any business wanting to help revolutionize TV in a way that protects everyone's interests and allows change to happen - at whatever pace everyone's comfortable with. Just let it happen already!
Growing up as a kid I would get the German equivalent of TV Guide every two weeks and would actually read it front to back and mark everything I want to watch on the major channels (about 12). I know it sounds weird. The other way of discovering TV content was channel surfing. Anyway - today I don't have time to channel surf (you may be able to discover music through radio in the background but that does not work for tv).
I can't think of a good source that allows you to discover all kinds of TV from serialized, to documentaries to live events. To me this is essential for the live after cutting the cord.
The price of cable is not the problem, the problem is that for the price you only get a giant tub of all kinds of food thrown in together instead of just the tasty stuff, neatly presented.
When I'm streaming Netflix my network gets clogged with the stream and anything else I may want to do online becomes a diminished experience. Even with a connection that gets me up to 2.5 - 3 MB/s this is still a problem. I can't imagine what it is like for people who don't even have half of that.
This would give people access to most news, sports, and popular programming. I'm actually surprised to see that MS hasn't done this yet on Xbox and I expect Google or Apple to step up here.
Local channels plus on-demand content (Netflix or Hulu) would make an IP TV service very appealing.
I was suggesting that local OTA stations feed their live streams to service providers who can then relay the stream to their market. The burden should be placed on the service providers to feed each user the bits, not the local stations. In the case of the Xbox, MS could include these stations as part of their Xbox Live Gold Subscription.
Licensing is definitely a major issue that needs to be overcome. This wouldn't be the first time new licensing rights would need to be negotiated for media. My suggestion was simply to make the point that CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox are already used to working outside of the cable industry with their own broadcast services and should be able to make their own negotiations without much push back from the cable companies. I'm not part of the broadcasting industry but from someone not in the industry, an IPTV service would appear to be the natural evolution of traditional OTA broadcast services.
Microsoft stated that their are currently ~35 million Xbox Live subscribers. This makes them larger than the entire for install base for Comcast (~23 million) who is the largest cable provider in the US. This could definitely help with negotiations. And if CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox decide to build the infrastructure they could potentially tap the hundreds of millions of Android, iOS, and Windows machines for streaming as well.
Apple has what, $80 billion in the bank? Comcast's market cap is about $60 billion, and they're not competitors, so an acquisition should pass nicely. Once Apple owns Comcast, it can take over Comcast's contracts with the networks to allow Apple consumers access to the networks through a Comcast business model while keeping the rest of Comcast's business intact on the side.
I think a more likely scenario is the Zune Pass style for TV online, where you pay a set monthly fee and you can pick-and-choose any content you like, without restriction, for a certain number of viewing hours or programs. Go over, you pay more, just like cell phone data. This protects the ISP as well from massive bandwidth costs, but also allows the user to select any show they want to see without a new package or channel subscription.
1. P2P streaming
Broadcatch instead of Broadcast... the sooner they use the wisdom and power of the crowds to share content (and somehow measure this, along with reasonable fees) the better. The days of pushing all the content down one big pipe should be behind us.
2. Let people build their own content experiences
For the first time ever, actually give people what they really want to watch, when they want to watch it. It may be a combination of streaming to a desktop or laptop to catch the latest episode you just missed, downloading and archiving of your favorite old shows and clips on your own system, streaming a mashup of your favorite clips with your commentary over to a friend, staying up to date on live news, sports and event coverage even while on the go via mobile streaming, catching new movie releases via the home theater system; this is an example of the most common uses I can think up right now, but the possibilities are endless. For some though, it might only be the mobile streaming of latest content and they may have little interest in old archives from the 50s-70s, for others it might only be occasional streaming an old childhood favorite from the 80s, for some it might be just premium sports content with betting odds and statistics, and lastly some might want to be able to click on a section of a newscast and get more relevant information (a-la Starship Troopers' "do you want to know more"). This level of interactivity is what it will take for internet-based systems to finally displace traditional broadcasts.
3. Every episode of every show ever recorded, right NOW!
It's time for the studios, cable providers and other content gatekeepers to as they say "shit or get off the pot" they are wasting valuable resources which can be monetized. People in their 50s-70s might want to watch shows from the "vaults" (archives), but if they wait 5-10 years will anyone still around be much interested in or able to afford access to re-runs of "I Love Lucy" or the orginal "Gunsmoke"?
4. Flexible business models
* Free/Advertising-supported
* Monthly Subscription (for packages of channels, similar to cable but a little more flexibility)
* Yearly Membership (for groups of content types, not channels; non-linear viewing)
* PPV/A-La-Carte for Live and Premium content
All can be priced in a way that it sustains the creation of new content
5. Start a citizen mass-movement on the scale of Occupy Wall Street, to push for legislation making the cable companies irrelevant
Its about time people stood up and said to the telcos, studios and broadcasters that they're sick of getting screwed, gauged and pinched for every penny they have, just to enjoy the privilege of watching an increasingly deteriorating level of quality of content.
With these things in place, and it may sound like a pipe-dream but I fully believe it is inevitable (the digital switchover is the first step in this) and probably coming sooner rather than later, Internet based Television will finally replace TV in a natural and organic way, and most people won't even notice the change in technology, except those who might protest or lobby for political and legal changes to enable the final stages.
If Americans really want to change this country for the better, we don't even need to get out of the house and go occupy anything. If everyone would just decide to turn off their TVs, stop watching movies, stop buying CDs produced by the big labels, and stop listening to the radio, the entire content industry would fold within 1 year as the advertisers bail out on them and independent producers like the TWiT and Revision 3 networks would step in to fill the void. Then all the time, money, and energy that gets wasted on entertainment in this country could be diverted towards more enduring endeavors. And those left creating content would be the ones doing it for love, not money, and the quality would actually increase. And we would all find new means of entertaining ourselves. I'm pretty sure no one would die from missing mainstream media, with the possible exception of all the executives in the industry that have no real skill other than stealing people's money (not saying they are all of that sort). Those folks might not be able to make a living in a world where people will only watch content that has some redeeming value.
It's amazing that the US doesn't have this already since you're always way ahead of us in terms of technology. For Apple to take over the space in France I guess they would need to become an Internet provider which I'm not sure they're going to do. But the channels and services are there. Add iTunes and Netflix (which we don't have) to that and it could be a perfect system.
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Feb 26 2014
Come see what Google Glass is all about
The Libraries will be demonstrating Google Glass and giving audience members the chance to use it themselves! If you'd like to learn more about NC State's newest technology and maybe try it out yourself, stop by one of the demos:
The D. H. Hill Lobby on Monday, March 3 from 12-2 PM
The Tech Showcase at the Hunt Library on Wednesday, March 5 from 1-3 PM.
We hope to see you there!

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Nolito strikes it lucky to fire Celta Vigo back into top four
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The Galician outfit's excellent start to the season was becoming a distant memory after losing three of their previous four games.
And lowly Sporting looked like causing further frustration after Carlos Castro Garcia had cancelled out Fabian Orellana's first-half effort.
But Barcelona target Nolito scored a fortunate winner six minutes from time when Sporting goalkeeper...


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The Top 10 In Action Sports
01Kenton Cool And The Legend Of Everest
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03Legends Behind the Lens: The Dan Milner Interview
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05The Tony Hawk Interview: How Is The Birdman Still Flying High After All These Years?
06We Toured Britain's Action Sports Hotspots With The New Ford S-MAX
07The Legend Of El Dorado: One Man's Obsession With Finding A City Made Of Gold
08I Am Legend: How Audiences – Real Or GoPro'ed – Can Affect Your Mind And Performance
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Core Ski Camps 2012 in Whistler
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By Bertram de Souza (Contact)
First, an apology to federal prosecutors in Cleveland who kept mum about the identity of the businessman who gave former Trumbull County Commissioner James Tsagaris a "loan" of $36,551. The prosecutors were ripped apart in this space on Aug. 23 for refusing to divulge the name of the individual who played Let's Make A Deal in 2004 with the then county commissioner.
Tsagaris, now 75 years old, claimed memory loss when asked to identify his benefactor. He is spending one year of electronically monitored house arrest after being convicted of using his public position for personal gain.
His lawyer went a step further, telling reporters "It would be a cold day in hell" before he named names.
And even federal Judge Sara Lioi, who pointed out during the sentencing that Tsagaris acted on behalf of the now infamous "senior executive of a business" and voted in his capacity as a commissioner on matters that personally benefited the individual, chose not to identify him.
Here's what was written in this space about the feds' refusal to put a face on the evil one:
"Why the willingness of everyone involved in the law-and-order business to keep the identity of the individual secret? Could it be that he is so powerful that his influence reaches the highest levels of the criminal justice system? Inquiring minds would certainly want to know."
Ex-Judge Cronin
Well, inquiring minds now know. On Thursday, federal prosecutors revealed that the businessman who loaned Tsagaris the money is the same individual who slipped $18,000 to former Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge Maureen Cronin.
Cronin, who resigned her judgeship July 1, 2007, after 13 years on the bench, will plead guilty to accepting the $18,000 "loan" from the "senior executive of a business" and concealing the transaction.
But unlike Tsagaris, who used his supposed health problems to get a tap on the wrist from the judge, Cronin will probably spend between 12 and 18 months in a federal penitentiary.
Why the different treatment for two individuals who have both contributed to the corruption of government in the Mahoning Valley? Because Cronin was a judge when she took the money from the businessman whose companies had lawsuits pending in her court; Tsagaris was just a shill.
Documents filed last week that reveal Cronin's admission to taking the "loan" do not suggest a quid pro quo.
But, it is a safe bet the money wasn't given for altruistic reasons. If it were, both the giver and the taker would have declared the transaction on the appropriate forms and would have signed agreements laying out the terms and conditions of the loan.
It is instructive that Tsagaris never signed a loan agreement, was not given a repayment schedule and there was no interest rate established.
Using the word loan to describe the transaction is to give the benefit of the doubt to the participants.
Maureen Cronin's fall from grace is at once angering and saddening. In her heyday as the city of Youngstown's prosecutor and then as a common pleas judge she was dedicated, knowledgeable and always accessible to the press. She had nothing to hide — in those days. But then her life took an unfortunate turn and today she is just another portrait on the Valley's wall of shame.
As for the businessman, just about every area resident who has followed the saga of government corruption in the Mahoning Valley must know who he is.
Getting a pass
Federal prosecutors are no doubt aware that we've grown tired of the corrupters of our public institutions getting a pass. It is right and necessary that those who violate the public's trust are made to pay for their sins, but nothing will change until individuals who have no qualms about corrupting government are called to account.
Former Judge Cronin's admission comes in the midst of a federal and state investigation of the so-called Mahoning County Job and Family Services relocation scandal. At the heart of the probe is the role played by Anthony Cafaro, head of the Cafaro Co., in attempting to block the JFS from leaving his company's plaza on the East Side.
The department is now located in the county-owned Oakhill Renaissance Place, formerly Southside Hospital.
How about a listing of the lawsuits pending in her court? Should be easy enough to compile.
How dumb does one have to be to take a bribe while their congressman is in jail for the same thing?
"Another contributor to Torricelli's legal defense fund is former Congressman Frank Guarini, Chairman of the National Italian American Foundation. This organization made headlines in 1998 when it joined with the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) in calling for a demonstration outside the Manhattan offices of the producers of the hit HBO series The SOPRANOS, which both organizations claimed reinforced negative stereotypes about Italian-Americans. The demonstration was called off after reports in the Media revealed that NECO President William Fugazy was a convicted felon named in Court proceedings as a Mafia Associate. Fugazy was one of many convicted felons who received a Presidential Pardon from Bill Clinton during the final hours of his Administration. Among the Board of Directors of the National Italian American Foundation is John J. Cafaro, President of the Cafaro Company of Youngstown, Ohio. Earlier this year Cafaro pleaded guilty to bribing Congressman James Traficant of Ohio, who has had extensive ties to members of the Pittsburgh Mafia Family. Cafaro is expected to be a Prosecution Witness against the Congressman at his Federal bribery and racketeering trial scheduled for next February."
You people that dont have millions of dollars to play the libel game with are pretty feisty.
"Tsagaris, now 75 years old, claimed memory loss when asked to identify his benefactor. "
Very convenient !
"She had nothing to hide — in those days. But then her life took an unfortunate turn and today she is just another portrait on the Valley's wall of shame."
Maureen had plenty to hide but the Feds weren't on her trail yet .
... rumor is Federal Prosecutors in Cleveland are indicting shortly several Cleveland County Commissioners for massive fraud in the AmTrust Bank failure.
For Saddad -
'Ohio Revised Code 2739.01 Libel and slander.
In an action for a libel or slander, it is sufficient to state, generally, that the defamatory matter was published or spoken of the plaintiff. If the allegation is denied, THE PLAINTIFF must prove the facts, showing that the defamatory matter was published or spoken of him. In such action it is not necessary to set out any obscene word, but it is sufficient to state its import
2739.02 Defenses in actions for libel or slander.
In an action for a libel or a slander, the defendant may allege and prove the truth of the matter charged as defamatory. Proof of the truth thereof shall be a complete defense. In all such actions any mitigating circumstances may be proved to reduce damages.'
Ok, I am from Columbiana County, but moved to Austintown a few years back. In this article, Bertram says that we should all know who this businessman is? Can someone tell me who it is?
Steelerman09, did you even read the article? The name is there.
I see the name, but didn't know if he was the one that played "the role", as they say.


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...interpretation of the policy notwithstanding. And the Empire got its Wednesday editorial right about the need for the football program's adult "leaders" to either resign or be relieved of their positions and responsibilities.Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...of the present. Sound off on the important issues at Has anyone else observed the coincidence that the Nazi's Thousand Year Reich and the Republican's Permanent Congressional Majority both lasted exactly 12 years? Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...elitists. My view here is that it is the district that has clearly failed to grow this academically effective program in response to clear parent preference and failed to bring its benefits to a wider range of students. Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...editor all demonstrate a commitment to our community that really is above and beyond. I think the Empire is entitled to the thanks and praise of the Juneau community you've served so well in this important election. Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...illustrate very well that if one can pander effectively to the ignorance and bigotries of even 5 percent of Americans then riches (on which the Republicans will make sure they pay no taxes) and popularity will follow. Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...just to let everyone know that the choice is not between a road or ferries. I urge all thinking Juneauites on Tuesday, Oct. 3 on Proposition 6 to write-in: Los Angeles Dodgers (and don't forget to punch it). Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...communist plot to kill everyone in America.) I hope you will join me in voting yes on Proposition 2. I hope Amelia Earhart, Judge Crater, Elvis, Hillary Clinton's space alien lover and Bat Boy also will vote yes. Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...range of qualified candidates. (And if that doesn't work then Frank Murkowski is right here in town now, and he must have a spare daughter or son or niece or nephew sitting around. A second cousin? Great auntie?) Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...correct answer (E), then we can rest assured that they are well prepared for life in the real world: a claim a distressing number of today's adults (including editorial writers at the Juneau Empire) can't make. Donald R. Douglas Juneau
...not have been created without it. I'm glad these two organizations are working to represent the interests of our cities and towns - and the necessary and important services they deliver - and those of working Alaskans. Donald R. Douglas Juneau
Juneau Empire ©2013. All Rights Reserved.


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Train Cake
- Uploaded By samshortcake
- 2007-09-25 04:42:44
6" and 8" yellow cake with sprinkles baked in. Design based on one of sugarshacks creations.
steph88 Says... 8 years ago
Adorable. I like where you placed the track.
Dixiegal01 Says... 8 years ago
So cute! Love all the primary colors!
Tweedie Says... 8 years ago
Very cute and colorful!
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Germany shouldn't buy into power grids as such a move is not the best way to manage the energy switch to renewables from nuclear power, according to Economy Minister Philipp Roesler.
The calls for government ownership of power lines are "wrong," as private investors are eager to finance its modernization, Roesler said today at an energy conference in Berlin.
"All is ready so that the grid expansion can be brought forward," Roesler said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government last month backed a plan to lay about 2,800 kilometers (1,740 miles) of new transmission lines and upgrade 2,900 kilometers of existing cables by 2022. The opposition Social Democratic Party called on the government to take control of the grids to eradicate delays in building new lines and connecting offshore wind farms to the network.
Power supply has moved to the center of Germany's political agenda since Merkel decided in 2011 to replace nuclear reactors with more fossil-fired plants and a growing share of clean- energy sources. Federal grid regulator Bundesnetzagentur says the grids need upgrades as the country adds wind farms and solar parks, whose output varies with the weather.
Roesler said he's "optimistic" the government can reform Germany's EEG clean-energy subsidy system before federal elections this fall to reduce surging costs. Owners of wind turbines and solar panels should not be paid subsidies if the power can't be sold on the market, he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stefan Nicola in Berlin at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at email@example.com


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Date: 1931 ca.
Description: This map shows streets and highways, street car and bus lines, railroads, depots, schools, wards, and points of interest. The map is oriented with the nort...
Date: 1946
Description: This map shows streets, wards and precincts, parks, schools, and points of interest. The maps is oriented with north to the upper left. The map includes a...
Date: 1950
Description: This map shows portions of highway remaining unchanged, proposed relocations, connecting county trunk roads existing or proposed, existing arterials, and e...
Date: 1961-12-29 ca.
Description: Four men examining various Packers memorabilia, including images of the first Packers team from 1919, the team from 1929, other unidentified team lineups,...
Date: 1951
Description: This map has depths shown by bathymetric tints and soundings and relief shown by contours, the depths are shown in feet. There is an inset map of Green Bay...
Date: 1975 ca.
Description: The O'Brien family posing in the Lambeau Field parking lot, reenacting a photograph frequently taken by Packers fans.
Date: 1920 ca.
Description: View of a grain elevator on the site of the old Elmore & Kelly's elevator.
Date: 1998 ca.
Description: Brett Favre wearing a red jersey at Green Bay Packers training camp with other players and coaches.
Date: 1880 ca.
Description: View of the J.D. Doty office. Doty served as agent for John Jacob Astor in promoting the village of Astor, later renamed Green Bay.
Date: date unknown
Description: This 19th century manuscript map shows lots and acreages in northern Green Bay, Wisconsin, east of the Fox River. "Preble Township, Brown County, Wis." is...
Date: 1949-10
Description: From left: Mr. and Mrs. Blum (relatives), Pela Rosen Alpert, Richard Alpert, at their engagement party in the house of Pela's sister.
Date: 1925 ca.
Description: Fort Howard Hospital on the corner of Kellogg and Chestnut Streets.
Date: 1961-07-15
Description: Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers receives a new 1961 Ford Falcon from a Green Bay Ford dealer. The compact Falcon was introduced by Ford in 1959 to appe...
Date: 1912 ca.
Description: Aerial View of Green Bay shoreline.
Date: 1940 ca.
Description: Front view of the Tank cottage. The cottage was built in 1776 by Joseph Roi, a fur trader, who lived in it until 1805 when it was purchased by Jacques Porl...
Date: 1934 ca.
Description: Fort Howard hospital, view from the southwest.
Date: 1956 ca.
Description: This map shows streets and railroads and is oriented with north to the upper left. Wards have been outlined in yellow, red, blue, and green. The back of th...
Description: View of the Grassy Island lighthouse.
Date: 1816 ca.
Description: This is a photostat copy of a manuscript map in the National Archives showing a plan of Fort Howard and a view of its north side. Originally surveyed by Wi...
Date: 1983-09 ca.
Description: Elevated view of a Green Bay Packers cheerleader with two pom poms raised above her head. The Packers' cheerleaders were known as the Sideliners from 1977-...
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Nero 9 Reloaded
Nero 9 Reloaded : Home Entertainment Gone is the Nero Live app for live TV watching on your PC (presuming you have a TV tuner attached to your PC.)
6 / 16
Bottom Line
The Reloaded version of Nero 9 brings little new to the party. Its smaller and faster installation comes at the expense of live TV watching software. And though you get automatic backup (including limited online storage) and PowerPoint import, competitors offer more and slicker tools.


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Toyota Rav4
I have a 97 rav4. Just had the radiator replaced 2 weeks ago and now it is starting to overheat. Noticed smoke coming out of the vents inside of car
what could be the problem?
what could be the problem?
August 24, 2007.
August 24, 2007.
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NEED some advice and help. 1996 GMC Sierra Z71, 4 wheel, extend cab, 5.7L, 302000 miles. Yes that is the mileage. I'm extremely mechanically inclined and enjoy doing my on ...
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1 answer • 2000 Mercury Sable
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(hidden for your protection)
comments sponsored by
Glenn Reynolds, Hillary Clinton, Law Professors, Money, Politics
Check out this interesting data about the campaign contributions of Yale faculty and staff, over at Instapundit. It prompted Glenn Reynolds to ask: "Why don't the Yale Law faculty like Hillary?"
Good question. And here's another: Even if the Yale Law faculty don't like this distinguished YLS alumna, why don't they at least send their (hopefully non-tainted) money her way? Don't they want her to remember them when she's President Clinton, looking to fill high-ranking Justice Department posts or spots on the federal bench? As the old saying goes, "Scratch a Yale law professor (or graduate) and you'll find an aspiring federal judge."
(The information originally appeared in this excellent Yale Daily News article by Andrew Mangino — who, by the way, helped us out with the reporting for this piece on law firm economics and culture.)
Yale's Diversity Problem [Instapundit]
Profs donate heavily to Dems [Yale Daily News]
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|Booksie Address:
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|Member Since:
|Jun 19, 2013
Hey there everyone! I'm an aspiring childrens' writer who lives in Victoria, BC. I'd really love to move to Vancouver, so just trying to save up my money as I go along. I'm also a furry, and lately I've travelled to many destinations in the United States to attend some of the many furry conventions that happen there, as well as a local one in Vancouver. I also have my costume coming soon.
Anyways I love writing stories about my Anthropomorphic characters... here they are in more detail:
*My Fursona*
Friendly - a kindhearted young Red Fox. He loves more than anything to go out and play with his friends. His hobbies include Transport, Cycling, Gaming, Reading, and Swimming. He's a fantastic babysitter too!
*Other Characters*
1. Jake - an energetic German Shepherd puppy who loves to play games and sometimes tease his friends, but is quick to apologize if he's taken a joke too far. Jake loves sports, particularly baseball and hockey, but loves to ride his bike just as much. He wears a green t-shirt and a pair of dark-blue sweat pants or orange-and-black shorts.
2. Timothy - a lovable, slightly chubby Raccoon cub, who is timid but very warm-hearted. His timidity comes from being made fun of by other kids his age - mainly because he still needs training wheels on his bike. He wears a blue t-shirt and a pair of shorts with orange, white and blue flames.
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Paul Sends Timothy to Thessalonica
1 Therefore when we#*Here "when" is supplied as a component of the participle ("could bear") which is understood as temporal could bear it no longer, we determined to be left behind in Athens alone, 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, in order to strengthen and to encourage you about your faith, 3so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed for this, 4for indeed when we were with you we told you beforehand that we were about to be afflicted, just as indeed it happened, and you know. 5Because of this, I also, when I#*Here "when" is supplied as a component of the participle ("could endure") which is understood as temporal could endure it no longer, sent in order to know your faith, lest somehow the tempter tempted you and our labor should be in vain.
Timothy's Positive Report
6But now, because#*Here "because" is supplied as a component of the participle ("has come") which is understood as causal Timothy has come to us from you and has brought good news to us of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us#Literally "that you have kindly remembrance of us always", desiring to see us just as also we desire to see you, 7because of this, brothers, we have been comforted because of you in all our distress and affliction through your faith, 8because now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord. 9For what thanks can we repay to God concerning you, because of all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God, 10night and day praying beyond all measure that we may see your face and complete what is lacking in your faith?
11Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, 12and may the Lord cause you to increase and to abound in love for one another and for all, just as also we do for you, 13so that your hearts may be established blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.#Some manuscripts have "his saints. Amen."
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5 Questions with Brendan Dooling
While it's hard to argue that Carrie Bradshaw is the star of The Carrie Diaries, The CW's 1984-prequel has done a sensational job surrounding their formative fashionista with the kind of friends that would do Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte proud.
Personally, I'm most enamored with Brendan Dooling's Walt, who is on a journey to gay self-discovery, but through the lens of 1984, it's truly uncharted territory for the character and the audience. ETonline caught up with this bright new star to talk about Walt's journey and what fans can expect from tonight's all-new The Carrie Diaries!
ETonline: This is the first time an entire generation of people have seen their version of a coming out story represented on TV. Do you feel any pressure about bringing that to life?
Brendan Dooling: It's a big part to play, not just in the show, but also in the grand scheme of things. But it's also not cut and dry, like, "Here's your Sex and the City gay character." I didn't realize at the time of my audition just how big a job it was, but I also don't feel any pressure. This job is all about telling an emotional story to as large a group of people as possible, and it would be nice to know there are kids today who can also get something from Walt's storyline, whether that's advice or wisdom or comfort. I think that's really the most important part.


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Supporters hope to increase visibility, membership for 20-year-old institution
The old Navy chapel in Balboa Park was destined to become a parking lot in the 1980s.
San Diego's veterans saved it. But their dreams were modest: They envisioned a place for veterans to meet, a home for plaques honoring war dead.
Fate intervened. People began showing up with boxes from garages and attics. They brought mothballed uniforms, old swords, medals, photos of brave men sent to foreign lands.
"They said, 'We don't know what these things are, but they are from my uncle or my grandfather. They are probably important,' " remembers Will Hays, a retired Navy ship captain and early booster.
"Well, they were."
This year, the San Diego Veterans Museum and Memorial Center celebrates its 20th anniversary, and the word "museum" has taken pride of place in the organization's title.
Much has changed in the two decades since they signed the lease.
In 2001, the United States went to war, which created a resurgence of national interest in veterans.
In 2004, the USS Midway Museum opened on San Diego Bay, providing a large and picturesque spot for military-related events. Since then, the Midway has surpassed the Balboa Park museum in both membership and volunteers.
Then, in 2005, the Veterans Museum dedicated a new outdoor garden that placed it more prominently on the map of Balboa Park.
The "air" garden, mostly funded by a $1 million state park bond, features a replica of the B-24 Liberator, the World War II plane built by San Diego's Consolidated Aircraft Co.
The big bronze bomber draws much-needed attention to the museum, which sits back from Park Boulevard on what some people call the "wrong" side of the park.
But the museum still faces challenges, said executive director Rod Melendez, a retired Navy rear admiral.
It scrambles for fundraising and to attract members — not unusual for a nonprofit group. But it has a natural audience in the roughly 235,000 veterans living in the greater San Diego region, including the nation's largest concentration of post-9/11 veterans.
The Balboa Park museum maintains a steady membership of 500 people, with dues of $35 a year. Melendez would like to increase that count to 2,000 or 3,000 to generate a bigger income stream.
They have 135 volunteers and just enough docents to cover each day the doors are open.
The Midway museum, by comparison, has more than 10,000 members, with dues starting at $60 a year, and 500 volunteers.
In a military town, the Balboa Park institution also competes with the Marine Corps Recruit Depot museum, the Flying Leatherneck museum and the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
"It's a struggle to be visible," said Melendez, who started as a paid director in 2003, then realized the budget couldn't support the job. He's been a volunteer ever since.
"They always come in saying, 'I've lived here my whole life, and I've never heard of you guys.' We hear that every week," Melendez said.
Still, the institution practically oozes San Diego military history.
The building itself is a relic of World War II, when the Navy took over Balboa Park. The Navy built the chapel in 1945 next to the former naval hospital, now park administrative offices.
Inside, every wall is covered. Even hallways are used, in an attempt to do justice to the more than 50,000 artifacts accumulated there.
It's a diverse showing. There are two galleries on the Korean War, using set pieces created for a 2010 documentary. There's a creaky World War I wheelchair. And a fleet of model ships, donated by the maker. Massive murals painted by Lemon Grove artist Richard DeRosset depict war scenes.
A new basement library displays the 8,000-volume military research collection that is maybe the best-kept secret in town.
But the museum's heart and soul is in the personal stories it tries to tell.
Long ago, museum officials decided they wanted to feature people, not battles.
Story boards around the museum discuss the lives of local veterans — prisoners of war, pilots who flew historic flights, Medal of Honor recipients, even one modern-day Iraq War warrior. There's an office dedicated to taking oral histories.
"We tend to look at history through the eyes of veterans," Melendez said.
Museum officials wish there was more real estate. The artifacts are largely relegated to modest display cases that hug the walls.
Most of the chapel is kept clear for the meetings and ceremonies that arguably make the museum the center of the veterans community.
There was a grand plan to expand the building and install an elevator. (Right now, you can't go between the first floor and basement without walking outside.)
Another big dream is to enlarge the outdoor garden to include a "sea" section and a "land" portion.
But all that takes money. The museum had revenue just below $400,000 in 2010, and expenses of $350,000.
Hays, now board chairman, said he doesn't expect action for at least two years. By then, recession-weary civic and private purses might have recovered.
Former Mayor Dick Murphy told museum supporters to dream big at a recent 20th anniversary gathering. As mayor, Murphy was instrumental in channeling state bond money to the garden project.
"We need to remember why we build things like veterans memorial gardens," said Murphy, a former Army officer. He mentioned a George Washington quote that says young people will only serve in wartime if they witness older veterans getting respect.
"We must remember when we honor veterans on Memorial Day or Veterans Day, we are making an investment in the future of America," he said. "That's the only way we're going to continue to have the best and brightest join our armed forces."


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I agree, RTFM is the first thing you should do, then get some good books, they are usually plentiful and dirt cheap(used intro to photography books in particular), they pretty much cover most common problems encountered with cameras and film development. Photography has been around for a long time, there is a plethora of information out there in books before the web was created.
I'll recommend:
Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual by Henry Horenstein
Lootens on Photographic Enlarging
The Art of Black and White Photography by Garrett
Introduction to Photography by Rosen & Devries
Way Beyond Monochrome by Lambrecht & Woodhouse (a bit more advanced)
All of these can be found used super cheap on sites such as amazon.


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Wendy Williams was shaken up after tripping over her words during a recent taping of "The Wendy Williams Show."
We've all done it! Stuttering happens to everyone from time to time. Normally, people just take a moment to reset and then start their sentence over, but not Wendy.
Although most people probably didn't notice, it really affected the vivacious chat host. Once she was backstage after signing off, she could barely keep her composure and she broke down in tears.
If I hadn't eaten breakfast, I would've said because I was hungry. But I started to feel weird out there," a worried Wendy said. "First time this ever happened. I felt really, really weird today."
The Queen of All Media is prides herself on being able to being able to communicate pretty clearly as she dishes with her audience about all the latest gossip. "I'm a pretty clean talker that stuttering it happens once, it happens twice. After a few times I'm looking at me. 'What are you having, a stroke?'" she added. "I was doing my best to hold myself together."


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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was
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- Take a weekend trip to Austin and stay at the Kimber Modern.
- Add amazing color and pattern to your room for about $20.
- Hey brides! Check out the new book Destination Wedding Planner.
- Does your design style rule your love life?
- Stock up on these well-designed reusable bags.
- Check out the work of SF interior designer Gary Spain.
- Add some floating flower balls to your wedding or next big bash.


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Book your room at Holiday Inn Express Stevenage
One Double and One Sofa Bed Non-SmokingMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children)
Standard RoomMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child)
Two Single Beds Non-SmokingMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child)
Get an overview of this hotelEco-friendly hotel with free breakfast and bar/lounge
Located in the heart of Stevenage, this eco-friendly hotel is 2.8 mi (4.6 km) from Knebworth House and 11.1 mi (17.8 km) from Hatfield House. Verulamium Museum and Ash Valley Golf Club are also within 20 mi (32 km).
Hotel Features
A bar/lounge, coffee/tea in the lobby, and a business center are available at this hotel. Free buffet breakfast and free WiFi in public areas are also provided. Other amenities include meeting rooms, a 24-hour front desk, and express check-in.
Room Amenities
All 129 rooms offer free WiFi, coffee makers, and flat-screen TVs with digital channels. Other amenities available to guests include hair dryers, showers, and ironing boards.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast each morning. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wired and wireless Internet access.
This 3-star property offers access to a business center and meeting rooms. Event facilities measure 97 square feet (9 square meters). This eco-friendly hotel also offers coffee/tea in the lobby, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and express check-in.
Holiday Inn Express Stevenage has designated areas for smoking.
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Conference space size (feet) - 97
- Conference space size (meters) - 9
- Number of meeting rooms - 2
- Meeting rooms
- 24-hour front desk
- Bar/lounge
- Business center
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Total number of rooms - 129
- Number of floors - 6
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Free breakfast
- Express check-out
- Designated smoking areas (fines apply)
- Free WiFi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Luggage storage
- Express check-in
- Designated smoking areas
- Elevator/lift
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Year Built 2004
- Television in common areas
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Offsite parking discounted rates available
Room Amenities
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Coffee/tea maker
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower only
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- Digital TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- Air conditioning
Where to Eat
A complimentary hot/cold buffet breakfast is served each morning between 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM.
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessibility equipment for the deaf
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible path of travel
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No rollaway/extra beds available
- Cash deposit: GBP 30.00 per night
Hotel Name
We should mention
Children 18 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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The Epic Journey: Merging Work and Extended Road Trips
Manufacturing Insights Blog
I've established a reputation for taking vacations of arguably epic scope.
Having been with Plex Systems for over 15 years, I now have a lot of paid time off, and I do take advantage of it. When I go somewhere, I want to immerse myself in the experience, and that takes time.
Let's flash back a bit.
In the fall of '79, during my first semester at Arizona State University, I bought my first BMW motorcycle: a 600cc '74 R60/6. By the following spring the only thought in my head was, "Get the heck out of this place before summer hits." So I jumped on my bike and took a 6,000-mile, three-week ride to the Grand Canyon, Utah and Las Vegas, then to Sequoia, Yosemite and San Francisco, up the west coast through Mt. St. Helen's ash-laden aftermath and finally east to my hometown in Michigan.
Taking long trips while off school for the summer was no problem. But after college I eventually landed a position designing and building production tools and machines. Being a toolmaker and later an engineer – jobs which I really enjoyed – meant being with, or in some cases inside of, big machines that weren't going anywhere.
There was no getting away from them. I had to be there. The industrial tradition of needing personnel to be "in the plant" made it fairly tough to get away with extended vacations. A week was acceptable, in some cases mandatory; but two weeks at a time was pushing it.
In '93 I bought my third BMW, a brand-new R1100RS. I immediately put it to use for annual tours from Michigan through Canada, Pennsylvania, upstate New York and the northeast, Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula and my perennial favorite, Colorado. By then I had enough seniority and accrued vacation time that I could usually get away for two full weeks, and once even three.
In '97, I started at Plex Systems. For the next few years, we all worked long hours. Still do, actually. But the company has had flextime from the beginning and I took full advantage of it, though I often logged more hours than anyone except the company's founder, Rob Beatty. I didn't take much vacation, and never in big chunks – although I almost always made it home in time to read to my son at bedtime. He heard the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy twice; if we couldn't have our own epic saga, at least we could savor one of the best.
By June of 2000, things began to change. I'd just completed a major build and implementation project, but hadn't yet been given a new assignment. My hard work had not gone unnoticed; everybody knew I deserved a break. A great thing about Plex Systems' culture is that we're expected to work hard, but also to keep in mind that, as Rob put it years ago, "The reason this company exists is to provide good lives for our families."
So I devised a plan to mix a little business with a lot of pleasure. I flew to Phoenix and bought my uncle's minivan, then drove it to San Diego. My wife and then 10-year-old son flew out to meet me, and while I attended a software conference, Laurel and Johnny went to the zoo and kicked around town. After the conference, we spent the remainder of four weeks driving around California, Utah, Arizona and Colorado – a trip that made memories we'll always treasure.
In 2010 my wife and I took a grand tour of Europe, spending a week and a half in London and southern England, then traveling around the continent. A weekend in Amsterdam, our 25th anniversary in Paris, then a few days in Luxembourg with a pen pal I'd met during a study abroad trip in '78.
We hung out with my college roommate and his wife in Vienna, hit Munich on the first day of Oktoberfest and, of course, completed my pilgrimage to the BMW Museum. We were gone for exactly a month.
This summer I'm back from a 7,149-mile, 22-day journey that included a ride through Colorado with my dad and stepmom and a small reunion with friends and family in Arizona. Somewhere along the way I decided to continue to California, and ride the Pacific Coast Highway from Malibu to Oregon, where I spent the weekend with a cousin I hadn't seen in twenty years.
Most "Plexians" (as we often refer to ourselves) don't do these kinds of extended adventures. Most probably don't want to, if for no other reason than the thought of facing 5,000 emails upon their return. But it's a testament to Plex Systems' culture that I'm able to indulge my peculiar passion. And to what seems to be an ever-increasing degree, my job can now be done from almost anywhere and, especially in my new position, almost any time.
For example, in order to stretch my continuous time off by three days, I really wanted to depart for that trip on Memorial Day weekend.
My bike was fully serviced and packed, but I wasn't ready.
I'd almost, but not quite, finished the specification for a new Plex module. The broad strokes of the design were done; the team would be able to work out the details and move the design forward without me if needed. But they deserved a well-constructed document to review during my absence, and perhaps even put through to development before I even returned.
So with my laptop securely stored in the bike's hard-shell saddlebags, the finishing touches of the Module Configurator design package were completed in a hotel room in Estes Park, Colo. Various reports were posted from Steamboat Springs … and I'll admit that the New Enhancements Summary for May was collated at, and dispatched from, Smuggler Joe's Brew Pub in Telluride.
John Dancoe is Product Manager at Plex Systems. To see pictures and stories from John's 2012 tour and other writings, please visit his blog.


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Narrow your search
The Philips NP2500 offers many of the features available on more-expensive digital audio streamers for less money and has an attractive color display, but it's hard to see from a distance and playback has some occasional hiccups.
The Philips NP2900 is a great-sounding Wi-Fi radio with a unique color display, but it doesn't offer enough features to justify its price premium over competitors.
Philips's Streamium SL300i lets you enjoy your digital video, images, and audio in any room of the house.
Pricing not available
Enter to win the Philips NP2900, a great-sounding Wi-Fi radio with a unique color display that received high marks from CNET.
Despite some limitations, the Philips Streamium boombox is the best compact, all-in-one system capable of wirelessly streaming music from the Internet and networked PCs.
Pricing not available
The stylish Philips Streamium WACS700/37 can stream digital music throughout your home without a PC, but considering its high price, it's hard to overlook some basic feature and performance shortfalls.
Pricing not available
The NP2500 and NP2900 offer full color screens and Rhapsody support.
OMG! Amy Winehouse was just caught being sick in her shoe and wiping her nose on a puppy -- it wasn't even hers! Wait, this isn't the front page of London Lite. Ah that's right, Philips has a new Streamium hi-fi out. Phew!
Philips has updated the Streamium series, but will we ever see them available in the US?
Logitech announces the Squeezebox Radio, which fits most of the functionality of the excellent Squeezebox Boom into a smaller package and for just $200.