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"I can't believe property not registered in my name, I paid xx to do all the necessary paperwork for me! But hey ho thank God I've got a good Estate Agent. Thank you so much for sorting so much out for me, I really appreciate it. Big Hug of thanks to you and your team at Tropicana Properties."
|Selling can be fun?
Browsing through the web sites of various estate agents no one can be surprised by the ways in which some homes are presented. You will see beds unmade, or rooms filled with clutter; empty white-walled rooms impossible to scale their size, and perhaps the most popular of all scenes - the view from the terrace. Rarely do you find Spanish property agents employing professional photographers, or offering detailed room descriptions and sizes. It is therefore important to consider when selling your Spanish property what your agent will do for you.
Times are changing; and with the advent of new consumer legislation in Spain then it is important that the seller provides as much information to the agent as is needed. Here the key words are sincerity and transparency - to give confidence for any buyer - it is vital that you work with your estate agent to comply with these new laws. It is no longer a simple case of arguing over the commission rates, the promotional details and the flowery descriptions [#1]. Today, in order to be compliant with decreto 218/2005 of the regional Andalucian government, any real estate agency worth its salt will ask you to supply the following basic information:
Copy of passports / NIE of owner(s) plus all contact details
Copy of IBI contribution receipt and full address of property(ies) for sale
Copy of Community fees receipts and latest minutes (where applicable)
Copy of the latest nota simple (no less than 3 months old) and also a copy of the Escritura (title deed)
Copy of building regulations, plans or licenses where applicable (building consents from the town hall where the property is less than 10 years old should be available)
Copy of last water, electricity and rubbish collection bill
Copy of Inventory (if being sold full or part-furnished)
Copy of Certificación de la Eficiencia Energética de los Edificios - EPC
From this information your agent will be able to identify the "health" of your property, and also to give a realistic market valuation [#2]. By their part too the agent will then produce an information pack (in Spanish) that can be given to any interested client prior to viewing. Supplementary information may be also worth providing if you wish to be ahead in the selling game - provide details of room sizes, descriptions, inventories (if sold furnished) and also additional assets like irrigations systems, air-con/heating, pool pump, gas boiler, alarm, solar panels, etc can be made even more attractive if the vendor supplies some basic guides to age and use prior to the exchange. Much of this information costs nothing but time to produce; and a serious buyer will be asking for it in any case, so why not be ahead of the game and have this available from the start.
As of April 5 2013 the Spanish law finally came into force in regards the establishment of the European norm for the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) - Certificación de la Eficiencia Energética de los Edificios - for all properties which are built, sold or rented. If you are currently selling your Spanish property or you are holiday home owners, then you must order an EPC for potential buyers and tenants before 1st of June 2013. After which date owners will be fined if they cannot supply the certificate; and if selling, and the completion date is from June 1 then the notary will ask that you present the certificate at the point of exchange.
The EPC will contain information about a property's energy use & typical energy costs, include proposals about how to reduce energy use & save money, and add suggestions on measures that should improve the performance of thermal installations, lighting systems, or for the incorporation of renewable energies in the building. The EPC will provide a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (which represents low performance) and it is only valid for 10 years. Consequently, a typical new builds that was built to all the current regulations will be rated on the limit between C and D.
EPC's must be issued and stamped by legally qualified building engineers who are also registered with the college of Spanish Engineers in their region; and the cost depends on the size of the property and is generally agreed to follow these bands…
Up to 100m2 - 250€ + IVA
Between 100m2-200m2 - 375€ + IVA
Between 200m2 - 300m2 - 500€ + IVA
Over 300m2 - 630€ + IVA
It is important to have the certificate in place as soon as you can because the regional authorities (ie Andalucia) will apply external controls and introduce infraction penalties for non accreditation or for deficient low performing properties. Caution: Since being introduced there have been many organistaions and individuals offering to perform the EPC at low cost/slashed prices - but from our experience these documents do not inlude either the registered stamp of the technical architect appropriate for the province, nor do they offer to regsiter the EPC details with the Junta de Andalucia registry body. The costs to correct this omission can be as much as 70 Euros.
A recent industry report suggested that selling a property should be no different to selling a packet of frozen peas... and although we are considering an asset that is clearly a million times more expensive the product should nevertheless, without inconvenience or surprise, provide what it says on the label. Therefore if you are serious about selling be serious too with your choice of agent; take the agents advice to realize your market potential; not all properties in Spain are sold on English websites by English brokers to English people. There is the home market, the European market and the Global market too to consider. Another useful tip is to do those niggling minor repairs to the property, keeping the house generally clean and tidy, and be available for on-the-spot viewings, too. Believe me this really will help to give your property the edge! And if your likely to be out of the country for some time, or not easily available, then consider giving 'power of attorney' to your lawyer or Spanish legal representative who can then act on your behalf in signing the initial private contract. This too will speed up the selling process.
At SpainCostaTropical.com I aim only to offer property that meets these latest guidelines and regulations - an assurance to the seller and buyer alike that it is a property worthy of consideration. Wherever possible I will ensure that the property offered is available to view, even at short notice, and that the agent is a key holder for the property. There is nothing worse than arranging to view a property with your deadline posted only to find that the owner or the friend who holds the keys is - quote - "not available"...
As a vendor you need to be aware that as of 1st January 2012 capital gains tax laws changed in Spain. Where a non-resident used to pay 35% and a resident 15% up until 2008, this rate changed in 2010 for both residents and non-residents (it had been 18% from 2008 to 2010, then to 24% to the end of 2011). Today, the rate is banded - the first 6000 Euros is taxed at 21%, gains to 24,000 Euros at 25%, and above 24,000 Euros to 27%. It may be possible to offset some costs, these include legal fees, agency commissions, registry, etc; and even costs on improvements done to the property in order to sell (note that general maintenance is not included). In all cases I strongly recommend asking for clear advice from your lawyer as to your exact tax obligations given that you have 4 months to present a tax return soon after completing the exchange, the tax can be liable for up to 5 years from the sale, and further that it is not sufficient to be resident in Spain you also need to prove fiscal residence to be exempt from the retention or the full tax liability.
On the date of exchange and completion before the notary office, the non-resident seller will receive the sale price less 3%. The purchaser is required by law to hold 3% (prior to Jan 1 2007 the retention was 5%) of the purchase price on the sellers behalf; and so 2 payments will be presented before the notary one to the seller the other for the tax authorities (hacienda). This system was introduced to guarantee tax payable by non-residents and the sum presented is then used to offset against future liability of declaration. Failure by the buyers to ensure payment of this retention by their lawyer or agent can mean that the amount will be levied as a debt on the property [#3].
Plusvalía is the municipal charge for the increase of the value of the land from the time of purchase to the time at which it was sold. Plusvalía is calculated on the ratable value of the property and the number of years of ownership (the tax is not determined by the sale price but by the land value determined by the land register); and is paid to the local authority. Depending on the property size, location and length of ownership the amount can vary between a few hundred to two or three thousand Euros.
Finally, make sure you have your NIE (not just an NIF) and also that your certificate of non-resident (requiring renewal every 2 years) is still current.
[#1] In Spain, the commission rates charged by estate agents vary quite substantially. In some areas and towns this can be shared between the vendor and buyer; where each is charged a percentage above the advertised price. Here at SpainCostaTropical.com I will not add additional fees on top of the price or for that matter shock any potential buyers with hidden costs. Generally the standard commission is 5%, and I have known of agents charging more than 5% and up to 15%. Vendors may also consider to negotiate the rate if they are willing to enter into an exclusive sales contract which can be beneficial to streamline the promotion of your property. Today there are more properties for sale than buyers, and this added by growth in the international property market sector, has led to many local agents having to split commissions with third parties. This can negate your selling potential as the agent is forced to exclude a property where the rate agreed is too low to split and so make viable any inspection.
[#2] It is often forgotten that the valuation of a property for mortgage purposes is very different to that of the actual market conditions. Here in Spain it has in the recent past while interest rates were low, been possible for residents to capture a larger mortgage from lenders than was actually required for the property. In this way borrowers were able to consolidate other loans for purchases (car, furnishings, etc) within one capital payment. Further mortgage valuations, in order to be attractive and competitive, will almost always be greater to one degree or the other than the actual market price.
[#3]One of the most important documents to help the vendor or the buyer identify if there is any debt on a property is the nota simple. Costing a couple of Euros, this document is available either online from the property registration website and can be purchased by credit card at(https://www.registradores.org:444/propiedad/propiedad.jsp), or by visiting the local office of the land registry in which the said property is listed. This document shows mortgage details, unpaid fines, tax debts and also outstanding payments due by the owner to the state when they are resident and self-employed in Spain. This same document is also used to identify the property title holder(s), their legal status, the number of times the property has been exchanged or amended, its cadaster reference (land, location and distribution for taxation) and a description in full of the property relative to its location and its neighbours. In some instances, for example an apartment with garage, the property may have two entries in the land registry; one the apartment and a second for the garage. As a vendor it would be prudent to renew your nota simple every 3 months so as to avoid any surprise entries or omissions which may delay the exchange. This can happen in various ways; changes in the legal qualification of a property as dictated by the government, extensions built but not declared and written in the escritura, bank re-possessions, embargos and other charges against a property (for example, unpaid community fees), etc. In fact as a vendor it is in your very best interest to obtain a copy of this document both to ensure peace of mind and readily to arm your buyers' lawyer with an up to date version for inspection. More recently, expatriate home owners and buyers are now able to request a Land Registry certificate (nota simple) in English from the Colegio de Registradores (College of Registrars). A certificate, including the translation fee, costs €29 (plus VAT) and this can be requested online from the Colegio de Registradores website https://buyingahouse.registradores.org/.
Edit 11.2013


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This star rating is the opinion of the property owner only. A Self-Rated hotel has not been assessed by the AA or Visit Britain, whose official star ratings we use across LateRooms.com.
L'Ancien Presbytere3 Self rated
L'Ancien Presbytere, Voulons, Le Dorat, 87210
Price FromView Rooms
- Excellent
- 1 guest reviews
"My wife and I loved staying at L'Ancien Presbytere for a nearby wedding. Beautiful location, lovely spacious room & balcony and a wonderfull..."
About the hotel
Bed and Breakfast ( B&B ) Limousin, Near Le Dorat, France *NO CREDIT CARDS* Lisa and Anthony Jones welcome you to their home, an 18th century Ancient Presbytery chambres d'hotes, bed and breakfast for your short break away or for a longer stay to enjoy the rolling countryside of the Limousin region in the heart of France. In particular the medieval town of Le Dorat with its 12th century collegiale, bar/cafes, restaurants, banks, supermarket, all you need for a relaxing stay in the country. What's on offer near Le Dorat in the Limousin This beautiful Limousin region of still lakes, fast flowing streams, gentle rolling valleys and forested mountains has been one of the best kept secrets in France.
From the lovely old city of Limoges world famous for its porcelain to the tiny hamlets scattered across the rolling countryside, discover the friendliness and old world charm of "Real France". Don't worry though you're not completely cut off as our bed and breakfast offers wi-fi internet connection.
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- Wi-Fi Available , Wi-Fi Available In Public Areas , Wi-Fi Available In Rooms , Private dining services
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- Outdoor Pool
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- Video/DVD Player , TV , Satellite TV , Video/DVD Library , CD Player , [Channels] News , [Channels] Movies (Free) , [Channels] Music , [Channels] Childrens , Radio
- In room facilities
- Tea/Coffee making facilities in each room
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- Lounge Menu , Breakfast to go
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- The price shown is based on the occupancy and dates you have searched for. Prices and availability are subject to change based on the arrival date, number of nights and occupancy searched for. All prices are inclusive of all local taxes.
- Pets are allowed
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100% would recommend it to a friend
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My wife and I loved staying at L'Ancien Presbytere for a nearby wedding.
Beautiful location, lovely spacious room & balcony and a wonderfully restored building with real charm. First rate hosts too, incredibly helpful and very friendly. Highly recommended.
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subset: commoncrawl


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ODK2007 Features: Drop forged from alloy steel Extra strength, and wear Electronically induction hardened Tension spring under knurl holds adjustment Entire wrench is chromium plated For industrial tradesmen and home mechanics 15" Carded. Price: $50.99
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Atherton Council Member Kathy McKeithen, who publicly announced earlier this year that serving on the council "has been one of the most incredibly difficult jobs I've ever had," did not file candidate papers Friday to run for a fourth term in office.
Hers is one of two council seats that will be contested in the Nov. 6 election. The other incumbent, Elizabeth Lewis, is seeking a second term; meanwhile, three challengers have entered the race.
In the weeks leading up to Friday's filing deadline, McKeithen avoided talking about her intention. On Tuesday she told The Daily News it's a personal decision that she was not willing to discuss and on Friday she did not respond to a request for comment.
But it was during a Jan. 18 council meeting, that McKeithen revealed that the council job has strained her.
"I don't think any of you could possibly know how difficult a job this is ... It's been one of the most incredibly difficult jobs I've ever had," she said at the meeting. "People are quick to judge ... they say all kinds of things about you that are untrue."
Atherton's frequently divided council has faced several controversies in recent years involving lawsuits, a budget shortfall, outsourcing much of the town's services and a polarizing plan to build a new library in Holbrook-Palmer Park. McKeithen sits on the town's library steering committee.
Because an incumbent is not running for re-election, Friday's deadline to file candidate papers was extended to Wednesday, as required by state law.
In addition to Lewis, other candidates who filed papers to run for the two council seats are Greg Conlon, Denise Kupperman and Cary Wiest.
Conlon, a certified public accountant who in the June primary lost in his bid to oust U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, said the main reason he's running for city council is to ensure that the state's high-speed rail project doesn't hurt the town.
"I just feel like as a council member I can have more standing to get the attention of the people to get this done right," said Conlon, a former president of the California Public Utilities Commission.
"And when I say right, I mean putting it in a trench in these residential areas. That's my main issue."
Kupperman, a member of the library committee who has previously served on other town committees, said she decided to run to make a "positive contribution to the council." Traffic concerns, particularly pedestrian and bicyclist safety, are among the issues she'd focus on if elected, Kupperman said.
Asked to comment on public outcry over the library's proposed relocation to the town park, Kupperman said she understands that some residents feel they didn't have enough say in the matter but noted the library committee did extensive outreach.
"Land-use changes are difficult," Kupperman said. "They tend to be contentious, just by their nature."
Weist, a businessman, is making a second run for council after falling short in 2010. He told The Daily News last month he could bring new ideas to the council and help improve communication between city leaders and residents.
Email Bonnie Eslinger at firstname.lastname@example.com; follow her at twitter.com/bonnieeslinger.


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Mariners Blog
Geoff Baker covers the Mariners for The Seattle Times. He provides daily coverage of the team throughout spring training, and during the season.
June 2, 2008 5:04 PM
Guess who's back in the lineup?
Posted by Geoff Baker
There should be smiles galore out in blogland today. That's because Richie Sexson is back in the Mariners lineup, batting seventh. Not only that, he's apparently going to be there for a while. Mariners manager John McLaren said it was the plan all along to sit Sexson for several days while he worked on his swing in the batting cage beneath the stands. Sexson and hitting coach Jeff Pentland have apparently made some major corrections and the M's feel he's now ready to play.
Spoke to Pentland moments ago and he told me the changes involve getting Sexson to open his stance so he can see the ball better. He'd had a more open stance when the season began, but had been closing it more and more as his numbers went south. The change will see the stance even more open that it was to start the year. When you make a change like that, you have to do it over several days, which is why he hasn't been playing. Will this work? Who knows? A little late in the game, if you ask me.
Yes, yes, I can hear the squealing already. Yes, I understood the thrust of the argument some of you were making in regards to Sexson being a better hitter than Miguel Cairo. A better home run hitter, too. In a normal world under normal circumstances, I'd agree. But not when a guy has been sitting for almost a week and hadn't really hit a lick in the weeks leading up to that benching.
Sorry, you just can't ignore something like that. You can't have a guy like Sexson struggle all season, to the point where the fan base is howling for his release, sit his bat for five days, then throw him in there against a major league closer throwing 90-plus mph. That's the argument. It doesn't matter if one guy's OPS is slightly higher than the other's for the entire season. We're not talking a .900 OPS versus a .516. We're talking about Sexson's .690 versus Cairo's .516. By the way, in May, Cairo's OPS was .559 versus .567 for Sexson. So, almost no difference.
Except one guy had hits in his last five consecutive games while the other guy had been swinging in a cage since May 26 because his "home run" bat missed more balls than it connected on for five weeks straight. If you still want to argue, go ahead. I'm done. For me, we should be arguing about why the M's bench is so thin that McLaren's choice was between Cairo, Sexson and Wladimir Balentien (another guy who can't hit right now). That's a lose-lose-lose situation all around. By the way, Balentien will now be the next guy out for a while so that Pentland can work on the obvious holes in his bat.
Anyhow, Sexson is back in there. Now, some of you may ask -- and quite reasonably, I might add -- why Sexson is good enough to hit tonight, but wasn't to pinch-hit last night. Excellent question, so thank you in advance. This was put to McLaren today. Here's his answer:
"What I was thinking was, I wanted him with a fresh start,'' McLaren said. "He cleared his mind, he worked hard and tonight he's going to get that start. I understand, some people have told me there's been a lot of talk about why we didn't use him yesterday. I'm kind of glad. Maybe we're rallying around this guy a little bit. He needs that. And we need him.''
So, there you go. Congratulations. Apparently, the fan voice has been heard loud and clear. Um, maybe.
On a more serious note, congrats are in order for those of you continuing to read the blog, not to mention participate in the comments thread. We easily set another monthly record in May, despite a number of off-days and the team's collapse. The types of spirited discussions here may not be for some of you, but the rest of you are continuing to log in here. We are now 300 percent higher in terms of page views than we were last May -- making us the paper's most read blog. Those of you writing in on email telling me you read, but don't post, believe me, I know. I get the numbers daily. But thank you anyway.
Anyone out there who wants to stop posting, nobody is forcing you to stay. There are dozens of others who can take your place on a daily basis. I'd like all of you to stay, of course. But if you want to dish it out, you have to be able to take it. Otherwise, there's the cyber door.
The lineups:
6 Maicer Izturis SS
47 Howie Kendrick 2B
16 Garret Anderson LF
49 Torii Hunter CF
21 Juan Rivera DH
24 Gary Matthews Jr. RF
35 Casey Kotchman 1B
39 Robb Quinlan 3B
5 Jeff Mathis C
54 Ervin Santana RHP
51 Ichiro CF
4 Jose Lopez 2B
3 Jose Vidrp DH
28 Raul Ibanez LF
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
8 Jeremy Reed RF
44 Richie Sexson 1B
2 Kenji Johjima C
5 Yuniesky Betancourt SS
56 Jarrod Washburn LHP
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Home Decoration Materials Market in China 2002
- January 2002
- Region: China
- China Market Research
1.China's Building Decoration Materials Market
1.1.Building Decoration Materials Industry
1.2.Overview of The Industry
1.2.1. Definition and Categorization
1.2.2. Existing Problems
1.3.Building Decoration Materials Market
1.3.1. Current Market Overlook
1.3.2. Building Materials' Distribution Marketplaces
1.5.Future Market Development
1.5.1. Development of Related Industries
1.5.2. Market Prospects
1.5.3. Development Trends
1.6.Analysis of Publicly Traded Building Decoration Materials Companies
1.6.1. A Sketch of Listed Companies
1.6.2. Analysis of Profitability
1.6.3. Analysis of Growth Potential
1.6.4. Analysis of Operation Capacity
1.6.5. Liquidity Analysis
1.7. Opportunities For The Development of China's Building Decoration Materials Industry From The Development Campaign of West China
1.7.1. Development of Real Estate Industry
1.7.2. Development of Urban Infrastructure
1.7.3. Building or Rebuilding of 20 Airports in The West
1.8. Opportunities And Challenges Faced by China's Decorative Building Material Industry After the Entry into WTO
1.8.1. Gap Between the Level of China's Decorative Building Material Industry and the Internationally Advanced Level
1.8.2. Impacts On China's Building Decoration Materials Industry by the Entry into WTO
2. China's Constructional And Sanitary Ceramics (Constructional and Sanitary Ceramics ) Market
2.1.An Industry Survey
2.1.1. Definition and Categorization
2.1.2. Development History of The Industry
2.1.3. Scale of Constructional and sanitary ceramics Industry in China
2.1.4. Enterprises in This Industry
2.1.5. Economic Performance of the Industry 39 2.1.6. Major Origins
2.1.7. Product Mix
2.1.8. Foreign Companies' Pervasion into The Chinese Market
2.2.Market Status Quo
2.2.1. Market Scale And Demand Distribution Across The Industry
2.2.2. Current Situation and Features of the Market
2.2.3. Market Competition
2.2.4. Selected Introduction to Major Brand Names
2.2.5. Distribution Models
2.3.Imports and Exports
2.3.1. Imports and Exports of Constructional Ceramics
2.3.2. Sanitary Ceramics
2.3.3. Customs Duty and Its Future Development Prediction
2.4.Prediction on Future Development Trends
2.4.1. Market Prospects
2.4.2. Tendency of Market Development
2.4.3. Tendency of Technique and Equipment Development
2.4.4. Tendency of Products Development
2.4.5. Industry Development Vision
2.5.Industrial Polices and Regulations
2.5.1. A General Introduction
2.5.2. Industrial and Technical Policies about Constructional and Sanitary Ceramics
2.5.3. Policies on Limiting and Eliminating The Backward Techniques and Processes That Severely Pollute The Environment
3.China's Constructional Paint Market
3.1.Industry Overview
3.1.1. Development History of Paint Industry in China
3.1.2. The Development History of The Constructional Paint Industry
3.1.3. Categorization of Constructional Paint
3.1.4. Output and Its Growth in Recent Years
3.1.5. Geographic Distribution of Output Volume
3.1.6. Number of Enterprise Quantity and Its Distribution
3.1.7. State of The Art
3.1.8. Product Mix
3.1.9. Existing Problems
3.2.Market Status
3.2.1. Market Size, and Supply and Demand
3.2.2. Current situation of consumption
3.2.3. Market Competition
3.2.4. Major brands
3.2.5. Distribution Channels
3.3.Imports and Exports
3.3.1. Statistics of paint imports and exports
3.3.2. Situation of tariffs and estimation of its changes
3.4.Development of the market in the future
3.4.1. Market Prospect
3.4.2. Analysis of Marketing Demand Potential
3.4.3. Development Trend of Technology and Equipment
3.5.Industry Planning.
4.Decorative Stone Market in China
4.1.Overview of the industry
4.1.1. Classification of products
4.1.2. Development history of the industry
4.1.3. Industry scale
4.1.4. Development in recent 5 years
4.1.5. The geographic distribution of production
4.1.6. Stone material enterprises and their geographical distributions
4.1.7. Industrial structure
4.1.8. Problems
4.2.China's stone market
4.2.1. Market scale
4.2.2. Stone utilization
4.2.3. Market competition of stones
4.2.4. Sales modes
4.3.Chinese Stone export and import
4.3.1. An overview
4.3.2. Stone Material import
4.3.3. Exports of China's Stone
4.3.4. A prediction of tariffs and their changes
4.4.The prospect of China's future stone market
4.4.1. Prospects of products
4.4.2. Technological Development
4.4.3. Market Outlook
4.5.Industrial Standards
4.5.1. Domestic Standards
4.5.2. Foreign Standards
5.Chinese Plastic Doors and Windows Market
5.1.Industry Overview
5.1.1. Development History
5.1.2. Industrial scale
5.1.3. Output Volume
5.1.4. PVC doors and windows enterprises
5.1.5. PVC raw material supply
5.1.6. Existing problems
5.2.The market
5.2.1. Scope of the market
5.2.2. The supply and demand
5.2.3. Chinese plastic doors and windows market
5.2.4. Market structure
5.2.5. The consumption Status quo
5.2.6. Plastic doors and windows promotion in different places
5.2.7. Market competition
5.2.8. An analysis of the price tendency
5.2.9. Some major PVC doors and windows producers
5.2.10. Sales Modes
5.3.Plastic doors and windows export
5.4.Prospect of the future market
5.5.Industrial policies and regulations
5.5.1. Industrial development programming
5.5.2. Technological policies of PVC doors and windows industry
5.6.Suggestions on the development strategies of the industry
6.Chinese Wood Floor Market
6.1.Overview of the China's wood floor industry
6.1.1. A brief introduction of the history of the Chinese wood floor industry
6.1.2. Products classification
6.1.3. Industry Scale
6.1.4. Output
6.1.5. The introduction of production lines
6.1.6. Number and geographic distribution of enterprises
6.1.7. The supply of raw materials
6.1.8. Existing problems
6.2.Market Status
6.2.1. Market scale
6.2.2. Consumption
6.2.3. Market competition
6.2.4. Major brands and prices of solid wood floorings
6.2.5. Sales modes
6.3.Import and export of Chinese wood floorings
6.3.1. The export of solid wood
6.3.2. Imports and exports of parquet wood floorings
6.3.3. Import tariff of wood products in China
6.4.Future market development
6.4.1. Predictions of demand
6.4.2. Analysis on market potential demand
6.4.3. Development tendency of the wood flooring industry
6.5.Industrial policies and regulations
6.5.1. Industrial standards
1 6.5.2. Policies of the wood flooring industry
AppendixesAppendixList of Sanitary Pottery and Porcelain Manufacturers with Annual Production above 500,000 Pieces
Table 1 2000-2001 Development of China's Home Decoration Industry
Table 2 Numbers of Listed Companies in All Sub-Industries of Building Materials and Their Percentages to The Industry Total
Table 3 Schedule of Essentials of Listed Building decoration materials Companies
Table 4 Profitability Indices of Listed Building Decoration Materials Companies in 2001
Table 5 Growth Potential Indices of Listed Building Decoration Materials Companies in 2001
Table 6 Operation Capacity Indices of Listed Building Decoration Materials Companies in 2001 Table 7 Liquidity Indices of Listed Building decoration materials Companies in 2001
Table 8 Features and Products of Sanitary Utilities Made From Various Kinds of Materials
Table 9 Proportions of All Ownership Among Constructional and sanitary ceramics Enterprises (in 2001)
Table 10 Constructional and sanitary ceramics Producing Capacities of Foshan, Tangshan and Boshan
Table 11 Distribution Models Employed by Constructional and sanitary ceramics Enterprises Table 12 Major Exporters of Ceramic Tiles
Table 13 Major Importers of Ceramic Tiles
Table 14 2002-2012 Predicted National Demands for Constructional and Sanitary Ceramics
Table 15 Geographic Distribution of China's Constructional Paint Output in 2001
Table 16 Industry and Ownership Composition of China's Paint Enterprises
Table 17 Statistics of Patents on Paint in China
Table 18 The situation of paint consumption around the world
Table 19 Top 6 Enterprises in China Paint Market in 2001
Table 20 Typical sales pattern of domestic constructional paints manufacturers
Table 21 Typical sales pattern of foreign constructional paints joint ventures and sole proprietors
Table 22 Growth of Paint Demand in The World
Table 23 Building planning of urban residence in China
Table 24 Types of Stones according to Their Usage and Percentage in Use
Table 25 Color Catena of Three Major Decoration Stone Materials
Table 26 China's Development in Stone Material Industry during the Last 100 Years
Table 27 Scales of Chinese Stone Material Industry
Table 28 Stone Application in Construction Decoration
Table 29 Statistics of the Quantity, Sum and Average Unit Price of China's Stone Imports between 1996 and 2001
Table 30 The Value of Chinese Stone Import and Export in 2001
Table 31 Major Destinations of Chin's Stone Exports in 2001
Table 32 Import Tariffs of Current Chinese Natural Stones.
Table 33 Order of Some Stone Consumers
Table 34 World Stone Production between 1925 and 1999
Table 35 World Stone Trade Value during 1973 to 1999
Table 36 World Stone Demand Prediction during 2001 to 2025
Table 37 Goal of China's Stone Industry Development in 2010
Table 38 Growth of China's Plastic Doors and Windows Industry between 1995 and 2001
Table 39 PVC Shaped Material Output between 1998 and Predictions for 2001
Table 40 Some 20-thousand-ton Output Manufacturers of Special Shape Materials
Table 41 Types of PVC Doors and Windows Manufacturers and Their Technological Features
Table 42 Supply and Demand of Shaped Materials for Plastic Doors and Windows in China in 2001 Table 43 Doors and Windows Demands and Their Market Shares in China in 2001
Table 44 Sales Modes of Plastic Doors and Windows Producers
Table 45 China's PVC Profiles Export in 2001
Table 46 Number and Output Value of China's Wood Floor Enterprises
Table 47 Output of Different Chinese Wood Floorings
Table 48 Average Prices of Various Wood Floorings
Table 49 Prices of Major Solid Wood Floorings
Table 50 Typical Sales Modes of Chinese Wood Floorings
Table 51 Chinese Solid Wood Imports and Exports in 2001
Table 52 Chinese Parquet Wood Flooring Imports and Exports in 2001
Figure 1 Output Value and Its Growth Rate of China's Building Decoration Industry
Figure 2 Classification of Building Decoration Enterprises in China
Figure 3 Classification of Chinese Building Decoration Employees in 2001
Figure 4 1999-2001 Output Value And Its Growth of China's Home Decoration Industry
Figure 5 1998-2001 output value and sales revenues of China's constructional and sanitary ceramics
Figure 6 1995-2001 Outputs and Annual Growth Rates of China's Ceramic Tiles
Figure 7 1995-2001 Outputs and Annual Growth Rates of China's Sanitary Ceramics
Figure 8 Category Proportions of Constructional and sanitary ceramics Enterprises to the Industry
Figure 9 1998-2001 Total Profit of China's Constructional and sanitary ceramics Enterprises with Annual Output Value Over RMB 5 Million Each
Figure 10 1997-2001 Apparent Demand and Its Growth Rates of Constructional Ceramic Tiles in China
Figure 11 1996-2001 Apparent Demand for Sanitary Ceramics and Its Growth Rates in China Figure 12 Distribution of The Demand for Sanitary Ceramics in China
Figure 13 1992-2001 China's Imports and Exports of Constructional and Sanitary Ceramics
Figure 14 1992-2001 China's Imports and Exports of Sanitary Ceramics
Figure 15 Regional Distribution of Global Paint Output in 2001
Figure 16 Field Distribution of Global Paint Application in 2001
Figure 17 1998-2001 Output Volume of Constructional Paint in China
Figure 18 Proportions of Regional Paint Output Volume to The National Total in China in 2001
Figure 19 1999-2001 Supplies and Apparent Demands for Paint in China
Figure 20 1999-2001 Demand Value for Paint in China
Figure 21 The application percentage of constructional and industrial paint in major countries Figure 22 The market shares of classified paint brands in China
Figure 23 China's paint import and export trade value from 1997 to 2001 80 Figure 24 China's paint import and export volume (1998-2001)
Figure 25 China's Stone Material Production from 1997 to 2001
Figure 26 Geographic Distribution of China's Granite Production in 2001
Figure 27 Geographical Distribution of China's Marble Production in 2001
Figure 28 China's Stone Import from 1997 to 2001
Figure 29 China's Stone Exports from 1997 to 2001
Figure 30 The Market Share Growth of Chinese Plastic Doors and Windows
Figure 31 The Price Changes of PVC Resins between 1993 and 2001
Figure 32 Predictions of Chinese Plastic Doors and Windows Market Shares between 2002 and 2012 Figure 33 Chinese Domestic Wood Supply from 1999 to 2001
New: Name list of Top Decoration Materials Traders in China
(A list of 50 main importers, including their tel, fax, email, website, contact person, address)
** Available in English version **


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Bailey Stewart Dean, 72, passed away Dec. 2, 2012, peacefully in his sleep at home.
He was born July 30, 1940, in Braxton County, W.Va., a son of the late Martha Juanita Dean Griffith. He retired from Wood County Board of Education, where he worked as a teacher's aide. He also worked at Ideal Box Factory for over 30 years. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran, and member of Sunrise Baptist Church where he was baptized. He was a member of the Moose Lodge #1118, and a member of the American Legion Post #15 and the Eagles Lodge Aerie #2307. He graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1958. He enjoyed bowling, socializing with friends, spending time at Parkersburg Farmers Market and spending time with his grandchildren.
He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Nancy of Parkersburg; one son, B. Stewart (Cindy) Dean of Walker, W.Va.; two daughters, Tammy (Robert) Goodwin of Parkersburg and Melissa (Ron) Watson of Parkersburg; four sisters, Alice Pritchard of Parkersburg, Bertha (Larry) Dillon, Texalena (William) Clegg and Clotile (Ronnie) Snider, all of Parkersburg; two brothers, Howard (Cathy) Todd and Thomas Griffith, both of Parkersburg; six grandchildren, Roger Goodwin, Robert Goodwin, Kayla (Monkey) Goodwin, Breanna Watson, Kylee Dean and Brandon (Bubby) Watson; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Hazel Bailey and Martha Ann Rebholtz.
At his request there will be no visitation or service at this time.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the WEE Federal Credit Union, c/o Nancy Dean, for Bailey's grandchildren's education.
The Leavitt Funeral Home in Parkersburg is assisting the family with arrangements, and online condolences may be sent to the family at www.leavittfuneralhome.com


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Innovative Technology for Autism
Young and old, technology is never far from us. It enables our communication and helps us grow and maintain social relationships. For years Autism Speaks has promoted the research of technologies to support children and adults with ASD, whether that is through the awarding of grants or by supporting research-networking events.
2011 saw a new approach for Autism Speaks' Innovative Technology for Autism (ITA) initiative with the running of a student design competition called Autism Connects. The design brief was pretty straight forward: to create technology design ideas for individuals with autism to better connect with the world around them, and to allow individuals who do not have autism to better understand and connect with those who do.
Autism Connects was a partnership between Autism Speaks, Core 77 and jovoto. In total there were 126 design ideas submitted from over 30 countries. The popularity of the competition really shows the passion and interest there is for autism around the world and how we can engage young professionals to use their burgeoning skills to make a difference in the lives of people with ASD and their families.
The submitted ideas were judged by a panel of international experts on ASD, including Temple Grandin and John Robison. The jury rated the best design and first prize to Gobug, by Greg Katz and Tom Rim from the University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts Industrial Design.
"Gobug is designed to move around on a ground surface at the control of the users. Up to two or three children can play with the toy simultaneously. Each user takes ownership of one controller. These controllers work in conjunction; each user points his/her remote in a direction, and the Gobug moves in the combined direction of the active controllers" said Greg Katz and Tom Rim.
When asked how the team came upon this original idea, Greg Katz said, "We took this on from a user-centered design perspective. The focus was 100% on the person we were designing for. We designed through an iterative process, constantly sketching ideas and fine tuning them in to workable concepts. The outcome was Gobug."
In second place was WEsync, which was designed by Noel Cunningham from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Md.
"weSYNC is an application for the iPad, iPhone, and Web, that creates a specialized profile for the autistic individual by gathering knowledge from each caregiver and establishing a centralized location where it can be accessed and edited by everyone. Establishing a dialogue among doctors, therapists, teachers and parents allows them to share information and reinforce oneanother's efforts."
In third place was another idea from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore designed by Cameron Zotter whose idea is called Visual Watch. The watch is both a time management and picture exchange communication system (PECS) tool designed specifically for people with ASD.
The three prize winners were invited to this week's International Meeting for Autism Research to present their designs in person at the technology demonstration on Friday. Autism Speaks' Chief Science Officer Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., will be announcing the winners and celebrating their innovations on Friday at the event.
The breadth and wealth of these students' ideas reflects the technology and autism field in general. All of the designs that were submitted had considered and detailed ways of using technology to aid the lives of people with ASD or those who love and support them. The potential of these ideas to make a difference for families is vast. Our next challenge is how we get these concepts and ideas out into the real world and we'd be interested to hear your ideas on how to achieve that.
Through this competition Autism Speaks has encouraged a new community of young people to think about ASD. Our hope is that Greg, Tim, Noel, and Cameron will take this experience into their working lives and have autism close to their thoughts when they are planning their future projects.
Lastly, none of this could have been possible without our fantastic ITA committee members, who are chaired by Drs. Katherina Boser and Matthew Goodwin. Also, enormous thanks to our judges and the community experts who guided the students' design ideas to help make them as good as they turned out to be.
You can find out more about the three Jury Prize winners and the six Community Prize winners here.
Good "Karma" for Autism Speaks
The August 2010 issue of Redbook gives a shout-out to Autism Speaks and an awesome app you can download to support us while you shop – CauseWorld. If you have an iPhone or Android, download CauseWorld and start earning "karmas," which turn into donations. Check it out and tell us what you think.
It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
This guest post is by Geri Dawson, Chief Science Officer, Autism Speaks.
The other day, I was talking to a mother who was telling me about her teenage son. The story was a familiar one to any mother who has raised a boy through the adolescent years. He wants more control over his own life, has a short fuse, gets easily frustrated, and feels no one really understands him. His mom tries to communicate with him, but much of the time, she's at a loss figuring out what he really wants. It's been like this for a while now.
Most fourteen year old boys are struggling with these same issues. But, there is one way in which her son is different: he has autism. His spoken language is limited to one or two word phrases. His mom described how he would repeatedly say "Rajaneba", hoping that his mother would understand what he wanted. This went on for two years. She had no clue. Finally, in desparation and frustration, he would start to hit himself.
Then, his mom heard about something that any 14 year old boy would want—and iPhone with a special app. This particular application is really special, though—it allows users to tap words, phrases, or sentences on the screen to create messages that are read aloud by the software. Samuel Sennott a graduate student in special education at Penn State, collaborated with a developer from Amsterdam to create Proloquo2Go, an iPhone application that can be used by people with language impairments to communicate.
It didn't take long for her son to tap out "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood," referring to a DVD he had watched over two years ago and that he wanted to watch again. Raja – neba! She happily found the DVD and handed it to him.
Over the next several weeks, the world changed for this mom and her son. Her son had a lot to say as it turns out. She found out that he has a strong interest in math and international events. He's doing a lot better in his classes at school. He thinks it's really cool to carry around an iPhone. And, like most 14 year old boys, he's spending a lot of time texting.
Light It Up Blue on Your Mobile!
Autism Speaks has partnered with several mobile apps to allow you to "Light It Up Blue" and bring even more awareness to autism!
CauseWorld is a mobile application that lets you help the world while you shop!
All you need to do is walk into one of the many stores you most likely frequent anyway, such as common grocers, hardware stores, department stores, and many others. Pull out your phone, open the app, and check in. No purchase is required. By checking in, you earn karmas from our sponsors. Donate those karmas for to Autism Speaks or other causes that you care about! CauseWorld is available on the iPhone and Android phones.
Do something extraordinary by documenting autism awareness or how you are lighting it up blue! iPhone only for now.
Shine your light blue to commemorate Autism Awareness Day on Friday, April 2. Download color #10 on the Fight Lights color picker and taking action to raise awareness about autism in our communities. A percentage of proceeds will go to Autism Speaks for the entire month of April as Fight Lights encourages all fans to fight for autism awareness and shine a blue light wherever they are! iPhone only for now.


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EUGENE — Guard Dominic Artis and forward Ben Carter have each been suspended by No. 19 Oregon for the season's first nine games for selling team apparel.
The length of the suspension was announced Thursday, two days after the school revealed the NCAA violations. Artis and Carter did not accompany the team on its trip to South Korea for the Ducks' opener against Georgetown today.
Artis, a sophomore, averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 assists last season. He was projected as a potential starter at guard with Johnathan Loyd.
Carter, also a sophomore, averaged 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds. His absence will leave the Ducks thin in the frontcourt.
Location, ST | website.com


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Journal: Sensors, 2012
Volume: 12
Number: 6186
Article: A Polymer Optical Fiber Fuel Level Sensor: Application to Paramotoring and Powered Paragliding
Authors: David Sánchez Montero, Pedro Contreras Lallana and Carmen Vázquez
Link: http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/12/5/6186
MDPI provides reprints in high quality with convenient shipping to destinations worldwide. The articles are printed in on premium paper with high-resolution figures. Our covers are customized to your article and designed to be complimentary to the journal. These reprints are ideal additions to your portfolio. Copy details: 135g/m2 paper, 2x stitched, full colour and glossy finish, orderable in quantities from 10 to 1000.
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Actelion Enters Evel Knievel Territory
Actelion's discontinuation of the insomnia project almorexant, partnered with GlaxoSmithKline, shows just how risky its acquisition would have been last year, when rumors of a takeover by Amgen were swirling around the Swiss drug maker.
An Amgen move back then made no sense either on a synergies or a risk/reward basis. It makes even less sense now–unless, that is, Amgen or any other acquirer decided to borrow a page from the Evel Knievel book of company valuations.
That's not to say an acquisition is completely off the table. Buoyed by the takeover hypothesis, Switzerland-based Actelion's stock has been floating at unrealistic levels for four months, and were it to crash by, say, 40% or more it might be worth a second look.
And there are firms out there with a keen appetite for pharma risk, but they're to be found mainly in the East rather than in Western Europe or the U.S. For instance, Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical or Astellas Pharma might take a look when the time is right.
It all comes down to certainties, and in Actelion's case there's only one: its pulmonary arterial hypertension drug Tracleer, which has five to seven years of blockbuster sales left before its patents begin to expire. This revenue stream is worth some 42 Swiss francs of Actelion's current share price of between 52 and 53 Swiss francs.
The rest of Actelion's value is tied to a small portfolio of rare-disease drugs and a high-risk R&D pipeline that has just lost almorexant, its key asset. A takeover price also depends on the costs an acquirer can slash, and the risk probability it assigns to the R&D pipeline.
For instance, assuming a 30% probability of market launch for macitentan, a Tracleer follow-up currently in Phase III studies, adding on 979 million Swiss francs of current net cash and discounting by a WACC of 12.5% takes us up to just 45 Swiss francs per Actelion share.
This admittedly simplistic valuation methodology shows that, even if an acquirer realizes cost savings of 10% of revenue, the shares are worth 52 Swiss francs–precisely where they are trading now. That's hardly a compelling takeover thesis.
Unless a far higher probability of success is assigned to macitentan (and the almorexant failure shows just what a risky bet that would be), an acquisition doesn't become realistic unless the shares fall to around 30 Swiss francs, at which point a premium of, say, 30% leaves sufficient upside for an acquirer.
True to form, the Panglossian sell-side machine has already swung into motion. Kepler Capital Markets, for instance, was quoted as saying: "The key driver for Actelion … is the takeover possibility, not clinical data on drugs like almorexant."
It may be the driver, but the takeover possibility depends precisely on clinical data on drugs like almorexant. Amgen may have just done a high-risk takeover of BioVex and its largely unproven cancer technology, but there are limits.
Get set for a round of Actelion cost cutting, followed by a protracted share price drift.
This article originally appeared on Dow Jones Investment Banker. To find out more about the service please visit: www.dowjones.com/ib/


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Briarwood is a small school with a small team. But it's also a team with a big heart and with big dreams for the 2009 season.
Last season, the Bucs won 7 games under then first year head coach Josh Osborne. But now, everyone is older and wiser, from the coaches to the players. That should be a huge help as the senior class leads this team into battle every Friday night. And with their leadership and knowledge of the system, there's no telling just how good this team could be when they hit the field.
"We are a total team," said Osborne. "We care about each other. We'll do what we have to do for each of us to succeed and that is where our strength is."
"We have a strong senior class," said senior fullback/safety Matt McElveen. "I think there are 8 of us. It means a lot when you have a team with a lot of seniors. it helps out a lot."
The Bucs return a lot of key skill players on offense like Mcelveen and RB Trey Stadler. But like most small schools in our area, depth at every position is a problem so staying healthy will be important to the success of the team.


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Rythme and Boulet
AKA: We Will Rock You
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Product Description
A game inspired by those played at camp in which players need to repeat the right gestures in the right order. Each player will have one or more cards before her; everyone will slap their legs and clap to the rhythm of Queen's "We Will Rock You" (no, really!), and on the claps one player will perform her own gestures, then one of her neighbor's. The turn passes to someone else, and the rhythm and gesturing continues until someone goofs. I don't know how someone wins, but winning seems beside the point based on this description.
Description written by W. Eric Martin and used with permission of BoardgameNews.com
Product Information
Gabriel Ecoutin
Cocktail Games
Year: 2008
Players: 4 - 12
Time: 20 minutes
Ages: 10 and up
Weight: 206 grams
Language Requirements: Game components contain some foreign text, possibly requiring occasional reference to rules translation. An English translation of the rules is provided.
- 40 Sign cards
- 10 Burden cards
- 1 pictoral summary card
- 2 double-sided French rule cards


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FILE - This undated photo provided by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shows Lester Hobbs, 47. Oklahoma authorities issued an Amber Alert on Monday Jan. 25, 2010 for Aja Daniell Johnson, whose mother, Tonya Hobbs, was found slain in her motor home Sunday. Authorities believe Aja may be with Hobbs' estranged husband, Lester Hobbs. Police say two bodies have been found Monday March 29, 2010, near a car that belongs to Hobbs, charged with killing his estranged wife and kidnapping her 7-year-old daughter Johnson. Officers fear one of the bodies may be that of the young girl. (AP Photo/Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, File)


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The 20 winter-themed stencils in this book are perfect for creating snowy scenes on windows! Mix and match the stencils to create countless wintry wonderland with sparkly snowflakes, a smiling Santa, snowy trees, reindeer and more. Simple step-by-step directions will instruct children of all ages how to adorn windows with stencils that capture the spirit of the season.. Price: $18.99
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They are burning the midnight kilowatts in the West Wing. And they'll probably be cutting and pasting until President Barack Obama climbs into his limo next Tuesday night and drives 16 blocks to the gleaming-white, floodlit Capitol.
The president's policy and message massagers are frantically making sure all the president's must-keep themes are still in his 2014 State of the Union text. We can only hope they haven't overlooked -- yet again! -- one bold national security priority that could become the capstone of Obama's presidential legacy.
Truth is, they've always understood the urgency. They even had the benefit of hearing an unscripted question that said it all, back in 2010, at a campaign town meeting at George Washington University.
"Mr. President, you have pointed out that U.S. students have fallen from the top 20 nations in math and science and test scores -- and jobs and contracts are going overseas," said Francesca Yabraian, an Agriculture Department employee. "You've called education a national priority. But do you think it is time to label education funding a national security priority?"
Exactly! Today, education must be declared a national security priority.
Obama instantly got it and ran with it. "I think it's a national security priority," he said. "Look, there has never been a nation on earth that lost its economic edge and maintained its military edge. And the reason we have the most effective military on earth, in the history of the world, is first and foremost because we have unbelievable men and women in uniform who make sacrifices on our behalf every single day.
"But the second reason is that we've had the biggest economy in the world that can support this incredible armed forces that we have. And if we start falling behind economically, we will start falling behind from a national security perspective -- there's no doubt about it. And the single most important determinant of how we do economically is going to be the skills of our work force. And you're exactly right.
"We used to be at the top of the heap when it came to math and science education; we are now 21st and 25th respectively in science and math. ... Other countries are making huge investments. China is doubling, tripling, quadrupling the number of college graduates it is generating. ... And yet, here we are, losing that first-place position. That is unacceptable."
Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have undertaken a number of programs aimed at reversing America's slide in education results. Still, government alone cannot fix what is wrong -- but we can.
Four years ago, Obama told educators in a White House speech what South Korea's president had told him was his biggest education problem. "He told me his biggest challenge in education wasn't budget holes, it wasn't crumbling schools -- it was that the parents were too demanding. He's had to import thousands of foreign teachers because parents insisted on English language training in elementary school. The mayor of Shanghai, China ... told me ... teaching is revered (there) and the pay scales are comparable to professions like doctors."
Duncan noted in a recent speech that while many U.S. teachers come from the bottom third of college graduates, South Korean teachers are selected from the top 5 percent of high school students; they get six months' training after being hired, are well paid and get bonuses.
A generation ago, Americans were No. 1 in the world in percentages of college graduates. Now America is 12th -- South Korea is first. "Both South Korean and U.S. citizens believe that the caliber of teacher matters tremendously," Duncan said. "... The difference is: they act on their belief. We don't. We talk the talk, and they walk the walk."
We, the people, will never be able to form a more perfect union until we rethink our cultural and fiscal education priorities. In this looming national security crisis, our politicians are not our greatest problem -- we are.
It might be unstately to end a State of the Union Address with a question, but Obama would do well to conclude Tuesday's speech by repeating what Duncan bluntly asked:
"I want to pose one simple question to you: Does a child in South Korea deserve a better education than your child? If your answer is no -- that no child in America deserves any less than a world-class education -- then your work is cut out for you."
Contact Martin Schram at email@example.com.


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NEW DELHI: A RBI team will visit Germany this week to explore a new conduit for payments towards Iranian crude oil imports, Oil Secretary S Sundareshan said on Wednesday.
"The RBI team will be meeting Deutsche Bundesbank officials to find an alternative mode of payment," he said.
There has been no disruption in supplies from Iran since December 23 when RBI clamped down on the main conduit Indian companies use to pay for the consignments.


text:
Cain, Joe
- about/contact
- teaching BSc|MSc
- supervision PhD
- publications
- research
- Brown Dog
- Bryan's Last Message
- Crystal Palace dinosaurs
- Darwin's Expressions
- Darwin in London
- Descended from Darwin
- Euston Grove
- Evolution: A Journal of Nature
- Exploring the Borderlands
- Fitzroy in Norwood
- Robert Grant Lecture
- No Ordinary Space
- About 22 Gordon Sq
- Huxley's quote: "how stupid"
- Jokes in science
- Where is Piltdown?
- Sloan interviews
- film nights
Head of Department, and
Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology
Prof Cain's research interests include the history of evolutionary studies (especially the synthesis period in evolutionary studies), Darwin and Darwinism, history of science in London, and history of natural history.
Publications via UCL's IRIS service (link)
+442076793041 (intl)
Twitter: @profjoecain
UCL location (map)Follow me on Academia.edu
'How extremely stupid'
by Joe Cain
citation: Huxley, Thomas Henry. 1887.
On the Reception of the 'Origin of Species,' in Darwin,
Francis (ed.). 1887. The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin,
Including an Autobiographical Chapter (London: John Murray),
volume 2, pp. 179-204. Quote is on v2:p197.
source: The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online (Web)
Page last modified on 04 aug 10 09:44 by Joe Cain
Professor Joe Cain
UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies


text:
Must-See Videos
Terrible Pageant Answer...Must See Video
A clip from the recent Miss Philippines USA pageant in Glendale, California has surfaced online, because of a TERRIBLE answer from a woman named Joanlia Lising.
And the question couldn't have been easier.
They asked which of the five senses is your favorite?
And she said, "SEEING" . . . followed by a bunch of senseless rambling that included the phrase, "because seeing is believing."
Then she realized she was bombing, and just stopped. Obviously, she didn't win.
She did make the top 12 though.


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'So You Think You Can Dance': TV Recap
It's the roughest night on "So You Think You Can Dance." Call back time for the 157 dancers who made it through five city auditions. First there's several rounds of choreography and then the horrible, painful mess that is group round. Then there are the gruelling cuts until we narrow it down to the top 20 tonight.
Lots of judges tonight – Nigel and Mary, of course, but also all-star tWitch, choreographer Adam Shankman, ice skater Tara Lipinski and American Ballet Theater's Irina Dvorovenko. First they all watch solos from the dancers and then cut it down to 121 dancers.
Steven Kador's girlfriend is pregnant and her water broke. She's been in labor since last night, but she said he should stay for call backs. He puts on a great robotic performance and makes the first round of cuts. Now it's time for choreography challenge. First up: Hip Hop. They're split into couples and they have an hour to learn and the night to practice. They have to focus on position, musicality and connection.
Marie Poppins (the pop and lock who danced to Sade) was thrown by doing someone else's steps, Nigel says. Irina says it was too sharp and not enough movement. Mary says it's not quite good enough but she'll support her for another round. Nigel says he's shocked that his colleagues are putting her through.
Amanda Mitchell is dancing with Marcquet because she thought he was hip-hop but he's really a ballroom dancer. Mary says she couldn't keep her eyes of Marcquet. (Let me add that the show isn't putting up any of the names during the show, so I'm guessing at the spelling of the names, sorry!)
Marlena hadn't really slept much because she was partnered with Steven, whose partner was pregnant. Oh, he had a son with chubby cheeks. Tara says it wasn't sharp and edgy but Mary likes them so they are through to the next round.
Trevor Brice and Caleb, whose dad died and was one of the sad stories, are up next. Trevor – who was told that he had one of the best auditions – doesn't make it. They aren't thrilled with Caleb either, saying that he didn't connect with his partner. He doesn't make it either. Harsh! Francesca, who has alopecia, didn't make it. Jessica Richens from California has to dance for her life. She's the one who she loves to be sexy on stage. She's in.
Choreography Round 2: Ballroom dancer Alla Kocherga seems to have hurt her knee and she gets cut. Her partner Serge Onik makes it through. Nigel says Zac was the star of that group and makes it to the next round.
New father Steven is up next. Mary says he didn't latch onto the style and he's out. Steven says he tried and his son should be proud of him. Marie Poppins doesn't make it past this round either. They want Jana "JaJa" Vankova to dance for her life. She pulls out a great robot-pop routine. Everyone loves it. She's through.
The final challenge of the day: ballroom. 65 dancers left. The routine comes with a death drop, which is scaring some dancers. And one of the dancers knocks his tooth out on his partner's arm? They are given the night to work on their routine. Zachary Everhart is paired up with fellow tapper Valerie Rockey of the red tap shoes. Tara says they are her favorite. Nigel says he's thrilled and they are through to the next round.
Last year Emilio had to withdraw from the competition because he was kicked in the nose, but now he's back and rocking it into call-backs. He's dancing with JaJa. They all love JaJa and she surprised them. Nigel says Emilio was terrific for a popper. They are all through to the next round.
Last round: Travis Wall brings on the contemporary routine. Bridget Whitman, the one whose father was killed in a car accident, is dancing. They used to watch SYTYCD together. She threw herself into one of one-legged upside-down turns and it was too much for her partner. Tara says there isn't emotion in her face. Irina says she has to feel it. They want her to dance for her life. Three yeses will get her through. Tara, Mary say yes. Nigel and tWitch say no. Irina moved from no to yes. She's in!
Next up! Group work. Ugggh. This is always a circle of hell and drama. 29 boys and 21 girls left. They are put into groups of five, they randomly choose a CD and come up with steps together. Remember when they would make their own groups and there were always several lost sheep, left behind. It was the worst of middle school. This is better. Except that the dancers are up all night, again, and they are all drained and tired.
First group: One Love. One dancer, Serena, is a ballroom dancer and made herself the center of the entire thing with a lot of Rumba. Tara says it was a mess. Irina says she was totally distracted. Mary is mad at Serena for putting in such a difficult dance. Nigel says they have to decide who goes home from the group. Not so much love. They go back and forth but say they can't blame one person. Nigel puts them through to the next round.
Follow-up groups do no better. Lots of comments about amateur level dancing and making a mess. "I've seen better routines from those children on Dance Moms," is one particularly cringing comment from Adam. People are going home left and right. Even Cat says the atmosphere was bleak.
Finally, one group with Johnny Waacks Gibson, put together a lovely number. All five of them go through. Whew. Then there's a series of successful groups, with 44 dancers left and only a final solo left to the final 20.
First up, Ricky Ubeda. He is fantastic, with amazing balance and flying across the stage. Little snippets from other dancers, but he's the only one they show the entire routine. Now they'll narrow it down to the final group. There is nothing left they can do, says Cat. Ricky is first up. Mary says she fell in love with him the first day she saw him. He's in! We don't know a lot of these dancers who made it to the finals. Check out the final list here!
Jessica Richens is in. Emilio is also through and Adam says he has tremendous talent. Adam tells JaJa she needs to work on the other styles, but she's not making it this year. Awwh. Johnny Waacks also doesn't make it. Bridget makes it in and Tara gets to tell her. Best friends Nick and Rudy – will they go on together?
Ballroom dancer Landon Anderson is up next. Adam says Landon started out great but dropped so hard it became difficult to watch. He's out. Several others are out as well.
Now it's time for Nick and Rudy. Mary says they all adore Nick and he has super fast footwork. Mary drags it on for a while and tortures the kid before letting him into the top 20. Rudy makes it through too. It's Brolove all around!
Serge and Marlena also make it through. Brooklyn and Marcquet also make it to the final 20.
Next week: The first competition!


text:
Listeria Responsible for Iowa Miscarriage
Can we please have more food safety regulations?
With every pregnancy, I tend to stray a little further from the "no no" list of foods. Now, half way into my fourth pregnancy (and, hopefully third birth) I've already hit the sushi, gave up on fully cooking my eggs, and even stopped microwaving the lunch meat.
Good thing this kid gave me an issue with fruit, though, or I may have gotten caught up in the great cantalope listeria scare.
Over 100 people were sickened by the tainted fruit, but one woman in Iowa was the first to have her miscarriage of an early fetus tied to the contamination. But with listeria infections taking up to two months to fully develop, according to the MSNBC report, she may not be the last.
Meanwhile, I'll just stick to bread and cheese like I have for the last 20 weeks.
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text:
Definition of vibratory in English:
Relating to or causing vibration.
Example sentences
- Fortunately an American physician in 1872 came up with the first steam powered massage and vibratory apparatus, which came with a clear warning: 'Patients should be watched to avoid over manipulation of apparatus'.
- This assessment includes tests to determine pressure perception, vibratory sensation, your ability to discriminate between sharp and dull pressure, tactile sensation and the Achilles tendon reflex.
- You know you are safe, the literal danger is removed, but the vibratory presence is felt.
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: vi·bra·to·ry
Definition of vibratory in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


text:
One of the Family
Lessons Learned
A Lasting Legacy
ōPerfection consists not in doing extraordinary
things, but in doing ordinary
things extraordinarily well.ö This
quote by Angelique Arnauld sums up
neatly everything I want to say in this
editorial about Tim Russert and what
his legacy can teach us. But as was witnessed
by the hours of television tributes
following his death, Russert
deserves much more than a one-line
When Russert, NBC News Washington
bureau chief and the moderator of
NBCÆs Meet the Press, died from a heart
attack four months ago, the country
was stunned. Tributes swamped the airwaves,
recalling Russert as a wonderful
father, husband, son, colleague and
Words like integrity, fair, tough, loving
and devoted were repeated over and
over again by friends and co-workers. It
was the type of remembrance for which
we all hope, but all too often fail to
While RussertÆs legacy is one which
speaks to all of us, I think for those of
us in the Catholic press, his death hit
particularly close to home. In many
ways, he was one of us. We too are
journalists, Catholics, parents, children.
In fact, in October 1994, this
magazine featured Russert in a cover
story by Jim Arnold.
Every day, we also strive to walk that
line between reporter and believer. It is
a constant dance among informing,
debating and believing. Sometimes
those lines are not clearly defined, leaving
us one step away from a crisis of
But they are also the lines that each
of us walk every day as Catholics. It is
the dance between faith and ordinary
life. Some, like Russert, seem to walk
that line effortlessly. Others struggle.
How do we meld what we believe into
the world around us?
In the days following his death and
throughout the following weeks, a few
major themes seemed to emerge whenever
people spoke of Russert. They were
not only themes that encompassed
his life, but also ones we can all carry
into our lives. Those themes are his
Be prepared. Guests on Meet the Press knew that Russert was going to come
into interviews well prepared and hold
their feet to the fire on the issues. It was
one of the things for which he was
After appearing on Meet the Press in
2006, Republican presidential candidate
John McCain ended their interview
on the Iraq war by telling Russert,
ōI havenÆt had so much fun since my
last interrogation.ö
One of this magazineÆs goals is to
help our readers be informed Catholics.
And while not every article, column
or editorial we print will appeal to
everyone, itÆs our job to try to present
issues that affect Catholics and
On the flip side, we must all be willing
to educate ourselves in our faith.
Sometimes that means listening to
voices from all sides of an issue,
whether we agree or not.
Be informed. Few of us can forget
RussertÆs stripped-down explanations
and dry-eraseboard demonstrations
during the 2004 election. Remember
him scribbling ōFlorida! Florida!
Florida!ö during the election?
It is in that same spirit that I sit every
November in the press room at the
meeting of the U.S. bishops, so that I
can report back what is going on within
the Church. It is also why this magazine
covers topics such as the clergy
sex-abuse crisis, the election of Pope
Benedict XVI or the upcoming Synod
of Bishops on the Bible. Politics was
RussertÆs beat; the Church is ours.
Keep the faith. When RussertÆs son,
Luke, was born, Tim promised God that
he would never miss Sunday Mass if his
son was born healthy. It is a promise he
kept. Throughout his career, Russert
wore his faith proudly.
In fact, just before he died, Russert,
his wife, Maureen Orth, and son, Luke,
were in Rome celebrating LukeÆs college
graduation. While they were there they
had lunch with Cardinal John Foley,
who had known Tim for years. After
hearing of RussertÆs death, Cardinal
Foley, who baptized Luke 22 years ago,
said Tim Russert ōnever tried to hide his
faith but never forced it on anybody
In 2005, the Catholic Academy of
Communications Professionals honored
Russert with the Gabriel Personal
Achievement Award. In presenting him
with the award, the academy said that
he exemplified the essence of the
award. And few interviews passed without
Russert mentioning his Jesuit education
or Sister Mary Lucille Socciarelli,
R.S.M., who first started Russert on his
path to journalism.
All of this raises various questions
for us: Do we wear our faith proudly?
In what ways do we embody and live
our faith?
During RussertÆs funeral Mass on June
18, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick,
retired archbishop of Washington, D.C.,
said, ōAll that remains is to say thank
you to the good and gracious God who
gave us Tim Russert for 58 years and to
pray that the beloved anchor of Meet
the Press is now sitting at the large table
of the Lord to begin a conversation
which will last forever.ö
As we move closer to the election
season that Tim Russert held so dear, it
is a perfect time for us and our readers
to reflect on these lessons from RussertÆs
life, and try to put them into action.
That would be the most fitting tribute
of all.ŚS.H.B.


text:
Take a sneak peek at the new NIST.gov and let us know what you think!
(Please note: some content may not be complete on the beta site.).
There is much excitement in the cardiology community about drug eluting stents (DES), a promising new treatment for coronary artery disease. A coronary stent is a small coiled wire-mesh tube that is inserted into a blood vessel and expanded using a small balloon during an angioplasty procedure. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands, locks in place and forms a scaffold to hold the artery open, improving blood flow to the heart muscle and decreasing the probability of restenosis or renarrowing of the artery. These stents often incorporate a drug delivery system consisting of a polymeric layer or coating containing a drug, where the drug acts to further prevent the build up of smooth muscle cells on the stent. It is particularly important in DES to characterize the molecular composition of the surface and near surface region of the device (1-500 nm) because this region controls the biocompatibility and influences the magnitude and temporal variation of drug release. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) has already proven to be a useful tool in the surface analysis of various drug delivery systems. With SIMS, the molecular distribution of both drugs and excipients within a drug delivery systems can be determined with a high degree of spatial resolution (<1µm) and sensitivity (as low as ppm (µg/g)) when compared to other analytical methods such as Raman and IR spectroscopies. Furthermore, with the advent of polyatomic primary ion sources (C60+, Bi3+ and SF5+), which yield significant improvements in molecular signals (up to 1000 fold increase), and result in decreased beam-induced damage accumulation, it is now possible to obtain 3-dimensional compositional information from model systems, particularly at low temperatures which yield optimum results.
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) employing an SF5+ polyatomic primary ion source for sputtering and Bi3+ primary ions for analysis was used to depth profile through DES coatings obtained from Medtronic (DES manufacturer) at variable temperatures. PLGA/Rapamycin films were prepared by casting solutions of 2% w/v poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) containing 5% w/w rapamycin (~6 µm) onto steel substrates, and a SIMS depth profile was acquired at room temperature. The signal was observed to decay at SF5+ primary ion doses of ~1.3 x 10^15 SF5+ ions/cm2 and the steel substrate was never reached. However, the depth profile stability was dramatically improved at low temperatures (-100 degrees C), as indicated by the relatively constant signal up through SF5+ primary ion doses of ~1.5 x 10^16 SF5+ ions/cm2. At this dose the secondary ions characteristic of the DES coating decreased while the corresponding steel substrate intensities increased, indicating that the entire film was eroded. This result shows that using low temperatures can extend the utility of SF5+ to characterize thicker polymeric materials (6.0 µm as opposed to 0.2 µm).
Cluster SIMS at low temperatures has also be used to elucidate the 3-dimensional structure in these DES coatings, as illustrated in the Figure, which shows secondary ion image overlays of m/z = 99 (fragment characteristic of PLGA) and m/z = 84 (fragment characteristic of Rapamycin) in a PLGA film containing 25% rapamycin. These images were acquired as a function of increasing sputter time or depth, and thus give detailed information on the heterogeneity in the surface and near surface region in these systems as compared to the bulk. To our knowledge, these images represent the first demonstration of successful 3-D SIMS imaging in real world drug delivery devices.
Start Date:February 14, 2007
End Date:ongoing
Lead Organizational Unit:mml
Anna Belu
Specific Information:
100 Bureau Drive, M/S 8371


text:
Roy Schestowitz wrote:
> Summary: Open Season interview with Mark Shuttleworth
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | Interestingly, one of the interviewers asked who Ubuntu's biggest
> | competitors are. Shuttleworth defied expectations by stating that Ubuntu
> | really isn't competing against other major Linux distros -- really it's
> | a competition between the proprietary and open source ideologies.
> `----
> http://www.thejemreport.com/mambo/content/view/368
> Don't look to Linus Torvalds for leadership
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | Linus Torvalds seems to be trying very hard to make the latest Linux
> | kernel update as boring as possible.
> |
> | [...]
> |
> | Last week, for example, Steve Ballmer confirmed many users' fears by
> | saying the company wants compensation from anyone who isn't using
> | Novell's Suse or a distribution provided by one of its other partners.
> | That's a lot more direct than couching its alliance with Novell as an
> | exercise in interoperability. It means that if you don't use Linux in a
> | way that Microsoft approves, you face potential litigation. Someone
> | needs to provide a response to that. Who better than the operating
> | system's creator?
> `----
> http://www.linuxworld.com
> Why can't he be vocal like Shuttleworth?
Linus stated often enough that he doesn't care.
Whereas the freedom movement does.
There is nothing inherently wrong - its just a case of listening
and asking the right persons to do the right things.
If you care about free software, you go to Stallman.


text:
United's 2-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday briefly took them 10 points ahead of City, who responded by beating Arsenal at the Emirates to close the gab back down to seven.
That means it is less than the eight points City hunted down in the space of four matches at the end of last season to secure their first title since 1968 and deprive United of their 20th.
Yet the feeling at Old Trafford remains that the wound was self-inflicted, caused by too much attention being wasted on what was happening down the road.
And this time, with a squad Evra believes is stronger following the arrival of 21-goal Robin van Persie, the France full-back is confident the Red Devils will avoid similar calamity.
"This year we are focusing more on ourselves whereas last year we were more worried about City," Evra told Canal+.
"There was too much focus on what they were going to do in their next game.
"But this year it's about us. By having a good season, we will become the champions.
"We finished last season with the same number of points as the champions and it is obvious we are stronger than last year given the addition of players like Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa."
- Soccer
- Sports & Recreation


text:
Winter 2016
OEM News
Supplier News
Around the South
Closures and Layoffs
Top 10 Deals
Last Quarter
Major Automotive Assembly Plants in the Southern Automotive Corridor
Ten smoking-hot small market economies in the South
Ten sizzling mid-market economies in the South
Ten powerful major market economies in the South that don't get enough national attention
Ten rail, air or interstate frontage sites in the South perfect for any large manufacturer
Selling Your Rural Community's Assets
Kentucky Supplement
Kentucky: The Spirit of the South
New Build-Ready Program Making More Sites Ready-To-Go
A Perfect Partnership
Next Gen KIH Program Taking Broadband to Every Corner of the State
The Incentives Debate
Ten Big Rail-Served Sites that Deserve a Second Look
It's down to the Southern Auto Corridor and Mexico for automakers
Mississippi Enters Second Decade of Assembly
BMW in South Carolina: Two decades and thriving
Nissan and Tennessee: A 30-year partnership unlike any other in North America's automotive sector
20 years of Mercedes-Benz in Alabama: A defining moment in the Heart of Dixie
The tremendous success of the Hyundai-Kia model in the Southern Auto Corridor
Ford's resurgence in Louisville
Community preparedness is about vision
Ten markets to settle in next to the South's only Post-Panamax deep-water port
Ten Shining Examples of Economic Development That's Working in the South
Ten More No-Brainer Manufacturing Locations in the American South
Ten Outstanding Southern Community Colleges for Workforce Training
Ten Wonderful Small Town Central Business Districts in the South
The Incredible Strength of the Automotive Industry in the American South
Ten megasites in the South for the next 'Big Kahuna'
Automotive Hot Spots in the Southern Auto Corridor
Where in the World would the South's economy be without Foreign Direct Investment?
Archived Features
May 19, 2008
Alabama a Done Deal for Volkswagen?
On Saturday, May 17, 2008, SouthernAutoCorridor.com heard from an anonymous yet reliable source that Volkswagen will choose Limestone County, Ala. for its first U.S. plant in 20 years. The source is the same person who tipped us off about Kia picking West Point, Ga. for its first North American assembly plant and Hyundai choosing Montgomery, Ala. for its first plant. At the time of the Kia prediction two years ago, after hearing from our source, even the Atlanta Journal Constitution had no idea the Korean automaker was even looking in Georgia.
Both the Kia and Hyundai predictions were correct and SouthernAutoCorridor.com and Southern Business & Development magazine were the first media outlets worldwide to report the sites of both projects. Other sources and simple common sense were responsible for SB&D and SouthernAutoCorridor.com correctly picking the sites for Mercedes-Benz in 1993, Toyota in San Antonio in 2003 and Nissan in Canton, Miss. in 2000. Note that we incorrectly picked the sites for Honda in 1999 (but got the state right) and Toyota last year in Blue Springs, Miss.
While this particular source has been dead-on each time, SouthernAutoCorridor.com did its due diligence and checked out other sources before publishing the Kia and Hyundai predictions. The difference between the Volkswagen site pick and Kia's and Hyundai's is that the source informed us during a weekday regarding those two Korean-based assembly plants. This time (the Volkswagen search) we were contacted by our source on a Saturday.
We will give you further details as we are sure to receive more information today and as the week progresses regarding the Volkswagen project.
Michael Randle
An "Anonymous" Reader Letter
Good afternoon,
I appreciate the cheeky style of your website and agree with most of what you say. I'm gonna have to disagree with you on a few points though.
First the USAF tanker deal was always a "winner take all" program as the support costs for two very different aircraft was no match for any DOD budget. True, Boeing arrogantly screwed the pooch on a business that was theirs to loose.
Secondly, Honda has not exactly had sterling success with two of their southern locations. Honda South Carolina in Timmonsville, SC was a problem case for many a year and the success of the Honda plant in Lincoln was and is qualified. I've had the Honda purchasing folks tell me that Lincoln (Alabama) would be their last southern location.
Lastly, Michigan away form the "Blue Collar Entitlement Zone" (Flint - Detroit axis) is not rabidly pro-Union. The middle and the west of the state are rather conservative and a good employer has little to fear from unionizing efforts.
I'll be down in Georgia and Alabama next week calling on the Korean folks and I gotta admit I am truly impressed with the south and it's unique ability to keep one foot in the 19th century and one foot well into the 21st. It is an exciting place to be and yet very laid back. I'd appreciate it, should you choose to publish my comment you refer to
your source as Anonymous.
T.W. Frierson Contractor
East Kentucky Power
Delta Regional Authority
Alliance Consulting Engineers
Old Dominion
Tennessee Valley Authority
Santee Cooper
Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
Mississippi County, AR
Darlington, SC
Clinton, SC
Aiken, SC
North Carolina
Martinsville-Henry County, VA
Montgomery, AL
Northeast Tennessee Valley
Winston-Salem, NC
Columbus, MS
Northeast Louisiana
Laurens County, SC
Monroe, North Carolina
Opportunities in the South's Rural and Urban Small Towns