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|Four Celtics headed for All-Star Game
|02.03.11 at 7:13 pm ET
Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo were all named to the 2011 NBA All-Star Game on Thursday night, joining head coach Doc Rivers on the Eastern Conference team. It's the ninth time in NBA history that four teammates have been named to one squad, and the first since 2006 when the Pistons had four. The Celtics have done it three times ' 1953, 1962 and 1975.
|Doc Rivers makes his case for 4 Celtics as All-Stars
|at 4:04 pm ET
WALTHAM — After getting snubbed by the fans and being left without a single All-Star starter, the Celtics could get their retribution when All-Star reserves are announced Thursday night.
The Celtics have four viable candidates in Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. By virtue of having the top record in the Eastern Conference, Doc Rivers will have the honor of coaching the East All-Stars on Feb. 20 in Los Angeles.
"I think I should get four guys on the roster," Rivers said following practice Thursday. "If I don't, I'd be very disappointed and if I do, I'll just play them all together. That way we can run offense in the All-Star Game. That'd be a first."
The Detroit Pistons had four All-Stars on the Eastern squad in 2006 but it is very rare for one team – no matter how good their record – to place four players on a team.
"If it happens, and let's hope it happens, then my choice will be who will be the fifth, Some interesting combinations you can throw out," said Rivers, before adding who he might throw out onto the court with his four players.
"Whoever is closest to free agency just so they can see how it would feel. I think it should happen. It's clear. It'd be nice. You look at the four guys, all of them have really sacrificed their individual numbers for team wins and sometimes that's held against them and I hope it's not in this case."
Celtics coach Doc Rivers made his weekly appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show Thursday morning. To hear the interview, go to the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page.
The Celtics have thus far avoided a second-half letdown like the one that hurt them last season, costing them homecourt advantage for most of the playoffs. Rivers acknowledged that the obvious reason is the health of Kevin Garnett, but he noted that there are other factors as well, including having a healthy Paul Pierce.
"People forget, both were injured. Paul Pierce had the knee surgery as well as Kevin Garnett," Rivers said. "So, I think those two things are the biggest difference. And [Rajon] Rondo is another year [more experienced], playing great. And Ray Allen is having an unbelievable season. I think all those, in the one basket, is the reason we're playing well. But the big key is Kevin and Paul."
Allen gave a fiery speech before Rivers entered the locker room at halftime of Tuesday's victory over the Kings. Rivers said Allen got everyone's attention because he's not normally that vocal.
"Yeah, that was out of the ordinary, for sure. The tone and just the entire speech," Rivers said. "It was more about playing the right away. And you could hear it. It was at the second unit. He wasn't mad at the starters. it was all directed to the second unit. The starters came out and played great to start that game, and then the second unit kind of let it go. And it was more how they're were playing. And that's what he was frustrated with."
Reggie Miller has said he's cheering for Allen to break his record for most 3-pointers all-time, as Allen is within eight of the former Pacers star and current TNT analyst. However, the hosts said they don't believe Miller, never known for his graciousness during his playing days, is telling the truth. "No, I don't believe him, either," Rivers said. "I'm going to call 'bull' on that one with Reggie."
|Irish Coffee: Avery Bradley's stock rising
|02.01.11 at 11:34 am ET
Wake up with the Celtics and your daily dose of Irish Coffee '¦
Avery Bradley's move to Maine has been the best thing for both him and the Celtics.
The C's first-round selection in the 2010 NBA draft, Bradley took his talents to Portland when the team sent him to the NBA Development League, and he's beginning to prove himself as one of the (minor) league's best.
The 20-year-old is flourishing in the NBADL, gaining valuable experience. But the value of his performance might be even greater for the Celtics. Because there's no urgency to force a young kid into the rotation, the C's — if necessary — can either call on a kid who two years ago was ranked higher than John Wall as a high school player or shop him with all the leverage in a trade discussion.
Either way, it's a win-win — another great pick by president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. Bradley is a valuable member of this Celtics team, even if he's not playing for them. Look at his averages while playing just 30 minutes a night in seven games (4 starts) for the Maine Red Claws:
- Points: 15.3
- Assists: 5.0
- Rebounds: 3.9
- Steals: 0.4
- Blocks: 0.4
- Turnovers: 4.3
- FG percentage: 39.8
- 3-point FG percentage: 36.4
- FT percentage: 83.3
Sure, his turnovers and field-goal percentage could use some improvement, but his offensive production has been better than expected, considering his defensive ability has always been his greatest strength. Here's how ESPNU described his game when they ranked him as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2009:
|Irish Coffee: Interpreting Celtics vs. Lakers
|01.31.11 at 1:07 pm ET
Wake up with the Celtics and your daily dose of Irish Coffee '¦
Considering all the stars on and off the court — for both teams — at Sunday's game between the Celtics and Lakers, you would've thought there'd have been some great Twitter messages in the aftermath of the C's 109-96 victory at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. There wasn't, so I made them up anyway. Here's my interpretation of what the players and celebrity fans should've Tweeted throughout the finals rematch:
- Matt Damon: "The Celtics are showing 'True Grit'. The Lakers are playing like True …"
- Jimmy Kimmel: "I'm feeling Matt Damon."
- Ron Artest: "Is this my second season with the Lakers? Time to check out."
- Phil Jackson: "I'm going to kill Ron Art– (deep breath) Serenity now!!!"
- Kobe Bryant: "The ring I bought my wife and Artest's contract cost the same. And I'm sorry for both."
- Robert Rodriguez: "Black Mamba seems like a strange nickname for a guy who was once arrested for sexual assault, but let's go with it Kobe!"
- Derek Fisher: "A cheerleader blew me a kiss, and I thought I got shot. I flopped like 10 feet backwards!"
- Zac Efron: "Who's worse at acting: Me or Fisher?"
- Paul Pierce: "The only way I could've made this win better is to get the wheelchair involved."
- Adam Sandler: "KG told a ballboy he had a better chance of catching Bin Laden than getting an autograph? Was it Bobby Boucher? 'Stop making fun of me!'"
- Kevin Garnett: "It wasn't a good week for me and things that hold balls. Just ask Channing Frye."
- George Lopez: "Wait, why aren't I rooting for the Nuggets? They have Eduardo Najera!"
- Glen Davis: "Coach told me to treat Odom and Andrew Bynum like a bowl of gumbo. Eat 'em up. Ayo!"
- Lamar Odom: "I'm not sure whose badonkadonk is bigger: Big Baby's or Khloe Kardashian's."
- John Lackey: "Who's better looking: Me or Semih Erden?"
- Brooklyn Decker: "I love basketball. How many touchdowns does Kobe have? Oh, and who's better looking: Me or John Lackey's wife?"
- Joey Crawford: "Wait, Kendrick Perkins is back? (whistle) Technical foul, No. 43."
- Kendrick Perkins: "Two technicals in two nights. I'm in midseason form!"
|On the Celtics and clutch plays
|01.28.11 at 3:02 pm ET
Over on True Hoop, Henry Abbott wrote a post about one of his favorite topics: The perception of Kobe Bryant as a clutch player versus the reality of his numbers in 'clutch' situations. Abbott's main point is that Bryant makes about one-third of his shots in the clutch, which is about average for every other player in the league.
This is one those third-rail arguments that generate lots of heat and discussions since Bryant fans will never concede on the clutch argument. They have watched him make too many big shots. On the other side, this is manna for Bryant opponents since they have likewise watched him miss contested shots with the game on the line.
The thing that truly stands about Bryant is this regard is that if the game's on the line he's going to take the shot. Abbott points to a five-year study done by Roland Beech at 82games.com that shows that Bryant took 56 shots in clutch situations and had just one assist. The other thing that stood about the study? Paul Pierce had the most assists in those situations with nine.
There are a number of different conclusions one can jump based just on those numbers, but let's start with the idea that Bryant, and therefore the Lakers, are relatively easy to defend in late-game situations because everyone knows that Bryant is going to take the shot. Maybe easy isn't the right word, since defending Bryant is no one's idea of a good time. Let's say instead that they are predictable.
The Celtics have their own version of Kobe in the clutch: Pierce at the elbow. Time and again the Celtics return to sets that puts the ball in Pierce's hands near the top of the key where he attempts to work into his sweet spot at the elbow for a 15-foot jump shot. There are good reasons for this, most prominently is that Pierce is the Celtics' best one-on-one player and the one who is best able to create his own shot.
When it works, Pierce is a cold-blooded assassin. And when it doesn't, fans scream that it's a predictable, low-percentage play.
Despite this tendency, the Celtics and coach Doc Rivers also have a well-deserved reputation for coming up with interesting plays out of timeouts. Just this year alone there was the gorgeous Rajon Rondo lob to Kevin Garnett that beat the 76ers and this motion set that gave Ray Allen a 3 that put the Celtics ahead of Detroit.
The point is that in late-game situations opponents can never be too sure where the Celtics are going. Sometimes they aren't either. Most of Rivers' plays have multiple options that rely on his players reacting to the different looks the defenses give them.
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra noted in a radio interview that he had "great respect" for the plays Rivers draws up out of timeouts. Spoelstra said, "They always seem to come out with something. You don't know which guy they're going to, and they execute well."
Take for example that Pierce game-winner against the Heat in Game 3 of last year's playoffs. On the surface it seemed like an ordinary ISO play for Pierce, but there were other factors.
"We had two plays called just in case they fouled," Rivers said after the game. "What we tried to get is Paul facing the basket because it's very difficult to commit a foul when you're facing. If you reach and grab he'll throw the ball up. The whole play was for Paul, but we wanted activity."
This, ultimately, is what you want out of late-game situations. A play with movement and options that leads to the best shot available by the player who is most willing to take it. Give Bryant this: He doesn't shy away from the moment. That may not make him a clutch shooter, but he is completely unafraid of the situation. Perhaps, as Abbott suggests, to his detriment.
|Can the Celtics get four All-Stars?
|01.27.11 at 8:57 pm ET
The NBA announced the starters for the 2011 All-Star game Thursday and, as expected, no Celtics were among them. Derrick Rose and Dwayne Wade were selected as guards. LeBron James and Amar'e Stoudemire are the forwards and Dwight Howard is the center.
The West lines up with Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Yao Ming. Yao is injured and will be replaced by the league.
Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo both finished in third place at their respective positions, while Paul Pierce was fourth among Eastern forwards. Those three should be locks when the league announces the reserves on Feb. 3.
But with Ray Allen also having a deserving season, the Celtics could be in a position to have a fourth All-Star something they haven't done since 1975 when Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Paul Silas and Jo Jo White made the team. (They also pulled the trick in 1962 and 1953. They have had three representative a staggering 31 times).
Since Garnett and Allen came to town the Celtics have had three All-Stars each season. Allen, Garnett and Pierce went in 2008 and 2009 and Rondo joined Garnett and Pierce last season. The Celtics came close to getting four in 2009, but Rondo was denied several times that year.
First he was passed over by the coaches as a reserve for Devin Harris and Jameer Nelson. Allen was tabbed as an injury replacement for Nelson and then, after considerable lobbying by LeBron James, Cavs guard Mo Williams was selected as an injury replacement for Chris Bosh. The argument was that the Cavs had the second-best record in the league and deserved two players, which really doesn't have anything to do with picking an All-Star team.
The politicking may be the biggest obstacle because teams like the Magic, Bulls, and Knicks will argue for a second representative, while the Hawks have as many as three potential candidates. Here's a list of 12 possible reserve choices (seven players will be selected by the coaches):
Boston: Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett
New York: Ray Felton
Chicago: Carlos Boozer
Milwaukee: Andrew Bogut
Atlanta: Al Horford, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson
Miami: Chris Bosh
Orlando: Because of trades it's hard to make a case for anyone else on the Magic, but Jameer Nelson will get some consideration.
Looking at that list it seems there is a very good chance the Celtics will get four players in the All-Star game. NBA.com's John Schuhmann has them on his ballot, along with Horford, Smith and Bosh. We'll find out Feb. 3.
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Clinton Pushes Back Against GOP on Veterans' Health Issues
Clinton proposes improvements to veterans health care, services after her remarks criticized
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We're still debating on our last 2-3 nights in Costa Rica.
We can do 2-3 nights at an amazing private house near Vista del Valle. However, we have stayed in this general area in past and it doesn't feel as exciting and new as Selva Verde does (our other option....but SV is 2 1/2 hrs from airport and our flight departs at 1230.)
We have 4 young kids - but they are adventurous and can manage some hiking. (Ages 7, 6, 4, 1 - we'd have 1 yr old in backpack carrier).
Any awesome things near Vista del Valle to explore that we may not have done before?
We've hiked the waterfall trail at Xandari, the trail at Vista del Valle, Zoo Ave and did the Alajuela farmers market. (On a previous trip without kids, we did Peace Lodge and we prefer more local, smaller, less crowded things.)
We never made it to Poas before - so that could be new. And we would likely repeat some of the above activities. We also just learned about the Toucan Rescue Ranch and may do that depending on drive time.
What are we missing to make this decision to stay here more exciting and an easier decision? Selva Verde seems so cool - but I am hesitant because of the drive time and the numerous poison frogs/snakes with my littles...though we havent ruled it out yet.
Last question - we will most likely be coming from Arenal. The other option is to just stay put there for 7 nights (we'll have been in Guanacaste for a week before that). How far of a drive is Arenal area from SJO airport nowadays?
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Awesome Nature/Wildlife Opportunities near Vista del Valle
We're still debating on our last 2-3 nights in Costa Rica.
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We really liked visiting Poas. If you go, bring jackets because it can get chilly. We wore fleece when we went. We also liked the Doka Coffee Estate tour - very pretty, but might not interest little ones so much. Between Arenal and SJO is about threeish hours. We stayed at VdV; that area wasn't my favorite. Did you rule out an Arenal and Monteverde combo?
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Well, our flight now departs SJO at 1230 and everyone is saying we now need to be there 3 hours prior. Is that really the latest? If thats the case, we wanted to be closer which is why we would have selected a place closer to the airport.
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We always get there three hours before just in case. The area around VDV seemed drier to me and not as lush as some of the other places we've stayed. We did see a toucan there though and thought that was cool. Have you considered just spending the last night near the airport?
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Wildlife and hiking and ecotours at Selva Verde will blow anything at Vista del Valle out of the water--there's simply no comparison between the Central Valleu area and Sarapiqui in that regard. Convenience, views, general aesthetics, etc are separate considerations of course.
If you have a 12:30 PM flight, leave by 6:30 am and you should be at the airport in plenty of time, especially if you do a web check in.
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Yes - we want to be blown away!
So, maybe Playa Negra 7 nights (because that is already booked and non refundable) - Arenal 4 nights - Selva Verde 3 nights with a really long final travel day!
RAC - any input into the issue of having my young kids at Selva Verde? We want lush, green, rainforest experience for the kids....thought we could have had a little of that with some tours in Arenal. No? Or, not the same as Arenal?
Other option it seems right now is Playa Negra - Arenal 5 nights - VDV area 2 nights so we can be close to the airport....and don't want to just go for 1 night.
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Oh, and as for just spending the last night by the airport....I kind of want to end on an awesome note and want to avoid an airport hotel - or even a cool hotel nearby - where we would all 6 be in one room.
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I would hands down pick Selva Verde over the VdV area if you think you'll be able to relax and enjoy it. The Arenal area is very lush and green and beautiful. I think four nights there is about right. Selva Verde has that more humid rainforest feeling. Our cabin didn't have windows; it had screens to let the air circulate.
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We spent one night at Casa Rio Blanco, outside of Guapiles. It was wonderful and wish we had spent more time there. It is about an hour from the airport as the owners gave us a shortcut around SJ. Just another option.
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Arenal area is lush, but I wouldn't call it authentic rainforest the way the Selva Verde area is. Part of the magic is unexpected wildlife sightings while you're just walking around. You don't get that at Arenal except for a small handful of places that are far outside of town. Selva Verde we would see woolly possums, raccoons, monkeys, something different every time we left our room. And lots of toucans.
Selva Verde has a pizzeria now, so that will help with the kids.
In terms of poisonous critters, how much do you trust them to never put their hands and feet where they can't see them? It was in the Sarapiqui area that I almost stepped on a terciopelo, but that was at night. During the day should not be a problem. Poison frogs are not terribly poisonous as long as you don't swallow them whole.
Personally I think Arenal is a 4 night max destination.
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We saw both the coral snake and terciopelo during the day, so I would still be vigilant then. We didn't have mammal sightings on our own at Selva Verde, but we did see toucans, aracaris, iguanas, and lots of poison dart frogs.
Michelle, that place looks wonderful.
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VG- it was a stopover between MA and PuertoViejo. It was so wonderful and would be on our agenda if we ever go back.
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The beta for the next World of Warcraft expansion starts today
Blizzard's alpha for the upcoming World of Warcraft: Legion expansion winded down recently, but the beta has just begun. As of today Blizzard is rolling out the new build, which will unlock at roughly 2PM PT today. It'll feature the De... read


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- Home
- Government
- Departments G-Z
- General Services
- Divisions
- Construction Project Management
- Highlighted Projects
Highlighted Projects
West Ellerbee Creek Trail--Phase II
This trail will provide safe off-road connection to shopping, several parks, and the city-wide trail system.
Edison Johnson & Campus Hills Rec Center Pools
This project involves replacing the dehumidification units at Edison Johnson and Campus Hills pools.
Durham Police Headquarters Complex
The new Durham Police Headquarters Complex is necessary because the current headquarters no longer meets the critical needs of the Durham Police Department or the Durham Emergency Communication Center.
New Downtown Parking Garage
New Downtown Parking Garage
Fire Station 9
This project relocates Fire Station 9 from E Club Boulevard to the corner of Midland Terrance and Camden Avenue.
Fire Station 17
The new fire station will be one of the first LEED certified facilities in the City of Durham.
Durham Convention Center Lobby Renovations
This project will renovate the first floor lobby as a part of the Marriot franchise agreement.
FY 2015-2016 Asphalt Paving--Multiple Park Sites
This project includes repairs and repaving of various park driveways and parking lots.
FY 2015-2016 Restroom Building Renovations
The purpose of this project is to renovate restroom buildings as prioritized by the Durham Parks and Recreation Department.
FY 2015-2016--DPR Athletic Court Renovations
This project will resurface an existing court for futsal play at Sherwood Park.
Downtown Parking Deck Elevator Modernizations
The renovation, up-fit and modernization of seven (7) elevators in three Downtown Parking Garages.
Maplewood Cemetery Improvements
This project will involve repairs at Maplewood Cemetery.
Beechwood Cemetery Improvements
This project will involve repairs to the Beechwood Cemetery.
Development Service Center
This project will create a centralized "one-stop-shop" service center.
Lake Michie Front Deck & Dock
This project includes installation of a new accessible kayak/canoe launch at Lake Michie.


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We have held a long position in Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFM) since 1999. We have also kept our eye on Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) for a similar period of time. While both companies operate in different industries, both companies have been game-changers in each firm's respective industry market and both firms have been able to generate strong revenue and profit growth for at least a generation. In our mind, we consider Starbucks and Whole Foods Market to share a common bond in that both companies had John Moore as a former long-time marketing executive and both companies enjoyed strong growth while Moore was leading the marketing efforts. Both companies have also generated strong returns for shareholders since 1999 even though both firms stumbled a bit during the mid-2000s due to over-expansion.
click to enlarge images
Source: Morningstar Direct
Although we are wishing that we had taken a stake in Starbucks before it released its recent EPS beat, we are pleased that it is off 10% from when we revisited the company in June. Starbucks reached an all-time high of $62 in April before it declined to a near-term low of $43.04 in August. The company's share price has gone up by 11% in November thanks in part to its better than expected EPS recently. The company beat consensus EPS estimates by $.01 and generated adjusted EPS growth of 24% year-over-year in Q4 2012. The company generated 11% revenue growth for the quarter and 13.7% for FY 2012. Operating income increased by 16% in both years as the company was able to benefit from position operating leverage. Company-operated stores accounted for 79.2% of its revenues during the quarter and fiscal year and saw revenue growth in the high single digits for both periods. The company's Licensed Stores accounted for 9.1% of the company's revenues and saw 14.4% growth during the quarter and 20% growth during the year. Starbucks's CPG, foodservices and other products accounted for 11.7% of its revenues and generated 33.4% growth in Q4 2012 and 46.6% growth during the year on the strength of its rapid sales growth for Starbucks and Tazo-branded K-Cup® portion packs.
Source: Starbucks Q4 2012 Financial Report
The company generated $1.72B in operating cash flows for FY 2012 and spent $980M on net CapEx and acquisitions. SBUX generated $720M in free cash flows in 2012 and spent $549M on dividends and $166M on share repurchases. The company initiated a dividend in 2010 ($.10/share) and has boosted it to $.21/share as of the most recent quarter. This new per share dividend distribution level is nearly 50% of the company's FY 2012 EPS and represents a compounded annual growth rate of over 28% since 2010. The company has $550M in long-term debt and its debt is offset by its $2.5B in cash and marketable investments. Starbucks generated return on equity of 31.5%, which shows us that the company is able to earn profits in excess of its cost of capital and its dividend and share repurchase program shows us that the company realizes that it knows when to return cash flows to shareholders rather than engaging in breakneck growth for the sake of growth.
Source: Starbucks's Investor Relations Dividend History
An important statistic to take into consideration in the retail business (especially for specialty retailers like Starbucks and Whole Foods Market) is comparable store sales growth. Starbucks had generated 6% global comps for Q4 2012 based on 5% increase in traffic and a 1% increase in the average ticket price. For FY 2012, SBUX's comps were 7% based on 5% average customer growth and a 2% increase in average ticket. SBUX's America's region saw Q4 2012 comps of 7% and FY 2012 comps of 8%. The China/Asia Pacific region generated 10% comps in Q4 2012 and 15% comps in FY 2012. The Europe, Middle East and Africa regions saw flat comps throughout 2012 due to the eurozone economic weakness caused by the European sovereign debt crisis. For its part, Whole Foods enjoys strong comps as well. The company had 8% or greater comps for 10 out of its last 11 quarters and is has generated 7.3% in comparable in the first five weeks of FY 2013 even though it had to deal with blowback from Hurricane Sandy. The achievement that impresses us the most about Whole Foods Market's comps is that its 72 stores that are over 15 years old have generated comps of 6.4% in the most recent quarter.
We won't pretend that Starbucks is a value stock like it was in the 2008-2009 time periods. Whole Foods is trading at 23.7X consensus 2013 EPS estimates. We're not surprised at its high PE ratio since it has grown its EPS at an average rate of 18% for the last 9 years, which included the 2007-2009 period in which its EPS stumbled by 40% over the two year period. Starbucks recently opened its first 3 Starbucks stores in India in partnership with Tata Global Beverages Limited. The company recently announced a partnership with Square, Inc. in order to provide enhancements to its mobile payment platform. SBUX targets 10-13% revenue growth based on mid-single-digit comp store sales growth, approximately 1300 net new stores and continued growth in its Channel Development (NYSE:CPG) business.
Source: Morningstar Direct
In conclusion, we can see why Starbucks is the world's leader in coffee. The company has literally reinvented the way we think about coffee and other caffeinated beverages. Since Howard Schultz regained his position as CEO of Starbucks after an eight-year hiatus and two years after he sold the Seattle Supersonics professional basketball team to Clay Bennett, the company has regained its previous caffeinated performance results. We think that the founders of Starbucks are wishing that they didn't sell Starbucks in order to purchase Peet's Coffee & Tea (NASDAQ:PEET). Although PEET's has had respectable growth over the last 10 years, its growth and performance pales in comparison to the growth of Starbucks. Starbucks's FY 2012 profits were nearly four times as much as the revenues generated by Peet's during that same period. Although Starbucks isn't necessarily a traditional dividend payer, its 1.65% yield is comparable to the 1.63% SEC Yield on the iShares Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG) and unlike the AGG, Starbucks's dividend is expected to increase annually.
Disclosure: I am long WFM. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Disclaimer: This article was written by an analyst at Saibus Research. Saibus Research has not received compensation directly or indirectly for expressing the recommendation in this article. We have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Under no circumstances must this report be considered an offer to buy, sell, subscribe for or trade securities or other instruments.


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Before putting a home on the market or listing with a real estate agent, savvy home sellers ask them for a comparative market analysis, also referred to in the industry as a CMA. This is the best method available to home sellers to learn about their home's current value.
Real estate agents conduct an in-depth analysis of a home's worth in today's market and recommend a selling price to the sellers. They take a look at properties that are currently listed and also those sold recently. The purpose is to find the highest selling price possible that will still make the home competitive on the open market. As illustrated below, properties priced properly lead to more viewings, which can attract higher priced offers and a quicker sale.
Although reports can vary, from a two-page list of comparable home sales to a 50-page comprehensive guide, the length and complexity of the report depends on the property and the agent's expertise
Masterkey provides trainings for real estate agents. Our consultants have over 10 years of hands-on real estate experience.
Contact us to discuss various training modules designed to suit your needs and budget.
Masterkey users can connect their listings to appear in the UAE's first truly open Multi Listing System. Users can enjoy high visibility and a broad distribution of their listings. Connecting to the MLS gives users access to all of the listings in the market as well as advanced search features and powerful digital tools to keep them at the top of their game in an increasingly challenging market.
What is an "open MLS"?
Simply put, an "open MLS" is a centralised database of listings where agents and agencies of all sizes can easily advertise their property listings, regardless of which CRM they use.
Many real estate CRM providers in today's market discriminate against competitors' listings and only allow access to those who use their software, thus limiting potential sales opportunities for their users.
Masterkey's MLS accepts listings from any CRM provider in the market (including Masterkey, Airlist and others) and has created a platform where agents can maximise and multiply their sales opportunities through connecting with other brokers, agencies and property developers.
Why should users connect to the MLS?
This centralised database was created in order to avoid duplicate listings, saving time and allowing agents to work together to find more buyers and make more sales.
Enjoy widespread distribution of your listings with connections to over 75+ property portals both locally and internationally.
Who uses the MLS?
Individual agents
Marketing administrators
Brokers and agencies of all shapes and sizes
Property Developers advertising large scale projects and stock inventory
Ready to start?
Check out the following articles to get your listings integrated into the MLS today:
How to Activate the MLS
How to add your units to the MLS
How to search for units in the MLS
Save yourself the hassle of switching between your email inbox and Masterkey and manage your correspondence more efficiently and effectively. Our new email integration tool is essential to efficient marketing, sales, leasing and management activities.
Benefits of Masterkey email integration:
Manage all of your correspondence in one place without having to leave Masterkey; avoid losing important emails, attachments, or calendar events.
You can integrate with any email client (Gmail, Outlook, IMAP, etc) and easily import past emails into Masterkey
Reduce email clutter and focus only on what matters by keeping your customer's emails inside Masterkey.
See all emails associated with certain accounts, leads, contacts or opportunities; all in one location. You'll get real-time insights into your customer's needs.
Keep a running history of all communication with your clients (should you be absent or on leave, your colleagues can easily access all correspondence with your clients).
Ready to integrate? Click here - it's easy!
Guest Blog Post - Written by Homely.ae
There are so many projects out there that keeping track of all of them is likely to leave you feeling very overwhelmed. Here's our list of five top developments to keep your eye on.
One of the world's most unique waterfront destinations, the $545 million Dubai Water Canal Project will transform Business Bay, connecting the nabe with the Arabian Gulf over three phases. Expected to be complete by October 2016, the project will feature a shopping centre, four hotels, 450 restaurants and cycling trails. Offering luxury housing for the savvy investor and renter, the project is expected to also provide new areas for public facilities, private marinas and a trade centre at the entrance of the canal. Even more impressive is the fact that the canal itself will be six metres deep and bridges eight metres high to allow yachts and marine craft to pass through!
View Properties around the canal –For Sale – To Rent
Housing some of the world's latest and craziest inventions, The Museum of the Future project expected to cost over $200m and located near Dubai's financial district, just minutes away from the iconic Burj Khalifa, will showcase innovations – complete with dramatic soundtracks and videos with robots engaging with guests as drones fly overhead. Anticipated to be an incubator for ideas and a driver of innovation, the architectural wonder will be built in part using 3D printing technologies. Scheduled for completion in 2017, this big-budget attraction will look to encourage designers, researchers, scientists and entrepreneurs to collaborate in the development of new technologies.
Spread across 1,110 acres, the super luxury $10 billion Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MBR) City – District One project will be located within minutes of Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall and feature a 7 km stretch of Crystal Lagoons for swimming and kayaking, the world's largest artificial beach, a 14 km boardwalk and cycling and jogging tracks. Tipped to become the world's largest man-made waterbody of its kind, the lagoons, will be spread across 90 acres and be surrounded by sandy beaches, a beach club, a recreational island housing a football ground, cycle tracks, tennis and basketball courts, retail areas and waterfront dining haunts. The project will also house thousands of luxury villas inspired by Arabic, Mediterranean and Contemporary styles set in bold and inviting villa communities. Not to be missed.
View Properties in Mohammed Bin Rashid City – For Sale – To Rent
The $3 billion Habtoor City, the world's biggest luxury residential, leisure and hospitality development under construction, will comprise three luxury residential towers, a French-inspired garden, an iconic Las Vegas style aqua theatre and the world's first Bentley café. Residents will also be able to enjoy world- class amenities within the residential towers, including a state-of-the-art fitness centre, the UAE's largest pool deck and breathtaking city skyline views. And a boulevard lined with stylish cafes and boutiques, a marina, a tennis academy and amenities in the three Starwood hotels and, hold your breath, Dragone theatre productions designed exclusively for Al Habtoor City! The project is expected to be complete in 2016.
Dubai has given the green light to yet another ambitious project: Aladdin City. Suspended over Dubai Creek with golden walkways and towers designed to resemble genie lamps that will shimmer golden in the sunlight, Aladdin City, inspired by Middle Eastern folk tales of Aladdin and Sinbad, will feature three towers linked by air-conditioned bridges with a moving floor. The outlandish project will also include towers of 34, 26 and 25 storeys, commercial and hotel areas and parking spaces for 900 cars and encompass 4,000 acres in total.
About Homely.ae
This content has been created by Homely.ae -the only property portal providing verified listings, unparalleled content and unique features like SmartSearch all within contemporary and clean design. Built on a technology platform that is the most advanced in the region, it delivers consumer experience that is unrivalled.
Depending on your personality type, networking events can either be extremely fun and productive or downright scary and nerve racking. The good news is, it's extremely common to feel intimidated or uneasy in large groups of strangers.
To avoid your next networking event feeling like you've been transported back to your first high school dance (yes, we remember the horror!), follow these five strategies to make the most it.
1. Be Yourself
Yes, your Mum's infamous words are echoing in your ears by now. But really, this one is true. At their core, networking events are meant to be a starting off point for relationship building. Being yourself from the get-go will give the other person an honest indication of who you are and what your company represents. Remember, people respond most to those who are genuine and authentic. Treating people like they are your friends is the best way to build rapport, trust and ultimately, new business opportunities.
2. Find the Bar
You don't have to be a drinker to follow this one. Positioning yourself by the bar, is a great strategy as you will naturally see tons of traffic coming and going throughout the evening. Most people tend to head to the bar after they enter and it's great place to make an introduction while people are waiting for their drinks.
3. Introduce Yourself to the Organiser or Sponsor
This is a great way to learn more about their organisation or project and usually, they can help point you in the right direction of who you should be speaking to, based on your requirements for the event.
4. Ask Questions
This is truly the only way to get to know someone. Be sure to ask educated and thoughtful questions. The best way to walk away from a conversation is to have allowed the other person to speak openly and freely about their business. Not only will they feel great that you took an interest, but you'll have gotten to know a lot about their business.
5. Take Notes
Once you've had a successful conversation and you get the other person's business card, write down a few brief notes after you've walked away. This will help you to recall the specifics of your conversation and will allow you to be more personalised in your follow-up the next day.
Alright, now you're completely prepared to rock your next networking event and hopefully build some meaningful relationships in the process. And remember; everyone comes to a networking event as a stranger, so don't be afraid to put yourself out there to make the most of it!
For the first time in Tanzania; a master-planned community with world class infrastructure, facilities and amenities.
Welcome to Dege Eco Village
Dege Eco Village is a charming, modern community with tastefully designed two, three, and four bedroom apartments and villas to fit any lifestyle. It is strategically located in Kigamboni, Dar-es-Salaam. Every apartment and villa is designed to please and accommodate a variety of individual tastes.
Explore the DEGE Eco Village Masterplan here.
The Magnificence of Luxury Living
Located conveniently close to shopping centers, entertainment, and easy highway access, Dege Eco Village is also nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood with amusement parks around. Dege Eco Village offers luxury and amenities you deserve, and the quality you can afford.
About Dar Es Salaam
Dar Es Salaam is the third fastest growing city in Africa and ninth fastest growing city in the world. Dar Es Salaam is the largest city in Tanzania and is located on a natural harbor it is the hub of Tanzania's business activity.
This project is being constructed by Turkish contractors and construction has already commenced, while thousands of apartments have already been completed. The project is scheduled to deliver its first phase of 159 villas and bungalows as well as commercial center at the beginning of 2016.
To learn more about DEGE Eco Village please visit their website or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
A big thank you to DEGE Eco Village for exclusively sponsoring Masterkey's Connect networking event, taking place in Dubai at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Media City on Nov. 23rd, 2015. This event was made possible through their generous support.
Monday November 23rd - 7:30 to 10:30 pm
Dusk Terrace, 8th Floor Rooftop, East Tower
Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City
(*please note location change from last event)
This is a free event for all real estate professionals.
(Business cards are a must!)
Fully Managed Email Campaign Services from Masterkey
We are excited to announce the launch of our email campaign management services. No design or management skills required. We'll build amazing custom email templates with your company's logo, branding and information. All you need to do is provide us with the content and we'll make the rest happen! We'll even manage your various mailing lists including unsubscribes and segmentation.
Customised solutions to fit your business
You may or may not have had experience working with email marketing campaigns in the past but perhaps know how effective they can be for lead generation; especially in the real estate industry. We'll work with you to develop a strategy that makes sense for your agency and then manage it for you to get you on the road to email marketing success!
We will schedule and send on your behalf:
and much more. Our packages are completely customisable and start from as little as AED 2,000 per month.
Some of the options our services include are:
Let's get started.
Introduce yourself by clicking below and we'll get in touch to discuss your requirements further.
Watch: Daniel Hart, CEO, Masterkey Cityscape Global Conference, Dubai. September 5, 2015.
Speaking at the recent Real Estate Brokers programme at Dubai's annual Cityscape Global conference, CEO of Masterkey, the leading UAE real estate management software, discussed the huge amount of time, money and resources wasted from duplicate listings.
Let's start with a quick definition. Listings are considered to be duplicates when a single property is listed more than once by multiple brokers or agencies. These and other online listings whose physical locations match but the agent details vary, are considered duplicates. Every year, at least US $272 million (AED 1 billion) is lost within the UAE's online real estate market due to duplicate listings.
Daniel and our team at Masterkey calculated this figure using data from the Land Department and guesstimates from several brokers and agencies. Keep in mind that the number also takes into consideration the amount of time, office overheads, and extra marketing expenses that firms waste as a result of duplicate listings.
"It is a major headache in our industry, and evidence suggests that the AED 1 billion our team has calculated is likely a conservative figure," he said.
To combat these issues, we've created a centralized location within Masterkey where agents have access to the MLS and to over 75 different property portals, both within the UAE and internationally. This portal zone is a place where users can create one listing, publish it to multiple portals (both free and paid) as well as manage their individual accounts with each respective portal. Masterkey users can also monitor and maintain theirs and their colleague's listings as well as search the entire public database (owners details are kept private).
We've recently made this dream a reality when we launched the region's first Multi Listing System (MLS) in 2014 and it is now fully integrated for Masterkey users to use to full advantage. The platform allows agents and admins to easily distribute and share listings, increase visibility of advertisements and helps manage agents' expansive portfolio of properties and contacts.
To inquire more about Masterkey, our services or products, please email: email@example.com