text:
The following is an in depth summary of Ucore Rare Metals (OTCQX:UURAF) (CVE: UCU for Canadian investors) constructed from a series of phone-interviews that I conducted with the company's CEO Jim McKenzie (pictured below) and the company's VP of Business Development Mark MacDonald.
The company's COO Ken Collison also joined us briefly in order to answer a couple of the more technical questions about the company's Bokan Project.
I have edited the conversations and have put the information I felt was most relevant in a Q&A format. While readers should realize that the following was written by me keep in mind that I haven't added any information that was not present in these interviews, and that the answers have all been approved by Ucore's management team.
Before I give the reader an overview of Ucore I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Jim McKenzie, Mark MacDonald, and Ken Collison for taking the time to answer my questions, and Mark MacDonald again for arranging these interviews.
About Ucore
Ucore is a late stage exploration and early stage development company with a market cap of $47.6 million, or $62.9 million fully diluted. It owns a handful of properties in Alaska and in Canada, although the bulk of Ucore's current value is in its Bokan Project in Alaska.
This project is one of the few in the world that can feasibly turn into an economical mine producing rare earth elements , and in particular heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) in the near future. Investors familiar with REE investing know that HREEs are much more valuable than the other "light" REEs (LREEs) and that the supply/demand fundamentals indicate that one's REE investments should be heavily skewed towards HREEs. I discussed this with Mr. McKenzie, although readers are encouraged to look at Jack Lifton's 2012 article: The Only Five Rare Earth Elements That Matter, which cites 4 of Ucore's primary products--dysprosium ((Dy)), terbium (Tb), neodymium (Nd) and yttrium (NYSE:Y)--as REEs that "matter."
After spiking back in 2011 HREE prices have fallen considerably, although they seem to be nearing a bottom. While these elements aren't traded in a standard contract on a futures exchange, the pricing information that is available is astounding, showing massive returns in the prices of these elements. For instance the following is a chart of Dysprosium prices from 2001 - 2013. The current price, according to Ucore, is $580/kg.
(Source: IOP Science)
Currently prices are slightly lower than this, as the following chart of Dysprosium from December 2013 - May 2014 illustrates.
(Source: Metal-Pages)
Shares of Ucore also spiked in 2011 hitting a peak of C$1.10 before falling--in sync with dysprosium and other HREE prices--to a low of just C$0.17. They currently sit at C$0.265 and appear to be in a bottoming process.
(Source: Yahoo Finance)
In the following interview Ucore's management team, lead by Jim McKenzie, tells us why HREEs, and in particular dysprosium, remain in a long-term bull market, and also why Ucore is one of the best ways for investors to gain exposure to the space.
Q: Before we discuss the specific advantages of investing in Ucore, what makes investing in REE's so compelling? In particular what are some of the applications of these elements and what is the supply/demand situation? Specifically what are the benefits of investing in a company that is focused on mining dysprosium such as Ucore?.
REEs, and in particular HREEs have numerous applications in modern technologies that make them indispensable, or at the very least extremely inconvenient to live without. For many of these applications there are simply no substitutes for REEs.
While Ucore's Bokan Project will produce each of the REEs it will mostly produce dysprosium, terbium, neodymium, and yttrium. This should benefit investors as these metals are not only in short supply, but they have indispensable applications. Specifically, here are a few of these metals' applications:
- Magnets--REEs, and in particular dysprosium and neodymium are used to make extremely strong permanent magnets that are used in computers, cell phones, and various military applications. These magnets are small and light-weight relative to their power, and so they are essential for portable devices such as cell-phones and military devices that need to be light-weight. They are also used in hybrid and electric cars, which is a booming industry.
- Nuclear Fuel Rods: Dysprosium can be used in nuclear fuel stations to regulate nuclear reactions. More generally dysprosium is great for moderating heat. It can be used, for instance, in military tanks designed to travel in the desert in order to keep them from overheating.
- Fuel Cells: Terbium, combined with zirconium oxide can be used to make fuel cells that can withstand very high temperatures.
With regard to the supply of REEs, and HREEs in particular most of the supply for REEs comes from China. This is why REE prices spiked back in 2011 when the Chinese came out and placed restrictions on REE exports. This pushed end-users of REEs to stock up and bid up prices on the open market.
Now that the China supply scare has died down somewhat prices are back down. However this by no means reflects a reduction in demand. Demand is still very strong, however many of the end users--having stocked up in 2011--are producing goods with supplies that they purchased then. Therefore investors should expect end-users to start running out of supplies and to bid up prices in the next year to two years.
Speaking more about demand the demand for HREEs started to really skyrocket towards the beginning of the 21st century when computers became ubiquitous on a global scale. Back then, for instance, the price of dysprosium was $7/kg. It is now $580/kg. according to Ucore--you can get this information off of the company's mobile REE pricing app.
As you can imagine the demand drivers going forward are very strong, as going forward we can anticipate with relative certainty that demand for things such as computers, cell-phones, nuclear reactors, hybrid/electric cars, and a variety of other things will rise.
Thus while HREE prices are down over the past couple of years this by no means overrides the long-term uptrend. While I provided a couple dysprosium charts above, look at the following as well. This is a chart, provided by Ucore that plots the annual highs with a linear regression graphic showing that the uptrend is intact, and that the dysprosium price can easily double from here. To make life easier for the reader I have broken it up into two images.
In short demand for HREEs, and in particular metals such as dysprosium and terbium, is rising, while supply remains limited. This bodes extremely well for prices going forward.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the Bokan Project?
There is a lot to like about the Bokan Project. It is the most advanced, and highest grade HREE project located on U.S. soil. This is a big deal because the U. S. has the highest demand for HREEs when we look at value-added end use products.
Specifically the mine is going to produce a lot of dysprosium, although it will also produce a lot of terbium and yttrium, all of which, as we have seen, are critical elements for the production of essential products of modern technology. It can be distinguished from projects such as Molycorp's (MCP) Mountain Pass mine, which generates most of its revenue from LREEs such as cerium and lanthanum, which are not as scarce or as critical.
The Bokan Project is located in southeast Alaska, near coastal British Columbia.
(Source: Bokan PEA)
More specifically it is near Ketchikan, Alaska right off of Kendrick Bay.
(Source: Ucore's Corporate Brochure)
The biggest advantage of the project's location is that it is located on the coast of a deep body of water. This is a big deal because we won't have to build and maintain long haul roads, as we can inexpensively ship our product by ocean going vessel. We are also located near the Ketchikan International Airport, and so we can also ship our product by plane.
There are other advantages to mining in southeast Alaska as well. Alaska's government is interested in seeing the Bokan Project go into production. Keep in mind that Alaska is one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the West, with a population of just 700,000 and a $50 billion permanent fund, accumulated primarily from natural resource development. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), which has the mandate of funding various projects in Alaska in order to promote economic growth has received legislative authority to lend Ucore $145 million towards the Bokan Project, or about 2/3rds of the estimated pre-production CAPEX, subject to its own due diligence and board approval. When the Alaska State Senate voted on this (Senate Bill 99) it voted unanimously in favor of funding the Bokan Project. This shows a vote of confidence in the viability of the project, as well as the desire to create jobs and economic opportunity in the region.
Speaking more broadly to AIDEA's involvement there has been talk that Alaska could well become the Silicon Valley of rare earth elements, as was suggested by Julie Gordon in an article published in October, 2011. She mentions Ucore by name, and the implication is that Alaska is more than simply interested in getting the Bokan Project off the ground, but rather it hopes to create a hub where value added HREE-based products are manufactured (e.g. permanent magnets made from neodymium and dysprosium). Longer term Ucore intends to be an integral part of making this a reality.
One great thing about being located near Ketchikan is that we should have a relatively easy time finding labor. The region is full of forestry workers who are looking for work, and who have skills that easily translate into the mining industry. Our COO Kenneth Collison is already working with the native community on employment training and development initiatives.
Q: When will production begin and what is the timeline leading up to production?
We hope to begin production in 2017. Right now our focus is on developing our feasibility study and commencing the permitting process.
Q: How much capital do you need in order to get the Bokan Project into production?
Not much! According to our PEA we need approximately $221 million, which includes a $24.5 million contingency. The great thing is that, as previously mentioned AIDEA has been empowered to underwrite up to $145 million of the total cost. This means that we prospectively need an additional $76 million in order to bridge the gap and construct the Bokan mine. Overall this is a huge derisking factor for Ucore. The vote of confidence also means that there is a much greater likelihood that we can secure debt-based funding for the remaining amount, meaning that we won't have to dilute shareholders very much going forward.
Q: The Bokan Project is extremely important to the U.S. Department of Defense. Can you discuss the agreement made in October 2012, and also the importance of several HREEs to the DoD?
In October, 2012 we made an agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency, a counterpart of the United States' Department of Defense (NYSEARCA:DOD). They are a strategic body that forecasts the ways and means of facilitating the U. S. war machine.
The DLA wants to look under the hood of the Bokan Project and do their own due diligence and analysis of the project's potential to meet the DoD's critical element needs. As our October 1st, 2012 press release states three elements that are very important to Ucore--dysprosium, yttrium, and terbium--were deemed to be critical to national security in a March, 2012 report.
While there is nothing set in stone there could be an agreement in the future whereby the DoD buys some of what Ucore produces at Bokan. We know that the DoD is intent upon building a stockpile of critical HREEs. In March of 2013 the DoD made an announcement that it wanted to build a $130 million stockpile of REEs. This is part of a much larger--$1.2 billion--plan to build up stockpiles of various critical elements, the details of which can be found in this report.
In short the DoD needs dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium, and Ucore is a domestic source that could readily be positioned to supply this demand. Therefore the DoD is interested in the Bokan Project, and its potential involvement heightens the probability that Bokan will go into production in a timely manner. More generally, it means that there is continued, and increasing demand for the metals that Ucore will be producing, and this should have an upward effect on their prices, which in turn will improve the ongoing economics of Bokan .
Q: I know we've already mentioned SB99 and funding for the Bokan Project from AIDEA, but it is worth addressing this separately. What is AIDEA? What, exactly, is AIDEA's relationship with Ucore and why does it matter?
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, or "AIDEA" is a public corporation created by the state of Alaska to promote economic activity and growth in Alaska. On April 28th we announced that the Alaskan state senate voted unanimously in favor of giving AIDEA the authority to provide debt funding for the Bokan Project to the tune of $145 million, subject to their own due diligence. As we have already pointed out this is the majority of the estimated initial capex for Bokan as outlined in our PEA. No other rare earth project in the world right now has this sort of pre-arranged financial backing. It's a huge differentiator in comparing Bokan to other REE projects in North America and beyond.
AIDEA's interest in the project stems from the following.
First, due to the decline of the timber industry in south east Alaska that region's economy has slumped tremendously in recent years. Mining at Bokan will provide jobs to out of work timber workers.
Second, Alaska hopes to one day be the home of a vertically integrated HREE and HREE end product industry. Mining at Bokan is a big part of this, as Bokan represents the most advanced and highest grade NI 43-101-compliant HREE deposit in Alaska (as well as in the country). With the prospective funding of the Bokan Project, both AIDEA and Alaska's state legislature hope to start Alaska on the path towards being the nation's center for the development of HREE end products such as permanent magnets.
Before moving on I should point out that support from AIDEA coupled with support from the DoD should give investors confidence in the prospective value of the Bokan project, and in the future value of HREEs. The project looks to be crucial to the DoD in developing its stockpile of critical metals, and it could be funded in large part by agencies with deep pockets and the will to make this project happen.
Q: We have discussed the Bokan Project at length and we have seen how Ucore is uniquely positioned to benefit from the bull market in HREEs and Alaska's/AIDEA's desire to rejuvenate the economy in south-east Alaska. With all of these positives in mind, what are the risks to holding shares in Ucore?
Well the most obvious risk is that the prices of HREEs fall. But if you are investing in Ucore you are doing so presumably because you are bullish on the prices of dysprosium, terbium, yttrium, and other HREEs. If you aren't then there is really no reason to be invested in the heavy rare earth sector in general. That said, there's a sizable body of research which indicates that HREE prices are ripe for a strong rebound.
So, assuming that you are bullish on the sector at large, the risk profile is the same for all mining companies in the West, including risks around permitting. You need to deal with several different agencies and ensure that you comply with regulations on ground water management air purity, and so on. With that being said I believe that compared with our peers, Bokan is the least risky project on this front. We have already made inroads towards permitting the project. For instance the U. S. Forest Service has already approved several construction and ground water management facilities.
Another, less significant risk has to do with financing the pre-production aspects of the Bokan Project such as permitting and producing a feasibility study, which are budgeted at approximately $20 million. The company has about $10 million in the bank at present after our April financing, which will fund a large part of these costs, and we could well finance all of our pre-construction costs, provided that warrants are exercised. Note that historically, Ucore has a very high redemption factor on warrants, so this is a very real possibility. If there is a small shortfall in pre-construction financing we will consider a variety of minimally dilutive alternatives to finance any straggler costs prior to breaking soil. Once soil is broken, we'll be in a position to start drawing down on the $145 M available from the State of Alaska. So, we're very close indeed to having all financing in place to complete this mine.
Q: Since you guys released the Bokan PEA the prices of REEs have fallen considerably. As a result there is a disparity between the prices assumed in the PEA and current market prices. Is the project still economical?
You are absolutely right that prices of REEs have fallen, especially when you compare the price schedule utilized in our PEA versus REE spot prices of today.
That said, our PEA uses a 3 year trailing average to calculate REE prices as opposed to the spot prices available at that time. The reason for this is that a statistical sample based on a trailing average is much more representative of price trends (than spot pricing). The trailing average is akin to a "movie" at 26 frames per second, whereas current spot prices are akin to a "single frame" in that movie; the latter is a great deal less representative of the evolving story.
In turn, the REE price spike of 2011 was not as much of an "outlier" as many might think. In fact, the central thrust of a recent high profile article in Bloomberg is that, yes, REE prices were artificially inflated in 2011. But, as Bloomberg asserts, prices have also been artificially suppressed since that time, due to a drawing down of stockpiled inventories. So, the only fair way to account for the macro trends in REE pricing is by using the industry standard of a trailing average, which captures the artificial extremes and smooths them out, so to speak.
Also, there's been several remarkable trends of late which point to a prospective strong rebound in HREE pricing, notably referenced in the Bloomberg piece. Few will deny that a pending REE tax markup out of China, when set in place, will have a significant upward effect on REE prices. Also, when we chart the macro trends in REE pricing since 2000, the overall upward momentum is readily apparent, even when the 2011 price spike is factored out. For many rare earth experts such as Lifton and Kingsnorth, the indicators strongly point to a renewed bull run in the price of heavy REE's in the not too distant future (which we've discussed earlier). So again, if we hope to capture a true indication of HREE price trends, the trailing average is the only way to reflect the inordinate highs, the inordinate lows, and the underlying truth of the trend.
With regards to prices used in the Bokan PEA, the following table highlights the prices of critical REEs at the time of the PEA issue date versus the prices of today, both using the trailing average methodology. The contrast is a great deal less jarring than if we were to utilize spot price comparisons between 2012 and now, which would unrealistically skew the results to the negative. Also, the Bokan PEA had a robust NPV of $577 million, so there remains of room to absorb price declines, and still stay in the black with the Bokan NPV.
|PEA Base Case
|3-Year Trailing Average
|Recent Price
What's more, the NPV calculation in our PEA utilized a 10% discount rate, as opposed to the 8% DR used by many others. Using the lower discount, our NPV approaches $700 million, giving us even more room to absorb price offsets.
I should comment on the fact that the financing deal with AIDEA also adds substantially to the Bokan NPV. This is because the AIDEA financing of the Bokan Project will allow us to discount the bulk of our initial capex--and potentially all of it--into the future. Since this expense will be discounted out several years into the future, from a DCF perspective it will detract much less from the project's NPV. This is a very positive factor that we couldn't utilize in the original PEA calculations of 2012, since they pre-dated the AIDEA initiative.
So, while I can't specify our NPV using current average prices (for that we'll have to wait for our Feasibility Study), I can tell you that there have been a variety of mitigating factors which have greatly offset the effect of decreased REE prices on our NPV model.
Finally I want to reiterate that--practically speaking-- your readers will be considering Ucore as an investment primarily because they believe that HREE prices are going to rise in the near term, which would obviously increase the NPV used in Ucore's final Feasibility Study. The bottom line is that, if you subscribe to the notion of an impending HREE price turnaround (a thesis set out in the Bloomberg piece of early June), then there`s never been a better time to stock up on shares in a very short list of leaders in the space, of which Ucore is indisputably the most advanced, especially when we talk about the United States.
Q: After production begins at Bokan what are your plans going forward? What will you do with the free cash-flow that you generate?
First, we think that we can expand the resource at our Bokan Property, specifically at the Dotson Ridge Zone (labeled on the map above). We believe the hydrothermal geological model supports additional HREE mineralization at greater depth, so the deposit is highly prospective for increasing the resource size at depth. So one of our goals once we have cash-flow is to develop the resource further and expand production, accordingly.
Also we may have sufficient cash-flow to return capital to shareholders through stock repurchases and dividends, although our top priority is to reinvest profits into our business in the ways just mentioned.
Q: Do you own shares in any other REE mining companies? If you don't but had to buy shares in one which would it be?
I don't own shares in any other REE companies and as an active investor I am committed to Ucore. That said, I believe that Matamec (TSX.V - MAT) (OTCQB:MHREF) is a reasonably good bet. They have the involvement of Toyota. Plus, outside of Bokan, Kippiwa is one of the more financeable deposits in the West, since their capex is reasonably low. Beyond this, Northern Minerals out of Australia has a compelling story, albeit that they trade on the Australian exchange. Their involvement with Conglin Automotive out of China is a significant de-risking factor, but will not contribute significantly to supply shortages outside of China.
Ben's Final Remarks
Again I'd like to thank Jim McKenzie for taking the time to speak with me and to give us insight into the HREE market and into the Bokan Project.
While the above story is very compelling investors should be aware of the risks involved in investing in a very small company with no revenues and no profits. Also I want to emphasize that while it is pretty clear where I stand that the above is by no means a "buy" recommendation for Ucore shares on my behalf.
Disclosure: The author is long UURAF. The author wrote this article themselves, and it expresses their own opinions. The author is not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). The author has no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


text:
|Message view
|« Date » · « Thread »
|« Date » · « Thread »
|DO NOT REPLY [Bug 35595] New: - SQLTransformer makes Cocoon hang under high load
|Mon, 04 Jul 2005 07:38:17 GMT
DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, BUT PLEASE POST YOUR BUG· RELATED COMMENTS THROUGH THE WEB INTERFACE AVAILABLE AT <http://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=35595>. ANY REPLY MADE TO THIS MESSAGE WILL NOT BE COLLECTED AND· INSERTED IN THE BUG DATABASE. http://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=35595 Summary: SQLTransformer makes Cocoon hang under high load Product: Cocoon 2 Version: 2.1.7 Platform: All OS/Version: All Status: NEW Severity: critical Priority: P2 Component: blocks AssignedTo: email@example.com ReportedBy: firstname.lastname@example.com Overview Description: --------------------- Concurrent requests to pages containing nested queries cause the SQLTransformer to acquire all available connections from the database pool, making them wait forever for further connections to become available. The connections are never returned to the pool, resulting in a hang of the webapp (deadlock) until Cocoon is restarted. Steps to Reproduce: ------------------- 1) Build a default 2.1.7 Cocoon distribution. 2) Add your favorite database driver to web.xml and define a 'small' database connection pool in cocoon.xconf, for example: <pool-controller min="2" max="5"/> 3) Create a 'hang.xml' file with nested queries to feed through the SQLTransformer. A dummy query which returns one row (like 'SELECT 1') will do just fine! Example: <?xml version="1.0"?> <sql xmlns:sql="http://apache.org/cocoon/SQL/2.0"> <sql:execute-query> <sql:query name="query1">SELECT 1</sql:query> <sql:execute-query> <sql:query name="query2">SELECT 2</sql:query> <sql:execute-query> <sql:query name="query3">SELECT 3</sql:query> </sql:execute-query> </sql:execute-query> </sql:execute-query> </sql> 4) Define a pipeline in the root sitemap which will run the above file through the SQLTransformer: <map:match pattern="hang"> <map:generate src="hang.xml"/> <map:transform type="sql"> <map:parameter name="use-connection" value="dbpool"/> </map:transform> <map:serialize type="text"/> </map:match> Don't forget to test it! Requesting the url 'http://localhost:8888/hang' with a web- browser should return: '123' 5) Now run a http benchmarking tool (ab for instance) with multiple concurrent requests against the above page, for example: ab -n 100 -c 5 http://localhost:8888/hang This should launch 5 concurrent, and 100 total, requests. See what happens! (Timeout?) Try to reload the http://localhost:8888/hang url with your web-browser, and see what happens! (Timeout?) Wait a few minutes, a few hours or a few days, try to access the above url again, and see what happens! (Timeout?) Actual Results: --------------- Any subsequent request to the above url, or more generally to a page which requires a database connection from the pool ('dbpool' in the example) will hang forever! In a dynamic webapp, where every page request requires accessing the database, the above situation will result in a hang of your whole webapp ...until you restart Cocoon. Expected Results: ----------------- 123 ;-) It is acceptable for the webapp to respond slowly, or to timeout/ complain about requests which cannot be handled under heavy load! But the webapp should not hang forever, requiring a restart of Cocoon! Build Date & Platform: ---------------------- I reproduced the behaviour with the current Cocoon 2.1.7 release on both WinXP and Linux RedHat, running Java 1.4.2, and with PostgreSQL 7.4.6 and Oracle9i as database backends. Given the diversity of OSes and DBs, it really doesn't smell like a platform-related problem! Additional Information: ----------------------- Included is the post I made to the email@example.com list prior to writing this bug report. It describes the problem in more detail, a brutal workaround, and a possible explanation of what is happening: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello again, The deadlock situation you describe is a plausible explanation for the experienced Cocoon 'hangs'! I took a deep breath and had a look into SQLTransformer.java, and I stumbled upon the following code snippet in the executeQuery() method: try { if (index == 0) { if (this.conn == null) // The first top level execute-query this.conn = query.getConnection(); // reuse the global connection for all top level queries conn = this.conn; } else // index > 0, sub queries are always executed in an own connection conn = query.getConnection(); query.setConnection(conn); query.execute(); } ... Effectively, a new connection is being requested for every nested subquery! What perplexes me, is that the getConnection() method appears to go to quite some lengths to ensure that it won't block if it can't acquire a connection after waiting/retrying a few times. Normally it should complain (ie. write to the logs) and abort, but that never happens! I am going to post this as a bug report. Thanks for the prompt response, Fabrizio >> Hello, >> >> I'm developing a dynamic Cocoon webapp that performs a lot of (nested) >> queries using the SQLTransformer. >> >> The SQLTransformer performs SELECT operations only, and it is configured to >> use a JDBC database connection pool that is managed by Cocoon itself. >> Excerpt from cocoon.xconf: >> >> <datasources> >> <jdbc logger="core.datasources.db" name="db"> >> <pool-controller min="5" max="50"/> >> ... >> </jdbc> >> </datasources> >> >> >> At some point, I decided to stress-test the webapp using the 'ab'-tool >> (Apache benchmark) to simulate a large number of concurrent requests. >> >> When the number of concurrent requests is heading towards the 'max' >> number of pooled database connections, the following occurs: >> >> - The 'ab' benchmark is aborted with a timeout error. >> >> - Using a database monitoring tool, you will notice that the 'max' number of >> pooled database connections have been left open. >> >> - Cocoon 'hangs' indefinitely! >> Any further requests to the webapp will timeout, and nothing gets written to >> the logs (access.log, error.log...) >> There are no warnings, nor any error messages in the logs that would >> indicate why the hang occured in the first place. Up to the hang, everything >> appears to run normally! >> >> That's scary! >> >> >> Currently, I work around the problem with a big axe! That is, by limiting the >> number of socket listener threads of the servlet container, and by defining a >> rather oversized pool of database connections. >> Excerpt from Jetty's main.xml configuration file: >> >> <Call name="addListener"> >> <Arg> >> <New class="org.mortbay.http.SocketListener"> >> <Set name="MinThreads">8</Set> >> <Set name="MaxThreads">16</Set> >> ... >> </New> >> </Arg> >> </Call> >> >> >> My best guess is that the SQLTransformer will wait indefinitely (causing >> Cocoon to hang) if it fails to get a database connection from the pool. >> >> The SQLTransformer further appears to require more than one database >> connection (...which seems to be related to the depth of query nesting levels, >> but that's a far-fetched guess!) >> >> Has someone out there experienced similar problems, or have a more >> enlightening explanation to what is going on? >> >> As my fix is based on a lot of guesswork, I would welcome a more robust solution. >> >> >> Best regards, >> Fabrizio > > It sounds like SQLTransformer naively gets a new connection per query. > This in turn requires that if your page has 4 nested queries then > SQLTransformer is using 4 of your 50 connections. It only takes 13 > simultaneous requests to use up all the connections at that rate, and if > all your requests have anywhere between 1 and 3 connections reserved and > are not finished yet, none of the pages will release the connection and > a deadlock occurs. If you have as many as 10 nested queries it is > obvious to see how something like this could occur. > > I think the ESQL logicsheet suffered from this many moons ago, but > resolved it by requesting one connection per page. BTW, Microsoft's > feeble driver is limited to one connection per query--so your choice is > to use jTDS or some other company's version. > > Nonetheless, it seems like there is a bug in SQLTransformer. Submit a > bug report, and hopefully it can get resolved. > > -- > > Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. > But of course, if you dig deeper, it's really how it works. > > -- Steve Jobs -- Configure bugmail: http://issues.apache.org/bugzilla/userprefs.cgi?tab=email ------- You are receiving this mail because: ------- You are the assignee for the bug, or are watching the assignee.
|View raw message

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Greater Cayce West Columbia Chamber of Commerce
- 1006 12th Street
- Cayce, SC 29033
- Phone: 803-794-6504
- Fax: 803-794-6505
- Tollfree: 866-720-5400
- Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5 pm
- Visit Website
The cities that compose the West Metro Chamber of Commerce, Cayce, Gaston, Pine Ridge, South Congaree, Springdale, Swansea & West Columbia, are located just west of the Congaree River, Lexington County, South Carolina. Lexington County is located in the "Midlands" region, very near the center of the state. The county has direct access to three interstates making the region very accessible to big business.
- Price Range Maximum: $$ - $101-150


text:
IW Athletics Quick Facts
Quick Facts about Iowa Wesleyan University Athletics:
Location: Mount Pleasant, Iowa
Founded: 1842
Founded: 1842
President: Dr. Steven E. Titus
Nickname: Tigers
Colors: Purple & White
Enrollment: 850
Affiliation: NCAA Division III provisional member; USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association);
Conference: Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) - football only; St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) in all other sports.
Sports: (10 sports offered) Baseball, Men's & Women's Basketball, Football, Men's & Women's Golf, Men's & Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Volleyball
Athletic Department Office: 319-385-6332
Athletic Department Office Fax: 319-385-6384
Athletic Director: Steve Williamson
Phone: 319-385-6332 E-mail: [email protected]
Assistant Athletic Director: B.J. Wagy
Phone: 319-385-6305 E-mail: [email protected]
Senior Women's Administrator: Anna Zander
E-mail: [email protected]
Compliance Director: Derek Zander
Phone: 319-385-6386 E-mail: [email protected]
Athletic Trainer: Andy Niemann
Phone: 319-385-6417 E-mail: [email protected]
Athletic Trainer: Andy Niemann
Phone: 319-385-6417 E-mail: [email protected]
Sports Information Director: Anna Zander
Phone: 319-385-6386 E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 319-385-6386 E-mail: [email protected]
Athletic Facilities
East Lake Park - Men's & Women's Soccer
Mapleleaf Athletic Complex - Baseball, Softball
Mapleleaf Stadium - Football
Capacity: 5,000 Surface: Grass
Ruble Arena - Men's & Women's Basketball, Volleyball
Capacity: 800
Capacity: 800


text:
Please provide a company background including when it was established, where it is located, how many staff you employ etc.
Absolute is an integrated website design and development agency. Centrally based in Nottingham, our creative flair in graphic design is matched by the technical ability of our web development team, allowing us to successfully interpret the marketing and online requirements of your business.
We were established in 1994. We employ 14 members of staff, which includes three designers and six programmers. Client's enjoy a dedicated service and are appointed an account handler from the outset. We pride ourselves on providing a first class service, which is why our clients rate us so highly.
Please provide an overview of the products and services offered and areas of specialisation.
Our core service offering is our web design and development service, which we provide via three product offerings:
How did you find out about emita and what benefits do you find the most valuable?
We learned about EMITA through our exposure to other networking organisations. We're regional sponsors of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and attend lots of networking events as we find that this is both a great way to make new contacts in order to generate new business, but it also keeps us up to date with the latest 'business thinking' and trends. As such, we find the networking events really valuable both in terms of meeting new potential clients and referrers and also contacts that might be of use to other clients.
While we're not exporters ourselves, we find EMITA to be an excellent way to meet new contacts and keep up to speed with the export market. Several of our clients are exporters (and some of them are EMITA members) so we have a good understanding of the export market, especially for manufacturing businesses.
We've found the quality of the events to be very high and it's always great to see how well these events are attended. The feedback from members I speak to following the events is always positive and they seem to appreciate the level of thought and care that goes into planning the topics and selecting the best speakers for the job.
23/08/2017Summer Event: PING Golf day and Tour
13/09/2017Masterclass: Communications and exhibitions
11/10/2017Market Focus: USA
08/11/2017Market Focus Australia
3 Barrow Road
Tel: +44 (0) 1509 815 011
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
East Midlands International Trade Association (emita) is a company limited by guarantee and is registered in England and Wales under company number 5568876. Registered office:3 Barrow Road Sileby LE12 7LW


text:
So with T-mobile gaining alot of popularity from its pre-paid "Monthly 4G" plans and turning Sprint users into believers, and i was wondering how are the data speeds? I know that the $30 and $70 plan (the one I'm interested in) have speeds throttled to 2G after 5gbs, but even after it being throttled down, and is it still faster than Sprint's 3g speeds (in your previous experiences and area/s). I'm a Sprint user in Los Angeles, CA and im getting 3G data speeds about (literally) .5mbs per second. It may seem unbelievable, but i could take video of app downloads if need be. I'm dead serious.
I'm kind of directing this to previous Sprint users or new Sprint users that jumped ship from t-mobile, please but others are welcome to to chime in. And if you could, can you please state what state and city your residing in. Thank you:)
Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk 2


text:
Yujin International Ltd
(to be renamed Healthperm Resourcing Ltd)
Commencement of Dealings on ISDX Growth Market
On 22 August 2016, Yujin, an AIM quoted cash shell, announced the proposed acquisition of Healthperm Resourcing Ltd for an initial consideration of approximately £11.2 million to be satisfied by the issue of new Ordinary Shares with deferred consideration potentially payable, also in new Ordinary Shares, depending on performance. The Acquisition was deemed to be a reverse takeover in terms of AIM Rule 14.
At the same time Yujin announced the proposed cancellation of the admission of its shares to trading on AIM, and the proposed admission of its shares to trading on the ISDX Growth Market, and also proposed, inter alia, to (i) undertake a consolidation of the Ordinary Shares; (ii) raise approximately £275,000 through subscriptions for New Ordinary Shares at a price of 150p per share (following the Share Consolidation); (iii) change the name of the Company to Healthperm Resourcing Ltd; and (iv) make a number of changes to the Board.
All resolutions were duly passed on 15 September 2016 and cancellation of the admission to trading on AIM of the Company's shares took place at 7.30 a.m. today.
The New Ordinary Shares have today been admitted to trading on the ISDX Growth Market. On Admission, the Share Consolidation, completion of the Acquisition, completion of the Placing and the changes to the Board all took effect.
The Company is valued at approximately £13 million at the Placing Price of 150p per share.
The change of name of the Company to Healthperm Resourcing Ltd will take effect when registered with the Singaporean Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority, which is expected to take place today.
About Healthperm Resourcing Ltd
Healthperm was founded with the objective of addressing the acknowledged shortage of permanent nurses in the healthcare systems in the UK and the UAE, through the recruitment of experienced professionals from the Philippines. The Directors believe that the recruitment of permanently employed overseas healthcare professionals is more effective, both from a cost perspective and in providing a solution to the long-term staffing shortages of the UK and UAE healthcare markets and beyond.
Healthperm placed its first overseas nurses into the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability in London in Q3 2015.
Since Q4 2015, Healthperm has been conducting numerous interview sessions with candidates sourced from the Philippines, as well as business development meetings with NHS trusts in the UK and homecare providers in the UAE. Through this process, the Proposed Directors have identified opportunities to recruit over 4,500 healthcare professionals into over 20 NHS trusts in the UK and the homecare sector in the UAE.
In January 2016 Healthperm signed a supply agreement with one of the five largest UK NHS Trusts for the placement of permanent healthcare staff. Following the appointment of a UAE-based business development director, Healthperm has secured mandates to supply over 80 homecare nurses to three homecare nurse providers in the UAE.
Key strengths of Healthperm
· Healthperm group has an established recruitment operation in the Philippines and sales operations in the UK and the UAE with a single operating model across all locations;
· the business can be quickly scaled to market demand and presents attractive levels of margin conversion with the benefit of the candidate screening and operations teams in the Philippines providing a scalable overhead base in a low cost economy;
· Healthperm is currently working with one top five NHS trust hospital and one UK Charity hospital in the UK and two homecare providers in the UAE with a total requirement for around 1,000 overseas nurses, providing the potential for generating revenue in excess of £5.3 million;
· the UK candidate interview success rate has improved from 69% in the fourth quarter of 2015 to 96% in the first half of 2016;
· Healthperm has a current pipeline of 180 candidates with NHS job offers in the process of moving to the UK, which has a total revenue value of over £970,000;
· Healthperm currently has over 1,800 fully screened nursing candidates in its cloud based recruitment system ready to commence the interview process;
· Healthperm is in discussions with a further 21 hospitals in the UK and two hospitals in the UAE; and
· the Directors and the Healthperm management team are, between them, experienced operators in the UK, the UAE and Asian healthcare markets, have experience of working in the Philippines and are qualified to position the Company for growth in the UK and the UAE healthcare recruitment markets.
The Board of the Company now comprises:
Non-Executive Chairman
Alan Kitchin
Non-Executive Director
Aamir Quraishi
Chief Executive Officer
David Sumner
Non-Executive Director
Lee Keen Whye
Chief Financial Officer
John-Paul Etheridge
Non-Executive Director
Steven Howson
WH Ireland Limited has been appointed by the Company as its Corporate Adviser in respect of the ISDX Admission and Daniel Stewart & Company plc is the Broker.
David Sumner, CEO of Healthperm, commented: "We are excited by the opportunity to develop our recruitment operations and build on the strong market demand for permanent healthcare professionals in our key markets of the UK and the UAE. We are currently growing our database of qualified and experienced healthcare professionals, intend to expand our UK team of sales and recruitment specialists and in the UAE will increase our business development activities to secure mandates with local private hospitals, as well as acquire an LLC licence to enable us to supply nurses to state owned hospital groups. Admission to ISDX will help us to deliver this for shareholders as well as, over time, provide a platform for further growth through strategic partnerships or acquisitions."
Capitalised but undefined terms appearing in this announcement have the meanings set out in the Definitions section of the Admission Document.
More information is available on the IR section of the Company's website: www.healthperm-ir.com
Healthperm Resourcing Ltd
David Sumner, Chief Executive Officer
Via Walbrook PR
WH Ireland (Corporate Adviser)
Tel: +44 (0)113 394 6600
Tim Feather/Liam Gribben
Daniel Stewart & Company plc (Broker)
Tel: +44 (0)20 7776 6550
Daphne Zhang
Walbrook PR (PR advisers)
Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8790 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Paul McManus
Mob: 07980 541 893
This information is provided by RNS


text: Flowers And Bows-Medium Christmas Sweater Decorated with red flowers and bows gives this ugly Christmas sweater just the right touch. Chest = 42" Length = 21" Remember, each ugly sweater is one of a kind! For info on how we size our sweaters, check here. For info on how we size our suits, check here.


text:
Whit Swizzle Skirt
Whit Swizzle Skirt
Gorgeous silk twill finished with soft pleating from hip to hem and an eclectic tribal print. High waisted fit with pockets. About 28" long. Made in USA
Originally launched in Vancouver, Canada in 2008 by owner Genevieve Allen, Violet Boutique, is a source for a tightly curated and eclectic mix of designers and brands. Violet boutique looks to artists and designers that share in the philosophy of thoughtful beauty, ethical production and timeless design. Our goal is to connect our customers through these ideas and share with you truly special pieces that inspire and delight. For the woman who choses originality, quality, timelessness and beauty in life and in fashion. BY APPOINTMENT IN OR NEAR VANCOUVER BC: email@example.com
Do you have questions about this product? We're here to help!


text:
We've improved the ticket creation form featuring a two-column layout. To get started:
- Ensure your custom ticket attributes appear properly on the ticket form
- Ensure any fields set in the new ticket form are saved properly
- New Custom attribute type of text box that can be added to the ticket form.
I absolutely love the new ticket interface in the Admin UI. Great job folks!
Jim Kubicek
13 Replies
Nov 14, 2011 at 11:36 UTC
As a lover of custom attributes this is great. Well done.
Nov 14, 2011 at 11:41 UTC
GreyRose LLC is an IT service provider.
Awesome. I can think of a half dozen people that will be over the moon to see this.
Nov 14, 2011 at 11:42 UTC
This is nice and clean. Good stuff.
Nov 14, 2011 at 12:56 UTC
Nov 14, 2011 at 2:32 UTC
Agree with Justin. We use several custom attributes, and the normal form is very long, almost to the point it does not fit on the screen. Having 2 columns is fantastic. Might even consider letting the user decide, single column, 2 columns, 3 columns, etc...
Nov 14, 2011 at 3:14 UTC
Nov 14, 2011 at 7:18 UTC
It'd be nice to be able to manually resize/reflow the ticket entry window to suitable dimensions and lock it there. Perhaps the ticket enterers in your office use widescreen monitors, or monitors in portrait mode, or have Spiceworks open in a browser window of a certain size, or have it running on a second or third, much smaller monitor, or use Spiceworks from a portable platform with lower resolution...
Nov 16, 2011 at 9:52 UTC
I really like the flow and look of this new form!
Nov 18, 2011 at 10:49 UTC
The new ticket creation form looks good and works as advertised.
Like the new Text field custom attribute also!
Nov 18, 2011 at 10:54 UTC
A definite improvement. One thing I have been longing for though, that would really make a huge difference, is to be able to customise the field order:
Nov 19, 2011 at 2:09 UTC
This is fantastic ! Really glad this has come along can make it much easier
Nov 22, 2011 at 4:38 UTC
Great improvement to the previous version.
Works like a charm
Nov 22, 2011 at 8:33 UTC
only thing i noticed so far and it is the shit


text:
The Summly summary of her earnings comments last night at the end was a stroke of PR brilliance. There was a lot of criticism of the Summly deal as a PR stunt. It seems clear that Yahoo! got some valuable IP from SRI International as part of the deal. If Yahoo! wants to cozy up to Apple (and why wouldn't they?), it'll need to help with Siri and Summly will help. I think Web Services is already a key battleground area going forward and Yahoo! can play a role here -- especially if it helps out Apple, who definitely needs help. There is a Chinese mobile phone company called Xiaomi that sells its phones at cost (or even a small loss). The company freely admits that and says it wants to make money on the services. But this isn't just something affecting the low-end phone makers. Samsung needs to differentiate from Android, Apple and now Facebook Home. What's going to be different about these phones? The services.
In my view, this is a big blind spot for Apple. It has the cash to buy both Twitter and Yahoo! and that would totally change the landscape for mobile phone competition. If I was Tim Cook, I'd put Marissa Mayer in charge to run it and try and ensure that the cultures of Twitter and Yahoo! was left alone from the rest of Apple. They are very different cultures. Yahoo!'s stock getting the Amazon treatment? Who would have expected that six months ago? At the time of publication the author was long YHOO. Follow @ericjackson This article was written by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.


text:
Welcome to
Holiday Inn Chongqing North
Starts At
View All Photos
View All Photos
View All Photos
View All Photos
View All Photos
Manage Reservations
Need to make changes to your reservation? You've come to the right place!
Already an IHG® Rewards Club Member? Sign in to view reservations.
Manage Reservations
Need to make changes to your reservation? You've come to the right place!
Already an IHG® Rewards Club Member? Sign in to view reservations.
Holiday Inn Chongqing North
No. 96 Wu Hong Road, YuBei District
No. 96 Wu Hong Road, YuBei District
Chongqing, South Carolina
China (People's Republic)
Check In: 2PM
Check Out: 12AM
Check-in Age: 16
Chongqing North No. 96 Wu Hong Road, YuBei District
Distance from Airport
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport 13.05 MI/ 21 KM
Get Directions
Book With Us Advantage
- Best Price Guarantee
We promise you access to the guaranteed best available prices, or your first night is free.
- Online Reservation Guarantee
Your room is guaranteed.
- No Booking Fees!
We do not charge any booking fees for making reservations directly with us.
- Data Privacy and Site Security
IHG takes your privacy seriously and works to protect you. All personal information you provide is encrypted and secure.
Welcome to Holiday Inn Chongqing North
Choose the high-rise Holiday Inn Chongqing North and access the nearby Yubei industrial region and port with ease. Carvings of Chongqing mark the entrance to our marble-floored Lobby at the elegant, high-rise Holiday Inn Chongqing North. It's easy to do business at our hotel with 11 meeting rooms, including our lavish 320-person ballroom and high-speed internet in each guest room. When you drive in with ease via the main Wuhong Road you can leave your car in our underground car park.It's easy to get to the industrial Yubei District's big-name businesses and Chongqing Jiangbei Intl Airport, 21km away. Attend your meetings in the fast-developing Central Business District at international companies like Lafarge and ABB. The CBD and Chongqing Port are both 15 minutes' drive away. Chongqing is a shopper's haven, with The Paradise Walk entertainment centre a 5-minute drive from Holiday Inn Chongqing North. Pedestrianised Jiefangbei Street's malls are close by. World War II sites scatter the city, like the 27-metre People's Liberation Monument in Jiefangbei. Recharge at the Cocktail & Coffee beside our curved indoor pool, or try energetic games of table tennis and aerobics classes in the fitness centre. The rich aroma of fresh coffee and the glass patisserie counter beckons guests to the cosy Lobby Lounge at Holiday Inn Chongqing North.
View More
View Less
We've Got You Covered
Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 12 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 12 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
|Kids Stay Free
|Kids Eat Free
|Greater China
|12 and Under
|12 and Under
Free High-Speed Internet
Free High-Speed Internet
- Wired Internet Available in Rooms, Suites, Business Center, Public Areas and Meeting Spaces.
- Standard wired Internet service is free for all IHG® Rewards Club members
- Wireless Internet Available in Rooms, Suites, Business Center, Public Areas and Meeting Spaces.
- Standard Wireless Internet service is free for all IHG® Rewards Club members
- Complimentary Premium WIRELESS Internet Available to Elite Members
- Complimentary Premium WIRELESS Internet Available to All Members
Shuttle/ Parking
Shuttle/ Parking
- Car Parking Available
- Complimentary Daily Self-Parking is available
Pet Policy
Pet Policy
- No pets allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- No pets allowed except guide dogs or service animals.
Languages Spoken by Staff
Languages Spoken by Staff
Credit Cards
Credit Cards
- American Express
- Visa
- MasterCard
- China Union Pay
- Number of Floors: 26
- Total Number of Rooms: 267
- Number of Suites: 44
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 74
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 2
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Kids Suites Available
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
Provided by Hotel
Green Engage
You can be assured that when you stay at an IHG Green Engage Hotel, you are participating in an advanced, world-wide sustainability effort. We understand that it is important for you to have an active role in protecting our environment and that's why we've made it easier for you to choose a hotel that matches your sustainable values.


text:
Best Of :: Arts & Entertainment
Four public rooms from the original 1909 Hancock Mansion at Wilshire and Vermont were installed in an anonymous-looking building on the USC campus in the 1930s to create the secret Hancock Memorial Museum at USC, which is like a life-size bell jar, featuring Edwardian architecture, marble, stained glass and ornate tchotchkes. First you have to make an appointment to see the rooms, and then you'll meet the curator, somewhat furtively, near the Newman Recital Hall. After scooting around a marble statue of Napoleon, the curator will unlock a series of doors, turn on the lights and let you in. There is a haunted air to the surroundings, despite the sunlight pouring in through the windows — or maybe that's just how this style of decor looks to modern eyes. Either way, from the gargantuan decorative organ pipes and balcony in the music salon, to the mystical-looking Chinoiserie dining room, to the gloomy library with its carved fireplace and stern portraits, the whole experience is delightfully odd. 850 W. 37th St., University Park. (213) 740-5141, usc.edu/libraries/archives/arc/libraries/hancock/museum.
—Suzy Beal
Pat Grossi's stage name is Active Child, which refers to his precious, youthful tendency to put his ears right up to the speaker to get a better listen. The moniker is a bit cringe-inducing, and indeed the lyrics on the Pasadena resident's 2011 full-length debut album, You Are All I See, aren't for those too cool to attend school. They're unfiltered, unvarnished, filled with pummeling emotional honesty, through the eyes of sometimes-vindictive characters whose feelings are crushed over and over but nonetheless expect next time to be different. "I fall in love, way too fast," he sings on "Way Too Fast." "You're so damn cold, soon you'll be all by yourself." Produced by composition genius Ariel Rechtshaid, Grossi's songs are often accented by electronic flourishes and harp, and almost all of them feel like climactic scenes in dramatic movies — the part where we learn Bruce Willis is dead, or that the woman in The Crying Game is a man. This is not music for the ironic of heart. activechildmusic.com.
—Ben Westhoff
If there is one band that represents the multicultural mix of Los Angeles, it's La Santa Cecilia. Since its Latin Grammy nomination last year, the Boyle Heights–bred group has been representing L.A. at major festivals in Texas and New York. (It's exciting, particularly for those who can remember them packing La Cita in their early years.) They're also picking up the attention of critics, through pieces on NPR's All Things Considered and Latino USA. Further, their hybrid of Latin, rock and world music has caught the attention of groups like Cafe Tacuba, Lila Downs, Ozomatli and Los Lobos, all of whom have had La Santa Cecilia open shows for them this year. Anyone who has attended their concerts can attest that lead singer Marisol "La Marisoul" Hernandez has one of the most powerful voices in the city, in any genre. lasantacecilia.com.
—Eddie Cota
Each summer the Levitt Pavilions in Pasadena and MacArthur Park put on free shows; the scene is relaxed, the views are nice, and the lineups are absolutely first-rate. Although a good portion of the musicians are from L.A., they come from all over the world, and include Weekly favorite acts like Dam-Funk, Fool's Gold and Buyepongo. (There's a particular emphasis on Latin alternative music, with a spotlight on new and underappreciated groups.) It's suitable for the whole family but edgy enough for serious music aficionados, there are great food vendors and, hey, did we mention it's free? MacArthur Park: 230 W. Sixth St., Westlake. (213) 384-5701. levittla.org. Pasadena: Memorial Park, between Walnut and Holly on Raymond Avenue, Pasadena. (626) 683-3230, levittpavilionpasadena.org.
—Molly Bergen
South Los Angeles rap collective Black Hippy was assembled by Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who, via a handwritten sign hanging in their Carson studio, lets them know that they should strive for charisma, personality, swagger, substance, lyrics, uniqueness and work ethic. In an era of one-off dance club hits, it's the "substance" that the group — rappers Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, ScHoolBoy Q and breakout star Kendrick Lamar — seems to take to heart most particularly. Their hard-edged raps pay strict attention to craft and structure, while remaining suitable for car stereos and self-medication time. With members dropping first-rate solo efforts in rapid succession, the collective has linked up with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records, and a group effort is in the works. So much concentrated talent is a bit dizzying — and supergroups never seem to work — but our money is still on Black Hippy living up to their reputation as this decade's N.W.A. topdawgmusic.com.
—Ben Westhoff
Smooth steel curves cut the skyline at unexpected angles and sharp creases, which is partly why no other building in L.A. proclaims "21st century" like Walt Disney Concert Hall. The acoustics and visuals inside are as impressive as the exterior, which makes it easily the best place to hear an orchestra in Southern California. Whether it's symphonic or choral music, an organ recital or a jazz, pop or folk-music show, the sound is detailed and warm. Meanwhile, seating surrounds the stage — something that is rare in the United States. Conducting geeks can sit behind the orchestra, while thrill seekers can purchase a front-row seat in the balcony (or side and rear terraces) for an extra adrenaline rush. Even the parking garage directly below is clean, safe and easy to use. Want to learn more? Take the free, self-guided audio tour narrated by actor John Lithgow, architect Frank Gehry and L.A. Philharmonic conductor laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen. 111 S. Grand Ave., dwntwn. (323) 850-2000, laphil.com/philpedia/about-walt-disney-concert-hall.
—Christian Hertzog


text: I just cleaned my chimney with the soot eater. I was surprised how much creosote came down. Since the last cleaning, i burned about 1-1.5 cord that was seasoned for about 9 mo, which was mostly silver maple. The creosote that came down was black powder, no big chunks or anything. The stove is a PE Summit insert, and has a 6" SS liner on an outside chimney about 30 ft tall. The pipe was clean until about 9-10' or so, then the creosote started falling. So i naturally have a couple questions. Should I have been concerned of the amount that was in chimney for fire purposes? Are there different types of creosote? I am not sure if this amount is normal or not, but i always run the stove >500 deg on the stove face and it seems to be burning well with good secondaries. Thanks, Chris


text:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says the U.S. unemployment situation should end the debate on the Bush tax cuts and that they should be extended for everyone for a few years. The hard-charging governor, who has been cutting programs aggressively in New Jersey to cut expenses, tells me the U.S. can balance its budget over the long term but must encourage businesses to invest and hire workers first. Less than two weeks before the midterm elections, Christie says if the Republicans win the House or Senate, it's time for his party to put up or shut up. And he says Obamacare needs a second look by the new Congress in January. Following are excerpts, edited for clarity and length.
Q: What is it going to take to get the economy moving again?
A: The job numbers were obviously really discouraging, and I have real concerns about a federal government that continues to talk about raising taxes in light of numbers like these. The numbers should probably end the debate and discussion about whether or not we should be raising taxes on anybody, because obviously this economy has not recovered up to the extent that it was promised it would recover by the president.
Q: So do you favor tax cuts?
A: I would extend the Bush tax cuts for everyone at least for a couple of years. I don't believe that in an economy where you're shedding private-sector jobs that you raise taxes on the private sector. That's just counterintuitive. Unemployment at 9.6% is intolerable.
Q: You've been aggressively cutting expenses and programs to cut New Jersey's deficit. How can America, at the federal level, balance its budget?
A: You have to make sure that everybody has a seat at the table and that there are no sacred cows. Everybody's got to look at everything that you spend money on and you have to justify it. The principle of how you attack that problem is for everybody to have a stake and be willing to join in shared sacrifice.
Q: What is to be done with entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare?
A: It's a very difficult question because you have these entitlement programs growing significantly, but you also have a significant percentage of Americans who really rely upon those programs for their well-being. We have to look at ways that we can buttress those programs and make them solvent. I would not be a proponent of trying to reduce those programs significantly at this point because of how difficult the economy is. But there's going to have to be sacrifice by everybody at some point. We also don't know what effect this Obamacare is going to have on all these things and whether that's going to drain ever more money out of the economy.
Q: Do you support repealing health care reform?
A: Yeah, I did not favor Obamacare in the first place. I thought it was too big a grab by the federal government for our health care system. It should not have been voted on in the form that it was in the first place. Business folks are very concerned, and they're sitting on a lot of capital because they're just not sure of how much more cost the government is going to load onto them not only through Obamacare, but through the higher taxes the president is talking about.
Q: McDonald's hinted it won't pay for health insurance for some workers. What if more do that?
A: There's grave concern out in the business community, I hear it all the time, about the fact that this was jammed through and was not completely thought out. And whenever that happens, there are often real ramifications. It certainly deserves a second look by the new Congress.
Q: What will it take to get businesses to create new jobs?
A: Certainty in terms of the costs that government foists upon them. I'm seeing positive things in New Jersey so far in our first few months because the business community knows that I'm going to stand up and not raise taxes, that we're lowering regulation so that their costs can be either stable or maybe reduced a bit. That's going to encourage people to invest more.
Right now it's the uncertainty of what government will cost business that is causing business to sit on its capital and not create new private-sector jobs.
Q: How do you cut taxes and still get your arms around the deficit?
A: At the federal level we're talking about maintaining taxes where they are, not cutting taxes. I'm not advocating additional tax cuts. But I'm certainly opposed to tax increases that the Obama administration is advocating by allowing the Bush tax rates to increase. There's no way you're ever going to solve the deficit without economic growth. To get economic growth, we have to provide a stable marketplace for business. Government cannot continue to increase the cost on business and expect that business is going to hire more employees, raising their costs even more.
Q: What are you expecting from the midterm elections?
A: I've said to my own party that if we do take over the House or the Senate, and any of our gubernatorial candidates that are elected, it's put up or shut up time. We've talked about getting spending under control, reducing the size of government. We lost our way as a party during some of the time of the last decade, and we now have to deliver on what we've talked about. So I think it's put up or shut up time for the Republicans if we're elected in November. You'll see them taking some very aggressive action to put America back on the right track from a fiscal perspective.
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


text:
How to Certify a Foam
If you are a foam producer that is interested in certifying flexible polyurethane foam (slab flexible polyether foam), start by reading the Physical Performance and Environmental Guidelines for Certification of Prime Flexible Polyurethane Foam for Use in Furniture and Bedding (PDF), referred to as the Technical Guidelines.
CertiPUR-US® certification is open to all manufacturers of slabstock* flexible polyurethane foam. Companies need to submit an application, lab test results, production line photographs, and affidavits and declarations on prohibited substances. Certain conditions and limitations apply. For an application and information about fees, contact Mike Crowell at firstname.lastname@example.com.
*A separate certification program for molded flexible polyurethane foam is currently in the beta phase.
Program Basics
Foam Groups
Each CertiPUR-US registration covers only a specific class of polyether-based flexible polyurethane foam manufactured with the same raw materials. The categories are:
- Conventional polyether foam
- Conventional FR polyether foam (sharing the same flame retardant package)
- Super-soft (low density/low hardness) conventional foam (≤15 lbs. IFD and ≤1.5 pdf)
- High Resilience foam
- Viscoelastic (memory) foam
- Other foams to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by a CertiPUR-US administrator.
Certification Process
From start to finish, the certification process takes about 60 days, including 21-30 days for analytical testing.
Once Foam is Certified
Once a foam producer has completed the certification process for a foam family, the company will be added to our page of registered foam producers and an individual web page for your company with your logo, website, contacts and proof-of-certification will be created.
Certified foams must by re-certified every six months for the first year, and annually thereafter.
Random Verification
AFPF conducts random on-site foam production plant checks of participating producers. Samples of certified foams are subjected to chemical and physical testing at independent laboratories to verify that they comply with all CertiPUR-US Technical Guidelines.
What Your Customers Need to Know
Your customers do not have permission to use the trademarked CertiPUR-US mark/logo/name until they have registered with us (it's free). To register, your customer needs your company to submit Verification Form A on their behalf and they have to agree to the program rules outlined in the CertiPUR-US Terms of Use Manual by submitting Form B.
Approved Testing and Analysis Laboratories
Smedeskovvej 38
Galten, Denmark
Telephone: (Country exit code) +45 7022 4276
Fax: (Country exit code) +45 7022 4275
Email: email@example.com
Unit A Millbrook Business Centre
Floats Road
Manchester M23 9YJ
United Kingdom
Attn: Nick Ordsmith
Telephone: (Country exit code) +44 161 286 7889
Fax: (Country exit code) +44 161 286 7676
Email: email@example.com
Attn: VOC Lab/CertiPUR-US Testing
4700 Broadmoor, Ste. 200
Kentwood, MI 49512 USA
Attn: Dr. Jesse Ondersma
Telephone: 616.656.7401
Email: email@example.com
Tillystraβe 2
90431 Nuremberg
Attn: Dr. Jelena Galinkina
Telephone: (Country exit code) +49 911 655 5614
(Country exit code) +49 911 655 5604
Fax: (Country exit code) +49 911 655 5604
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
(Restaurant, Cafe, Bar, Club and Hotel)
Chef Stefano and Kurt have scoured the length and breadth of Italy and the UK to source the very best organic produce to create innovative yet wholesome dishes. Working with the best of what is in season and only using produce at peak condition, the food at Fucina will be as nourishing as it is delicous. Although the menu is derived from traditional recipes inspired by Stefano's childhood, Fucina will represent a new wave of Italian cooking in London, elevating simple ingredients to umami-rich creations.
Fucina will also serve handmade pasta, rolled just before service and stone-baked pizza from a wood- fired oven, both made from stone ground, wholemeal flour that's naturally fermented. Downstairs, the restaurant will feature a wood-fired pit for roasting suckling pig, lamb and boar as well as large joints of meat, depending on the season.
The private dining room is accessed downstairs via a staircase that wraps around the seven-metre-high walk-in wine room where diners will be able to select wines from the predominantly Italian wine list. The floor to ceiling glass wall between the private dining room and kitchen provides guests with a chef's table experience observing the drama of the open kitchen and also the wood-fired pit.
Almost everything at Fucina will be created in-house including bread, pastries, pasta, charcuterie and gelato. These will be available to buy in the restaurant's neighbouring panetteria on Paddington Street, opening to the public in November, along with cold-pressed juices, freshly ground coffee, and Italian grocery items to create meals at home. The panetteria, headed up by ex-Princi head baker Massimiliano Porta will have its own standing coffee bar and will serve fresh salads and sandwiches filled with meats from the restaurant's fire pit, all available for takeaway.
Designed by Andy Martin Architecture, the light-filled restaurant will feature an undulating red brick- lined ceiling, to emulate the inside of a pizza oven. On one side of the restaurant the red brick runs down the length of the wall and onto the ground merging with a bespoke marble terrazzo floor. Once inside, Fucina will provide a haven for guests with the street obscured by handmade green glass and steel screens. The restaurant is centred around a large marble bar which at one end will serve classic Italian cocktails; and at the other end a cichetti bar where Fucina's chefs will add the final touch to dishes sent up from the lower ground kitchen.
Black Roe in the heart of Mayfair, brings the finest Pacific Rim cuisine.
Black Roe's crowning glory is Poke Bar at the front of the restaurant, where an expert chef serves up raw fish with a Pacific slant alongside other fresh seafood and oysters. Centre stage takes Poke, a Hawaiian marinated raw fish dish with fresh, exotic flavours.
The Grill serves sustainable meats cooked on a Kiawe wood grill. Cocktails and a wide selection of wines by the glass are also served at the relaxed bar.
Downstairs feature is a large chef's table for up to 20 guests that leads into the centre of the open kitchen and is lined by tanks filled with the freshest live seafood.
Chotto Matte has opened its doors in September 2013, during London Fashion Week and is bringing the energy of underground Tokyo to the streets of Soho. Located on the corner of Bateman and Frith, Chotto Matte will bring together the best of Japanese and Peruvian cultures serving up affordable Nikkei cuisine, killer cocktails, and live music.Spread over 3 floors, Chotto Matte will comprise of 6 distinct areas. The ground floor will include an expansive cocktail lounge featuring a curved bar cut from lava stone from which skilled mixologists will shake up Nikkei inspired Pisco, Sochu, and Sake cocktails. When the sun shines, retractable glass walls will expose the lounge to the street allowing guests to spill into Soho and take in the sights and sounds of the bustling neighbourhood.
Adjacent to the bar will be a raised dining area complete with 55‐cover a‐la‐carte restaurant and fixed‐price raw bar whereby master sushi chef – previously chef to the Emperor of Japan – will serve an ever‐evolving menu of sushi and raw specialties.A spiral, burnt‐timber staircase will lead guests to the upper level which will boast an open Robata grill, sushi bar, and 100‐cover dining room. The exposed Robata grill will accommodate up to 10 guests and serve smoky Japanese BBQ such as hotpots, Wagyu beef, and seasonal grilled vegetables straight from grill to plate.In both the upper and lower level dining rooms, an evolving a‐la‐carte menu is designed to encourage a relaxed, sharing environment with dishes including Avocado Tempura with smoked purple potato; BBQ Pork Belly nashi pear salsa; Grilled Baby Chicken with spicy pomegranate salsa; BBQ specialties from the Robata Grill, and a selection of fresh, sustainably sourced sushi.
The menu will also boast a tasting menu of seven courses for just £40.The interiors are designed to evoke a sense of modern day Tokyo offering guests a multi‐layered experience that blurs the boundaries between modern and traditional aesthetics. Andy Martin's striking design will fuse both natural materials such as lava stone and burntcedar with art inspired by Tokyo's contemporary urban culture. Ahead of the September launch Houxo Que, a Tokyo based painter and graffiti artist (previous work pictured above left), will be in residence working on large‐scale bespoke graphics that will adorn select walls within the restaurant.
Originally opened in 2010 to wide acclaim, Moon Boot Lounge is a privately owned, exclusive cocktail bar and lounge with interiors that pay homage to the Moon Boot heritage. After the Moon Boot lounge opened in Villars, the number of stores selling the Moon Boot went from one to seven outlets. The lounge is a brand extension to Moon Boot.
Moon Boot is a lifestyle not just a product, it's an era! The Moon Boot Lounge was built as a tribute to the iconic après-ski apparel, and was developed in collaboration with Tecnica to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Moon Boot. The The Moon Boot Lounge with a laid-back ambience and a friendly approach to sophisticated drinks is situated right in the heart of the village. By day it is an intimate bar renowned for luxury and award-winning cocktails. By night it transforms into "the place to be" packed full of party loving, Moon Boot wearing, snowboarding, shot drinking people forging new Moon Boot memories that they will cherish and share, keeping the Moon Boot brand alive today and for years to come.
As well as providing a unique experience, each Moon Boot Lounge offers an exclusive Moon Boot design, only available from that particular lounge. The design of each Lounge Collection boot is used throughout the interior, making the boot a real reminder of good times at the Moon Boot Lounge.The Moon Boot Lounge name, reputation and standards are important factors in maintaining its international and loyal following amongst its already well established client base. In order to ensure that all Moon Boot Lounge operations maintain my high standards, regular inspections are conducted by means of mystery shopper visits and by organized sessions by my senior team members for product knowledge testing.
Enormous care has been devoted to the creation of this unique lounge which caters to a wide variety of tastes and allows the guests to rediscover the excitement of diverse ingredients and flavours. Cocktails are based on different styles, but served in a modern idiom. The cocktail menu is a selection rather than an exhaustive list of what is available. As always, the Bartender will provide whatever your guests want, whether it is on the menu or not. The emphasis, as ever, is on the freshness and quality of the ingredients. The Moon Boot Lounge is well known for its laid-back ambience and a friendly approach to sophisticated drinks and is becoming a well known establishment for après-ski ambiance.
Aroma is a well established shisha café situated on the edge of Seef Mall, Bahrain's second largest mall. Aroma has been blessed with 8 years of continued success, serving over 10,000 people per month. But after 8 years, it was time for a renovation.Kurt seized this opportunity to turn it from a shisha café to the best example of an Arabic café in the Gulf.
Introducing open shawama stations, a juice bar, Arabic cooking, live Arabic music, VIP rooms and a styling and design unlike any other, created by Jonathan Amar the man behind Les Comptoir Dana in Marrakesh – the most popular shisha café in Morocco – Aroma is set to become the destination café in Bahrain.Kurt says "Aroma is a real step away from my past experiences, however, it is also my most exciting project to date as an Australian in an Arabian country, building an Arabic concept for the first time!"
The building where Block 338 resides has been owned by Mesk Holdings for several years, but it had long been abandoned by the board members. As the new CEO of Mesk Holdings, Kurt saw the potential in the prime location and seized the opportunity to take advantage of the spectacular outside space unmatched in any of the restaurants in Bahrain.
For a small country, Baharin has a diverse selection of restaurants, but what Kurt felt was lacking was a space of sophistication; yet relaxing; a home away from home with great quality food and high quality beverages.In the very heart of the Bahrain dining district in Adlyia, after only a few months of operation, Block 338 is already achieving international acclaim.
Kurt says "My first restaurant in Bahrain came with many unforeseen challenges due to their different operational methods compared to the UK. Transforming a restaurant that had been derelict for over 2 years inside 5 months was a really challenge, and only possible with the great support I found here"
Ping Pong Ltd is a high quality restaurant group specialising in Chinese Dim Sum. With restaurants in Europe, Middle East, North & South America, Ping Pong is a globally recognised brand. Kurt established the Ping Pong restaurant chain from start up with the original vision of delivering high quality Asian cuisine to central London for £15 per head.As the founder and owner, Kurt not only developed the concept, he formulated the business models as well as entry-to-market strategy, he also secured the investment required to make the concept a reality.It was during his time at Nobu that Kurt first began to appreciate the huge appeal and practical potential of dim sum.
For a Nobu Christmas party one year, he brought in dim sum from a restaurant in Chinatown as an appetising but convenient food that all the staff could enjoy after the restaurant had closed for the night. Used to the lengthy preparation that Nobu's intricate cuisine entailed, he watched with admiration as an assortment of pre-made dim sum was taken out of trays and quickly steamed in special baskets. Within twenty minutes of closing, the restaurant's staff were sitting down to enjoy a delicious but surprisingly inexpensive feast.If that night first sparked off the germ of the idea that would eventually evolve into Ping Pong, Nobu's rapidly expanding business provided Kurt with plenty of examples of the huge opportunities that lay in the kind of rationalisation and efficient logistics that are now cornerstones of the Ping Pong business."Stylish and sexy, this place serves dim sum all day at equally attractive prices. There's no booking, just join the queue and feast away" Feast LondonIn June 2004, at a time when Nobu London was enjoying record profitability, Kurt resigned in order to develop his own idea for a group of restaurants that would pioneer modern dim sum – an idea that has now become reality as Ping Pong.
Kurt not only identified and secured the premises but he assembled the creative team, recruited and trained the senior management, sourced the kitchen and font-of-house teams; and embedded brand strategy.As you'd expect from someone with Kurts insight into modern day dining this ancient Chinese tea house tradition was given a 21st Century makeover with his vision of dim sum restaurants.His dim sum menu incorporates popular dishes of old, as well as new varieties. The amount of creative input and attention to detail Kurt and his team invested into creating the dark modern, sexy interiors, all the restaurant aesthetics are truly breathtaking.Even with A list clientele including Danii Minouge, David Schwimmer and Kate Winslet, more importantly Ping Pong was intended to be a good deal more accessible than some of its illustrious peers –Kurt implemented a no reservation policy with a low average spent to match.
"Ping Pong is to Yauatcha what MiuMiu is to Prada" – Toby YoungThe Dim Sum menu was designed to be served quickly and be easy to eat, but it definitely isn't fast food. Everything on the menu is hand made from fresh ingredients every day by specialist Dim Sum chefs. No machine could replicate their extraordinary skill.Kurt managed the cost base, and therefore the prices by manufacturing the food off-site. This not only reduced the fixed costs, but also the food costs and reduced the back / front-of-house ratio successfully thus increasing the number of customers per restaurant.The first restaurant opened within 9 months (2005) and was profitable within its first 4 months – an achievement rarely managed in the restaurant business.
Two further restaurants opened in 2005, 3 more in 2006 with 2 in 2007 bringing the total portfolio to 8 profitable restaurants within 18 months.Kurt says "A Ping Pong restaurant is a modern take on a very ancient Chinese tradition. Hundreds of years ago, merchants on the Silk Road would stop at tea houses en route to rest their weary feet, relax and drink tea with their fellow travellers and share Dim Sum – baskets and dishes of little sweet and savoury snacks, usually steamed, baked or fried. We've kept all the best bits of that ancient tradition, like meeting to relax and share appetizing food and fragrant tea. We just thought that after the first thousand years or so, it would be OK to add cocktails to the menu".
Kurt achieved the impossible by integrating a fine dining restaurant into to a world renowned Parisian nightclub 'Les Bains Douches'. The restaurant achieved a 4* rating in France's leading Fourchette Food Guide.
After 30 years of phenomenal success, only mirrored by the likes of Studio 54 in New York, Les Bains Douches lifespan was coming to an end. In 2008, Kurt was commissioned by owner, Hubert Boukobza to resurrect the celebrity scene that was once commonplace. Shortly after the opening the restaurant, the name Les Bains was back at the forefront of the nightlife scene in Paris and the Princess of Morocco was a weekly patron, flying in especially to dine there. Hubert used this re birth of Les Bains as an opportunity to finally move on from Paris and after 3 decades, sold the restaurant and club at a premium.
Kurt says "working with a legend such as Hubert Boukobza was not the easiest of tasks due to his worldwide reputation and jet-set lifestyle. But this was not the first time I had worked with Hubert so there were no real surprises. Opening the restaurant in Les Bains, gave me an insight into the life style of what it was like living during the infamous era of the 80's nightclub scene and I can now call Hubert a lifelong friend"
Kurt says "Working closely alongside industry leaders such as Nobu and Drew for 9 years, their knowledge and philosophies are now in my blood. During my time at Nobu, I travelled and met an amazing cast of people, a period of my life that will never be forgotten"
Icha Icha is a Japanese inspired restaurant, primarily focused on donburi which is a Japanese dish of a large bowl of white rice with several toppings. A popular fast food option as common in Japan as a sandwich is in the UK.
With this in mind, the target was a £10 average spend, the same as a sandwich combination, but being able to serve a healthy, hot, tasty meal option to.We had to create a high quality low cost but substantial lunch that could be prepared inside of 30 seconds upon ordering.
The result is a self combined meal with Asian taste, using raw produce of the highest quality, and the freshest ingredients we can get hold of.Originally aiming for 400 covers a day, Icha Icha is now serving a jaw dropping 800 customers a day with a payroll cost of only 5%!
After a year travelling, working in restaurants all around Europe, he was hired by the Nobu Group in late 1996 to implement its service and management methods in the restaurant it was about to launch in London. While working as assistant general manager at the newly opened restaurant, he went on to liaise closely with the founder Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, supervising the opening of all Nobu's restaurants in Europe. Playing a key role in turning Nobu into the most prestigious and successful restaurant group in the world, he was appointed manager of Nobu London in 2000.Under his management, Nobu London received numerous accolades, including a Michelin star and – during successive years – the vote in the Zagat Guide as the city's most popular restaurant. A major turning-point in his career, the job gave him the in-depth knowledge of the systems and organisation required to support world-class cuisine, but also afforded an atmosphere of independence that encouraged his talent for entrepreneurship and innovative thinking.
The 2003 Gulf War was an example of his often unorthodox but highly successful methods. When most restaurants were cutting back during the downturn in business, Kurt chose instead to remain loyal to his staff and the fundamentals of the restaurant. Increasing staffing levels, he concentrated on providing even better service than ever before. The average customer spend increased while food costs were reduced. The result was that from fewer diners the restaurant made even more revenue than before the war began.One of Kurt's biggest challenges at Nobu London was coping with the phenomenal success of a restaurant that enjoyed as much fame as the stars who regularly dined there. While Boris Becker's visit to the restaurant has gone into popular legend, personalities who have enjoyed quieter evenings there include practically every A-list name from show business, media or society. Its high profile diners ensured that Nobu would be constantly in the news, but made it often difficult to find a table, Kurt's solution to open the 'White Room' – a candlelit area where diners could eat at communal tables without reservations – not only generated substantial extra revenue, but also provided an example of his fundamentally egalitarian approach.
Among his many initiatives at Nobu, the one that gave him the most personal satisfaction was organising a charity birthday party for the founder, which was sponsored by the jewellers Garrard and raised a quarter of a million pounds for the Save the Children Fund. On 12 March 2003, the restaurant was closed for 24 hours and transformed into a Japanese white forest, while Nobuyuki Matsuhisa cooked a nine-course meal for celebrity donors.Having managed Nobu London successfully including receiving a Michelin star, Kurt achieved promotion to Director of Nobu Europe with a remit to expand the brand throughout Europe and lead all new restaurant ventures.
When he opened Nobu branches in Paris and Milan, he reached the conclusion that the best way to compensate for the heavy new costs of extra regulation in Europe was to simplify the menu and implement the local purchase of ingredients. In 2003, he got the chance to try out these ideas when he concluded an agreement with a Mykonos hotelier to bring Nobu to the island for the summer. Devising a streamlined menu and using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, he went on to run the restaurant with half the usual complement of staff. Although it had initially opened for only a trial period, Nobu in Mykonos did record business and was voted best restaurant in Greece.Created by world famous Japanese chef, Nobu Matsuhisa, Nobu Restaurants grew from one restaurant in New York to a global enterprise with 19 restaurants across 5 continents.
With signature dishes such as Black Cod in Miso, Nobu to this day continues to lead the way in new wave Japanese cooking."Nobu is the world's hippest restaurant chain." VogueKurts key deliverables included: turnover, profit and costs; kitchen hygiene; restaurant cleanliness; customer experience and brand reputation as well as maintaining restaurant concept innovation.Under Kurts leadership,the European portfolio had a revenue stream of £40m per annum, 750 staff and his role had line management responsibility for the Restaurant General Managers, executive chefs and multisite accounts departments.In all European restaurants, Kurt was not only opening new restaurants, but he was overseeing restaurant management, negotiating strategic partner contracts and embedding Nobu's brand concept.
Kurt says "Working closely alongside industry leaders such as Nobu and Drew for 9 years, their knowledge and philosophies are now in my blood. During my time at Nobu, I travelled and met an amazing cast of people, a period of my life that will never be forgotten"
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest development and special offers!
Kurt keeps you informed on new tips, tutorial and hospitality techniques updates.
You'll be among the first to know about our new tips to make your business even more successful.


text:
Ohio corn and bean harvest begins
The latest weekly crop and weather report issued by the Ohio field office of the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) for the week ending Sunday, September 22, has corn and soybean harvest underway, but just barely.
As of Sunday, corn harvest was three percent complete, four points behind the 5-year average. 92 percent of the crop has reached the dent stage and 32 percent of the Ohio corn crop is mature, 12 points behind the average.
68 percent of the corn crop is in fair-to good condition, compared to 64 percent a week ago.
Soybean harvest is three percent complete, three points behind the average pace. 70 percent of the crop is dropping leaves, nine points ahead of the average.
76 percent of soybeans are in fair-to-good condition, the same as last week.
Two percent of winter wheat has been seeded.
Rain last week improved topsoil moisture, the weekly crop and weather report has topsoil moisture in the state 71 percent adequate to surplus, compared to 62 percent a week ago.
Your email address will not be published.
Subscribe for our newsletter today and receive relevant news straight to your inbox!


text:
Product Spotlight
Featured Research
Quick Stats
You are here
Greenpeace Rates Grocers on Seafood; Industry Groups Cry Foul
The environmental group's ranking names best, worst sustainable seafood retailers.
On the heels of a just-released seafood sustainability report by Greenpeace alleging "most U.S. supermarkets are ignoring scientific warnings about the crisis facing global fisheries and the marine environment when they stock their shelves with seafood," two seafood industry trade groups are calling the findings fishy, and are warning grocery stores to be prepared for further direct action by Greenpeace activists.
According to a statement issued by the National Fisheries Institute, the report "is riddled with erroneous information and alarmist language...[and] is merely another example of Greenpeace's failure to responsibly engage the seafood community in a constructive dialog about sustainability. As such, NFI is urging retailers that may hear from media and or customers to monitor its media blog - available on www.aboutseafood.com -- for the very latest."
The 67-page Greenpeace report, NFI said, "repeats old erroneous activist rhetoric about the oceans being empty in 40 years."
Titled "Carting Away the Oceans: How Grocery Stores are Emptying the Seas," the Greenpeace report ranked 20 leading U.S. supermarket chains on how their seafood purchasing practices and policies align with goal of seafood sustainability, using a 10-point rating system for factors such as procurement policies, support for sustainability initiatives, labeling, and transparency, and how many "Red List" products - what Greenpeace calls 22 of the world's most destructively fished and farmed species -- they sell. The Greenpeace ranking was:
1.Whole Foods Market, with 4 points
2. Ahold USA, 4
3. Harris Teeter, 4
4. Wegmans, 3
5. Wal-Mart, 3
6. Target, 3
7. Safeway, 2
8. Aldi, 2
9. Kroger, 2
10. Costco, 2
11. Giant Eagle, 1
12. Winn-Dixie, 1
14. Delhaize, 1
15. Supervalu, 1
16. Trader Joe's, 1
17. Meijer, 1
18. H.E. Butt, 1
19. Price Chopper, 1
20. Publix, 1
The farm-raised salmon industry trade group, Salmon of the Americas Inc. (SOTA), which represents U.S., Chilean, and Canadian salmon farming companies, also blasted the report for "misleading the public away from healthy protein alternatives."
SOTA urged consumers to "be aware that Greenpeace wants to force retailers to remove a majority of their seafood from the counters for wrong reasons, alleging the unsustainability of the industry."


text:
THE MEDRX AUDIOLOGICAL PRODUCT LINE is designed to assist hearing healthcare professionals in counseling, educating and informing both the patient and family members about specific patient hearing loss and showing what they are missing. More MedRx product benefits>
WHAT'S NEW: The AVANT ARC
Audiometry & REM/LSM in one system. - read more
MUST READ: Download the RECD Guide
by Terry Ross