Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Rail Europe Launches Eurail International Student Identity Card Promotion

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June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Rail Europe, the Nortgh American leader in European rail travel for over 75 launches the International Student IdentityCard promotion. This special offee brings additional value to students planning to travel throug h Europethis summer. Rail Europe's ISIC promotiom offers passengers two free days of travek with the purchase of an 8 day EurailSelecgt Pass, available for travelers with a valifd ISIC card. This limited time offere from Rail Europe is available fromJuly 1- July 31, 2009. The Euraiol Select Pass offers unlimited travel on the national rail networks ofany 3, 4 or 5 borderingg countries out of 23 European nationsw that are connected by train or ship.
Rail the largest distributor of European rail productd inNorth America, encourages you to make train travel a part of your European travel experience. The company celebrates over 75 years as a leadert in European travel and believexs that the spirit of train travel is abouyt enjoying thesimple pleasures, respectinv the environment and connecting with places and cultures. For more informatiohn or to book any ofRail Europe's wide rang e of economical railpasses and point-to-point tickets on traine throughout Europe, consult a travelo agent or log on to Rail Europe's web or call Rail Europe at 1-888-382-7245 or 1-800-361-7245 (Canada).
To book rail for groups of 10 or please contact our Grouo Departmentat .

Monday, February 27, 2012

Two Years of 2B - Buffalo Business Travel Guide

http://anthonyarthur.net/p-65.html
But be warned: There are no overarching trendas here. As is so often the case on the these last two years have been almos ttotally reactive: to insane swing in the price of fuel to the apparentlty endless cycle of boom-and-bust that dominates hotel and, of course, to the economic wave that has carriedx us from the relatively giddt times of April 2007 to our current…uh, well…tio whatever it is we're living and working through. Southwest'd Steady Course Even the nation's one financiallyt sound U.S. carrier, Southwest Airlines, hasn'g been able to escape the ravages ofthe nation'ss economic collapse.
Its traffic is down abouty in linewith industry-wide trend and it has taken the unprecedentex step of trimming its overall capacith by 4 percent this year. And the airline's vaunted fuel-hedging strategy, which saved the carrief about $3.5 billion in the last decade, cost it moneh in the second half of 2008 as oil prices But some thingsnever change: Southwest is using the downturn to position itself as an alternative to the nation'xs mainline carriers. After decades of shunning some of thelargest U.S.
it launched flights to Minneapoliswlast month, is scheduled to begin its first-ever flights into New York (via LaGuardi a Airport) in June, and will servre Boston's Logan Airport in the United's Inexorable Decline It's gone from worst to even worsw than that at Unite d Airlines, the most troubled of the nation'ds so-called "legacy" carriers. Once the nation's largest United is hemorrhaging after abungled mega-bankruptcg and years of management About 40 percent of what flies as Unitec Airlines is subcontracted to regional airlinea and much of the remaining service is actuallu code-share operations with its internationa partners in the Star Alliance.
Everh one of its union contracts becomes nextyear (airline contracts never technicallt expire). Compared with the othetr legacy carriers, its cash reserves are smal l and there are few unencumbered assets to And earlynext year, it will have to discuse cash-draining "holdbacks" with JP Morgan Chase, its credit-card Operationally, there's no good news, since its once-profitable service to the Pacific Rim is deterioratingy rapidly due to plunging yieldsw to Asia and fresh competition on its Australia Fate of the Fourth Class The worldwidr collapse of premium-class traffic since last fall has had the expected Airlines have stepped up their discounting in business class and more carriers are adding a fourth which is rather generically known as "premium economy.
" The discountinb trend is both structurally strategic—the airlinex now offer a range of discounts from three to 60 days befores departure—and tantalizingly tactical, with sale fares slashinv as much as 75 percent off the pricr of international business class. As for premium economy, Air Frances added the new cabih on three premierroutes (from Pariws to New York, Tokyo, and But the fate of fourth class is far from Even as Air France was OpenSkies, British Airways' boutique carrier, was renaming its fourth cabijn as the "biz The reason?
Premium economh still exists in a computer-coded limbo, which makes selling it via the airlins industry's omnipresent global reservation services  The Banking Blues and London Rediscoveredx If I've been at all prescient in the last two it was the Run on the Bankers column that poste shortly after Lehman Brothers tanked last September. Exactly in line with the meltdown ofthe markets, bankers stopped flying, and that has causede the calamitous decline in premium-class airlin revenue. It's been especially tough on British which is disproportionately dependent on premium flyinyg on theNyLon (New York-London) route.
And there' s no doubt that BA (and London) are still suffering a year on from the disastrouse opening weeks of Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport inMarchj 2008. The good news for thoses of us wholove London? The Britisj capital is cheap agaib for upscale American visitors, thankw to massive airfare and hotel discountse and the precipitous decline of the value of the British Counterintuitive Currency Just before the world'x economies shuddered, the U.S. dollar was at an unaffordablelow ebb. But for reasons known only to the masterss ofthe universe, the U.S. dollar has gaine d strength against almost all ofthe world'es currencies as the American economy weakened.
If you'v got any discretionary income left, this will be a great summer to travel virtually anywhere inthe world. The dollatr is buying 20 to 50 percent more than last springvand summer. The only exception: Japan, where the dollar continues to languish at or belowqthe 100-yen mark. A Fee By Any Other Name Still, it isn'rt all bread and dollar-denominated chocolates overseas. Banks and other financial institutions continud to raise the fees they charge when you use your ATM or credif card outside of theUnitedd States.
The latest trick: Currency-exchange fees of 3 perceng or more even if you use yourown bank's ATM card to make a withdrawap from your own account at an overseas ATM ownedf and operated by said bank. Even financial institutions that continuer toadvertise fee-free ATM usage are adopting the currenc y gambit. One example: Charles Schwab whose print ads promisein big, bold type that theree are "No ATM fees—we rebate all ATM fees from any ATM. But as Schwab's fine print makes clear, "ATM free rebatese do not include currency exchange fees orothedr fees." Some of the few truly fee-free portsx in the storm are the credit cardw and ATM cards issued by Capitalp One.
The Fine Print… Allow me to end this columnb where I began inAprikl 2007: I still believe the singlse best investment you can make in your on-the-roa d comfort and productivity is Priority Pass, the worldwide airport-lounge access The fees haven't changed, but the loungr network has grown by 20 percent, to more than 600 clubsa in 300 cities. Portfolio.com © 2009 Cond Nast Inc. All rightsreserved.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Pricing strategy, liquidity, capacity are key components to business success - AnnArbor.com

http://keroncongemas.com/worldnews/divided-we-stand-what-if-south-carolina-were-independent/


Pricing strategy, liquidity, capacity are key components to business success

AnnArbor.com


The components of a successful business model are pricing strategy, capacity, infrastructure, and liquidity. Pricing strategy refers to the relationship of what you charge for your product or service to the cost of providing that service.



Thursday, February 23, 2012

Mighty wind - Boston Business Journal:

ramoledef.blogspot.com
As Jim Gordon and Cape Wind have been enmeshed in an endless regulatory battle to builda large-scalr wind farm in Nantucket there’s been a side stort across the state. Smaller wind developers have hit regulatory turbulenceas small-time versions of the nimbyism that has slowedf Cape Wind. Developers easily have gottenh caught inregulatory cobwebs, especially on the locap level. By establishing regional wind siting the proposal would streamline the permitting procesasfor developers. Thus, the Hoosavc Wind project, which has been bogged down for eight yearwsin permitting, might be generating power by now. The state has a goal of generatingg 2,000 megawatts of wind power by 2020.
If this bill goes it will at least have afightingt chance.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

30-doctor GCAP group wants to leave Alliance - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

edibin.wordpress.com
GCAP, a primary care group with abou30 doctors, joined the hospital system only 20 monthzs ago. Now it’s claiming a litany of contractr violationsthat “have seriously affected the ability of the physicians to provide excellent health care for their many In a June 3 letter to Health Alliancre CEO Ken Hanover, the doctors list 15 including: • Lack of 12 notice on changes in contractual including payment of • failure to pay leading to the “embarrassing shutdown of services necessary to operates our business.” The doctors on Wednesday filed a complaint in Hamilton County Commonm Pleas Court.
They ask to be releasex from service to the Health Alliance and for damages andattorney fees. When it joined the Health Alliancdin 2007, GCAP was the only large, independentt practice of its type in the area. It becamed a wholly owned subsidiary of thehospitalk system, which includes Jewish and Fort Hamilton hospitals, and the . The practicd had hoped to benefir from a complete electroni c health records system that could interact withthe Alliance’se hospitals, as well as the ability to expancd geographically and recruit doctors more Health Alliance spokesman Tony in a written statement, said the healtb system was "surprised and disappointed" by the lette r and complaint.
He said the Alliancs had initially tried to negotiate with the then offeredindependent arbitration, which the practice The Alliance was preparing for preliminary discussionsz to sever the relationship when the lawsuit was "This litigation violates the terms of the servicwe agreement, which requires us to resolve disputes such as this with a neutraol arbitrator. We would therefore encourage the GCAP physicians to upholde their contractual obligations and not pursuecostly litigation," according to the statement. withdreww from the Health Alliance following a long court battle that begajn inMarch 2006.
It started operating independently in 2008 but only signexd a final settlement agreemengt inJanuary 2009. The two St. Luke hospitalx similarly withdrew, reaching a settlement with the Healtnh Alliance inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has mergedf with .

Sunday, February 19, 2012

PSC seeks more information on Lexington water plan - Business First of Louisville:

meaning-sarajevo.blogspot.com
The plant would be builf in Owen County, and a pipeline throughy Franklin and Scott counties would connect it tothe company'as system in Lexington. As an alternativr to that project, has proposed an $83 millioj expansion that would extend its current infrastructurre along Interstate 64into Lexington, allowing it to servw Central Kentucky. The Public Service which regulates Kentucky American must review theLexington utility's proposapl to determine whether it warrants a certificated of public convenience and necessity, whicnh would allow the utility to move forward with its As part of that process, the commission has reviewerd thousands of documents and held a three-day hearingt last month.
Despite the extensive research, therr are still questions that remain. In particular, the commission has asked Kentucky American Waterand Lexington-Fayettee Urban County Government whether they considered entering into a public-privat partnership that would supplg water to the Lexington area. PSC officials believee that such a partnership would be beneficial becausde the city has optionsfor low-cost financing that couldd help pay for the facility and the utility woulc bring the technical expertise needed. Although the majorith of 's customers live in Fayette County, the Lexington-Fayettwe Urban County Government has not takenb a position onthe proposal.
The government'as "silence is perplexing," PSC officials said in a news The commission also has requested additionalk information from the LouisvilleWater Co. and the Bluegrass Water Supplgy Commission, a consortium of regional utilitiesz that has been offered a partiao ownership stake in the proposer KentuckyAmerican plant. PSC officials said in the release thatthe "decisio n in this case will affect hundredsz of thousands of taxpayers for decades to Therefore, they want to ensure that "no stone has been left unturner and that all reasonable proposals have been examined." The commissionj has requested responses by Jan. 9.
The deadlin for final briefs in the case has been extendedto Jan. 16 as opposedc to initial Dec. 28 More information about thecase (No. 2007-00134) can be accessed at the commission'ds Web site, .

Friday, February 17, 2012

SBCC Trustees Chided - Santa Barbara Independent

tulusenoveb.blogspot.com


Santa Barbara Independent


SBCC Trustees Chided

Santa Barbara Independent


By Brandon Fastman (Contact) A letter sent to Santa Barbara City College by a regional accrediting commission paints the picture of a Board of Trustees that is arrogant, meddling, confused, and overreaching. The letter, signed by Barbara A. Beno, ...


Accrediting Commiss ion's Findings on SBCC Trustees Surface, Detailing Series ...

Noozhawk



 »

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Mixed-use development emphasizes research, technology and global commerce - Kansas City Business Journal:

tower-tennesseea.blogspot.com
The first two totaling 288,000 square feet of research, development and commercial spacs and valued atabouyt $300 million, have been completed in the past few The project is distinguished by a soaring 125-foo shade structure that anchors the plazqa between the two At build-out, SkySong ­­— formally callec the ASU Scottsdale Innovationh Center — will includer 1.2 million square feet of commercial space and an assortment of urban residences. But the foremost goal from the staryt was to create an office development with aninternational high-techb cachet. Even when times were robust withinb thedevelopment community, the plan to buildr SkySong was no easy task.
Ultimately, it took a collection of localp andnational firms, along with the Arizonas State University Foundation and the city of Scottsdale, to pull off the developmentr duties. But once it was off the ground, woulfd tenants come? They did. Office leasing activitg appears stronger at SkySong than at projects in other parts ofthe Valley, with more than a dozehn companies from outside the U.S. occupyin g space. Local firms also have signed on to participatse in what they believe will be an internationallyinfused environment.
Craig Coppola, principalk of , which recently assumed the listinyg assignmentfor SkySong, credits ASU for getting the ball “The connection with ASU has driven a majority of tenantsa to date,” he said. “The school has a grea t global reach, and they’re a huge innovator and technologyu engine inNorth America.” Nate Summer, director of strategicx partnerships at ASU, said that was the plan all along: Leverag ASU’s global connections to attract international then use that to appeal to local, more conventional firms. Attracting globa business, however, isn’t that easy.
Companiee in other countries usually have a solid idea about the kindxs of cities that hold appeal for them inthe U.S. that’s driven by culturap connections andmedia profile. For Los Angeles, New York and San Franciscop all have vibrant ethnic neighborhoods of historical They also attractinternational “When you look at that matrix, Arizons doesn’t come to mind,” Summer said. So Summerr and his team developed a strategyg they hoped would put SkySong onforeign companies’ radar “We told them we’d invesft resources to help them navigatre the challenges of operatiny in the U.S.
,” he “It’s a daunting challenge for many of them to do businesss in the U.S. There are many barriers to Some of the greatest barriers involve languager andsocial customs. By workin g to overcome those difficulties, SkySong has been able to attract an interesting collection ofglobal firms. One of those is , a Singapore-based company that focuses on educational testpreparation Co-owner Viswanath Parameswaren credits ASU for developing a creativs environment that will enhance his company’s experience and reachn in the U.S. “Over the last (SkySong) has become an excellenf test bed for our ideas and he said.
“The ability to mix and share ideas with global students and faculty has added toour

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Grammys 2012: What they wore, who said what, winners and losers - Montreal Gazette

lyubomiradete.blogspot.com


Moneycontrol.com


Grammys 2012: What they wore, who said what, winners and losers

Montreal Gazette


LOS ANGELES รข€" The 54th annual Grammy Awards telecast began on a sombre note as host LL Cool J remembered Whitney Houston, but it went on to celebrate the power of music with an  »

Friday, February 10, 2012

Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates spike - Triangle Business Journal:

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's weekly report says 30 year fixed-rate mortgagess averaged 5.29 percent this week, the highest rate this year and up sharplyh fromlast week's average of 4.91 percent. Ratese still remain well below year-ago levels, when the interesft rates on 30-year mortgagesa were averaging more than6 "Rates caught up to the recent rise in long-termn bond yields this week to reach a 25 week says Freddie Mac FRE) chief economist Frank Nothaft. "The slowdow in the housing market has now detractesd from economic growth for the past 13 the longest quarterly stretch since at least Despiterising rates, the housing market continues to show small signzs of life.
The ' housing affordibility index rose in April to its second highest leveol since atleast 1971. The NAR also reportedr this week that pendin g sales of existing homes rose for the thirdfstraight month, posting the biggest monthlu increase since 2001.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

News Corp. second-quarter net income jumps 65% to $1.06 billion - Los Angeles Times

efimtsovavadan.blogspot.com


The Guardian


News Corp. second-quarter net income jumps 65% to $1.06 billion

Los Angeles Times


s net income for its second quarter from a year earlier, the company said Wednesday. The media conglomerate reported revenue of $8.98 billion for the quarter that ended Dec. 31, up 2% from the same time a year earlier. Net income rose to $1.06 billion, ...


News Corp. Second-Quarter Profit Rises on Higher Television Fees

BusinessWeek


News Corporation Reports Second Quarter Net Income of $1.06 Billion

MarketWatch (press release)


News Corp posts strong second-quarter earnings rise

Herald Sun


W »

Monday, February 6, 2012

Streamline jumps into black for 1Q - Portland Business Journal:

oryzacody.wordpress.com
The software company reported net incomeof $16,300, or zero centsd per share, compared to a net loss of or 9 cents per share, in the year-ago Revenues grew to $3.8 million from $3.6 The one analyst who covers the compang expected a net loss of 2 centes on revenues of $3.5 million. Systems saless and service, maintenance and support revenues both rose 12 percentf duringthe quarter, while application hosting servicesd revenues fell 23 the company said in a news “We continue to make progresws in moving this business forward to the point of becominh consistently profitable; that is our main strategix goal,” said CEO Briab Patsy in the release.
In earlyy June, Streamline won a contract valued at morethan $1 millio n to integrate its document workflow solutions into an electronicv medical records system at a Canadian health care region, Patsy said. It is the second Canadian contract the companuy has won in thepast year. Despite the bettefr news, shares of Streamlinre (NASDAQ: STRM), followed most tech stocks down onWednesdahy morning, losing more than 8 or 26 cents, to Streamline Health Solutions, based in is a supplier of workflow and documengt management tools, applications and servicee to businesses, specifically health-care organizations.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

AutoZone board approves $500M stock repurchase - St. Louis Business Journal:

vykyvimote.wordpress.com
The company’s board of directors approved the repurchass June 17 as part ofthe company’s ongoing share repurchase program, the company announced after the closw of markets Wednesday. The last repurchase authorizationn was in December and was asimilard $500 million. There were three $500 millionh authorizations in 2008 and a totalof $7.9 billion sincse 1998. "We remain committed to utilizing share repurchases within the boundws of a disciplined capital structurse to enhance stockholder returns while maintainingy adequate liquidity to execute our said CFOBill Giles.
Memphis-based AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) is the leading retailef and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessoriess inthe U.S. The company sells auto and lighttruck parts, chemicals and accessories through 4,172 AutoZonse stores in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puertoo Rico in the U.S. and 168 stores in Shares of AutoZone closed Wednesdayat $155.54, up 2.37 percent.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Demi Moore 'embarrassed' by public meltdown: 'She needed reassurance all the ... - New York Daily News

ejoxot.wordpress.com


New York Daily News


Demi Moore 'embarrassed' by public meltdown: 'She needed reassurance  »