Greg Kelly admirers, your dreamboat is still with Fox News according to Alisyn Camerota. This author has heard the murmuring about Clayton Morris filling in for Brian Kilmeade vis-a-vis G.I. Ken. Apparently, FNC does not want to roil the waters any more than they are by bringing in one of the former canned co-anchors (i.e., Greg Kelly, Kelly Wright, or Page Hopkins) to guest host. It appears determined to “stay the course” with its new cast of Clayton, Dave Briggs, Ainsley Earhardt, and Courtney Friel: seemingly, it does not want to stir a poignant nostalgia for the past.
http://greenroom.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/07/07/jay-thomas/#comments
- Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson
- The Giver, by Lois Lowry
- Goosebumps (Series), by R.L. Stine
- A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L?Engle
- Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous
- Blubber, by Judy Blume
- What?s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters, by Lynda Madaras
Note:\xA0 I haven’t read this one, but really?\xA0 Isn’t the point of this book rather self evident? - The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton
- James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
- Are You There, God? It?s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume
For the record, it was incredibly difficult to only pick the handful here. Short of copying the whole list and cutting what I hadn’t read, I didn’t know how to pick my favorites.\xA0 So I arbitrarily selected titles.
I encourage you to check out the full list:\xA0 Frequently Challenge by Decade: 1990 to 1999
Pursuit of Honor
Vince Flynn
Atria, Oct 13 2009, $27.99
ISBN: 9781416595168
Six days ago the country was rocked by the explosions in DC that killed 185 people and injured so many more.\xA0 CIA Director Irene Kennedy orders counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp to find the three al Qaeda men responsible for the attack and bring them to justice anyway he can.\xA0 However, the sophisticated way the trio vanished is a shocker as terrorists have not been very good at hiding their footprints, which to Rapp denotes some insider support to have gotten to and away from the National Counterterrorism Center one of their targets that included several senators as victims.
First Rapp has to take care of ?Deep Throat? wannabe CIA IG Inspector Adams.\xA0 After that he and his teammate Mike Nash struggle with clues as Congress screams for increased oversight and no more illegal activity while his employer unofficially sanctions whatever it takes to keep the nation safe.\xA0 He is unaware that in Toolesboro, Iowa are Hakim and Karim hiding on a farm that the former purchased through a New York lawyer.\xA0 They rusticate overlooking the Mississippi before they make their follow-up move to the success of the explosions they set in DC six days ago.
With the arrest of terrorist suspects, the latest Rapp thriller is an exciting tale as the hero struggles with his PURSUIT OF HONOR while trying to take out some nasty folks who hide behind the skirts of young girls as the innocent are expendable in order to achieve their objective Rapp running on that very thin line between morality and security comes across much stronger through Nash?s balancing act between his family and protecting his country.\xA0 Ironically while the Congress and Executive Branch debate legal issues over domestic spying and torture, Rapp and Nash skirmish between personal ethics and national security as Vince Flynn provides a thought provoking gripping thriller.
Harriet Klausner
This essay was originally published in 2008 as ?Border Country ? a visit to the grave of Raymond Williams? in Street Signs, Spring 2008. London: Goldsmiths Centre for Urban and Community Research.
I’m no stranger to this. I used to take visitors to see Sylvia Plath’s grave at Heptonstall church. This continued until a friend insisted I take his photograph with one arm around the headstone, while the other gave a ?thumbs up?, with an accompanying cheesy grin. He was making a comment about the bizarre nature of what I was forcing him to do, turning it into a surreal, Hello! magazine snap. Visiting graves is seemingly justifiable if the person in question was known to you, as a family member, friend, or as a famous person. Or perhaps if you?re affiliated to a gothic subculture. Placed outside these categories, it is possible to feel like a morbid lurker. But graveyards are also great levellers, signifying the mortality we all share, flattening celebrity. Of course, graveyards can also be monumentalising fields of spectacle, posthumous stages of ostentation. In this sense, identities can be as saturated with class relations in death as in life.
Raymond Williams’s grave at Clodock Church quietly re-places him in his formative landscape, among some of the residents of his beloved Black Mountains. This site is a mesh of the present and landscape, biography and history. Clodock is a medium walk, or a short drive, from Pandy, Williams’s birthplace. I walked here on the day BBC Radio Wales broadcast Dai Smith’s discussion of Border Country, Williams? novel about:
‘…a scholarship boy going away from his working class village and finding his relationship with his father. [which] became a universal experience for a generation of working class people from the 1930s.’ (Smith, 2007).
Border Country shadows my visit, literally, as the England/Wales border is within scrambling distance, up along Hatterall Ridge, the looming horizon to be seen in the photographs here. This line has always been contested territory and is part of the Offa’s Dyke path, which is now popular as a leisure route for walkers. It was once a defensive earthwork, longer, although less substantially constructed, than Hadrian’s Wall. It is thought to have been built due to trouble with the Princes of Powys, having a relatively short period of employment before being abandoned. King Offa apparently dabbled in overseas politics and economics, having links with Charlemagne in Francia, as well as contact with the Papacy. He established the use of the penny as a standard in England, with the same silver content as coins in Francia, creating national and international trading.
The remains of conflict cover Wales. Here, in the Black Mountains, and in its many castles. Not ‘just’ symbols, but previous sites, of inter-national, inter-cultural, power struggles. Loaded locations, now defused with their gift shops, romanticised, aestheticised information points, interactive displays and tearooms. The relatively recent widening of recognition for, as well as access to, the Welsh language, bears testimony to its politicised suppression. Largely unrelated to Mediterranean forms, trying to learn it effectively puts you in a trench between cultures. A short distance from Williams?s grave is Ewyas Harold, site of the first castle of a Norman lord on Welsh territory. This castle was short-lived, but the Norman conquest shattered and re-formed the power networks of the area. In 1073, the Normans ravaged Ceredigion and Dyfed, moving into areas the ?English? had never penetrated. By 1086, the ancient kingdom of Gwent, emerging from Roman Britain and the Silurian people, was erased from the map. Clodock Church itself is of Norman origin. This area is steeped in both the folklore and reality of cultural imperialism and displacement. Further up the Ewyas valley, it is not unusual to see huge Hercules aircraft flying almost impossibly low. Even further up, near to the church at Patricio, lies the torso of a passenger airliner, used in a different era of political resistance, for the SAS to practice on. These themes are certainly relevant to Raymond Williams, both academically and personally:
‘How do people go away from a home? How do they, through education, retain links with a community? What is it about certain human values that make you want to cherish them? These are questions you could ask on the borders of Spain or Afghanistan. Of course it’s a specific Welsh issue, but it’s a passionate world story that he tells.’ (Smith, 2007).
Jonathan Harris, one of the few writers to attempt a rehabilitation of Williams?s tarnished image, has described how a young Edward Said drew comparisons with Williams?s Welsh identity politics, cathecting them into his ?own Palestinianness in America? (Harris, 2004: 64). Fred Inglis, in his biography of Williams, situates Said ?at the intersection of so many borders ? Palestine, Columbia University New York, wealth and poverty, man of the idealistic Left in a country where Leftism is intolerable?? (Inglis, 1995: 14). Williams?s work is translatable, into other languages of course, but other places, cultures and situations too.
Here in the Black Mountains, the landscape also frames the culture. The potential for the mining communities of South Wales to exist was formed thousands of years previously, latent in the chaos of volcanic eruption and glaciation. Blorenge, one of the Black Mountains, changes geologically half way through. Blaenavon, on the southwest side of it, mined coal and produced iron from the one side rich in minerals. But the nearby towns of Abergavenny and Pandy – on the other side of the mountain – are culturally very different, partly due to this geological accident. Raymond Williams?s father worked on the railways, not in the mines. Williams?s concept of ‘cultural materialism’ can be applied here in macro.
James Hamilton described Williams’s ?popular characterization as a mushy ?culturalist?, ostensibly interested only in an impressionistic recovery of “experience” and culture as simply “a whole way of life”? (Hamilton, 2005: 812). Yet standing in this landscape, there is nothing which is separable. Splitting things into neat, discrete packets isn’t the point and this ?popular characterization? loses its stigma, becomes a merit. Of course, there are dominant themes, border lines, be they geographical or class-cultural, but they are constructed precisely so that we can manage the absolute, the total. Taking myself to this astonishing spot suddenly brings the sum of the area?s narratives together in a huge, overwhelming surge.
Pandy is where Williams was first exposed to class struggle, in the form of a General Strike action during which his father Harry – the signalman at Pandy and more politicised than most – lost his job with GWR in 1926. The event is fictionalised in Border Country. Raymond Williams was only a child when this happened, but the waves of influence rippling out from the event are obvious. It is no surprise that Border Country and The Long Revolution were published virtually back-to-back. Again, Jonathan Harris states that ?Williams was exploring representations of merged personal and collective pasts and futures: how both are made and remade in real and varied ?discursive forms?? (Harris, 2004: 65). The General Strike framed him as much as the geology framed the industry of the area, and the railways themselves were inseparable from that. Fred Inglis described how, ‘all his life, Williams simply hated that softening, even tone of the English ruling class even when it was truly meant well, that class drew the best people of the opponent class away from the strong, living webs of connection, and located them at an unbridgeable remove from the places and the people to whom they belonged.’ (Inglis, 1995: 37).
Yet Inglis is also careful to point out that ‘Williams himself answered to those voices when they called’ (ibid) heading off with a scholarship, eventually becoming ‘a Don’. But it?s what Williams said when he answered ‘those voices’ which is important, something true of his contemporaries, Richard Hoggart and later, Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy, to name some obvious examples. Inglis cites Terry Eagleton?s 1988 memorial speech at Conway Hall, describing how Williams routinely said things nobody expected to hear in the upper echelons of privileged academia. Inglis goes on to say that Williams ?broke with the established, calmly superior assumptions and way of talking in England, but did so with a manner, an idiom and diction themselves so unassailably assured that those on the wrong side of the break couldn?t see how to stop him. And then, into the space made by the break, he dropped his own calm commonplaces about human connection, about solidarity and equality, about those things we had been most fired by as young idealists?? (Inglis, 1995: 11).
Williams stood against conservative literary traditionalism, formulating a new model in ‘cultural materialism’, which in turn partly gave birth to Cultural Studies as a subject. Jeff Browitt gives as good a potted summary of Williams’s project as is possible: He reminds us of ?Williams’s central concern with “culture”: how it is deeply and unavoidably implicated in the workings of social domination, but also, importantly, of social resistance.’ (Browitt: 118-9). This tells us ‘not only to how to go about oppositional cultural criticism, but also about how to fashion theoretical responses out of the lived experience of the present and, just as importantly, the moral-political example set by Williams.’ (ibid).
Fred Inglis opens his biography with Williams’ funeral and reception at the Angel Hotel, Abergavenny. A theatrical gathering of the ‘New Left’, with walk-on parts by Terry Eagleton and Tariq Ali. For me, the account of Williams?s funeral, with its sometimes agonistic, academic celebrities, is much less interesting than the context Inglis places Williams’s death in. The sudden shock of his passing in 1988, very near to Margaret Thatcher’s third term, heralding trade union defeat and the dawn of a more instrumentalised era, has left its mark, even if that mark takes the shape of an absence for subsequent generations:
‘The values that come through at the end of Border Country are the ones that Raymond Williams wanted to emphasise in the 1950s. Could an industrial working class survive the new consumer world of the 1950s, the world of mass advertising, of television? And if it could, then what was the nature of those values beyond particular institutional descriptions, the nature of life lived in detail in the 1940s and 50s? And his answer is in some senses ambiguous, which is that things are changing and that there is no point in simply trying to take that forward in a mechanical fashion.’ (Smith, 2007).
I teach Cultural Studies in an art college and show first year undergraduates Williams’s very lengthy entry on ‘Culture’, from Keywords. Culture as a ?way of life’ can be a frighteningly wide concept, but from this I try to explain how we might break it down over the coming weeks. One student complained that there was ‘too much culture’ in one of his lectures. On that day, for his purposes, he had a point. Many of the students are trying to gain entry to the production sites of mass communications and consumerism, the emergence of which both Williams and Hoggart tried to account for. Yet visiting this landscape made me realise the absurdity of such a statement under Williams’s terms, as though the student had suddenly complained about having too much water in his water.
It?s due to Williams? and Hoggart’s creation of the subject as I understand it, as well as some of the political and social processes they were beneficiaries of, that I am teaching at all. This is an important strand of Williams’s ‘Long Revolution’ (1965):
‘Williams says that cultural and social formations, deep structures of life within these societies are translatable from one generation to another provided that questions of power and empowerment, of priorities and decision making, are understood to be about conflict. And that conflict is a class conflict.? (Smith, 2007).
Harry Williams, Raymond?s father, was eventually re-employed, but Pandy Station itself is now gone, eclipsed by the new road from Hereford to Abergavenny. This road seems to turn Pandy into ‘a few, separated clutches of buildings’ (Inglis, 1995: 2). Williams’s term ‘mobile privatisation’ (1974) seems painfully literal here, enforced even. Pandy is a location to be missed in a blink as you speed past, on the way to Abergavenny, where shop windows currently display ’super town or superstore?’ posters. It is clear that Abergavenny has, with its Caffe Nero, Waitrose and projected Asda, both yielded to and attempted to resist homogenising pressures. Again, Jonathan Harris has described some recent studies of ??placenesses? ? and the corresponding ?placelessnesses? and ?displacements? inherent in processes of modernization?, which he relates to Williams?s project as a whole (Harris, 2004: 66).
Discussions of class are much more nuanced these days, drawing together complex webs of identity politics, gender and race issues. Jonathan Harris, whilst attempting to rescue Williams from ignominy, outlines how the expansion of cultural studies into identity politics and globalisation, has both absorbed and overtaken Williams?s legacy. Harris claims that he was ??oblivious to virtually all the aspects of identity, body and ?life-style? politics that have come to dominate the interests of cultural studies scholars? (2004: 64). Yet Harris also writes of Williams?s optimism, his perhaps historically-situated ability to speak of culture as a connected whole, brimming with possibilities. Williams?s project was concerned with the transformation of society. Harris then goes on to describe the fractured, individualistic state of our contemporary cultural discourses (ibid). Elsewhere he has described, via an unfortunate metaphor, how ?Terry Eagleton?s The Idea of Culture finally called time on Cultural Studies? vaunted radicalism: like an exhausted pit, he wanted it closed down.? (Harris, 2001: 109).
Western cultural identity may now lie with how gender and sexuality mixes with national identity, ethnicity, single-issue causes, Nike and tweed even, or how iPod shuffle unfolds. All are legitimate, progressive, or at least highly pleasurable, discursive postmodern forms. But I would argue that all of them are linked to wider processes of nature and culture, which do unite us all. The links to broader notions of cultural materialism are explicit, though often hidden from immediate view, especially in the case of geographically disparate locations of production and consumption. In this way, I see Williams?s older, unitary project of cultural studies, now ?discredited? as capitalised ?Cultural Studies?, as merely on hold, or latent. It is no coincidence that such an interregnum should occur during our current era of western individualism, underwritten by our often ethically questionable, potentially short-term, era of western plenty. Williams has momentarily receded in the text. Of course, his work will never suddenly become directly, 100% relevant again, the work itself discounts the possibility and rightly so. Cultures change, but some of the broader models via which they change can be translated.
The struggles in ?Border Country? may be different to ours, but Williams tried to give us frameworks to address ?struggle? as a subject, which have much more longevity than his own lifespan:
‘I think for each generation to rediscover this is to understand that perhaps your grandparents had a sex life and that your uncle and aunt went to the pub, and things happened on the mountain tops, that the worries and fears and psychological difficulties you had were also theirs, in a recognisable location and within recognisable walls. At some level it’s quite simply the rediscovery of a family album. You can see the lineaments, it’s what in posher society, aristocracies you would call heritage. This is our heritage.’ (Smith, 2007).
The intellectual legacy of Williams, coupled with my visit to his final resting place and the landscape it is situated in, yields an acceptance of the temporary, shifting nature of both society and culture. But it also speaks of the importance of understanding and being suspicious of what we are told to be the ?natural? or ?normal? processes via which culture, society and their landscapes morph, as well as the often unseen sites of struggle which engender these constant, painful rebirths. I suspect these contrasting impulses will be as essential to our coming decades as they were to his, and much of his writing remains effective as a set of approaches to them.
Notes
Browitt, Jeff (2005) Book Review: ‘Para leer a Raymond Williams’. International Journal of Cultural Studies 2005; 8; 118-119
Clodock and Longtown history. http://www.archenfield.com/Longtown.htm No author cited (accessed 14/09/07)
Hamilton, James (2005) Book Review: Raymond Williams’s Sociology of Culture: A Critical Reconstruction. In Media Culture Society 2005; 27; 812
Harris, Jonathan (2001) Book Review: ‘Teaching Culture: The Long Revolution in Cultural Studies’. Visual Culture In Britain Vol.2, No.2. 108-111
Harris, Jonathan (2004) Putting the ?Culture? into Visual Culture: the Legacy and Challenge of Raymond Williams. Visual Culture In Britain Vol.5, No.2. Here, Harris is arguing for a re-assessment of Williams?s under-acknowledged 1981 text Culture, in the context of visual studies.
Inglis, Fred (1995) Raymond Williams. London: Routledge
Smith, D. (2007) Discusses Raymond Williams’ Border Country. BBC Wales, September 12. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/arts/sites/literature/pages/border_country.shtml (accessed 12/09/07, the same day I visited the grave). Dai Smith has written much on Williams?s Welsh identity politics, perhaps slightly undermining the accusations of Williams?s total ignorance of such things.
Steele, T. (1997) The Emergence of Cultural Studies 1945-65. London: Lawrence & Wishart
Williams, R. (1987) Border Country. The Hogarth Press (originally Chatto & Windus, 1960). Williams?s fiction has had a rough ride since his death. Yet his unfinished People of the Black Mountains project can retrospectively be seen to shadow Alan Moore?s lauded novel Voice of the Fire, which also mines layers of time in one location. Iain Sinclair?s main excursion from London, Landor?s Tower, also explores many of the ancient and contemporary myths of the area, especially those surrounding the Vale of Ewyas.
Williams, R. (1965) The Long Revolution. London: Penguin (originally Chatto & Windus 1961)
Williams, R. (1974) Television: Technology and Cultural Form. London: Collins
Williams, R. (1976) Keywords. London: Fontana
Williams, R. (1981) Culture. London: Fontana
UAC stands for User Account Control and is the new technology\xA0in Windows\xA0Vista to\xA0provide users with different level of administrative rights and privileges. UAC main purpose is to support a more secured environment then what Windows XP offers.
Microsoft has a good white paper that covers UAC in detail\xA0and therefore I have no intention to cover it here:
Most developers I know have intentionally disabled\xA0UAC because they found it to be rather annoying, time consuming and too restrictive.
Although I can agree with these\xA0opinions I try to have it enable as much as possible simple because that will be the most likely scenario for many of\xA0my customers. In addition, from a general point of view I support it because by default all users (except Guests)\xA0are\xA0logged on to Windows Vista as standard users and get extended rights only when needed.
Since we can disable the UAC we may believe that we can solve most issues when installing different kind of softwares. However, in my own experience it may or may\xA0not be true.
In my case, I got some old ActiveX controls and\xA0.NET controls where they are either\xA0no longer updated or my\xA0subscriptions have expired and I\xA0have not\xA0renewed them.\xA0The errors I have faced when installing these controls as well as older softwares are:
Error 2738
This error occurs when the installation package needs to run a VBScript file and it cannot find the vbscript.dll. The error message is something like “The installation script shipped with the package needs access to an earlier version of VBScript”. In order to resolve it we need to locate the
vbscript.dll on the targeting computer\xA0and registrate it with regsvr32.exe. But\xA0if Windows Script Host (WSH) is not available on the targeting computer then it must be installed prior\xA0installation of\xA0the wanted softwares. This issue is not related to whether UAC is disabled or not.
Speaking about Script Languages and Tools check out the Script Center at Microsoft.
Error 1720
The error message\xA0that popups during the installation is like “There is a problem with this Windows Installer package.” The only workable solution in this case is simple to disable UAC,\xA0install the software, and finally\xA0enable\xA0UAC again.
Of course, the best would be if the vendors\xA0can provide us with\xA0so called UAC compatibility applications.
Windows Vista and UAC Compatibility Applications
The above referenced white paper includes a
stepwise\xA0process to analyze and to create Windows Vista and UAC compatibility applications. It also\xA0includes links to analyze tools which are useful to test\xA0if applications meet the requirements.
For my MSI (Microsoft Installer Packages) with customized add-ins and solutions\xA0this is too advanced. Honestly, I did find the last chapters of the white\xA0paper to be “far over my head”.\xA0
Anyway, the key question is\xA0the same:\xA0
- How\xA0can we\xA0make our\xA0MSI\xA0packages\xA0UAC compliant?
Included in the latest Windows SDK for Windows Vista\xA0is a new version of the Orca tool which\xA0makes it rather easy:
- Start Orca
- Open the wanted MSI file
- Select the command View | Summary Information…
- Check the option UAC Compliant as the following screenshot shows (and then save the updated MSI file):
If you only want to use this new version of the Orca tool and not install the whole SDK you may download it from here.\xA0
Of course, my own favorite tool for creating managed add-ins\xA0 – Add-in Express .NET - has also this possibility as the following image shows:
As You note, there also exist an option to make the setup compatible with standard users. This is convenient as we, when using it, don’t need to test if the setup will work with standard users or not. A setup that target this group of users do not place anything under the Program section or in any other section that standard users do not have elevated right to access
All in all, now I got a working main development platform where Windows Vista is the operating system.
Kind regards,
Dennis
Rankear a los mejores m\xFAsicos de todos los tiempos siempre ha generado pol\xE9mica. La subjetividad de la opini\xF3n no especializada, los distintos criterios empleados y los g\xE9neros a incluir han hecho que los rankings de m\xFAsicos profesionales no sean siempre lo m\xE1s homog\xE9neos entre las distintas fuentes.
Esta inquietud me llevo a hacer algo al respecto. Decid\xED empezar con el ranking de los mejores guitarristas de todos los tiempos. A fin de mitigar el efecto “no especialista” pero sin dejar de lado al entusiasta de la m\xFAsica com\xFAn y corriente consider\xE9 cuatro fuentes: dos especializadas (Rolling Stone y Total Guitar) y dos no especializadas, foros de opini\xF3n libre (Rateitall.com y Wanderlist.com).
Para elegir estas dos \xFAltimas me asegur\xE9 de que la cantidad de votos sea lo suficientemente razonable como para poder tomarlos en cuenta. Rateitall.com contaba al momento de realizar el an\xE1lisis con 5,877 votos para el ranking de los Top 100. Por su lado, Wanderlist.com contaba con 8,699 votos para el ranking de los mejores 256 guitarristas. Por este lado la
estad\xEDstica nos avalaba.
La diferencia de criterios empleados la mitigu\xE9 d\xE1ndole el triple de importancia a las listas creadas por las revistas especializadas, asumiendo que su car\xE1cter de expertos consideraba la mejor forma de identificar a los mejores 30 guitarristas de todos los tiempos. En cuanto a los g\xE9neros inclu\xEDdos, respete el de todos los rankings: b\xE1sicamente rock cl\xE1sico, pop rock, pop, blues, m\xFAsica ac\xFAstica, entre los m\xE1s destacados.
El resultado fue el siguiente (producto de un “scoring” en Excel):
- Jimi Hendrix
- Eric Clapton
- Jimmy Page
- Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Brian May
- Carlos Santana
- Jeff Beck
- George Harrison
- Keith Richards
- The Edge
- Eddie Van Halen
- B.B. King
- Chuck Berry
- Mark Knopfler
- John Frusciante
- Tom Morello
- Kurt Cobain
- David Gilmour
- Ritchie Blackmore
- Robert Johnson
- Pete Townshend (\xA1Sorry Pete!)
- Randy Rhoads
- Kirk Hammett
- Slash
- Tony Iommi
- Joe Perry
- Angus Young
- Joe Satriani
- Duane Allman
- James Burton
Menci\xF3n especial para: Steve Vai, Peter Green, Frank Zappa, Ry Cooder, James Hetfield, Robert Fripp, Jonny Greenwood, Zakk Wylde, Dave Murray, Jerry Garcia.
I spent another day in Germany at the office. That night it was back to the airport to fly to London.
I’ve always been a proponent of signing up for any free promotions that are out there as you neve rknow when they will come in handy.
This happened during my trip to Thailand in March. BMI (British Midland) gave a 9000 BMI mile sign up bonus for joining their frequent flyer program. I will more than likely never fly on the airline but signed up anyways.
During our Thailand trip planning, I discovered that BMI is a partner of Star Alliance. I was able to use these BMI miles for a one wait ticket from Bangkok to Phuket.
This came into play on myst last trip. Back in August, Virgin Airlines was offering free Silver status. I signed up with them to get the status. In the packet, there were two free first class upgrade on the Heathrow and Gatwick Express trains.
We landed in London and went to purchase our tickets for the Heathrow airport express train. I was able to use these free tickets to get upgraded to first class. While it certainly isn’t as sexy as first class on an airplane, it was free.
As we were coming into London, the Smith song “Panic” was running through my head.
Top Retail News
Aeropostale makes executive changes, CEO stepping down
New York City ( September 24, 2009 ) Aeropostale said Thursday that CEO Julian R. Geiger plans to step down by the end of the fiscal year. The company said he was making the move to exercise the right of election granted to him as part of his employment contract.
Geiger, who has served as CEO since 1996, will remain chairman of the company.
Fresh & Easy strikes LEED Gold
New York City ( September 24, 2009 ) Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the U.S. division of U.K. grocery giant Tesco, on Thursday will open its first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified store, in Cathedral City, Calif.
The store has been given LEED Gold certification, according to reports.
The store achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water use and incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies, such as using 90% recycled steel for the building’s structure.
Rite Aid posts lower loss, cuts forecast
Camp Hill, Pa. ( September 24, 2009 ) Rite Aid Corp. on Thursday reported a smaller second-quarter loss than a year ago, but lowered its expectations for the fiscal year due to the weak economy and high unemployment. The drug-store operator said economic conditions particularly hurt sales of nonpharmacy, or “front end,” items such as food and cosmetics. It also expects weaker profit margins.
Rite Aid said it lost $120.4 million in the three months ended Aug. 29, compared with a loss of $227.4 million last year. Analysts expected a larger loss.
Office Depot in partnership to sell products in convenience stores
Boca Raton, Fla. ( September 24, 2009 ) Office Depot and Lil’ Drug Store Products, a leading supplier to the convenience store class of trade, announced an exclusive partnership that will enable the distribution of Office Depot office supplies for sale in convenience stores throughout the country.
Office Depot will supply Lil’ Drug Store Products with an assortment of more than 25 frequently used office products that are sized and packaged for convenience stores. Lil’ Drug Store will redistribute those products to convenience stores nationwide. Products being offered start at about $1.29 and will include pens, scissors, envelopes, notebooks, calculators, tape, markers and more.
Bed Bath & Beyond beats estimates as profit rises 14%
Union, N.J. ( September 24, 2009 ) Bed Bath & Beyond said Wednesday its second-quarter profit rose 14% as sales inched up and it kept costs steady.
The housewares retailer earned $135.5 million in the three months that ended Aug. 29, compared with $119.3 million a year earlier. Its profit surpassed analysts’ expectations.
Study reveals gap between sustainability concerns and actions
New York City ( September 24, 2009 ) An overwhelming majority of corporate executives believe that sustainability-related issues are having, or will soon have, a material impact on their business. Yet relatively few companies are taking decisive action to address such issues, according to a new study by MIT Sloan Management Review and The Boston Consulting Group.
The study, “The Business of Sustainability,” is based on a global survey of more than 1,500 corporate executives. The five companies cited most often by survey respondents as “world class” in addressing sustainability were General Electric, Toyota, IBM, Royal Dutch Shell, and Wal-Mart Stores.
Phones 4u selects Oracle Retail solutions
Redwood Shores, Calif. ( September 24, 2009 ) U.K.-based mobile phone retailer Phones 4u has selected Oracle Retail stores applications to drive store performance and support its growing business across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
Phones 4u, part of the 4u Group, operates a network of more than 450 stores and a Web site.
Urth Caffe selects solution to improve communication, visibility
Los Angeles ( September 24, 2009 ) Coffee and casual-dining chain Urth Caffe announced plans to implement a solution by Toronto-based Opterus to help provide better operational tools for its operations team and associates, and to improve corporate communications at its six restaurant locations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
“We are very excited about Opterus because we believe it will provide better insight for our operations team to develop and communicate our corporate strategy, and give them the ability to make smarter business decisions,” said Henry Versendaal, CFO, Urth Caffe. “We see the Opterus solution as the tool that will help us react to fast-moving events and manage the mountain of retail data our restaurants incur on a daily basis.”
NRF urges rejection of healthcare reform amendment
Washington, D.C. ( September 24, 2009 ) The National Retail Federation on Thursday asked the Senate Finance Committee to reject an amendment to its healthcare reform bill that would require the full-scale pay-or-play employer mandate approved this summer by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Tween Brands achieves compliance with NYSE listing standards
New Albany, Ohio ( September 24, 2009 ) Tween Brands reported that they have received notification from the New York Stock Exchange that the company is now back in compliance under the NYSE’s continued listing standards and will be removed from its “Watch List.”
Tween Brands’ reinstatement to compliance comes as a result of the company’s consistent positive performance against a business plan submitted to the NYSE and its compliance with the Exchange’s minimum market capitalization standard.
Study: Frugal consumers keeping retail sales down
Columbus, Ohio ( September 24, 2009 ) Retailers are expected to see a less-than-rosy 75-day sales forecast due in part to more consumers saving their money, according to a study conducted by ForecastIQ.
The company said spending conditions recently have improved, as 17 of the 27 retailers tracked in the study showed forecasts for same-store sales growth.
Christopher & Banks reports net loss in Q2
Minneapolis ( September 24, 2009 ) Christopher & Banks Corp., a specialty women’s apparel chain, reported its net loss from continuing operations was $2.1 million compared $2.0 million last year.
Net sales were $101.2 million as compared with $128.5 million in the same quarter last year.
Walmart Canada opens first high-efficiency store
Mississauga, Ontario ( September 24, 2009 ) Walmart Canada opened its first high-efficiency prototype on Wednesday in Waterdown, Ontario.
The supercenter is expected to use 30% less energy and will integrate industry-leading heating, cooling and refrigeration systems to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Court approves Lowe’s class-action settlement
Irvine, Calif. ( September 24, 2009 ) A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Tuesday approved a class-action settlement between Lowe’s Cos. and former employees who said they were forced to work without pay.
Two former workers said in a lawsuit that the home-improvement retailer forced thousands of employees to work before and after their normal shifts and did not pay for the extra time.
J.C. Penney launches mobile coupon program with Cellfire
San Jose, Calif. ( September 24, 2009 ) J.C. Penney Co. and Cellfire announced Thursday they have launched an innovative cell-phone coupon program. Using the latest technology, customers can download and carry coupons on their mobile phones that can be scanned directly from the phone’s display screen at the register. New imaging scanners capable of reading these “2D” bar code coupons have been deployed at point-of-sale registers in 16 J.C. Penney stores in the Houston metro area.
Sam’s Club offering free technical support
Bentonville, Ark. ( September 23, 2009 ) Wal-Mart Stores’ Sam Club warehouse division has launched a free technical support service nationwide for consumer electronics.
Sam’s Club technical support staff will assist members with questions from installation and set up, to trouble shooting. Members can get free tech support on any electronics item even if they did not purchase it at Sam’s Club, the company said.
Hhgregg to hire 800 seasonal associates
Indianapolis ( September 23, 2009 ) Appliance and electronics retailer Hhgregg plans to hire about 800 seasonal associates for its 117 stores this fall, in preparation for the holiday season.
The company is accepting applications through the end of September for associates to assist in its appliance and home-theater departments from October through January.
Walmart near Va. battlefield challenged
Richmond, Va. ( September 23, 2009 ) Preservationists and residents filed a legal challenge Wednesday to block construction of a Walmart Supercenter near a famed battlefield where the Civil War began to turn in favor of the North, according to the Associated Press.
The legal action is aimed at an Aug. 25 vote by the Orange County Board of Supervisors approving the store near Virginia’s Wilderness Battlefield.
Rite Aid names exec VP pharmacy
Camp Hill, Pa. ( September 23, 2009 ) Rite Aid Corp. announced that Robert I. Thompson, formerly senior VP pharmacy operations, has been promoted to serve as executive VP pharmacy.
The company also announced that Bill Wolfe, formerly group VP managed care and government affairs, has been promoted to senior VP managed care and government affairs.
Starbucks to launch coffee payment iPhone app
Seattle ( September 23, 2009 ) Starbucks is testing a software application that will allow customers to pay for purchases using their iPhones.
The company is also launching a second app that helps customers find the nearest Starbucks store and provides information about what’s on the menu.
Year-over-year sales fall 4.5% in latest week
Chicago ( September 23, 2009 ) ShopperTrak’s National Retail Sales Estimate reported that year-over-year retail sales declined 4.5% for the week ending Sept. 19, while sales slipped 10.0% versus the previous week ending Sept. 12.
Retail sales decreased last week as consumer spending waned during the annual lull following the Labor Day holiday. However, current sales for the month of September versus last year are only down 1.0%, which ShopperTrak attributes to gradual economic recovery and the fact that the economy began bottoming out about this time last year.
Sally Beauty buys Puerto Rico company
Dallas ( September 23, 2009 ) Sally Beauty Holdings plans to enter the Puerto Rico market with the purchase of Belleza Concept International, a Puerto Rico-based distributor of beauty products.
Sally Beauty Holdings did not release terms of the sale or the transaction amount.
AutoZone profit drops in Q4
Memphis, Tenn. ( September 23, 2009 ) AutoZone reported that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell 3.1%, citing tough comparisons to a prior-year period that included an extra week of sales.
Bill Rhodes, AutoZone’s chairman, president and CEO, said consumers remained focused on trying to save money during the quarter by spending more on basic maintenance in order to keep their cars on the road longer. Rhodes added that he expects the same trend to continue for the near future.
Taubman to turn over Atlantic City mall to its lender
New York City ( September 23, 2009 ) Taubman Centers plans up to $169 million of write-downs this quarter on shopping centers in Atlantic City, N.J., and Richmond, Va.
Taubman plans to turn over to its lender The Pier Shops at Caesars, a luxury mall in Atlantic City, N.J., as the economic downturn continues to take a toll on the East Coast gaming capital.
Report: Kohl’s big gamble on California
New York City ( September 23, 2009 ) On Sept. 30, Kohl’s will open 35 stores in former Mervyns locations, 30 of them in California, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Office Depot issues Corporate Citizenship Report
Boca Raton, Fla. ( September 23, 2009 ) Office Depot Wednesday today announced the release of its 2009 Corporate Citizenship Report. The report, which highlights the company’s commitment to diversity, environmental sustainability, community and ethics around the world for the 2008 calendar year, is available in print as well as online at officedepot.com/corporatecitizenship.
Report: Lowe’s sees sales upturn in 2010
New York City ( September 23, 2009 ) Lowe’s Cos. executives said Tuesday that they expect sales to begin rising again in fiscal 2010 as the housing market stabilizes, even as consumers have changed the way they approach home-improvement projects amid the recession, according to the Associated Press.
During a meeting with analysts, CEO Robert A. Niblock said consumers’ approach to home improvement has changed and that they are now spreading out time to complete a project, doing more work themselves and reducing the scope of projects. But the home remains many consumers’ largest asset, and people are still tackling home-improvement projects, he added
Survey: Businesses value corporate citizenship, sustainability
Washington, D.C. ( September 22, 2009 ) A new survey released late Tuesday shows that, in spite of the recession, American businesses place importance on corporate citizenship practices.
The 2009 State of Corporate Citizenship survey results, compiled jointly by Boston College Center and The Hitachi Foundation, revealed that attitudes of support for corporate citizenship are strong but there remain some gaps between those beliefs and the practices and investments of some businesses.
Market of Choice to open in Oregon
Corvallis, Ore. ( September 22, 2009 ) Upscale grocer Market of Choice said late Monday it will open a store in a renovated Rite-Aid building in Corvallis, Ore., according to a report in the Gazette-Times.
“Market of Choice signed a lease a while ago, so they will be the grocery in the building,” said Darren Dickerhoof, who, with his brother Matt, is redeveloping the site, known as Corvallis Crossing.
Macy’s stock jumps on Citigroup upgrade
September 22, 2009, Macy’s Inc. shares took off Tuesday morning, after its stock was upgraded by Citigroup.
Analyst Deborah Weinswig upgraded the stock to “buy” from “hold,” citing the success of the retailer’s My Macy’s merchandising program, according to a MarketWatch story.
Green Marriott hotel dedicated
Chevy Chase, Md. ( September 22, 2009 ) Dignitaries and Marriott officials hosted a dedication Tuesday of a new green Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Chevy Chase, Md. Hotelier J.W. “Bill” Marriott, along with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Chris Smith and senior VP and general manager Mark Darley of Grosvenor Americas dedicated the 226-room hotel on the Maryland/Washington, D.C. border.
The hotel has undergone a $35 million renovation by Grosvenor Americas, designed to meet the criteria for the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the USGBC
Applebee’s division to manage labor with HotSchedules
Austin, Texas ( September 22, 2009 ) AmRest Holdings’ Applebee’s franchise division said Tuesday it has selected HotSchedules’ Web-based scheduling and restaurant labor management solution.
AmRest is the largest independent restaurant operator in Central and Eastern Europe, and its domestic operations include 104 Applebee’s locations across eight states.
Forecast: Recovering sales still translate into grim holiday
Columbus, Ohio ( September 22, 2009 ) Retail Forward released its holiday 2009 forecast on Tuesday that predicted the upcoming holiday shopping season will rank as the second-worst holiday in 42 years.
Even though the market research firm said retail sales during the fourth-quarter holiday period will be on the road to recovery, it forecasts flat growth for the holiday fourth quarter in the key holiday retail segments combined. That compares with a 4.5% decline a year ago.
Forecast: Recovering sales still translate into grim holiday
Columbus, Ohio ( September 22, 2009 ) Retail Forward released its holiday 2009 forecast on Tuesday that predicted the upcoming holiday shopping season will rank as the second-worst holiday in 42 years.
Even though the market research firm said retail sales during the fourth-quarter holiday period will be on the road to recovery, it forecasts flat growth for the holiday fourth quarter in the key holiday retail segments combined. That compares with a 4.5% decline a year ago.
Sustainable quick-serve places may have patronage edge
New York City ( September 22, 2009 ) A new survey from M/A/R/C Research released late Monday and published in Media Post News found that green issues can influence QSR patronage.
The study surveyed 7,000 U.S. consumers who had dined within the past month in one or more types of QSRs (burger, chicken, Mexican, pizza, sandwich, seafood).
BJ’s names former Limited COO as board member
Natick, Mass. ( September 22, 2009 ) BJ’s Wholesale Club said late Monday that it has named Leonard A. Schlesinger, formerly COO of Limited Brands, to its board of directors.
Schlesinger is currently president of Massachusetts’ Babson College.
CVS Caremark named finalist for playground award
WOONSOCKET, R.I. ( September 22, 2009 ) CVS Caremark said Tuesday it has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center for its partnership with Boundless Playgrounds to build inclusive playgrounds for children of all abilities throughout the country.
The Partnership Award is part of BCLC’s annual Corporate Citizenship Awards showcasing businesses, trade associations, and chambers of commerce for demonstrating ethical leadership and corporate stewardship and for making a positive difference in society.
Diedrich Coffee swings to profit in Q4
Irvine, Calif. ( September 22, 2009 ) Diedrich Coffee reported late Monday fourth-quarter net income of $3.0 million, compared with a loss of $10.2 million in the year-ago period.
Net revenue for the quarter rose 57% to $20.1 million. For the year, the coffee company reported a revenue increase of 56% to $62.3 million, and a profit swing from a loss of $13.8 million in fiscal 2008 to a net gain of $1.6 million for fiscal 2009.
Starbucks, Kohl’s, Staples top retailers in new green ranking
Washington, D.C. ( September 22, 2009 ) Starbucks Corp., Kohl’s Corp. and Staples rank among the greenest companies in America, according to the first-ever Newsweek Green Rankings. The report rates America’s 500 largest publicly traded companies based on their environmental performance, policies and reputation.
Lowe’s: Reaffirms ’09 guidance, warns of charges
Mooresville, N.C. ( September 22, 2009 ) Lowe’s Cos. said Tuesday it is reaffirming its 2009 profit and sales outlook, but the company warned it may write off up to $100 million in operating store charges during the last half of fiscal 2009.
Lowe’s still expects sales to be down about 3.0% for the fiscal year, which ends Jan. 29, translating into about $46.78 billion compared with $48.2 billion a year ago
Report: Weekly chain store sales dip 2%
New York City ( September 22, 2009 ) Weekly chain store sales in the United States dropped 2% for the week ending Sept. 19, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs report released Tuesday.
Comp-store sales for the week edged up 0.6%, but the week-to-week dip of 2% is the largest decline since January.
Charlotte Russe launches social commerce application on Facebook
San Diego ( September 22, 2009 ) Charlotte Russe Holding is combining social marketing and online shopping with a new platform that allows Facebook users to shop the retailer’s e-commerce site.
The company has deployed an Allurent on Demand shopping experience application on its Facebook platform, according to an announcement by Cambridge, Mass.-based Allurent at the shop.org annual summit in Las Vegas late Monday.
Report: Aldi entering New York City
New York City ( September 21, 2009 ) Extreme-value supermarket operator Aldi will open its first store in the Big Apple, in Queens, according to Crain’s New York.
The chain, part of the same company’s that owns Trader Joe’s, has begun hiring managers for the store, which is expected to open early next year, the report said.
FMI announces new asset-protection conference
Arlington, Va. ( September 21, 2009 ) The Food Marketing Institute has announced a new conference for risk management, loss prevention and safety professionals in the supermarket industry.
The Asset Protection Conference will meet March 14-17, 2010, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dallas.
Target offers flu vaccine in pharmacies
Minneapolis ( September 21, 2009 ) Target Corp. has begun offering flu vaccinations at Target pharmacies nationwide.
The flu shot is available at Target Pharmacy locations daily, during pharmacy hours throughout the flu season.
Blockbuster extends cable partnership
Dallas ( September 21, 2009 ) Blockbuster is entering into alliances with two more cable broadband operators, Suddenlink Communications and Mediacom Communications.
Through the deal, both cable companies will re-brand aspects of their services under the Blockbuster name, with the intention of promoting Blockbuster’s video-on-demand movie service to cable clients. The partnership is expected to roll out its services in phases, with the first phase beginning this month.
Barnes & Noble iPhone apps reach 1 million downloads mark
New York City ( September 21, 2009 ) Barnes & Noble announced that downloads for both the B&N Bookstore app and the B&N eReader app for the iPhone and iPod touch have hit the one million mark.
The company also said that its free B&N eReader app is one of the most popular apps in the iTunes Books category, having held the No. 1 position throughout the summer.
TJX announces $1 billion buyback program
Framingham, Mass. ( September 21, 2009 ) TJX Cos. said Monday that its board of directors approved a new buyback plan authorizing purchases of up to $1 billion.
This would represent approximately 6.2% of the company’s outstanding common shares at current prices.
New name for Stride Rite
Topeka, Kan. ( September 21, 2009 ) Collective Brands on Monday announced that The Stride Rite Corp. will now be doing business as Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group.
“We believe this new name elevates the strength and diversity of our brand portfolio, while also representing our role in Collective Brands,” said Gregg Ribatt, CEO of Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group.
Convenience store operator Quick Check tests self-checkout lanes
Whitehouse Station, N.J. ( September 21, 2009 ) In what is believed to be a first for the convenience store industry, Quick Chek announced Monday that it is testing self-checkout lanes equipped with note-and-coin recycling capabilities at its store in Phillipsburg, N.J.
Partnering with NCR Corp., the company’s Quick Chek Fast Lanes are designed to enhance Quick Chek’s customer-service abilities by offering customers a second purchasing option and an opportunity to speed up their checkout process during peak store periods.
Report: Holiday spending predicted flat with last year
New York City ( September 21, 2009 ) With consumers still reeling from the toughest economic pressures in decades, retailers should expect sales to remain flat compared with the 2008 holiday shopping season, according to a Deloitte forecast released Sunday.
“Although there are signs that suggest the economy is nearing the end of its darkest days, many consumers remain burdened by restricted credit availability, high unemployment and foreclosures,” said Carl Steidtmann, chief economist with Deloitte Research, a subsidiary of Deloitte Services LP. “Americans continue to save at historically high rates while also paying down debt, and these factors combined suggest another chilly holiday season for retailers.”
Sears to sell goods from other retailers on its Web site
New York City ( September 21, 2009 ) Sears Holdings Corp. said Friday that it will allow outside retailers to sell products on its Web site, the Associated Press reported. A similar move was recently announced by Wal-Mart Stores.
The new initiative “provides new opportunities for us to deliver more shopping choices to our customers, as well as open up new lines of communication with our business partners,” said Sears spokesman Tom Aiello in a statement
7-Eleven names logistics VP
Dallas ( September 18, 2009 ) 7-Eleven said Friday it has appointed Bill Merrigan to serve as VP logistics.
Merrigan, who was most recently VP global supply chain for International Paper in Tennessee, will report to Kevin Elliott, 7-Eleven’s senior VP merchandising, marketing and logistics.
Wall Street: Office Depot falls, OfficeMax rises
New York City ( September 18, 2009 ) The stock market’s battle of the office-supply brands was clearly won by OfficeMax on Friday, as shares of Office Depot fell for a second day Friday and rival OfficeMax rose.
OfficeMax’s performance was influenced by an analyst’s report that the retailer was in a better position to increase profit growth following its turnaround efforts.
Publix to expand fuel/c-store concept
Lakeland, Fla. ( September 18, 2009 ) Publix said Thursday it will continue to expand its Pix brand, a gas station convenience store concept.
Pix first rolled out in 2001, but the company said the stores are still just experiments.
H&M plans China, Asia expansion
Hong Kong ( September 18, 2009 ) Fashion retailer H&M announced Thursday it would up its store count in China by almost 30% by the end of 2009. The increase comes as part of H&M’s expansion plans for Asia, Reuters reported.
H&M said opening stores in Hong Kong helped pave the way for the company’s expansion into Asia.
Tommy Hilfiger opens global flagship in Manhattan
New York City ( September 18, 2009 ) Tommy Hilfiger Group announced the opening of its global flagship store located at 681 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It is the largest Tommy Hilfiger retail store worldwide.
“This opening is an important and tactical move in our efforts to further elevate the brand in both the international community and the United States,” said Fred Gehring, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Group.
