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Home » Soccer » Cristiano Ronaldo provides injury update ahead of Aston Villa vs Man Utd
Cristiano Ronaldo provides injury update ahead of Aston Villa vs Man Utd
Cristiano Ronaldo is 'confident' he will be fit enough to feature in Saturday's Premier League match against Aston Villa.
The 36-year-old missed Monday's FA Cup win over the same opponents with what interim manager Ralf Rangnick described as a minor muscle injury.
In his absence, United laboured to a 1-0 win thanks to Scott McTominay's eighth minute header, but were dominated for long spells and again had to rely on goalkeeper David de Gea, as well as a fortuitous VAR call, to book their place in the fourth round.
United were beaten by Villa, then managed by Dean Smith, at Old Trafford earlier this season and with Steven Gerrard's side bolstered by Thursday's signing of Lucas Digne from Everton, Rangnick will be hopeful United's talisman will have recovered in time for the trip to the Midlands.
Asked if he would be available for selection, Ronaldo told Premier League productions: 'I hope so. We will try on Thursday. I will try to train as normal. Let's see how the body reacts. Fingers crossed. I'm confident.'
Ragnick's honeymoon period at United, meanwhile, was all too fleeting with the recent defeat against Wolves representing a major setback in his side's pursuit of a top four place.
However, it's clear Ronaldo is enjoying his time under Rangnick, despite initial question marks surrounding his role in the German's high-pressing system.
'He arrived five weeks ago, he changed many things, but he needs time to put his ideas to the players and on the pitch as well. It takes time,' the five-time Ballon d'Or winner told Sky Sports.
'But I believe that he is going to do a good job. We knew that we don't play the best football as we should do, but we have many games to improve.
'Since he arrived in some points we are better, but as I said before, you need time. It's not that easy to change the mentality of players, the way they play, the system and the culture.
'So I believe that he is going to do a good job.'
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news onFacebook, Twitter and Instagram.
« Fiorentina president fires warning to Dusan Vlahovic after Arsenal bid
7 strangest football mentions in rap lyrics from Ryan Shawcross to John O'Shea »


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Q: ui:include is not working inside p:dataGrid I am trying to load dynamic xhtmls inside a datagrid. but somehow it displays correct data in p:outputlabel and got a null inside ui:include.
here is my code snippet
<p:dataGrid var="myBoard" value="#{dashBoard.widgetList}" columns="2"
                rows="2" paginator="true" id="widgetsGrid"
                paginatorTemplate="{CurrentPageReport}  {FirstPageLink} {PreviousPageLink} {PageLinks} {NextPageLink} {LastPageLink}"
                rendered="#{dashBoard.boardSize gt 0}">

        **// ***** Here is populate correct data ********
        <p:outputLabel value="#{myBoard.endpointUrl}" />

        <p:panel id="one_#{myBoard.id}">
            <p:lightBox iframe="true" id="lighbox_one_#{myBoard.id}" height="550px" width="1024px" >
                <h:outputLink value="display" title="#{myBoard.name}">
                    <ui:insert name="widgetone">

                        **// ******* how come this would be null? *********

                        <ui:include src="#{myBoard.endpointUrl}">
                        </ui:include>

                    </ui:insert>
                    <f:param name="id" value="#{myBoard.id}" />
                </h:outputLink>
            </p:lightBox>
        </p:panel>

    </p:dataGrid>

I did tried different ways to put it in c:if but couldn't resolve the same.
is this sequence supported by primefaces or any suggestions to implement the same?
Thanks in Advance...

A: That's because "#{myBoard.endpointUrl}" is null during the "Restore View Phase".
For more details about JSF Lifecycle : http://docs.oracle.com/javaee/1.4/tutorial/doc/JSFIntro10.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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International Friendly: USMNT vs. Colombia preview, TV info
Can the Americans stack up against Los Cafeteros?
By Alicia Rodriguez Nov 14, 2014, 6:00am PST
Share All sharing options for: International Friendly: USMNT vs. Colombia preview, TV info
Nguyen: Back in the USMNT fold.
The U.S. Men's National Team are back at it, playing in the first of two friendlies in the next week, this one coming against Colombia at Fulham's stadium Craven Cottage in London.
Yes, I said Colombia. This game is going to be a challenge, something that won't be a fun rollout in front of a friendly crowd. Colombia only advanced one round further than the Americans at the World Cup this summer, but the U.S. would have been underdogs 10 times out of 10 had they met in Brazil.
Since the game is taking place in England, the start time is early, as the broadcast begins at 11:45 am PT on Friday. The game will be broadcast in the United States on ESPN (English) and UniMas (Spanish).
The big talking point entering the game is that New England Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen has been recalled to the USMNT for the first time since 2007, the second-longest wait between call-ups in U.S. Men's National Team history. Also, NASL star Miguel Ibarra and Stanford forward Jordan Morris have been called in again, and Rubio Rubin, a former Portland Timbers Academy player who now plays in the Netherlands, has gotten his first senior team selection.
Another note on this game: Former Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan is expected to get the start against the Colombians.
Will Jurgen Klinsmann's side be able to compete with Jose Pekerman's potent squad? Will either side use the occasion to experiment quite a bit, or will they attempt to keep main contributors in rhythm? The answers will be revealed come game time.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Our Storyadmin2022-12-05T10:11:18-05:00
The Uplift Outreach Center began as the dream of Spartanburg resident and activist, Eric Nolley. He envisioned a safe place for homeless and at risk youth who identified as LGBTQ+ and needed resources. The only place like this existed in Columbia, a hundred miles away.
While involved with PFLAG Spartanburg, he and fellow PFLAG Spartanburg member, Debra Foreman, began laying the ground work for this center. With the support of the local PFLAG chapter and its members, the first annual Rainbow Masquerade Ball fundraising gala was held in May 2019 to benefit the outreach center. The event raised over thirteen thousand dollars and allowed them to launch the Upstate's very first LGBTQ+ outreach center.
The Uplift Outreach Center is now open a few afternoons a week to youth up to age 23. The board and volunteer staff hope to be able to offer enrichment, support, mental health and medical resources and expand their open hours. The ultimate goal is to find a permanent place to call home in Spartanburg and have dedicated staff within the next five years.
The center exists solely on the support of our community. If you believe that LGBTQ+ youth are in need of love and support and you would like to help us realize our goals, then we would be grateful for any gift you can offer. Here are a few of the ways you can help:
In Remembrance of Our Co-founder, Eric Nolley
Eric Nolley, 57, passed away unexpectedly on October 26, 2022 at home with his mom and sister in Princeton, WV.
Eric was much loved by his family and friends. While living in Spartanburg and the upstate of South Carolina, Eric was beloved by a host of friends and chosen family. In 2012, he founded a social group named Out and About Upstate, that provided a safe space for LGBTQ+ adults and allies to connect with each other. Eric also served on the Upstate Pride, SC board of directors for 2014 as Entertainment Chair, and then as Vice President until 2017. He also served on the PFLAG Spartanburg board of directors from 2018 to the present as Vice President and member at large. One of Eric's biggest dreams was to provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth. This dream was realized in 2019 when Uplift Outreach Center was opened.
His positivity, sense of humor and love will be felt long into the future and he will be forever missed.
Copyright 2019 Uplift Outreach Center | Spartanburg, South Carolina | All Rights Reserved | Sources | Privacy Powered by WordPress | Website Developed by Heather Marie Creative LLC


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A produção de vinhos é uma atividade florescente na região italiana da Toscana desde a Idade Média e nos dias atuais é mais conhecida por seus jovens vinhos tintos de mesa, representados principalmente pelo Chianti e por um vinho de primeira grandeza no panorama vinícola mundial, o Brunello de Montalcino.

Uvas viníferas
A uva vinífera Sangiovese é o esteio da produção regional e está presente nos vinhos finos da Toscana. É a única uva admitida na produção do Brunello di Montalcino e Rosso di Montalcino, sendo a base da produção dos vinhos Chianti, Montepulciano e a maioria dos vinhos toscanos superiores mais modernos ("Super Toscanos").

Quando usada isoladamente exige muito esforço para produzir um vinho de sabor apurado e consistente. Por esta razão é geralmente misturado a outras uvas viníferas, principalmente a Cabernet Sauvignon.

A uva vinífera Trebbiano forma a base dos vinhos brancos produzidos na Toscana. É cultivada largamente devido a sua grande produtividade e por conservar sua acidez mesmo em regiões quentes. De paladar geralmente neutro, só é utilizada isoladamente na fabricação de vinhos inferiores vendidos em garrafões. De regra, é usada como uma base neutra em conjunto com outras uvas, como a malvasia.

Mais recentemente muitos produtores estão mostrando interesse em outras variedades viníferas como a Chardonnay e a Sauvignon Blanc, especialmente nas áreas mais altas onde a Sangiovese amadurece com dificuldade.

Vinhos
O vinho mais importante produzido na região da Toscana são os populares Chianti e Chianti Clássico. A maioria destes vinhos pertence ao consórcio Clássico e traz o símbolo do gallo nero (galo preto) estampado no rótulo. Este é de produção da tradicional família que carrega o sobrenome Tuscan, ou Toscano.

Uma nova safra de vinhos tintos são os Super Tuscans, que são fabricados seguindo um padrão internacional com a utilização de uvas viníferas francesas como cabernet sauvignon e merlot.

Outros importantes vinhos toscanos são Montalcino, Montepulciano, Bolgheri, Carmignano e Maremma. A produção de vinhos brancos é mais concentrada na área de San Gimignano.

Ao sul da Toscana, se produz o tradicional e poderoso Brunello de Montalcino, que, juntamente com o Barolo, é o mais aclamado – e geralmente mais caro – vinho tinto italiano.

A região da Toscana onde se produz este vinho é uma das poucas a levar a classificação mais alta na hierarquia das regiões vinícolas italianas – a DOCG (Denominação de Origem Controlada Garantida). O Brunello é produzido com uma única uva, a sangiovese grosso, um potente clone da sangiovese.

Relevo e clima
Como a paisagem da Toscana é ondulada, com muitas colinas, os vinhedos situados nas encostas em pontos relativamente altos fornecem a maioria dos vinhos de qualidade superior da Toscana. Isto porque nestas altitudes há concentração da luz do sol pelo tempo necessário para favorecer o correto amadurecimento das uvas.

Outro fator valorizado pelos produtores é a significativa variação de temperatura entre dia e noite nas zonas mais altas. O clima da Toscana é classificado como mediterrâneo e ali os invernos são rigorosos.

Fontes
 The Wine Spectator - Pocket Guide to Wine, ed.2004
 SCHOREDER, Orlando Borges - Iniciação ao Vinho, Ed.da UFSC, 1985

Vinhos da Itália

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Brevard senior Maya Mitchiner shields a defender while clearing the ball from the Lady Blue Devils' defensive third in Friday's home match against Pisgah. Click on image to see additional photos from this event.
The Lady Blue Devils trailed just 2-1 at halftime, but three second-half goals from the Bears sealed their 5-1 win.
The Lady Blue Devils were on the road Monday at East Henderson and host Franklin on Wednesday.
Brevard's record is currently 4-3 overall and 0-1 in the Mountain Six Conference.


text:
{{Katonai konfliktus infobox
|konfliktus= Afganisztáni háború
|kép=US-UK-Sangin2007.jpg
|képfelirat=Amerikai és brit katonák Afganisztánban (2007)
|dátum = 2001. október 7. – 2021. augusztus 30.
|helyszín= Afganisztán
|eredmény= *A tálib kormány bukása
Az al-Káida táborainak elpusztítása
Az al-Káida vezetésének elpusztítása
Tálib felkelés
Északnyugat-pakisztáni háború
Egyesült Államok politikai veresége
Amerikai katonák kivonulása Afganisztán területéről
A tálibok ismételt hatalomátvétele
|támadó= Koalíció:
 NATO – ISAF (131 730)
  Amerikai Egyesült Államok – 98 000
  Egyesült Királyság – 10 500
  Németország – 4 877
  Franciaország – 4 000
  Olaszország – 3 770
  Kanada – 2 913
  Lengyelország – 2 688
  Törökország – 1 815
  Románia – 1 664
  Ausztrália – 1 550
  Spanyolország – 1 505
További 37 állam köztük Magyarország
Afganisztán
Az Operation Enduring Freedom résztvevői
2001-es invázió:
 Amerikai Egyesült államok
 Egyesült Királyság
 Északi Szövetség
|védekező= Felkelő csoportok
 Talibán
 al-Káida
 IMU
 HI-Gulbuddin
 HI-Khalis
 Hakkani hálózat
 Lashkar-e-Taiba
 JeM
 TTP
 IEW
 TNSM
 IJU
2001-es invázió
 Afgán Iszlám Emirátus
 al-Káida
|parancsnok1=
 David Petraeus
 Stanley McChrystal
 David D. McKiernan
 Karl W. Eikenberry
 David Barno
 Dan K. McNeill
 Paul T. Mikolashek
 Tommy Franks
 Nick Parker
 David Richards
 John McColl
 Rick Hillier
 Andrew Leslie
 Mauro del Vecchio
 Jean-Louis Py
 Goetz Gliemeroth
 Norbert Van Heyst
 Hilmi Akin Zorlu
 Hamid Karzai
 Bismillah Khan Mohammadi
 Mohammed Fahim
 Abdul Rasid Dosztum
 Usztad Atta Mohammed Nur
|parancsnok2=
 Mohammed Omár
 Obaidullah Akhund hadifogoly
 Mullah Dadullah harcban elesett
 Mullah Bakht Mohammed hadifogoly
 Jalaluddin Haqqani
 Osama bin Laden rajtaütés során megölték
 Ayman al-Zawahiri
 Mustafa Abu al-Yazid harcban elesett
 Muhammad Atef harcban elesett
 Abu Laith al-Libi harcban elesett
 Juma Namangani harcban elesett
 Tahir Yuldashev harcban elesett
 Abu Usman Adil
 Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
 Sirajuddin Haqqani
 Tehrik-i-Taliban command
 Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar hadifogoly
 Maulana Fazlullah
|haderő1=
 NATO – ISAF: 131 730
Afgán Nemzeti Hadsereg: 138 200 (2010)
 rendőrség: 120 500 (2010)
 Amerikai seregek az ISAF kötelékén kívül: 48 000 (2008)
Összesen: 438 430 (2010)
|haderő2=
 tálibok: ~36 000
 al-Káida: 50-500

 Hezb-i-Iszlámi: 1 000
 IMU: 5 000–10 000
 Hakkani milicistái: 1 000
 TTP: 30 000–35 000 TNSM:4 500Összesen: 93 000 (2010)
|veszteségek1=Afgán Biztonsági Erők
6,500+ halott
Északi Szövetség:
200 halott
Koalíciós erők:
Halott: 2 219 (amerikai: 1,381, brit: 346, kanadai: 154 egyéb: 338)
Sebesültek: 12 523+ (amerikai: 9,771, brit: 4 091, kanadai: 1200+, ausztrál: 162, román: 44, észt: 43)
Pakisztán
Halottak: 14
Megsebesült: 3
Ellenállók:
Halott: 1 764*
Sérült és sebesült: 59 465*
|veszteségek2=tálibok és felkelők
Halott vagy fogságban: 38 000+
|veszteségek3=Magyar veszteség: 4 magyar katona meghalt}}

Az afganisztáni háború''' a NATO és szövetségeseinek beavatkozása az afganisztáni polgárháborúba, amelynek során megdöntötték az iszlám radikális tálibok által fenntartott rendszert. A háború kirobbanásának közvetlen okai a 2001. szeptember 11-ei terrortámadások voltak, amelyeket a tálibok támogatását élvező és Afganisztánban kiképzőtáborokat működtető al-Káida terrorszervezet hajtott végre az Egyesült Államok területén. A háború a tálibok ismételt hatalomátvételével és az amerikai haderő 2021. augusztus 30-án befejeződött kivonulásával ért véget.

Előzmények
2001. szeptember 11-én (a hivatalos vizsgálat szerint) az Oszáma bin Láden vezette al-Káida lerombolta a New York-i World Trade Centert, két eltérített utasszállító repülőgépet vezetve belé. Ezzel egyidejűleg egy másik gépet belevezettek a Pentagon épületébe, egy negyedik eltérített repülőgép pedig lezuhant Pennsylvania államban, miközben utasai megkísérelték visszafoglalni a terroristáktól. George W. Bush, az Egyesült Államok republikánus elnöke válaszcsapás-sorozatot indított. Az első lépés 2001 novemberében az Oszama bin Ládent és az al-Káida más vezetőit rejtegető, Omár molla vezette radikális iszlám állam, az Afgán Iszlám Emirátus megszállása volt.

A háború története

A hadjárat egyik célja az al-Káida afganisztáni kiképző táborainak elpusztítása volt, de az Egyesült Államok katonái azt is feladatul kapták, hogy kényszerítsék a tálib kormányt, hogy adja ki Oszáma bin Ládent és számos más al-Káida-tagot. Az Egyesült Államok emiatt felvette a kapcsolatot korábbi afgán mudzsáhidokkal, majd az év decemberében korábbi afgán mudzsáhidok és az afgán diaszpóra vezetői találkoztak Németországban, és tervet fogadtak el az új, demokratikus afgán kormány megalakítására. Ennek eredménye volt az Afganisztán déli részén fekvő Kandahárból származó Hámid Karzai kinevezése az afgán átmeneti hatóság élére.

A 2002-ben megtartott konferencia, a Loja Dzsirga Karzait elismerte Afganisztán ideiglenes elnökének. A NATO 2003 augusztusában átvette az Nemzetközi Biztonsági Közreműködő Erő (ISAF) főparancsnokságát. A 2003-ban megtartott Loja Dzsirga új alkotmányt fogadott el, amely 2004 januárjában lépett hatályba. A 2004 októberében megtartott választásokon Hamid Karzai győzött és az Afgánisztáni Iszlám Köztársaság elnöke lett. Képviselőválasztást 2005 szeptemberében tartottak. A Nemzetgyűlés - az első szabadon választott törvényhozás Afganisztánban 1973 óta - 2005 decemberében ült össze, soraiban nőkkel. Miközben megkezdődött az újjáépítés, az ország továbbra is küzdött a szegénységgel, a rossz infrastruktúrával, az aknákkal és más fel nem robbant harci anyagokkal, a nagyméretű máktermesztéssel és ópiumkereskedelemmel, illetve Afganisztán továbbra is heves katonai összecsapások színtere volt. Rendszeresek voltak a tálib felkelők akciói, az al-Káida maradványainak támadásai.

2007 elején a tálibok növekvő jelenlétére válaszul az Egyesült Államok növelte csapatai létszámát. 2007. január 16-án számolt be az Associated Press riportere, Robert Burns arról, hogy

2011

Tálib hatalomátvétel 2021-ben

A tálibok és a velük együtt dolgozó militáns csapatok egy katonai offenzívája Afganisztán kormánya ellen 2021. május 1-én kezdődött, az Amerikai Egyesült Államok hadseregének kivonulásával.

A támadások első három hónapjában a tálibok a vidéki területeken tudtak előrehaladni, 73-ről 223-ra emelve az irányított körzetek számát. Augusztus 6-tól a tálibok elfoglaltak 33-at a 34 afgán tartományszékhelyből. Augusztus 10-re a tálibok irányították az ország 65%-át.

A tálibok meglepően gyorsan tudtak területet szerezni. Augusztus 10-én amerikai hivatalnokok számításai szerint Kabul, az ország fővárosa, mindössze 30-90 napon belül tálib kézre kerülhetett volna. Ennek ellenére, szinte ellenállás nélkül, augusztus 15-én a tálibok elérték Kabult és elfoglalták azt, ezzel elesett az Afganisztáni Iszlám Köztársaság kormánya. Ugyanezen a napon a tálibok elfoglalták az elnöki kastélyt, miután Asraf Gáni, az ország elnöke elmenekült Afganisztánból.

A Nemzetközi Biztonsági Közreműködő Erő

Az amerikai David Petraeus tábornok irányítása alatt működő Nemzetközi Biztonsági Közreműködő Erő egy 42 ország katonáit tömörítő katonai csapat. Az itt szolgálók fele amerikai. Az ISAF-ot eredetileg 2001. december 20-án az ENSZ BT azért hozta létre, hogy fenntartsa Kabul környékének a nyugalmát. Pár évig csak ezen a területen fejtette ki tevékenységét. 2003. augusztus 11-én a NATO vette át az ISAF politikai irányítását és koordinálását. 2006. július 31-én az ország déli, majd 2006. október 5-én a keleti részei is az ISAF felügyelete alá kerültek.

Magyar részvétel
Magyar katonák – az MH Tartományi Újjáépítési Csoport néven – szinte a kezdetektől részt vettek a NATO-hadműveletekben. Először csak egy orvosi kontingens, majd 2003 óta egy lövészszázad is kiutazott Afganisztánba. Munkájuk főleg járőrözésből, kísérési és szociális feladatokból állt.

Jegyzetek

További információk

 Magyar katona Afganisztánban
 Who are the Taliban?  – news.bbc.co.uk
 War in Afganistan – edition.cnn.com
 Afganistan – A The New York Times topic-ja
 A brit Ministry of Defence kronológiája:
 2001. szeptember–2002. december
 2003. február–2006. december
 2007. január–december
 2008. január–december
 2009. január–december
 2010. január–

Képgalériák
 Magyar katona Afganisztáni képei
 A boston.com Big Pictures-sorozata (összesített):
 Daily Life in Afghanistan, In Afghanistan with the ISAF, Afghanistan's Korengal Valley, Recent Scenes from Afghanistan, In Afghanistan, Part One, In Afghanistan, Part Two, Ballots, bullets and bombs in Afghanistan.
 Afghanistan, September, 2009, Afghanistan, October, 2009, Afghanistan, November, 2009, Afghanistan, December, 2009.
 Afghanistan, January, 2010, Afghanistan, February, 2010, Afghanistan, March, 2010, Afghanistan, April, 2010, Afghanistan, May, 2010, Afghanistan, June, 2010, Afghanistan, July, 2010
 A Denver Post On War-plogsorozata: Afghanistan: 2.19.10, Afghanistan 2.20-21.10, Afghanistan 2.22-25.10

Videók
 The Minefields of Afghanistan – The New York Times

Haboru


text:
Q: T-SQL DYNAMIC PIVOT TABLE wont execute DECLARE @FirstDayOfWeek DATETIME

SELECT @FirstDayOfWeek =
  COALESCE(
cast(@FirstDayOfWeek AS VARCHAR(MAX)) + ',[' + cast(@FirstDayOfWeek AS VARCHAR(MAX)) + ']',
'[' + cast(@FirstDayOfWeek AS VARCHAR(MAX))+ ']'
  )
FROM [Calendar] c
        LEFT JOIN Stores s ON c.FirstDayOfMonth = s.Validfrom
        left join POSProductDivPeriod pos ON c.Period = pos.Period

DECLARE @PivotTableSQL NVARCHAR(MAX)
SET @PivotTableSQL = N'
  SELECT *
 FROM (
SELECT
  YEAR(FirstDayOfWeek) [Year],
  @FirstDayOfWeek,
 pos.quantity
FROM [Calendar] c
  LEFT JOIN Stores s ON c.FirstDayOfMonth = s.Validfrom
        left join POSProductDivPeriod pos ON c.Period = pos.Period
  ) AS PivotData
  PIVOT (
SUM(pos.quantity)
FOR @FirstDayOfWeek IN (
  ' +CAST(@FirstDayOfWeek AS VARCHAR(MAX)) + '
)
  ) AS PivotTable
'

EXECUTE(@PivotTableSQL)

when i run all of this i get command complete
when i run execute i get must declare scarlar
im trying to run my code for my pivot table and for it to execute right after
any ideas ?

A: May this article will help you,
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/201320/Dynamic-Pivoting-with-Cubes-and-eventhandlers-in-S


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ISTAT releases April consumer and business confidence data (0800 GMT) and March foreign trade data (0900 GMT).
Italy's president on Monday asked the head of the lower house of parliament to see whether the 5-Star Movement and centre-left Democratic Party (PD) could form a coalition government but initial reaction pointed to a mission impossible.
Italy's Treasury said on Monday it would offer up to 9.25 billion euros in bonds at auction on April 27.
Treasury sells 1.5-2.0 billion euros CTZ bonds due March 30, 2020 and 1.250-1.750 billion euros of the following two BTPei bonds: 1.30 percent, May 15, 2028 bond and 1.25 percent, Sept. 15, 2032 bond. Subscriptions close at 0900 GMT.
Telecom Italia shareholders will vote on Tuesday to confirm Amos Genish as CEO, while a widely-anticipated showdown between the top two investors in Italy's biggest phone group over board seats is delayed by 10 days.
CEO Amos Genish told investors on Monday the group would sign in the next few days a content deal with Mediaset to see the broadcaster's TV on Timvision, La Repubblica said. It will probably not be one of those "multi-million" euro deals, the paper added.
The Italian oil services group swung to a net loss in the first quarter as sales fell on a weaker business climate. (*) CEO Stefano Cao said Subsea 7 bid on McDermott is a sign of consolidation that needs carefully montitoring.
Italy's BPER Banca could lower its soured debts faster than expected this year, cutting their share in terms of total lending below 14 percent from 19.8 percent at the end of 2017, a financial source said.
The Bologna-based packaging group said on Monday it had signed a 58.5 million euro accord to buy 82.5 percent of local rival TMC, which specialises in automatic machines for the packaging of tissues and personal care products.
Brazilian securities regulator CVM has set a May 18 deadline for companies to bid for Eletropaulo Metropolitana SA in a live auction on Brazil's stock exchange, the company said.
Enel has modified its offer for Eletropaulo to include an unconditional commitment to inject at least 1.5 billion reais if none of the takeover bids on the Brazilian energy group turns out to be successful.
The group has just signed a know-how agreement with Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, a first step in evaluating opportunities for cooperating in Egypt's gas infrastructure sector, Snam CEO Marco Alvera said in an interview in Il Messaggero.
Board meeting on FY results (1400 GMT) followed by conference call (1600 GMT).
Annual general meeting (0900 GMT) and board meeting on Q1 results, followed by video conference call (1530 GMT).
Annual and extraordinary shareholders' meeting (0800 GMT).
Board meeting on Q1 results (press release on April 25).


Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, born May 22, 1859 in Edinburgh, was the creator of Sherlock Holmes and a passionate believer and advocate of Spiritualism. He wrote several books in support of the movement and also toured with a popular lecture.
Houdini and Doyle struck up a friendship in 1920 when Houdini traveled to the UK after the war. Houdini told Doyle he was a "seeker of Truth" and "willing to believe." While in the UK, Houdini visited over 100 mediums recommended by Doyle. But at every sitting, he recognized trickery. Nevertheless, Doyle believed that Houdini himself had supernatural powers and wrote to him: "My dear chap, why go around the world seeking a demonstration of the occult when you are giving one all the time?"
In 1922, Doyle came to the United States to lecture on Spiritualism. While on vacation together in Atlantic City, Lady Doyle gave Houdini a seance in which she purported to mak contact with Houdini's mother. Doyle believed Houdini had been convinced and said so in the press. But Houdini responded publicly that he had not been swayed. Their exchanges, both public and private, became more heated, and eventually their friendship dissolved.
Doyle continued to voice support for mediums Houdini exposed, such as the famous Margery, and Houdini ridiculed Doyle's gullibility. While the men never reconciled, after Houdini's death Sir Arthur reached out to Bess with a heartfelt letter of condolence, ending with: "I am sure that, with strength of character (and possibly his desire to make reparation), he will come back."
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died on July 7, 1930. He never wavered from his belief that his former friend was "the greatest physical medium of modern times."
Much has been written about Houdini and Conan Doyle. To date their have been three major books, numerous pairings of the men in fiction, including movies, plays and comic books, and even a 2016 television series.


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Disney CFO Rumored to Succeed Bob Iger as CEO
In the two weeks since Disney's Bob Swap–firing Chapek and rehiring Iger, we've been "treated" to enough drama to fill another DisneyWar volume or two. The latest update is equal parts Succession and Game of Thrones, as there's a new rumor about the company's next replacement CEO after the second Iger era ends.
We aren't going to recap everything that has transpired thus far, but here's a quick refresher. To start, Disney Fired CEO Bob Chapek and Rehired Bob Iger as CEO a little over two weeks ago. That article recapped this saga dating back to 2020, covered why we weren't surprised by this development, and also offered words of 'warning' for overly-excited Walt Disney World fans about the changes that might be on the horizon.
Following that, Disney's Battle of the Bobs: Why Chapek Was Fired, How Iger Returned & What's Next offered more palace intrigue about the sequence of events since this summer when Disney's board of directors renewed Chapek's contract. It also covered Bob Iger's new salary, how much Chapek was paid to go away, alternate candidates Disney's board considered, who Iger fired on day one, restructuring changes he has planned, how he's already made a positive difference, what else Iger can do to score easy wins as he reclaims the throne, and more.
Since then, in what could be described as dereliction of duty, we've failed to report on some of the dramatic developments. (In my defense, I was in the parks all last week and am still playing catch-up with posts to write about Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Genie+ testing, transportation, holiday decor, and more.)
Anyway, we have an amusing update to share, courtesy of former CEO Michael Eisner's twitter account. The day after Chapek was fired and Bob Iger was rehired, Eisner tweeted, "Welcome back to Disney, @RobertIger!" Pretty standard stuff, not particularly newsworthy. However, he opted to follow that up a week later with this little gem…
If you're wondering whether there's bad blood between Iger and Eisner given the 'downfall' of the latter, there answer is a clear no. Both men follow one another on social media, and Eisner has routinely offered words of encouragement and support to Iger over the years. This shouldn't be tremendously surprising–Eisner was Iger's mentor and hand-picked successor. But you never know…who would've foreseen the palace intrigue between Iger and his supposed protege?!
For his part, Eisner appears to harbor no ill-will towards the company, at all. Over the years, he has tweeted family vacation photos from Walt Disney World, countless positive news articles, and statements of support. To the best of my recollection, this is the first negative thing Eisner has had to say about Disney. While it doesn't expressly cast aspersions on Chapek, that's the most straightforward interpretation of the tweet.
On today's episode of As the Disney World Turns, Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy is now rumored to have emerged internally as the leading candidate to take over the CEO position at the Walt Disney Company once Bob Iger retires (again) at the end of his 2-year contract, according to a new report in Deadline.
"Christine has always been a force to be reckoned with, but you have to put her on a list of top five possibilities after the last few weeks," a Disney insider said of the headline-making CFO. If this rumor is accurate and McCarthy takes the helm in the next 23 months, she would occupy a historic position as the first female CEO in Disney's 100 year existence.
As for her credentials, McCarthy was a steady hand during the previous Iger regime, helping in successfully engineering a string of key mergers. When Chapek was in charge, McCarthy adeptly raised cash during the onset of the pandemic when the business outlook was unknown and it was unclear how long the parks and other divisions would be hemorrhaging money.
That report notes that it's rare for CFOs to take center stage; although they're key corporate figures, they're usually low profile managers who appear during earnings sessions and investor conferences. (If you know of McCarthy, this is precisely how–she's a fixture on Disney earnings calls and investor seminars.)
It's rarer still for CFOs to oust their own boss, becoming a "king killer" in the colorful words of the aforementioned article. Yet, that's exactly what happened with McCarthy over the course of a few fateful weeks this November.
It's been widely reported that Disney's board of directors reached out to Iger to replace Chapek following internal complaints about Chapek's leadership. One of the executives to express a lack of confidence in Chapek was Christine McCarthy, well-regarded chief financial officer, according to both CNBC and the New York Times, among other outlets.
McCarthy has served as the Walt Disney Company's CFO since 2015, serving for Iger prior to his departure. As a result, she has an established relationship with the board given her longevity in the position. McCarthy telling the board that she lacked confidence in Chapek was likely instrumental in their decision to replace him. "He irretrievably lost the room," said the leader of a Disney unit.
Deadline now attributes the "Disney coup d'état" to McCarthy, claiming that she was "distraught by the company's dire bottom line and missteps by Chapek over the last 18 months." Consequently, McCarthy's name is now in the history books for going to the board and its chair Susan Arnold to orchestrate a revolt in the executive suite that brought Iger back after less than a year of official retirement.
McCarthy, one of the highest-ranking women in the entertainment industry, went to Arnold in mid-November and threatened to resign if Chapek was not cut loose immediately, per this rumor. "In the 35 years I've been doing this, I never saw a CFO go around a CEO," one longtime Wall Street analyst told Deadline.
Now Iger has just under two years to pick and position a viable successor. Accordingly, it's not totally surprising that the long-serving CFO's name appears atop the list of five talked-about candidates for the future CEO job. That list also is rumored to include Dana Walden, Disney's television chief, and Josh D'Amaro, Disney's theme park chairman. Previous reporting suggests that the board doesn't view either candidate as "quite ready" for the role.
However, the board supposedly does believe that former Disney executives Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer are ready, as they were also considered to replace Chapek as CEO before Iger was brought back on board. In case you're unfamiliar with the naes, these are two previous candidates to replace Iger who left Disney when it became clear they'd be passed over for CEO. In an interesting twist, the two are now running the Candle Media startup together.
Now, it would appear that McCarthy is an early leader among the top 5 early contenders to replace Iger. Analysts are supposedly fans of the chief financial officer, calling McCarthy "very honest," "very capable" and "a straight shooter."
"She really shined when the pandemic hit. She did exactly what the CFO should do. She lined up enough cash for one to two years of no revenue. She put together a huge bundle of cash at reasonable rates very quickly to protect the company," said one.
On the most recent, now-infamous earnings call during which Disney's streaming division reported $1.5 billion in losses, McCarthy did much of the explaining. "She handled all those questions," said one analyst. Insiders describe McCarthy as "the kind of person who really has the best interests of the company at heart," as well as "incredibly smart" and a great mentor to women at Disney.
Despite these glowing reviews, perhaps the biggest impediment to her becoming CEO is age, suggests one Wall Street analyst. McCarthy is 67 years old. "Bob Iger was originally supposed to retire about six years ago when he was 65. So I don't see them hiring someone [that age] to be CEO" for the long term. "They just went through… how many transitions?"
In terms of my commentary, I'll put this in blunt terms: Christine McCarthy becoming CEO would be Iger and Disney's board making the same mistake twice.
I know that I've said before that I don't like to offer commentary about executive leadership at the Walt Disney Company because it's tough to do so from the outside looking in since fans see what we want to see. We view things in reductionist terms, and can be manipulated by agendas both internal and external to the company. (To wit, this Deadline piece was probably placed by someone close to McCarthy who wants to raise her profile. That would also explain previous pieces from the NYT and CNBC that were heavy on specifics about McCarthy orchestrating the Chapek ouster.)
Consequently, it's easy to paint leadership in the familiar terms of Disney fairytales. There's always a villain who gets the brunt of the blame, and an underdog hero who "gets" Disney and could save the company if only they had more power.
In that familiar story structure, Christine McCarthy has emerged as a villain over the course of the last few years. Her name might not be as recognizable as Bob Chapek's to the more casual readers out there, but you're undoubtedly familiar with her "material."
McCarthy is a fixture of corporate earnings calls and she routinely speaks at conferences by Wall Street firms. You've likely heard her 'greatest hit,' a controversial quip regarding the impact of inflation on food costs: "We can adjust suppliers. We can substitute products. We can cut portion sizes, which is probably good for some people's waistlines."
This is definitely McCarthy's most infamous remark and, in fairness, one ill-advised attempt at humor shouldn't be held against her. We all say things we come to regret, and this might've been a regrettable remark to make on a corporate earnings call, I do think the reaction to it has been overblown. (This is despite continually referencing it–I appreciate the irony.)
McCarthy has also made controversial comments about Genie+ and time v. money that weren't well-received on social media. She has bungled the names of attractions and expansions from time to time, resulting in more fan ridicule. (There's actually a bit of irony in her being dubbed a 'bully' or whatever when the same fans seize on any misstatement.) If you ask me, most of this is much ado about nothing. The CFO has a specific job, and doesn't necessarily need to know official attraction names, slogans, and so forth. If you quizzed me about the nonsensical naming convention of the Little Mermaid dark rides on each coast, I'm probably going to fail that test, too.
From my perspective, it's less about the substance of these specific statements and more about her way of speaking. I'd be slightly worried about writing this and being perceived as taking a regrettable detour down casual sexism lane, but fortunately, I just wrote Bob Chapek Did Not "Get" Disney.
Current Disney CFO and apparent future CEO candidate Christine McCarthy appears to have the exact same shortcomings of Disney's past male CEO Bob Chapek. This opinion is not based on the high profile gaffes–it's based on the totality of what she has said on the dozens of corporate earnings calls and investor conferences that I've listened to or watched. It's not necessarily that she doesn't "get" the magic of Disney–it's that I do not believe she can communicate that she "gets" the magic of Disney. (Perhaps both, but definitely the latter.)
It might seem unfair that McCarthy is "punished" for Chapek's woes, but I'd argue that turnabout is fair play. McCarthy was instrumental in pushing Chapek out, and for that, we fans owe her a debt of gratitude. (I'd propose forgiving her past "sins" of the waistline and other comments.)
However, they are two sides of the same coin. Based on everything we've seen and heard from McCarthy, there's little reason to believe she is capable of being the charismatic leader that the Walt Disney Company, an inherently creative enterprise with a visionary founder, needs.
Once again, the Walt Disney Company is not just any Fortune 500 multinational corporation. Disney is held to higher and different standards, which is both by Disney's own design and the company's rich history and legacy. Walt Disney is an American icon and visionary, treated with reverence by fans who still debate how Walt would feel about even mostly-inconsequential changes to the parks decades after his death.
I've previously shared that my favorite Walt Disney quote is: "You can design, create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." Bob Iger is no Walt Disney, but Iger cares about the people, creative vision, and legacy of the company that Walt created. Disney needs someone at the helm who gets what makes Disney…Disney. Equally as important, the company needs someone who can communicate that they understand the magic of Disney, as that's needed to earn the trust and loyalty of Cast Members and fans.
I'm not going to rehash that article about Chapek not "getting" Disney, but the bottom line is you could replace most instances of "Chapek" with "McCarthy" and it would mostly be accurate and make sense.
She speaks on corporate earnings calls in the same manner, and appears to view the company in cold and objective financial terms, and makes decisions accordingly. If she does have sentimentality towards the "product" and its "consumers," she does not make that clear. Instead, it appears she views Disney not through a creative lens, but through the terms of the balance sheet.
None of this is to say that Christine McCarthy is bad at her job, deserves to be fired, or anything of that sort. By all (reasonable) accounts, McCarthy is an exceptional CFO. She has been with the company a long time, was instrumental in key acquisitions under the Iger regime, and then with securing sufficient cash reserves in the early days of the pandemic.
While fans may not like a lot of the decisions, but that's the nature of the role. I cannot imagine most fans having a favorable opinion of Disney's CFO no matter who it were, as the position is inherently at-odds with fan desires. Nevertheless, McCarthy has helped achieve enviable financial results in the last two years. Her tenure as CFO is undoubtedly looked upon favorably by Wall Street investors and analysts.
However, being really good at one thing doesn't necessarily translate to being good at another very different thing. For reasons beyond me, America has this misplaced notion that celebrities make good politicians and entrepreneurs can successfully run any type of business. Call me old-fashioned, but I wouldn't hire a neurosurgeon repair my car. Bob Iger has a lot of charisma, but I don't think that makes him qualified to be a plumber or president.
I also think this is the type of mistake that the Walt Disney Company constantly makes. Since the Eisner era, Disney has routinely shuffled around executives, moving them from one domain with the philosophy that talent is portable. In some ways, it can be–in many others, it is not. This is true for Bob Chapek, too. By all accounts, he was great with media distribution and consumer products. It wasn't until he moved over to theme parks–and then quickly ascended to CEO–that his shortcomings became apparent.
Ultimately, it seems like a similar situation here. It's probably safe to assume that Christine McCarthy is an excellent CFO. She likely would make an excellent Roy to someone's Walt, or (more aptly) Frank Wells to someone else's Michael Eisner. If Disney were to reorganize and split power at the top between the CEO and COO or president, McCarthy might make a ton of sense as the second in command.
There's also the possibility that she simply hasn't been given the chance to shine in a role outside the highly-analytical CFO position, and she could show her strengths and round-out her skill-set with a move to a different c-suite position in the Walt Disney Company for the next couple of years. However, we've already seen that movie once, and it didn't end well–it's hard to get behind the idea of another Chapek in the top spot after seeing how badly that just went.
From the outside looking in, do you believe Christine McCarthy would make a good CEO of the Walt Disney Company? Think she "gets" the Magic of Disney? Would you prefer McCarthy, D'Amaro, Staggs, Mayer, or someone else as the next CEO after Iger retires again? Thoughts on anything else discussed here? Are you optimistic about the company's future as the Walt Disney Company enters its 100th year? Think things will get better in 2023? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
31 Responses to "Disney CFO Rumored to Succeed Bob Iger as CEO"
Jaimie December 10, 2022
There will be people loyal to McCarthy for her role in ousting Chapek but is that really what is best for Disney? I'm not impressed she lined up money to get Disney through covid. I can use my credit cards to buy things if I'm short on cash. It doesn't make me CEO material. All the theme parks in Florida were allowed to reopen in July 2020, that's only 3 months of closure. Yet, Disney kept firing furloughed employees through November of 2020. I have friends who were furloughed after Disney was allowed to reopen by the state and then their departments were permanently let go in November 2020, only to be called back at the end of December 2020. That is horrible management from every department at every level. Now they're blaming service failures on staff shortages?! Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and many others opened immediately upon the state reopening. Disney is the only theme park in Central Florida who decided to remain closed while also cutting staff when everyone else was open. Disney's poor leadership and politicking created this mess.
Clearly Tokyo, Paris and Anaheim were dealing with issues outside of their control. But execs at the time completely botched WDW during covid. They all need to be fired.
I work in an industry that services cruise lines. How they survived covid is impressive. I'm still amazed that NCL didn't go into receivership. All the liners put their ships into dry dock, refurbished and repurposed vessels to fit the upcoming changes in demand while receiving zero assistance. That is excellent exec leadership through a crisis. Disney, not so much. That is an example of how to destroy an entire brand in less than 2 years over gamesmanship, politics and egoistical legacy building.
So far I haven't read anything in any of their bios that prove otherwise. I don't see any of them in the parks for anything meaningful. They're too busy flying in private jets, having their country club dues paid and riding in their chauffeured cars between meetings to avoid the Disney fans.
Iger doesn't "get" Disney or Disney fans. What he "gets" is how to articulate telling them he doesn't care about them while providing them less guest experiences and services without hurting their feelings. Same with CMs. Outside of that, he doesn't "get" Disney at all.
I think all this talk about successors and turning the Chapek page with Iger back is the eternal hope and optimism of Disney fans that is at their core of everything they're passionate about with Disney. But the sad truth is Disney just doesn't care anymore. We have hope it will get better, but it's time to accept that it won't.
Wolverine In Exile December 9, 2022
Two items why I think you hit the nail on the head, Tom:
1) CFO's in today's corporate landscape are very sensitive to "market pressures". They're more concerned with ESG and quarterly earnings than brand longevity and generational fan building. I would fear that a McCarthy tenure would be a double whammy of bowing to ESG pressures as expressed by cultural stands Disney corporate will make (which will continue to tick off 1/3 to 1/2 of the Disney fan base), and then following that up with financial decisions to continue milking the cow without growing more cows.
2) Disney as a corporation has a successful blueprint as how to run it– I still don't understand why they go away from it. From Walt and Roy, to Eisner and Wells, the most successful Disney eras have the CEO as the creative type focused on building content that expands the Disney fanbase by appealing to the 80% of the public (not kowtowing to the 10% loudest), while the CFO is in close lockstep to make the finances work to the creative vision.
Suzie December 8, 2022
I still want Michael Eisner back. My stock was great when he was around.
Jojo December 9, 2022
Eisner is 80 years old. Time to turn the page and move on.
Chapek's knife isn't yet dry on the knife she backstabbed him with, and she throws her hat in the ring. Look out for Cruella De Vil.
Daniel December 8, 2022
Anyone think Peter Rice is an option?
'Free' Dining Card Deal at Disney World: FAQ, Info & Tips


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melstern
The Onehorsetown Edit
My Journalism
From My Archive
Archive | January, 2012
Financial Director: Which retailers are keeping the British high street afloat?
Melanie Stern finds three finance directors of businesses who see little but opportunity in Britain's stricken city centres and high streets
WALKING down your local town centre or high street counting the number of closing down sales or vacant shops makes for a depressing pastime. And not many of us can say our local shopping haunt has not become… well, haunted somewhat.
Mary Portas presenting her review of the high street Photo by bisgovuk @ Flickr
While so many once-mighty retail brands that formed the core of the British shopping experience are falling as fast as Middle Eastern military dictatorships, the perfect storm of bad news – high unemployment, poorer consumers, high inflation, prohibitive business rates and the threat of the euro imploding – makes it a hostile time for new businesses to form and take their place. Those pressures do not look to be ebbing away in 2012.
But is it really so bad? Behind the wailing "retail Darwinism" headlines is a grain not just of truth, but of hope. For every Woolworth's or Barratt's taking its final bow there is a lesson about what tomorrow's consumer wants that those brands failed to offer. There are highly entrepreneurial outfits large and small, trading on our high streets and in our town centres who are flourishing from the fertile compost of yesterday's retail business model.
Bucking the trend
While the crucial Christmas 2011 trading period proved disastrous for many of the big players, specialist chocolatier Hotel Chocolat, discount store chain 99p Stores and national food-to-funerals giant the Co-operative Society reported strong sales.
In the four weeks to Christmas, 99p Stores had "double digit like-for-like sales – simple things like kitchen foil and bin bags did well," chief financial officer Saleem Karim tells Financial Director; Peter Harris, Hotel Chocolat's co-founder who recently moved from the FD role to strategy director, reports that sales "were at the upper end of our expectations – not that it wasn't tough". Martyn Wates, who was group CFO at the Co-operative Society until his recent promotion to group deputy chief executive, says that though his business still makes most of its revenues through its shops, it enjoyed a 20% like-for-like rise in its online electricals sales over Christmas. Impressively, in the middle of a punishing economic downturn, the group experienced a surge in Land Rover sales from its three dedicated Co-operative dealerships in Yorkshire.
Though these businesses are completely different, what they have in common is worth noting in 2012. All of them have significantly expanded their estates in 2011 and intend to continue doing so in the next 12 months, taking advantage of a flooded commercial space market, using the footfall they command on shopping streets and their brand strength to negotiate a fair price, and moving quickly. Noted in the recent Portas Review about the predicament of the high street, on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS), the growing number of empty shops is hurting the remaining traders, and renting them to charity shops is not helping the economy. The inflexibility of landlords on rent prices and lease length, set against the forthcoming 5% rise in business rates – already costing as much as 50% of the value of retail rent space – is one of the top challenges retail finance directors see in 2012.
Opportunism
The Lalani family, owners of 99p Stores, became an immediate presence across South London in 2009 when co-founder Hussein bought 15 stores from the administrators of Woolworth's, and within weeks had many of them open for business. The company aims to open 18 more stores in 2012, mostly in retail parks where CFO Karim thinks many of the commercial space deals are going to open up.
"We don't have a plan as to where specifically we'll open up – though we know where the gaps are for us. We're more opportunistic than that," Karim tells Financial Director. "It depends on getting offered property that matches our needs more than where it is. When Focus DIY went into administration we were offered its entire property portfolio, but we were then able to pick and choose the bits we wanted, just like with Woolworths. We're getting offered between 60-80 properties every day.
"In 2012 I think a lot of retail parks will be looking to half their estate size," he adds. "Now that we're well known due to our expansion in 2010-11, those landlords see us as their first port of call when those properties come up."
At the other end of the retail scale, Hotel Chocolat is looking at opening in cities such as Cardiff and Glasgow, but Harris will not put a figure on the number of stores it will aim for. In 2012 he is looking to leverage the brand to get into places with a healthy mixture of locals, students, office workers and tourists. He agrees that the recommendations in the Portas Review to stop upward-only rent reviews should be a matter of urgency for government.
"It's now easier to negotiate with landlords for the leases we want; our presence on the high street or in a city centre attracts other retailers," he says. "The strength of our covenants has become less important. But it hasn't gone far enough. The way landlords operate on lease length makes it difficult to stimulate retail; they need to be ready to offer affordable rent, not five to 10-year leases and upward-only rent reviews you just can't get out of when times become tough."
Bank on the Co-op
The Co-op plans to open 300 more shops and create 7,000 jobs in its supermarket business by 2013, but the biggest prize is the potential to buy up 632 UK retail bank branches from Lloyds as it is forced to sell them to comply with European competition rules. The deal is expected to be set in the first quarter of 2012 and would make the Co-operative Bank the UK's seventh-largest in its sector. In addition, Wates says the group will exploit the Legal Services Act amendments made last October that allows banks to offer consumer legal advice. A successful trial of its existing consumer legal services business was conducted through its existing banking network in 2011, but the Lloyds deal could see it dominate that field this year and up their presence on high streets and in town centres.
"The Lloyds deal would be transformational to the society at large, not just our banking business, while provision of impartial legal advice to consumers is right at the heart of our ethos of social justice as a business. At the moment, it's something of a postcode lottery," Wates tells Financial Director. "We have ambitious plans to grow the legal services business in 2012 and if we can scale it right up, it will make it even cheaper to deliver."
Deloitte recently put a figure of 11% on the level of retail administrations to be expected in Q1 2012 as VAT payments on Christmas sales come due alongside business rates. If some of those administrations end up becoming pre-pack administration deals – as the recent rescues of high street retailer La Senza and Blacks Leisure did (see page 47) – any stores deemed to be under-performing are likely to be left out of acquisitions, creating yet more empty square footage in our shopping precincts. Smaller retail businesses, with solid financials that can move swiftly, may find that in 2012 those landlords are unusually happy to negotiate to more reasonable rental rates.
Once again, though, Deloitte's prediction is a boon for an entrepreneurial upstart like 99p Stores.
"It's another opportunity to move into new areas, because we now have access to property we previously wouldn't have had. There's less competition so we can command the sort of arrangements we want," says Karim. "Shopping centre companies used to turn their noses up at us – and suppliers would tell us to go and talk to their distributors. But in the recession we've found we now have mostly middle class customers, and suppliers are happy to deal with us directly."
Parking woes
One of the biggest challenges in 2012 for retailers is simply consumer confidence, and Harris, Karim and Wates concur that one of the deciding factors in gathering footfall for them will be the cost of customer parking in high streets and town centres. It is often very cheap in out-of-town shopping malls. In her review for BIS, high street troubleshooter Mary Portas says modern shoppers see free parking as a "non-negotiable" and recommends local councils implement free controlled parking dedicated to their town centres.
"In many town centres I have visited for this review, parking has been run-down, in an inconvenient place, and most significantly really expensive," says Portas. "There are some places that are doing things differently."
She points to the city of Chester where the local council has laid on free parking after 3pm to stimulate trade.
99p Stores' Karim finds this issue significantly raises the cost of doing business.
"When we are taking deliveries, we find these militant wardens looking to give us a ticket at any opportunity," he says. "We can't do night-time deliveries as that would disturb residents, so in order to get the deliveries unloaded as quickly as possible, we have to pay for extra staff to unload everything before the warden shows up.
"If councils allowed longer parking times, our customers would be less stressed out worrying about getting back to their car before they get a fine, and spend more time shopping. It could mean they put one extra item in their basket."
But businesses should be careful of spending 2012 wishing local government would chip into their survival. Local businesses could club together and part-subsidise parking – even an extra hour or two each day – or take on Mary Portas' recommendation that they work in concert with councils and community representatives to address structural issues.
Hotel Chocolat's Harris says that wherever his stores rely on paid-for parking business deteriorates markedly, but he does not think such an approach would solve it.
"That's just not how things work," he says. "You need to concentrate on your own business. We're not a business for running things by committee: we're not really political and we prefer just to get on with it. I don't think it would be a good use of our time."
No one expects an economic recovery in 2012, but retailers live and die on consumer confidence. While more of our household brands go to the wall every day, confidence among retailers that they will not be among their number is just as important.
The strong performance of 2011 Christmas food sales in higher-end retailers such as Waitrose – compared with the disappointing performance of other types of retailers over the festive period – demonstrates that as shoppers get poorer, they will try harder to find a way to afford the odd treat. And everybody can make use of 99p washing up liquid or binbags. But even for businesses as entrepreneurial as 99p Stores or Hotel Chocolat, if customers cannot easily and cheaply get to their stores, the high street faces a bleak future.
This article was published in Financial Director magazine's February 2012 issue – if you like it, help me out – click here and tweet it!
Tags: Financial Director
Categories Business Articles, Finance Articles
Jaguars and paintbrushes: a volunteering weekend in Bolivia's Chapare
I came across a piece of copy I wrote for the newsletter of Projects Abroad, the volunteering outfit I worked with in 2007, about a weekend job myself and a bunch of other volunteers took up in Bolivia's Chapare region (best known for being a hotspot for coca growing, and cocaine production – but there's a lot more to it than that). There really was a jaguar on the loose among the trees, but everyone came away from the project with all their limbs so it never took a hit at us, even though we were sitting ducks. It was great fun to work on clearing and painting a dilapidated abbattoir to be used as a day-care centre, and a good way to get a better understanding of how communities fill in the services blanks their governments fail to provide for. The thing is, it was already in use as a daycare centre…
Paint, sweat and beers: Melanie Stern recalls painting a daycare centre in Puerto Villarroel
Puerto Villarroel, Bolivia
Picture from panoramio.com
In June, a group of Projects Abroad volunteers from different projects in Cochabamba signed up for what they thought was a free holiday in the Amazon jungle outpost of Puerto Villaroel. Looking forward to four days of sunbathing, monkey-spotting and Taquiña imbibing, their hopes of hammock-based relaxation were killed stone dead when, at a meeting to organise the trip before leaving, Projects Abroad Bolivia director Daniela handed out a schedule for 12-hour days and 6.30 am starts: they were there to paint a day care centre. At that point – after Daniela revealed that a Jaguar had been seen prowling the grounds of Los Lagartos, the house volunteers were to stay at – at least three people came down with streaming colds and had to drop out.
Projects Abroad ́s care placement in Puerto, a remote, languid Chapare township of just 2,000 people on the banks of the River Ichilo is less than a year old, and only recently received its first volunteers – who come to work in the guardería looking after the children with manager Juana – this February. The group of Projects Abroad volunteers visiting from Cochabamba, made up of journalists, medical students and care workers met with the two current volunteers in Puerto, Johnny, an English law graduate managing the guarderia, and Alexis, another Englishman grafting on the farm at Lagartos for three months. Johnny was lumped with managing the group of volunteers painting the day care centre, but took quickly to organising them according to what needed to be done. Which was a lot: on the group's first tour of the centre, a dilapidated former abattoir with completely bare dirty walls, no running water and rat shit all over the floors and blankets, volunteers were met with two very small children running after each other with two large kitchen knives – knives kept on a low windowsill in the kitchen to prise open the doors, having no working locks. A row of very dirty, sad looking cots with no mattresses were lined up against one wall, which reminded some volunteers of Romanian orphanages they used to see on the news back home. The building is shared with an electricity company, which is ironic, being as there is no electricity in the building itself, and therefore no lights.
Over the next three days, the volunteers really put their back into the project, breaking into teams to sweep out the rat shit, clean the shelving, move the cots outside to clean and varnish them, and sanding or plastering the crumbling walls ready for painting. The budget for the project was miniscule but the team managed to achieve what Johnny wanted to do by improvising – when they couldn't buy paint trays, they made them with some plastic sheeting lying around fixed with masking tape into some old drawers that had no use, and when they were running out of out paint rations, they added water to make it go further. At the end of the long weekend, having lost two volunteers half way through to illness and sleeping-on-floor fatigue, and a few more to the nearby, much more touristically-developed Villa Tunari, the guardería looked like a totally different place, with colourful, clean walls, clean furniture, and the crowing glory thanks to Johnny, Charlotte, Will and Eleanor, a seascape mural complete with a treasure chest.
What better way to celebrate finishing the project on time, they decided on the last night, than to hit the local karaoke haunt and drink more Taquiña. Except on that night, karaoke had been cancelled to make way for the "Miss Puerto" contest – a bunch of the township's least attractive menfolk, dressed in woefully unconvincing women's clothing and parading the length of the bar to the strains of Bolivian reggaeton.
All fifteen sweaty, unwashed, hung-over volunteers went home with visions of very happy children arriving at the centre on the following Monday morning. There was only one regret: no one was attacked by the elusive jaguar, so no one had the pleasure of phoning home to report what could have been the best travelling story of all time.
Learn more about Puerto Villarroel here
Categories From My Archive, Travel Articles
Why did McDonald's fail in Bolivia? Blame the saltena
It's the entirely unscientific, anecdotal judgement that not very many Europeans or North Americans will have visited Bolivia on which I assess this article by the Andean Information Network, pondering a film that has raised debate about why McDonald's exited that country.
A snack stand, Ivirgazama, Chapare, Bolivia. 2007.
A fair few articles have appeared on this topic in news outlets in both those continents following the release of the documentary Por qué quebró McDonald's en Bolivia (Why did McDonald's Bolivia go Bankrupt?), in which Fernando Martinez attempts to explain the reason fast-food Evil Staypuft McDonald's pulled out of Bolivia after only a few years in operation there. The film hasn't got a release date in the UK yet so all I've been able to access is the trailer on YouTube; the documentary looks really interesting (though neither the Israeli company that produced it nor possible hosts to a UK showing like Canning House reply to my requests for information), but its release has stirred some silliness. As the AIN starts to point out quite rightly in this piece, a flurry of news articles from news outlets saying that McDonald's closed its last restaurant in Bolivia in December 2011 were not only entirely wrong – Maccy D's closed all its stores in Bolivia by 2002 – but seemed to spring somehow from the release of the documentary. Someone, somewhere, somehow got the idea that McDonald's was pulling its final restaurant from Bolivia in December 2011 and put this out as breaking news. And from that tiny seed came a torrent of cut and paste 'breaking news' stories from other platforms.
Once they reached my laptop I was mightily confused: when I was in Bolivia in 2007 I was aware that there were no MacDonald's in Bolivia, but I had walked past the Burger King in Cochabamba to much amusement – it was empty. Obviously, those in Bolivia were more likely to be in possession of the facts, but reporters further afield would have had to make gargantuan efforts – such as Googling for MacDonald's press office phone number, picking up the phone, ringing them and asking for corroboration of this alleged breaking news – to find out if it was true. Readers in North America and Europe, quite a few of whom probably haven't even heard of Bolivia, can't be expected to know. For that reason there haven't been many reporters writing about why and how so many news outlets followed the original Pied Piper of this fake news story into the stinking river of churnalism.
Good on AIN for noting the blooper, but the piece quite mysteriously changes angle half way through to talk about the question the documentary addresses on just why McDonald's exited Bolivia. Gleaning what little I can from words written by those who appear to have seen it, most theories centre on it simply being unprofitable – well, it's one of the world's poorest countries – or the more intriguing idea that Bolivians just don't like the idea of fast food.
Again AIN does point out that Subway and Burger King continue to serve in Bolivian cities, which somewhat discredits the idea that McD's found no money to be made there. The second theory is easily dispatched with. First of all though, it must be said that people who've got no concept of this place called 'Bolivia' except an image of poor, brown-skinned people herding llamas can be forgiven for imagining that Bolivians might well reject the notion of fast food as we Europeans know it. Based on time I have spent in Bolivia, what I can add to the debate is the idea that Bolivians are as ferociously devoted to fast food as the Yanks or the Europeans. The reason they may not have taken to McD's could well be that they have their own pre-existing types of fast food, and that they are a damn sight tastier, more diverse, cheaper, more readily available, easier to make and better suited to Bolivian life. If someone right this second offered me the choice of a McChicken sandwich or a couple of freshly made morning saltenas with a little spoon of picante and a fistful of serviettes to wipe way the juice, my peripheral vision would close in on the saltena and simply occlude the McChicken sandwich from my view and my desires.
A saltena looks like a palm-sized, American Football-shaped calzone or Cornish pasty – actually, someone should look into why these three snacks from different corners of the Earth are so similar – consisting of a mishmash of boiled egg, perhaps some chicken, chillies, maybe an olive or two, garlic, onion, sugar and spices, and perhaps some parsley baked into a pocket of golden pastry. So perfectly conceived, these little handfuls of heaven are commonly eaten in Bolivia and Argentina (from whence they allegedly originate – specifically Salta, a city in the north; hence the name) and are commonly eaten for breakfast on the run. They're so ubiquitous, sold in saltenaria, on the streets, in markets and from holes in the wall outlets for a couple of pesos or Bolivianos, so easy to turn out and sell, and so incredibly moreish that I can quite see the challenge posed to the Big Mac – positively flaccid looking in comparison.
When I was working at Los Tiempos newspaper and in the office of a volunteering company in Cochabamba in 2007, once of the most enjoyable parts of generally very enjoyable days was the morning dash past the little bakery on Calle Sucre to grab two or three saltenas; a 1.50 Bolivianos each, I always had enough change on me to indulge (I got into the habit of always having nine Bolivianos in change on me, enough for two saltenas, the bus ride to work, back home for lunch, back to work and back home again). Although they are famed for inconveniencing their purchaser with an uncontrollable ejaculate of orange-hued juice that inevitably bursts from within their just-out-of-the-oven shells as you bite into it – splashing your nice new shirt and running down your chin if you don't master the skill of wrapping it in a napkin and catching the drips before they embarass you -you only need one hand to eat a saltena, surely a critical design feature of any true fast food.
Compared to anything McDonald's does, the saltena is genuinely food that is fast; I gobbled mine down single-handedly on the way to work, or at my desk while using my other hand to type or point and laugh at gap-year students. In a land where so many people live on a few Bolivianos a day – some of those in transit on long, uncomfortable bus journeys transporting goods across the country or carting bags of shopping home from market – the saltena is a prime example of design matched perfectly to the needs of its local populace. The Filet O' Fish, meanwhile, could conceivably have taken many more megawatts to produce and carry a much larger carbon footprint (if only because of the bespoke machines needed to turn out high volumes of highly standardised products and the cost of getting them to Bolivia. I'll take a punt and say they were not built in Bolivia).
As far as I know (and I have done some research), there is no national or even large regional company turning out saltenas to standardised form or recipe and making overnight deliveries to its own chain of restaurants. There are small businesses who supply local shops with their saltenas locally, as there are variations between cities and provinces in the taste. There is such a thing as a saltena wrapper available for purchase, basically a flap of pastry ready-made to construct saltenas.
The saltena is just one example of the rich fast food offerings Bolivians enjoy on a daily basis, and have done since long before McDonald's turned up. Contrary to the European or North American idea of Bolivia as a country of semi-starving people – not to understate the poverty that many live in there – it's my experience that Bolivians are passionate foodies who have fashioned a range of fresh, but fast snackfoods to be eaten on the go, and for pennies. Having not industrialised them, and with regional variations, they remain diverse and tasty enough to put any foreign comers at risk of not competing.
There is the empanada, a larger, greasier version of the saltena mostly comprising cheese and served hot to eat on the go at bus stops, on the way to work and so on; but even foods that need you to sit still at a counter to eat is conceived around getting in and getting out. Before catching a bus out of the town, I dined at a food market in Potosi among hordes of time-pressured stallholders wolfing down a steaming bowl of stew. I don't know precisely what was in it, but it definitely contained heaps of soft pasta cuffs and quinoa, some veggies and meat that fell apart with the spicy juice it was cooked in. I was done in ten minutes and on my way to the station a few Bolivianos later, ready for my 7 hour bus ride.
If I had wanted something greasy, Bolivians have long had the art of the filthy burger down pat – no pun intended. Most bus or train stations, markets and street stalls offer the good old burger in a bun shat on by an billowing turd of mayonnaise and ketchup, and they sometimes forego the separate fries to jemmy a handful of salty mini-fries, with fried onions, in-between burger and bun. Aside from price and convenience, their burger has one other critical advantage over the McDonald's or Burger King's equivalent – at your request, a fried egg rammed in for good measure.
Why did McDonald's leave Bolivia? My guess is that it just couldn't compete with the true fast food that already dominates Bolivian life. Hopefully this documentary will be brought to the UK and I can hear the arguments for myself.
Tags: Latin America, Los Tiempos
Categories Business Articles, Travel Articles
Financial Director magazine: Employment reform
My latest article for Financial Director magazine, in its January 2012 issue. If you like it, please click on the hyperlink underneath where it says "you're fired" which will take you to where the article is hosted, and tweet or add to linked for me!
You're fired: Employment reform plans aim to reduce tribunals to a trickle and save businesses £40m in the process. Melanie Stern assesses the government's key proposals
It was cheerily pitched as "getting the state out of the way" – Vince Cable's announcement of radical reforms to employment law he claims will save business £40m by making it quicker and cheaper, especially for SMEs, to fire underperformers or make redundancies.
Principal among the proposals are four ideas: making employees pay to pursue claims against their employer; forcing them to take potential claims through the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas); the introduction of protected conversations; and reducing the statutory consultation period on collective redundancies by as much as two-thirds.
Slotted into Cable's November speech at EEF, the European manufacturers' association, was a plea that no one should see the changes as a threat to workers' rights. He is merely "improving the process for when staff have to be let go". Trade unions predictably have said they don't believe the changes will create or save jobs.
But Cable himself doesn't seem sure. He points to the OECD view that the UK labour market is among the most lightly regulated of developed economies, while his own Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) recently found that just 6% of SMEs regard employment regulation as their main obstacle to business.
And finance heads with whom Financial Director spoke have mixed feelings about the impact they can have on SMEs.
Transferring the cost of tribunals from employers to claimants, all employees with a claim will now be obliged to enter into pre-conciliation talks through Acas in the first instance. If that fails, Acas can refer it to tribunal, with employees obliged to pay both to lodge a claim and to pursue it from their own pocket.
The Ministry of Justice is seeking views on two possible fee systems – payment of a fee to lodge a claim and a second to take it to hearing, or a £30,000 threshold so those seeking an award higher than that will pay more to bring a claim.
Employment lawyer Ronnie Fox thinks this will make life easier for SMEs. He believes it is "too easy, cheap and low-risk for a savvy, disgruntled employee to run up costs quickly". While FDs think it will stem the flow of claims – 218,000 in the past year, with businesses spending some £4,000 defending each claim, and UK taxpayers paying an average £1,900 per claim, says BIS – they foresee complications.
"It will almost certainly stop claims, but that isn't necessarily good," says Matthew Howes, a principal with SME interim finance director provider The FD Centre. "The ability to take action will be determined by the depth of employees' pockets rather than the strength of their case. For SMEs, that could lead to an increase in 'no win, no fee' cases from lawyers, which would increase our costs."
Ian Sharpe, FD at Renewable Technical Services, says: "Fees are probably necessary to reduce vexatious claims, but this change could lead to hardship."
Duncan Tatton-Brown, CFO at privately owned gym chain Fitness First, thinks it "should help reduce unwarranted claims and speed up resolution at a lower cost".
But Fox is not convinced. "Acas involvement is already possible, but has rarely proved useful in practice. It's unlikely to make much difference," he says.
Fox goes further on proposals to reduce the consultation period for collective redundancies from 90 days to 60, 45 or even 30 days, for which BIS is currently gathering evidence. "The fact is consultation is almost always a complete sham, with a pre-determined outcome. The shorter the period, the better," he says. "It would be best if the need for such 'consultation' could be abolished completely."
Howes is similarly worried that too short a period could lead to too many or the wrong people being lost to the business, though Sharpe welcomes a reduced period.
One proposal drawing mostly favourable reaction from FDs is "protected conversation''. Beefing up the current provision for "without prejudice" discussion, employees and employers can raise sensitive issues, including performance or retirement, without bringing a formal dispute. Whereas current provision permits discussion as evidence in a constructive dismissal case if it began before dismissal, protected conversations are inadmissible in a subsequent dispute or tribunal. The government will publish a consultation in early 2012 on this idea.
Sharpe and Howes think it is a good idea to allow discussions to start early, while Fox says it could address problems with existing law relating to without prejudice discussions. "If the new law is expressed in terms easy for the layman to understand, covering discrimination and unfair dismissal, there are real advantages for businesses," he says.
But do FDs think these measures will help growth and encourage SMEs to take on more staff while the status quo disintegrates before their eyes? Not likely.
"My experience is that businesses do or don't take people on for sound business reasons," says Howes. "If either party is thinking about the employment law ramifications, they are either the wrong person, there isn't a proper business case for the hire, or it's the wrong business."
Two new learnings about Christmas and NYE in other countries
This was a fun Christmas and I've come away from it with two new factoids about the festive season and how it is celebrated in other countries.I've come by these new cultural learnings from some Spanish friends, with whom I spent New Years Eve getting drunk, and from Skype call with my boyfriends' sister-in-law who is German.
Ronaldo enjoying some NYE grapes. Pic totally stolen from the Daily Mail via Google Images. Copyright rests with Splash News.
Factoid 1 – Germans mark the dawn of a new year by watching a rubbish 18-minute, English-language, black and white comedy sketch from 1963
I was having a Skype video conference on New Year's Day with my boyfriend, his sister-in-law Miriam, brother and two young nieces who live near Hamburg. Miriam mentioned something about Dinner For One, but amid the slow connection and the niecelets jumping about in the background (combined with my hangover) meant I missed what she was saying but didn't give too much more thought to it. Shortly last my boyfriend's dad mentioned it again – saying that the elder niece, 5, had seen a man tripping over a lion head in this Dinner For One and after it was repeated a few times asked her dad, 'is that supposed to be funny?' – well, whatever she was on about, this was one smart pre-schooler and I had to know what she was on about. Said father of boyfriend directed me to his computer to YouTube this "Dinner For One" thing. Turns out it's an 18-minute comedy sketch, filmed in black and white – in 1963 – in English, which is virtually unknown in the UK but enjoys cult status in Germany where it is a hard-wired staple of New Year's Eve TV schedules. According to Wikipedia, the same goes for the Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Estonian, Austrian and Faroe Island NYE telly schedules. Wikipedia also notes that the sketch appeared as the world's most frequently repeated TV programme ever in the Guinness Book of World Records in every edition between 1988 and 1995. Apparently the Ozzies have now added it to their NYE schedules.
What's so amazing about this sketch that entire nations down their champagne flutes and stollen to watch it every single year? I watched it but am none the wiser. Filmed in a single take, it is a simple enough tale of an elderly woman who sits down to a meal with three friends, served by an equally aged butler. Except the three friends have long since died, so as the meal wears on and a fresh alcoholic drink is served with each course, the old lady expects the butler to pretend that he is each guest, and to drink their share of the booze, whereupon he becomes progressively more drunk. With each course served the old butler trips up on the head of a tiger rug – and the audience is more entertained with incredulity each time he returns to do this – and the crux of the comedy element rests on him wearily enquiring to his employer with each course: "The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?" to which Miss Sophie replies: "the same procedure as every year, James!" – followed by the butler making ever more sozzled emulations of the absent friends as he staggers round the table serving the booze, then skolling it, then tripping up on the lion head. I really cannot understand what is so funny, though the director helpfully recorded live audience laughter with it, which does get progressively more ridiculous so you know where the funny bits are meant to be.
I definitely understand why my boyfriend's niece asked her daddy if the tripping up was meant to be funny. Have a look for yourself here – then surprise and delight your German or Nordic friends by crow-barring the phrase "same procedure as every year!" into your conversation.
Baffling.
Factoid 2 – The Spanish eat 12 grapes, one each second for the final 12 seconds of the outgoing year, and have done for over 100 years
In a not dissimilar way to the Coca-Cola Corporation's ingenious hijacking of the legend of Saint Nicolas to create the portly, ruddy, Coke-bringing Santa we know from their adverts who helps sell gazillions of litres of the stuff each Christmas, Spaniards across their fine country switch on their TVs armed with a fistful of grapes as the last 12 seconds of a year approach. A live, televised event, Las doce uvas de la suerte, "The twelve grapes of luck" is a cult phenomenon whereby Spaniards pop one grape for every second until the New Year strikes, gathering in Madrid's Puerta Del Sol by the thousands to join in.
The tradition comes from some clever clog vine growers in the Alicante region who, around 1895, had had a bumper crop and needed to come up with a way to get shot of their surplus for a tasty profit. They devised the grape-eating ritual, adding on a made-up legend that to successfully much 12 grapes in 12 seconds as the New Year comes in would bring a year of prosperity to said muchee, and somehow parlayed it into Spanish dogma.
Allegedly the first time the ritual was performed was at the Puerta Del Sol tower clock, which is why it become a broadcastable event from that same site. As it goes, I learned of this on NYE when I was at a party thrown by a close Spanish friend. One of her other Spanish mates arrived with three packets of Tesco grapes, which I noticed – as you might when you're hoping someone will supply Ben and Jerry's ice cream for dessert, not grapes – but didn't think much of it until she and our other two Spanish guests started washing and decanting them into glasses to be passed to every guest. After the tradition was explained to me there was much faffing as they tried to tune into the Spanish channel broadcasting from Madrid, but as the broadband failed we resorted to Skyping a relative in Spain who counted us down as she watched it live. I was deeply sceptical that anyone could successfully chew and swallow 12 grapes in 12 seconds, but I managed it, so I expect a prosperous 2012. Another plus was seeing in the New Year twice in as many hours, being as Spain is one hour ahead.
Watch some Spaniards doing the munch of the grapes here – though this looks a bit more like a wake than a celebration.
Categories Travel Articles
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CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana - The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is deeply concerned by the recent developments in Ukraine and calls on all parties involved, to act with self-restraint and responsibility in order to reduce tensions and avoid destabilization in that region.
The Community supports the people of Ukraine in their efforts to settle their differences peacefully, and calls for the respect of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In this regard, the Community also calls for the use of international mediation and/or negotiations, to address security and human rights concerns in Ukraine, under the auspices of the United Nations.
The Caribbean Community will continue to monitor developments within Ukraine and hopes for peace and calm as political and economic stability are restored within that country.


Keeping up with the ever evolving mobile space is quite a challenge and often game developers and publishers don't find the time to look over blogs and insights related to the industry. Moreover, with the volume of data and insights flooding the internet, we find ourselves in quite the confusing spot as to which blogs and website we should be following.
Since 2006, this German publication has been sharing important information about the various essential tools and techniques related to the design side of things. The publication has a dedicated graphic design and UX section.
The folks at Unreal Engine don't just use their blog to give you focussed company updates or tell you about new product features. No sir! Not only will you find stuff about gaming events from across the planet, various game development events and tutorials on their blog, you will also find a dedicated section for academia! How cool is that?
Envatotuts+ is the perfect place for how-to tutorials and free online courses, and within this amazing setup, there is a hidden gem — Game Design & Development Tutorials — a place to find tutorials, online courses and eBooks on any and every topic related to game design and development.
GamenewsHQ is quite cool in a number of ways. For one, it shows you a collection of the best articles from much smaller blogs that you would have missed in all probability. Moreover, the GamenewsHQ website allows you to see all the new articles since your last visit to the website.
App Annie has some of the most detailed reports when it comes to talking about the state of the industry, app store data and trends, forecasts and expert commentary. If detailed industry insight is your thing, or even if you want to ensure that you're updated with changing trends, this blog should definitely be on your reading list.
Based on three key themes — analytics, metrics and research, the App Data blog is one of a kind in several aspects. Apart from detailed analysis of mobile apps, they also touch upon cross-platform analysis, analysis of emerging technologies, analysis of app stores other than Google Play and iOS, analysis of financial reports of app or game publishers, etc.
If it's mobile gaming news that you seek, PocketGamer is one of the best sources that there is. From breaking news to detailed industry insights, it's a one stop shop for all of the mobile gaming industry, covering new game launches, trending games, list of gaming events around the world, as well as a resource section comprising of analytics, market research, etc.
In 2005, two friends set out to tackle the problem of almost complete lack of data on the digital games market and its gamers with Newzoo. 11 years on, their company is a global leader in the field, offering a wide variety of insights, some free, others paid. That's not all. Free insights can be further tweaked on the basis of region, market, console and content type!
Initially a video game development website, Gamasutra has widened its horizons to include smartphones and tablets. This internationally recognised, Webby Award-winning online news source and community for game development professionals has been covering game development since 1997.
Gamesbrief is a blog dedicated to the dedicated to the business of games. It follows the course of the players making waves in the F2P (Free to Play) arena, in addition to sharing tips and tools for F2P game development, post development advice, as well as key industry trends to help amateur game developers to help them what they do best — create mind-blowing games.


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General Manager (02803) - 1135 W. Wood
Domino's Franchise
Date: 2 weeks ago
City: Decatur, IL
You were born to be the boss. We know. You get up in the morning and you make sure everyone else in the house is doing what they need to do. Then you go to work and you make sure that everyone there is doing what they need to do, even your boss. You just do that because you've always done it. Well maybe it's time you moved up. You want to be the boss? Well now's your chance - Domino's Pizza is hiring bosses - more specifically assistant managers. It's a tough job, one that needs a natural like you. Of course, you'll need some skills - judgment, math and the ability to multitask.
You'll be working for a company that's fun and flexible. Not to mention, it's work experience you're going to use for a long time to come. You've had our pizza delivered to you, now help us be the best in pizza delivery. Go on, boss, show us what you've got. Apply now!
Many of our team members began their careers as delivery drivers and today are successful Domino's franchise owners. From assistant manager to general manager, general manager to franchisee or Manager Corporate Operations, our stores offer a world of opportunity.
Verbal, writing, and telephone skills to take and process orders. Motor coordination between eyes and hands/fingers to rapidly and accurately make precise movements with speed.
Talking and hearing on telephone. Near and mid-range vision for most in-store tasks.
The ability to direct activities, perform repetitive tasks, work alone and with others, work under stress, meet strict quality control standards, deal with people, analyze and compile data, make judgements and decisions.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, including, but not limited to the following:
Most tasks are performed from a standing position. Walking surfaces include ceramic tile "bricks" with linoleum in some food process areas. Height of work surfaces is between 36" and 48".
For short distances for short durations
Paperwork is normally completed in an office at a desk or table
To move trays which are placed on dollies.
A stack of trays on a dolly is approximately 24" - 30" and requires a force of up to 7.5 pounds to push.
During delivery of product, navigation of five or more flights of stairs may be required.Stooping/Bending
Access to insured vehicle which can be used for delivery.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
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