| Convenience quashes the shame of gift cards
Who cares that holiday spending fell short of expectations in 2007? The real shopping is happening right now.
Gift cards, according to a survey by American Express and the International Council of Shopping Centers, were the third most popular item during the holiday season, behind only clothing, CDs and DVDs. The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will have spent $26.3 billion on gift cards last year, up from a paltry $18.5 billion two years ago. As bad as that news is for the wrapping paper industry, it's good news for the retail economy. Because gift card purchases aren't recorded until the card is actually redeemed, it's safe to say that the holiday shopping season will continue well into the new year.
I bought several gift cards this year, and the experience left me feeling empty and a bit ashamed.
The development of shopping malls is booming throughout Latin America.
Thanks to increased foreign investment, local pent-up demand and improved economies, Latin America is seeing a boom in new shopping malls, experts say. "The industry is booming in the region," says Jorge Lizan, director of business development at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). "There is not a single country in Latin America in which developers and retailers aren't active." Latin America was behind in retail development for decades compared to other regions such as North America and Europe, but now there is a frantic pace in the development of all type of formats of shopping centers, he says. Roberto "Hobi" Linhares, vice president at Miami, U.S.-based Beame Architectural Partnership, can attest to that. The company is building shopping malls from Brazil to Central America and the Caribbean.
Can England retain the Ashes?
Gosh CMG now calling for changes having been an apologist for Fletcher all tour, wake up you are two tests behind the rest of us. Geoff Beer, Brighton, England The selection blunders in this series are obvious and much discussed.
I would argue that the selection blunders started berfore this, namely when Freddie was selected as captain instead of Strauss. Look at the historical precedents. Ian Botham was undoubtedly one of the best Engalnd players ever but he couldn't cope with the captaincy as well as bowling and batting. Freddie is the same. Unleash him - look what happened to Botham in 1981 at Headingly- give Strauss the captaincy.
Strauss may not be such a 'talisman', but he has more management and leadership skills, the tactical know-how and intelligence, plus the slight distance required in leaders, to do well.
Purdue's Big Ten success a surprise But, Painter cautions, the team ...
Purdue (15-5) has won five straight and is only a three-point loss at No. 8 Michigan State away from conference perfection. Did coach Matt Painter expect this kind of early success? "You don't know when you have a lot of inexperience," Painter said. "We have some talented guys who can dribble, pass and shoot, and that helps. We put people in binds." Those binds guarantee nothing, Painter said, except opportunity. Today's contention can become tomorrow's disappointment. "See where we stand after we get through the midway point. That's a huge checkpoint." That nine-game checkpoint will come after Saturday's game at Illinois. "The guys have done a good job since Christmas," Painter said, "but we're trying to keep the focus on Iowa." The Boilers won at Iowa two weeks ago, and beat then-No.
Tutorial: Font Management In Linux, Part 2
Last week we learned some useful tips about font management in Linux. Today we're going to learn a few more ways to preview fonts, how to view font character maps, how to manage console fonts, and how to design your own fonts.
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French police plan Windows-free jails, offices
The French gendarmerie has blown a big framboise at Microsoft by ditching Windows XP in favour of Ubuntu. The paramilitary police force is to switch 70,000 desktops over to the Linux OS, two years after switching its browsers to Firefox, and three years after dumping MS Office for OpenOffice. Deputy director of the forces IT department Colonel Nicholas Geraud said the change will be gradual, according to the AFP. 5,000 to 8,000 machines are to make the switch this year, with the rest swapping over the next four years.
Nintendo Wii tops toy-shortage list
It would not be a holiday shopping season without a toy shortage, and this year, consumers are clamouring for the out-of-stock Nintendo Wii video-game console. For the second straight year, electronics stores around Metro Vancouver are out of stock of the innovative game system heading into Christmas, said Rick Lee, assistant manager at EB Games in Burnaby. Demand for the Nintendo Wii video game console has outstripped the supply this holiday season.(CBC) "They're just the most popular item in the video-game market this year. They're really hard to come by because any time we get them, they just fly right out the door," Lee told CBC News on Wednesday. Shoppers like Natalie Boucher and her whole family have scoured the Lower Mainland in a last-minute attempt to get their hands on one.
Banks lead slide after unsettling Libor rise
A sharp rise in the interbank lending rate ended the three-day FTSE rally with Royal Bank of Scotland leading the fallers. The bank lost 18½p to 912p after Barclays revealed its £1.3 billion writedown. Now that Barclays has revealed its exposure, RBS is under pressure to do the same. But even Barclays failed to reassure investors and, after an initial gain of 6 per cent, closed down 2½p at 530½p on 107 million shares traded. Credit Suisse said it applauded the disclosure but there were many more questions to be answered: "There could be worse to come for the banking sector as a whole." Three-month Libor, the rate at which London banks lend to each other, rose from below 6.3 per cent on Wednesday to 6.3425 per cent overnight. The rise in the cost of borrowing could hurt mortgage lenders such as Alliance & Leicester, which lost another 21p to 648p, and HBOS, down 25½p to 783p.
THE SEEDS OF KINDNESS By Patricia E. Celenza
Each month, for the past five months, its members donate enough money to provide 1,200 hot meals each and every month to people (mostly women and children) who live and/or work in garbage dumps in Honduras. Each meal consists of rice, beans, tortillas, chicken, and juice. This program also helps to relocate people from these dumps, aiding them in finding housing/employment elsewhere.
Once a week, the Ladies Group, composed of about a dozen women, visits people in their homes throughout the village. The Ladies Group provides fellowship and support for people who, for whatever reason, cannot travel easily outside their homes.
The Placencia Worship Center will host the second annual national Pastor's Convention from March 11-14. Seventy five pastors from around Belize will gather here in Placencia for prayer, revival, sharing, and fellowship.
Looking to the future, Miss Lavern would like to organize a youth choir. A beautiful singer in her own right, Miss Lavern's voice leads the church members in its church services on Wednesday and Sunday nights, beginning at 7 p.m. She looks forward to sharing her gifts and directing a youth choir to further enhance the depth of these services. The church is currently seeking a leader for its youth program, one who will provide a balance of scriptural-based inspirational activities with more fun and games.
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