Apple's Rotten Side Has a Familiar Look

Come on.. give me a break.. this is really all about envy.. As long as corporations are not doing anything illegal.. or let me put it this way.. as long as their illegal activities are non-public, they are entitled for praise for their ingenuity for growth.. Ethical/Un-Ethical is all subjective and can't be really put to the test of the time.. It all depends on Individual Corporations to define their ethical standards and consumers to make a balance and choose between the corporations.

As far as Chinese manufacturing conditions are concerned, in my view, it is up to Chinese government to enforce laws of their country. At the same time, it is free press' responsibility to bring such issues out in public, so consumers can make educated decisions and balance their own ethical standards with the benefit or loss they are getting by using or not using the products of such a company..

Executive compensation is again their to drive innovation and growth, fruits of which everyone gets, in some form or other.. In case, executive performs un-ethical or more importantly, illegal activity, at least we are sure that in US, that executive will end up behind the bars.. However big shot or rich that executive may be.. moreover, it is fairly democratic process.. it is purely driven by performance and drive in the individual to become top shot executive.. Luck and other things may matter but they may at the most aid you.. if you have problem with their compensation, go and become CEO and don't take salary or stock..

Here is the original article in WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204624204577183603902017984.html

Let's play a guessing game. See if you can deduce the company that I am describing below.

Company X is the envy of its industry. It's the leader in all the categories where it competes. Its competitors take aim at it in their advertising. Rivals deride Company X's practices privately and publicly.

They say Company X doesn't innovate, that its success comes from marketing. Company X has a Teflon image. But even the most disinterested observer knows Company X's foes are just jealous. Everyone wants Company X's products. Everyone wants to work there.

Why wouldn't they? Every quarter, Company X stuns Wall Street by producing earnings that outshine even the most optimistic expectations.

It appears there is no stopping X.

OK, so who is it?

If you need a hint, try this multiple choice.

A. Today's Apple Inc.

B. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. of just a few years ago.

C. Both of the above.

The answer, of course, is C. But that's the easy part. What I would argue is that Apple and Goldman, very different companies in very different industries, really are much closer to each other in their business practices than Wall Street and the general public think.

Enlarge Image

Reuters

Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, last year was awarded restricted stock worth more than $445 million that will vest during the next 10 years.

For instance, Goldman has been tangled in lawsuits and investigations over its practices.

And Apple? Eastman Kodak Co. alleged Apple stole its patented camera technology. Nokia Corp. alleged that Apple copied parts of its operating system.

Goldman has been accused of fueling the mortgage boom and criticized for fumbling in front of lawmakers. Apple has had to defend its privacy practices, most notably its use of iPhone location data, before congressional committees, where executives gave stumbling and vague answers.

And we all know that Goldman has been taken to task for selling mortgage securities and structuring deals to, in the words of investigators, "bet against its clients."

The companies have said the criticisms are distorted, flat-out wrong, sour grapes or worse.

Less talked about are the benefits Goldman has bestowed on clients in the form of advice, financing and trading prowess. That's why Goldman continues to be in demand by companies, pension funds and investors even after its reputation was sullied. Facebook, perhaps the hottest company in the world, picked Goldman to run its private placement last year.

And as much as Apple is heralded for its product design, its efforts to run an environmentally friendly business and create products that make the world a better place, there is almost no attention paid to the fact that Apple is one of the nation's biggest users of outsourced labor.

Almost all of Apple's components are made or assembled overseas in conditions the company has acknowledged are sometimes brutal: grueling hours, low pay and abysmal working conditions in factory dormitories.

The labor issue isn't negligible. To do some back-of-the-envelope math: Apple reported $33 billion in profits during the last year. If 10% of those profits were attributable to labor savings and if that cash was given to U.S. workers at the median income rate of $26,364 (not including benefits), Apple could effectively hire 125,170 Americans to assemble iPhones, iPads and Macs.

That means Apple could effectively lower the U.S. unemployment rate by a tenth of a percentage point, not counting the economic effect of adding those jobs back into the U.S. economy.

Meanwhile, Apple executives take home tremendous compensation. Its seven-member board split more than $1.5 million last year. Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, last year was awarded restricted stock worth more than $445 million that will vest during the next 10 years.

In contrast, Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman's chairman and CEO, reaped $19 million in total compensation in 2010, and $54 million in 2007, Goldman's best year. Goldman has a majority of its jobs in the U.S., and its work force is compensated handsomely.

Finally, consider each company's performance for investors. During Goldman's heyday from 2002 to 2008, the stock appreciated 229%.

Apple's stock appreciation since 2004 is roughly 2,300%.

Those runs were the result of ever-increasing profits such as those Apple reported Tuesday. Unlike Apple, though, Goldman is suffering from a backlash.

Will public opinion of Apple change? Who knows? One thing is clear. Both companies are hardly alone in their controversial practices. Mortgage fraud and indulgent risk-taking have been alleged against the entire banking industry, not just Goldman. Outsourcing and the stealing of patents in the consumer-technology business is standard practice, too.

That contrast dwells in the eye of the public. Think different, indeed.

Write to David Weidner at david.weidner@dowjones.com

Great Sports Story.. Kind of Inspiration great inspiration for kids!!

Here is the complete story from our local San Jose Mercury News!!


U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS

A surprising leader - Teen Zawadzki, who nearly quit the sport, shines in short program


By Elliott Almond

ealmond@mercurynews.com

A high school senior from Colorado Springs, Colo., gave the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships a huge jolt Thursday night.

Agnes Zawadzki, 17, waltzed past the big names to win the ladies short program with an impressive 66.24 points at HP Pavilion.

With 2010 Olympians Mirai Nagasu and Rachael Flatt faltering, the women’s competition might have some new faces on the podium after the free skate Saturday.

In the meantime, Zawadzki is the skater of the moment. She will have to duplicate her strong showing because reigning U.S. champion Alissa Czisny is second, 3.10 points behind. Veteran Ashley Wagner is third (63.06), and Nagasu fell to fifth and Flatt, a Stanford freshman, to ninth.

Zawadzki called the night surreal after completing a triple-triple combination jump to start the program skated to music from “Harlem Nocturne” and “Whatever Lola Wants.”

As recently as a year ago, the teen considered walking away from skating after finishing fourth at the U.S. championships.

“It’s a girl growing up dealing with a lot of things,” said one of her coaches, David Santee of Chicago.

“I wasn’t excited to skate every day,” said Zawadzki, the 2010 World junior silver medalist. “I was expecting way too much.”

NHAT V. MEYER/STAFF 

Agnes Zawadzki, 17, won the the short program with a score of 66.24. 

She switched coaches but not rinks in Colorado Springs, Colo., asking Santee to help advise her. Her everyday coach is Christy Krall, though Santee talks to his skater all the time. He wasn’t surprised by what transpired on the ice in San Jose. 

“We knew it was just a matter of time,” Santee said. 

Czisny, 24, also felt good after a wonderful presentation that was pockmarked with a flubbed double Axel jump. 

“I hesitated a little bit going into the jump and it doesn’t work,” she said. “Considering it is worth the least amount of points, it is probably the best one to miss.” 

Nagasu, 18, didn’t know what to say about the mistake on her first jump of the program. She landed awkwardly on the triple loop. 

“I’m just glad I stayed on my feet, because I would have lost a lot more if I didn’t,” Nagasu said. “I think I was a little bit frazzled, because this isn’t the way I’ve been practicing.” 

Nagasu, one of America’s most promising skaters, can make up ground and reach the podium Saturday. But it will be difficult to earn one of two spots to compete at the World Championships in March in Nice, France. 

“That was not her usual self,” coach Frank Carroll lamented. 

While Nagasu was bemoaning a less than adequate performance, Wagner celebrated her best short program in four years. She credited a move to coach John Nicks in Aliso Viejo with the improvement. 

“The demons are gone,” she declared. 

It’s difficult to know where Flatt is at. She is coming off a foot injury last year at the World Championships and a move from Colorado Springs to Stanford. Flatt, 19, has been living in the dorm, where she caught a cold this week. 

Bay Area coach Lynn Smith couldn’t believe Flatt completed only a single Axel instead of the planned double. 

“That was not on my radar,” Smith said. “She can do a double Axel with her eyes closed and feet behind her.” 

But Flatt was happy to finally complete her triple Lutz after struggling with the jump all season. 

All she can do now is try to complete a clean program Saturday to end her season. 

■ Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker of Aliso Viejo took the lead in the senior pairs by winning the short program with a score of 65.80. Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig (61.27) were second, followed by Caydee Denney and John Coughlin (60.88) after the petite Denney tumbled to the ice on throw triple flip. 

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.

com/elliottalmond. 

I think we need Intervention by Supreme Court on this issue

If India really wants to be Super power, India needs to fix their Infrastructure.. Start caring about value of life more... Currently, I feel India is rich enough that they can rebuild City or Country on their own in case without any aid from outside.. However, No Country is Rich Enough to get life of its Citizen's back.. Nations can invest in preventing loss of life only.. Which is what India needs to next.

Fix building codes to ensure that newer buildings can withstand moderate earthquake and may protect residents in case of severe earthquake. I am sure that newer building codes must be enforcing it.. wherever they can, despite rampant corruption.. However, issue here is older buildings.. which were buit years ago without any thought about earthquake...

I can't blame western media for this news as exaggeration as I have seen these areas myself.. especially in older/northern Delhi.. I am sure things might have changed a lot already.. As people make money they start investing in future.. biggest of it must/should be in protecting life!!!

Here is detailed news from our beloved local Mercury News..

New Delhi officials ignore quake dangers

Despite warnings, leaders fail to work on improving safety

By Muneeza Naqvi

Associated Press

NEW DELHI — The ramshackle neighborhoods of northeast Delhi are home to 2.2 million people packed along narrow alleys. Buildings are made from a single layer of brick. Extra floors are added to dilapidated buildings not meant to handle their weight. Tangles of electrical cables hang precariously everywhere.

If a major earthquake struck India’s seismically vulnerable capital, these neighborhoods — India’s most crowded — would collapse in an apocalyptic nightmare. Waters from the nearby Yamuna River would turn the subsoil to jelly, which would intensify the shaking.

The Indian government knows this and has done almost nothing about it.

An Associated Press examination of government documents spanning five decades reveals a pattern of warnings and recommendations that have been widely disregarded. Successive governments made plans and promises to prepare for a major earthquake in the city of 16.7 million, only to abandon them each time.

The Delhi government’s own estimates say nine out of every 10 buildings in the city are at risk of moderate or significant quake damage, yet the basic disaster response plan it had promised to complete nearly three years ago remains unfinished, there are nearly no earthquake awareness drills in schools and offices and tens of thousands of housing units are built every year without any earthquake safety checks.

Fearing many buildings could lie in ruins after a quake, the Delhi government began work in 2005 with U.S. government assistance to reinforce just five buildings — including a school and a hospital — it would need to begin a rudimentary relief operation to deal with the dead, wounded and homeless. Six years later, only one of those buildings is earthquake-ready.

“At the end of the day, people at the helm of affairs are not doing anything,” said Anup Karanth, an earthquake engineering expert.

In its attitudes to disaster preparedness, India is like many other poor nations — aware of the danger but bogged down by both inertia and more immediate demands on its resources.

But Delhi faces immense earthquake risks. Last September, two minor jolts sent thousands of scared residents into the streets, and experts say a big one looms on the horizon.

As far back as 1960, after a moderate quake cut power and plunged Delhi — then a city of 2.7 million — into darkness, the Geological Survey of India advised that all large buildings in the capital needed to have a quake safety plan.

A series of reports by other agencies have expanded on that conclusion in recent years, but both the city and national governments have ignored almost all of the recommendations.

Some reports were ignored because of apathy, others because of shifting priorities. In a city and country growing at lightning speed with huge problems of poverty and hunger that need more immediate solutions, earthquake preparedness has never been at the top of the list. Some plans begun with good intentions simply fell by the wayside.

That’s what happened to the 2005 plan to prepare five important buildings in the capital for an earthquake.

Government engineers were sent to California to train. But the next year — with only the school made earthquake ready — all the engineers were taken off the project. They were reassigned to build stadiums for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, an athletic competition held in Delhi, said M. Shashidhar Reddy, the vice chairman of India’s National Disaster Management Agency.

MANISH SWARUP/ASSOCIATED PRESS 

If a major temblor struck, the collapse of the dense housing in the crowded northeast district of New Delhi would create an apocalyptic nightmare.

Who could have thought about this in 80s or 90s..

I am sure many oldtimers (including me as well ;-)) will still find this news strange.. Kodak.. the company such a force to reckon with some time back.. it only re-affirms one thing..

Change is only Constant!!!

This takes down even companies which are known to be synonyms of the industry they helped create.. I guess, in this case, entire industry or entire list of synonyms of that industry was out of people's mind..

Great lesson for "Built to Last" companies or case study for B-Schools.. in this case what to do, not to get into this kind of trap.. and loose the value.. In my view there is only one way not to get into such traps.. "Innovation".. keep innovating and keep your customers happy.. and loyal.. that is the only way to be survive forever.. if there is anything like forever...

In the case of Kodak.. they simply lost on usability and simplicity of digital camera.. if we think about it.. conventional film based camera is still two to three times better than best of the digital camera in terms of resolution or quality.. and hell a lot cheaper than digital camera (at least in terms of Capex).. However, simplicity, ease of use and sharing overshadowed the key advantage of films and forced Kodak to restrict themselves to movie industry.. sooner or later.. that will also go completely digital way.. so unless, kodak doesn't come up with great 3D camera/camcorders for movie industry they will be taken over by companies like Sony or Cannon..

We will say that once upon a time this used to be "Kodak Theater"!!!

Eastman Kodak files for bankruptcy protection

Photography icon Eastman Kodak has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as it seeks to boost its cash position and stay in business. The move comes as the ailing company has failed to find a buyer for its trove of 1,100 digital imaging patents. Kodak said in November that it could run out of cash in a year if it didn’t sell the patents, for which it hoped to fetch billions of dollars. Eastman Kodak said early Thursday that it has secured $950 million in financing from Citigroup, and expects to be able to operate its business during bankruptcy reorganization and pay employees. The Rochester, N.Y.-based company, which was pummeled by foreign competition and then severely shaken by the digital revolution, has invested huge sums in new lines of inkjet printers that are finally on the verge of turning a profit.

CEO Antonio Perez said in a statement that the bankruptcy filing is “a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak.”

Kodak expects to complete its U.S.-based restructuring during 2013. 

Great to see news like these - India winning its battle with polio

Great job India!! especially Doctors working for public health..

Based on accounts by both my Sister and Brother-in-law who works for UP Government Public Health Org (don't remember the official name of the agency), their hard work and persistent efforts are finally paying off... I still remember that they used to go to remote villages to find and get kids vaccinated.. many times during weekend and once even on one of the major festival..

It will be shame that even in Twenty First Century we keep getting these kind of deseases.. despite all of our progress in other areas, if we can't secure future of our kids, it would be shame..

But here we are and hopefully we won't be hearing any more bad news on this issue... I am sure there may be many more small but critical issues like this (Malaria/Dengue etc..) which needs to be eradicated from the face of earth or at least India to begin with.. but for now we do need to celebrate this event and hope that it won't lapse..

Cheers!!!!

Here is full news clip from our local Mercury News:

India winning its battle with polio

Full year has passed since last new case, but the risk remains

By Mark Magnier

Los Angeles Times

NEW DELHI — India has gone a full year without recording a new case of polio, a significant benchmark for the South Asian nation and an encouraging development for health professionals fighting to eradicate the stubborn disease worldwide. But experts warned that premature declarations of victory could lead to complacency among Indian parents, who might stop immunizing their children. That would increase the risk of another outbreak, particularly in a nation where about 26 million babies are born each year. India will not be officially certified as polio-free until at least three years have passed without a new case. “It’s an incredible milestone for polio eradication,” said Rod Curtis, of UNICEF. “But complacency is perhaps the biggest threat to the program today. You could get down to the last three children in the world, but unless you (immunize) those kids, it could explode again.”

The last Indian victim, 2year-old Ruksana Khatun, fell ill near Kolkata in West Bengal on Jan. 13, 2011.

Though no new cases were reported since, health agencies still need to process both January data on nationwide paralysis cases and environmental sewage test results over the next few weeks to confirm it has been a poliofree year.

India also is located in a bad polio neighborhood. Two of three other countries in the world where the disease is endemic — Pakistan and Afghanistan — are neighbors (the third is Nigeria). China on its northern border was reinfected in 2011.

Don't know if it is good news or Bad..

This can only happen in America.. Surge in Consumer Debt is considered good thing.. my conventional wisdom tells me to reduce debt and stay debt free as soon as possible.. However, here it is considered a good news.. actually it is considered, kind of Consumer's Vote of Confidence in Economy :-)

This was partly fueled by higher Car Sales (i.e. higher Car loans..) and Holiday sales on Credit Card.. In my view Consumers were holding too much for too long and I guess, holiday spirit (don't ask me) made them these stupid decisions of higher spending on their credit cards.. It is not so good news as per me.. but again.. I am not an economist.. I am simply a common man..


Here is the detailed news from our local mercury news..

Consumer debt surges, boding well for economy

By Martin Crutsinger

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Americans are feeling confident enough in the economy to go back to a time-honored tradition — taking on a little extra debt.Consumer borrowing surged in November by $20.4 billion, the Federal Reserve said Monday. It was the third straight increase and the largest monthly gain in a decade.

The jump in borrowing was largely because people took out more loans to buy cars and swiped their credit cards frequently to purchase holiday gifts. In November, total consumer borrowing rose to a seasonally adjusted $2.48 trillion — nearly at pre-recession levels and up from a post-recession low of $2.39 trillion in September 2010.

Since then, consumers have increased their borrowing in 13 of the past 14 months. Americans are taking on more debt after seeing the unemployment rate drop and the economy improve, albeit modestly. Many are also leaning on their credit cards and loans to make up for wages that haven’t kept pace with inflation this year. Holiday sales were solid in November, and the U.S. auto industry had its two best sales months for the year in November and December. The Fed’s credit report appeared to reflect those sales. The category that measures credit card debt rose in November by $5.6 billion, the most since March 2008. The gauge that tracks auto loans and student loans increased $14.8 billion, nearly matching July’s gain that was the biggest since February 2005.

Helicopter Drone??

Very soon we will have wars like video games.. Why not even "Soldier Drone" or you may want to call him/her a Robot (soooo old tech..).. This Chopper is just for logistics only.. yet.. I am sure, it will have guns loaded on it as well.. Good job prospects for Video Game players.. or may be US Military should buy out Wii/xBox-360.. or at least hire their top notch developers to usage/control of these devices in field..

Bad news is that all this is being done to enable more destruction of beautiful mother nature.. silver lining is that ultimately, it will result in lesser human casualties.. ultimately.. hopefully on both sides of the war.. and winner will be the best Video game player with latest and greatest video game consoles... (sorry about linking such a fun thing like video games to such a dreaded and catastrophic thing like war..).

Here is detailed news from our local mercury news..

U.S. testing helicopter drone

Pilotless aircraft can be used to haul cargo inwar zones

By Slobodan Lekic

Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. military is testing a revolutionary new drone for its arsenal, a pilotless helicopter intended to fly cargo missions to remote outposts where frequent roadside bombs threaten access by road convoys. Surveillance drones for monitoring enemy activity and armed versions for launching airstrikes have become a trademark of America’s wars in Afghanistan, Iraq. But this is the first time a helicopter version designed for transport has been used operationally. Two pilotless models of the Kaman K-MAX helicopters and a team of 16 company technicians and eight Marines are conducting a 6-month evaluation program for the new craft at Camp Dwyer, a Marine Corps airfield in the Garmsir district of southern Helmand Province.

The craft have flown 20 transport missions since the inaugural flight Dec. 17, said Maj. Kyle O’Connor, the officer in charge of the detachment. They have delivered nearly 18 tons of cargo, mainly thousands of Meals Ready to Eat and spare parts needed at the forward operating bases.

“Afghanistan is a highly mined country and the possibility of improvised explosive devices is always a problem moving cargo overland in a convoy,” O’Connor said.

“Every load that we can take off of a ground convoy reduces the danger and risk that our Marines, soldiers, and sailors are faced with,” he said. “With an unmanned helicopter, even the aircrew is taken out of harm’s way.”

The Marines from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 lead the missions and deliver the cargo into combat drop zones, while contractors operate and maintain the two aircraft.

The craft’s onboard computer uploads the mission plans, enabling them to fly on autopilot. But an operator at base control monitors progress and can step in and override the autopilot for manual operation if any problems occur, or if the drone must be redirected in mid-flight.

The K-MAX is the latest in a series of Kaman synchronized twin-rotor helicopters dating from the 1950s. The unusual arrangement, with two side-by-side pylons on the helicopter’s roof supporting counter-rotating blades, results in exceptional stability while hovering and allows pinpoint cargo delivery.

During the Vietnam War, a previous Kaman model, the two-pilot HH-43 Huskie, flew more rescue missions than all other aircraft combined because of this unique hovering capability.

The piloted version of the K-MAX helicopter first appeared in the 1990s, and the pilotless prototype was unveiled in 2008.

---

A K-MAX pilotless freight helicopter transports cargo in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Two of the helicopters have flown 20 transport missions since Dec. 17 in southern Afghanistan.

JUSTIN M. BOLING/ ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Should states pay to train workers for companies?

More fundamental question should be.. What is a "State" In my view "State" is an entity which is funded by State's residents jointly to take care of their interests.. I guess, it is very old definition.. how ever we still forget that how important factor is a "job" created by companies producing goods and services which earn real net revenue for state instead of churning money within..

"State" needs to do everything possible to create such jobs.. go out of the way as their benefits are 100 times more than any state job.. Couple of millions of training is nothing if it gets state even few jobs in these production facilities..

In my view it is one of the best usage of "States" money.. even if it creates as low as a single job.. In my view, "States" should double or make it 10 or 100 times these kinds of funds.. these are the best usage of "States" money.. once you have jobs producing net revenue for your state, rest of the economic development will automatically follow....

feel free to let me know your views... Here is the complete news details from our local Mercury News..

Should states pay to train workers for companies?

Firms benefit when governments finance programs for jobs

By Motoko Rich

New York Times

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — Some of Caterpillar’s newest factory workers are training inside a former carpet warehouse in the heart of tobacco country. In classrooms, they click through online tutorials and study blueprints emblazoned with the company’s logo. And on a mock factory floor, they learn to use wrenches, hoses and power tools that they will need to build axles for large mining trucks. The primary beneficiary is undoubtedly Caterpillar, a maker of industrial equipment with rising profits that has a new plant about 10 miles away in Winston-Salem. Yet North Carolina is picking up much of the cost. It is paying about $1 million to help 400 workers acquire these skills, and a community college has committed to develop a custom curriculum that Caterpillar has valued at about $4.3 million. Caterpillar is one of dozens of companies, many with growing profits and large cash reserves, that have come to expect such largess from states in return for creating jobs. The labor market is finally starting to show some signs of improvement, with the government reporting on Friday that employers created 200,000 jobs in December.

Although the sums spent on training are usually small compared with the tax breaks and other credits doled out by states, some critics question the tactic.

“The question is, why shouldn’t the company pay for this training?” asked Ross Eisenbrey, the vice president of the liberal Economic Policy Institute. “It’s for their benefit.”

Critics suggest the programs may not even be in the best interest of workers if the resulting jobs pay low wages or simply disappear after a few years, leaving employees with narrow skills that do not help them land new positions.

In North Carolina, for example, people are still smarting from the departure of a Dell factory that put nearly 1,000 people out of work just five years after the state spent close to $2 million on training.

“On the whole spectrum of things that are done to attract businesses, this is one of the best investments and highest return for the invested dollar that our state and many other states do,” said J. Keith Crisco, North Carolina’s secretary of commerce.

Caterpillar, which is investing $426 million in the new factory, is one of several companies supported by North Carolina, where the unemployment rate hovers around 10 percent and thousands of textile, furniture and other manufacturing workers have lost their jobs in recent years. The training support is part of a $51 million package of incentives from the state to lure Caterpillar to Winston-Salem.

According to the state, North Carolina spent about $9.4 million to train workers as part of projects that created nearly 4,500 jobs in the 12 months through June 30.

Business executives argue that government-subsidized training is a fair payoff given what the companies bring to the table.

“At the end of the day we’re creating more jobs for the state of North Carolina,” said Mark Pringle, director of operations at a Siemens gas and steam turbine plant in Charlotte that has received close to $1.2 million worth of training from the state for about 700 new workers.

Workers who have spent months, or even years, hunting for jobs view a training spot as a stroke of good fortune.

Dante Durant, a 42-yearold former Dell employee, had been searching for more than two years when he attended a Caterpillar job fair at Forsyth Technical Community College in June. He arrived at 9 a.m. and was number 1,808 in line. He was one of the first 13 people offered a job, and finished training in Kernersville in October.

North Carolina officials say the skills these workers learned in training and on the job are not wasted.

The training was “customized for company A, but are there applications to company B?” asked Maureen Little, associate vice president of customized training for the North Carolina Community College System. “We think the answer to that is yes. But it does not mean that they are not going to require additional training.”

---

TRAVIS DOVE/NEW YORK TIMES

Leon Spencer receives job training Dec. 8 at Caterpillar’s factory in Winston-Salem, N.C.

DVD Rental Wait Time to double

In my view, these types of policies are basically suicidal for movie studios.. Ultimately making DVD/Blu-Ray Disc somewhat similar to antique pieces like Floppy Disks.. If they really want to increase Disc based sales then studios should reduce price and also offer more features or options to customers.

One of the feature which I would really like to have it is to own the content rather than discs itself. Content's format and resolution may keep on changing but when I go and buy movie I should be granted license to own the content and possibly guarantee to own or upgrade to better version of resolution or type of delivery. Also, some kind of guarantee against disk breakage or scratches on it.. Add some or all of these features and you will get confidence of customers back in buying and owning discs and hopefully add few more years or decades to Disc business..

These type of patch working and further harassing customers is not going to help studios.. I can bet that even with this measure, next year there is going to be decline in disc business...

Here is the news clip from our local Mercury News:

Warner doubles DVD rental wait time

Studio to announce change to 2-month interval at CES

By Michael Liedtke

Associated Press

Prepare to have your patience tested if you prefer to rent DVDs rather than buy them. In a precedent other major movie studios are likely to follow, Warner Bros. is poised to announce that its latest DVD releases won’t be made available to rental outlets until nearly two months after the discs can be bought in stores and websites. A person familiar with the matter explained the new rules to The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the changes won’t be announced until Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The new restriction will double a 28-day delay on DVD rentals that Warner Bros. reached with Netflix’s video subscription service two years ago. After that breakthrough, several other movie studios adopted similar moratoriums, although many DVD releases still remain available to rent on the same day they go on sale in stores.

Sales plunge

The increased wait for DVD rentals exposes the competitive tensions that are shaking up home entertainment. In the past seven years, movie studios have seen U.S. sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs fall by a third — from $10.3 billion to roughly $7 billion. Netflix’s growing popularity in the past decade helped put a major dent in one of the movie studios’ biggest moneymakers — because its service enables people to watch as many mail-delivered discs as they want for a flat monthly fee.

DVD rentals didn’t hurt studios much before Netflix existed because the market was dominated by Blockbuster. That chain charged consumers for every title taken off their shelves and shared revenue with the studios.

To make matters worse for studios, Redbox’s concept of renting DVDs — from kiosks set up in thousands of stores — gave movie lovers another cheap and convenient way to avoid buying the discs. Coinstar’s Redbox had been renting the DVDs for just $1 a day until recently raising the price to $1.20.

Redbox resists

Netflix conceded to Warner Bros.’ demands for the 56-day rental delay to ensure that it can still buy the discs at a discount. Netflix expects to suffer a loss this year, largely because its own U.S. price increases backfired in 2011 and triggered far more customer cancellations than management anticipated.

It doesn’t appear Redbox is going to bend to Warner Bros.’ will. “The current agreement Coinstar has with Warner Bros. is to receive movie titles 28 days after their release,” Coinstar spokeswoman Marci Maule said in a written statement. “No revised agreements are in place.”

Redbox could conceivably rent Warner Bros. DVDs on its own timetable by buying thousands of discs from stores, although that hardball tactic would drive up its expenses.

In a late October conference call with analysts, Coinstar CEO Paul Davis raised the possibility of finding “workarounds” if Warner Bros. or other movie studios tried to impose further delays on DVD rentals.

Netflix’s cooperation with Warner Bros. and Coinstar’s resistance underscore the different priorities of the two services.

In many ways, Netflix is just keeping its DVD-bymail service on life support and leaving it up to each customer to decide when to pull the plug. Meanwhile, the company is pouring most of its money and energy into building up its service that delivers movies, TV shows and a growing amount of original programming to TVs and other devices with high-speed Internet connections.

Streaming future

Investors also see Internet video as the key to Netflix’s future, although they became less confident about the company’s decisionmaking after last year’s U.S. price increases drove away hordes of customers. The backlash caused Netflix’s stock to drop by more than 60 percent during calendar 2011.

The shares have gotten off to a hot start this year, rising 25 percent during the first trading days on positive news about subscribers’ Internet video viewership and takeover speculation. The stock rose $6.99 Friday to finish the week at $86.29, its highest closing price in nearly two months.

In contrast, DVD rentals remain Redbox’s financial lifeblood, although it, too, is looking to expand into Internet video streaming. For now, Redbox probably can’t afford the potential customer alienation that would come with additional delays in the availability of new DVD releases. But having to pay more for DVDs will squeeze profit margins. Either way, it might not bode well for Coinstar’s stock. Coinstar shares shed $2.39, or 5.5 percent, to close Friday at $40.98.

The increased wait for DVD rentals exposes the competitive tensions that are shaking up home entertainment. In the past seven years, movie studios have seen U.S. sales of DVDs and Blu-ray discs fall by a third — from$10.3 billion to roughly $7 billion.

San Jose Nation's Healthiest City!!

Great job my friends and neighbors!!! Keep smoking and Obesity to minimum (min ==> 0) and enjoying one of the best outdoor weather of the Nation or almost entire Universe ;-) Little bit of exaggeration is okay on this occasion.. I Guess..

It is time to move to San Jose, fortunately, real estate is one of the lowest at this time but news like this will shoot it up soon.. so hurry up.. start packing and move to San Jose in California (not in South America)

Cheers!!!

Here is the detailed news for your reference from our local news paper:

A FIT POPULATION

Magazine says San Jose nation’s healthiest city

Toomany smokers drops Santa Cruz to second place

By Jondi Gumz

jgumz@santacruzsentinel.com 

San Jose folks apparently are a healthy bunch, so much so that The Atlantic ranked the city as the most healthy metropolitan area in the nation.

If Santa Cruz had a smaller percentage of smokers, it could have beaten San Jose for the No. 1 spot.

The rankings were calculated by Richard Florida, The Atlantic columnist and director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto, based on the level of smoking and obesity in 315 regions using data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency estimates that smoking and obesity generate health costs exceeding $300 billion a year.

Obesity is measured by body mass index, a metric calculation based on height and weight and 30 signifies obese. You can do your own calculation at www. nhlbisupport. com/ bmi/.

Santa Cruz’s share of smokers is 11 percent, and its share of obesity is 18 percent.

San Jose’s share of obesity is 19.1 percent, but its share of smokers is 9.8 percent.

Coastal California fared quite well, with Napa, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo County, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, Salinas and San Diego in the top 15.

Idaho Education Revolt - Teachers Vs Technology

In my view, news like these ones are one of the best example of how poor state of education is becoming.. I can't understand opposition to technology in teaching. They need to understand very clearly that technology is there is to complement them not compete with them. Leveraging technology, teachers should spend more productive time with students..

This clearly seems to be self interest of these teachers/Unions.. Change is only constant and they need to embrace it. sooner or later changes will come.. Instead of fighting with changes you better fight to adapt these changes.. First of all, I assume that all the teachers have above average IQ.. If that is the case, then they should be able to understand these Technologies and the changes coming with it. Let us say somethings are really complicated and they need assistance.. in that case they should fight to get those resources..

Instead of saying that "I fought for my country.. now I am fighting for my kids", these guys should really fight and embrace changes and technology coming with it..

Here are the details of news.. feel free to comment and let me know your views..

Idaho education revolt — teachers vs. technology

Shift to computers could change role of classroom educators

By Matt Richtel

New York Times

POST FALLS, Idaho — Ann Rosenbaum, a former military police officer in the Marines, does not shrink from a fight, having even survived a close encounter with a car bomb in Iraq. Her latest conflict is quite different: She is now a high schoolteacher, and she and many of her peers in Idaho are resisting a statewide plan that dictates how computers should be used in classrooms. Last year, the state legislature overwhelmingly passed a law that requires all high school students to take some online classes to graduate, and that the students and their teachers be given laptops or tablets. The idea was to establish Idaho’s schools as a high-tech vanguard. To help pay for these programs, the state may have to shift tens of millions of dollars away from salaries for teachers and administrators. And the plan envisions a fundamental change in the role of teachers, making them less a lecturer at the front of the room and more of a guide helping students through lessons delivered on computers. This change is part of a broader shift that is creating tension — a tension that is especially visible in Idaho but is playing out across the country. Some teachers, even though they may embrace classroom technology, think policymakers are thrusting computers into classrooms without their input or proper training. Some say they are opposed to shifting money to online classes and other teaching methods whose benefits remain unproven.

“Teachers don’t object to the use of technology,” said Sabrina Laine, vice president of the American Institutes for Research, which has studied the views of the nation’s teachers using grants from organizations like the Gates and Ford foundations. “They object to being given a resource with strings attached and without the needed support to use it effectively to improve student learning.”

In Idaho, teachers have been in open revolt. They marched on the capital last spring, when the legislation was under consideration. They complain that lawmakers listened less to them than to heavy lobbying by technology companies, including Apple and Intel.

Teacher and parent groups gathered 75,000 verified signatures, more than was needed, to put a referendum on the ballot in November that could overturn the law.

“This technology is being thrown on us. It’s being thrown on parents and thrown on kids,” said Rosenbaum, 32, who has written letters to the governor and schools superintendent.

In her letters she tells them she is a Republican and a Marine, because, she says, it has become fashionable around the country to dismiss complaining teachers as union-happy liberals.

“I fought for my country,” she said. “Now, I’m fighting for my kids.”

Gov. C.L. Otter, known as Butch, and Tom Luna, the schools superintendent, who have championed the plan, said teachers had been misled by their union into believing the changes were a step toward replacing them with computers.

Some teachers also have expressed concern that teaching positions could be eliminated and their raises reduced to help offset the cost of the technology.

Luna acknowledged that many teachers in the state were conservative Republicans like him — making Idaho’s politics less blackand- white than in states like Wisconsin and New Jersey, where union-backed teachers have been at odds with politicians.

Luna said he understood that technological change could be scary, particularly because teachers would need to adapt to new ways of working.

“I fought for my country. Now, I’m fighting for my kids.”

— Ann Rosenbaum