Archive for November, 2008
Starbucks Net Income Fell 96 Percent
November 11th, 2008Crappy result. Crappy coffee. Points for consistency? Via: Bloomberg: Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest chain of coffee shops, reported fourth-quarter profit that fell more than analysts estimated after customer visits declined for the fifth consecutive quarter. Starbucks fell 2.9 percent in late Nasdaq trading after saying 2009 earnings per share may be as low as […]
Dean Kamen’s Stirling Hybrid Electric Car
November 11th, 2008Via: Union Leader: The same day that Ford and General Motors announced catastrophic third-quarter losses, Dean Kamen was showing off his new electric car. The prototype vehicle, a zippy two-seat hatchback designed with more than a passing resemblance to the Volkswagen Beetle, can go about 60 miles on a single charge of its lithium battery […]
As World Demand Falls, Prices for Recyclables Go in Dumper
November 11th, 2008Even the salvage economy is going down. Via: Sacramento Bee: A sudden collapse in worldwide demand for re-cyclables, particularly from China, has scrap dealers from Sacramento to San Diego stockpiling curbside collections as never before and charging walk-in customers for their throwaways. Stacks of baled paper, plastic and metal are mounting at the Sacramento Recycling […]
Hiroshima: The Lost Photographs
November 11th, 2008Via: Design Observer: One rainy night eight years ago, in Watertown, Massachusetts, a man was taking his dog for a walk. On the curb, in front of a neighbor’s house, he spotted a pile of trash: old mattresses, cardboard boxes, a few broken lamps. Amidst the garbage he caught sight of a battered suitcase. He […]
Obama Website Scrubs Mandatory Community Service Call
November 10th, 2008Via: Infowars: Following a controversy over language that appeared on Barack Obama’s official website suggesting that Americans would be mandated to complete up to 100 hours of community service as part of a national service program, the original text has been memory-holed and replaced with a more sanitized version. Despite numerous bloggers picking up on […]
DHL (Deutsche Post) to Fire 9,500 Workers in U.S.
November 10th, 2008Via: AP: Deutsche Post AG will close all of its DHL Express service centers, cut 9,500 jobs in the United States and eliminate U.S.-only domestic express shipping by land and air, the company said Monday, citing heavy losses and fierce competition. The Bonn-based company said the new round of cuts are on top of another […]
British Government Seeks Unprecedented Powers to Censor the Media
November 10th, 2008Via: Independent: Britain’s security agencies and police would be given unprecedented and legally binding powers to ban the media from reporting matters of national security, under proposals being discussed in Whitehall. The Intelligence and Security Committee, the parliamentary watchdog of the intelligence and security agencies which has a cross-party membership from both Houses, wants to […]
Circuit City Files for Bankruptcy Protection
November 10th, 2008Via: AP: Circuit City Stores Inc., the nation’s second-biggest electronics retailer, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday but plans to stay open for business as the busy holiday shopping season approaches. It filed under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code, which will allow it to hold off creditors and continue operations while it develops a […]
Gordon Brown: Now Is the Time to Build Global Society
November 10th, 2008Via: Reuters: The international financial crisis has given world leaders a unique opportunity to create a truly global society, Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown will say in a keynote foreign policy speech on Monday. In his annual speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet, Brown — who has spearheaded calls for the reform of international financial […]
Federal Reserve Refuses to Identify the Recipients of $2 Trillion Worth of Emergency Loans
November 10th, 2008You gotta prollem wit dat? Via: Bloomberg: The Federal Reserve is refusing to identify the recipients of almost $2 trillion of emergency loans from American taxpayers or the troubled assets the central bank is accepting as collateral. Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in September they would comply with congressional […]
