We present before our readers various interesting pieces of information written primarily to make them aware of diverse products and services offered by business firms.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Cheap international air tickets with Air India Express
Monday, December 26, 2011
Get Thrilling Experience in Maui Vacation Homes
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Judgment Day! May 21, 2011 & The End of the World October 21, 2011
THE BIBLE’S CALENDAR OF HISTORY
TIMING OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN HISTORY
ONE DAY IS AS 1000 YEARS
Is the dollar decline more dangerous than it seems?
The dollar has shed some 8 per cent against major currencies this year, and if the decline quickens, it could provoke protectionism from America's trade partners, worsen inflation at home and spark a general loss of confidence in US assets.
That would all make it much more difficult to finance the country's huge deficits, and could threaten to send the US economy into another recession.
In fact the burgeoning national debt is where all the negatives for the dollar converge, with America's prized AAA credit rating under threat and large corporations like Caterpillar urging Washington to get its act together.
"There's no sign of panic yet. But the situation can change on a dime," said Brown Brothers Harriman strategist Lena Komileva. If the US economy weakens and US lawmakers fail to find a way to slash a yawning budget deficit, "that could create a run on the dollar."
US policymakers, including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke , insist they want a strong dollar, but investors say their actions suggest otherwise.
The Fed has held interest rates at zero since late 2008, in contrast to other central banks that have begun raising rates to fend off inflation.
That's been an invitation for investors to borrow dollars at virtually no cost and swap them for higher-yielding currencies and assets such as oil and equities. Gold and silver have hit record highs and the euro is hovering near $1.50, about 10 cents from its all-time peak hit in 2008.
Standard & Poor's put another chink in the dollar's armor this month when it warned it could cut the United States' credit rating if lawmakers don't find a way to slash a massive federal budget deficit within two years.
Corporate America is voicing its concerns as well. The chief executive of Caterpillar Inc on Friday called for a resolution to the long-running budget battle, saying that finding a way to strengthen the economy would help control the nation's rising deficit and improve long-term competitiveness.
'REMARKABLY NONCHALANT'
Bernanke argues that the US economy remains too fragile for tighter policy and suggested the Fed's pro-growth measures will help the dollar down the road.
"If we do what's needed to pursue our dual mandate for price stability (and) maximum employment, that will also generate fundamentals that will help the dollar in the medium term," he said at a press briefing this week.
Adnan Akant, who helps manage about $20 billion in currency assets for Fischer Francis Trees & Watts, a New York unit of BNP Paribas, put it this way: "You don't get a strong dollar by raising rates. You get it by having low inflation and a stronger economy that requires you to raise rates."
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/forex/is-the-dollar-decline-more-dangerous-than-it-seems/articleshow/8122431.cms
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Expedia and TripAdvisor to Break Up
Expedia announced that it’s separating from TripAdvisor to form two seaprate companies. This has already been approved by the Board of Directors. Both companies will be publicly traded.
TripAdvisor will include domestic and international operations associated with the TripAdvisor Media Group. This includes the TripAdvisor brand, as well as 18 other travel media and advertising brands.
Expedia will continue to include the domestic and international operations of the company’s travel transaction brands, which include: Expedia.com, Hotels.com, eLong, Hotwire, Egencia, Expedia Affiliate Network, CruiseShipCenters, Venere, Classic Vacations and carrentals.com.
The announcement says:
It is anticipated that the transaction will take the form of a distribution of stock of TripAdvisor to Expedia stockholders or a reclassification of Expedia stock, with the holders of Expedia stock receiving a proportionate amount of TripAdvisor stock, in either case in a tax free transaction. It is expected that Expedia’s dual-class equity capital structure and the governance arrangements between Barry Diller and Liberty Media will be mirrored at TripAdvisor following the transaction.
The deal is still subject to final approval by the board in terms of the specifics. Expedia will seek stockholder approval as well. It’s all expected to close in the third quarter.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Most overweight states report: I escaped the midwest just in time
More from The Stir: Twinkie Diet vs. Vegetarian: Which One is Better For You?
What are the states with the largest people in America? Those in the South, of course. And a couple in the Midwest. Go figure.
In order, the 10 fattest states in the union, are:
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Oklahoma
- West Virginia
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Missouri
- Michigan & South Dakota -- tied for last
So what are all of these people eating down south and in the middle? Just one look at my family cookbook will tell you everything you need to know. A vegetable doesn't exist in that book that isn't fried or covered in cheese. The rest is all pies, cakes, and lots of recipes that include the ingredient of "shortening." Yum. And, that'll make you fat. My family proudly hails from three of the fattest states on the list: Oklahoma, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Where they like their grease.
More from The Stir: The Cookie Diet is Real!
Of course, a lot of these states are also some of the poorest, and we all know that poverty begets obesity. Sushi is expensive. So if you're choosing between KFC's .99-cent menu and a $10 lunch, you're not heading to the Japanese restaurant when you're counting your pennies. That is, if you even have healthy options to choose from in your area. Many of these states also have a large rural population, where fresh, healthy foods are scarce. Additionally, if you're surrounded by unhealthy people, you're more likely to be unhealthy as well. Living in one of these fat states could be harming your diet.
Do you live in a fat state?
Article Source :
Google Bids $900 Million For Nortel Patents
lthough the timing may be coincidental, Larry Page’s new career as CEO of Google has gotten off to an interesting start. Google announced this morning that it’s bid $900 million for about 6,000 patents and patent applications owned by Nortel.
Before anyone gets too excited: this development shouldn’t signal that Google intends to either branch into telecommunications equipment or sue its biggest rivals out of existence. Kent Walker, a senior vice president and general counsel for the search giant, described the move as a precautionary measure.
Walker explained on the Official Google Blog, “The tech world has recently seen an explosion in patent litigation, often involving low-quality software patents, which threatens to stifle innovation. Some of these lawsuits have been filed by people or companies that have never actually created anything; others are motivated by a desire to block competing products or profit from the success of a rival’s new technology.”
Walker then observed, “But as things stand today, one of a company’s best defenses against this kind of litigation is (ironically) to have a formidable patent portfolio, as this helps maintain your freedom to develop new products and services.”
So Google – with its market cap of about $189 billion – made its bid of $900 million for Nortel‘s patents (the Canadian company is breaking up due to bankruptcy), and that bid will now be the starting point when an actual auction takes place.
Investors seem unimpressed with the maneuver at the moment, sending Google’s stock down 0.61 percent so far today.