Allie Mallad, founder of Massage Green Spa, says, "I'd rather have someone with a great attitude than great skill. I can teach skill; I can't teach attitude."
Allie Mallad knows a few things about starting a business. He should, since he's done it a few hundred times.
Mallad's current enterprise is Massage Green Spa, a Southfield-based therapeutic massage franchising business. Since its launch in 2008, the chain has grown to 50 stores, half of them corporate-owned. He expects the number to double by the end of this year.
The jump to becoming a franchisor followed a big run as a franchisee — Mallad owned 171 stores under seven national franchises at one point in the 1990s. His base was his Little Caesars operation, for which he owned 159 stores at its peak in 1995. Operating out of Southern California at the time, he also owned stores for chains such as Bruegger's Bagels, Applebee's, Baskin-Robbins and Jiffy Lube.
He's been the franchisee and the franchisor, the startup guy and the guy helping the startups. One of the biggest mistakes he's seen, and experienced, stems from personnel management. New business owners better get ready to work on this for a long time to come.
"I'd rather have someone with a great attitude than great skill. I can teach skill; I can't teach attitude," he said. "The biggest mistake I've made is choosing the wrong people."
It all got started when Mallad was working as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines in the 1980s. A former basketball player at Central Michigan University, Mallad still had dreams of playing professionally and wanted to be close to superstar athletes. He got himself promoted to working the first-class end of the planes but ended up talking more with businesspeople than athletes.
Mallad would ask them why they wasted their money just to get a few rows ahead of everyone else. They'd tell him that after attaining a level of success, a need for a certain quality of life kicks in.
"Well, I want to be part of that," Mallad thought, and he was off and running.
He used his savings of $50,000 and another $30,000 borrowed from his mother to open a convenience store in Lincoln Park in 1984. A year later, he had two more stores under his wing.
He began approaching chains like McDonald's, Burger King and Domino's for franchise opportunities, but they either wanted too much money or had onerous rules. Eventually, it was Mike Ilitch at Little Caesars who told him, "If you want opportunity, go west and I'll give you all the opportunity you can handle."
Six years later, Mallad owned 159 Little Caesars stores in California. An entrepreneur with an itchy trigger finger, he soon added a dozen other stores under different brands.
But he had ideas for being a franchisor, and eventually he decided he needed to give it a try. Seeing the success of Little Caesars' $5 "Hot-N-Ready" pizza deal, and also having been an avid fan of therapeutic massage since his days as an athlete, he saw an opening for a strong consumer value proposition in the world of massage.
He came back to Michigan and opened Massage Green Spa with the idea that he could build a business through volume — lower the price, and more people would be willing to commit to a membership plan. Massage Green Spa's business works by having more people make commitments to monthly payments.
Mallad's first store opened in Dearborn's Fairlane Plaza — a small retail strip he owns — in 2008.
Members pay $39.95 a month and for that they get one massage visit. If they don't use it, it rolls over into the next month. Subsequent visits within a month cost $34.95.
Combined revenue for all 42 stores that were open last year was $13.4 million. About 15 stores opened in the last quarter of the year and more continue to be added to the chain, leading Mallad to expect revenue to double this year. Total revenue in 2012 was $5.5 million, which was more than double 2011 revenue.
The cost to open a Massage Green Spa store, according to the company's franchise disclosure document, ranges from $98,500 to $172,000, including a $45,000 franchise fee. The franchising entity is Southfield-based Massage Green International Franchise Corp.
When asked what lessons he's learned from running so many stores, Mallad always returns to personnel management.
The tricky answer is that recognizing talent is a talent, and a necessary one for growing a business. He found it easier to operate 100 stores than 25, because at the higher levels he had the money to justify hiring people to run departments — as long as he was able to find the right people.
Honest compensation is key to that, but so is a careful interviewing skill, something he's learned over the course of hiring 10,000 workers throughout his career. He pays as much attention to tone and body language as to what interviewees are saying. And when it comes to senior managers, he checks on them in the months following their hiring to see if they're living up to the great things they said in the interview.
Spotting and retaining talent is an intangible skill and the source of frustration for many business owners, and it doesn't necessarily get easier with experience, as one example Mallad relayed shows.
At Massage Green, complaints started coming in from store managers about a district manager not long after this person was hired. The manager "was different in the interview than in the field," Mallad said.
The problem? The district manager was nowhere to be found much of the time. Requests from stores would go unanswered for nine days.
"A manager might have an incident and need advice from the district manager, and the district manager doesn't respond," Mallad said. The district manager didn't last much longer.
He's learned to cut his losses.
"Even now we make mistakes. There's no proven formula for hiring the right person. However, we can create a much better probability of hiring the right person if we ask the right questions and listen to the answers," Mallad said.
John Bornoty, owner of small Grosse Pointe Woods-based restaurant chain The Big Salad LLC, is newer to the business. But he's faced the same issues Mallad has and said anyone in any business almost certainly will.
"Our frustration is just finding good people — good managers, good salad chefs, people who just care," Bornoty said. "I have friends in the corporate world who can pay six figures, and they have the same frustrations."
The issues dropped significantly when he began giving ethics assessments to prospective employees. The tests are not 100 percent accurate, and sometimes people who do poorly on the assessment but do well in the interview will be hired anyway, but it's a useful starting point, Bornoty said.
Lousy employees have a direct effect on sales in the retail business, and the wrong person can "infect your entire staff. It will make your better people quit," he said.
Larry Klimek runs Grosse Pointe Farms-based consultancy JKL Associates and is the guy who provides those assessments for Bornoty. People who start businesses tend to overlook the people side of the business in the beginning, as they come to the table thinking more about their concept and vision than finding the talent to manage it.
Personnel management requires constant attention through the life of a business, Klimek said.
"The reality is that it's not any different than sales. If you stop building a pipeline for sales, revenue dries up. The same mentality is needed for talent," he said.


Note: I live in a state that doesn't have a state income tax, so there is no advantage to holding US Treasuries vs. CDs. In states where there is an income tax, interest on US Treasury securities is usually exempt from the state income tax. You need to factor that into your calculation.
I don't hold corporate or municipal bonds because of the default risk, however small. Since I view my bond portfolio as a haven if we have a repeat of "the Crash of 1929", the small additional yield isn't that attractive to me. My preference for US Treasuries and FDIC insured CDs is meant to protect the absolute downside.


NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 23, 2019-- PVH Corp. [NYSE:PVH], one of the world’s largest apparel companies and owner of iconic brands, including CALVIN KLEIN, TOMMY HILFIGER, Van Heusen, Speedo, Warner’s and IZOD, announces its support of Global Fashion Agenda’s CEO Agenda 2019.
The CEO Agenda 2019, supporting a sustainable fashion industry, is being released today by Global Fashion Agenda at Davos House during the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Switzerland. PVH, one of nine strategic partners of Global Fashion Agenda, is proud to support the updated Agenda, which reflects global developments and focuses on climate change as a core priority. The CEO Agenda 2019 challenges the industry to accelerate sustainable practices and, echoing this goal, PVH is launching the next evolution of its Corporate Responsibility strategy – Forward Fashion –which includes the company’s new vision for the future.
“We believe in holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards, setting ambitious Corporate Responsibility goals that drive fashion forward – for good. CEO Agenda 2019 encourages leaders across the industry to do the same. The issues our industry faces are complex and global, they require collaboration, and no single organization can solve these challenges alone,” said Emanuel Chirico, PVH Chairman and CEO.
Read the CEO Agenda 2019.
“As one of the largest apparel companies in the world, with iconic brands that include CALVIN KLEIN and TOMMY HILFIGER, PVH Corp. has been setting trends for decades, influencing consumer behavior and embedding sustainability into its business practices. All nine of our Strategic Partners, including PVH Corp., will provide a vital contribution to shaping the sustainability agenda for the fashion industry, and they will influence our strategic priorities outlined in the CEO Agenda 2019. Climate change is a severe threat and it is critical that fashion leaders collaborate to secure the future of our industry and our planet, so I am delighted PVH Corp. have joined us in driving change,” explains Eva Kruse, CEO and President of Global Fashion Agenda.
PVH signed the Global Fashion Agenda’s 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment pledge in June 2018 and joined Global Fashion Agenda as a Strategic Partner in January 2019. PVH will continue to work with the organization to set a common agenda and direction for industry collaboration on the future of sustainable fashion.
Global Fashion Agenda, a non-profit organization, is the foremost leadership forum for industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion. In partnership with a group of Strategic Partners, currently counting the industry leaders ASOS, BESTSELLER, H&M group, Kering, Li & Fung, Nike, PVH Corp., Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Target, Global Fashion Agenda spearheads the fashion industry’s journey towards a more sustainable future. In addition to the annual CEO Agenda, Global Fashion Agenda is known for publishes the yearly Pulse of the Fashion Industry report in collaboration with The Boston Consulting Group. Global Fashion Agenda is also behind Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the leading business event on sustainability in fashion, since 2009.


The project is part of an interactive arts program called the High School Sculpture in the City, which brings local high school art students and artists together to collaborate on a sculpture that becomes a part of the city’s landscape. This year’s project was supported by a $12,500 contribution from Belleville law firm Mathis, Marifian and Richter, whose offices are located on Public Square, adjacent to the annual outdoor art show. The program has included art students from Belleville East, Althoff and Governor French in past years. Kevin Richter, an attorney and shareholder at the Belleville law firm, said this is the firm’s fifth year of sponsoring this project.
Casper also said the two columns that Lee helped the students create will be a welcome addition to the recently renovated park and an opportunity to bring art to local residents.
Lee said she enjoyed working with Casper’s students and is impressed with Belleville’s commitment to art. She has attended the annual Art on the Square before and said the city is built a reputation for encouraging support artists.
This is the 14th year for Art on the Square. The annual art show began in 2002 and has been ranked among the top 10 art shows in the country. The Art Fair Source Book has named Art on the Square the No. 1 fine arts show in the nation in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
In unveiling the sculptures to the art show outside the St. Clair County Courthouse Friday night, Belleville Mayor Mark Eckert thanked Lee, Casper and the students for their contribution to city. He said Art on the Square has brought much interest to the city that continues to increase with each year.
“It has provided more opportunities than we could imagine,” Eckert said.
The annual art show continues 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and will conclude 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Music by Triple Play on main stage.
11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. — Music by the Don James Quartet in wine court.
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Demonstrations of watercolor, drawing and oil painting in Gateway East Artist Guild tent.
Noon to 1 p.m. — Presentation by Tiffany Brooks, interior designer and host of HGTV’s “Smart House,” on Living with Art Design Stage.
Noon to 4 p.m. — Children’s Art Garden open for kids who want to help paint a mural or make art to take home, including musical instruments, photo frames, animals and hats.
1 to 2 p.m. — Music by the St. Louis Sirens on main stage.
1:15 to 1:45 p.m. — Presentation on “Let’s Get Creative” by Rita Eckert from Eckert’s Florist.
2 to 3 p.m. — Presentation by Tiffany Brooks, interior designer and host of HGTV’s “Smart House,” on Living with Art Design Stage.
2 to 3 p.m. — High School Art Competition awards on main stage.
2 to 5 p.m. — Demonstrations of copper sculpture and pencil and ink drawing in Gateway East Artist Guild tent.
2:15 to 5 p.m. — Music by The Convertibles in wine court.
3 to 5 p.m. — Music by Soul Shake on main stage.


DAVID Beckham insisted he was committed to playing for LA Galaxy and denied rumours he had put his Beverly Hills home on the market.
Speaking after a training session yesterday, following Sunday’s match which was marred by jeers and boos from sections of the crowd, he said he was enjoying being back at the club after a five-month loan to AC Milan.
But he admitted: “I don’t like my sons seeing that and hearing that, and my family, from an organised group of fans.
“I think it was disrespectful, some of the things that were being said and also some of the banners, but it is what it is.
Asked about rumours the Beckhams are selling their Los Angeles base, Beckham said: “As far as I know, no.


Salinas, California based leafy green supplier River Ranch Fresh Foods has initiated a nationwide recall of pre-made bagged salads after discovering a Listeria contamination. No illnesses have been reported yet, but if you are one of the many folks too lazy to chop their own carrots, you may want to check the list of affected products which are sold under a variety of labels across the country.
The bagged salads carry a variety of wholesome-sounding names like: River Ranch, Farm Stand, Hy-Vee, Marketside, Shurfresh, The Farmer’s Market, Cross Valley, Fresh n Easy, Promark, and Sysco. (That last one being one of the largest restaurant suppliers in the country.) The recalled salads have either “Best By” code dates between 12MAY2012 - 29MAY2012 or Julian dates between 116 - 125, according to the company's recall announcement.
In healthy folks, Listeria generally causes short-term symptoms like fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. In young children and the elderly, however, it can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.


Despite suffering two straight defeats in the Ladbrokes Premiership and still unsure of who their new manager is going to be, Rangers interim boss Graeme Murty has full confidence in his players to keep their minds focused when St Johnstone come to Ibrox next Wednesday.
Murty watched on as Rangers lost 2-1 away from home for the second consecutive weekend, as a late Billy Mckay overhead kick gave Inverness CT their first victory in the league since late October.
The visitors hauled themselves level midway through the second half after Martyn Waghorn converted from the penalty spot, cancelling out Greg Tansey’s opener in first-half stoppage time.
It was a familiar story for the Light Blues as they failed to take chances to win the match and, instead, suffered defeat when Mckay produced a superb piece of magic only moments after Iain Vigurs had missed a penalty for the hosts.
With no new manager in sight and pressure intensifying on a playing squad low on confidence, Murty says he expects the club to be written off against St Johnstone. But he insists the players will come out ready to play despite the latest setback.
He told BT Sport: “It’s very difficult to take. The players are very down. They did the things we wanted them to do with the ball. We created lots of chances, opened them up. In Emerson Hyndman and Jon Toral, I thought we had two of the better players on the pitch. But we need to be clinical in both boxes. We weren’t and we were punished for it.
Asked whether he’d make up a decision about his future, Murty said he was too “raw” to give a definitive answer in the heat of the moment, though he’ll continue to stay in the role as long as the board ask him to.
He said: “I’ll keep on doing what I’m doing until the board tell me any different. The players need stability. They need something to hang their hat on. As long as I’m asked I’ll keep doing the job I’m doing.


The curiosity of children is quite possibly the greatest player in their drive to learn. It is one of the single most compelling aspects of human life in that it motivates us to go from a baby crawling on the floor, to a toddler toppling over, to a child chasing a firefly through a cool summer night. Curiosity pushes us to communicate with gestures and words in order to ask for the things we want, and it guides us towards the answers to the things we don’t yet understand.
Not only did my brother and I each ask this very same question on a completely different day, but we asked it about two different women my mom happened to be with at the time! I share this to elaborate on the fact that a child’s curiosity can guide them down a dangerous path (like insulting your parent’s friends and the realization of what would happen when you got home), but it can just as easily guide them towards truth and growth. Either way, parents and grandparents are usually the first to receive a child’s barrage of questions and are tasked with the responsibility to not just give them an answer but to give them a healthy and accepting outlet for their curiosity. This is especially crucial when it pertains to the faith they see us living out as Christians.
As Christian parents and grandparents, we believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. We hold fast that it is able to answer our children’s or grandchildren’s s questions about faith.
"The great part is that each one of those questions...has an answer in the Bible."
If you been around kids for any amount of time, you know that these questions usually come the moment you take a bite of food or a sip of your drink. Then they'll wait for an answer while you choke and cough for 5 minutes at the unexpectedness of their question.
The great part is that each one of those questions, and practically every faith question they can think of, has an answer in the Bible.
"Getting to the heart of ... their question is something that takes more than an answer. It takes a conversation."
The problem we run into with just giving the biblical answers to the questions they ask is that it may not answer the question that your children or grandchildren are actually asking.
Children can and will ask questions about faith from the standpoint that they want an answer because they just don’t know. I’ve found these types of questions are usually asked when my family is reading the Bible together and they don’t understand a passage or story. All that’s really needed is to break it down so it’s easier for their developing minds to grasp. Most of the time, however, when one of my seven kids come to my wife or me with a question about our Christian faith, it’s because they have a decision to make or a personal issue that they are processing. Getting to the heart of the reason why they are asking their question is something that takes more than a simple answer. It takes a conversation.
"... we not only take the time to answer their questions, but also to ask them questions."
Taking the time to pause whatever we are doing and talk with our children and grandchildren when they ask a faith question is important. It’s also important to not only take the time to answer their questions, but also to ask them questions. Jesus does this throughout the New Testament by asking questions instead of immediately giving answers. This way, the person asking must reveal their heart's purpose in their question (Matthew 21:16, Mark 10:2-3, Luke 6:1-3).
"Just be sure that you are spending time in the Word of God to learn these truths yourself."
An example of seeking out your child’s heart behind their questions is in how we answer the question, “Do I have to get baptized?” Maybe you’ve asked this question as a child and know where I’m going, but I’m guessing almost all church-going parents hear this and quickly understand that this child isn’t necessarily seeking theological reasons for why they should be baptized. He or she is most likely scared of some aspect of the baptism experience and is trying to see if there is a way around it. That doesn’t mean their fear changes the command of Christ, nor should we be unaware of biblical teachings on the subject. It does mean that seeking to communicate the biblical answer in love is far greater than just seeking to give a biblical answer. Just be sure that you are spending time in the Word of God to learn these truths yourself.
"Of course, there will be times you may not know the answer..."
We are called to “... always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15). The Bible will not fly off of the shelf into your lap and tell you to take five as it reveals its truths in a way that makes the scripture understandable. It feels really weird to admit this, but the printed Word of God is useless in a house where the parents or grandparents never read it and the child is too young to read it themselves. It’s nothing more than a decoration, and it has a really good chance of remaining a decoration as the child grows older if we do not treat it as the remarkable gift that it is.
Of course, there will be times you may not know the answer to a question no matter how much you read and study the Bible. It’s during these times that we rely on seeking the Lord in prayer, asking Him to guide us.
God’s guidance and direction in the decisions we make is sometimes difficult to determine and should be saturated in biblical discernment. This does not, however, remove the responsibility that we are called to listen for his voice and do as He commands (John 10:27). Paul shows us this in the way he followed the command of the Lord in his traveling ministry to preach the gospel. While we know it’s right for us to, “…go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation,” (Mark 16:15) the Lord shows Paul that there is guidance He gives to us personally when He prohibits Paul from preaching the gospel in the province of Asia (Acts 16:6).
The Bible is a collection of stories and spiritual revelations from God to men, written down for our benefit. The God who spoke to them can still speak to us. I fully believe that we must not add to the Bible, but we are called to pray daily to the Father for His guidance (Thessalonians 5:16-18), not just for our lives, but also for the lives of our children and grandchildren. The relationship we seek to have with them is quite similar to the relationship He seeks to have with us. When we have questions, and we can’t interpret an answer, we seek the Father through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit to bring us the answers we need – answers that are in line with the Scriptures He has already given, the giftings that we have, and the personal knowledge that He gives to us in our time with Him. Our children are no different.
I fully believe the heart of the Father is overjoyed when we give to our children and grandchildren in the same manner that He gives to us.
Our children come to us curious or confused, seeking answers to questions they may not even know how to ask. Maybe not so much questions about the principles or doctrines of faith, but questions about their daily decisions and choices they make as a child of Christ. As I mentioned before, it could be questions like, “I want to help the poor, but I don’t know how.” We hear this and realize that even though we have an opinion, we don’t always know the best answer. We know that the Word of God says it’s right to help the poor, but what’s the best way my five-year-old can do it? What makes them even ask this question? Maybe they saw something on television about giving to a needy child, or they noticed a homeless man standing on a corner with a sign. We listen to them say that their Sunday school teacher talked about Jesus helping the poor and they want to do the same.
It’s at this point that we remember that Christianity is a relationship, rather than a religion, and we see an opening to teach children the importance of our personal relationship with Jesus. It’s here where we can humbly confess that we do not know what the best choice may be, and we can use this opportunity to teach them that there is a Father who knows the answer to every question they could think to ask. We can show them that we care by dedicating time to spend with them in finding the answer together. We can walk with them as they balance the questions they have with the multitude of answers that may be found while deciding what to do next.
"This gives them the purpose to continue to read and study His Word..."
Answers for the choices we make in our service to Christ will not always seem obvious or clear, but this is where the child can learn to grow in their faith by maintaining a relationship with the Father through prayer. And this drives them to continue reading and studying His Word to see if what they believe He is speaking to them aligns with what He’s already said.
Your openness and trust let them know that they can come to you for guidance about the decision they have made. It may not be perfect, but it can be a beautiful time of growing together in faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
"...peace of mind for you and a powerful weapon for them."
One day, maybe sooner than we think, they will stop asking us questions and will look to others to satisfy their curiosity. Taking the time in their younger years to be there for them, introducing them to the relationship that they can have with God, and showing them how to weigh out everything they hear with the Word of God, will give peace of mind to you and a powerful weapon to them.


With thanks to the London Transport Museum.
Poster Art 150: London Underground's Greatest Designs runs until 5 January 2014 at the London Transport Museum. Some of the prints featured are available to buy here.


The Migration Policy Institute estimates that 743,000 unauthorized immigrants in Texas will qualify for protection under Obama's executive order on immigration. It will be the second most impacted state in the country, behind California.
Texas will be the second most affected state under President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration, which will shield 5 million unauthorized immigrants from deportation, according to a study by the Migration Policy Institute.
In Texas, the president’s actions will make 743,000 people in the country illegally eligible for protection from deportation. That’s second only to California, where 1.5 million people will be eligible for protection under the administration’s new and expanded deferred action programs. So how will Obama’s executive order affect Texas’ undocumented population?
First, let’s go over the ground rules. About half a million (560,000) will be able to apply for temporary relief from deportation under the new deferred action program that qualifies parents of U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have been in the country for more than five years. Another 183,000 unauthorized immigrants in Texas will qualify for protection under the expansion of the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which will extend eligibility to people who entered the country as children before January 1, 2010 regardless of how old they are now.
The Migration Policy Institute estimates that 743,000 unauthorized immigrants in Texas will qualify for protection under Obama’s executive order on immigration. It will be the second most impacted state in the country, behind California.
Both programs will offer three years of temporary relief from deportation.
Secondly, the executive order doesn’t cover all unauthorized immigrants in the state. According to the Migration Policy Institute, there are roughly 1.4 million unauthorized immigrants in Texas, which means that only half of the state’s population that is in the country illegally are eligible for the programs. It is unclear how many out of those 743,000 will apply, but if the rollout of the DACA program two years ago is any indication, the number will be far below the capacity enrollment.
Before Obama’s expansion of DACA last week, 1.2 million people were eligible for the program nationwide. In two years, only about half of the population eligible for that program (580,000) had attained its temporary relief from deportation.
There is no one clear answer as to why large portions of the eligible population don’t apply for these programs, but factors cited often include poverty, language barriers and lack of education.
In Texas, 36 percent of the unauthorized immigrant population is at or above 200 percent of the poverty level, compared to the country as a whole where that percentage is 28.
The fee for the new deferred action program has not been released yet by the administration, but the fee for DACA is $465 and cannot be waived.
Similarly, ability to speak English is a big factor in whether people apply for the program or not, Batalova said. In Texas, 58 percent of the state’s unauthorized immigrant population said they speak English “not well” or “not at all” compared to 51 percent in the country overall, which could discourage them from seeking out applications for the program. Complicating matters more only 21 percent of the state’s undocumented immigrant population has a high school diploma or equivalent meaning they could also experience educational barriers to filling out the application.
Additionally, unauthorized immigrants who work in the construction industry will be greatly affected by the action. In Texas, 25 percent of the unauthorized immigrant population is employed in this sector, which has fought in recent years to require breaks for workers every few hours. Austin passed an ordinance in 2010 mandating a rest of at least 10 minutes for every four hours worked.
Not surprisingly, 80 percent of the state’s undocumented population is Mexican.
The president’s executive order will not create a path to citizenship.


A BAGGAGE handler has been caught on tape carelessly tossing valuable suitcases onto a conveyer belt. The airline wasted no time in responding.
FEARS of losing luggage on a lengthy plane trip is now not the only concern, as footage has emerged of an airport crew member tossing bags off a Hawaiian Air plane.
Courier-Mail reporter Vanessa Marsh captured a ground crewmember throwing luggage carelessly at Honolulu while loading up a flight to Phoenix and posted the video on Twitter.
“The mystery of all my broken suitcases is solved — this is the ground crew at Honolulu loading up a @HawaiianAir flight to Phoenix,” Ms Marsh tweeted.
The video, has been viewed nearly 2000 times — prompting Hawaiian Airlines to comment.
“Aloha Vanessa, we’re very sorry to see this and appreciate you bringing it to our attention,” they wrote.
A similar incident was reported by news.com.au when a Melbourne woman discovered her bag had been run over by a tug — a vehicle that transports luggage — at Perth airport, destroying all of her valuable items.
News.com.au reported the woman — 32-year-old Melissa Chung — is still struggling to get a response from Qantas who allegedly refused to compensate her for the laptop and cosmetics.
“The Qantas passenger said the incident caused more than $3000 worth of damage to her clothes, cosmetics and an Apple laptop, as well as the bag itself, leaving her with barely anything to use during her trip,” the article read.
Ms Chung said she expected much better service from the national airline.
“What is the point in flying Qantas over a budget airline when the customer service is so appalling?” she said.


Racing embracing change but what about Irish gambling laws?
JACK ANDERSON: Racing embracing change but what about Irish gambling laws?
Dating back to 1780, the Epsom Derby is the one of the oldest continuous events on the sporting calendar. The latest running is Saturday. The Aidan O’Brien-trained Saxon Warrior will start as favourite. If Saxon Warrior wins, it will give O’Brien a record-equalling seventh Derby.
Last year, O’Brien trained Wings Of Eagles to a shock win at 40-1. Punters were deflated; bookies delighted.
On May 31, 1838, the London Times contained a report on the previous day’s Derby.
The now 150-year-old report recounted another shock winner of the race: Amato striding to victory at racecourse odds of 40/1.
The 1838 Derby was a historic one as it was the first to be raced on a Wednesday, a tradition that continued until 1995. It was held on a Wednesday because that suited the timetables of the innovative transport technology of the era — the railways.
Trains from the newly-opened Nine Elms station in Battersea ferried thousands towards Epsom on the emerging London to Southampton line.
Railways would later play a huge part in the success of the nationwide leagues and cups organised by the Football Association from the 1860s onwards.
In fact, railway workers were among the most enthusiastic founders of football clubs in England. Manchester United, for example, traces its origins to 1878 when it was established by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath.
The passengers on the first Epsom trains in 1838 were not amused by Amato’s win.
Somewhat suspiciously and like the great prize fighters of the era, on winning the title, the horse was promptly retired, undefeated.
As a modern industry, horse racing remains an adjunct of the gambling trade.
Having spoken at a recent Asia racing conference held in Seoul on the future of the racing industry, there was, unsurprisingly, a recognition by leading figures in the industry that this close commercial link will never be sundered, as racing is simply not commercially viable without gambling.
Nevertheless, even in countries where the sport is traditionally strong, the age profile of those going racing is rising and TV viewing figures are falling.
Moreover, those younger punters still interested in the sport are moving away (as is their money) from betting on horses to other sports and they are doing so online and not off- or on-course.
Recent figures from the UK Gambling Commission show that so-called ‘remote’ gambling (mainly online on smartphones) is now the largest sector accounting for almost a third of gambling in the UK. In the remote gambling sector, football betting accounted for 31.2% of the total; horse racing was a distant second, generating 19.6%.
In light of these statistics, what was interesting about this month’s Asia racing conference is how the horse racing industry is planning to ‘rebrand’ itself as a global sport.
The sporting calendar is not as sparse as it was in 1838. The Derby has slipped from the consciousness of even the most ardent of sports fans. The industry must now make the most of week-long or weekend festivals or carnivals of racing.
Indeed, the moving in 1995 of the Epsom Derby from Wednesday to a late Saturday afternoon slot was a recognition of racing’s battle for viewers and relevance.
More recently, four leading racing festivals worldwide — Flemington in Australia, Ascot, Goodwood, and the Breeders’ Cup (USA) — have launched a global online platform called World Horse Racing to promote the sport. The long-term idea is, like tennis and Formula One, to establish a global circuit or a series of grand slam events for racing.
In Asia, the key player in the horse racing and gambling industry is the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). HJKC is probably the most remarkable sporting organisation you have never heard of. Its last annual financial report (from 2016/2017) highlighted that its customers used it to bet HK$216.5bn or €24bn.
The HJKC has identified that in order to grow, it must appeal to a younger audience including families and provide them with an excuse to go racing — by way of entertainment and first-class facilities — beyond simply an opportunity to gamble.
The HJKC has also recognised that the integrity of the sport is vital and that it has three, inter-linked aspects: — race rigging and money laundering; doping and animal welfare; and a correlation between poor regulation and problem gambling.
On the first point, if those who attend are of the view that races are fixed or only those with inside information have any reasonable chance of making money, they will not return to the sport.
As a result, the HJKC probably has the most sophisticated betting data analysis systems in the world.
In some ways it has to because in many countries adjacent to it, betting is either illegal or unregulated and used to launder money by international criminal syndicates.
In Singapore alone, for example, illegal betting turnover is estimated at US$6.5bn (€5.5bn) annually. Worldwide €100bn is laundered by illegal gamblers on fixed sports events every year.
The second element to integrity is where a horse is doped to win or lose. Racing globally is trying to appeal to an increasingly urbanised middle class. It is exactly people in this category who are most sensitive to animal welfare concerns.
Recently in Australia, the authorities uncovered a conspiracy whereby cobalt ‘top-ups’ were being given pre-race to horses.
Casual viewers of the sport in Australia have associated the administration of such drugs to horses not just with betting scams but with the mistreatment of the animals.
Finally, where gambling is not properly regulated, there is an associated increase in the rates of problem gambling. Put simply, those addicted to gambling will often seek out the unregulated, extremes in order to place bets by way of phone, credit cards, or online.
In addition, the loss of revenue associated with unregulated betting markets means that taxes ordinarily raised on gambling cannot be directed to preventative or treatment initiatives.
Here in Australia — the country that loses the most per head annually on gambling (Ireland is third) — about 10% of those who bet with regulated bettors have been found to have gambling-related social problems. That figure rises to 26% in the illegal betting market.
integrity in protecting the sport’s brand and the welfare of animals but there is a weakness in the system.
In Ireland, our gambling laws are outdated. They are based on legislation drafted in the 1930s and on principles that would be familiar to those punters who took the train to Epsom a century and a half ago.
Until the Gambling Control Bill is enacted in full by the current Oireachtas, it’s not just Irish sport that has a problem with dated regulation; it’s Irish society that has a gambling problem.
Jack Anderson is Professor of Law, University of Melbourne and Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Limerick.


Olympic bronze medal-winning figure skater Denis Ten has died in Kazakhstan after being stabbed in an incident involving two robbers.
The Kazakh skater, 25, who won Olympic bronze in 2014, lost three liters of blood in the attack and died in hospital on Thursday, despite resuscitation procedures by doctors, TASS reports.
The tragic incident took place in the city of Almaty, when the skater became involved in an argument with two unknown men who had attempted to steal mirrors from his car.
The verbal row quickly escalated into a serious altercation in which the athlete received knife wounds. Passersby found the unconscious skater on the street and called an ambulance, which took Ten to hospital where he passed away after surgery.
The high-profile athlete was the first Kazakh skater to win an Olympic medal, after he finished third at the 2014 winter games in Sochi, losing only to Japanese skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu and Canadian star Patrick Chan.
“Denis Yurevich Ten spotted two unknown men who tried to steal mirrors from his car. In a brawl which took place at the scene Ten was wounded with a knife. The incident is being investigated by police, all members of Almaty’s department of internal affairs are involved in the operation aimed at identifying and detaining the criminals,” Kazakh police stated, as cited by local outlet tengrinews.kz.
Ten also won silver at the 2013 World Figure Skating Championship and took bronze at the same tournament in 2015.


Haye vs Bellew 2 tale of the tape: How do two heavyweights compare ahead of massive rematch at the O2 Arena?
IT'S finally here - the long-awaited rematch between David Haye and Tony Bellew.
Bomber took the 11th round stoppage win in March last year amidst huge controversy, with Haye clearly injured for the majority of the fight.
A rematch was slated for December, but another knock forced the Hayemaker to postpone until May.
The pair have been locked in a war of words for almost two years now and it's finally time for them to settle their differences once again in the ring.
THERE's very little to split these two on paper - and it promises to be an absolute cracker at the O2.
Nobody is ever quite sure what to expect from the Hayemaker, despite claims that he is completely back to full fitness.
Both fighters are 6ft3, althrough Haye has a four-inch reach advantage over the Liverpudlian.
Bomber has been in the ring for 78 more rounds, whilst he has the three career losses to Haye's two.
At the weigh-in on Friday, Haye came in at 15st 10lbs 2oz (220lbs) while Bellew tipped the scales at 15st (210lbs).
When is Haye vs Bellew II?
THE big fight is being held THIS Saturday, May 5.
The two boxers will go against each other to the O2 Arena in London and it's expected that the ring walks will be around 10pm.
YOU will be able to watch all the action, including a packed undercard, via Sky Sports Box Office.
If you're not a Sky subscriber, you can still watch using the NOW TV service - simply order online at Sky Box Office and then download the Sky Sports Box Office app on your TV or mobile device.
The fight costs £19.95 for UK customers and €24.95 for those of you in the Republic of Ireland.


Video game references are breaking into another mainstream institution, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of London Choir joining together to perform a special concert featuring music from PlayStation games.
Taking place on May 30, the program will include music from popular games such as The Last of Us, The Last Guardian, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, LittleBigPlanet, Horizon Zero Dawn, and more. This will be accompanied by a spectacular light show. The concert will also mark the first usage at the Royal Albert Hall of EnCue, a real-time program note app that delivers content to concertgoers’ smartphones as the music is played on-stage.
We’ve noticed a growing number of recent campaigns that are pushing video game fandom into the mainstream, such as from Bloomingdales and Chanel. As the millennial generation gets older, we’re seeing how brands are looking to embrace gaming themes in ads and activations, and seize upon all the good feelings of nostalgia and fun that go along with it.


The House of Wolves add-on also adds a new weekly wrinkle, in the form of Prison of Elder. The multi-round gauntlets are built for endgame play, with the specific enemy types and modifiers changing from week to week.
Arc Burn - All Arc damage is increased.
Solar Burn - All Solar damage is increased.
Small Arms - Primary weapons do increased damage.
Winter's Run is one of Destiny's shorter Strikes, with very little ground to cover between the spawn point and the first Darkness Zone, and then a similarly short distance separating that first Darkness Zone from the boss encounter. This particular Nightfall is especially appealing because of the great modifier synergy. Elemental "burns" are always a welcome sight, but the idea of pairing Arc/Solar Burn with Small Arms is particularly tantalizing.
Brawler- Guardian melee damage is increased by 300%.
For the second week in a row, you'll need to have one of Destiny's optional add-ons to participate in the Weekly Heroic Strike. This time it's The Dark Below Strike, The Will of Crota. This one's a bit of a grind, both in terms of length and challenge level. Brawler promises to be handy during the final phases of the mission when Hive melee knights start rushing in. Even better, the Brawler modifier doesn't give your enemies a boost, and that's always welcome.


As reported in the New York Times, Bloomberg Philanthropies is putting $43 million into small and midsize arts group in seven new cities, including Austin.
What do you get as a gift for playwright Jonathan Tolins, who wrote the comic solo turn, “Buyer and Cellar,” to toast his honors at the Drama Desk Awards earlier this week?
It’s been quite a week for the Austin Symphony. It earned some its most glowing notices in years. It also secured a $1 million gift.


From a single office that opened in 1973 in Denver, Colo., RE/MAX has grown into a global real estate network of franchisee-owned and -operated offices with more than 100,000 Sales Associates. Those agents constitute the world's most productive real estate sales force. Through their efforts, they've made it possible to say that nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.


Katie Couric just took Jimmy Kimmel for his first colonoscopy.
The late-night host shared the experience on Tuesday's episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
Kimmel turned 50 in November, which is the recommended age for adults to start getting screenings. So when Couric asked Kimmel if she could accompany him for his first, he couldn't refuse.
"It seemed to be an unusual request, but I know that this is something Katie is passionate about and it's an important thing to do," Kimmel said. "So, with that said, we're about to watch a camera go where no camera has ever gone before."
Fighting colon cancer is near to Couric's heart. Her first husband, Jay Monahan, died of colon cancer in 1998. To help encourage others to get colonoscopies, Couric underwent a live screening on Today nearly two decades ago.
Couric guided Kimmel every step of the way. She mixed him a pre-screening "cocktail" to clear out his colon, drove him to the hospital and gave him a pep talk before the procedure.
Of course, the comedic host managed to keep things light. He changed into a formal gown instead of a hospital gown before the colonoscopy and made his doctor play a round of Operation to test her skills.
"That was good. I feel comfortable now," Kimmel said after his doctor successfully extracted a butterfly from the body of the Hasbro game.
Jokes aside, Kimmel took the colonoscopy seriously and underwent the procedure. So, did the doctors find anything alarming?
"We found your keys, some [toy] soldiers--you've been looking for those haven't you?" Couric teased, showing him the loose items. "And best of all, look, we found your harmonica, Jimmy."
Thankfully, Kimmel's colon was free of any polyps and he won't have to have another screening for about 10 years.
"Thank you, Katie, for invading my colon," he said.
Couric teased she had a "colonoscopy mystery date" before Tuesday's episode.
"I should never have swiped left on Tinder," Kimmel teased.


What the American designer did with tulle was staggering in a brilliant homage to couture.
Thom Browne designed to his Paris moment. “When I thought of doing my first show here, I wanted to celebrate what, in my mind, Paris fashion is all about — the craftsmanship of couture,” he said during a preview.
What this man did with tulle was staggering. In paying homage to couture, he created couture — a collection that would have shown as brilliantly in July as it did on Tuesday at the Hotel de Ville. The mastery of these clothes was beyond, the fabric development remarkable. Imagine a trim madras jacket that looks like real thing, but woven with painstaking precision from strips of tulle. Or a cricket jacket, its half-“exploded,” half-shaved tulle configuration mocking the conservatism of the real thing. Or puffer pieces in which shredded tulle is trapped and quilted in a tulle shell.
More than enough for the makings of a spectacular collection, and Browne delivered on the promise. Yet one risks giving the clothes short shrift. As magical as they were, the story Browne spun around them was more so. He told the tale of twins, Jeanmarie and Marybeth, their bodies sorely imperfect, lumpy, bumpy, frumpy in a Lucien Freud sort of way (if his medium were quilted tulle). The two fall asleep and into a mutual dream that takes them to a different planet, a place where everyone is an individual and every individual is beautiful. The mermaid is beautiful, but so is the octopus lady, and the caterpillar girl. The cricket player is beautiful, and the preppy and the working woman and the skeletal girl and a rounder type. And the tuxedo lady and the cowgirl. And suddenly, the lumpy dumpy twins are beautiful, too, transformed, with the help of a unicorn (made by the same company that created War Horse), into heavenly bodies who now love themselves and fit right in. In fact, their bodies haven’t changed. But in this wonderful Planet of Dreams, there are no standards of beauty save one: Be who you are. All are welcomed.
“The fantasy is where it needs to start,” Browne said. Though he referred to his fantastical approach to his runway, but he could have been talking about the world his show depicted, one of acceptance and inclusion. Fantasy, alas, yes. But we can hope.


Pasadena, California (CNN) – Anxious mission directors are counting the hours and holding their breath as the cruise vehicle for the Phoenix Mars Lander starts to feel the pull of Martian gravity.
The lander is just hours away from ending its 296-day, 422-million-mile journey, and has about a 50-50 chance of touching down successfully on the arctic plains of the red planet’s polar north.
If all goes well, mission control will hear the lander’s “beep” from the surface in the tense minutes after a planned touchdown of 7:53pm Eastern time.
At the final pre-landing briefing, principal scientific investigator Peter Smith said he has “been feeling the pull of Martian gravity for 15 years”, highlighting just how important this mission is for his life’s work.
He said the scariest moment for him would be losing the lander’s signal during descent. Team members are calling it the “seven minutes of terror”, at which time the spacecraft will be dropping like a hot rock through the super-hot friction of the Martian atmosphere.
The craft has to drop its heat shield, deploy a parachute, and finally fire its thrusters to slow down to a rough, 5 mile-per-hour landing.
“There’s nothing else to do but watch,” said Phoenix project manager Barry Goldstein of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab.
Earlier today his team waved off the chance to make one final course-correcting maneuver, and is calculating a ninety-nine percent probability that the lander will touch down inside an ellipse that is 60 kilometers long by 20 kilometers wide.
He said he was agonizing over a diffused rock pile within that landing zone, but that it was only a point-one percent chance the lander would hit it.
I say that the odds are MUCH better than "50-50" to safe land.
Granted, past history? The odds were not that good.
That was then and this is NOW, have some confidence America and display a little optimisim.
I EXPECT Pheonix to land sucessfully and do some great science... and get the Mars monkey off our back.
Will the descent (blaze across the Martian sky) be visible from either of the landed rovers, or from any orbiting cameras that might deliver images of that phase of the mission?
I hope it fails miserably. NASA is unnecessary, wasteful, monopolistic organization that only exists as a way for Members of Congress to send pork back to their home districts. Those tax leeches should go earn an honest living like the rest of us.
And for all you dorks who get turned on by this stuff, donate your own money to these efforts.
Congrat's !! That was something amazing. Great Job to those involded.
Someone will certainly ask.."Why spend the money on this"....How much did it cost...etc.
Folks, here are the answers...Space science doesn't cost us....It pays us to the tune of almost $7.00 per dollar invested and here is an explanation of these facts....if you dare!
I checked into this mission and found that it was successful in 2008. It was concluded when NASA was unable to re-connect with Phoenix in 2010. All of the scientific objectives were met but the craft lost power eventually. Good job!


The Colorado Republican, one of the most vulnerable House incumbents in 2018, faced an auditorium of angry residents.
AURORA, Colo. — Nearly every other constituent brought up health care at a town hall here on the outskirts of Denver on Wednesday night, in one of the most competitive House districts in the country.
But not a single one did it to thank Rep. Mike Coffman for backing the House GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Instead, dozens of local residents — Democrats and Republicans — pummeled the Colorado Republican for supporting legislation they said would harm their community.
Standing before a packed auditorium at a University of Colorado satellite campus in Aurora, one young woman pressed Coffman on how he could commit to a bill she fears would hurt people with pre-existing conditions. Another stood up to say her cousin with epilepsy would die without Medicaid, which would be scaled back significantly by the GOP plan.
"I'm sorry to say I was shocked when you declared your intention to vote for the American Health Care Act," said Steven Haas, a 68-year-old lifelong registered Republican. "That is not the way we do things here in Colorado."
Coffman put his political career on the line several weeks ago when he threw his support behind Speaker Paul Ryan’s health care bill, legislation with a 17 percent approval rating. Ryan ultimately pulled the bill from the floor amid a collapse in GOP support — but not before Coffman went on record as a supporter.
Now, the five-term centrist, one of the most vulnerable members in the House GOP Conference, is paying for it in his district, which Hillary Clinton last year carried by 9 points.
"I voted for you because I thought you'd be a leader," said one angry constituent. "I don't see you leading."
The chaotic scene that unfolded Wednesday foreshadows the problem dozens of centrist Republicans will face during the 2018 midterm elections in swing districts across the country. While Coffman was one of the few moderates to brave a town-hall setting during the two-week Easter recess, his colleagues won't be able to dodge constituent blowback at the polls.
Liberals have been galvanized by the Republican effort to dismantle the health care law, which has become increasingly popular as it's come under assault. Left-leaning outside groups like Save Our Care and Planned Parenthood are already targeting moderate Republicans with TV ads, including some aimed squarely at Coffman in this Rocky Mountain suburb.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is working to line up challengers to seize on the backlash against the Republican health care effort and President Donald Trump. Less than 24 hours before Coffman's town hall, Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, announced he will challenge Coffman next year.
The issue will only get worse for centrists like Coffman. The White House and House conservatives in Washington are pressuring GOP leaders to move the Obamacare replacement bill even further right, in part by gutting major protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Coffman has promised to protect those regulations, a vow he repeated over and over again Wednesday to the skeptical crowd.
Coffman, for his part, appears to realize he's on shaky ground. When asked about his support for the bill during a brief interview minutes before the town hall, he did something of a two-step, claiming all he meant was that the bill was a good "starting point." Should the bill be amended to gut protections for sicker individuals, Coffman said, it'd be "tough" for him to vote for the legislation.
He also downplayed the possibility that his support for the measure could be a problem for him in 2018.
"I've always weathered fairly tough races, and I expect another one," he said. "I ran on [a promise that] I would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The voters knew that in the last ... three election cycles."
It didn't take long for health care to dominate the event, which was monitored by police. Early on, a home-care worker told Coffman, "You have promised to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but the new version of Trumpcare will eliminate those protections."
"Now that the new version eliminates protections for people with pre-existing [conditions], are you going to side with Trump, or are you going to keep your promise and stand with your constituents?" she asked.
The auditorium erupted in applause.
When it came to Medicaid, however, he was at odds with most of the Democratic-leaning room. After one man said that without Medicaid, he and his wife would have to choose between a healthy meal and a much-needed doctor’s visit, Coffman gave a wonkish explanation about how the new health care bill would either block-grant Medicaid or give states a "per capita" allotment per enrollee.
It did not exactly soothe the concerned constituent.
When the mother of a special needs child grew emotional, saying families like hers "eat, breathe and sleep Medicaid," Coffman listened and invited her to talk to his staff after the event.
But he didn’t back down from his belief that the program needs a major overhaul — a position with which most in the room appeared to take issue.
"I really fundamentally believe this Medicaid expansion is driving the deficit, so we've got to bring it back down to that 50-50 split," he said at one point, referring to a lower federal match rate for states.
Coffman knew his audience, and at times, he didn’t bother responding to those who approached the microphone with a clear ax to grind. After the crowd gave a standing ovation when one woman asked what it would take for him to side with constituents over the Republican Party, he didn't answer and simply moved on to the next question.
The tension in the room was nearly constant. Many shouted and held up signs that read "Medicare for all" or "Save Obamacare." When they didn't like his answer — including his response to concerns about federal environmental policy — attendees flung up red signs depicting a thumbs-down icon. At one point, a man in the back screamed, "You're a coward" when Coffman said he did not support an independent counsel to investigate Russia's interference in the election.
The moderator several times had to warn attendees to "please be respectful."
Despite the howling, Coffman tried to play up any common ground he could find with his Democratic constituents, some of whom have unsuccessfully tried to boot him from office for years. He talked proudly about his membership in the "No Labels" caucus, a bipartisan group that brings together Democrats and Republicans to work across the aisle. He questioned the credibility of the House Intelligence Committee's Russia-Trump investigation, saying he'd look to the Senate for answers instead.
Coffman, who stayed a full 45 minutes after his event was slated to end, also called for White House press secretary Sean Spicer to step down after his inaccurate and offensive comments about the Holocaust this week.
"He needs to go," Coffman said to cheers.
Those moments of connection, however, were fleeting. After the town hall, Haas, the Republican who peppered Coffman with criticism for supporting the House GOP Obamacare replacement bill, said Coffman is too extreme for the district.
"He votes with the far right, and that’s not who we are," he said.


An off-duty labor and delivery nurse out shopping with her family was forced to jump into action after a Georgia mother suddenly went into labor, 11 Alive reports.
Tanya St. Preux Picault said she was at the Target at Mall of Georgia in Gwinnett County recently when she started to feel some pain.
Picault said she had visited the doctor the day before and didn't think her baby, Maleek Ari Picault, was about to arrive.
About 20 minutes after entering the store, Picault's water broke and she went into labor.
Caris Lockwood, a nurse at Piedmont Healthcare, had spotted Picault earlier and immediately stepped in to offer some assistance.
"I didn't think she was going to deliver that fast at first, but then she had a really painful contraction and her water broke," Lockwood told 11 Alive. "As a labor and delivery nurse I kind of knew what was about to happen."
Lockwood said her sister grabbed towels and gloves. The nurse then delivered Picault's baby right outside the store, before the ambulance could arrive. Baby Maleek was born at seven pounds, 10 ounces.
"There was really no time," she said. "Mother Nature waits for no one. So we delivered right there, at the car."
Picault told the outlet that Lockwood being at the store to help her was "God's provision."
Target released a statement about the surprise delivery thanking the "nurses and medical team that jumped in to help."
"We're happy to hear mother and baby are doing well," the company said.


Greg McQuillan has complained to the police and Auckland Transport.
A DISABLED Auckland man thought he was a "goner" when a bus closed its doors on him and then yanked him from his wheelchair, leaving him bloodied, bruised and with an injured back.
Greg McQuillan, 50, has complained about the driver in Friday's near-miss and Auckland Transport is investigating.
Mr McQuillan, a former driving instructor for the army, tried to catch the bus in Blockhouse Bay at 7pm.
When it pulled in and let two people off, he went to board but "he shut the doors on me. I banged on the door the get his attention, and he just hit the power".
"The next thing you know, I'm getting dragged on to the footpath and on to the road - that's where I ended up, face first on the road, with my wheelchair on top of me, and the bus driver just took off."
Mr McQuillan isn't sure what got caught in the doors and he barely recalls being pulled from his chair and on to the ground.
"I was too shocked and it happened so fast ... The last thing I remember was I was getting dragged and that big front wheel was just coming straight for my head."
The couple who had stepped off the bus came to his aid immediately and helped him back into his chair. "They were just absolutely stunned."
The impact left him with a bleeding knee, grazed arms, bruising and back injuries.
He stopped the next bus to get details to make a complaint, but was unable to ascertain which company operated the bus that injured him.
He said he had laid a complaint with the police, and a spokesman for Auckland Transport confirmed to the Herald that the council-controlled organisation was investigating.
Mr McQuillan held more than a dozen different classes of drivers' licences before he was paralysed in a crash while on army service.
"The first thing he [the driver] should have done was check his left-hand mirror ... Had he done that, he would have seen me. I can only assume he didn't see me - because he sure as hell didn't stop."
Mr McQuillan, who was still distressed yesterday when describing the incident, was all too aware he could have died, especially if he had been dragged beneath a wheel.
"I'm very upset about it. The guy is meant to be a professional driver. Okay, I got a few bruises, but it could have killed me."
CCS Disability Action chief executive David Matthews said the incident served as a reminder that bus operators should not put timetables before the safety of passengers, disabled or not.
He said companies also needed to ensure their drivers were trained to meet the needs of disabled passengers.


WAYNE ROONEY is back in action today declaring he wants to be leader of the gang – for both club and country.
As one of Manchester United’s senior players, he is thriving on the responsibility of showing Sir Alex Ferguson’s new crop of youngsters the ropes.
Rooney says it is an ambition to follow both Nemanja Vidic and John Terry as captain of United and England eventually.
“I have captained both teams on one-off occasions, but to get those two jobs full-time would be an honour,” he said.
Rooney now has 10 years as a pro and more than 400 games under his belt despite the fact that he will not be 26 until later this month.
He is delighted that United boss Ferguson has acknowledged the maturity in his performances this season, and is not averse to handing out the odd rollicking if he thinks that a team-mate deserves one.
After missing the past three games with a hamstring niggle, Rooney said: “It’s great for the manager to say that.
“We have got a lot of young players in the team, and you know they will watch what you are doing on the training pitch and in the matches.
Rooney, speaking at the launch of the computer game FIFA 12, says United are already putting into practice some of the lessons they learnt from their Champions League defeat by Barcelona in the final in May.
While the speed of their play has increased, with the influence of Ashley Young, Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley, Rooney says United have also tried to match Barca’s ability to regain possession so quickly.
“A lot of people go on about Barcelona’s passing skills and how they keep the ball,” he said. “But, for me, their biggest asset is how quickly they win the ball back so many times in their opponents’ half and attack from there. We have started trying to bring that in, and thankfully it has started to pay off.
Apart from the captaincies, Rooney has Sir Bobby Charlton’s 249-goal United and 49-goal England records in his sights – without ever mentioning it to the Great Man.
“We see Sir Bobby all the time. He flies out to Euro games with us and he comes in the dressing room after every match. But I don’t talk to him about beating his records,” said Rooney.


Hammerson to sell its offices to Brookfield | City A.M.
HAMMERSON, the Anglo-French property developer, announced yesterday it is selling the bulk of its London office portfolio to Canada’s Brookfield Office Properties for £518m.
The deal comes after chief executive David Atkins put the offices up for sale in February to focus on retail property in the UK and France.
The FTSE 100 firm’s retail assets account for 90 per cent of its portfolio and include London’s Brent Cross and the Bullring in Birmingham.
Under the deal, Brookfield will pay Hammerson £329m for 99 Bishopsgate, Principal Place and two smaller assets by 30 September.
The sale of 125 Old Broad Street – the former Stock Exchange – and Leadenhall Court will be completed in June next year for £189m.
Hammerson said it will reinvest the proceeds in retail developments and buying up prime regional shopping centres, retail parks and premium designer outlets.
Martin Jepson, Brookfield’s senior vice president for investment, who joined from Hammerson last year, said the deal gave the firm “a platform for our portfolio in the UK”.
He said the building of Principal Place would kick-off once they had found a pre-let tenant.


The movie Valentine’s Day was released on Feb. 12. The commercial industry puts an incredible amount of pressure on guys to buy their women something nice and plan a very romantic day for their ladies. In the same twist it makes women feel pressure to find that “right” guy. Lead by a star studded cast, with such notables as Jessica Alba, Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Kathy Bates, Taylor Lautner, and many more, Valentine’s Day follows the story lines of several couples during this special holiday.
As the movie plays out the connections the cast of characters have with each other are revealed, one way or another. Some find romance; others are not as lucky as their relationships come to a bitter end. Everyone in this movie is looking for advice on how to keep their true loves.
Upon leaving this movie I could not help but be filled with the Valentine’s Day “spirit” so to speak. I really liked how all of the storylines intertwined, and that generally everyone found someone in the end. It gave testament to the old saying “there is someone out there for everyone.” In my opinion I thought it was a good date movie, the movie theatre was packed with couples of all ages. It was exactly what this year’s Valentine’s Day needed to make it extra special.


Emma Hotel West **** hotel offers accommodation and best service quality through the 65 rooms. Designed in a modern architectural fashion, the hotel has an interior design which is distinguished by elegance and refinement. Modern facilities, friendly atmosphere, sophistication and elegance arrangements, together with impeccable service will convince you that we are the right hosting for every situation.


NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration's firing of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara sent shockwaves through New York, but veterans of the high-profile office expect a longstanding mission of cracking down on political corruption and Wall Street wrongdoing to remain intact.
Staffed with more than one hundred career prosecutors, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office has a long history of being apolitical and pursuing a wide range of investigations into terrorism, public corruption, securities fraud and cyber crime, former prosecutors said.
Lorin Reisner, former head of the office's criminal division from 2012 to 2014, who is now in private practice at law firm Paul Weiss, said the priorities of the office are unlikely to change, regardless of who replaces Bharara.
"Generations of SDNY prosecutors have been told that their job is to do the right thing, for the right reasons, every day, in every case," he said, using the acronym for the office, the Southern District of New York.
Hanging in the balance are ongoing investigations of potential fraud at Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc and its ties to a mail-order pharmacy and of two massive data breaches at Yahoo Inc, including one affecting more than one billion user accounts.
The office is also investigating a major cyber heist from the Bank of Bangladesh involving funds which moved through the New York Federal Reserve bank.
Bharara, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009, lived up to the office's reputation, investigating Republicans and Democrats alike. He has been overseeing a probe into Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's fundraising.
"It would be tremendously difficult for any U.S. attorney to come in and politicize that office," said Carrie Cohen, a former prosecutor who worked under Bharara and is now in private practice at Morrison & Foerster.
President Donald Trump has yet to announce a replacement for Bharara or the other remaining 45 U.S. attorneys from the Obama era who were asked to step down on Friday.
U.S. attorneys are political appointees requiring confirmation by the U.S. Senate. They usually leave office when a new president is elected, although some remain for months to help with the transition.
But Bharara's removal from office came as a surprise because Trump had met with him after the election and indicated he would be retained. Bharara refused to resign, prompting his firing on Saturday.
Whoever Trump appoints to replace Bharara will likely reflect U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session's priorities, including a desire to crack down on violent crime and less of a focus on civil rights cases.
There is growing speculation among former prosecutors and others in the legal community thatBharara's replacement will be Marc Mukasey, a defense lawyer whose father served as attorney general under Republican President George W. Bush. Mukasey declined to comment on Sunday.
In the short-term, the office will be headed by acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim. He is a veteran of the office, returning under Bharara in 2013 as a key deputy following an earlier stint from 2000 to 2006. In between, he was a partner at the Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton law firm.
A spokesman for the office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Outside of public corruption, Bharara was perhaps best known for overseeing a wave of cases focused on insider trading. Many of the investigations were already underway when Bharara took office in August 2009. But he became the face of the crackdown, landing on the cover of Time magazine in 2012 with the headline "This man is busting Wall St."
The new U.S. attorney will have some latitude on what to focus on in the future.
"Each U.S. attorney has his own order of priorities and how they see the resources of the office best used and each U.S. attorney also has the right to discontinue an investigation if they feel it's a waste of time," said Ben Brafman, a leading defense lawyer.
Sessions has, however, already signaled a shift away from some Obama administration priorities.
Unlike Bharara and his former bosses in the Obama administration, Sessions advocates trying foreign militants before military commissions instead of in civilian courts.
Bharara had pushed for trials in civilian courts while Sessions has criticized that approach and vouched for the ongoing value of trying foreign defendants before military tribunals.
On civil rights, Norman Siegel, former executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said there was "growing anxiety" about the future of such cases since Bharara's firing.


But what I'm really trying to say is that this is probably how we need to think about these types of things: It is not as if we walk through one doorway and decide that murder is acceptable. You have to walk through many doorways. The first doorway leads to a party, where people are doing drugs and having fun. The second doorway leads to more partying. It's a long, long series of doorways, until you end up in a room where a terrible thing happens. So the question is, "How many doorways away are you?" It's not a question about a person's capacity to commit a murder. It's a question of how many doorways we keep between ourselves and that situation.


Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” is on the road for the party conventions with a new look.
Setting up at the Breen Center for the Performing Arts at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland and the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, the show has constructed two identical sets for the nightly broadcast.
“Washington is a little broken, and it needs to be worked on, so the whole thing looks like it’s Washington broken apart, and it needs to be put back together. That was my idea. and they really loved it, so that’s what we’re doing,” said Jim Fenhagen of Jack Morton PDG in a BizBash interview.
The design includes a large anchor desk that can accommodate guests and correspondents, fronted by graphics and two monitors.
A rear projection screen is located on either side of the desk, which is also used by correspondents as a green screen during show gags.
Connecting the set pieces is a large cyc of Washington, D.C. at sunset, with outlines of the White House etched into translucent colored panels.
Mystic Scenic Studios fabricated the sets, with lighting by Deke Hazirijian of New York City Lites.


Police are seeking information in relation to an aggravated robbery at a Superette in New Lynn yesterday morning.
The offenders arrived in a silver vehicle around 10am.
Three of the four men entered the store and were armed with parts of a crutch.
One offender wore a mask, a black hoodie and grey track pants.
Another wore a grey hoodie with dark track pants, and the third man was dressed in a blue hoodie and dark track pants.
They took off with cigarettes and cash before leaving in the silver vehicle towards Golf Road.


Ferdinand Kingsley, the son of Scarborough-born stage and screen star Ben Kingsley, will play both roles in this summer’s York Mystery Plays.
The 24-year-old, described by artistic directors Damian Cruden and Paul Burbridge as an ‘exciting young talent', will join 500 amateurs taking part in the month-long spectacular in the Museum Gardens in August.
Ferdinand, who has performed in productions for The National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, said he was delighted to accept the roles.
“The production promises to be spectacular, its scale and ambition are hugely exciting and the setting of St Mary's Abbey seems perfect,” he said.
He will start rehearsals in early July and a second professional, who will play the Devil, will be announced in the next few weeks. The plays will be staged throughout August amid the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey.
Mr Cruden and Mr Burbridge said it was always their intention to cast a young actor in the role of God/Jesus. “We were keen that God should be portrayed as a young father with children (Adam and Eve), creative and energetic,” they said.
“In Ferdinand Kingsley, we are delighted to have discovered a young actor more than capable of fulfilling this desire and bringing to the stage such a complex double.
Ferdinand, whose father sprang to fame in the 1982 film Ghandi, has theatre credits including Hamlet and Welcome to Thebes for The National Theatre and Troilus and Cresssida, and Little Eyolf for the Royal Shakespeare Company. His TV and film credits include the BBC’s Vincent Van Gogh: Painted With Words and The Last Legion. He will also be in Richard II, which is part of the BBC’s Shakespeare season to be aired later this year.


Is IRS Targeting Obama's Enemies?
In 2010, American Thinker posted an interesting defense of a flat tax, noting that it would help preserve privacy and freedom of speech by eliminating the need for the federal government to know virtually every aspect of a taxpayer’s financial assets. Two years later, some people are seeing truth in the magazine's assessment that the administration may be using the Internal Revenue Service to silence its opposition.
My own Portage County TEA Party has been waiting for over a year just to get a response from the IRS so we can file our 2010 tax return! In the attached PDF I share with you, the “Additional Information Requested” of the Ohio Liberty Council from our June 30th, 2010 application which we just received on January 30, 2012. Yes, they took a year and a half to respond to our application and they are giving us two weeks to respond back. As you will see, this is no simple request.
Besides its 19-month delay in answering the OLC, the IRS is requiring such a large amount of documents and information that a small organization such as the OLC would likely have to stop all other operations in order to comply.
• Details of the [OLC's] members, including their names, addresses, roles, plus a corporate federal ID of all organizations which are members of the Ohio Liberty Council.
Zawistowski notes that by the same logic, names of all buyers of Girl Scout cookies as well as all who attend church each week would have to be posted online.
Tea Party groups across the country have written to us sharing similar information. One Texas group filed their application for non-profit status in late 2007, but only received the information demand letter last month. As stated above, the Ohio Liberty Council submitted paperwork over 18 months ago[;] their demand was received at the end of January. Florida groups (who we have spoken with, but have requested anonymity) report similar experiences.
Many different groups applied for non-profit status at very different times — (over a three year period) and yet, they all seem to have gotten the IRS replies within the last month.
The Ohio Liberty Council (OLC) announced today that it supports the decision of the Catholic Church to refuse to comply with the ruling by the Health and Human Services Department concerning mandatory insurance coverage. The ruling says that under ObamaCare, Catholic institutions — including charities, hospitals and schools — will be required by law, to provide and pay for insurance coverage that includes contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs and sterilization procedures. If they do not, they will face fines in the millions of dollars which will put organizations like catholic hospitals and schools out of business. This decision has the full support of President Obama and his Administration.
Meanwhile, the timing of the IRS's seemingly absurd requests for documentation coordinates with the announcement of the Obama campaign's plans to mobilize its “Truth Team” members across the country, who will also seek to silence opposing voices.
During Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, a similar group of his supporters in Missouri took their agenda too far, vowing to arrest anyone who told “lies” about Obama, and did what they could to intimidate anyone who criticized him or his policies.
A local television station’s coverage of a Missouri campaign "truth squad" on behalf of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has touched off a national Internet frenzy. What has prompted all the furor is that several members of the Obama’s "truth squad" in Missouri are prosecutors or members of law enforcement. They include St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer and St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch. All are Democrats.
What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words. The party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment. This abuse of the law for intimidation insults the most sacred principles and ideals of Jefferson. I can think of nothing more offensive to Jefferson’s thinking than using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights.
The fact that we have a tax system so vast and complex that it may be vindictively used as a political tool is unconscionable. Couple that with the fact that we have a president with a Chicago-brass-knuckles political background, and we have an environment chilling to free speech.
How many of Obama's political "enemies" have been cowed into silence due to fear of retribution via an unfriendly IRS tax audit? How many signatures are missing from petitions against the administration out of fear of arbitrary retribution? The IRS can ruin a completely innocent person by forcing an expensive and time-consuming defense against a vindictive audit.


In a case now before the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, the company claims the current rate structure could shift costs to other customers and raise their rates. It wants to place such “net metering” customers into a separate rate class, which could change how much they pay for power and how much they’re paid when they export it to the grid.
Dozens of solar customers and renewable energy advocates countered in public hearings in Boise and Pocatello that their investment in solar generation actually reduces other customers’ costs, by helping the utility meet its peak load during the heat of the summer.
“Even though June, July and August make up 25 percent of the year, I produced one-third of my solar production during those hottest months of the year, when it’s most expensive for Idaho Power to produce,” said Lisa Hecht, a retired Hewlett-Packard electrical engineer with a rooftop solar system on her Boise home.
The dispute with its 2,000 solar customers is part of a larger challenge for Idaho Power and other utilities, which have a monopoly on selling electricity under a century-old business model that ensures a profitable return on investments state regulators find “prudent.” Historically, utilities produced the electricity in their own power plants or hydroelectric dams, then transmitted it into people’s homes and businesses, rewarded based on the volume of power sold.
But just as technology has disrupted retailers, broadcast networks, travel agencies and newspapers, digital technology and rapidly dropping costs for solar panels and batteries are threatening the historic utility business plan. The growth of energy-efficiency programs has flattened the demand for electricity. Utilities are worried they and their customers will be burdened with the costs of an existing network of power plants, such as Idaho Power’s coal plants in Wyoming and Nevada, as customers control their own power use with so-called “smart houses,” solar generators and batteries.
And there’s the chance Idaho Power’s most sophisticated customers could eventually leave the grid altogether, using batteries and other technology.
The issue also comes as Idaho Power continues to drop its carbon output. Coal and natural gas in 2017 accounted for only 27 percent of its energy portfolio. Hydroelectricity accounted for 50 percent. Wind, solar and other renewable resources it purchases under contract totaled 19 percent.
“There are cities and states trying to get the carbon-light portfolio we already have,” Adam Richins, Idaho Power vice president of customer operations and business development said.
Just as there are risks, there is new opportunity — especially with the growing demand for electric cars that will plug into Idaho Power’s grid. The company now seeks to build the new regulatory framework for its evolving grid services business.
Idaho Power serves 535,000 residential and business customers across a 24,000-square-mile area, with a population of more than 1 million people in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Both the utility and its critics say the 11 megawatts produced by the existing net metering customers do not have a major effect on its system, which peaks in the summer at around 3,000 megawatts per hour. But the utility predicts the number of those customers could more than triple by 2021, to 7,000, and it wants to have a rate structure for them in place before then.
The benefits of rooftop solar go beyond peaking power. It can improve reliability, help utilities balance supply and demand, and reduce the need to build additional transmission to some areas, cutting the cost to all customers. Idaho Power says the long-term issue is ensuring these customers, who both use and export electricity, pay their share for the entire system.
“(Solar customers) don’t realize they use the grid every hour of every day,” Richins said.
Lots of states are struggling with how to do this, including New York, California, Hawaii and Vermont. All of their utilities have significantly higher rates than Idaho Power. And Idaho Power wants these states, who have more at stake, to go first in testing many innovations for managing the grid.
“We don’t want to be the tip of the spear,” Richins said.
But as the utility worked its way through the solar dispute, it concluded it should develop a separate rate class now. Idaho Power staff have argued the PUC doesn’t necessarily need to know the costs and benefits of the customers who would be in that class.
But the PUC, a three-person, semi-judicial panel that oversees investor-owned utilities in Idaho, doesn’t need to establish a new rate class to begin that collaborative process, said Ben Otto, an attorney with the Idaho Conservation League. Other states did the cost-benefit study before setting up a new class.
“Idaho Power’s solution doesn’t address the problem,” he said.
And the PUC’s own staff disputed the company’s assertions that home-solar customers could significantly affect other customers’ rates.
Idaho Power “did not file a cost-of-service study demonstrating any meaningful differences in net metering customers compared to standard residential customers,” PUC Technical Analysis Group Program Manager Stacey Donohue testified.
Some opponents say Idaho Power simply wants to slow the growth of solar that competes with its own coal, gas and hydropower generators. The company tried a similar action in 2012, but the PUC then kept the current rate structure for home-solar customers.
Experts say Nevada acted too fast. “Net metering — contra the Nevada decision — frequently benefits all ratepayers when all costs and benefits are accounted for, “ said Devashree Saha and Mark Muro of the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institute.
This dispute sets the stage for the many changes customers will see as new technology comes online. Increasingly, customers will be able to buy and install “smart home” technology that will give them more control over their own costs, and opportunities to export power into the system or store it in their own batteries or even water heaters. Added to time-of-day pricing, these innovations can give all customers more options, whether they’re as sophisticated as the net metering customers or simply want to lift the light switch and let Idaho Power do the bulk of the work.
Zack Waterman of the Sierra Club in Idaho said Idaho Power’s proposed rate class could stifle this innovation if it limits what these customers can do, inside their homes and off the grid.
Ultimately, both sides say they want the same thing — a cost-benefit study of net metering customers that’s fair to all.
“If you get the regulatory price right, we’re good with it,” said Idaho Power’s Richins.
CORRECTION: This article originally misspelled the name of Adam Richins.


You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?
I'm kinda cool, kinda normal, kinda ordinary but exceptional at the same time.
Intelligent, funny, sensual, confident and mature.
SugarCandy_0506 hasn't asked any friends to write a recommendation yet.


Avril sees things much differently. He wants an actual long-term deal, with a big signing bonus and big base salaries making him a rich man for a long time. He doesn’t want to sign the tender, which means he’s putting the ball back in the Lions’ court.
Avril indicated that he’s not overly worried about the state of negotiations, or his absence from OTAs.
10.6 Million not enough, give me more. Yet i am not selfish or greedy. Today’s athletes are so spoiled. His stats are only that good cause he plays next to Suh. cut him and watch be a bust some where else.
And what a lot of people dont realize is that Avril plays a lot of one on ones, sometimes with just a TE, and 11 sacks is his final number? Its not a bad stat, but given that scenario, he should have more than that if he wants to be paid like a Julius Peppers. We have good depth at DE, so we better not overpay him. Hes weak against the run anyway. Trust me, Willie Young isnt that far off from Avril and can play for a fraction of what Avril wants.
I have to admit 10.6 mil is alot. I also have to admit…if its so easy for them to give him 10.6mill for 1 year….why not pay the guy 30-40 mill for 4 years? Unless they don’t plan on keeping him around after this year anyway.
NFL is a huge business and the money has to go somewhere. Rather the money go to the players I tune in to watch than a bunch of fatcat CEO’s whose only job is to go through paperwork.
This man needs to just sign for the 8 mil/yr the team has probably offered him! Get him back on the field and getting to QB’s.
Avril thinks he deserves Dwight freeney money, when really his worth is closer to ray edwards money. I’m all for the lions strategy, let him play under the franchise tender and see if he can do it again. Six strip sacks is an aberition. If he goes out and does in again you then decide whether you can afford the 12mill a year, or you let him go. You can’t pay everybody, especially with Calvin’s contract.
I don’t blame Avril for trying to get paid. If we have learned anything, it’s that football has a cost and you can’t play forever.
NFL owners pay more people than just the “poor poor players”.
So he thinks he’s worth Trent Cole money? Not even CLOSE!
Why not just sign your $10.6 million contract, bust your hump this upcoming year, and sit back and watch them try to franchise you again.
Show the team your dedicated to putting the time in and that your 11 sack season wasn’t just a one year wonder (playing alongside one of the most talented D-Lines in the game).
I understand the ‘pay me now’ philosophy, and that injuries are always a real possibility, but $10.6 million is enough to live off for quite some time (let alone one year).
If that’s the case dryzzt23, they should have franchised the babysitters and paid them 10.6 mil…………..The Lions got burned signing Cory Redding to a franchise contract after he had 1/2 a good season. This is a good business decision on both sides. Lions get to see if Avril, who has improved every year gets better or at least repeats what he did, with no longterm deal saddled around their necks, and Avril gets 10.6 mil for the year, a chance to show he’s worth that kind of investment to the Lions or another team. If the Lions franchised him again next year the cost would go up and Avril would make like 24 mil in 2 seasons. If he continues to put up numbers he’ll cost them more longterm and the Lions should have done the deal. If Avril gets injured or plays badly it will drive his asking price down and prove to be a mart move by the Lions. Avril is a good player and I don’t think it’s all playing next to Suh, but he’s not Mario Williams or Jared Allen either and is a liabilty against the run.
Another thing is when a franchise tag salary is 10.6 mil a year, it’s unusual to do a deal that’s paying more per year then that unless the guy is the undisputed best at his position. Avril’s asking too much, but hopefully they can get something done. He’s one 3rd round project that has actually worked out for the Lions(rare that happens) and he fits their scheme and does a good job pressuring off the edge.
I wonder if this is another wrinkle of Suh being cross-trained at the right DT spot. Maybe the staff wants to see what kind of impact Avril can have without Suh by his side all game.
Avril is good BECAUSE of Suh and Williams, not because of any stellar individual talent.
There is something to be said for consistency on any line. Everybody knows their place.
He’s a good role player… but the Lions could get others to fill that role. Wouldn’t cry too hard if he walked.
Answer- an average lineman who has a little pass rush ability.
Take your 10M to the bank and be happy with it.
Fans are so stupid. All year the story was “Suh isn’t playing well!” but now it’s “Avril is only good cause he played next to Suh!” So which is it?
Might give him 6mil a year with 10mill out right to him for 7 years he will have time for one more that 42mill.
as a lions fan, the thing that would make me want to pay Avril is his ability or nack for stripping the ball out while sacking the QB. He directly had an impact on us winning 2 games last year. That’s worth some dollars so long as he can repeat it. I would love to keep him but with so many other expensive play makers it doesn’t seem possible.
he was a free agent last year and no one wanted him even when money was not the issue and the lions resinged him but now he thinks hes worth all this money all of a sudden come on dude,these guys sit here with a 1 year deal worth 10 and a half millon dallors,I repeat for all you NFL guys that are slow 10 and a half MILLION dallors when there are guys who would love to play is this leauge and would smile all the way to the back with a 1 year 100 thousand dallor contract if he had the chance my point is get over yourselfi would bet 10 to 1 that given the chance willie young will get 12 to 15 sacks coming off that edge with Suh.
if you give him all that money then you take the chance of losing Delmus next year and how do you resign stafford the yearafter that, that money has to be spent at the right time on the right players and this guys not the one.


Get E-mail Alerts When Kathleen Greenler Sexton --- Subscription Expert Sends news releases.
Subscription Insider is YOUR #1 source of inside intelligence on how to build, market and sell profitable subscription-based products and services.
Here you'll find the practical advice of dozens of experts who have 'been there' and 'done that' – from creating quality content, choosing the right technology and tools, to marketing, selling, pricing, positioning, expanding your audience, converting customers and growing customer loyalty. We provide our members with the industry's most unique and authoritative how-to guidance on running their subscription businesses with information on marketing, sales, optimizing recurring payments, subscriber (or member) management systems, selection and management of technical resources, legal requirements, and much more!
Subscriptions are unique, whether they are your only line-of-revenue or one of many. They behave differently, based on what market you are selling into (e.g.: Consumer Information, Software, Business Information, etc..) and how you are selling them (e.g.: Online, Apps or via a sales team). And with the constant emergence of new technology and tactics, what you thought was a best-practice always seems to be one step behind. It's confusing. We get that, and we want to help you thrive.
Our mission? To deliver you unique, powerful Insider knowledge and nuts-and-bolts skills you'll find nowhere else – all the practical information you need to smoothly operate and grow a profitable subscription business.