Sony is a consumer electronics beast with a lot of clout, but not necessarily a great product roster to back up its legendary status. Today, it's hardly the company that put a Walkman in every backpack and a color TV in every living room.
That's more or less what I was thinking about when I walked into a conference room with Sony Electronics President and COO Phil Molyneux, who was sitting in a fancy hotel conference room surrounded by some of the best—and worst—Sony products the company makes right now.
On one hand, at the center of the table were the Sony A7 and A7r, two full-frame mirrorless cameras that are the first of their kind, so good that they're threatening to make the DSLR obsolete. These two badass shooters follow Sony's awesome RX100, probably the best pocket point-and-shoot camera ever made.
Meanwhile, strapped to Molyneux's wrist was the second iteration of Sony's SmartWatch failure, its rubber and plastic a poor match for his slickly tailored suit.
For a few years now, Sony has in the midst of a comeback. Despite missteps like the SmarWatch, other products have been not just innovative, but relevant and beautifully designed. Products like the full frame mirrorless cameras are encouraging, and indeed, even the company's failures aren't always disheartening. The Xperia Tablet P was a terrible product, but at least it was different; Sony has consistently been one of the only companies to experiment with tablet form factor outside the mainstream.
Weirdness is a risk, but it's one that can lead to greatness. It's certainly smarter than playing it safe on unsteady ground. The converse, of course, is that every time we think Sony's back, it's just a few fumbles away from screwing it up again. A lot of interesting sputters don't amount to a good product.
Here's what Molyneux had to say about Sony's recent shortcomings, and why we should bet on big things from the company in the future.
Gizmodo: I've mentioned this to you before, that I like to see products like the [A7, A7r, and RX10] that are firsts. It's what we like to see, because it means that companies are taking chances and trying to find markets. Sony moved a lot of internal infrastructure over towards the digital imaging business last year. Are you looking for markets, or are these markets that you think are there?
Phil Molyneux: Fundamentally, you're asking the question, "why are we doing this?"
Giz: Well why are you trying all of these new ideas? That sounds silly when I put it like that. But you're trying things that most people would not.
PM: Because we're innovators. We're creators. For as long as you look back in Sony, we've always been pushing the boundaries and creating new categories and experiences for consumers. Three years ago, someone wrote an article saying we could no longer innovate, and I dispute that greatly. If you look back at our track record, whether it's tape decks or the Walkman or the Playstation or color TVs or, more up to date, what we've done with the 4K ultra HD TV—we created that market, and everybody else now is jumping in.
What we've done on the digital imaging side is a natural extension of our work. We have the complete value chain in this space. We develop an R&D and we manufacture the image sensors. We have the processing technology, we have the optical management technology, and that work goes back 30 years, or even before, because we had the CCD chip technology and were one of only a few companies that had that.
But if you look at today and where we're putting our focus: we have handsets now, this is the new [Xperia] Z1. We put the best of Sony in here: it's got our Bravia engine technology in here to drive the screen, so the screen quality is very high and very good. And then it's got a 20 MP camera in here.
Giz: Well, that's interesting because smartphones account for a large portion of the revenue that Sony's making right now, and it's still not really known for that. How does all of this push figure into making it seem like an innovator in that area?
PM: So I think we still have a small market share in total. We've stated publicly that we want to be number 3 in the not-too-distant future, and I think that's a good aspiration, and one that we could drive forward with. And we're making a name for ourselves. The [Xperia] Z phone that was announced at CES—I was on the stage and held up the Z—has done very well for us, and continues to sell very well. The Z1 that was announced at IFA: everyone has been really looking forward to it, and it's a very exciting product. So I think we can drive using our heritage, knowledge in images and processing technology and of course design, and breaking the envelope (this is dustproof, waterproof, etc) and push this forward.
But if we look at what we're doing with the cameras, to come back to your original point: obviously, putting the best of Sony technology in terms of the images in our handsets, has a detrimental effect on the market for low-end cameras. And we're all seeing that decline. It's no mystery. Everyone knows that the low-end is declining because of smartphones, and we accept that and are actually pushing it because we have our handsets.
But more recently, we've come out with the RX range of products. RX100 hit the market to much acclaim, and kind of gave us a jolt because the demand we saw for that product was far above what we expected. So we created that new area and that demand.
Giz: What do you think was the key observation there? What market did you find there that you didn't think was there before?
PM: I think we put a huge amount of functionality and capability into a small footprint product, and that didn't exist before the RX100 to the extent of what the RX100 can deliver. We followed it up with the RX100 M2 and took it a stage further, and of course the RX1, which for most people defies the laws of physics in what that camera could do. So I think we created a whole new domain and a whole new interest level in the capability of those products and the size of the format. Drop it in your bag or drop it in your pocket, but still have near-DSLR capability.
Giz: I've been meaning to ask you a broader question: what is the importance of being first to market with these products? Let's take the full-frame mirrorless cameras, the 4K television, the smartwatch, the ereader, any of the products which Sony has been first to market in the last couple of years.
PM: I think the more important point for us is: are we fulfilling a need for the consumer? So looking at the customer and their painpoints, and how do we solve those pain points, and how do we deliver a different experience. If you take the ereader, we were first to market. And not a lot of people remember that, so I really thank you for remembering. But we were first to market, and the simple point there was books are heavy and clunky. But with an ereader you've got one small, slim device and you connect it up into the cloud and you bring as many books down as you like. What a beautiful solution. So that's one painpoint that we resolved.
When you look at the 4K, UltraHD TVs we brought first to market—First 84-inch and now 65-inch and 55-inch—that's about new, beautiful experiences that we can bring to consumers. The story starts a long time ago, when we started to produce theatrical projection equipment for cinemas around the world that had 4k projection capability. That goes back to 2005. That was the theater experience that we wanted to deliver out to consumers without partners, to allow them to have that experience, and that's what Sony is about: doing things differently, bringing different experiences, solving people's paying points, and pushing the envelope of innovation. That's what we do.
Giz: And you pointed out that most people don't remember that you were first to market with the ereader because it was subsequently replaced on the market, for the most part, with a much more popular product. Maybe it goes back to the color TVs or the Walkman, these very famous triumphs that were firsts. But now, are these products being rushed out before they're ready or is there something to gaining market share because you get them out first?
I take that back. But if you read about it, Betamax was a better solution, better picture quality, better recording capability. However, VHS won that war. And that happens, but we were first out. To circle back to your question, does it matter about being first? I think yes. It shows you're an innovator as a company, and that you're breaking boundaries. But what's more important is that you bring something that consumers desire and use and enjoy.
Giz: And ultimately, the only way you can find out if somebody enjoys something is to put it out?
PM: You put the product out, and you have to wait and see how the sales are, and what the competitors do, and feedback from the consumers, and refine if necessary.
Giz:I didn't ask you about smartwatches. Where do you see these going? Do you see it ultimately as an accessory for an Xperia phone?
PM: Well it's an Android open device, so for any Android this will work. But where do I see it going? It's the start of the beginning, or the beginning of the start, whichever way you want to look at it.
Giz: What do they need to do better overall? I think you can agree that Sony and everyone, no one has gotten it right. I don't think anyone's going to get it right for a few years.
PM: I think for me, as an old geezer, I need a bigger screen with bigger writing. But there's lots more to come of this. It's a very exciting era.


Saturday marks the tenth anniversary of Bedford man Danny Ferguson's unsolved murder.
The 32-year-old was shot and stabbed at his bedsit in Shakespeare Road by a killer or killers who have never faced a court for the crime.
And after a decade of frustration for friends, family and police, the savage slaying still casts a shadow over the town.
Borough councillor Randolph Charles, who has criticised the police for their handling of the case, said he hoped they could still crack it with the help of scientific breakthroughs.
Coun Charles said: "I accept the police have done as much as they can in the circumstances and as much as they can for now. But there are people out there in the community who don't share that feeling and believe the police should be able to do more.
"I hope that advances in forensic science will allow the case to be resolved. The police are now solving crimes which are nine or ten years old, and so there is still that possibility provided the case is kept open and alive."
Mr Ferguson, a driver and doorman, was found dead in his bedsit on February 21, 1994.
He had been shot through the forehead with a .22 calibre weapon and struck two heavy blows to the head with a blade.
Detectives soon established the murder followed a row in his building 24 hours earlier which left an Asian man needing ten stitches to a cut on his head.
Although no-one has ever faced a jury charged with murder, six men were prosecuted for violent disorder – and acquitted.
Claims Bedford detectives had done a sloppy job were not upheld two years ago when continuing disquiet over the case was followed by an external review.
Officers from the Northamptonshire force gave the investigation a clean bill of health and suggested ways of moving it forward.
Bedfordshire Police spokesman Des Lawless said the case remained open under Detective Superintendent Andrew Richer.
Forensic work was still going on to secure a conviction, he added, and officers were heeding the advice of the external review on other forensic techniques to be used.
Coun Charles said: "Danny's case is a complicated one because it is wrapped up with issues of community involvement and cohesion. We all have to live with each other harmoniously, but bubbling away there is still some resentment towards elements in the community and towards the police."


Circus Ponies Notebook for Mac is a versatile system to help you organize and keep track of your notes for work and personal projects. You can keep different notebooks for separate projects, and you can choose to start your notebook completely from scratch or with an appropriate category list in place.
Templates: When you start a new notebook, you can choose from several different templates that will make organizing your ideas and information that much easier. Options are organized into categories like General, Professional, Education, and Project, and specific templates exist for anything from writing a book or novel to preparing for a trial.
Tabs and contents: Navigation through your notebooks is streamlined with the inclusion of an active table of contents and labeled tabs down the side. You can click on any tab or item in the table of contents to go straight to that location, making it easy to find a specific piece of information in a large and complex document.
Free trial setup: Just to start a free trial for the app, you have to leave the app and go to the program's Web site to enter your name and email address. The trial lasts 30 days, after which time the program costs $49.99 to purchase in full.
Circus Ponies Notebook for Mac offers a lot of convenient features to help you stay organized and on top of your day-to-day responsibilities. It runs smoothly, and the ample free trial makes it worth trying out to see if it's a good option for you.
Editors' note: This is a review of the trial version of Circus Ponies NoteBook for Mac 4.0.2 (742).
Circus Ponies NoteBook stores and organizes your notes and other information in electronic notebooks that look and work just like the paper ones you've used all your life. With outlining, diagramming, sketching, voice annotation, even PDF mark-up, NoteBook helps you take great notes whatever your note-taking style. And NoteBook makes it easy to find anything with just a few clicks in the Multidex(TM), an auto-generated dictionary of the content in your Notebooks. Circus Ponies NoteBook is the perfect app for managing projects of any size, assignments and classwork, client information, research, and much more.
"Potential. True digital notebook experience. Quirky."
Quirky and not intuitive at times.
This app has a lot of potential as it offers the true experience of an electronic notebook that no one else has. Not evernote or others. See my pros. The problem is that it is quirky. You have to dedicate some time and patience to learning it before you love it.
Still no iPhone app, which makes me question if the company has the funding to create it. Just doesn't make any sense to not have an iPhone app.
This is the reason I gave it a 3. It would higher with an iPhone app.
It looks pretty. I wish other applications looked this good or used things like sticky flags and notes and so on.
Simply no longer relevant, as so many have in so many words indicated. Too many promised features never delivered and never consistent or stable enough to use as a tool for real work.
This once had promise and seemed "inspired" but now it feels like an idea that has seen its day and is trying to be relevant. Something has to do more than look pretty. It has to actually work consistently and be improved regularly. I paid for this a few years back and was so disappointed when more than once I lost time and work. I spent more time organizing than working in the best of times. In the worst of times, long hours cutting and pasting as I rescued what remained into an application that actually worked.
To be perfectly honest, I was secretly hoping the company would be bought by a group that could actually deliver stability behind a once inspiring front-end. This never happened and when I saw this "update" come through today, and while I had long moved on, I took a look. It was uncomfortable to see this wounded animal stuck in the mud flailing about, still living.
Someone please shoot it and put it out of its misery.
"So great in so many ways... and yet fatally flawed."
Very powerful way to collect, organize, find bits of any kind of media.
Great for note-taking and outlining.
Auto-glossary is really cool. Easy to find stuff hidden in fat notebooks.
A big one: formatting of text is a nightmare. This is, bar none, the worst interface for setting styles and the like. This should be easy and intuitive but after years hoping it would be improved, it never has.
Also, I've had to pay for upgrades that seemed to be nothing more than compatibility upgrades with minimal new features.
Showed promise... but never really kept up or improved. Disappointed former user.
"Annoying nags to upgrade, not way to shut off."
Every time I launch the program it asks me to buy a new upgrade (I already paid for the one I have) and gives me no way to shut off the annoying nag messages. I will NEVER pay this company for another product.
Not worth the continual pestering to send them more money. Now I'm very sorry I ever paid them anything in the first place.
Forgot to mention that the search function is hit and miss (mostly miss). Searching on a single page often erroneously misses the term you are searching for. A global search usually finds only results in the index and not the actual page the term should be found on.
"Awesome, but unreliable (nor updated regularly)"
Amazing feature set. Multidex is awesome. Generally speaking, what they offer is incredible.
... they released 3.0 in DECEMBER 2008! They are now on 3.1!!! 3 years and they've managed an incremental upgrade. Either rested on their (buggy) laurels, or no longer actively supporting it. Not worth the cost to buy into software that may not be in development anymore. No thanks.
"Good format but costly for what it delivers"
Nice format, notebooks are great.
Was very excited when I got this application, but it ha NOT lived up to its hype!
This software is not new; I have been using it for several years. It can ouput to several formats. Great for students, teachers and other professionals that need to collect information and organize it in one place.
Few. I am highly challenged to find flaws in this software.
Ambitious undertaking which I would like if it behaved according to the manual, or even if it just behaved consistently. I appreciated the clear uninstall instructions.
The basic notebook structure is limiting. It has a good clipping service, but you have to have a page prepared and empty enough to receive the clipped item. The pages have a layer structure which acts inconsistently (as far as I could tell).
I dumped it after a frustrating 10-12 hours. I switched to Yojimbo, and I was up and running in 1 hour.
"Very useful application with many uses"
Notebook is a very powerful and useful application that will appear to many users and for many different reasons. For taking notes it's a very useful application that allows you to include a multitude of inserts.
The greatest con at this time is the cost of the companion iPad/iPhone application. If the price of the iPad app could be lowered to a reasonable price then Notebook would be a very great app to own for both.
Circus Ponies has done a great job creating an application that works great for students who are taking notes or writing letters or making todo list. While there are more powerful word processors Notebook will be your number one note taking application, on your computer, in the classroom.
"Great product if you want buggy, unstable software"
Too many to mention but the headllines are: Buggy, Unstable, Waste of Your Time and Money.
I was attracted to the Notebook format and I read several rave reviews. I've been testing the software now for several weeks and I have to say that I am completely disappointed. The problem is that the software is buggy and unstable - it's like bad beta software - it frequently crashes / closes itself, losing unsaved work and generally interrupting my workflow - which kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?! In my opinion, Notebook is not fit for general release and certainly should not be a commercial product. I simply don't understand how it receives those rave reviews (although many relate to an older version), nor do I understand how it could be 'award winning' and I'm also mystified at how Apple can endorse (ie advertise and sell) this shoddy product. I do not work for any competitor - I am simply a busy, self-employed consultant working on multiple projects and with a busy family life - I'm just looking for some reliable software that can help me tame the flood of info, tasks etc. I've been looking at a number of other products - none of which offer the great package and UI that Notebook promises. Unfortunately, it simply does not deliver on those promises. Save yourself a bunch of stress and disappointment and find another product.
Worked around an El Capitan window redraw bug that occurred while dragging outline items.
Fixed a long-standing bug where searches using the Find strip would sometimes hang.
Fixed a crasher that occurred when opening a Notebook that referenced a missing font.
Create iCal events with a slick natural language interface.


Pharrell Williams performs in Los Angeles.
Pharrell has been in a heady mood lately. Last week, the pop star posted a “social book,” Inspiration, online and asked his fans to guess which words were missing from its pages. Those who are able to divine the pop star’s Mad Libs proclivities get credit in the book when it gets a physical printing.


Note: Paneer is Indian cheese much like feta cheese and is usually made at home by curdling milk. Serve this with whole-wheat roti or basmati rice.
Step 1To make the paneer, heat the milk in a heavy pot over medium heat. When it comes to a boil, add the lemon juice and vinegar. Stir until the milk breaks up and curdles. Remove it from the heat and let cool. Strain the curdled milk through cheesecloth and make sure all of the liquid is squeezed out. (Mama's tip was to tie the paneer bundle around the kitchen faucet and let it hang to allow the last drops of liquid to drain into the sink).
Step 2Heat the oil in a wok or a nonstick skillet. Add the onion and cook until light brown. Add the tomato, ginger, coriander, turmeric, red pepper, serrano and salt to taste. Stir until the tomato is tender. Add the crumbled paneer and stir until the cheese is well-coated with the tomato-onion mixture. Cover and simmer over low heat until the flavors have melded, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to keep the paneer from sticking to the pan.
Step 3Garnish with the cilantro before serving.
196 calories; 209 mg sodium; 33 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.63 gram fiber.


A 53-year-old Oak Run was arrested Monday in connection to the slaying of a man found lying face down on a dirt road.
Joseph Edward Roza's arrest at 12:30 p.m. Monday came after Shasta County Sheriff's detectives found out over the weekend he and Gregory Donald Galusha had been in an altercation last Thursday.
That was the day deputies found Galusha, 44, in the 15000 block of Stagecoach Road apparently dead from a gunshot wound.
The sheriff's office said the two men knew each other. Shortly after the fight, Roza discharged a semi-automatic handgun.
Roza was at his home when he was taken into custody. The sheriff's office did not disclose where that was. Roza is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.
Investigators remain tight-lipped about the case. The sheriff's office said motives, circumstances surrounding the fight and other information about the case will not be released at this time.
Anyone who may have information about the homicide is asked to call the Major Crimes Unit at 530-245-6135 or email mcu@co.shasta.ca.us.
A man found lying face down on a dirt road in Oak Run is dead after someone fired at him.
Authorities are looking for the shooter, but are withholding details on the investigation into the death of Gregory Donald Galusha, 44.
The Shasta County Sheriff's Office said deputies were sent to the 15000 block of Stagecoach Road at 12:08 p.m., Thursday after someone reported seeing the shooting victim on the road.
In a statement, the sheriff's office said Galusha, who lived on Stagecoach Road, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies found the gunshot wound on his bodies as they investigated what happened, the sheriff's office said.
The sheriff's office said there is no indication the public's safety is at risk after this incident.
"Further information as to motives, injuries to the victim, involved parties and other investigative information will not be released at this time," the sheriff's office said.
Galusha's death makes it the second fatal shooting the sheriff's office is investigating this week in Shasta County.
On Wednesday, an argument between two roommates from Happy Valley turned deadly.
Michael Patrick O'Connell, 34, was arraigned Friday afternoon in Shasta County Superior Court in connection to the murder of Adam Russell Mancebo, 41.
O'Connell postponed giving a plea but Judge Adam Ryan raised the man's bail to $1.1 million. The arraignment was continued to Monday.
The sheriff's office said deputies found Mancebo dead inside a house with a gunshot wound to the torso. O'Connell was arrested after he told deputies he shot his friend with a 12-gauge shotgun, the sheriff's office said.
Anyone with information about the Galusha case can call the sheriff's office and ask for the Major Crimes Unit at 530-245-6135 or email mcu@co.shasta.ca.us.


President Donald Trump told CNBC's Joe Kernen that he's "not thrilled" with the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates, claiming that the timing of the hikes will disrupt the booming economy and put the U.S. at a "disadvantage" compared to countries with loose monetary policy.
Why it matters via Axios' Dan Primack: Presidents are usually loathe to credit or criticize the Fed, believing there should be a separation between monetary and fiscal policy. Trump even acknowledged in the interview that he was setting himself up for criticism, but said that he "couldn't care less" because his views haven't changed from when he was a private citizen.


Before Dana Bedden arrived, many of the schools in Richmond, Va., suffered from crowding, outdated facilities, underfunding, and shortages of technology and other resources.
Since taking the post in January 2014, Bedden changed the team in the central office, made staffing changes for teachers and principals, and worked on upgrading facilities.
Saying there was a "lack of systems in place," he built a team of people from outside Richmond to look at the challenges with new eyes.
Once news spread that Bedden was a finalist for the superintendency in Boston, though, an organized effort to keep him in Richmond began.
Donald Cowles, a retired business executive, and about 10 others decided the best way to encourage Bedden to stay was to tell him they didn't want him to leave. Cowles and other community members set up a petition called "RPS: Better With Bedden." The catchy title took off, and soon the hashtag #betterwithbedden sparked a conversation on Twitter about how to keep Bedden.
The petition, signed by teachers, parents, and community leaders, was presented to Bedden at a school board meeting.
Cowles and other community members also got behind Bedden's academic-improvement plan by creating a website and a new petition to support the superintendent's budget.
Other influential people also weighed in, asking him to stay, including Gov. Terry McAuliffe and state Secretary of Education Anne Holton.
Bedden said he found out about the massive support system through the news media and his communications staff. A large presence at a school board meeting and the ongoing support helped him see that the overarching public sentiment was to get him to stay.
Bedden said he's focused on carrying out the three-year academic-improvement plan. "Any job I walk into, I focus on quality not quantity. Whether it's three years or 30 years, ... I look for, 'Am I making a difference?'"
Reading during the rinse cycle? Singing during the spin dry?
Why not? asks Too Small to Fail, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation and Next Generation, two nonprofits that have made early-childhood education a philanthropic focus. The Coin Laundry Association last month announced that it will ask its members to hang posters and distribute pamphlets that encourage parents to use laundry day as an opportunity to talk, read, and sing to their children.
"Too Small to Fail is looking at every possible way to reach children," said Patti Miller, its director. Families who use coin laundries are often lower-income and spend more than an hour there, making laundromats a perfect place to get the message out about the importance of early-literacy efforts, she said.
Other local organizations plan to host events tied to the literacy initiative. For example, in Oakland, Calif., the nonprofit Jumpstart plans to kick off its annual Read for the Record campaign in local coin laundries. And the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions will give resources to Arkansas laundromats and hold monthly story-time events with families.
Too Small to Fail also will partner with the nonprofit Shane's Inspiration and playground builder Landscape Structures to add signs in English and Spanish urging parents to talk to their children at the playground.
How Many Valedictorians Are Too Many?
An Ohio district celebrated its high school graduation season this year with 222 valedictorians.
That's right. Two hundred and twenty-two valedictorians—or roughly 20 percent of the seniors in the Dublin district's three high schools, according to local media. In contrast, schools in the nearby Columbus district had a total of 61 valedictorians in its 20 high schools.
In 2008, Dublin changed the rules so more than one student could be eligible for scholarships linked to the designation. Now, any student with a GPA of 4.1 qualifies.
The sheer number of valedictorians this year has caused a mild uproar from the local citizenry, among others. In a letter to The Columbus Dispatch, one reader said that this sort of "coddling" is the problem with the American education system. "Somewhere in Dublin, three students who actually deserve the title are sharing that award with 219 students who do not merit the distinction."
Another resident countered that the district did the right thing by not leaving out any of its top students. "If 222 students achieve a 4.0-point average ... but only one 'deserves' the honor, how shall the school system choose just one?"
Now, for the most important question: Did all the valedictorians give customary inspiring speeches? Apparently not: According to The Dispatch, ceremonies "might still be going on if Dublin schools had asked all of its valedictorians to speak."


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SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clarus Corporation (NASDAQ:CLAR) ("Clarus" and/or the "Company") announced the acquisition of the assets of SKINourishment, Inc. The acquisition provides an entry into the skincare category which, along with other sport-enhancing products, is a strategic focus of the Company and a newly targeted high-growth potential category.
SKINourishment offers organic, 100% food-grade, plant-based skin products that are safe and effective, with distribution across 37 countries. Since SKINourishment's products are made from plants and food-grade ingredients, they are cruelty-free, non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan and some are gluten free. Its products are sold under four brands—climbOn®, crossFIXE®, POLYN® and POLYNTM baby. Clarus' initial focus will be on the launch of seven climbOn products through its global distribution platform.
"Clarus has identified skincare, along with sport supplements, as a new category of focus with high-growth potential, and we believe that our acquisition of SKINourishment provides an important strategic entrance," said John Walbrecht, president of Clarus. "Similar to our existing brands, SKINourishment has built a purpose-driven, ‘super fan brand' dedicated to using the highest-quality organic ingredients. Its innovative and differentiated products have fostered product adoption at both the core user and athlete level, including strong loyal followers like climbing athlete Tommy Caldwell.
"These important qualities provide Clarus with a platform to grow SKINourishment's existing portfolio, while targeting other sport-enhancing products using natural, organic, cannabis-infused, or alternative ingredients. We believe that we are uniquely capable to do so given our global brand ambassador team and distribution footprint, our commitment to innovation and a strong focus on sales and marketing."
In 2012, Polly Glasse founded SKINourishment to house all four brands under the same umbrella. She will remain the leader of SKINourishment's product innovation under Clarus' ownership. Commenting on the opportunity, she said: "We are proud to offer plant-based products for the largest organ in your body--your skin. We couldn't be more thrilled to join the Clarus family as they are a partner with the same values and ethics as our great company."
SKINourishment is based in Wimberley, Texas. Its synthetic-free skincare products are made with food grade ingredients and effective for adults, children and animals, and are safe for our environment. More information can be found at www.skinourishment.com.
Financial terms of the asset acquisition were not disclosed.
Clarus Corporation is focused on the outdoor and consumer industries, seeking opportunities to acquire and grow businesses that can generate attractive shareholder returns. The Company has substantial net operating tax loss carryforwards which it is seeking to redeploy to maximize shareholder value. Clarus' primary business is as a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of outdoor equipment and lifestyle products focused on the climb, ski, mountain, and sport categories. The Company's products are principally sold under the Black Diamond®, Sierra® and PIEPS® brand names through specialty and online retailers, distributors and original equipment manufacturers throughout the U.S. and internationally. For additional information, please visit www.claruscorp.com or the brand websites at www.blackdiamondequipment.com, www.sierrabullets.com, or www.pieps.com.
Please note that in this press release we may use words such as "appears," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "expects," "intends," "future," and similar expressions which constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are made based on our expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks and uncertainties. We caution that forward-looking statements are not guarantees and that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results of operations or financial condition of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, the overall level of consumer demand on our products; general economic conditions and other factors affecting consumer confidence, preferences, and behavior; disruption and volatility in the global currency, capital, and credit markets; the financial strength of the Company's customers; the Company's ability to implement its business strategy, the ability of the Company to execute and integrate acquisitions; changes in governmental regulation, legislation or public opinion relating to the manufacture and sale of bullets by our Sierra segment, and the possession and use of firearms and ammunition by our customers; the Company's exposure to product liability or product warranty claims and other loss contingencies; stability of the Company's manufacturing facilities and suppliers; the Company's ability to protect patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights; any breaches of, or interruptions in, our information systems; fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials and contracted products as well as foreign currency fluctuations; our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards; changes in tax laws and liabilities, tariffs, legal, regulatory, political and economic risks; and the Company's ability to declare a dividend. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based upon information available to the Company as of the date of this press release, and speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.


Nancy Lublin is the self-professed "old person" in charge of DoSomething.org, an organization that encourages teenagers to enact social change. Previously she founded Dress for Success, which provides interview attire and employment training for underprivileged women.
Using AI and better integration with popular apps, the peer-to-peer hotline is expanding its ability to find people in distress and offer help before the situation escalates.
Crisis Text Line, the hotline for a text-dependent generation, is reaching troubled teens in new ways and using the data it collects to be more effective in times of trouble. Here are some surprising findings.
Ask The Experts: What Is Social Innovation?
There are a lot of professional conferences to attend, and Nancy Lublin knows how to find the ones that are worth your while.
When an organization accomplishes its goal, Nancy Lublin thinks it should consider shutting down — not finding another mission.
How to profit by behaving like a not-for-profit.
An open letter from Nancy Lublin to her powerful “friends” at foundations.
Why celebrity-seeking not-for-profits should find a friend like David Arquette.
We had a big party, but got no buzz. Lessons from a PR failure.


Michiganders could be in for a treat this weekend. Thanks to a solar flare on the surface of the sun this week, a geomagnetic storm could be visible in the skies over parts of Michigan this weekend.
A stabbing at a Mt. Clemens YMCA led to a police chase through Macomb County. Read more.
Elon Musk paid a surprise visit to a Flint school and gave every student a laptop. Learn more.
A Michigan Department of Natural Resources officer rescued a man after a kayak capsized on Lake Erie. Read more.
Faith-based adoption agencies that are paid by the state of Michigan will no longer be able to turn away LGBT couples or individuals because of religious objection. Learn more.
Eight Spanish hunting dogs have a new chance at life 4,000 miles away after a Metro Detroit veterinarian rescued them.
The family of a legally blind Detroit woman who went to Peru in December and never returned is turning to the U.S. government for help.
On Friday, the FBI confirmed $206,493 was seized by the agency Feb. 19 from Taylor mayor, Richard Sollars as part of a corruption raid.
In February, the FBI raided Taylor City Hall and Sollars' home as part of a corruption probe. FBI agents collected evidence at City Hall and the mayor's house.
Diesel fuel is causing a sheen in Macomb County water, but officials don't know the source of the fuel.
The fuel is getting into the Red Run and flowing to the Clinton River. Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said people noticed the sheen last weekend, but it isn't the first time the issue has occurred. Miller said it has happened multiple times since 2016.


Our bi-annual arts and crafts fair on Saturday November 17 2018 from 10-3 pm.
Over 50 local artist and jewelers will be selling their amazing, handcrafted, artisan merchandise at the nursery as well as our neighbor A.Jaron Fine Jewelry participating block party style. We will showcase fine art originals, prints, pop art, multimedia, crafts, jewelry, and so much more! Meander, admire and shop during our fun FREE event. See what talented artists have been hiding under your nose!
Enjoy food and beverage with Local food trucks and live music on location!
You can’t miss this event, only one of its kind in the Bayshore Arts District! Pets welcome!
FREE....Come and support our local artists !


The head of the Supreme Disciplinary Board blasted rampant corruption among public-sector employees and called for half of them to be fired Tuesday. In an interview with local TV station Al-Manar, Judge Marwan Abboud explained that his board is responsible for conducting trials and holding corrupt employees accountable for transgressions such as taking bribes or stealing public money.
So, the board has been unable to carry out its duties, even though its tasks are not affected by the delay in the Cabinet formation.
He said citizens interact with corrupt employees on a daily basis, but that the CIB presents three to four cases a year and usually targets only small-time criminals.
More specifically, Abboud complained about the Shura Council, which he says has the power to reverse his verdicts – and in many cases does so.


Minneapolis City Council to vote on transfer in response to court ruling.
With its control of the Commons park in doubt, the Minneapolis City Council is scheduled to vote next week on handing over operations of the downtown green space to the Park and Recreation Board.
The new agreement was drafted after a Hennepin County judge ruled in a lawsuit earlier this year that the city’s charter did not allow it to operate the park, giving it three months to come up with a solution. The city has appealed the ruling.
Council Member Steve Fletcher, vice chair of the council’s ways and means committee, said regular operations of the park are not expected to change if the new arrangement is approved.
The Commons opened in tandem with U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016 under an unusual arrangement. After the Park Board said it didn’t want to operate the Commons, the city sold the land to the Park Board, which leased it back to the city.
A nonprofit, Green Minneapolis, has a contract to run the park through the end of the year.
Under the new agreement, the city would sublease the Commons and transfer the nonprofit’s operating contract to the Park Board. The city would also give the board the remaining $375,000 budgeted this year for the park.
Up to $90,000 in donations to the nonprofit would also be given to the Park Board, which would pay it back to the nonprofit for park operations, according to the city.
If the appeals court upholds the Hennepin County judge’s ruling, the city’s lease would likely be terminated, and it would be the Park Board’s responsibility to determine how the Commons would be managed.
Park Board President Brad Bourn and Superintendent Al Bangoura were unavailable for comment Friday afternoon.
The park transfer will go before the council’s ways and means committee on Tuesday.
John Hayden, who along with former City Council Member Paul Ostrow filed the lawsuit over the park, said the new agreement was not making the situation any clearer.


The body of missing Irish American grandmother Pat O’Hagan have been found in Vermont it was announced yesterday. The 78 year-old grandmother had disappeared from her home in Sheffield on September 10th according to Vermont State police. A friend raised the alarm after O’Hagan failed to show up for a rug hooking class she never missed.
Upon hearing about the elderly woman’s disappearance, the quiet town of Sheffield with a population of 700 people immediately sprung into action as volunteers helped police and FBI agents comb a 25-square-mile area. Scuba divers even checked the nearby quarry but despite an extensive search there was still no sign of the missing woman.
Earlier this week police announced that bird hunters had discovered a body in a wooded area. On Tuesday local police announced that the body that was discovered had been formally identified as Pat O’Hagan who was abducted from her home at the beginning of September.
Vermont State Police told reporters last Monday that bird hunters guided them to a remote area of woods in Wheellock where they had made the grim discovery. The forested area was ten miles away from O’Hagan’s home where she lived alone.
Police later announced that the death has been ruled a homicide, but they are not willing to disclose the cause of death until the results from additional toxicology tests are released in the coming weeks. Detectives were reluctant to give details regarding the cause of death but they said O’Hagan was "forcefully removed from her residence" .
The grandmother of nine had moved to Vermont 15 years ago from Chelmsford Massachusetts. Widely known as an active member of the community, Pat O’Hagan had served as the president of the Sheffield Historical Society and also volunteered at many community events. She was also an avid kayaker.
Elenor Dole 61, who lives just down the street from O’Hagan told the Burlington Free Press that local residents are in shock. "We've all been running scared. We don't lock our doors around here. We don't lock our cars. I don't want to have to get a gun,"she said. She expressed her his dismay as to hwy someone would ever hurt Pat, "Why pick on this sweet old lady?"


Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads says the defense made progress this spring but still has a ways to go. The Cyclones capped off spring practice with an intrasquad game last Saturday and Rhoads says there were too many missed tackles.
Rhoads says they want to come out of every game with single digits in missed tackles, and there were more than that Saturday. Rhoads says they have to crawl before they can walk and right now they are up and walking as the learned the fundamentals and schemes.
Rhoads says the players are putting forth the effort needed to get better. He says the advances in strength and conditioning give him confidence as he says you have to develop the athletes to advance as a program.
Overall, Rhoads says he was pleased with spring drills. He says there is not an area of the team that doesn’t need improvement, so everywhere they look there is concern and caution. That said, he believes they improved in all areas.
Rhoads will debut as the ISU coach September third when the Cyclones host North Dakota State.


GREAT HOME with ADDITIONAL LIVING SUITE!!! This home has been REMODELED since 2007 and features a large Living Room with fireplace; Family Room with ceramic tile floor and fireplace; Kitchen with newer oak cabinetry; Dining Room with sliding glass doors to patio; Laundry Room that leads to backyard; Three Bedrooms and Remodeled Full Bathroom. Additional Living Suite has separate entrances and features Living Room/Dining Room combination; Kitchen with oak cabinetry and Remodeled Full Bathroom. There is a large TWO CAR GARAGE and blacktop driveway with turnaround. Enjoy your large backyard from your concrete patio! Newer items include: roof shingles, vinyl siding, vinyl tilt windows, hot water tank, high efficiency furnace and drywall in garage. Call today to schedule your private showing of this WONDERFUL HOME!!


The speculation about the leadership succession of the International Monetary Fund was already in full swing before the shock announcement on Sunday, May 15, that the IMF’s current managing director and presumptive French presidential candidate, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, had been arrested in New York City. After the embarrassing spectacle of the premature departure of Paul Wolfowitz from the helm of the World Bank in 2007, this event once again shines the spotlight on the selection process for what must count among the most important and prestigious international posts.
After falling into near oblivion before the recent global economic crisis, the IMF reemerged as a critical player in international financial affairs during and after the crisis. Few would doubt today that the world needs a strong, legitimate international financial institution to help manage the relations among major global economic players, to offer support to countries in crisis — such as is now the case in Europe — and to provide an impartial voice in assessing the need for corrective action when countries fall into financial, fiscal or foreign exchange misalignment. The IMF has many strengths, but some glaring weaknesses in its governance. The most obvious weakness is that the selection of its leadership has been artificially constrained, with the customary prerogative for European governments to select one of their own nationals.
This rules out the search for the strongest possible candidate. It reinforces the perception of a continued bias in the IMF’s decisions toward European interests, especially at a time when Europe needs the IMF. It undermines the trust in the IMF of other key member states, especially of the major emerging markets in Asia and Latin America. And it creates a situation where when things go wrong — as in the case of Wolfowitz and Stauss-Kahn — the result is intensely embarrassing for the countries which have pushed their candidate so hard against the presumption of a fair and legitimate selection process that would be open to the best candidates from any nationality.
The recent G-20 summits have affirmed that the leadership selection of the IMF and World Bank should be based on merit, but they did not specifically state that it would be without regard to nationality. This leaves open the door yet again for a deal between the United States and the Europeans that, when leadership change occurs at the IMF (and in due course at the World Bank, where the United States traditionally has selected the winning candidate), the traditional trans-Atlantic bloc will prevent an open, unbiased and legitimate selection process.
This would be wrong. It would weaken the international financial institutions by undermining their legitimacy and their effectiveness in dealing with the continuing critical global financial challenges. It would send another signal that the “old powers” are not ready to accept the new economic reality, where fairly shared international responsibility and privilege among the new and old players will be the key for effective management of global affairs. It would create the spectacle of the Europeans and the United States holding on to prerogatives whose time has passed and whose exercise results in national embarassment such as we have seen in the wake of recent leadership upheavals at the World Bank and IMF.
The bottom line is it is in the interest of the international community, of the Europeans and of the United States that we have strong and legitimate international financial institutions. This requires a fair, open and merit-based leadership selection process unconstrained by nationality. The Obama administration should make the case for such a process to the Europeans, to Congress and to the American people.


Summary: Although China has a vital interest in developing Africa’s natural resources, it is not just on a resource hunt in the region. Moreover, the adverse impacts of its rising exports are also limited.
China’s emergence as a major player in Africa’s trade, investment, and aid has led many to question the nature of its involvement. Critics say that China is only interested in resources, its exports to Africa threaten local industries, and it is displacing Africa’s traditional partners, like the United States.
True, China is a large user of commodities and has a vital interest in developing Africa’s natural resources, but it is not just on a resource hunt. Moreover, the adverse impacts on Africa of China’s increased exports, both in internal and external markets, appear to be limited to specific industries such as garments. And despite their differences in priorities and approaches, China and the United States can complement each other in some areas. Africa has much to gain if it uses its leverage wisely.
While the United States and European Union (EU) still remain Africa’s leading trade, investment, and aid partners, over the past decade China has emerged as an influential player in Africa. Starting from a low level, Africa’s goods exports to China increased more than 60-fold between 1998 and 2010, compared to a fivefold and threefold increase to the United States and EU, respectively. As a result, China’s share of Africa’s exports has increased from a mere 1 percent to about 15 percent in just one decade. Though the EU saw its share of Africa’s exports decline from nearly 36 percent to 23 percent, the U.S. share increased slightly.
China has also become a major source of foreign aid to Africa, complementing its trade and investment activities. The volume of Chinese aid is undisclosed, but according to some estimates, its concessional loans to Africa have grown from a cumulative total of $800 million in 2005 to a commitment of $10 billion between 2009 and 2012. By contrast, the World Bank’s annual lending to Africa has averaged $4.5 billion a year since 2006.
China has a vital interest in Africa’s resources, as do many other countries. For example, about one-fourth of China’s total crude oil imports originate in sub-Saharan Africa and more than two-thirds of Africa’s exports to China consist of crude oil.
But Chinese investment covers a wide range of sectors including infrastructure, education, and information technology. These investments can benefit Africa and all of its trading partners. For example, in 2009, only 29 percent of Chinese FDI went to the mining sector, while more than half was in the manufacturing, finance, and construction industries. By contrast, the mining sector accounted for nearly 60 percent of U.S. FDI to Africa in 2009. According to the Economist, in Ethiopia, for example, two out of three resident Chinese firms are manufacturers. Chinese non-resource investments are largely market seeking.
China’s investment also reaches nearly all the continent’s countries. Since 2003, resource-rich economies on average have received only 37 percent of Chinese FDI outflows into Africa. In non-resource-rich economies such as Zambia and Tanzania, the Chinese have made significant investments in manufacturing and established industrial zones that produce, for example, pharmaceuticals and tires.
Do China’s Exports Threaten Africa?
China’s rising low-cost manufacturing exports may well have contributed to lower manufacturing prices in third markets, eroding the competitiveness of Africa’s exports alongside those of many other low-wage developing countries.
But Chinese and African exports overlap in only a few industries such as clothing and textiles, which suggests limited competition in third markets. For example, the export similarity index, a measure of the extent to which exports overlap, is only 7.3 percent between Africa (excluding South Africa) and China (see figure). In addition, manufactures account for only 20 percent of Africa’s exports, as compared to China’s 95 percent, suggesting that China provides little competition to Africa’s exports.
Furthermore, the improvement in Africa’s terms of trade―which have increased by 4.3 percent on average between 2000 and 2008―can be partly attributed to China’s rise as a big commodity importer. Commodity prices are primarily determined by global demand growth, and China has accounted for more than 20 percent of global demand growth since 2000.
China’s low-cost manufacturing exports have undercut local manufacturing firms, especially those engaged in the labor-intensive production of clothing and footwear. For example, in Ethiopia, one study of 96 domestic producers found that Chinese competition forced 28 percent of them into bankruptcy and 32 percent to downsize activity. But, there is also evidence that suggests that most of China’s exports to Africa have substituted for products already being imported by Africa, implying little displacement of domestic manufacturers.
China’s exports to Africa also enable access to inexpensive, if sometimes lower quality, goods, for example, electronics and toys, raising purchasing power and improving the quality of life. The United States and EU, whose comparative advantage is in expensive branded products, typically provide higher priced goods designed for higher income segments. Africa imports Chinese clothes and cars that are typically at half the price of Western ones.
Concerns are sometimes voiced that China is displacing the United States, one of Africa’s traditional partners as a donor, and that this may be harmful to both Africa and the United States. But the idea that China is replacing the need for U.S. assistance is a myth.
In practice, China and the United States have very different approaches to the continent. China’s activities are generally more commercial—most of its aid comes in the form of low-interest loans, for instance—and it adheres to a “noninterference policy” in African politics. U.S. aid is often conditional and the United States is more frequently involved in Africa’s internal political affairs.
The United States also still provides far greater aid than China. In 2009, it gave $8 billion in assistance to Africa, while China gave an estimated $1.4 billion (see figure).
To be sure, comparing Chinese aid with Western aid is difficult, as China’s aid is often part of a larger package of investments and trade deals with African governments. It is important to distinguish between official development assistance and these other state-sponsored loans, which include export buyers’ credits, official loans at commercial rates, and strategic lines of credit to Chinese companies.
But there are some ways in which China’s economic cooperation with Africa clearly supplements the United States. Chinese and American aid flows tend to be directed toward different sectors. U.S. aid to Africa is mainly directed toward supporting public health programs, democratization efforts, counterterrorism cooperation, the development of health infrastructure, and improved regulatory institutions. By contrast, the World Bank reports that over two-thirds of African economies now have a financial agreement with the Chinese that funds infrastructure development.
The Chinese also invest in high-risk and post conflict countries such as Burundi and Sierra Leone that Western investors tend to avoid. While Chinese involvement in countries with conflict is not free from criticism, according to China-Africa scholar Deborah Brautigam, China’s resource-backed infrastructure loans are a good method of finance for countries with weak governance because little cash changes hands and an “agency of restraint” is created.
Africa has much to gain from China’s growing presence on the continent, though it is not without some negative impacts. Increased trade and investment links are particularly promising, as they have the potential to support poverty alleviation and sustain recent economic gains.
However, African countries must exercise their bargaining power more effectively to ensure that they benefit from the growing relationship, including in areas such as modern technology transfer, which is needed to support their move up the production value-chain. It is also the continent’s responsibility to make sure that, as it takes advantage of Chinese investments, competition is preserved and encouraged and regulatory frameworks are improved, including mining codes, by increasing transparency and accountability of contracts.
In addition, large flows of Chinese investment and aid should not be allowed to delay much-needed domestic reforms, such as strengthening economic management and improving the business environment. These are needed to attract FDI from Western countries, which in turn would help to counterbalance potential overdependence on China’s investment.
Given its strong economic growth, resource needs, and financial muscle, China is in Africa to stay. The United States should recognize this and engage China in areas of potential collaboration and complementarity, such as education and agriculture projects. All countries can benefit from increased production capacity and improved infrastructure in Africa.
Shimelse Ali is an economist in Carnegie’s International Economics Program. Nida Jafrani is the program coordinator for Carnegie's International Economics Program.
1. However, China’s FDI should not be confused with China’s engineering contracts (valued at close to $40 billion) in Africa which are financed by African governments and development banks.
The proposed China-US-EU cooperation in Africa will not go down well with Africans. It will be viewed and perceived as means to co-opt China to learn to operate in Africa in the "traditional way" in which the West "knows better" what the Africans want and need. The cooperation would remove the competition between the traditional donors and China, and also would remove the China alternative from Africans. Therefore China should continue, for good or bad, go it alone.
I totally agreed with you. China should be left alone and continue on collaboratively working with African countries. The West will be forced to change their 1800s mentality to Africa.
Some factual errors here make one question the wider judgments. For instance, listing copper-rich Zambia as a non-resource rich African country. Such errors undermine the reader's trust in the other points being made.


A Crosby County grand jury has issued an indictment against Matilda Marquez Almaraz on multiple charges in the January death of toddler Leah M. Aguirre.
The charges, made public Wednesday, March 27, include capital murder, injury to a child and injury to a child by omission, meaning Almaraz is accused of failing to obtain medical care for Leah.
The indictment didn't reveal exact details about the manner of Leah's death, but it says Almaraz used bodily force to end the girl's life.
Almaraz originally reported the child missing, spawning a multi-agency investigation and a nationwide Amber Alert.
The search involved local authorities, Texas Rangers and the FBI.
Members of the FBI evidence response team found Leah's body concealed in Almaraz's basement inside a box. Authorities made the discovery while serving a search warrant on Almaraz's home in the 500 block of Ayrshire Street in Crosbyton.
Almaraz was arrested Jan. 10 and held on $1 million bond.
Crosbyton police Chief Greg Parrott said in a January news conference that Almaraz had shown "great concern" for the area of the basement where the girl's body was found.
Parrott said it was clear to investigators that Leah's body had been concealed intentionally.
Almaraz was a friend of the child's mother, and for unknown reasons was taking care of the child.
Initially, Almaraz told police a man named "Miguel" had come to the home posing as a Child Protective Services worker and had taken the 2-year-old.
Leah was last seen alive Jan. 3, according to authorities.
No other indictments or arrests have been made in the case.


Nexus Estate, a new development has been unveiled in Abuja, to open up both residential and investment opportunities for home seekers and yield-seeking investors.
The development is a 35-unit estate being marketed by Ubosi Eleh and Co., Knight Frank and Bode Adediji Partnership was built on approximately 20,540 square metres of land in Life Camp area of the Federal Capital Territory.
The Principal Partner, Ubosi Eleh and Co., Mr. Chudi Ubosi, said the first block of houses comprised seven five-bedroom terrace houses with two-bedroom basement flat and a self-contained servant room, while the second block consists of 14 units of five-bedroom semi-detached houses with a self-contained servant room and the third block comprises 14 units of five-bedroom terrace houses plus a self-contained servant room.
“The estate is fully serviced and fenced round with sandcrete block-wall to an average height of about three metres. Entrance into the estate is through double-leaf vehicular metal and a pedestrian gate. Abuja developments generally have the challenge of quality finishing, but this estate is different; it is the best built property in Abuja today,” he explained.
According to him, the estate, built by a corporate construction company, has an excellent finishing and material quality and boasts top-notch features and facilities, including a gate house, club house and gym, badminton court, two generating sets, swimming pool/bar, two dedicated transformers, perimeter fencing and full estate services.
Ubosi stated, “What we have on offer here are buildings whose design and layout are not only functional, but also practical; the estate’s location at Life Camp Abuja is ideal for companies to accommodate their staff and centralise their cost instead of giving them accommodation at different locations.
“These houses are just ideal for pension funds and co-operative society funds looking for where to invest in a recessing economy such ours. The estate, by virtue of its location where demand is relatively high, guarantees investors’ capital appreciation in the region of 10-15 per cent per annum.


Come aboard, they're expecting you! More than three decades after the Love Boat first set sail on ABC — and more than two decades after it made its final voyage — cast members Gavin MacLeod, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Fred Grandy, Lauren Tewes, and Jill Whelan reunited for a very special episode of The Talk.
"I didn't think we'd even get through the pilot," Grandy, who played Burl "Gopher" Smith, confessed of the Love Boat's humble beginnings. "The first pilot that we did, we did over Christmas. So there was this tremendous feeling of, 'Oh, the business is rewarding us with a Christmas cruise.' But nobody thought it would go beyond that. I mean, as Gavin pointed out, the critics hated it. They said it would sink like the Titanic."
"They put us on at 10 o'clock on Saturday night, which is normally a graveyard shift," he continued. "And then we started beating shows like Kojak and Carol Burnett, and then we said, 'You know, something might be going on here.'"
Something was indeed going on. The Love Boat eventually became one of the most famous shows in television history. It even spawned a 1990s spinoff, The Love Boat: The Next Wave, that aired on UPN from 1998 to 1999.
"All of a sudden, this thing caught on," Grandy recalled on The Talk. "And we started getting these wonderful ratings. Gavin, of course, always believed, from the very first day, [that we would be a hit]."
That may have had something to do with his costars. "It was a gift to work with them," MacLeod (a.k.a. Captain Merrill Stubing) said of his cast mates. "They all had a specific talent."
The Talk's Love Boat reunion also featured a surprise appearance by a special guest: Charo! The Spanish-American actress appeared eight times on The Love Boat in the 1970s — and she could not have been happier to see her former costars.


Kathleen Carroll was a Marine Corps platoon commander in Kuwait and Iraq. Now, Carroll, who grew up in Lincolnshire, heads Amazon’s recruitment efforts, which keeps her about as busy.
Amazon plans to hire 2,000 Illinois workers over the next 14 months, pushing the online retail giant’s employment statewide to 7,000, according to Caroll.
The hiring for full-time jobs is to be spread across nine Amazon fulfillment centers, the company’s downtown corporate office at 227 W. Monroe, its Lake View bookstore, an AmazonFresh site and a University of Illinois-Chicago campus pickup service. The fulfillment centers in the Chicago area are on Goose Island and in Joliet and Romeoville, with two more in Aurora and one each in Monee and Waukegan under construction.
Carroll says building the company in Chicago has special meaning for her. Beside growing up in the suburbs, she lived at times as a young adult in Lincoln Park and downtown.
John William “Bill” Carroll was an Illinois legislator and founder of the Pickwick suburban newspaper chain that he sold to Pioneer Press in 1979. He got his start in the business when he bought the Park Ridge Advocate. That’s where he met Carroll’s paternal grandmother Carole Carroll, an editor there.
“My parents also met at the Advocate,” Carroll says. “My father Mike Carroll started in sales and later was the publisher of 13 Pioneer Press papers. My mom was a journalist.
Carroll went from English literature major at Miami University in Ohio to teaching English as a second language in Costa Rica to Marine Corps officer training.
She met with Drew B. Davis, who was an executive with Pioneer Press and the Sun-Times and brigadier general who, as a reservist, was mobilized as director of Marine Corps public affairs at the Pentagon.
A foot injury delayed Carroll’s next phase of training and prompted a career choice.
“I was fascinated by the U.S. State Department and by Washington, D.C., and I was offered a temporary assignment in the Pentagon’s public affairs division for a few months,” she says.
She started about a week after 9/11.
After working in the Pentagon, Carroll was a logistics officer and led a landing support platoon.
Carroll met husband Chris Kalafatis, a Cleveland native, shortly after 9/11 in Quantico, Va.
Kalafatis, a former infantry and reconnaissance officer, works for JPMorgan in wealth management.
“We got engaged a couple months after we started dating,” Carroll says. “We initially went to a justice of the peace to get married. Then, with our families with us, we were married at Old Saint Pat’s in 2003. Our wedding reception was at the Palmer House, and our rehearsal dinner was at the Parthenon since Chris is Greek.
The couple’s children — Sofia, 12, Gus, 9, and Hank, 7 — were born at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif., where they were stationed.
“When we moved to the Seattle area for Chris’ work, Amazon reached out to me with an operations leadership role,” Carroll says.
She started there in 2011 and is also finishing her MBA at the University of Washington.
Apart from work, Carroll is a “huge” Cubs fan.


The wheel of celebrity turns, and fame comes and passes, leaving stars that become legends.
Yes, it’s that time again: Forbes has released its annual Celebrity 100 Power List, detailing the relative clout of our favorite big-name money-makers. Rankings balance overall media saturation with individual net worth earned over the past 12 months.
Lady Gaga stormed onto the list for the first time at fourth place, beating out such traditional musical heavyweights as U2 (No. 7) and Madonna (No. 10). Gaga, currently in the midst of the 106-date, global Monster Ball Tour, brought home $62 million this Power List season.
Also new to the Forbes top 100 this year is America’s favorite blood-sucker, the smoky-eyed, sickly-looking Robert Pattinson, star of the vampire film craze “Twilight.” At 24 years old, the British actor landed midway at No. 50, having earned an estimated $17 million in the past year.


The defendants allegedly targeted companies including 7-Eleven, JCP, Heartland, JetBlue, Dow Jones, and others.
Five men were recently charged in New Jersey with the theft of more than 160 million credit card numbers in a conspiracy that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, and is the largest such scheme ever prosecuted in the U.S.
The defendants allegedly stole credit card numbers and personal identifiying information from corporate targets including NASDAQ, 7-Eleven, Carrefour, JCP, Hannaford, Heartland, Wet Seal, Commidea, Dexia, JetBlue, Dow Jones, Euronet, Visa Jordan, Global Payment, Diners Singapore and Ingenicard.
They then sold the stolen data both directly and through online forums, for approximately $10 per U.S. credit number and associated data, $50 per European credit card number and associated data, and $15 per Canadian credit card number and associated data.
According to the indictment, each defendant had a specific role in the scheme. Vladimir Drinkman, 32, of Syktyykar and Moscow, Russia, and Alexandr Kalinin, 26, of St. Petersburg, Russia, focused on penetrating network security and gaining access to the corporate victims' systems. Roman Kotov, 32, of Moscow, allegedly focused on mining the networks accessed by Drinkman and Kalinin, while Mikhail Rytikov, 26, of Odessa, Ukraine, provided the hackers with anonymous Web hosting services. Dmitriy Smilianets, 29, of Moscow, allegedly sold the information stolen by the other participants in the scheme.
Drinkman and Smilianets were arrested in the Netherlands on June 28, 2012. Drinkman is in custody in the Netherlands pending an extradition hearing, and Smilianets was extradited to the U.S. on September 7, 2012. The other three defendants remain at large.
"This type of crime is the cutting edge," U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said in a statement. "Those who have the expertise and the inclination to break into our computer networks threaten our economic well-being, our privacy, and our national security. And this case shows there is a real practical cost because these types of frauds increase the costs of doing business for every American consumer, every day."


Character, not collusion, best explains the president’s bizarre deference to Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, we literally saw President Trump on an international stage, in Helsinki, and he seemed hell-bent on proving me right.
In a performance that should elicit some resignations from his administration, the president sided with Russia over America’s national-security community, including Dan Coats, the Trump-appointed director of national intelligence.
Even if Russia hadn’t meddled in the election at all, Trump would still admire Putin because Trump admires men like Putin — which is why he’s praised numerous other dictators and strongmen.
But for Trump these distinctions are meaningless. Even when his own Department of Justice indicts twelve Russian intelligence agents, the salient issue for Trump in Helsinki is that “they admit these are not people involved in the campaign.” All you need to know is: We ran a brilliant campaign, and that’s why I’m president.


CONCORD, N.H. - Maple sugar produces across New Hampshire are giving the public a taste of their business this weekend.
More than 70 producers across the state are holding open houses Saturday and Sunday to show people how they tap their trees and boil the sap.
The New Hampshire maple industry produces close to 90,000 gallons of syrup each year. Production has been spotty in places this year, however, after one of the mildest winters in recent memory.


A recap of NYU sports over the week of Nov. 5th.
Men’s soccer was rewarded with an NCAA Tournament bid after finishing 12-4-1 over the regular season.
The underdog Violets held their own against the Centennial Conference champion Haverford College in a hard fought matchup that went down to the wire, as they narrowly won the game by a single penalty kick 5-4 after 110 minutes of deadlocked gameplay at one apiece. Haverford drew first blood as it scored early in the second half to gain a one-goal lead. The Violets fought to tie up the score, which came when SPS junior Sergio Monton scored with less than three minutes in regulation. The following three overtime periods were characterized by strong defense by Haverford’s goalkeeper and NYU’s CAS senior and goalkeeper Grant Engel. With penalty kicks knotted up at 4-4, Stern first-year Isaiah Boyd scored a penalty kick in the seventh round while Engel denied the potential tying Haverford goal.
NYU will look to continue its postseason push when they host Montclair State on Nov. 11.
Women’s soccer received a bid to compete in the NCAA Tournament after going 10-5-3 in the regular season.
Unfortunately for the women’s team, its postseason march was cut short after losing a heartbreaker against Virginia Wesleyan University in overtime 1-0. The game was scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation where both teams’ offenses looked stagnant. Virginia Wesleyan caught NYU off-guard to begin the overtime period, resulting in a quick goal less than two minutes into the period, ending the game and NYU’s season. Stern sophomore and goalkeeper Meghan Marhan was stellar on defense for the entire game, but her one miscue proved to be the team’s downfall.
The women concluded the 2018 season with a 10-6-3 record and an NCAA tournament appearance.
The men’s basketball team opened up the 2018 season strong with a win against Purchase College in Head Coach Dagan Nelson’s debut on Nov. 9.
After trailing Purchase 31-43 by halftime, the Violets began to show signs of life as they stormed back using a 15-2 run to knot the score up at 55. The game stayed close but NYU found a way to pull away with the lead in the closing minutes of regulation. CAS first-year Alex Casieri, CAS sophomore Bobby Hawkinson and SPS senior Jule Brown all finished the game with 21 points apiece. Overall, the Violets shot 51.8 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range.
The men will look to continue their hot start when they host the NYU Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 17. Their opening-round opponent will be Sarah Lawrence College.
Women’s basketball fell short in its season opener and Head Coach Meg Barber’s debut on Nov. 11, falling 43-53 to the College of Staten Island.
The biggest issue of the game for NYU was on the offensive side of the ball, where the Violets seemed to be unable to gain any kind of flow. While CAS sophomore Lauren Koyama carried a bulk of the offense on her shoulders by scoring 15 points, the Violets struggled as a team from the field, shooting only 23.5 percent from three-point range. CAS junior Annie Barrett did it all on the floor, leading NYU with seven rebounds and seven assists.
The women will look to bounce back in their second game of the year when they take on the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Nov. 17.
The men’s cross Country team competed in the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship 8K on Nov. 11, finishing ninth out of 44 teams with a score of 233. Leading the way for the Violets was Tisch senior Ben Haderle, who finished 18th out of 307 runners. Haderle’s performance garnered him All-Region honors and earned him a spot to run as an individual in the NCAA Division III National Championship on Nov. 17. This is Haderle’s first appearance at the National Championship, which will be his final race in his collegiate cross country career.
The women’s cross country team finished with a 24th-place finish at the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship 6K on Nov. 11. Leading the way for the women was Gallatin first-year Valentina House, placing 52nd out of 305 runners.
This meet marked the conclusion of the NYU cross country season.
After compiling an 18-16 record over the regular season under first-year Head Coach Andrew Brown, women’s volleyball was selected to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championship after finished sixth in the UAA.
To begin the tournament, NYU hosted Mount Saint Mary University on Nov. 7, where the Violets put on an absolute clinic and won the match in three convincing sets (25-12, 25-17, 25-16). Leading the offensive attack for the Violets were CAS first-year Emily Kleck and Gallatin first-year Maddie DeJong, finishing together with seven kills. Overall, NYU had a balanced offense that worked cohesively and drove it into the quarterfinals.
The women’s dominant start to the ECAC Tournament continued in the quarterfinals when they shut out Misericordia University in another three convincing straight sets (25-17, 25-21, 25-18). Tisch first-year Abby Amusus led NYU with nine kills, Tandon first-year Stella Alverson led the team with 15 assists and CAS sophomore Jacqueline Kupeli had a team-high 16 digs.
NYU will host Cabrini University in a semifinal matchup on Nov. 11. The winner will advance to the championship on the same day.
NYU accumulated 93.5 points en route to a fifth place finish out of 12 teams at the Roger Williams University Invitational on Nov. 10.
Leading the way for the Violets was Stern junior and team captain Sean Lyons, who took home the 157-pound title after he won all of his five bouts, one by way of fall and two by way of major decision. His highlight of the weekend was obliterating Roger William’s Tyler Gazaway in the championship 18-4. Going into the tournament, Gazaway was ranked seventh in the nation in his weight class. Other than Lyons, NYU had four other grapplers making it into the finals of their respective weight classes, all finishing as runner-ups.
NYU wrestling returns to action on Nov. 18 when they travel to Ithaca to partake in the New York State Championships.


Honor 9i (2018) smartphone was launched in June 2018. The phone comes with a 5.84-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080x2280 pixels at a pixel density of 432 pixels per inch (ppi) and an aspect ratio of 19:9.
Honor 9i (2018) is powered by a 2.36GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor. It comes with 4GB of RAM.
The Honor 9i (2018) runs Android 8.0 and is powered by a 3,000mAh battery.
As far as the cameras are concerned, the Honor 9i (2018) on the rear packs 13-megapixel camera. The rear camera setup has phase detection autofocus. It sports a 16-megapixel camera on the front for selfies.
The Honor 9i (2018) runs EMUI 8.0 based on Android 8.0 and packs 64GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via microSD card (up to 256GB). The Honor 9i (2018) is a dual-SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM cards.
Connectivity options on the Honor 9i (2018) include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Micro-USB, FM radio, 3G, and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India). Sensors on the phone include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, and fingerprint sensor. The Honor 9i (2018) supports face unlock.
The Honor 9i (2018) measures 149.20 x 71.80 x 7.70mm (height x width x thickness) and weighs 152.00 grams. It was launched in Magic Night Black, Charm Sea Blue, Jade Green, and Dream Purple colours.


British Prime Minister Theresa May holds a news conference following an extraordinary European Union leaders summit to discuss Brexit, in Brussels, Belgium April 11, 2019.
"EU27/UK have agreed a flexible extension until 31 October," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted after eight hours of talks that went into the early hours of Thursday.
"This means (an) additional six months for the UK to find the best possible solution," Tusk added on the eve of what would otherwise have been the day Britain crashed out of the bloc with no deal to smooth the departure for businesses and citizens.
Britain, he stressed, could still leave earlier if May secures parliamentary backing for her Brexit treaty, or it could amend what it wants from a future trade pact. "Until the end of this period, the UK will also have the possibility to ... cancel Brexit altogether," Tusk added.
The agreement gives May more than the three months, to June 30, that she asked for to build a parliamentary majority behind the withdrawal treaty she negotiated with the EU last year.
But she insisted Britain could still secure a deal and leave before Britons would have to vote in a May 23-26 election to the European Parliament — a condition for the country to remain a member of the bloc beyond June 1 under the EU's accord.
Many leaders had wanted a much longer extension, to the end of the year or even next March, but French President Emmanuel Macron mounted stiff resistance throughout the evening, eventually forcing the compromise.
Macron questioned May's ability to persuade Parliament to her treaty, EU officials said, and said that a tighter deadline would focus British minds. Others argued that an even longer extension could spook May's pro-Brexit critics into backing her deal for fear Brexit might stall.
Leaving at midnight on Oct. 31 — Halloween, as social media commentators were quick to note — would correspond with the end of the mandate of the present EU executive Commission.
Leaders would assess the situation again when they meet for a regular summit on June 20-21. Britain could have left by then if May succeeds in building a coalition for her deal with the Labour opposition, though there is no sign of agreement yet.
In order to continue as an EU member beyond June, May has agreed to organize British elections to the European Parliament, though it is still unclear if that vote will go ahead and how far it might turn into a virtual second referendum on EU membership that some hope could mean British cancellation of Brexit.
Other leaders had all but ruled out pitching Britain, and parts of the EU economy, into chaos on Friday. But a drive by Macron to keep London on a tight leash saw the emergency summit bogged down in late-night wrangling as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others argued the merits of a longer lag.
As at a summit last month, which put back Brexit for two weeks, several EU diplomats said May failed to convince her peers that she could break the paralysis of repeated failures to ratify the treaty within the coming months.
French officials said the EU faced "blackmail" by hard-line pro-Brexit potential successors to May, such as Boris Johnson. They might try to sabotage decision-making, they said.
European Council President Donald Tusk, left, looks on as British Prime Minister Theresa May, center left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center right, view a tablet during a meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, April 10, 2019.
However, Merkel has urged the bloc to do all it can to avoid such disruption. She said before leaving Berlin that she favored a delay of "several months" for May, who has pledged to quit if hard-core Brexit supporters in her own Conservative Party drop objections to her "soft Brexit" and help ratify the deal.
Keen to ease tension, Merkel had broken the ice as talks began by showing May a photo montage on a tablet of both wearing similar jackets when addressing their parliaments earlier in the day. It provoked mutual laughter as other leaders joined in.
As talks wore on beyond midnight, with May patiently waiting elsewhere in the building for word on her nation's fate, Macron rallied support for his concerns about a long extension.
May said on arrival that she did not want a long delay: "I want us to be able to leave the European Union in a smooth and orderly way as soon as possible," she told reporters.
Her EU peers, however, are skeptical about her ability to break the deadlock soon. They are exasperated with May's handling of a tortuous and costly divorce that is a distraction from ensuring the bloc can hold its own against global economic challenges.
Across from the summit venue, the EU executive celebrated its part in funding a global project that produced the first picture of a black hole, prompting no shortage of wry comments on social media about the juxtaposition.


It is important to educate the media about the complex work the Metropolitan Police does if you want it to report fairly, its comms team told PRWeek.
Anna de Vries, deputy head of media at the Metropolitan Police, said: "We deal with quite complex areas and you can’t expect someone to report fairly unless you have taken the trouble to explain it to them."
De Vries said an example of this was the Grenfell fire in the summer, during which the comms team had helped the media to understand the identification process and how police were searching the tower.
She added: "Putting the time and effort into helping the media understand how we do things and why we do them helps them report fairly or ask us challenging questions from a position of strength."
De Vries, along with Ed Stearns, head of media at the Met, and Yvonne O’Hara, head of internal comms, spoke to PRWeek as part of a wide-ranging interview on the force's media, digital and comms operation.
Putting the time and effort into helping the media understand how we do things and why we do them helps them report fairly or ask us challenging questions from a position of strength.
Stearns said he thought the media treated the Met fairly and professionally in most cases.
He said: "They are there to hold us to account, quite rightly. I can count on one hand the number of official complaints we’ve made about things which have gone badly wrong."
Stearns thought the way the majority of the media dealt with the Met enabled trust.
He said: "We’re happy for our officers to talk directly to the media and we wouldn’t do that if we didn’t think we had a relationship that would result in fair and balanced reporting. There has to be trust on both sides for that to happen."


The National Rifle Association (NRA) said in a statement Thursday that the device the Las Vegas shooter used to convert his semi-automatic weapons to fire automatic should be subject to additional regulations.
"In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas, the American people are looking for answers as to how future tragedies can be prevented," said Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's CEO, and Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action in a joint statement.
While the two deemed it unfortunate that the first response from some politicians has been to call for gun control, they stated, "The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations."
A growing number of congressional Republicans have expressed that they're open to investigating the legality or even banning bump stocks.
Since the mid-1980s, machine guns that fire multiple shots with one pull of the trigger have been illegal but the bump stock, a gun accessory, is currently legal and enabled the gunman last Sunday to shoot more than 500 people at a country music festival. Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and wounded more than 500.
After past mass shootings, Republicans have been reluctant to tighten gun control laws. Back in 2013, after the Sandy Hook shooting, in which 20 children and seven adults were massacred by a man with a semiautomatic rifle, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein proposed banning those weapons. Congress voted it down. Lawmakers also considered expanding background checks and limiting the size of high-capacity magazine clips, a bipartisan proposal by Senators Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey, but this more limited measure also failed.
When then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot, and six others were killed at a mass shooting in Tuscon in 2011, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy and Sen. Frank Lautenberg introduced measures to ban high-capacity magazine clips and require background checks at gun shows, but those measures were not considered.
But a device that makes a semi-automatic function like an illegal automatic weapon may be something that Republicans, too, want to outlaw. Several, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, have said this week that they want to look into bump stocks and consider restrictions on them. Ryan told reporters Thursday that he didn't know what a bump stock was until this week. Bump stocks, he said, seemed designed to get around the laws against fully automated weapons, and he said lawmakers obviously need to figure out how to tighten up compliance and do more research to ensure that the spirit of the law is upheld.
Which Republicans are open to banning bump stocks?