NCsoft's prodigal son has returned, and with him the hopes and dreams of the future of gaming. Well that might be a smidge melodramatic, but fans of the company's games certainly have a good reason to celebrate today as former Lineage II artist Juno Jeong has come back to the fold.
Jeong signed back on with NCsoft as of yesterday to be the art director of an unknown MMO project. This is a marked step up from his previous role in the company as a member of the character production team, and those who know Jeong's art style are already expressing excitement with his current role. Following his stint on Lineage II, Jeong worked for several other game companies including Gravity, NHN, and Npluto.
While speculation is swirling over the exact nature of the project to which he's been assigned, the most common assumptions are either that he's working on another Lineage or Aion title.
2011年12月21日星期三
Oil Trades Near Weekly High on U.S. Economy, Shrinking Supplies
Oil traded near its highest in a week in New York on signs that the U.S. economy will be spared a recession and amid growing pressure on Iran to curtail its nuclear program.
Futures were little changed after rising as much as 1.3 percent. The American Petroleum Institute showed crude inventories dropped to the lowest in almost two years. Analysts in a Bloomberg News survey predicted the Energy Department will say today supplies fell 2.13 million barrels. The February contract surged 3.4 percent yesterday on U.S. housing data that beat estimates, unexpected growth in German business confidence and concern that shipments from Iran may be curbed.
“Oil has been strengthening as we get more positive U.S. economic data, such as housing starts, along with a recovery in the euro and the possibility of Iranian reprisals,” said Robert Montefusco, senior broker at Sucden Financial Ltd. in London.
Crude for February delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was at $97.28 a barrel at 1:32 p.m. London time, up 4 cents, after rising as much as $1.26 to $98.50, the highest since Dec. 14. The contract yesterday climbed $3.19 to $97.24. Front-month futures have risen 6.5 percent this year after gaining 15 percent in 2010.
Brent oil for February settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange was down 23 cents at $106.50 a barrel after rising $1.03, or 1 percent, to $107.76 a barrel. The European benchmark contract was at a premium of $9.27 to New York-traded West Texas Intermediate grade. The spread widened to a record $27.88 on Oct. 14.
The Obama administration and European Union governments are seeking help from Arab and Asian allies to reduce Iran’s oil revenues. EU nations, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific allies discussed possible measures in Rome yesterday and agreed to increase pressure on Iran, the world’s No. 3 crude exporter in 2010, to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program, according to an Italian Foreign Ministry statement.
U.S. crude inventories fell to 330 million barrels last week, the lowest since the period ended Jan. 22 last year, the industry-funded API said yesterday.
Gasoline stockpiles decreased 394,000 barrels to 213.9 million, based on the API data. The Energy Department report may show supplies probably climbed 1.5 million barrels, according to the median estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Distillate-fuel stockpiles, including heating oil and diesel, are expected to have declined 750,000 barrels.
The Energy Department will release its weekly report at 10:30 a.m. in Washington today.
Oil in New York has technical resistance along the middle Bollinger Band, around $98.20 a barrel today, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sell orders tend to be clustered near chart-resistance levels.
Home builders in the U.S. broke ground in November on more houses than at any time in the past 19 months. Housing starts increased 9.3 percent to an annual rate of 685,000, the highest since April 2010, a Commerce Department report showed yesterday. A median 635,000 gain was forecast by 79 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. A report today may show sales of existing homes in the U.S. increased last month.
“Economic data is painting a better global growth scenario, and that’s clearly feeding into firmer oil prices,” said Michael McCarthy, a chief market strategist at CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty in Sydney who predicts New York futures will settle between $99 and $102 a barrel at the end of the year. “We’ll be watching the inventory data tonight following the API.”
Futures were little changed after rising as much as 1.3 percent. The American Petroleum Institute showed crude inventories dropped to the lowest in almost two years. Analysts in a Bloomberg News survey predicted the Energy Department will say today supplies fell 2.13 million barrels. The February contract surged 3.4 percent yesterday on U.S. housing data that beat estimates, unexpected growth in German business confidence and concern that shipments from Iran may be curbed.
“Oil has been strengthening as we get more positive U.S. economic data, such as housing starts, along with a recovery in the euro and the possibility of Iranian reprisals,” said Robert Montefusco, senior broker at Sucden Financial Ltd. in London.
Crude for February delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was at $97.28 a barrel at 1:32 p.m. London time, up 4 cents, after rising as much as $1.26 to $98.50, the highest since Dec. 14. The contract yesterday climbed $3.19 to $97.24. Front-month futures have risen 6.5 percent this year after gaining 15 percent in 2010.
Brent oil for February settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange was down 23 cents at $106.50 a barrel after rising $1.03, or 1 percent, to $107.76 a barrel. The European benchmark contract was at a premium of $9.27 to New York-traded West Texas Intermediate grade. The spread widened to a record $27.88 on Oct. 14.
The Obama administration and European Union governments are seeking help from Arab and Asian allies to reduce Iran’s oil revenues. EU nations, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific allies discussed possible measures in Rome yesterday and agreed to increase pressure on Iran, the world’s No. 3 crude exporter in 2010, to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program, according to an Italian Foreign Ministry statement.
U.S. crude inventories fell to 330 million barrels last week, the lowest since the period ended Jan. 22 last year, the industry-funded API said yesterday.
Gasoline stockpiles decreased 394,000 barrels to 213.9 million, based on the API data. The Energy Department report may show supplies probably climbed 1.5 million barrels, according to the median estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Distillate-fuel stockpiles, including heating oil and diesel, are expected to have declined 750,000 barrels.
The Energy Department will release its weekly report at 10:30 a.m. in Washington today.
Oil in New York has technical resistance along the middle Bollinger Band, around $98.20 a barrel today, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sell orders tend to be clustered near chart-resistance levels.
Home builders in the U.S. broke ground in November on more houses than at any time in the past 19 months. Housing starts increased 9.3 percent to an annual rate of 685,000, the highest since April 2010, a Commerce Department report showed yesterday. A median 635,000 gain was forecast by 79 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. A report today may show sales of existing homes in the U.S. increased last month.
“Economic data is painting a better global growth scenario, and that’s clearly feeding into firmer oil prices,” said Michael McCarthy, a chief market strategist at CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty in Sydney who predicts New York futures will settle between $99 and $102 a barrel at the end of the year. “We’ll be watching the inventory data tonight following the API.”
2011年12月20日星期二
National Park Service uses artist’s paintings
Three National Park Service interpretive panels featuring the artwork of Cherokee artist Dorothy Tidwell Sullivan were dedicated on Nov. 5 as part of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association’s fall meeting.
The paintings show the aftermath of the forced removal that occurred in 1838-39 when Cherokee people depended on supply depots to provide provisions while they waited for their first harvests and built new homes.
One painting titled “The End of the Journey” shows Cherokee people outside a depot receiving supplies, while the other painting titled “Home in the West” shows a Cherokee family around a campfire cooking.
The NPS and TOTA commissioned Sullivan’s artwork for the panels. She said she received background information from the two organizations for the paintings.
Sullivan said for the paintings she used the likenesses of local Cherokee people. She added that the paintings were given to the Cherokee Heritage Center on permanent loan by the NPS per her request.
“I just thought it would be a nice thing to be able to give them to the museum,” she said.
Sullivan, of Oklahoma City, said she painted the pieces in honor of her Tidwell family, specifically her great-grandmother Versonay Marie Tidwell, grandmother Cellie Lizziebeth Tidwell and her father Harold Tidwell, who lived northwest of Stilwell on allotment land.
She said she thought of her late father while creating the paintings. A Cherokee Nation citizen, she said he was proud of his heritage and would take her and her sister to visit her grandmother’s home site.
The Tidwell family is descended from Young Deer or Indian John Tidwell, who arrived in Indian Territory from Georgia during the forced removal, she said.
In honor of her Tidwell family, Sullivan donated a framed print on canvas of “Home in the West” to the Stilwell Depot Museum.
“I just wanted it go there because that’s where they lived,” she said. “It was my gift to the museum because I think so much of it.”
Sullivan said “Home in the West” was also inspired by the Webber family, an Old Settler family who lived where the Stilwell cemetery is now located. Old Settlers were Cherokees who arrived in the territory in the early 1800s.
The Webbers established a plantation where the cemetery is today, Sullivan said. A supply depot for Cherokee people was set up at the Webber home site.
“It was one of the main ones. More (removal) detachments went to it than the others,” she said.
The NPS created three interpretive markers from Sullivan’s paintings. A marker using the “Home in the West” artwork sits outside the depot museum, while two markers using the “End of the Journey” and “Home in the West” artworks are at the Stilwell cemetery. The markers also provide background on the Trail of Tears and supply depots.
“What I try to do with my paintings is the more you look…the more you learn,” Sullivan said. “I used to be a teacher, so it comes out. I can’t help it.”
Sullivan said she’s been creating Cherokee-themed paintings for more than 20 years, using her love of history and father’s stories. She said she didn’t grow up immersed in the Cherokee culture but researched along the way to add authenticity to her paintings.
The NPS and the TOTA have partnered to promote preservation and awareness of the Trail of Tears. Each state where removal detachments originated, and those through which they traveled, have formed state chapters marking and dedicating trail sites.
The Oklahoma project locates and marks the graves of those who survived the trail. The newest project dedicates the ration depots and places historical marker signs at the sites.
The paintings show the aftermath of the forced removal that occurred in 1838-39 when Cherokee people depended on supply depots to provide provisions while they waited for their first harvests and built new homes.
One painting titled “The End of the Journey” shows Cherokee people outside a depot receiving supplies, while the other painting titled “Home in the West” shows a Cherokee family around a campfire cooking.
The NPS and TOTA commissioned Sullivan’s artwork for the panels. She said she received background information from the two organizations for the paintings.
Sullivan said for the paintings she used the likenesses of local Cherokee people. She added that the paintings were given to the Cherokee Heritage Center on permanent loan by the NPS per her request.
“I just thought it would be a nice thing to be able to give them to the museum,” she said.
Sullivan, of Oklahoma City, said she painted the pieces in honor of her Tidwell family, specifically her great-grandmother Versonay Marie Tidwell, grandmother Cellie Lizziebeth Tidwell and her father Harold Tidwell, who lived northwest of Stilwell on allotment land.
She said she thought of her late father while creating the paintings. A Cherokee Nation citizen, she said he was proud of his heritage and would take her and her sister to visit her grandmother’s home site.
The Tidwell family is descended from Young Deer or Indian John Tidwell, who arrived in Indian Territory from Georgia during the forced removal, she said.
In honor of her Tidwell family, Sullivan donated a framed print on canvas of “Home in the West” to the Stilwell Depot Museum.
“I just wanted it go there because that’s where they lived,” she said. “It was my gift to the museum because I think so much of it.”
Sullivan said “Home in the West” was also inspired by the Webber family, an Old Settler family who lived where the Stilwell cemetery is now located. Old Settlers were Cherokees who arrived in the territory in the early 1800s.
The Webbers established a plantation where the cemetery is today, Sullivan said. A supply depot for Cherokee people was set up at the Webber home site.
“It was one of the main ones. More (removal) detachments went to it than the others,” she said.
The NPS created three interpretive markers from Sullivan’s paintings. A marker using the “Home in the West” artwork sits outside the depot museum, while two markers using the “End of the Journey” and “Home in the West” artworks are at the Stilwell cemetery. The markers also provide background on the Trail of Tears and supply depots.
“What I try to do with my paintings is the more you look…the more you learn,” Sullivan said. “I used to be a teacher, so it comes out. I can’t help it.”
Sullivan said she’s been creating Cherokee-themed paintings for more than 20 years, using her love of history and father’s stories. She said she didn’t grow up immersed in the Cherokee culture but researched along the way to add authenticity to her paintings.
The NPS and the TOTA have partnered to promote preservation and awareness of the Trail of Tears. Each state where removal detachments originated, and those through which they traveled, have formed state chapters marking and dedicating trail sites.
The Oklahoma project locates and marks the graves of those who survived the trail. The newest project dedicates the ration depots and places historical marker signs at the sites.
2011年12月13日星期二
Building the enterprise
By the end of June 1960, with Mansel Ramsey's preliminary assurances of June 1 to the effect that we were OK with Oak Ridge National Laboratory policy, we were deep into the business of setting up the company. Enthusiasm had developed in our group -- far beyond what I might have expected.
As I worked on it and looked at it, I got more and more excited about the effort, as did the others involved. Everyone was not only working on his part of the operation -- we were supporting each other and enthusiastically supporting the overall effort. That mutual support, enthusiasm, and the mutual trust we practiced and built increasingly strongly as we went along were without doubt major keys to the ultimate success of the enterprise.
There was a lot to do and we needed to keep track carefully. During capitalization we talked with Joe Guarneri, who had accounting experience and was a member of (I believe) the Finance Division, which assigned and managed the administrative assistants in ORNL's major divisions .
Joe was assigned to the Instrumentation and Controls Division (Cas Borkowski's division), but did not report to Cas. He was enthusiastic to join in with ORTEC and was glad not to be affected by Cas's "blanket ban" on I&C division members' association with ORTEC. Joe agreed to be secretary-treasurer and to keep the books.
ORTEC's first budget was simply a budget for the cash outlays required to get started. Joe was to make the distinctions between expense and balance sheet items and keep the records in accordance with good accounting practices and IRS rules.
We had divided the various areas of work among us, but now we had to deal with actual purchases, work and budgets. We thought it best, for reasons of efficiency, initiative, and accountability, to set up so the guys in charge of an area also had budget responsibility for that area.
We were a group of independent personalities and knew everyone would want to make his own decisions about expenditures. Everyone agreed.
We also agreed if any major account items in the budget were going to be overrun, we would bring it to the board as soon as we knew, discuss it, and decide jointly how to handle it. It was clear budget overruns were serious matters, not to be regarded lightly. We all took budgetary matters as a challenge, and our approach here seemed to add greatly to the rapport we had in setting up the company.
The immediate tasks facing us were practical and each task had its own difficulty. We had a lot to do in the next two to three months in our evening-and-weekend activities.
We needed an attorney to draw up corporate documents, including charter, bylaws, state filing forms, stock subscription agreement, etc. Attorney Elliott Adams did the legal work, but only after we had selected a name and had a corporate address. Recall, the name Oak Ridge Technical Enterprises Corp. (ORTEC) was selected June 15, 1960.
Immediately after we had a company name, we rented a post office box, obtained a telephone number, initial letterhead, and began stationery and brochure design, etc. Jim Johnson was our designer and graphic artist; he came up with a logo.
After we found and arranged for a location (July 7), we needed to clean the rooms and physically set up the facility. This included installing the telephones, lab benches, shelves, cabinets, proper electrical and plumbing connections, painting the walls and surfaces, and insuring cleanliness throughout.
The phones and the electrical and plumbing parts were done by professionals; the rest was done by crews of shareholders who came to the new facility and pitched in with enthusiastic help. A fun atmosphere prevailed while this was going on. Leaders were John Walter and John Neiler, with 10 to 15 shareholders participating at various times.
Probably the single most expensive equipment item we would need was a vacuum evaporator. We would try for a lease-purchase arrangement, but also compare that with outright purchase. A deal was arranged with Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp.
Machined parts for our specific purposes added about another $300 to the purchase price of $1,700. Detector mounts and other machined parts, jigs, etc., had to be designed and made; Jim Johnson and Al Lynch did this.
We needed a multi-channel analyzer for alpha-particle testing of detectors. Dallas Yeager, an instrument sales representative who had joined in as an investor, arranged an agreement with Vern Hartzer, president of RIDL (Radiation Instrument Development Laboratories Inc., an instrumentation company), whereby RIDL furnished us an analyzer as a demonstration unit at no charge.
They required only that we place on each detector test spectrum a label stating that it was taken with an RIDL analyzer. No problem there! This saved us a capital expenditure of $5000 or more. Tom Emmer led this effort along with John Neiler and John Walter.
Yeager also agreed that he and his secretary could answer the ORTEC telephone during workdays while we were at work at ORNL. We arranged with AT&T to install an extension in Yeager's office, several blocks away. This was an enormous help in that they could call any of us if a really urgent call came in. Mostly they would take messages.
We also had to negotiate a supply of n-type, single-crystal silicon. John Walter made sure the specifications were right and talked with the technical people at MERCK & Co., which was known to us as a quality supplier. The quoted price was $1.89 per gram and we needed an ingot section of about 300 grams to start.
We were convinced the technical person at MERCK understood our requirements, but of course his instructions (to ship) came from the sales and/or credit department. The sales/credit guys had a hard time understanding our special requirements and also didn't readily understand who we were or what we were doing.
Finally, I ended up talking with the sales manager for specialty items who said, after being sure that his technical guy understood, "Oh, well, I'll give you a $500 line of credit and we'll ship it to you, whatever it is." They did, and we of course paid the invoice immediately after it arrived.
That started a good relationship through which they provided for our regular needs and provided, as well, ingot sections of rarer high-resistivity silicon as they became available, which was needed later for a number of our customers' applications.
The ingots we received from MERCK had to be sliced, and the slices had to be cut and shaped into the detector shapes we needed. The saw cuts would cause the loss of useful material of course, so we searched for a firm that could cut the ingots with minimum-thickness cuts. We used the firm MERCK technical people recommended, which was Semiconductor Specialties Corp. in New Jersey, which did an excellent job.
We applied for and received a license from the Atomic Energy Commission for handling radioactive materials, so we could procure alpha-particle sources and use them for testing the detectors. We had to work out and understand the procedure for purchasing the sources from ORNL, where we knew good sources, especially 241Am, would be made by Al Chetham-Strode and his group, who had made excellent sources for my work at ORNL. Phil Baker, in the isotopes group at ORNL, helped us, smoothing out the procedural wrinkles.
As I worked on it and looked at it, I got more and more excited about the effort, as did the others involved. Everyone was not only working on his part of the operation -- we were supporting each other and enthusiastically supporting the overall effort. That mutual support, enthusiasm, and the mutual trust we practiced and built increasingly strongly as we went along were without doubt major keys to the ultimate success of the enterprise.
There was a lot to do and we needed to keep track carefully. During capitalization we talked with Joe Guarneri, who had accounting experience and was a member of (I believe) the Finance Division, which assigned and managed the administrative assistants in ORNL's major divisions .
Joe was assigned to the Instrumentation and Controls Division (Cas Borkowski's division), but did not report to Cas. He was enthusiastic to join in with ORTEC and was glad not to be affected by Cas's "blanket ban" on I&C division members' association with ORTEC. Joe agreed to be secretary-treasurer and to keep the books.
ORTEC's first budget was simply a budget for the cash outlays required to get started. Joe was to make the distinctions between expense and balance sheet items and keep the records in accordance with good accounting practices and IRS rules.
We had divided the various areas of work among us, but now we had to deal with actual purchases, work and budgets. We thought it best, for reasons of efficiency, initiative, and accountability, to set up so the guys in charge of an area also had budget responsibility for that area.
We were a group of independent personalities and knew everyone would want to make his own decisions about expenditures. Everyone agreed.
We also agreed if any major account items in the budget were going to be overrun, we would bring it to the board as soon as we knew, discuss it, and decide jointly how to handle it. It was clear budget overruns were serious matters, not to be regarded lightly. We all took budgetary matters as a challenge, and our approach here seemed to add greatly to the rapport we had in setting up the company.
The immediate tasks facing us were practical and each task had its own difficulty. We had a lot to do in the next two to three months in our evening-and-weekend activities.
We needed an attorney to draw up corporate documents, including charter, bylaws, state filing forms, stock subscription agreement, etc. Attorney Elliott Adams did the legal work, but only after we had selected a name and had a corporate address. Recall, the name Oak Ridge Technical Enterprises Corp. (ORTEC) was selected June 15, 1960.
Immediately after we had a company name, we rented a post office box, obtained a telephone number, initial letterhead, and began stationery and brochure design, etc. Jim Johnson was our designer and graphic artist; he came up with a logo.
After we found and arranged for a location (July 7), we needed to clean the rooms and physically set up the facility. This included installing the telephones, lab benches, shelves, cabinets, proper electrical and plumbing connections, painting the walls and surfaces, and insuring cleanliness throughout.
The phones and the electrical and plumbing parts were done by professionals; the rest was done by crews of shareholders who came to the new facility and pitched in with enthusiastic help. A fun atmosphere prevailed while this was going on. Leaders were John Walter and John Neiler, with 10 to 15 shareholders participating at various times.
Probably the single most expensive equipment item we would need was a vacuum evaporator. We would try for a lease-purchase arrangement, but also compare that with outright purchase. A deal was arranged with Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp.
Machined parts for our specific purposes added about another $300 to the purchase price of $1,700. Detector mounts and other machined parts, jigs, etc., had to be designed and made; Jim Johnson and Al Lynch did this.
We needed a multi-channel analyzer for alpha-particle testing of detectors. Dallas Yeager, an instrument sales representative who had joined in as an investor, arranged an agreement with Vern Hartzer, president of RIDL (Radiation Instrument Development Laboratories Inc., an instrumentation company), whereby RIDL furnished us an analyzer as a demonstration unit at no charge.
They required only that we place on each detector test spectrum a label stating that it was taken with an RIDL analyzer. No problem there! This saved us a capital expenditure of $5000 or more. Tom Emmer led this effort along with John Neiler and John Walter.
Yeager also agreed that he and his secretary could answer the ORTEC telephone during workdays while we were at work at ORNL. We arranged with AT&T to install an extension in Yeager's office, several blocks away. This was an enormous help in that they could call any of us if a really urgent call came in. Mostly they would take messages.
We also had to negotiate a supply of n-type, single-crystal silicon. John Walter made sure the specifications were right and talked with the technical people at MERCK & Co., which was known to us as a quality supplier. The quoted price was $1.89 per gram and we needed an ingot section of about 300 grams to start.
We were convinced the technical person at MERCK understood our requirements, but of course his instructions (to ship) came from the sales and/or credit department. The sales/credit guys had a hard time understanding our special requirements and also didn't readily understand who we were or what we were doing.
Finally, I ended up talking with the sales manager for specialty items who said, after being sure that his technical guy understood, "Oh, well, I'll give you a $500 line of credit and we'll ship it to you, whatever it is." They did, and we of course paid the invoice immediately after it arrived.
That started a good relationship through which they provided for our regular needs and provided, as well, ingot sections of rarer high-resistivity silicon as they became available, which was needed later for a number of our customers' applications.
The ingots we received from MERCK had to be sliced, and the slices had to be cut and shaped into the detector shapes we needed. The saw cuts would cause the loss of useful material of course, so we searched for a firm that could cut the ingots with minimum-thickness cuts. We used the firm MERCK technical people recommended, which was Semiconductor Specialties Corp. in New Jersey, which did an excellent job.
We applied for and received a license from the Atomic Energy Commission for handling radioactive materials, so we could procure alpha-particle sources and use them for testing the detectors. We had to work out and understand the procedure for purchasing the sources from ORNL, where we knew good sources, especially 241Am, would be made by Al Chetham-Strode and his group, who had made excellent sources for my work at ORNL. Phil Baker, in the isotopes group at ORNL, helped us, smoothing out the procedural wrinkles.
2011年12月11日星期日
Paid parking adds to shoppers' Christmas stress
Paid parking at Chermside, after expiry of a time limit, may have made it easier to find a vacant parking space but, in the lead-up to Christmas, it is causing big headaches for shoppers and staff.
Customers who fail to finish their shopping within the free, three-hour window, as well as centre staff who pay to park at their workplace, say they are under increased stress.
Shopping-centre owner Westfield introduced paid parking at Queensland's largest shopping centre two months ago, despite a huge protest from retailers and customers.
Parking rates range from $2 for 3 hours to $20 for more than seven hours. Parking is free for any shopper who stays less than three hours but, according to those who made it out in time last week, the "incredible stress" is "not worth it".
"Just having to keep an eye on the time is a massive pain, I hate it," Grange resident Maria Reggi said. ''I only come here because of the shops and the variety, but I try to stay under the three hours.
"Obviously at Christmas time, that's really difficult to do. You can't even stop and have a cup of coffee any more. Not happy at all, we're going to Brookside where they have free parking."
A Westfield spokesperson said centre management was getting positive letters every day from shoppers happy with the new system.
"[The letters are] expressing that the new managed parking system, including the parking guidance system and Queensland's first valet service, has improved their parking experience and they are returning to Chermside," the spokesperson said.
"Before introducing managed parking, the average customer time was 101 minutes, and 96 per cent of customers shopped [in] under three hours. It is expected, with the introduction of managed parking, that the vast majority will continue to not pay for parking.''
Some customers admitted it had become easier to find parking at Chermside but complained of the time-limit pressure. Cheryl McMurtrie of Bridgeman Downs said she had arrived mid-morning and had no trouble finding a car space.
"I come during the day and there's plenty of parking, but I do have to pay for it, which I hate," she said.
"I went to the hairdresser. That took longer than three hours. If you're coming for a quick shop, the concept is good, but if you're coming for a half or full day to do Christmas shopping, it's a costly exercise."
One elderly couple did not have time to answer questions because they were running to their car to get out in time. "It's horrible, absolutely horrible," they said.
Isabella Reggi, who is employed as a casual staff member in the centre, said it was "obvious" people hated being there with a time restriction. "[Speaking] as staff working in the centre, customers are so riled up about it and it's staff who pay the price," she said.
"We might be trying to gift-wrap something and the customer is there saying, 'Hurry up. I've only got five minutes left.' It's really stressful. Everyone walking around the centre is stressed because they're on a time limit,'' Ms Reggi said.
"People don't need extra stress at this time of the year when Christmas shopping is already so hard."
Food retailers who spoke to The Sun-Herald said business was down. "Our takings are noticeably down and there's no doubt it's because of the paid parking," one man said.
Customers who fail to finish their shopping within the free, three-hour window, as well as centre staff who pay to park at their workplace, say they are under increased stress.
Shopping-centre owner Westfield introduced paid parking at Queensland's largest shopping centre two months ago, despite a huge protest from retailers and customers.
Parking rates range from $2 for 3 hours to $20 for more than seven hours. Parking is free for any shopper who stays less than three hours but, according to those who made it out in time last week, the "incredible stress" is "not worth it".
"Just having to keep an eye on the time is a massive pain, I hate it," Grange resident Maria Reggi said. ''I only come here because of the shops and the variety, but I try to stay under the three hours.
"Obviously at Christmas time, that's really difficult to do. You can't even stop and have a cup of coffee any more. Not happy at all, we're going to Brookside where they have free parking."
A Westfield spokesperson said centre management was getting positive letters every day from shoppers happy with the new system.
"[The letters are] expressing that the new managed parking system, including the parking guidance system and Queensland's first valet service, has improved their parking experience and they are returning to Chermside," the spokesperson said.
"Before introducing managed parking, the average customer time was 101 minutes, and 96 per cent of customers shopped [in] under three hours. It is expected, with the introduction of managed parking, that the vast majority will continue to not pay for parking.''
Some customers admitted it had become easier to find parking at Chermside but complained of the time-limit pressure. Cheryl McMurtrie of Bridgeman Downs said she had arrived mid-morning and had no trouble finding a car space.
"I come during the day and there's plenty of parking, but I do have to pay for it, which I hate," she said.
"I went to the hairdresser. That took longer than three hours. If you're coming for a quick shop, the concept is good, but if you're coming for a half or full day to do Christmas shopping, it's a costly exercise."
One elderly couple did not have time to answer questions because they were running to their car to get out in time. "It's horrible, absolutely horrible," they said.
Isabella Reggi, who is employed as a casual staff member in the centre, said it was "obvious" people hated being there with a time restriction. "[Speaking] as staff working in the centre, customers are so riled up about it and it's staff who pay the price," she said.
"We might be trying to gift-wrap something and the customer is there saying, 'Hurry up. I've only got five minutes left.' It's really stressful. Everyone walking around the centre is stressed because they're on a time limit,'' Ms Reggi said.
"People don't need extra stress at this time of the year when Christmas shopping is already so hard."
Food retailers who spoke to The Sun-Herald said business was down. "Our takings are noticeably down and there's no doubt it's because of the paid parking," one man said.
2011年6月12日星期日
IMF Targeted in Sophisticated Cyber Attack
The International Monetary Fund has become the latest victim of a cyber attack believed to be carried out by hackers connected to a foreign government. The scope of the breach in the lender of last resort’s computer system is still unknown and the IMF has so far refused to release any details. But the New York Times, the first to break the story, talked to several senior officials who described it as serious. The breach occurred “over the last several months,” before Dominique Strauss-Kahn quit after being charged with attempted rape. The IMF’s board was apparently told of the attack on Wednesday and now the FBI is helping to investigate.
Reuters talks to a security expert who says the attack “was clearly designed to infiltrate the IMF with the intention of gaining sensitive ‘insider privileged information.’” Another expert says the hackers tried to install software that would give a government a “digital insider presence” on the IMF network that could give it access to sensitive, potentially market-moving data. It seems the code used in the attack was specifically developed for the IMF system. There is lots of information within the IMF that could be of interest to hackers, from detailed data about European bailout programs to confidential reports on countries that could be in economic trouble and even records of negotiations with international leaders.
Experts are particularly concerned about the IMF incident because it is the latest in a string of sophisticated attacks against large organizations, amounting to a stark reminder of how vulnerable sensitive computer systems are to hackers. The Washington Post notes this is the third recent attack against a major financial institution and points to “a pattern of cyber-espionage against key economic policymaking institutions” in recent years that some experts believe involves China. “Canada’s Treasury Board and Finance Ministry were targeted in January, and France’s Finance Ministry was hacked in December,” points out the Post. Over the past three months, Google, Sony, Lockheed Martin and Citigroup have all reported being the victims of cyber attacks, notes Bloomberg.
Reuters talks to a security expert who says the attack “was clearly designed to infiltrate the IMF with the intention of gaining sensitive ‘insider privileged information.’” Another expert says the hackers tried to install software that would give a government a “digital insider presence” on the IMF network that could give it access to sensitive, potentially market-moving data. It seems the code used in the attack was specifically developed for the IMF system. There is lots of information within the IMF that could be of interest to hackers, from detailed data about European bailout programs to confidential reports on countries that could be in economic trouble and even records of negotiations with international leaders.
Experts are particularly concerned about the IMF incident because it is the latest in a string of sophisticated attacks against large organizations, amounting to a stark reminder of how vulnerable sensitive computer systems are to hackers. The Washington Post notes this is the third recent attack against a major financial institution and points to “a pattern of cyber-espionage against key economic policymaking institutions” in recent years that some experts believe involves China. “Canada’s Treasury Board and Finance Ministry were targeted in January, and France’s Finance Ministry was hacked in December,” points out the Post. Over the past three months, Google, Sony, Lockheed Martin and Citigroup have all reported being the victims of cyber attacks, notes Bloomberg.
2011年3月30日星期三
Investment of close to $25 million helps create some 140 jobs in the region
RONA inc., Canada's largest distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, opened on March 23 a new Reno-Depot store in Vaudreuil-Dorion. Located at 3010 De la Gare Blvd., the new 102,000-square-feet store represents an investment of close to $25 million and will help stimulate the local economy by creating some 140 jobs.
"RONA is proud to continue developing its network and to offer the people of Vaudreuil-Dorion a big-box store with an innovative concept, built to meet the criteria of the LEED system for new construction," said Robert Dutton, RONA President and CEO. "The opening of the 17th retail outlet under the Reno-Depot banner also testifies to our commitment to serve our growing customer base and meet their ever-evolving needs."
"This store is one of a new generation for Reno-Depot," said Mario St-Louis, RONA's Vice President of Retail for Quebec. "It offers all the advantages that make the banner so popular, including competitive prices and a wide selection of products in each category, all in a shopping environment that is enjoyable, customer-friendly and efficient. In addition, the Mega Centre Vaudreuil-Dorion is ideally located at the intersection of major highways, bringing Reno-Depot closer to the population of this dynamic part of the metropolitan region."
The latest generation of Reno-Depot stores
The new Vaudreuil-Dorion store was designed according to the latest concept for Reno-Depot stores. The central aisle is lined with boutiques offering various decoration and finishing products such as flooring, doors and windows, kitchens, bathrooms, paint, interior decoration as well as storage. The storage boutique, an emerging priority for consumers, is conveniently located near the entrance to the store. Customers will find an extensive selection of items to meet all their storagerelated needs for the garage, the kitchen, the basement and closets.
With a retail sales space of 102,000-square-feet, the store features a 25,000-square-foot outdoor garden centre and offers a selection of 37,000 products, including construction and finishing materials.
"Our entire team is delighted to welcome the people of Vaudreuil-Dorion and the surrounding area to our store, which offers quality products at competitive prices, as well as a design that helps them easily find what they need," said Luc Julien, manager of the Vaudreuil-Dorion store. "Our skilled employees, who have plenty of experience with the RONA and Reno-Depot family, are dedicated to guiding customers in their construction and renovation projects by making available to them a complete range of customized services. Our objective is to offer outstanding service to customers and contractors throughout the region."
Among the other specialized services offered at the new store are installation, delivery and cutting, as well as a counter dedicated to contractors.
"RONA is proud to continue developing its network and to offer the people of Vaudreuil-Dorion a big-box store with an innovative concept, built to meet the criteria of the LEED system for new construction," said Robert Dutton, RONA President and CEO. "The opening of the 17th retail outlet under the Reno-Depot banner also testifies to our commitment to serve our growing customer base and meet their ever-evolving needs."
"This store is one of a new generation for Reno-Depot," said Mario St-Louis, RONA's Vice President of Retail for Quebec. "It offers all the advantages that make the banner so popular, including competitive prices and a wide selection of products in each category, all in a shopping environment that is enjoyable, customer-friendly and efficient. In addition, the Mega Centre Vaudreuil-Dorion is ideally located at the intersection of major highways, bringing Reno-Depot closer to the population of this dynamic part of the metropolitan region."
The latest generation of Reno-Depot stores
The new Vaudreuil-Dorion store was designed according to the latest concept for Reno-Depot stores. The central aisle is lined with boutiques offering various decoration and finishing products such as flooring, doors and windows, kitchens, bathrooms, paint, interior decoration as well as storage. The storage boutique, an emerging priority for consumers, is conveniently located near the entrance to the store. Customers will find an extensive selection of items to meet all their storagerelated needs for the garage, the kitchen, the basement and closets.
With a retail sales space of 102,000-square-feet, the store features a 25,000-square-foot outdoor garden centre and offers a selection of 37,000 products, including construction and finishing materials.
"Our entire team is delighted to welcome the people of Vaudreuil-Dorion and the surrounding area to our store, which offers quality products at competitive prices, as well as a design that helps them easily find what they need," said Luc Julien, manager of the Vaudreuil-Dorion store. "Our skilled employees, who have plenty of experience with the RONA and Reno-Depot family, are dedicated to guiding customers in their construction and renovation projects by making available to them a complete range of customized services. Our objective is to offer outstanding service to customers and contractors throughout the region."
Among the other specialized services offered at the new store are installation, delivery and cutting, as well as a counter dedicated to contractors.
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