The Detroit born singer said on social media, it's a wrap.
Anita Baker, the famed R&B, jazz singer announced on Twitter that she is retiring from the music business. Her label Blue Note was completely unaware that she was not giving them the best she got.
It all went down last week when she posted a cryptic message to her fans.
๐Oh , no regrets... Music has been/is very good 2 us. God Gifted in every possible way. We just stay "humble" about๐#2GBTGpic.twitter.com/DfLvdL2G21
I remember that she had an album that was supposed to be released some years back, but it was scrapped.
She is a four time platinum selling artist. She won eight Grammy's for her albums.
I wonder if the fuhrer Donald J. Trump's victory caused her to retire. Obviously, many entertainers are not keen on the pussy grabber winning the election.
Anita Baker, you're our angel. We hope the best for you. And retirement isn't going away! It's kind of taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the music industry.
Being a driver for Uber is fun but it comes with a price.
For the last nine weeks, I've started driving for Uber. I wanted to participate in an experience that would give me an opportunity to make money and interact with people. At first, I loved the opportunity to meet interesting people, but now I am starting to find concern with it.
Uber is the people-friendly ride share service which allows "riders" to get picked up by "partners" willing to help them reach their destination. The flat rate, plus miles and time spent inside the vehicle calculates the fare. During a peak time, Uber advocates a surge rating. The surge rating makes "partners" earn a little extra on nights where the demand for riders is high and the need is great.
The riders uses their smartphone to activate the app. The app gives a description of the "partner" his vehicle and the average rating. The "partner" is called upon if the "rider" selects the option to arrange a pickup. The "partner" is then pinged by the app to accept the pickup. The "partner" has an approximate time to pickup the "rider". Once the "partner" arrives at the pickup, the "rider" enters the vehicle and the "partner" activates the fare.
Once the "partner" makes it to the final destination, the "partner" ends the trip. Once the trip is over, the "rider" will have an option to rate the "partner" if they enjoyed the experience or not. The "partner" can also rate the "rider" if the experience didn't live up to expectations as well.
I have covered over 400 trips in the nine weeks of being a partner with Uber. Out of them 400 trips, I can say that some of the experiences aren't as pleasant.
Uber and rival Lyft are beating the taxi companies in rates. Since Uber and Lyft came to Dayton, Ohio, it's quickly pickup steam around the University of Dayton, Sinclair Community College and Wright State University.
When I pickup the "riders", I offer them water, fruit snacks and crackers. I want to make them feel comfortable when they ride with me. I often ask them if they have a preferred route to their final destination.
I've picked up "riders" from the airport, the mall, the bars and restaurants. I've taken them home, to their jobs and their friends homes. I've also pickup riders who weren't the actual pickup.
I've picked up usually people who are intoxicated. I've picked up over 6 or more passengers in a five seated vehicle. I've taken people to other destinations that aren't the final stop. And I've picked up people from their destinations without them activating their app.
I've picked up people who talked inappropriately. Sometimes, I've said a few inappropriate things as well. I will admit this, I did have a "crush" on one of the "riders". All in the way of relating to the "riders".
But now, I am seeing the negatives of being an Uber driver. Only a few weeks ago, I picked up a rider who masturbated inside my vehicle. I picked up a bachelor's party and the groom ripped off my door handle. I picked up a group of women and one vomited inside the vehicle.
Uber is the ridesharing service.
Not to mention the wear and tear of your vehicle. You're driving your vehicle and it's putting a whole lot of miles on your car. The amount of fuel being placed in your car also adds up.
Even when you are on a pickup, you might find a law enforcement bothering you as you are doing your job.
Since Uber doesn't consider you an employee, you're responsible for the taxes. You're a small business and you have to file a 1099 on your IRS tax form. They petition for Uber to have all "partners" as employees instead of contractors.
Each of these experiences might end my time driving for Uber and eventually Lyft. But I am certain that my opportunities to improve will overcome the negative.
Uber's ratings are determined by how the experience was. By average a "partner" has to at least have a rating between 4.8 and 4.9. Only a few can pass the threshold of 4.95 to a perfect 5.
I am concerned that no matter how good I've done, the "riders" will rate me poor. It's almost discouraging. If you fall behind 4.6 in your ratings, you could have your account deactivated.
Many "partners" are starting to find some discouragement in the way Uber handles things.
I've read some of the articles from current and former Uber drivers and I am kind of on the fence of how I might continue driving. I know that nobody is perfect. But I am determined to do all that I can to be the best.
If I can't be the best, then there's no purpose in being an Uber driver.
Anyway, I want to get a rant off in my random musings.
The hustle continues. When you purchase a gift for your child you're expected the full set inside.
I remember that I purchased the Batman Beyond: The Return of The Joker movie from Suncoast/Musicland during its going out of business sale.
When I got home, I opened the package and saw that the DVD wasn't inside. I immediately went back to the business and told them that the DVD was defective. They understood that I was serious about it. They immediately told me to find the DVD and open it up to make sure its in there. I did and it was there.
It's only the size of a matchbox and it can steal your $$$$$$$. The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are hoping to curb this before it gets worse.
Whew, it was a close call. I would have been out of $12 if I didn't quickly return the product.
But some are buying the big ticket items and when they get home they're pretty much screwed.
A boy ends up getting that Sony PS4 (Playstation 4) for Christmas. Turns out to be a block of wood.
What's worse the block of wood had a drawing. A pretty damn offensive drawing on it. A pair of cock and balls on it. Dad bought this from Target. Target decided to allow dad to get another PS4 and $100 gift card for their troubles. All's well that ends well!
A viral story for people about the holiday hustle.
Now most people would be shocked that a block of wood would be found inside an electronics box.
I mean this stuff does happen. However, given the many attempts to con businesses out of property, you can't help but take consideration if this story was bogus from the start.
Gas pump security seal was tampered with. That's a sign of scamming device being placed inside pump.
The real danger is them skimming devices found in gas pumps. The U.S. Secret Service and the FBI are teaming up with the local lawmen to counter the threat.
The thieves come at night and use the selection key to open up the gas pump. Whether the gas station is closed or operating 24/7, the thieves usually hit the pumps around night with limited traffic.
If you're used to using a debit or credit card at the pump, you have to be noticing the features of a tampered pump.
If you see something different at the pump, don't insert your card into it.
First thing, you would notice a seal of the company on the panel of a card reader. If the seal is tampered or pulled off, don't use the pump.
Second thing, if you notice wires or sticky keys, it's tampered.
And if you don't feel comfortable using your card at the pump, go inside and prepay for the gas.
Skimming is a $1 billion hustle. Many in the theft rings could get your money within a matter of seconds if you don't take the opportunity to check your surroundings.
Priscilla changed him. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook announced he will donate his most of his fortune to charity. He and his wife are proud parents.
The CEO of social media titan Facebook announced that he and his wife are proud parents of a baby daughter. He also announced that he's giving away 99% of his fortune to charity.
Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan announced the birth of their first child, they also announced they'd be giving away 99% of their Facebook stock—worth nearly $45 billion, CNN reports. Zuckerberg and Chan posted an extremely lengthy open letter to their daughter Max on Facebook Tuesday.
Read it below....
Dear Max,
Your mother and I don't yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future. Your new life is full of promise, and we hope you will be happy and healthy so you can explore it fully. You've already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in.
Like all parents, we want you to grow up in a world better than ours today.
While headlines often focus on what's wrong, in many ways the world is getting better. Health is improving. Poverty is shrinking. Knowledge is growing. People are connecting. Technological progress in every field means your life should be dramatically better than ours today.
President Barack Obama holds a townhall with Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
We will do our part to make this happen, not only because we love you, but also because we have a moral responsibility to all children in the next generation.
We believe all lives have equal value, and that includes the many more people who will live in future generations than live today. Our society has an obligation to invest now to improve the lives of all those coming into this world, not just those already here.
But right now, we don't always collectively direct our resources at the biggest opportunities and problems your generation will face.
Consider disease. Today we spend about 50 times more as a society treating people who are sick than we invest in research so you won't get sick in the first place.
Medicine has only been a real science for less than 100 years, and we've already seen complete cures for some diseases and good progress for others. As technology accelerates, we have a real shot at preventing, curing or managing all or most of the rest in the next 100 years.
Today, most people die from five things -- heart disease, cancer, stroke, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases -- and we can make faster progress on these and other problems.
Once we recognize that your generation and your children's generation may not have to suffer from disease, we collectively have a responsibility to tilt our investments a bit more towards the future to make this reality. Your mother and I want to do our part.
Curing disease will take time. Over short periods of five or ten years, it may not seem like we're making much of a difference. But over the long term, seeds planted now will grow, and one day, you or your children will see what we can only imagine: a world without suffering from disease.
There are so many opportunities just like this. If society focuses more of its energy on these great challenges, we will leave your generation a much better world.
• • •
Our hopes for your generation focus on two ideas: advancing human potential and promoting equality.
Advancing human potential is about pushing the boundaries on how great a human life can be.
Can you learn and experience 100 times more than we do today?
Can our generation cure disease so you live much longer and healthier lives?
Can we connect the world so you have access to every idea, person and opportunity?
Can we harness more clean energy so you can invent things we can't conceive of today while protecting the environment?
Can we cultivate entrepreneurship so you can build any business and solve any challenge to grow peace and prosperity?
Oprah Winfrey with New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mark Zuckerberg.
Promoting equality is about making sure everyone has access to these opportunities -- regardless of the nation, families or circumstances they are born into.
Our society must do this not only for justice or charity, but for the greatness of human progress.
Today we are robbed of the potential so many have to offer. The only way to achieve our full potential is to channel the talents, ideas and contributions of every person in the world.
Can our generation eliminate poverty and hunger?
Can we provide everyone with basic healthcare?
Can we build inclusive and welcoming communities?
Can we nurture peaceful and understanding relationships between people of all nations?
Can we truly empower everyone -- women, children, underrepresented minorities, immigrants and the unconnected?
If our generation makes the right investments, the answer to each of these questions can be yes -- and hopefully within your lifetime.
• • •
This mission -- advancing human potential and promoting equality -- will require a new approach for all working towards these goals.
We must make long term investments over 25, 50 or even 100 years. The greatest challenges require very long time horizons and cannot be solved by short term thinking.
We must engage directly with the people we serve. We can't empower people if we don't understand the needs and desires of their communities.
We must build technology to make change. Many institutions invest money in these challenges, but most progress comes from productivity gains through innovation.
We must participate in policy and advocacy to shape debates. Many institutions are unwilling to do this, but progress must be supported by movements to be sustainable.
We must back the strongest and most independent leaders in each field. Partnering with experts is more effective for the mission than trying to lead efforts ourselves.
We must take risks today to learn lessons for tomorrow. We're early in our learning and many things we try won't work, but we'll listen and learn and keep improving.
• • •
Our experience with personalized learning, internet access, and community education and health has shaped our philosophy.
Our generation grew up in classrooms where we all learned the same things at the same pace regardless of our interests or needs.
Your generation will set goals for what you want to become -- like an engineer, health worker, writer or community leader. You'll have technology that understands how you learn best and where you need to focus. You'll advance quickly in subjects that interest you most, and get as much help as you need in your most challenging areas. You'll explore topics that aren't even offered in schools today.
Your teachers will also have better tools and data to help you achieve your goals.
Even better, students around the world will be able to use personalized learning tools over the internet, even if they don't live near good schools. Of course it will take more than technology to give everyone a fair start in life, but personalized learning can be one scalable way to give all children a better education and more equal opportunity.
We're starting to build this technology now, and the results are already promising. Not only do students perform better on tests, but they gain the skills and confidence to learn anything they want. And this journey is just beginning. The technology and teaching will rapidly improve every year you're in school.
The Zuckerbergs with their daughter Max.
Your mother and I have both taught students and we've seen what it takes to make this work. It will take working with the strongest leaders in education to help schools around the world adopt personalized learning. It will take engaging with communities, which is why we're starting in our San Francisco Bay Area community. It will take building new technology and trying new ideas. And it will take making mistakes and learning many lessons before achieving these goals.
But once we understand the world we can create for your generation, we have a responsibility as a society to focus our investments on the future to make this reality.
Together, we can do this. And when we do, personalized learning will not only help students in good schools, it will help provide more equal opportunity to anyone with an internet connection.
• • •
Many of the greatest opportunities for your generation will come from giving everyone access to the internet.
People often think of the internet as just for entertainment or communication. But for the majority of people in the world, the internet can be a lifeline.
It provides education if you don't live near a good school. It provides health information on how to avoid diseases or raise healthy children if you don't live near a doctor. It provides financial services if you don't live near a bank. It provides access to jobs and opportunities if you don't live in a good economy.
The internet is so important that for every 10 people who gain internet access, about one person is lifted out of poverty and about one new job is created.
Yet still more than half of the world's population -- more than 4 billion people -- don't have access to the internet.
If our generation connects them, we can lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. We can also help hundreds of millions of children get an education and save millions of lives by helping people avoid disease.
This is another long term effort that can be advanced by technology and partnership. It will take inventing new technology to make the internet more affordable and bring access to unconnected areas. It will take partnering with governments, non-profits and companies. It will take engaging with communities to understand what they need. Good people will have different views on the best path forward, and we will try many efforts before we succeed.
But together we can succeed and create a more equal world.
• • •
Technology can't solve problems by itself. Building a better world starts with building strong and healthy communities.
Children have the best opportunities when they can learn. And they learn best when they're healthy.
Health starts early -- with loving family, good nutrition and a safe, stable environment.
Children who face traumatic experiences early in life often develop less healthy minds and bodies. Studies show physical changes in brain development leading to lower cognitive ability.
Your mother is a doctor and educator, and she has seen this firsthand.
If you have an unhealthy childhood, it's difficult to reach your full potential.
If you have to wonder whether you'll have food or rent, or worry about abuse or crime, then it's difficult to reach your full potential.
If you fear you'll go to prison rather than college because of the color of your skin, or that your family will be deported because of your legal status, or that you may be a victim of violence because of your religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, then it's difficult to reach your full potential.
We need institutions that understand these issues are all connected. That's the philosophy of the new type of school your mother is building.
By partnering with schools, health centers, parent groups and local governments, and by ensuring all children are well fed and cared for starting young, we can start to treat these inequities as connected.
Only then can we collectively start to give everyone an equal opportunity.
It will take many years to fully develop this model. But it's another example of how advancing human potential and promoting equality are tightly linked. If we want either, we must first build inclusive and healthy communities.
• • •
For your generation to live in a better world, there is so much more our generation can do.
Today your mother and I are committing to spend our lives doing our small part to help solve these challenges. I will continue to serve as Facebook's CEO for many, many years to come, but these issues are too important to wait until you or we are older to begin this work. By starting at a young age, we hope to see compounding benefits throughout our lives.
As you begin the next generation of the Chan Zuckerberg family, we also begin the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to join people across the world to advance human potential and promote equality for all
children in the next generation. Our initial areas of focus will be personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities.
We will give 99% of our Facebook shares -- currently about $45 billion -- during our lives to advance this mission. We know this is a small contribution compared to all the resources and talents of those already working on these issues. But we want to do what we can, working alongside many others.
We'll share more details in the coming months once we settle into our new family rhythm and return from our maternity and paternity leaves. We understand you'll have many questions about why and how we're doing this.
As we become parents and enter this next chapter of our lives, we want to share our deep appreciation for everyone who makes this possible.
We can do this work only because we have a strong global community behind us. Building Facebook has created resources to improve the world for the next generation. Every member of the Facebook community is playing a part in this work.
We can make progress towards these opportunities only by standing on the shoulders of experts -- our mentors, partners and many incredible people whose contributions built these fields.
And we can only focus on serving this community and this mission because we are surrounded by loving family, supportive friends and amazing colleagues. We hope you will have such deep and inspiring relationships in your life too.
Max, we love you and feel a great responsibility to leave the world a better place for you and all children. We wish you a life filled with the same love, hope and joy you give us. We can't wait to see what you bring to this world.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Zuckerberg believes that his fortune could help people in need. And I applaud him and his wife for being generous. They feel that they can make a difference to those who are in need.
Of course, many conservatives and selfish rich folks bitch about how liberals want to take money to redistribute wealth.
They want liberal rich folks to shut the fuck up. The conservatives were bitching about Warren Buffet and Bill Gates giving away their fortunes to charity. They believe that liberals are destroying America by asking for the rich to pay a little more in taxes.
Conservatives don't see that the middle class is being wiped away. They too focus on trying to the rich even more richer and the poor even more dependent on the safety net. They will not give a leg up to those who struggled for a piece of the American pie.
A famed clothing company is filing for bankruptcy today. It's a sign that shoppers aren't finding any interest in American Apparel. I couldn't be any more happier of the news.
I've never bought anything from that company. I've never applied for a job there. I've always had a feeling that they would use discriminating tactics in hiring. AA founder's Dov Charney, a Canadian-American business mogul was fired out the cannon after he was caught up in a sexual harassment and discrimination scandal.
The company once held a gold standard of hiring practice. They didn't want any "trashy Black women" ever hired at their stores. Watch "the ones" who may shoplift from the store. Look for the "right types of customers". You know "the ones" who got money.
AA was having that going on at their stores.
So now the company will focus on trying to bring back customers. AA want to restart the company under Standard General, an American based hedge firm.
The company, which has seen spiraling sales and an ever-sinking stock price since the management upheaval began, proposed a plan that would keep its 130 U.S. stores open and maintain its Los Angeles manufacturing operation, the Times reported. No layoffs were mentioned in the Chapter 11 petition, which was approved by American Apparel’s board, and filed in Delaware, the newspaper said. The plan requires approval by the federal bankruptcy court, it added.
American Apparel’s shares closed at 11 cents each last week.
American Apparel’s brand recognition has far exceeded its sales numbers over the past decade with its “Made in the USA” ethos, provocative advertising, and colorful, scandal-ridden founder Dov Charney.
Charney didn't go quietly. He mounted a civil war within the board.
Notice something about this picture!
The new CEO Paula Schneider is facing mounting criticism. She promised a turnaround. It's a little too late for the turnaround. Schneider is considered inept among the shareholders.
American Apparel saw new legal fees, a workforce moving towards unionization, plummeting sales, and wider losses. It announced layoffs earlier this year, as well as store closures. Questions have been swirling around the company’s ability to pay a major interest payment later this month.
The bankruptcy, if approved, will mean just that. It will also wipe out Charney’s stake in the company, according to the Los Angeles Times. Standard General and other creditors will gain full control of American Apparel if the plan is approved.
“Not having the nuisance lawsuits, not having this massive debt, these are all extremely important things for the company to thrive,” Schneider told the Times in a Sunday interview.
The nation third largest retailer is going out like the cassette tape.
I was listening to the Associated Press radio reports this morning and I heard something that had me shaking my head. I never thought I would say this, but I have this feeling that 2015 will not be a good year for the "Blue Light Specials"
I predict in five years, the nation's discount department store Kmart will be a part of American history. It will be on the way out like most popular retailers that went out of business during its downward spiral. The nation's third largest discount retailer will be gone. Leaving Walmart and Target as the only discount retailers in the world.
Kmart is a nationwide retailer of electronics, toys, clothing, bedding, furniture and home decor.
The retailer was founded by Sebastian S. Kresge. When he passed away in 1966, his company joined the hyperstore movement as Kmart in 1977. It was based in Detroit's suburb of Troy until 2005.
It moved to Hoffman Estates, Illinois in 2006 when Sears found some ounce of hope for Kmart.
In the Dayton, Ohio suburb of Trotwood, Kmart closed in 2013. The suburb is dubbed a "ghost town" for the massive departure of big box stores and the demise of the Salem Mall, Dayton's first indoor shopping center.
When Sears was struggling, the company thought the best idea to save the business was to merge with Kmart.
I guess the merger isn't helping the struggling retailer. Sears Holding Group which owns Sears and Kmart are seeing the shoppers not interested in the deals they're offering.
Kmart is the only retailer that still advocates layaway.
In my opinion, the average Kmart is like a hot mess. The store looks "dirty" but at least some of their workers are friendly at best. Cleanliness is the first thing most shoppers see when they enter a Kmart.
If they see dirty floors, damaged products, potential opportunities for theft, poor lighting, potholes in the parking lot and limited selection of products, shoppers turn away. That is a fact.
I live in Dayton, Ohio. There's four locations in Englewood, Beavercreek, Riverside and Springboro. These are the remaining locations in the metro area.
They're on the verge of shutting down the remaining stores in the area. I am guessing Englewood and Riverside are next on the list of stores on the close.
Kmart recently closed the Trotwood store in 2013 and Fairborn store in 2014.
Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is a major shopping day for Americans. The retailers are hoping to see the BLACK in sales. That usually means that a healthy economy comes from families shopping at malls, discount stores, car dealerships and even local businesses.
The malls, Kmart, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Loews, and other big box stores depend on the Black Friday sales. If they can have a healthy Black Friday, they can be motivated to opening up potential stores in other areas. They can hire more employees and offer more deals.
This is a nightmare if a retailer fails to generate Black Friday success.
If that's not capitalism, then I don't know what I can tell ya!
Okay, what's your thoughts on this?
*Please note that anonymous comments are deleted no exceptions!
The United Kingdom's most popular couple is going for a second bundle.
Prince William and Princess Kate are going for the second round. According to the junk food media, the couple announced that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting her second child and being treated for severe morning sickness, royal officials said Monday.
The couple's Clarence House office said they and their families were "delighted" with the baby news.
The former Kate Middleton was being treated at Kensington Palace for severe morning sickness, Clarence House said.
She was hospitalized for the same condition, hyperemesis gravidarum, during her first pregnancy with Prince George, who was born in July 2013.
The illness means the 32-year-old duchess may need extra hydration, medication and nutrients.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "delighted by the happy news that they're expecting another baby."
The new baby will become fourth in line to the throne, pushing Prince Harry to fifth. Toddler Prince George is third and likely to become Britain's monarch one day.
The Associated Press also adds that Britain had changed its laws before George's birth so that the couple's first born would be in line for the throne regardless of its sex. Before the change, a girl would have lost her place in line if a boy was born later.
William and Kate have often expressed an interest in having a larger family.
Britain's Press Association reported that Kate's pregnancy hasn't passed the 12-week stage, which is when she became ill in her first pregnancy.
Royal officials said it wasn't clear if the duchess will be able to carry out planned official engagements, including a trip to Malta on Sept. 20 and 21 that would mark her first overseas solo trip.
Decisions on events would be made on a "case-by-case" basis, officials said.
Virginia-based Dollar Tree is going for the Tennessee-based Family Dollar brands. The possible merger of two of the nation's thrifty stores could spell MONOPOLY. An $8.5 billion deal is going forth.
The Family Dollar stores are struggling. I didn't know that they're feeling the heat literally. I mean if you head to a Deal$ or Dollar Tree you're expected to find something for at least a $1 at best.
Stockholders of Family Dollar Stores will receive $59.60 in cash and the equivalent of $14.90 in shares of Dollar Tree for each share they own. The companies put the value of the transaction at $74.50 per share, which is an approximately 23 percent premium to Family Dollar's Friday closing price of $60.66.
The companies put the enterprise value of the deal, including debt and other costs, at more than $9 billion.
Family Dollar stockholders will own somewhere between 12.7 percent and 15.1 percent of Dollar Tree's outstanding common shares at closing. Shares spiked more than 24 percent and were headed for an all-time high before the opening bell Monday.
Shares of Dollar Tree neared an all-time high.
Core customers for bargain stores and major retailers like Wal-Mart have been among the hardest hit by the recession and its aftermath because of job instability.
Family Dollar has struggled and has attempted to reinvigorate sales by lowering prices on almost 1,000 basic items. It's cut some jobs and shuttered underperforming stores.
The company had been conducting a strategic review since the winter, and investor Carl Icahn urged Family Dollar last month to put itself up for sale. Icahn has built up a stake in the company of more than 9 percent, according to regulatory filings.
Dollar Tree CEO Bob Sasser said Monday that the deal will give Dollar Tree more than 13,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada. That is nearly three times as many stores as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., though Wal-Mart's square footage is still greater.
The companies did not say if any Dollar Tree or Family Dollar stores would be closed.
The combined Dollar Tree-Family Dollar chain will have sales of more than $18 billion and Sasser says that the transaction will create a more diverse company with an enhanced geographic reach.
Dollar Tree stores sell products for $1 or less, while Family Dollar's pricing is much broader.
Dollar Tree will continue to operate under the existing Dollar Tree, Deals, and Dollar Tree Canada store signs. It will keep the Family Dollar brand as well.
Family Dollar Chairman and CEO Howard Levine will still lead those stores and report to Sasser. He will join Dollar Tree's board.
Dollar Tree plans to finance the deal with available cash, bank debt and bonds.
The boards of both companies have unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close by early next year. It still needs approval from Family Dollar shareholders.
Shares of Family Dollar Stores Inc., based in Charlotte, North Carolina, surged $14.89 to $75.55 in premarket trading. The record high during regular trading is $75.29. Shares of Dollar Tree Inc., based in Chesapeake, Virginia, jumped 10 percent, or $5.50 to $59.72. The all-time high for that stock is $60.19.
Blockbuster Video will close all American and Canadian stores by the end of December.
Once the nation's largest video rental service, Blockbuster went through a whole lot of changes.
Unfortunately, it's not working for the better. You can't make it a Blockbuster Night anymore!
It's announced that Blockbuster will end domestic services for all its stores worldwide. That means it will close all stand alone stores effective immediately. It will also mean that current owner DISH Network will take the unusual step of absorbing the remaining portion of the company into a new entity.
With the rise of Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, many people weren't spending money in the DVD and VHS rental stores.
Yeah, VHS is so like so long ago, people.
Blockbuster tried to compete with it and lost.
There were less than 200 stores left by Blockbuster. They will be closed soon.
Now all the United States and Canadian stores are going to be officially closed by the end of December.
All international stores will be operational but with limited naming rights and partial support from DISH Network. It means that the independent franchises will switch names.
Kind of sad though, Blockbuster use to have over 11 locations in my community.
Family Video is now the undisputed video rental service in the United States.
The low approved Congress at work again! The Republicans obsession with budget cuts leads to this type of stuff.
Would you believe that I told you so?
Why can't our politicos focus on real issues?
The sequester and the low approved Congress are destroying America. Of course, you can't tell that to conservatives. They'll blame President Barack Obama for this disaster and yes, the numerous "scandals" that plague his second term.
Here we have an example of what's going on in America. Crumbling infrastructure. Last week an Amtrak train derails injuring dozens. We had a major sinkhole swallow a man earlier this year. We had a tornado level the state of Oklahoma. We had major gun crimes in America. And what the junk food media is talking about, is Benghazi, the IRS and the Justice Department's snooping on the Associated Press and a Fox News reporter. Stuff that doesn't put food on the plate. Stuff that doesn't bring back the dead. Stuff that doesn't bring in revenue. The only thing this stuff does is rile up the conservative/white supremacist bubble.
Now we see what happens when the low approved Congress doesn't fund infrastructure. They haven't passed a bill that would help bring jobs to our crumbling infrastructure since President Barack Obama's been in office.
A dire warning from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was ignored. He asked Congress to pass a law that will bring funds to bridges and highways. That was ignored by the Republicans.
Did I happen to mention that LaHood is a Republican?
And the results of slow or just inept action leads to a massive gridlock is now occurring in Washington. A bridge collapses on Interstate 5 near Mt. Vernon, Washington.
The Skagit River Bridge collapsed. The bridge takes over 200,000 travels from Seattle to Vancouver, Canada. Now the people will have to find an alternative route that will disrupt the residents of communities near Mt. Vernon and Burlington.
Interstate 5 highway bridge collapsed Thursday night, sending cars and people into the water, authorities said. The Associated Press and ABC News report that it could have been a massive causality but it was reduced due to time. The collapse of the bridge happened at the end of a rush hour period.
Skagit Valley Hospital in Mt. Vernon, was expecting two patients taken from the accident, according to Kari Ranten, a spokeswoman. She believed a third patient was transported to another hospital. She did not know the patients' conditions.
From Canada to Mexico, Interstate 5 serves Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego and has over 2.4 million travelers on the highway.
ABC News affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle reported rescue crews with boats were operating at the scene and rescues had taken place.
Officials were looking into reports of an oversized load "immediately" causing the collapse, said Travis Phelps of the Washington State Department of Transportation and Washington State Patrol.
The collapse occurred on the portion of Interstate 5 over the Skagit River, about two hours north of Seattle.
"N/B and S/B lanes of I-5 Skagit River Bridge collapsed," Washington State Trooper Mark Francis posted on Twitter. "People and cars in water."
The collapse occurred around 7 p.m. and the portion of the that collapsed was four lanes wide, The Associated Press reported.
Xavier Grospe, 62, who lives near the river, told the AP he could see three cars partially submerged in the water with what appeared to be one person per vehicle, with drivers on top of vehicles or sitting on open window openings.
"It doesn't look like anybody's in danger right now," Grospe said.
The bridge was built in 1955, according to The Associated Press, citing federal records.
Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority and local riders demand bus service to Beavercreek, a nearby suburb. The city refuses to allow bus service to Dayton area malls.
I reside in the Rust Belt city of Dayton, Ohio. The city is seeing a gradual decrease in its population due to the loss of manufacturing, white flight and urban sprawl. The Midwestern city is caught between Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Columbus, three cities that has most of the area's major attractions. Dayton's basically surviving on the military's continuation of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the health care industry.
Beavercreek, Ohio is a city in Greene, County that's approximately 6 miles from Dayton, Ohio. The city is one of suburbs that has an issue with the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority. The RTA has a bus line that goes to Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio and is at least 2 miles away from the Mall of Fairfield Commons. Many riders want access to the Mall at Fairfield Commons and The Greene, an outdoor shopping mall.
Beavercreek continues to deny the RTA the access to their city.
The Department of Transportation and Justice are looking into complaints made by local riders against the city.
The residents of Beavercreek are pretty conservative. The area appears to favor Republicans over Democrats in the last elections. It was the hometown of former Ohio Congressman Steve Austria, the three term Republican who resigned from office in 2013.
The Republicans in the state house once again have the power of congressional districts and thanks to the Tea Party and fear-mongering from those in the conservative agitating media, Republicans have stronger advantages in state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Greene is an outdoor mall located in the Dayton suburb of Beavercreek, Ohio.
Current area Congressman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) represent the Miami Valley, a mixture of communities centered around Dayton.
Turner was the former mayor of Dayton. He became a U.S. Representative after conservative Democrat Tony Hall resigned in protest after Republicans gerrymandered his district away from stronger Democratic regions and put his district in a competitive region. Turner represents Dayton and recently areas absorbed by the former congressman Steve Austria.
Boehner, a former lawyer and lobbyist has been in Congress since former Republican congressman Buzz Luken, Jr. resigned in shame after a sex scandal. Boehner dreamed of being a big player in the Republican Party. He was part of the major leadership in the Republican Party.
When the Democrats took back the House of Representatives briefly, Boehner was chosen to be the Minority Leader. After the 2010 U.S. midterm elections in which Republicans took the House of Representatives and state governorships, Boehner became the current House Speaker replacing Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-California), the first woman to ever hold that post. Boehner represents West Chester, Troy, and now parts of Springfield, Ohio.
Boehner is considered a joke among the politicos in Washington. He's taunted for being too emotional and his often glowing tans. But his supporters state that he's a great leader and handles a crisis effectively.
Well here a crisis that our local congressmen failed at solving.
Equal rights for those who travel by public transit.
The Greene County Transit Authority and Greater Dayton Transit Authority have often clashed with Beavercreek city leaders over installing bus stops near the Mall at Fairfield Commons, The Greene, the new Soin Hospital and the Ervin J. Nutter Center, an indoor entertainment facility.
Beavercreek refuses because of perceptions of violent crime and a rise in theft around the mall.
They have major concerns about loitering by riders and those who may solicit for money near stops.
A civil rights group in Ohio say otherwise. The group believes that due to the local leaders and the extremely conservative views of most residents in the city, they feel that race and class perceive a bias in their decisions.
The outdoor sign for The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, Ohio.
The civil rights group have asked for action to matter by contacting the Department of Transportation secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to solve this matter.
The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (previously known as the Miami Valley RTA) serves the metro Dayton, Ohio area. The RTA has over 30 routes that serve most of Montgomery County (Dayton being its county seat) and portions of Greene County. The city of Dayton is one of the last cities to have overhead trolley buses.
The RTA doesn't provide bus serve to nearby suburb Fairborn, the Dayton International Airport, The Mall At Fairfield Commons or areas that connect to other areas within a 25 mile radius.
The RTA only travel through Fairborn and Beavercreek for access to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University.
Dayton is the smallest city that has overhead trolley service. Other cities include Seattle, San Francisco, Boston and Philadelphia have trolley service.
Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle and San Francisco are cities with populations that reach over 300,000. The city of Dayton most recent population is 141,000 as of 2010.
The city of Dayton still have issues with race. Dayton's population declined rapidly after the manufacturing bust by General Motors, and government facilities closing up in the city. The city was left with a large presence of boarded homes and abandoned businesses. Local shopping centers are bare and major retailers are moving further and further from the city. Most suburban shopping centers felt the bust as well. The two shopping complexes the Town & Country Shopping Center that's located in Kettering and the Dayton Mall are the only shopping areas with bus services. They both express concern about the public transportation.
They were concerned that fights, theft and panhandling would plague the malls. They concluded that the Salem Mall in Trotwood went out of business due to public transportation. The Salem Mall was the first Dayton mall. The mall was demolished years ago after many of its shops closed up! The residents of Trotwood blamed the bus for allowing criminals ruin a mall and the region.
The RTA have tried to calm the bad publicity. They've opened up transit centers that provide connecting services from Dayton to many area suburbs. They've partnered up with the Dayton Police and the county sheriff to provide adequate security for all RTA properties and the safety of all riders.
Dayton is bounded by the Great Miami River which separates the city from east to west.
Interstate 75 a major north-south highway passes through Dayton. It begins from the U.S.- Canada border to near Miami, Florida.
Dayton is an urban rust city. Manufacturing dried up! White flight left the city with a nearly minority-majority population. The city is caught between major cities within a few hours drive. Most of the major attractions aren't near the city, they're either in the suburbs or the somewhere else.
Dayton has a long way to go in order to solve its racial issues! Hopefully it will for the better!
Women may find dismay in this story. The nation's low price women's clothing store is going out of business. In 2013, a new company took over and their vision is to stomp on Fashion Bug.
Ascena Retail Group Inc. has completed its buyout of Charming Shoppes Inc., which owns the chain, and now plans to close the remaining several hundred Fashion Bug stores by early next year.
Fashion Bug will join Catherine's, Lane Bryant, Justice and Dress Barn in the new wave of consolidation.
No telling how many jobs will be lost in the acquisition of this retail store.
The New York based firm will begin immediate closing of all stores by early 2013. Fashion Bug is a women's fashion apparel retailer located in strip shopping centers. Fashion Bug offers fashion apparel and accessories in plus and misses.
The Charming Shoppes is a specialty and plus size clothing retail holding company based in Bensalem, Pennsylvania; a suburb of Philadelphia. Its subsidiaries are Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Cacique and Catherines Plus. Clothes are sold from over 2300 retail stores in the United States, as well as numerous catalogs and online sites. Charming Shoppes was founded in 1940, went public in 1971, and was ranked 810th on the 2010 Fortune 1000.
The commercialization of our holidays continues on and on! Corporations want that money! And at the expense of their underpaid and unappreciated workers, some companies may be open on Christmas.
First things first, the Walmart theory. Walmart is the world's largest retail company. This year they will be closed on Christmas. But if this company should open on Christmas day, expect all retail companies to follow. Many companies are looking into these ideas of keeping their operations active everyday.
Since Thanksgiving, our society has been pressured to get the new gadgets and do dads. They've pushed, shoved, fought, stole and even shot at one another on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Retail loves the holiday season. It helps end their fiscal years in the black and not the red!
The country's largest fast food provider is encouraging their franchises to stay open on Christmas.
McDonald’s Corp. reportedly is asking franchise operations to remain open on Christmas Day to help boost the burger behemoth’s sales, says a report from trade publication Advertising Age.
“Starting with Thanksgiving, ensure your restaurants are open throughout the holidays,” McDonald’s USA
Chief Operating Officer Jim Johannesen wrote Nov. 8 in a company memo obtained by Ad Age. “Our largest holiday opportunity as a system is Christmas Day. Last year, (company-operated) restaurants that opened on Christmas averaged $5,500 in sales.”
The publication estimated Oak Brook, Ill-based McDonald’s made $36 million on Thanksgiving Day this year assuming $6,000 in sales at each of 6,000 U.S. restaurants that were open for the holiday.
But McDonald’s capitalistic hunger isn't as radical as some might think.
The Huffington Post reports that Denny’s, Starbucks Corp. and other food merchants expect to have “almost all” restaurants and shops open Dec. 25. Burger King Worldwide Inc. , Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. and Yum Brands Inc.'s Pizza Hut and Taco Bell are among national chains that say some restaurants will be open, at least for limited hours.
Dublin-based Wendy’s Co. (NASDAQ:WEN) is one of the chains that expects few or none of its operations to be running on that day.
I love it and I bet most of you too. McDonald's is the largest fast food provider in the world.
Seasons bright at McDonald's. Some locations may be open on Christmas.
Some are praising the idea, others are slamming it as another attempt for ruining the holidays of their employees.
Is it a good idea?
Anyways, these businesses Walgreen's, 7-Eleven, Exxon, and the Waffle House are open everyday.
A list of operations that are 24/7, 365.
Hospitals
Police Department
Fire Department
Airports
Hotels
Public Transportation (in cities with populations over 50,000)
Gas Stations
Toll Roads (highways, bridges, ferries, and tunnels)
Trucking
Railroads
News
Power Companies
Car Washes
Movie Theaters (depending on movies being released)
Social Networks
Comfort Groups (suicide prevention and homeless shelters)
American businesses in support of the perennial loser Mitt Romney are taking their frustration on the worker.
Papa John's, an Applebee's franchisee, Murray Energy want to punish the employees of their companies because President Barack Obama trouncing Mitt Romney.
Hostess is the home of the Twinkie, Wonder Bread, the Ding-Dong, the fruit pies and powered donuts. They've seen rough times. With the rising costs our grains, eggs and milk, food processing companies such as this are driving the prices on the consumer.
With an overweight population, Americans are dropping the donuts and Twinkies. The sugar wars claimed a victim and Hostess was its name!
The bakery stores across the nation will eventually root out their supply and then shut down!
A famed icon Twinkie The Kid!
American workers are seeing the companies take away their benefits. While the executives take home huge bonuses and perks, their workers are left with the scraps.
The Associated Press reports Hostess Brands says it is going out of business, closing plants that make Twinkies and Wonder Bread and laying off all of its 18,500 workers.
The Irving, Texas, company says a nationwide worker strike crippled its ability to make and deliver its products at several locations.
Hostess Brands was founded as Interstate Bakeries Corporation (IBC) in 1930—is the largest wholesale baker and distributor of bakery products in the United States, and is the owner of the Hostess, Wonder Bread, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Butternut Breads, and Drake's brands. For many years it was based at 12 East Armour Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri. In 2009, after it emerged from a 2004 bankruptcy, the name was changed to Hostess Brands, Inc., and the headquarters moved to Irving, Texas.
Hostess Brands, Inc., declared Chapter 11 again in 2012.
On November 16, 2012, after threatening two days earlier to liquidate unless bakers striking in protest against a new contract imposed in bankruptcy court returned to work, management announced they have ceased operations at all plants. Management intends to sell all assets and lay off 18,500 employees.
In May, all 19,000 workers had been warned (as required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) that they could face a mass layoff.
The Bakery, Confectionery, and Tobacco Workers International union, which represents 6,600 Hostess employees, took the strike action after the latest contract proposal from Hostess Brands was rejected by 92 percent of its members. In response, Hostess Brands issued the following statement:
"A widespread strike will cause Hostess brands to liquidate if we are unable to produce or deliver products. If that's the case, the company will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,300-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders. We urge our employees to remain on the job to rebuild the company."
I am kind of scratching my head over a few issues post election!
Some businesses are trying to screw their employees based off of politics. I am wondering how the Equal Opportunity Employer Agency is aware of some of the dirty tactics by bitter business leaders! Some business leaders were hoping for Mitt Romney victory! They didn't get it!
So what do they do, shed workers in order to put the economy back into a recession.
Mitt Romney had business executives support him and one outspoken supporter is the founder of one of America's best pizza companies!
Delivering votes for Mitt Romney, John Schnatter warned that if Obama wins, his workers suffer!
John Schnatter, the CEO of the Papa John's Pizza has finally snapped! Frustrated over the president's trouncing of Mitt Romney has him threatening his workforce and his customers!
Schnatter has hundreds of franchises. Some of them have the now hiring signs up but he's going to hire workers for minimum hours!
He can give away hundreds of pizzas, get a endorsement from the NFL and yet he want to stiff the workers by putting them in the poor house!
Not cool, man!
Instead of just moving on, the founder of the pizza giant continues to bitch on in spite of threats of boycotts and of course endorsement drops!
The Affordable Healthcare Law (aka Obamacare) requires businesses to have coverage for employees who work for them. Schnatter doesn't agree with the law. So in order to stop him from facing penalties from the federal government, he'll reduce management and employee's hours.
Gotta ride, Obama's coming for my whip! - John Schnatter
He's likely going to put himself in a vine when the workers quit and the remaining staff have exhausted all their means as employees.
It's bad enough these delivery drivers get robbed and the food never is delivered on time! But now with reducing hours and this benefits mess, he's going fall on his sword with this one!
I mean why keep this going?
What are you going to do when the customers stop eating at your establishments?
It's sad to see a business close up when there's no customers coming in!
Schnatter went on to say he's neither in support of, nor against the Affordable Care Act, even admitting that "the good news is 100 percent of the population is going to have health insurance.” But he’s not the only one in the chain restaurant industry to admit that workers hours may be reduced, since Obamacare mandates that only employees that work more than 30 hours per week are covered under their employers health insurance plan. For example, Darden restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden and Red Lobster, has already experimented with reducing workers hours in anticipation of the legislation.
Others have responded to the added costs of Obamacare more harshly, including Applebee's which has said it won’t hire new workers because of the law. Just this week, a Georgia business owner also claimed he cut employees due to Obamacare and in fact had specifically laid off those who he thought had voted for President Obama.
Based out of Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John's was founded in 1984 and operates internationally.
Internationally, there are over 4,000 Papa John's establishments, including over 2,600 in the U.S. and the remainder spread among 32 other countries. In September 2012, Papa John's Pizza opened its 4,000th restaurant in New Hyde Park, NY. The company celebrated the event by giving away 4,000 free pizzas to customers throughout New York City. Papa John's can give away free pizzas but yet ignored those hard working employees who need the hours to make those pizzas!
With actress Gabrielle Union as it's spokeperson Procter & Gamble’s Bounty brand, in partnership with HandsOn Network and the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation has announced the “Make a Clean Difference” program which will unite more than 1000 volunteers to transform the learning environments of 30 public schools in 10 cities across the country.
The Network Journal, an award-winning business magazine providing news and commentaries on issues that affect the growth of businesses and the advancement of professionals in the workplace for an audience of predominantly African-American professionals, corporate executives and small-business owners, announces its 2010 list of “25 Influential Black Women in Business.”. Read the list by using the link below:
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