10.31
Market Wire, October, 2009
Anything Brands Online, Inc (PINKSHEETS: ANYT)
announced today that its subsidiary, Anything Green OnLine (AGO)
( www.anythinggreenonline.com ), signed a Letter of Understanding with My
Place, a not-for-profit organization located in Hendersonville, NC, whose
mission is to provide housing and positive youth development to homeless
and at-risk youth between the ages of 16 and 24 to develop a sacramento homes produce
business to raise funds, a portion of which will be donated to My Place. My
Place, Inc. was founded by Venerable Pannavati Bhikkhuni, a Buddhist Nun
offering services to homeless and at-risk youth in the Hendersonville,
North Carolina area.
My Place, as part of its Youth Entrepreneur Enterprises component, refers
potential customers to Anything Green Online to purchase produce boxes to
be delivered to a convenient location for pickup. Also, My Place invites
local supermarkets to make fresh produce from Anything Green Online
available in their stores to be sold under the “My Place” label
10.31
Market Wire, October, 2009
ANA Group today announced its consolidated half year
financial results for the interim period April 1 to September 30, 2009.
1. Consolidated Results for the Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2009
(1) Consolidated Financial Performance
(i) Overview
-- Conditions were extremely challenging during the three-month
period under review, due to the global recession triggered by
last year's financial crisis, as well as the spread of H1N1
influenza (swine flu), which began affecting Japan from
mid-May.
-- Under these circumstances, the ANA Group made concerted
efforts to stimulate leisure demand among individual
travellers during summer 2009, launching the "ANA Natsu
no Dai Sakusen" campaign.
-- We also strove to cut costs, pushing forward with our FY09
Business Plan and FY09 Emergency Income Recovery Plan.
While we have implemented a range of measures to boost revenues and cut
costs, we were unable to offset the slump in demand and fall in unit
prices. As a result, we recorded a consolidated operating loss of JPY28.2
billion, a consolidated recurring loss of JPY41.5 billion, and a
consolidated net loss for the first half of JPY25.3 billion.
Consolidated Financial Performance
unit: billion yen (rounded down)
1H/ 2009 1H/ 2008 change % Y/Y 2Q/ 2009 change
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Revenue 611.8 753.3 -141.5 -18.8 341.9 -65.8
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Operating costs 640.0 703.4 -63.4 -9 327.7 -44.7
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Operating profit -28.2 49.8 -78.1 -- 14.1 -21.0
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Non-operating
profit/ loss -13.2 -10.3 -2.9 -- -6.2 0.5
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Recurring profit -41.5 39.5 -81.0 -- 7.9 -20.5
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Extraordinary profit 0 -0.8 0.8 -- -1.3 0.3
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Net profit -25.3 22.0 -47.4 -- 3.8 -11.5
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Performance by business segment (consolidated)
unit: billion yen (rounded down)
1H/ 2009 1H/ 2008 change
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
Operating Operating Operating
Revenue profit Revenue profit Revenue profit
--------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ----------
Air
Transport 540.0 -28.7 666.8 48.2 -126.8 -76.9
--------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ----------
Travel 87.5 -0.6 102.4 0.2 -14.8 -0.9
--------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ----------
Others 69.1 learn conversational italian online 0.8 74.8 1.1 -5.7 -0.2
--------- ---------- --------- ---------- --------- ----------
2Q/ 2009 change
-------------------- --------------------
Operating Operating
Revenue profit Revenue profit
--------- ---------- --------- ----------
Air
Transport 303.2 12.7 -56.0 -20.8
--------- ---------- --------- ----------
Travel 53.9 0.5 -7.0 -0.2
--------- ---------- --------- ----------
Others 35.2 0.7 -3.1 0
--------- ---------- --------- ----------
Note: 72 consolidated subsidiaries, 5 unconsolidated subsidiaries subject
to equity method accounting, 19 affiliates subject to equity method
accounting.
Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to view the
associated PDF document.
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/6601B_-2009-10-30.pdf
Contact
ANA Public Relations
81-(0)3-6735-1111
10.31
Market Wire, October, 2009
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10.31
SuperScience, Nov-Dec, 2009
In “Silky Secrets” (pp. 6-9), you read about how siikworms spin silk during one stage of their life cycle. Silkworms go through three stages before they become adults. Read the diagram below, which details the stages of silk moth development. Then, answer the questions.
STAGES OF A SILK MOTH’S DEVELOPMENT
1
10.31
0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Oct 30, 2009
Dorothy Tippin
1935 ~ 2009
Dorothy Tippin passed away October 24, 2009 at age 74 of a hemorrhagic stroke. She was born May 30, 1935 in Oakley, Utah to Faron and Loretta Siddoway.
Dorothy loved to travel and enjoyed the outdoors, her camera always in hand. She lived her life to the fullest and touched the lives of all she knew. She was a very wonderful and unique lady. She was extremely family oriented and is deeply loved by all of her friends and family. Her sweet spirit will be greatly missed.
photography art Surviving are her husband, Bruce; two sisters, Bonnie and Verla; two children, Pam and Rick; and five step-children: Kim, Robin, Jennifer, Bob and Sandy; 21 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Friday, October 30, 2009 at 3 p.m
10.30
0 Comments | USA TODAY, October, 2009 | by Reid Cherner; Tom Weir
Newsmakers from real estate web designs the wide world of Web and TV sports:
*Alex Rodriguez: Of all the World Series in all the world, A-Rod had to walk into this one. The conversation of Rodriguez always wilting in October took a dive with his .438, five-homer, 12-RBI performance against the Twins and Angels. You don’t have to love the man to admire his sense of drama. — Reid Cherner
*Mark McGwire: The new Cardinals hitting coach was a .263 career hitter. His 1,596 career strikeouts outnumber his 1,414 RBI, but there’s also the elephant-in-the-room matter of McGwire never addressing the steroid questions. That’s going to make for an instant distraction, and tons of questions for any Cardinals hitter who has a sudden increase in power
10.30
Business Wire, Oct 29, 2009
NEW YORK — Fitch Ratings has downgraded Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp.’s (MGIC)
Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) rating to ‘BB-’ from ‘BBB-’. Fitch has
simultaneously downgraded MGIC Investment Corp.’s (MGIC IC) long-term
issuer rating to ‘B-’ from ‘B’, and its senior notes to ‘B-’ from ‘B’.
All of the affected ratings have been removed from Rating Watch
Negative. The IFS and long-term issuer ratings have been assigned
Negative Rating Outlooks.
The downgrades are driven primarily by Fitch’s concern regarding capital
adequacy, business continuity and holding company liquidity. MGIC’s
third quarter 2009 (3Q’09) results included a significant increase in
the delinquency of full documentation prime mortgages which resulted in
higher losses incurred at the operating company level. The ability of
the operating company to continue to write new business remains
uncertain, although recent developments indicate progress on that front.
The holding company continues to face near to medium term liquidity
demands with the maturity of its September 2011 senior notes and longer
term liquidity demands with respect to its November 2015 senior notes.
Capital adequacy is a particular area of concern with higher loss ratios
negatively impacting earnings and capital. The 3Q’09 loss ratio rose to
331% from 222% in 2Q’09, partly driven by a premium adjustment for
rescissions. After a period of flat to declining new default notices
related to prime loans, new prime full documentation minnesota auto insurance quotes loan default
notices increased in 3Q’09, mirroring the difficult macro economic and
employment climate. This implies that losses (and resultant capital
erosion) are unlikely to abate in the near term, as unemployment is
anticipated by many analysts, including Fitch’s economic team, to
increase through mid 2010.
Business continuity exhibits a more mixed outlook. MGIC’s restructuring
initiative still needs regulatory approval from state regulators and
consent from one of the GSEs, with the consent of one GSE already
received. Fitch believes these approvals and consents will likely be
forthcoming. Fitch views the reduction in proposed downstreaming of
capital to MGIC Indemnity Corp. (MIC), from an initial $500 million
(announced in July) to the $200 million, with no additional planned
amounts, as less detrimental to existing policyholders, given the
subordination of their claim on downstreamed capital for payment of
losses. Earnings from new business are expected to be at high profit
margins but due to lower volumes, not expected to generate a sufficient
offset against rising reserve requirements.
The Outlook will remain Negative until the rate of mortgage
delinquencies mortgages exhibits sustained stabilization or decline, and
an appropriate level of reserves can be determined. Losses will also be
impacted by the ultimate level of rescissions and any benefit from the
Home Affordability Modification Program (HAMP)
10.30
Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Oct 28, 2009
THE St George’s Square debacle once again highlights the inadequacies of Kirklees Council. What does it take for people to realise that our local political machine, in common with many others, just doesn’t function in the way it claims.
In case anyone has forgotten, it’s supposed to be about representing local people.The whole sorry mess is one of chaos, mismanagement and, above all, petty sniping.
Using St George’s Square as the latest example, what exactly do we have? A widely acknowledged waste of our money, but are the quoted figures accurate? hanging hammock chair I would contend that significant amounts of taxpayers’ money has been frittered away on all the associated bureaucracy such as related meetings of elected officers and staff in various departments. Did the police work for free when directing traffic over the many months of confusion around the railway station? What of the time taken by councillors when the original contractor bit the dust, as well as the diversion of direct labour, presumably from other projects? Clr Peter McBride, with his reliable crystal ball, states that the water feature will be a ‘major attraction’ and a ‘great boost for business’.
The councillor needs to get out a bit and, as with many of our local representatives, look beyond the strange Kirklees bubble within which they exist. Only time can tell the worth of something and suggesting that council-organised events in the square are somehow a measure is hardly reliable
10.30
Business Wire, Oct 28, 2009
Strong Variable Annuity Sales Drive Third Quarter Retail Sales Up 44
Percent Year Over Year
LANSING, Mich. — During the third quarter of 2009, Jackson National Life Insurance Company
(Jackson) generated record retail sales and deposits of $4.3 billion, an
increase of 28 percent over the second quarter of 2009, and 44 percent
higher than the third quarter of 2008.1 The third quarter of
2009 was the second consecutive quarter during which Jackson set a
retail sales record. Retail sales and deposits during the first nine
months of 2009 of $10.4 billion were up 17 percent over the same period
in 2008.
“Given the significant disruption in the US annuity market brought about
by the financial crisis, advisers and their clients are increasingly
placing business with providers that have demonstrated financial
cheap life insurance stability and consistency in their product suite,? said Clark Manning,
Jacksons president and chief executive officer. “Jackson has clearly
benefited from this flight to quality.”
During the first nine months of 2009, Jackson, an indirect wholly owned
subsidiary of the United Kingdoms Prudential plc (NYSE: PUK), generated
$6.7 billion in variable annuity (VA) sales, a 32-percent increase from
the $5.1 billion recorded during the same period of 2008. Third quarter
VA sales increased 93 percent year over year to more than $2.9 billion,
a company record.
Jackson ranked fourth in new VA sales during the second quarter of 2009,
with a market share of 7.2 percent, up from a ranking of 12th
and a market share of 4.3 percent during the second quarter of 2008.2
During the first half of 2009, Jackson ranked second in variable annuity
net flow (total premium minus surrenders, exchanges and annuitizations)
and had the lowest outflows, as a percentage of VA inflows, in the
industry.3
Fixed index annuity (FIA) sales of $1.6 billion during the first three
quarters of the year were more than double the $617 million recorded
during the first nine months of 2008. Jackson’s third quarter FIA sales
of $769 million were the highest quarterly total in company history.
Sales of traditional fixed annuities during the first nine months of
2009 were $1.3 billion, compared to $2.2 billion during the same period
of the prior year.
“The annuity industry is consolidating to the strongest players, and
this consolidation has contributed to a substantial increase in
Jackson’s distribution relationships,” said Clifford Jack, executive
vice president and chief distribution officer for Jackson. “We’ve
experienced a large influx of new advisers this year, which has driven
significant increases in market share for Jackson, particularly in
variable annuities.”
During the first nine months of 2009, Jackson appointed nearly 18,000
new advisers to sell its products, up 43 percent over the same period in
2008. Jackson has also reached a distribution agreement with Merrill
Lynch, which commenced in October 2009.
In September, Standard & Poor’s was the fourth rating agency to affirm
Jackson’s financial strength ratings in 2009. In March, Moody’s
Investors Service and Fitch Ratings affirmed Jackson’s financial
strength ratings, and A.M. Best affirmed Jackson’s financial strength
rating in July. Jackson has maintained the same financial strength
ratings for more than six years. As of September 30, 2009, Jackson was
rated:
- A (superior) by A.M
10.30
Biblical Theology Bulletin, Nov, 2009 by Margaret E. Ramey
Jesus in Twentieth Century Literature, Art, and Movies. Edited by Paul C. Burns. New York, NY: Continuum, 2007. Pp. ix 241. Paper, $29.95.
As its title suggests, Jesus in Twentieth Century Literature, Art, and Movies is a collection of essays focusing mainly on novels, some artwork, and a few films that share one commonality–Jesus. According to the title, we might expect to find surveys and critiques of the different Christological portrayals found in each of these genres. Instead, we are given ten essays divided into six sections that focus on the following topics: Modern Uses of Biblical Exegesis, Antithetical Treatments of Marxism, Romantic and Freudtan Applications of Sexual Love, Jewish Treatments of the Crucified Christ, A Muslim Life of Christ, and Treatments of Christ in Two Recent Movies.
Jaroslav Pelikan, whose Jesus through the Centuries was a predecessor to this volume, once noted that one of the best ways to understand any age is by examining its portrayals of Jesus. As the section headings suggest, part of the aim of Burns’s book is to explain trends in the twentieth century by examining some of the Jesus figures from that period. These articles are case studies that support the observation that “Jesus” is a character forever at the mercy of each society’s particular coloring and is remade again and again according to each society’s image.
Also of interest to the contributors was the effect that ideological, religious, and societal shifts of the twentieth century had on the authors and artists themselves. For example, Dietmar Neufeld devotes half of the first essay to outlining the various historical Jesus quests of the last century and to discussing how that scholarly phenomenon influenced Nino Ricci personally. In the second half, Neufeld turns to the novel itself and shows how the Jesus Seminar’s work influenced Ricci’s portrayal of Jesus as a Cynic sage. Likewise, the essays that follow are case studies showing how nature photography various aspects of the twentieth century affected these artists and their portrayals of Jesus. Time permits me to offer only a few examples.
J. Robert S. Cousland’s excellent analysis of Saramago’s The Gospel According to Jesus Christ convincingly argues that Saramago’s communistic ideology led him to produce a satirical parody on the gospel, a “badspel,” in which the roles of God and Satan are virtually reversed. In this narratival world, God is the rapacious capitalistic deity who devours his creation while Satan is the communistic shepherd who has humanity’s best interests at heart. Jesus, according to Cousland’s reading, is the proletariat pawn trapped between these opposing forces.
Steven Taubeneck’s article focuses on Nietzsche’s influence on Kazantzakis, whose psychological portrayal of Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ is that of a man who battles continually between the flesh and the spirit. Ironically, while Kazantzakis’s Jesus is tempted to give in to a sensual and flesh-embracing existence, of which Nietzsche would have been proud, he ultimately rejects that vision and opts for the ascetic ideal reflected in the gospel versions of Jesus.
Daphna Arbel’s entry begins with a helpful overview of contemporary Jewish explorations of Jesus that seek to reclaim him as a Jew. She makes an important distinction between the way scholars stress Jesus’ Jewish identity by highlighting his first-century context and the way that artists affirm it by decontextualizing Jesus and re-placing him among the modern sufferings of Jews. She then demonstrates how these trends can be observed in the work of Marc Chagall. In several of his paintings, he depicts Jesus with typical Jewish symbols like a prayer shawl and a Torah scroll and shows him on a cross in the midst of scenes of Jewish oppression, such as the destruction of the Munich and Nuremberg synagogues in 1938.
While most of the works analyzed in the collection of essays are artistic in form, there is one notable exception