rimblr.com

Ever been to a clearance sale at a department store and wonder how a massive store like Macy’s or Saks can have 50%, 60%, or even 75%-off sales and still remain in business? Ever wonder why that piece of cloth that an Italian designer calls a dress can be worth $2,400, and how much it really costs to make and sell?
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s talk profit margin. Profit margin is the difference between how much it costs a company to manufacture, transport and sell its products, and how much it sells them for. If a company made $10 million in profit of sales of $100 million, the profit margin is 10%. You get that number by dividing the profit ($10 million) by the income ($100 million). Usually you’ll hear profit margin as a percentage.
The profit margin is a great way to tell how well a company is run. If you have a high profit margin in a company, that means that the company’s costs to make the product are low and it can withstand changes in price fairly well. Also you can use profit margin to tell how well a company is run when you look at similar companies.
Let’s say you were looking a two candy companies. One has a profit margin of 15%, off $200 million in sales. The other company has a profit margin of 7% off $400 million in sales. The $400 million candy company’s profit margin shows the company is having trouble keeping costs down. It might be spending too much money on their CEO’s private jet, or their sugar suppliers aren’t as good as they could be. Anyway, if investors were looking at the $400 million candy company, they would be asking some serious questions.
DENVER, May 27, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) —-Mass spectrometry, which was until recently a complicated technology available exclusively to highly trained experts, is today a workhorse analytical technique for a wide variety of scientific applications including basic research, drug discovery and development, food and environmental contamination testing and forensic analysis.

foxbusiness.com

This is what they need to do….
Ryan - keep him - he is good - and good for the contestants when they get slammed by the judges.
Randy - you can replace him - all he does is drop names, says Dawg, and tells them they have “pitch” problems.
Paula - well that is a no-brainer. And that goes for her too. She can not put a sentence together before moving on to another…and she says everyone is GREAT each time - she has no guts to tell them when they do bad.
Simon - he has to stay cause he is the show. Contestants hate when he says they are no good, but all they look for is a Good Praise from him. They could get amazing comments from Randy and Paula - but that don’t matter if Simon does not like em. But he needs to stop with the “theme park, cruise ship, etc” comments.
And the songs they do…get into this decade please. Doing songs from singers that even the contestants parents were too young to have grown up with. Neil Diamond?? I know he is amazing…but come on…these guys don’t have a clue who he is. Give them a different song book to choose from so they are NOT singing the same songs each year. And take out Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion. They CAN NOT sing ANY of their songs AT ALL. I understand having them sing different kind of music to see their talent….but don’t judge them by saying, “this is not your comfort zone, or not your style”. WELL YA they could have told you that.
One last thing…if Simon hates the Cruise Ship songs so much, STOP making them sing like that during the show. All in a group dancing around the stage….how cheesy.

latimesblogs.latimes.com

Without that one swing of the bat, all of the above might have happened. Flack made certain we never had to find out for sure.
On that night of June 10, 2006, you would have been hard-pressed to find even one Carolina fan who still expected Flack to be in the Carolina lineup in 2008. Seniors in college baseball are rare. Most have moved on–like Flack’s classmates, Reid Fronk, Josh Horton, and Andrew Carignan–to professional careers.
But there is Flack, starting every day at third base and cemented in the heart of the Tar Heel batting order.
What is Chad Flack still doing in Chapel Hill? And how is it possible that by doing so, he might be completing the final pieces of a legacy that will far outlast any one simple home run–even that home run?
Chad Flack could not hit. Penciled in as the Carolina cleanup hitter in his very first college game, he suffered through a horrendous start. He went 0-for-3 in his Tar Heel debut and things got worse from there, eventually posting just one hit in his first 14 at-bats.
Flack was not the jewel of his very impressive freshman class. He was signed as a third baseman, but was beaten out at that position by Fronk during fall practice. That meant Flack needed a new home, probably first base. But the Tar Heels already had a prep All-American signee at that position, Matt Spencer, who had been a middle-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox.
Listening to Flack tell it, you’d think he was one step away from being demoted to bullpen catcher.
“I wasn’t highly ranked,” he says. “Matt Spencer was an AFLAC All-American. So I knew I was going to have to work for playing time.”
Flack has a way of doing that, of taking some impressive credentials on his bio and making them sound like participation ribbons at an elementary school field day. He is so convincing that you almost don’t bother to look it up.

cstv.com

After 14 years of marriage, another woman may have come between Shania Twain and her husband, Robert “Mutt” Lange, several sources reportedly told People.
According to People, sources “close to the situation” claim a woman named Marie-Ann Thiebaud, a longtime secretary and manager of the couple’s chateau in Switzerland, was romantically involved with Lange.
“Mutt and Marie-Anne left their spouses for each other and are still in a relationship,” People quoted a source as saying.
However, Lange, a music producer, denies the claim.
“It’s absolutely not the reason [for the separation from Twain],” he told People in regards to the rumored affair. “It’s not true.”
Thiebauld could reportedly not be reached for comment.
When contacted by People following news of the split, the notoriously reclusive Lange said it was “an unfortunate thing” and attributed the separation from Twain to “just a growing apart, that’s all.”
Shania, 42, and Robert, 59, married on December 28, 1993. They have a six-year-old son named Eja.
Another source told People Twain, who launched herself into music superstardom with the 1997 hit “You’re Still The One,” has been left “devastated” by the split.
“This came out of left field,” the source said. “She loved him.”
Copyright 2008 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Access Extended: Julianne Hough Performs ‘That Song In My Head’
“Dancing With the Stars” champion Julianne Hough performs the first single, “That Song In My Head,” from her debut country album. Look out for Julianne’s new album in stores on May 20, 2008 and tour in June.
Backstage With The Jonas Brothers At Zootopia (2008)
The Jonas Brothers talk about performing in New Jersey for Z100’s Zootopia and how excited they are to be performing in their hometown. Also, they talk about their upcoming “Idol” appearance.

accesshollywood.com

It is soooo ON. Tonight’s big American Idol Finale is finally here. Cook vs Archuleta. Bartender vs. Prodigy. Rocker vs. Sweetie pie. THIS is American Idol.
Each Idol will sing three songs. Each has three phone numbers. You have four hours to vote. Neither AI has ever been in the bottom three. We are “treated” to a video package treating the two as boxers preparing for a match. Eh.
Last week, there was a coin toss to determine performance order, and Archuleta won. He chose to go second. Smart cookie, that Archie. Archie rehearsed as much as he could, and feels pretty ready. Cook says he has a tall order keeping up with Archie, and had to come up with the right energy for each of these songs.
Randy advises them to drop it hard. Paula says soak it up! And Simon says you need a desire to win and to hate your opponent.
Archie says Cook is awesome and wishes him the best of luck. Cook says the whole season has been amazing and Archie has been one of the most consistently nice people, and the competition is over and they’re just having fun.
First round songs have been chosen by the contestants’ future boss, Clive Davis. The boxing analogy continues, as what’s his face from ESPN tells us that they need to pace themselves. Clive has chosen “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” for David Cook. For Archie, “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me.” Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber wants Archie to keep his eyes open, and Cook to be tough.
Cook is first. He starts off a little soft, which I assume means he going to bust it out and rock hard at some point. And he does, on the second verse. He walks around, spends some time on the platform behind the judges. All in all, a good performance. An awesome song. But nothing that blew me away. Classic, classic song, though. Randy thinks it was a great way to start the duel, though he doesn’t know if he did everything he could have with the song. Paula says we have found what WE’RE looking for. Simon could see that David looked tense and emotional at the top of the show, and the performance was phenomenal.

tvgrapevine.com

-Reality Originally conceived as the US version of Britain’s Pop Idol, American Idol has since exploded into a full-fledged pop culture phenomena, launching the careers of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, resurrecting Paula Abdul and introducing America to a guy named Simon Cowell. Each week, contestants belt out stirring renditions of classic pop songs, while enduring the slings and arrows of the judges (or in Simon’s case spears and axes) before America votes to decide who will be the next American Idol.
For the first time in weeks and weeks, there is an absolute, prohibitive favorite to be eliminated tonight on American Idol. Thanks to one abysmal performance and another one scarred by forgotten lyrics, Jason Castro is probably on his way off the grand American Idol stage. Some of you are probably thinking “it’s about time.” Fair enough. Castro isn’t your typical Idol performer – not blessed with a big voice, an upbeat personality or a rabid desire for stardom, Castro’s ascension was more or less an anomaly. That doesn’t mean I don’t like him, but I understand those who have been calling for his head. Both John Kubicek and I are picking the dread-locked wonder to be eliminated tonight, and we discuss that and a whole boatload of other topics on our most recent edition of John vs. Oscar.
John and Oscar Elimination Prediction:
Jason Castro Going Home
As we have for the last few weeks, John and I tirelessly go through every performer and their relative merits in the podcast. We are in agreement on most things, but there is always contention when it comes to little David Archuleta. I ranked him first in my Top 4 Performance Rankings last night, despite my well-known hatred of his singing. I did so because he did exactly what he needed to do, put on two performances that his fans ate up, and made himself look like the favorite to win the entire competition. Still, John and I found time to ruthlessly pick apart his act.

buddytv.com

AFTRA TO COMMENCE NEGOTIATIONS WITH AMPTP ON MAY 7 FOR A NEW THREE-YEAR PRIMETIME TV CONTRACT
LOS ANGELES (May 6, 2008) - The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) announced that its Primetime Negotiating Committee, comprised of 31 working actors, will commence formal talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) regarding a new three-year Exhibit A of the Network Code agreement tomorrow, Wednesday, May 7.
Exhibit A of the Network Code covers such AFTRA primetime network TV dramas and situation comedies as “Rules of Engagement,” “Cashmere Mafia” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Dante’s Cove” “The Reaper” and “Til Death.” AFTRA’s current primetime television contract expires June 30, 2008.
AFTRA’s negotiating team for the primetime talks will be headed by Primetime Negotiating Committee Chairman Matthew Kimbrough, along with AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon and AFTRA National Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth.
The talks will take place at AMPTP headquarters in Encino, California.
AFTRA will adhere to a press blackout during the talks.
AFTRA announced last week that its members ratified the recently negotiated Network Television Code; the agreement was ratified by a 93% margin.
The AFTRA Network Code agreement covers actors and all other on-camera and off-camera talent on all forms of television programming, including reality shows, syndicated dramas, daytime serials, game shows, talk shows, variety and musical programs, news, sports, and promotional announcements. Programs covered by the Code include ” American Idol,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning America,” “20/20,” “The View,” “The Tonight Show,” “Oprah,” “The Price is Right,” “Deal or No Deal,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “Days of Our Lives,” “All My Children,” “Cake,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Entertainment Tonight,” and “Survivor,” among others. The new three-year pact is effective from November 16, 2007 to November 15, 2010.

latimes.com

*Sticks and stones might break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That’s the mantra I recited in kindergarten when classmates said mean things to hurt my feelings.
Life is tougher, and so are my feelings. But the words some people spew in the name of traditional American values prove the tongue can be mightier than the sword, especially when those words are broadcast to millions of people.
Take the recent editorial by MSNBC political commentator Pat Buchanan entitled PJB: A Brief for Whitey. Generally speaking, it’s vintage Buchanan. Just as dogs bark and babies cry, Buchanan’s angry white man rants are in the natural order of this life. Just as acknowledging negative behavior in a child only increases it, most times it’s better to ignore it than to give it oxygen. For Buchanan this not one of those times.
As I wrote in a previous column (see Feb. 19, 2008), some people don’t want to live in a United States where a woman or Black man is president. This political season will reveal just how far they are willing to go and how much misinformation they are willing to spread to turn the tide in their favor. Buchanan is one of those people.
The rift between Illinois Senator Barack Obama and his former pastor Jeremiah Wright has given oxygen to the latest Buchanan rant. The former republican presidential candidate recently criticized Obama and Wright for calling on the white community to acknowledge the American legacy and recent history of discrimination and to make amends.
Buchanan called the two men ungrateful, saying “America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.

eurweb.com

April 23, 2008 5:00 pm ET
James Truganza - IR
Ken McBride - President and CEO
Kyle Huebner - CFO
George Sutton - Craig-Hallum
Kevin Liu - B. Riley & Co.
Mike Crawford - Riley Investment Management
Thanks very much for holding everyone. Welcome to the Stamps.com First Quarter 2008 Financial Results Conference Call. Just a reminder, today’s conference is being recorded. Now the time for opening remarks and introductions, I will turn the call over to Mr. James [Truganza]. Please go ahead, sir.
Good afternoon. On the call today is Ken McBride, CEO, and Kyle Huebner, CFO. Agenda for today’s call is as follows; they will review the results of our first quarter and talk about the business outlook. Then we will discuss financial results and talk about our guidance. At first, the Safe Harbor Statement. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This release contains forward-looking statements of our expectations and financial guidance that involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors and the company’s ability to complete and ship its products, maintain desirable economics for its products, and obtain or maintain regulatory approval, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward looking statements, are detailed in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission made from time to time by Stamps.com including its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31st 2007, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K. Stamps.com undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
In addition, today’s call is not a proxy statement or solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Stamps.com and does not constitute an offer of any securities of Stamps.com for sale. Any solicitation of proxies will be made only by a definitive proxy statement mail by Stamps.com to all of its shareholders of record on the record date for its stockholders’ meeting and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

seekingalpha.com

Several Colorado cities and counties are among places with the least air pollution, the American Lung Association reported today.
Colorado Springs, Fort Collins (including Loveland) and Pueblo made lists of the lowest polluting cities in particulates and ozone.
Counties that made one or more of the lists for the least of those pollutants include Boulder, Delta, El Paso, Elbert, Gunnison, Montezuma, La Plata, Larimer, Pueblo and San Miguel.
No Colorado city or county made the lists of 25 most polluted areas.
Los Angeles and Pittsburgh topped the lists.
The report was compiled from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data for 2004 through 2006.
Within Colorado, Denver had the highest level of particulates. But Denver’s average, based on the number of incidents, was 3.7 — far below catagory-leader Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) with an average of 62.
Jefferson County had Colorado’s worst ozone problem. But Jeffco’s average was 2.7 — small potatoes compared to the 90.3 average racked up by San Bernardino County, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Nationwide, ozone and particulates declined since 2000.
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rockymountainnews.com