Fitch Upgrades San Diego Redevelopment Agency, CA’s North Park Project TABs; Outlook Stable (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
SAN FRANCISCO—-Fitch Ratings takes the following rating action on the Redevelopment Agency of San Diego’s North Park Redevelopment Project tax allocation bonds as part of its continuous surveillance effort:
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Fitch Upgrades San Diego Redevelopment Agency, CA’s North Park Project TABs; Outlook Stable (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
Low Murder Rate In San Francisco
Mayor Gavin Newsom said homicides in the city have dropped nearly 54 percent, from 98 in 2008 to 45 so far this year.
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Low Murder Rate In San Francisco
More than 1,600 arrests made during anti-DUI crackdown
More than 1,600 people have been arrested in the Bay Area for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the first 12 days of a regional anti-DUI crackdown.
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More than 1,600 arrests made during anti-DUI crackdown
Many travelers appear willing to shed shyness for security
Jessie Shanware gets patted down by a an agent at the security gate at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco.
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Many travelers appear willing to shed shyness for security
Crimson Exploration to Present at the Pritchard Capital Energize 2010 Conference (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
HOUSTON—-Crimson Exploration Inc.
Testing All Texas Schools Athletes for Steroids? it Could Happen Soon
Professional athletes have been in the news a lot over the past few years, either being accused or admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs. Major league baseball has taken several hits with accusations being brought against some of their top players, such as home-run king Mark McGwire, who took the fifth amendment to not incriminate himself during Congressional questioning on the subject. Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees, and Olympic sprinter Marion Jones are a few others, who have been accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs. More than 20 athletes were thrown out of the 2004 Olympic Games for “doping violations”, and at least two gold medal winners forfeited their wins and medals for using such drugs.
The abuse of steroids is most common among professional athletes and bodybuilders, who feel the pressure to win against daunting competition. The abuse of steroids has become so prevalent that President George W. Bush called upon professional athletes, team owners, and coaches to stop all players from taking the performance-enhancing drugs. Though the effects of long-term use of steroids is enough to cause concern with often permanent and dangerous physical and emotional effects, it has been shown that teen athletes now are using steroids at an alarming rate — to the point that it has the attention of Congress and the President of the United States.
Parents, too, are gravely concerned — and for good reason. A federally funded annual survey of teens’ drug use by the University of Michigan, called Monitoring the Future, showed that in 2002 three percent of high school seniors had reportedly taken steroids at least once. Other sources report that as many as five percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 have taken it. That is 1.1 million of our children across the nation.
Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst wants all Texas schools’ athletes to be the cleanest athletes in the nation and is proposing that all Texas schools’ athletes be randomly tested for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.
Texas schools has a sports program with more than 700,000 participating students — more than any other state. Dewhurst’s proposal would cost about $2 million annually, which would be provided to the Texas schools through state funding specifically for the random drug testing program.
Reactions to Dewhurst’s proposal have been mixed within the Texas Schools. A few local school district officials do not believe such testing is necessary. Mike Owens, head football coach of Texas schools’ Robert E. Lee, located in East Texas, stated that the “cost would not be worth the outcome”, believing that the Texas schools have more of a problem with street drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana. If the Texas schools tested for those, he would be all for it; but he does not believe performance-enhancing drugs are that big of a problem within the Texas schools’ athletic programs. He backed up his beliefs by stating that Texas schools’ coaches see their athletes daily and would notice a change in physique and would see the mood swings associated with such drug abuse. He further suggested the money would be better spent on education about the misuse of such drugs.
Some Texas schools already do random drug testing with their athletes. Lindale, Chapel Hill and Whitehouse are three such Texas schools districts, though Chapel Hill does not test for steroids. Not only do they believe the random testing keeps the athletes clean, but they also hope that it gives the students a reason to say no.
Texas schools’ student athletes had the most surprising reaction to Dewhurst’s proposal. Many said they would not mind being tested. They know that such drugs makes for an uneven playing field and would like to keep their Texas schools’ athletic programs clean. There always is the temptation to use performance-enhancing drugs to gain strength and bulk in order to get the advantage over your competition. It has become especially tempting, knowing that so many professional athletes has used them.
Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more information on Texas schools visit www.schoolsk-12.com/texas/index.html
I Was Just Wondering… How Does A Lowered Rx-8 (or Any Sports Car) Go Up Steep Hills?
i was just wondering… how does a lowered rx-8 (or any sports car) go up steep hills? I live in san francisco, and i’m planning to customize my car, smart to lower it and add side skirts… w/e?
Over 1,600 Arrests Made During Bay Area Anti-DUI Campaign
More than 1,600 people have been arrested in the Bay Area for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the first 12 days of a regional anti-DUI crackdown.
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Over 1,600 Arrests Made During Bay Area Anti-DUI Campaign
Yes, in Antiques & Collectibles, Too: it is the Economy, Stupid!
San Francisco, California – February 7, 2008 – Marks4antique.com releases info on surviving an economic downturn if your business is selling antiques and collectibles. It is often said that the business of Antiques & Collectibles is economy-proof. This is based on the conventional wisdom that when people are in a financial bind they sell their stuff quickly and cheaply, which creates opportunities for Dealers (“Buyers Market”). On the reverse, when money is abundant, people buy more and are willing to pay higher prices (“Sellers Market”). If you are a Dealer or an Auctioneer, and are involved in both sides of this equation, either swing in the economy is good news for you.
However, this does not translate very well to online Sales. Online sellers on eBay, RubyLane etc, when there is a downturn in the economy, find themselves holding Inventory for longer periods of time and often have to
lower prices to compete with other sellers. This is particularly true for items that are not absolutely unique, such as a one-of signed Baseball or a numbered Bronze. In fact, most items sold online are Ceramics, Pottery,
Silver, Decorative Porcelain Figurines, China or Dinnerware Sets, Jewelry etc. Most of these are usually manufactured in large numbers, which creates heavy competition amongst Sellers and tends to drive prices down, especially in a bad economy.
Therefore, it is important that a Seller uses all possible means to prop-up an item when selling online. Here are some useful tips that are effective when selling Antiques & Collectibles online:
1) Add a personal dimension to your item: For example, if a Dinner Set you are selling online was previously used by a prestigious family, let’s say the Governor of a US State or Country, make sure you mention it in the
description. This is called “provenance” and it appeals to many Collectors. If an item is of such high caliber that a similar one is on display at some well-known Museum or some famous Public or Private Collection, include this
information to give it an “endorsement”. You can find some of this information by searching on Google or your favorite search engine. The same is true if this item was inherited from a distinguished relative, like “This
[item] was handed down to my family from my grandfather who was an Admiral in the US Navy ca 1880s – 1930”. This shows that the item has good “pedigree”.
2) Describe your item with accuracy: This is super important. Most items sold online are found by a prospective Buyer searching on Google or eBay and other such sites. Most of these searches use “keywords” like the specific maker or its style. If your item is described accurately and includes the maker, style, and period, buyers are more likely to find it and bid or purchase it online. If you do not know, use resources like books or online
websites that provide such information. For example, an easy and quick online identification guide is available at www.Marks4Antiques.com
3) Price your items reasonably: Pricing is important but should not be overestimated. There are times that an item, if priced very low, creates suspicions, like something may be wrong with it. In this competitive market, it is unusual that an online Seller cannot find comparable items to value an item. The good-old days of bargains due to lack of knowledge by the seller are extremely rare or perhaps limited to a genuine Flea-Market, but even there, this is less and less of an option nowadays. Instead, if the market is depressed, try to offer a price that is just slightly less than the competition, but do not overdo it. Pricing is truly a balancing act and you must treat it as such. There are several great sites such as www.Values4Antiques.com, online Appraisers and good-ole eBay.
4) Use sharp and inviting photos: I am sure that I am not alone in having had the experience of finding an Antique or Collectible for sale online that is described exactly as what I’m looking for, but the photos are blurry or
out-of-focus. Another issue is when there is only one very generic photo with no close-ups to highlight the item’s features, such as the hand-painted decoration on a Porcelain Urn or Vase, or the minute details that exemplify
the workmanship on a Porcelain Figurine such as the hands, face etc. The same goes for Silver or Jewelry, which often have exceptional details that literally “sell” the item. Also, do not forget that when you edit your
photos, make sure that the color that shows up is true to the original. It is also useful to include a close up of any maker’s marks as these indicate authenticity. Use a good camera and a popular or proven Photo Editor, such
as Adobe etc.
5) Be “polite” – not suspicious: For most people, it is a turn-off when a listing on eBay or other online venue, has a couple of lines of dry and generic information on the item and about 5 paragraphs on what will happen to me if I don’t pay quickly or am dissatisfied with the item or how patient I need to be on receiving it. Tone it down! I agree that there is a 5% of people out there that do not follow up on their obligations after bidding, perhaps more so in this unpredictable economy. But I assure you, the vast majority of Buyers are good people. If necessary, include this information on your checkout message, do not overemphasize your previous bad experiences with the very few when you should spend more time describing your item and compel the Buyer why this is THE item for them. Find sellers on eBay that have a successful track record and good feedback and borrow some of these “presentation” techniques. Make it pleasant!
Accredited media interested in discussing this press release in more detail are encouraged to schedule an interview by sending a request to Contact@Marks4Antiques.com or visit their Web site at Marks4Antique.com
About Marks4Antiques.com
Marks4Antiques.com was created to help Collectors and Dealers to research Antiques & Collectibles. The successful launch of Marks4Ceramics.com in 2004 was quickly followed by Marks4Silver.com in 2006 and then Values4Antiques.com this year. All websites were designed for use online in order to accommodate the growing number of mobile Antiques and Collectibles Dealers that roam the country to different Auctions or Shows and those that sell or buy online (eBay etc). Subscribing to any of the websites provides easy and fast pictorial methods of identifying and elf-appraising items. An active member can also contact the experts of each website for personal assistance when a mark is not already in the database at no additional cost. To facilitate an unbiased Antiques Research & Evaluation environment, no Trade (buying or selling) of items is allowed through these sites as they are totally dedicated to Research. All staff are avid Collectors, Appraisers and professional Dealers. The company is owned and operated in the State of California, USA.
Girls What Do You Think Of Guys Who Wear Sports Clothing?
i wear alot of sports clothing, and i recently bought a san francisco giants jacket with logos all over it. what do you think of the colors orange and black all over a jacket thats sports
