Gonzaga dorm residents donate goods to charity
When college students move out of dorms in the spring they often throw away a lot of good stuff they dont want to move.
The Associated Press
The volume of spending by Nigerian consumers on packaged goods has assumed a crescendo, making it the highest in Africa , according to a survey by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insight into consumer behaviour on consumer packaged goods (CPG).
The report demonstrates an increase in consumer earnings in the country. “Nigerians earn more and spend more on CPG products than the African average,” the report has stated, while noting that the middle and high income consumer segments, which it categorised as Trendy Aspirants, Balanced Seniors and Progressive Affluents, account for over 50 percent of spending on CPG, which is significantly higher than the Africa average of 45 percent.
As the most populous country in Africa and the second largest economy in sub-Sahara Africa, Nigeria ‘s growing middle class and consumer spending have made it an attractive destination to investors with keen interest in emerging markets.
According to the report, Nigerian consumers’ spending patterns are influenced by traditions, family and the desire to maintain high standards. Of the seven consumer segments identified in the survey report, the family, affordability of the commodity, as well as trust in the name brand were common factors that determine consumption in the country.
According to the report, 37 percent of total monthly household spending of Nigerian consumers go into food, personal care, and household products, while they often prefer tested products that are affordable and easily available.
Prospective investors who intend to take advantage of this opportunity, will however need deeper knowledge of all segments of consumers, in order to meet their demands at their various levels.
“While there is potential for value-added products among high CPG spend segments, launching a new product in this country of diverse groups requires a strategy that accounts for the culture and needs of people across all consumer segments. To be successful, it is critical to not only ensure product delivery, via an unorganised retail network, but also to develop trust and satisfy the needs of a value-conscious consumer,” the reported stated.
It pointed out that the country’s retail sector was still dominated by scattered and unorganised informal setting, which should be a key consideration by investors.
Nielsen’s recently published insight into the country’s market would further reinforce investors’ appetite, especially for those with interest in consumer packaged products.
Barry Zito is off to the best start of his much-maligned tenure with the San Francisco Giants. Hell try to keep things going against his former team.
Zito will look to help the Giants win their 10th straight at home versus the Oakland Athletics on Friday night when the Bay Area rivals open a three-game series.
In the second-to-last year of a seven-year, $126 million contract, Zito (2-1, 2.53 ERA) has never finished with a winning record for the Giants nor had an ERA lower than 4.03.
However, the left-hander hasnt given up more than three earned runs in seven start this season, including at Arizona on Sunday when he allowed three runs and struck out five in six innings of a 7-3 win.
Its been good, contributing the best I can this year, he said. I dont feel like Ive made any kind of statement and I wont until the year is over. Ive got a lot of work to do. Im off to a decent start but I cant take anything for granted.
It also marked some rare offensive support for Zito, who was winless since his first start. The Giants scored three or fewer runs in each of his previous five outings.
Building on the victory Friday could be difficult. Zito snapped a four-game losing streak against his former team in 2010 to improve to 1-4 with a 7.24 ERA versus Oakland.
The Giants (19-19) split a pair of two-game sets this week with Colorado and St. Louis, avoiding a third straight loss with a 7-5 win over the Cardinals on Thursday.
While San Francisco has waited a long time for Zito to pay dividends on his contract, the Athletics are seeing early results from Jarrod Parker (1-1, 2.10).
Oakland (20-19) acquired Parker in December from Arizona, and the 23-year-old right-hander has pitched into the sixth in all four starts while surrendering two or fewer runs in each of them. He lasted 5 2-3 innings against Detroit on Sunday, allowing two runs in a 3-1 loss.
Oakland continues a seven-game road trip after splitting a two-game set with Texas. The Athletics won 5-4 in 10 innings Thursday on Kila Kaaihues RBI single.
Manager Bob Melvin was ejected in the sixth on a disputed call that allowed the Rangers to take the lead.
I thought it was terrific, Melvin told the Athletics official website. We lose a game here (Wednesday) when we didnt play great, and we come back and deal with some adversity and such and get some big hits, and everyone contributes. … This was as much of a team win as youre going to see.
This series begins in the wake of baseball Commissioner Bud Seligs comments at the quarterly owners meeting Thursday about a potential move by the Athletics.
Oakland is looking to build a new ballpark 40 miles south of the city in San Jose, which is considered part of the Giants territory. Selig said its up to Lew Wolff, the As owner, whether to consider additional sites.
The As have averaged 1.8 runs during their nine-game skid at ATT Park.
By Lynn Brenner
NEW YORK May 10 (Reuters) – Brace yourselves, bond
investors: Fixed-income experts warn that a long bear market
lies ahead. Long-term bond returns will be modest at best, and
negative at worst.
Were in the foothills of a gradual rise in interest
rates, said world-class bond manager Daniel Fuss, of the $21.2
billion Loomis Sayles Bond Fund, at a recent press conference.
He predicts a 20-year trend of rising rates – a bleak outlook
for bonds, whose price falls when rates rise.
Investment heavyweights like Bill Gross, manager of the
$252.46 billion Pimco Total Return Fund, and Rob Arnott,
chairman of Research Affiliates, a Newport Beach, California,
asset management firm, also foresee rising rates. And they warn
that US Treasuries – still deemed the worlds safest bonds -
are particularly vulnerable because their yields are so low. In
fact, yields on 10-year Treasuries are now so low that theyll
deliver a negative return after taxes and inflation, points out
Arnott.
Most investors are ignoring such warnings, however, and its
easy to see why: for the past three decades interest rates have
declined, providing a tailwind that has boosted average bond
returns to 8.5 percent a year since 1980. Despite current low
yields, investors have poured $682.8 billion into bond mutual
funds since the 2008 financial crisis, while stock funds
experienced net outflows, according to Lipper, a unit of Thomson
Reuters.
But current rates are far more likely to rise than fall.
Experts say its time to stress-test your portfolios and lower
your return expectations. Heres how they recommend adjusting
your investments:
1. Dont dump bonds.
Even if they dont provide real income, you need them for
diversification. The role of bonds in a portfolio has been and
always will be to mitigate the volatility of stocks, said Chris
Philips, a senior analyst in Vanguards investment strategy
group. Bonds are the true diversifying asset. (And dont turn
up your nose at diversification. In 2008, a 100 percent stock
portfolio lost 37 percent; a 50/50 mix of stocks and bonds lost
16 percent.)
Bear in mind that if your principal shrinks in a bond fund,
that loss will be partially offset by higher yields on the
funds newly purchased bonds, said Christine Benz, a financial
planner at Morningstar. Cash isnt a great alternative, she
adds. Inflation will gobble up its paltry interest, and theres
an opportunity cost to being in cash: even modest bond returns
are more attractive.
2. Check your vulnerability to rising rates.
For a rough estimate of how much a bond fund may lose if
Treasury yields rise by 1 percentage point over a 12-month
period, subtract its SEC yield – which reflects dividends and
interest earnings – from its current duration. (Both are
prominently listed in a funds online profile.) Thats not a
precise measure, but it gives you a sense of what can happen,
said Philips.
3. Reduce your risk.
To cut risk, move some of your bond allocation into a fund
with a shorter average maturity, and trim your exposure to
Treasuries, whose low yield now lags inflation. For example, you
could shift money from Vanguards Total Bond Index – which is
Treasury-heavy – to Vanguards Short-term Bond Index fund
. But dont eliminate Treasuries from your portfolio
however meager their yield, advised Joseph H. Davis, Vanguards
chief economist. They are the flight-to-quality diversifier -
the refuge of choice when investors panic. (In 2011, for
example, long-term Treasuries defied expectations and returned
29.93 percent, after purchases by rattled investors drove yields
on 10-year Treasuries below 2 percent.)
4. Dont chase yield.
Resist the temptation to pile into junk (aka high yield)
or emerging markets bonds. Despite their attractions, both tend
to perform like stocks during periods of uncertainty, said Ross
Levin, an Edina, Minnesota, wealth manager. You own bonds to
protect yourself when things blow up. If youre nervous about
long-term Treasuries, buy short-term investment grade bonds.
Junk bonds are particularly tricky in a rising rate
environment, added Fuss in an interview with Reuters: When it
costs more to borrow money, you dont want to be invested in the
bonds of companies that have to continually borrow to pay off
what they already owe. The high yield universe is full of those
companies.
5. Dont depend on bond income alone.
Retirees can protect themselves by investing for total
return. When your bonds arent kicking off enough income, you
sell stocks and use some capital gains as income, explained
Anna Pfaehler, a financial planner at Palisades Hudson in
Scarsdale, New York. Retirees must spend less, said Fuss,
bluntly. You cant manufacture safe 10 percent yields today.
6. Hire an experienced bond manager.
Index funds invest in the entire market. Active managers
argue thats a disadvantage when the market faces rising rates.
I love the simplicity of indexing, said Morningstars Benz,
but I tend to agree. She recommended instead free-ranging
intermediate-term bond funds whose managers can shorten or
lengthen duration, and invest internationally or in slightly
lower quality bonds, within specific quality parameters – among
them, Pimco Total Return, Harbor Bond Fund
and Dodge Cox Income.
Then again, even if you add an active fund to your
portfolio, you may want to keep an index fund as your core bond
holding. Lipper data shows that as a group, thanks partly to
their lower expenses, bond index funds have trounced actively
managed funds in the last three rising rate periods.
Related stories:
* Dan Fuss sees more value, profits ahead:
* Loomis Sayles fund bets everywhere but Treasuries:
Unbelievable, you say?
Nope, its true, according to organizers of Carol Streams JustPlay! Sports and Recreation Festival.
Weve gotten calls from people who say, This is too good to be true. I cant believe we can come and spend an entire weekend and just bring a lunch that we can do this and not pay anything to have fun for the entire weekend, said Kelly Carbon, community relations specialist with the Carol Stream Park District.
The celebration at Town Center at the corner of Gary Avenue and Lies Road will include favorites such as the Eurobungy, scuba diving, a BMX stunt show, clinics, stage performances and much more. People can choose from more than 100 activities to participate in or watch.
The park district created the event several years ago as part of the national day of play. Organizers want to introduce people to all different types of recreational opportunities for families of all ages and hope people will maybe pick up a new hobby or a different way to exercise.
Its more activities-oriented rather than attraction-oriented, Carbon said. So if youre looking for a carnival, its definitely not that. Youre going to come and get involved and get active. Youre actually going to be doing something.
New this year is a 250-foot zip line, provided by The Fun Ones, that allows participants to travel in pairs at speeds up to 25 mph.
People also can watch demonstrations or jump in and give it a try with activities like lacrosse, mountain biking, football, speed pitching, bocce, kettlebell, jousting, juggling, foot bag, tumbling, curling and speedskating.
Adventurers can climb a 25-foot rock wall or hold a 10-foot boa constrictor.
There are all kinds of games from laser tag and Nerf wars to racing a remote control car; there are old-fashioned games, backyard games by the Brain Store, video games in The Game Dudes mobile gaming theater and a kids dash.
For those looking for a quieter activity, you can try organic gardening, pottery, cupcake decorating, guitar lessons, a photography challenge or a chess tournament.
Visitors also can join in fitness demonstrations such as Zumba, yoga or BodyPump; country line dancing; or super star karate demonstrations and clinics.
For the younger adventurers, activities include gyroballs; face painting; Moon Sand play; and tumbling. They can create spin art, learn origami or try knitting, crocheting and yarning crafts. The DuPage Childrens Museum will have kids activities, and counselors from the Carol Stream Park District will run supervised camp games and crafts.
The park district has partnered with businesses throughout the community to sponsor various activities partnerships that allow Just Play! to remain free. Competitive tournaments such as the basketball and bags tournaments do have a cost, as do other activities in which you might win a cash prize.
We do try to keep the most popular activities and always bring in something new every year, Carbon said. We just continue to add to the event.
This years fest features two of the ultra popular Eurobungies. The Eurobungy uses multiple bungee cords attached to a harness that supercharges the trampoline experience by allowing jumpers to leap more than 20 feet high and even do flips.
A new partnership with the Chicago Bulls/Sox Academy brings experts who will give pitching, hitting and basketball tips.
New this year are performances by various bands including two teen bands Haley Grant, and Hayden Ashley and his five piece band taking the stage on Saturday, and rock cover band MissBehavin on Sunday afternoon.
Parking is across the street east of Gary Avenue on Lies Road. The site is under construction so a shuttle will run every 10 minutes from the parking area across the street to the festival.
For a complete list of activities, maps and shuttle information, visit justplay.org.
Spend quality time with your family and its not going to cost you anything to get there, Carbon said.
For information, call (630) 784-6100.
Just a stones throw away from the Rancho Mirage-Palm Desert border sits The Estates at Rancho Mirage.
The main gate of the small community there are 88 single-family homes in the development is tucked back off of Park View Drive, which is across Monterey Avenue from the campus of College of the Desert.
The homes, which range in size from 1,800 to 2,800 square feet, are cream-colored stucco topped with clay tile roofs.
What they say
The Estates was my first choice, said Gabriella Morel, 57.
Morel, who is also a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in Palm Desert, has owned her home in The Estates at Rancho Mirage for eight years, she said.
She watched as the homes were built and loved the small development, she said.
When it came time to downsize from her larger home, a home in The Estates became available, and she jumped at the opportunity to purchase.
The neighborhood is a wonderful size, Morel said. Its small enough for socialization.
The community throws two pool parties a year, one to welcome snowbirds back for the winter season and one to wish them farewell at the end of spring, she said.
Morel said she also likes the communitys other social activities, such as happy hour and holiday parties. She especially likes the neighborhoods prime location, she said.
The location of The Estates at Rancho Mirage was the number one reason Paul White, 62, purchased in the development.
Before purchasing his Rancho Mirage home nine years ago, he owned a home in Palm Springs, he said.
I felt pretty far from things before, he said. Now Im in a central location in Rancho Mirage and five minutes from anyplace I need to go.
Features
The Estates at Rancho Mirage has two pools, three Jacuzzis, a sauna and grass common areas.
The homeowners association is run by residents with the help of an accountant, as opposed to utilizing the services of a management company, which keeps the low, Morel said.
HOA dues cover maintenance for all the common areas, amenities, the gates and front yard landscaping.
The community is close enough to Palm Desert city limits that it falls into the attendance boundaries for Palm Desert schools James Earl Carter Elementary, Palm Desert Charter Middle School and Palm Desert High School.
Background
Construction on the homes in The Estates at Rancho Mirage began in 1996, with all lots built out by 1997.
Nearby
The community is within walking distance of College of the Desert, the McCallum Theatre, Westfield Palm Desert mall and Civic Center Park.
Highway 111, with grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations, is about one mile from the community.
The River is approximately four miles away and access to Interstate 10 is five miles from the communitys main gate.
Despite the hot weather, a huge crowd turned up at the festival that was organised by the Special Education and Social Welfare Division, in collaboration with Plan Pakistan.
People with disabilities and their families were seen enjoying the various activities organised at the event, which included dance performances, singing competitions, magic and puppet shows, among others.
Like other children, Zamaan, 13, was full of life and enjoying the festival with one of his friends, Umer Faheem, who was on a wheelchair.
“I already had one plate of gol gappas in the morning which cost Rs50 and I’m now left with no money to eat more or to go on the swings,” said Zaman, 13, who is physically challenged from birth. “My father is a drug addict and I did not want to take money from him but he insisted because he wanted me to have fun which I usually miss out on,” he added.
Dressed in a suit, Suleman, 12, who is visually impaired, was excited about taking part in a naat competition. “It is the very first time in my life I have enjoyed so much; I had an ice cream, went on the swings and now I want to recite naat,” he said.
Moreover, 10-year-old Attaul Qadir, who is mentally-challenged, sang ‘Aj kala jora pa’ and received a big round of applause from the audiences. He is apprenticed with a carpenter and wants to be a singer in future.
Visually-impaired children presented a dance performance on ‘Aay Jawan’. The performance forced Abdullah, eight, who was in a wheelchair, to try to dance to the beat but he could not do it as his lower body is paralysed. “It is a great moment for me to see my son enjoying like this. After neurosurgery paralysed his body, I have always seen him depressed,” said his mother Shaista*.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Director General Special Education Mustafain Kazmi said the idea behind organising this event was to erase the sense of discrimination among children with disabilities. “In this festival, they are free from the fear of being stared at by people who make them feel they are from another planet,” he said.
Kazmi said the event was planned to give them an opportunity to showcase their hidden talent and prove themselves.
*Name changed to protect identity
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2012.
SINGAPORE: Suppliers are now taking proactive steps to ensure that consumer goods sold in the market are safe.
At the same time, public awareness of consumer product safety has also been raised.
This is the assessment by a joint working group formed in July 2011 to look into ways to make consumer goods safer.
SPRING Singapore highlighted these improvements on Friday, a year after the Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations (CGSR) was introduced in April 2011.
The working group comprises representatives from SPRING Singapore, Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), Singapore Toys Confectionery Dealers Association, Federation of Merchants Associations, Singapore and Singapore Retailers Association.
The group has been working with the industry to educate the public, manufacturers, distributors and retailers on product safety.
This includes a dedicated hotline for consumers to ask questions and send alerts on unsafe products.
SPRING has also been acting on consumer feedback.
It has received over 400 enquiries on consumer products through various feedback channels. These have enabled it to identify and follow up on possible issues of concern.
So far, SPRING has investigated about 20 cases and addressed the safety concerns proactively before any harm could be caused.
SPRING said with over 15,000 categories of products, as well as new products and innovations emerging continually, it is important to keep abreast of issues and developments worldwide.
It scans local and overseas information resources to keep tabs on hazards and detect unsafe goods.
It also maintains close ties with overseas regulators to share information on consumer product safety.
To complement the preventive actions, SPRING conducts regular surveillance and tests to detect unsafe products and remove them from the market.
To date, 550 products, mainly toys, have been tested; 90 spot-checks were conducted and 80 stop-sale advisories have been issued to suppliers and retailers.
In July 2011, SPRING conducted a random sampling check and tested 200 toys. Twenty per cent of the toys failed the tests.
A second round of tests carried out in December on another 200 toys showed a 4 per cent decline in non-compliance.
In the latest round of checks, conducted from March to April 2012, SPRING randomly selected and tested 111 samples of childrens jewellery and accessories.
Three items failed the tests, as the lead content exceeded the level allowed. SPRING issued two stop-sale notices for the three failed products.
Executive director of CASE, Mr Seah Seng Choon, said: We are pleased that we have achieved progress in enhancing the safety of consumer products in Singapore. We urge businesses to be mindful of safety when they bring products into Singapore.
We are also glad that SPRING is progressively checking on products to ensure the safety of consumers.
- CNA/cc
SummitCove Vacation Lodging Releases a New Loyalty Program for Return Guests to Keystone, Colorado
SummitCove Vacation Lodging launches the Yeti Stars Loyalty Program to reward return guests to its properties located in Keystone, Colorado.
Last weekend was very busy. Looks like this one will be a bit more laid back. The FreeThougt Arizona calendar of events can be found here.
Tonight, Friday May 18th you can join several of our active members in Sabino Canyon. Several of us join the Tucson Hiking Meetup.com Group as they take a stroll in the night air. The group has two groups that hike the canyon. The first group starts at 6 PM and hikes the full length of the canyon. The second group starts at 7 PM and hike to the 2 mile mark before returning. Going with a large group down a paved trail is a very pleasant experience. You’ll always be able to find someone that will hike at your speed and there are a few in the group that really know about the wild life you’ll undoubtedly see. In the end, many hikers go to the nearby Risky Business on Sunrise Drive for refreshments and conversation. While this is not specifically a “freethought” event many of our members make this hike regularly. It’s a great way to relax after a busy frustrating day at work. For more information visit: http://www.meetup.com/tucsonhiking/.
On Saturday, the Secular Organizations for Sobriety provides a successful and increasingly popular non-religious alternative to 12-Step and other religion-based or pseudo-scientific recovery programs. SOS credits the individual for achieving and maintaining his or her own sobriety, without reliance on any Higher Power.”SOS supports healthy skepticism and encourages the use of the scientific method to understand alcoholism, drug addiction, or any other compulsive behavior. The SOS Tucson Group provides a safe meeting place for recovering addicts of all types, religious or otherwise, located in the southeastern Arizona area. Their meetings are held every Saturday from 1:30 PM-2:30 PM in the University Medical Center Cafeteria, Dining Room A. For more information, please visit the SOS Tucson website: http://sites.google.com/site/sostucsongroup/
Sunday May 20th a very rare solar eclipse will be visible in our area. The Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will be on the UofA Mall to help people safely view the eclipse. For more information follow this link: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/event-view.cfm?Event_ID=36773.
Monday, May 21st you can join the Tucson Atheists at the Denny’s on Speedway, just west of Alvernon at 7PM. This month we’ll be discussing what the United States might be like without the current religious influences. Along with that we’ll be discussing where Atheists get their morals. Finally, when things go our way who should we be thanking? http://www.meetup.com/Tucson-Atheists/