Capture video from analog or digital camcorders, edit your project, add striking visual effects and export your final project to videotape, DVD, or the Internet with Studio AV/DV. Studio AV/DV is a complete, internal video editing solution that includes Pinnacle’s award-winning Studio version 8 editing software.If you just got a new digital video camcorder, but still have a stack of old analog videotapes that you’d like to edit on your PC, then you need Studio AV/DV. Studio AV/DV is an internal plug and play video editing solution that lets you capture and edit movies from any type of camcorder. The hardware’s radical new design incorporates a new, custom video chip for professional-quality capture and output of both analog and digital video. Of course the package also includes the full version of Pinnacle’s award-winning Studio version 8 software.Make exciting movies that you’re proud to show your friends and family with Pinnacle’s Studio editing software. Studio makes editing movies on your PC or laptop easier than ever. Drag-and-drop your captured video footage onto the editing timeline and assemble a movie in minutes. Get really creative. With Studio, you have access to countless full-featured 2D and 3D transitions, royalty-free background music, and a title generator that gives your movies a polished look and feel.When you’re done with your movie, output your creation to the format of your choice. Studio AV/DV lets you export you movie back to analog or digital videotape, VCD, S-VCD, DVD and the Internet.Share your special moments with family and friends on DVD! With Studio, you can author and burn a disc with your CD or DVD burner that will play in most set-top DVD players. Create multiple linked menus, motion menus and motion buttons; you get all of these features and more in one exciting package.
Customer Review: I’m beginning to feel the same way
These guys are right I’ve been working on a project for quite a while I tried to transfer it to AVI and I lost all of it.
It took so much time that I’m workin on a MPEG version.
I’ll let you know how it goes. Buy It Now At Amazon!

cards and electronic tracking systems for patients and blood, have been recommended by the UK’s National Patient Safety Agency, or NPSA
Source: www.feedsfarm.com

45.7 Million Credit Cards Exposed in TJX Data Theft
E-Commerce Times - … at least 45.7 million customer credit and debit cards over the course of several years. Another 455,000 customers who returned merchandise without receipts had their personal data … Free White Paper: E-business Strategy and Readiness - Top 10 …
Source: www.ecommercetimes.com

Keywords: Printing,Publishing,Graphic Design,Printing,Color Copies,Publishing

PLANO, Texas & COLOGNE, Germany—-UGS Corp., a leading global provider of product lifecycle management software and services, today announced that MAN Roland, the world’s second largest printing systems manufacturer, will replace CATIA , which it has used for 20 years, with UGS’ Teamcenter and NX software in its location in Offenbach, Germany.
Source: biz.yahoo.com

ISS Long Beach Reveals Innovation, Apparel Trends 
MARCH 01, 2007 — The aisles at the 2007 Long Beach Imprinted Sportswear Show were buzzing with the latest in technology and apparel trends from vendors serving the decorated apparel industry. Following is a snapshot of the scene at this year’s event.
Source: impressionsmag.com

Orange County careers on the move 
MEDICAL: Patrick M. Buckley was promoted from vice president to president of Links Medical Products Inc. in Irvine. Thomas L. Buckley, the company’s former president, will continue as chief executive officer. Links also opened a new national distribution facility in Indio.
Source: www.ocregister.com

Print-on-Demand Publishers Answer Al Gore’s Plea for Conservation 
In the wake of the Academy Awards, print-on-demand publishers follow Al Gore’s lead to protect and conserve Earth’s natural resources by featuring no-waste, no-inventory printing with post-consumer, recycled paper options. (PRWeb Mar 1, 2007) Post Comment:Trackback URL: www.prweb.com/zingpr.php/TWFnbi1Ib3JyLUVtcHQtU3VtbS1NYWduLVplcm8= />Source: prweb.com

FORMost Graphic Communications Develops Web-to-Print Solution for Ford Motor Company 
Mid-Atlantic Ford Motor Company dealerships will use Formost Graphic Communication’s VisioPrint web-to-print solution to create customized marketing materials via an online interface.
Source: news.yahoo.com

Freedom to grow, add jobs 
MILTON-The city’s largest employer will soon be even larger.
Source: www.gazetteextra.com

Graham Nash to Sign Epson Prints at DIMA 2007 Conference 
Epson America today announced that Graham Nash, award-winning photographer and legendary member of the rock group Crosby, Stills & Nash, will sign Epson prints of his black-and-white David Crosby portrait at the Digital Imaging Marketing Association DIMA 2007 Conference March 7 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Source: biz.yahoo.com
Keywords: Printing,Publishing,Graphic Design,Printing,Color Copies,Publishing

This sumptuously extravagant book examines design that appeals to the senses through luxury, profusion, and excess?maximalism. After a decade in which minimalism has held sway over the design industry, many designers are now rejecting the limitations of pared-down modernism in favor of a more rich and vibrant ?maximal? aesthetic.

This book celebrates the qualities of maximalism, or ?enriched modernism??its role in creating fantasy, a sense of luxury, the multi-sensory appeal?and teaches designers how to apply it by bringing together a selection of projects from around the world that typify maximalism in graphic design?whether through use of materials, print processes, layout and composition, or sheer extravagance of purpose.

The book is not just about expensive projects for luxury brands (although of course these feature): it is about examples of print that appeal to any one of the senses in a powerful and unusual way. These include packaging, magazines, brochures, books, identity jobs, and other forms of print work.
Customer Review: Visually Enthralling, Lacking Instructional info.
Aesthetically, this book is one of the best I’ve seen. The cover is one of a kind and is an inspiration in and of itself. The meaning of the term Maximalism is definitely apparent in the book, but I was hoping for a little more educational information in regards to techniques, software, etc. The layout of the text is also somewhat confusing at times in relation to which piece they are referring. Overall, this book gets a 4 simply for the inspirational imagery within its contents. Buy It Now At Amazon!

The Find Three-Piece "CEO Work Set"ShopNBC7 min 27 sec - Feb 9, 2007Host Connie Kunkle says, "The fashionable businesswoman who needs to stay organized with a little flair will find it all in this CEO Work Set from The Find. I always travel with my laptop but never have the perfect laptop bag—now I do! This set also includes a handbag, portfolio, and makeup bag, all with the fantastic croco leather we have come to know and love from The Find. Never have travel, business, and fashion been more fun!" Customized to lend a polished air to any woman’s busy day. The answer to stress-free organization, this fashionable set will keep track of your essentials with ease. Designed with a sophisticated reptile embossing, the set includes a large tote, handbag, and portfolio. The generously-sized tote includes five exterior pockets for easy organizing, including two square zip closure pockets on the front, a snap closure pocket on each side, a pocket on the back, and two interior pockets, plus one interior zip pocket. The interior is divided into two open sections for further organizing. Tote design is finished with studs on the exterior pockets and at the double handle attachment. Zip closure is tucked under magnetic flap with matching stud detail. The matching handbag is designed in a contemporary A-line silhouette. For extra fashion appeal, the handbag features gold O-ring and stud detailing on the sides. Double handles are attached to matching gold O-rings. Interior includes two open pockets and one zip pocket. Zip top closure. To complete the elegant set, you’ll receive a matching portfolio designed with a magnetic flap closure on the side. Multiple pockets inside keep track of business cards, receipts, and other small items. The portfolio also comes with a pad of lined paper for notes, lists, or anything else you need to record in a busy day.
Source: video.google.com

Mechatronics Mechanical System Control - It’s the Software!
Mechatronics Mechanical System Control - It’s the Software!Google engEDU53 min 54 sec - Sep 21, 2006Google Tech Talks September 21, 2006 David Auslander ABSTRACT The history of mechanical system control is one of striving for ever greater complexity. Ironically, with the modern mechatronics era, system complexity has increased beyond the wildest dreams of the early system designers while, in many instances, the mechanical part of the system has become simpler. Despite the mechanics/electronics of the mechatronics name, software has become the real driver for mechanical system complexity. System value and competitive advantage derive from better conceived and better executed software. Design and implementation of control software for mechanical systems depends on: Design context Design language Implementation language Simulation environment(s) Implementation environment(s) The process from concept to product progresses through many intermediate stages; maximizing software reuse in this process leads to enhanced productivity, more reliable products, and quicker time to market.
Source: video.google.com

Keywords: Printing,Publishing,Graphic Design,Printing,Color Copies,Publishing

Serialize

Family Faces and Variety in Graphic Design

Creating a range of designs with a recognizable and continual element is a standard requirement well observed by many designers. Serialized design can be seen everywhere from magazine covers to posters, letterheads, brochures and CDs to advertising. They need to be recognizable but yet have a fresh appeal every time - this book examines how designers approach the topic and looks at the applications and solutions they use to create a series of designs.

Creating a family face is crucial in order to leave a lasting impression. This is done by enforcing familiarity and producing a general recognizable atmosphere. Serialize features a broad range of applications, techniques and signature solutions employed by designers in serializing a design. It also expounds on the function and role of serialized design.

Through abundant examples, images and explanatory text by the designers themselves, this book investigates the key elements and links that distinguish serial designs from one another. This book provides guidelines to and examples of how to solve one of the most ubiquitous design “problems”. Buy It Now At Amazon!

Crackdown on prison contraband in Jamaica published: Thursday | March 2, 2006 Glenroy Sinclair and Petrina Francis, Staff Reporters The Tower Street Correctional Facility, downtown Kingston. AN ONGOING investigation into a lucrative contraband ring in some of the island’s prisons has netted close to $500,000 in cash, hundreds of cellular phones, a large quantity of ganja and several pieces of equipment over the past two years. This is according to Major Richard Reese, head of the Department of Correctional Services. He said a small group of correctional officers and visitors have been implicated in the illicit trade, which is more prevalent at the two maximum security prisons in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, and Tower Street, Kingston. “Last year we arrested six correctional officers and four visitors for contraband, and so far this year we have caught four correctional officers,” said Major Reese. “Once taken before the court, they are dismissed.” Among other contraband seized were cigarettes, jammers or improvised ice picks, television sets, DVD players, hotplates, and ratchet knives. These items were detected by the high-tech security system implemented in the penal system. INMATE WITH ATM CARD Commissioner Reese also confirmed that at least $8,000 was found in the cell of popular reggae artiste Siccature ‘Jah Cure’ Alcock last September. There are also reports that an ATM card was taken from another inmate. It is suspected that the card was being used by other persons to conduct transactions on behalf of that inmate. Commissioner Reese also revealed there was further evidence of warders conducting transactions at certain financial institutions on behalf of some inmates. “On Monday another warder, Oneil Thompson, was held at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Institution, after a quantity of ganja was found on his person. While being searched, he attacked one of the correctional officers with a knife and had to be restrained,” said Commissioner Reese during an interview with The Gleaner on Tuesday. Reports are that two weeks ago, two temporary warders, Talbert White and Marlon Grant, were found with contraband in their possession at the Horizon Remand Centre in Kingston. Also in January, another warder was found with a knapsack containing several packets of ganja, cellular phones and other items. Meanwhile, last March, four correctional officers were sent on leave following investigations into reports that a small group of warders was trafficking contraband into the Tower Street maximum security prison. CONTRABAND SEIZED (2004-2005) $408,167 819 cellphones 157 ratchet knives 76 cellphone chargers 300 jammers (improvised knives) 9,323 packets of ganja 71 hot plates 735 packs of rizzla 17 DVD players 16 compact discs 146 packs of cigarettes 9 television sets 6 CD players 13 parcels of ganja (weighing almost seven pounds) PODCAST : Free Jah Cure Join us as we explore the roots of Jah Cure, and tell the story from His Side. Jah Cure’s Address is included in this Podcast, to encourage you to send him your message of support and onenes during his time of tribulation. We Give You J A H ‘ S C U R E 77 Minutes of Ital Dancehall Delight My Technorati Profile Jah Cure’s reflections - ‘It is all about rehabilitation’ published: Sunday | September 4, 2005 JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jah Cure in prison. Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter HE WAS evasive about the incident, no longer forceful in his declaration of innocence. He thinks there’s a move afoot to stymie his upcoming appeal for parole. Siccaturie Alcock or Jah Cure wants to get out of jail and believes that the time to do so is drawing near. “Me get sentence a’ready. Mi nuh know why dem woulda waan come with this again,” he said, looking to the sky. He was referring to a report published in last week’s Sunday Gleaner in which the woman he was convicted of raping outlined her ordeal. According to the rape victim Suzanne Ferguson, she, her two male cousins and her aunt were walking to the Flamingo Nightclub in St. James to play a game of pool when she observed a tinted, two-door Turbo Starlet motor car going in the opposite direction. Within minutes, the group noticed the same car coming slowly back down the road. She took a mental note of the number of the licence plate. The group went to the club and after spending about two hours there, decided to head back home. On reaching Windsor Road, the car which they had noticed earlier, drove up and blocked their path. Two men were inside. The occupant of the passenger seat jumped out with a gun in his hand and immediately gun-butted one of Suzanne’s male cousins. The gunman then ordered the other cousin to walk over to him. Both cousins were robbed and verbally abused. Her cousins were told to run for their lives. They did. The gunmen then ordered Suzanne and her aunt into the back of the vehicle. VICIOUSLY RAPED Their jewellery was taken and the man with the gun sat on top of them, so that they were unable to see where they were being taken. The men then drove on to a bushy, dirt track in the Spring Farm area. It was there that the men viciously raped the women. “Jah Cure raped me at gunpoint, while the other man raped my aunt outside on the dirt track, in a pile of gravel. While begging for my life in the car and with the gun pointed at my head, I began resisting and begging him,” Suzanne recalled. Said Jah Cure: “This can mek me get another sentence. I don’t know if dem ago mek she mek me no get no parole. But that should never be so, because de warder dem a watch me behavioural pattern and if me get hold down because of her argument, den me know sey rehabilitation nuh real.” The fit-looking Rastafarian in the military-green outfit could have been mistaken for a visitor at the General Penitentiary, the maximum security prison at Tower Street in Kingston. He is pencil-slim and militant in his manner but still very much the entertainer - a man on stage, and it seems the prison bars cannot hold back his impact. Even on the cell blocks, Jah Cure - currently one of the hottest acts in hard-core reggae - remains larger than life. Serving a 13-year prison term for rape, Jah Cure has been at the penal facility since 1999, one year after he sexually assaulted a young woman in his hometown of Montego Bay, St. James. In the interview with The Sunday Gleaner last week, the woman now 25, said she is upset with repeated statements made by Jah Cure, proclaiming his innocence. However, speaking with The Sunday Gleaner from behind the high brick walls of the Tower Street Correctional Centre, Jah Cure did not offer to tell his side of the story. Sitting on a chair inside the superintendent’s office, Jah Cure’s laid-back persona changed when he was told that the woman was about to go public with the story that has put him behind bars for the past six years. “Right now me a rehabilitate and it is not a case of guilty or innocent anymore. It is all about rehabilitation and I am coming out, either or (e)ither, time is winding down,” the entertainer said. Detective Sergeant Cecil Clarke, a trained forensic specialist, who investigated the case against the singer, told The Sunday Gleaner that no Deoribonucleic Acid (DNA) test had been done because the evidence against him was overwhelming. The matter was a jury trial. At that time, Det. Sergeant Clarke was the sub-officer in charge of crime at the Coral Gardens Police Station in St. James. He is now based in Westmoreland. Apart from the positive identification, Det. Sgt. Clarke said the condom which was used by Jah Cure’s accomplice to rape the young woman’s aunt, was found at the scene of the crime in Spring Farm, Montego Bay, St. James. “When the rape incident was reported to us, we traced the licence plate of the car and the owner turned out to be Siccaturie Alcock, alias ‘Jah Cure’,” the Detective Sergeant said. “I was able to identify him (Jah Cure) because his voice was distinct. They kept talking in the vehicle. Anywhere I hear that voice, I will always remember it. During the incident, he tried to kiss me and I could smell the ganja scent on his breath,” Suzanne said last week. According to Clarke, during their investigation, Jah Cure’s mother gave a statement to the police, saying that on the night of the incident, her son was not at her house and she had not seen him, although she had heard that he was somewhere around the place. The detective said Jah Cure in his statement said on the night of the incident, he was at his mother’s house and had taken a meal of fried chicken for his younger brother. Jah Cure’s mother Pansita Campbell was again mentioned by Suzanne last week. “When I had to go over the whole ordeal in court, it was devastating. He (Jah Cure) tried talking to me, trying to say it was not him. He introduced a pregnant woman to me at the courthouse, saying that she was his expectant baby mother. He was trying to get me to become sympathetic toward him. But afterwards, his mother - who was at the courthouse - told me that the woman was neither pregnant for him, nor was she his girlfriend.” Head of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Major Richard Reese, told The Sunday Gleaner that Jah Cure applied for parole last year but was denied. His case was reviewed by the Appeal Court and the appeal turned down. “He has not applied so far this year, and even if he gets parole, he will have to be monitored, so he will be unable to travel outside of the country,” said Maj. Reese. According to Jah Cure, he spends most of his days in prison praying and counselling other inmates and preaching “one house of love”. He had high praises for the rehabilitation programme at the centre, which he says has worked for him and many others, but he believes it needs a lot more financial support. He has promised to help to finance the programme as soon as he is freed. “A one thing me a tell de youth dem, just use me as an example and look, because the world want me and because of what me get in trouble for, whether me innocent or guilty, you see sey me have wait until certain time, either dem give you parole or wait on yuh time,” he said. When asked if he was regretful of any incidents in his past, he paused, then took a deep breath and said: “The only thing me sorry sey, is dat me never get to finish my schooling. Dat a de only thing me sorry bout, but anuh my fault.” Reliving a nightmare - Jah Cure’s victim tells her story published: Sunday | August 28, 2005 “Behind these prison walls, doing my paces, doing my time, I am, spending my restless nights, visioning faces ” - Jah Cure Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter OVER THE past two years, the songs of rising Rastafarian singer Siccaturie Alcock, better known as ‘Jah Cure’, have brought joy to countless dancehall fans the world over. But for 25-year-old Suzanne Ferguson,hearing his songs on the radio and even the very mention of his name, evokes painful memories. To her, Jah Cure is nothing more than the villain in her flashbacks of the night she and her aunt were both held up at gunpoint, robbed and raped. Suzanne says Jah Cure, the singer whose songs speak of true love and preach about the virtues of righteousness, brutally abducted, robbed and raped her and her aunt, seven years ago on a dirt road in Monetgo Bay, St. James. For that crime, the singer was convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He has so far served seven years at one of Kingston’s maximum security penal institutions. Prison authorities say his earliest possible release date is July 28, 2007. Prompted by repeated public statements the singer has made proclaiming his innocence, Suzanne has decided to break her silence and tell her side of the story. She says she has trouble fighting the memories of a gun pointed at her head and of the singer trying to kiss her with his putrid, ganja-smelling mouth as he overpowered and then violently raped her. She is as bitter about the incident today as she was when it occurred. The polite, well spoken young woman, took the day off from work to meet with The Sunday Gleaner news team at her home in an upscale neighbourhood near Ironshore, in Montego Bay. Dressed casually in a white, sleeveless blouse and a pair of blue polkadot pants, Suzanne sat down at a small table on her verandah to tell the tale. # HER SIDE “IT WAS a Sunday night, November 8, 1998 when it happened. My two male cousins, my aunt and myself were walking down to the Flamingo Nightclub to play a game of pool. This was something that we did frequently,” Suzanneexplained. As they walked down the street, she observed a tinted, two-door Turbo Starlet motor car, passing them, going in the opposite direction. Within minutes, the group noticed the same car coming slowly back down the road. “I don’t know, but for some reason I took a mental note of the number of the licence plate,” said Suzanne. The group went to the club and after spending about two hours there, decided to head back home. But they did not get very far. On reaching Windsor Road, the car which they had noticed earlier, drove up and blocked their path. Two men were inside. The occupant of the passenger seat jumped out with a gun in his hand and immediately gun-butted one of Suzanne’s male cousins. The gunman then ordered the other cousin to walk over to him. Both cousins were robbed and verbally abused. ‘NO, DO, DON’T KILL THEM!’ “I then heard a voice from inside the car say ‘Kill them!’ and I shouted “No, do, don’t kill them!” recalled an emotional Suzanne as she knitted her brows as if to block the memory. Her cousins were told to run for their lives. They did. The gunmen then ordered Suzanne and her aunt into the back of the vehicle. The driver of the car put it in reverse and then headed down Sugar Mill Road. The females were questioned about their cousins, then asked to identifiy themselves. Their jewellery was taken and the man with the gun sat on top of them, so that they were unable to see where they were being taken. The men then drove on to a bushy, dirt track in the Spring Farm area. It was there that the men viciously raped the women. “Jah Cure raped me at gunpoint, while the other man raped my aunt outside on the dirt track, in a pile of gravel. While begging for my life in the car and with the gun pointed at my head, I began resisting and begging him,” Suzanne recalled. “I then said to him, if you are going to rape me please, me a beg you to use a condom. He stopped and searched the glove compartment of the vehicle, then said he couldn’t find any. He pulled my underwear off and began to rape me. “I continued to resist and begged him to stop and I remember him saying ‘Hey gal, do wey me tell yuh fe do and you wi live’. That was how it happened,” said a tearful Suzanne. After the ordeal, the men took them to the Rose Hall main road, where they were ordered to get out of the vehicle. The men threw $100 on the ground and told them that it was for their bus fare. Suzanne said when the vehicle drove off, she looked up and saw that it was the same licence plate that she had memorised earlier. “I was able to identifiy him (Jah Cure) because his voice was distinct. They kept talking in the vehicle. Anywhere I hear that voice, I will always remember it. During the incident he tried to kiss me and I could smell the ganja scent on his breath,” said Suzanne. Prior to the incident, she said she had never seen, met or spoken with Jah Cure. She noted that she did not even know who he was until after he was arrested. “When I had to go over the whole ordeal in court, it was devastating. He (Jah Cure) tried talking to me, trying to say it was not him. He introduced a pregnant woman to me at the courthouse, saying that she was his expectant baby mother. He was trying to get me to become sympathetic toward him. But afterwards, his mother (who was at the court house) told me that the woman was neither pregnant for him, nor was she his girlfriend.” According to Suzanne, the trial was very difficult, but the psychological effect of the rape was worse. “He tried to contact me while he was in prison, I don’t know how he got my telephone number, or how they got my address. I had to go away for a while in order to get away from it all, and during that time, he was still sending messages to my house.” She said a lot of effort was made by entertainers and other friends to get her to make statements which would get the offender out of prison. It was eight months before Suzanne managed to build up enough courage to go out in public again. She said the stigma and embarrassment of being raped was too much for her. She said that several top entertainers have since called and visited her home, offering her large sums of cash if she would help Jah Cure to get an early release from prison. ‘I JUST WANT HIM TO ADMIT’ “We don’t want any money. I just want him to admit to his wrong and apologise publicly. I cannot take their money and go to the supermarket and buy a pound of respect, dignity and self esteem. All that was taken from me. I have to be walking on the streets and looking behind me. My relatives are getting threats,” she said. According to Suzanne, the ordeal has remained with her every moment of each day. At nights she tosses and turns, and sleep is as elusive as her peace of mind. The pain and anguish of the incident has imprisoned her for life. The incident has had an adverse impact on her relatives and has also affected her relationships with men. “I don’t trust anyone. If they try to come close, I react very violently and if they try to get intimate, I have flashbacks and it is very difficult,” Suzanne spoke freely. “Everytime there is a lot of publicity about Jah Cure, I have even more flashbacks. Sometimes I am so afraid to leave my house. When I go out in the public and hear people say, ‘Free Jah Cure’, I have serious flashbacks and it becomes very difficult. It seems to me that entertainers are more valued than everybody else in Jamaica and as a woman, I feel seriously undervalued.” While she has not undergone formal counselling, says her current church congregation helps her in the very hard times through prayer and fellowship. Much of her support also comes from good friends and the residents of her community, especially the young people who are very protective of her. It’s Jah Cure - JAMAICAOBSERVER.COM It’s Jah Cure - Music at centre of new prison rehab programme BALFORD HENRY, Observer writer Friday, August 19, 2005 Jah Cure. has recorded two albums and a number of singles in prison A new effort using music to help rehabilitate talented prisoners has been designed by the authorities, and incarcerated reggae singer Jah Cure has released the first single under the programme. The single, True Reflection, was recorded at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, more commonly known as the General Penitentiary. Music industry sources say the song is growing in popularity, an encouraging sign for the Rehabilitation Through Music partners - the police, correctional services and Kingston-based Down Sound Records - who now say their next goal is the recording and release of an album. That set will include four songs by Jah Cure. According to police superintendent Gladstone Wright, the Rehabilitation Through Music proposal had been at the police commissioner’s office for some time, but was recently approved by Commissioner Lucius Thomas. “It started out with us seeking ways to enhance our community policing services,” Superintendent Wright, who is based at the Half-Way-Tree Police Station, told Splash Wednesday. REESE.says all the necessary equipment will be provided for inmates to produce their own music Wright and his colleagues recently staged a concert at Police Officers’ Club in Kingston to assist three inner-city basic schools - Victory in Trench Town; McLeod’s in “Mud Town”, Papine; and Anilhill in Waterhouse - as part of the Constabulary’s community policing project. He said that during the planning of that concert, Jah Cure was suggested as the ideal catalyst for the talented prisoners’ rehabilitation proposal. The choice of Jah Cure (real name Siccaturie Alcock) was no doubt influenced by the fact that he has, since being imprisoned six years ago, firmly established himself as a gifted reggae singer with two albums - Free Jah Cure: The Album and Freedom Blues: The Testimony of Jah Cure - and a number of singles, including the smash hit Longing For. Acting on the suggestion to use the singer, Wright and his colleagues contacted the head of the Correctional Services, Major Richard Reese, who agreed that Jah Cure’s involvement would contribute immensely to the prison service’s rehabilitative efforts. “We then discussed it with Jah Cure, because the Correctional Services require that we get the approval of the inmate first,” Wright said. “He (Jah Cure) responded, ‘I am ready’.” True Reflection was written by Wright, artiste Sonita ‘Electric Dread’ Walker, and Dwayne Stephenson of To-Isis. The team then approached Josef Bogdanavich, head of Down Sound Records, to produce the song and start the project. “We invited Down Sound to participate and Joe was delighted when we approached him. He felt it was a step in the right direction,” Wright added. Bogdanavich said that when he went to the prison to visit Jah Cure, “we just kind of hit it off”. “He seemed like a humble person and he was quite personable,” Bogdanavich said. “I think he has got the right kind of personality, being that effervescent, even behind a prison wall.” According to Wright, the programme is also being expanded to include persons wishing to develop other skills in the music business, including producing, arranging, engineering and playing instruments. Wright said that while Rehabilitation Through Music will concentrate on the music aspect of prison rehabilitation, it is only a segment of a much wider programme seeking to rehabilitate inmates through various skills. Jah Cure, who was transferred to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre from the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre two years ago, had his application for parole turned down last year despite a passionate campaign by concerned friends, family, and entertainers. He had become eligible for parole on July 28, 2003. Major Reese said, however, that a prisoner can re-apply for parole within a year of his application being rejected. The Parole Board, which makes the decisions, is separate from the Corrections Department. Jah Cure was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on April 26, 1999 for two counts of rape, robbery with aggravation, and illegal possession of firearm, all arising from the same incident. At the time, he was 19 years old. The opening of the computer laboratory at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre has helped Jah Cure and other inmates interested in music, as it forms the basis of a digital recording facility. Major Reese has promised that all the necessary equipment will be provided for inmates to be able to produce their own music and be advised of their intellectual property rights. He said that it was possible for persons from outside the prison to send in music for Jah Cure to use, but only at the singer’s request. However, do not look for him on stage at a show before he is on parole or released. HELP FOR JAH CURE!!! HELP FOR JAH CURE!!! Posted By: Empress Wolete’ Date: Tuesday, 17 May 2005, at 8:12 p.m. Greetings, In my past experiences the rastafarian community has always proven strong and supportive so I come to you today with a small/humble request. I am a friend of Jah Cure’s family who are suffering greatly due to his incarceration. His mother is in poor health and her husband has recently passed away. He has 3 little brothers who are school age and in need of supplies and clothes for school. The cost of school while very cheap by american standards is virtually unaffordable for many. If Jah Cure is not released soon or allowed to record, his brothers may not be able to attend school much longer. He is not scheduled for a parole hearing for another year or so and there is no guarantee that he will be released. As many of you know, he has been moved to a horrible facility in Kingston where many of his privileges have been denied. He is unable to record and therefore unable to provide for his family. His mother is the only person allowed to see him and she is not allowed to bring him things such as water and food so he has to eat whatever garbage they serve in the prison. The trip to see her son is around 3.5 hours each way and she makes this trip once a week despite her health and financial situation. She is very dear to my heart and I have made a commitment to send down money every month to help her out. It is hardly enough so I am reaching out to the community and asking anyone who can spare ANYTHING to help out. If you can’t afford to send money perhaps you can send clothes for the children. Perhaps you have clothing from your son which you have no use for? The children need summer clothes and school books, pencils, book bags, etc. If you would prefer sending articles of clothing, I can provide you with the sizes for the children. Alone, this seems like an impossible task but with the help of a few good bredren or sistren in the community, I know we can make a difference. I will be going down in a month or two to take some things and to offer some assistance in whatever way I can. If there is anyone who can find it in their heart to help out please email me anytime at freejahcure@africanseed.com. Give Thanks for your time, Empress Wolete’ Re: HELP FOR JAH CURE!!! Posted By: Efua Date: Wednesday, 18 May 2005, at 10:38 a.m. In Response To: HELP FOR JAH CURE!!! (Empress Wolete’) Friday April 8, 2005 The Guardian A marketing dream… Jah Cure recorded most of his latest album in prison His first big international hit, Longing For, crept on to the British music scene last year and charted at No7 on the BBC’s Urban Music Chart. This Easter, the BBC promoted him as the “hottest artist anywhere right now”. Cure’s publicist Chris Schlarb from New York-based VP Records avoids discussing the crimes but suggests the sentence is a marketing dream. “The fact that he’s in prison makes him pretty unique. Some of the songs on the album were made in there; in fact, pretty much everything has been produced there. Cure’s defence lawyer Roy Fairclough Five years ago, friends and musicians released the Free Jah Cure: The Truth CD, which FUNDED his appeal. He lost, but his sentence was cut from 15 to 12 years. Racquel Reynolds, from the campaign group IyahCure Music, still carries a banner with his face on it to gigs around the country to keep his name in the public eye. She says that those uncomfortable with his past are usually won over by the “deep emotion in his voice and our shallow faith in justice”. Cure is estimated to be worth JM$1bn - around 8.7m, but his mother, who lives in a small house near Montego Bay and works as a hairdresser, claims that she can barely afford the JM$ 1,000 petrol money to see him. “Maybe he is worth that much, but who’s making the money?” she says. “We haven’t seen a cent of it yet. Perhaps it suits someone if he stays in jail.” However, the Jamaican authorities appear to be taking steps to curtail Cure’s growing legend. In February, his recording equipment and mobile phone were seized by Spanish Town Prison officials and Cure was moved to the harsher Kingston General Penitentiary and given an extra 30 days’ punishment. From what I understand Harmony House (Beris Hammond) and many other major labels and producrs have money available for Jah Cure as well as the many artists that have already donated money to the family. PODCAST : Free Jah Cure Join us as we explore the roots of Jah Cure, and tell the story from His Side. Jah Cure’s Address is included in this Podcast, to encourage you to send him your message of support and onenes during his time of tribulation. We Give You J A H ‘ S C U R E 77 Minutes of Ital Dancehall Delight Jah Cure Dance Hall Artist- Jah Cure How you doing? I m chillin fine. Rastafari mighty rule. I love the music you re doing. Thanks man. To know that you could see through the eyes, you know? I was surprised when I heard that you are in prison. What s going on? Yeah, I m free now. Everything cool. You re out now? I m inside now, but everything cool. Say what you wanna say now and do what you wanna do. How long have you been doing music? Actually I m 24 and I ve been doin music for ten years now roughly. From youth always I d sing and go to school concerts, community concerts, you know? But to officially come and try to record in the studio and the popularity, about ten years now. You were probably about fourteen years old when you started doing music. Yeah, 13-14-15. In school, yeah. What directed you into doing music? My father was a singer and he tried the business, but he didn t make it, not at all. He always been sayin that, he knows that it s in his blood. When he see me try music industry it pulls him back to when he was in the field. Me, I used to go to dance, sneak out. That s how Jamaica is in the ghetto. I don t know if that s how the ghetto is in the States, but Jamaica ghetto we always sneak through the window and go to dance at an early age. It s the love of music. That s the music in I an I. And I an I know when I go to the music I listen and have an idea. It help I an I growin up to be goin to dancehalls and watchin dancehall DJ s and I admire them and I loves to be like them. So I an I no stop tryin and be persistent. I come to Kingston. Kingston is where all artists come to get the break. I been to Kingston and be around all the artists like Prophet (Capleton) and Sizzla. Before I started out culturally I used to try write songs, likkle melodies. But I m tryin to conscious myself, see? At the age of fourteen I start my locks and try to find the conscious way out. To come to this cultural name Jah Cure was given to me by Capleton and some other man them who were with Prophet at that time. We all brethren. Capleton gave you the name Jah Cure? Yeah and some other brethren that were with Prophet at that time. They used to call me Old Cure, but I say I don t satisfy with the old. The Jah is more better, cause Jah never grow old. When you were starting out at the age of fourteen what kind of music were you listening to? At the time, we crazy for Bob Marley and Peter Tosh and Jacob Miller. Greatest inspiration at that time, Bob Marley, Jacob Miller, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, and Israel Vibrations. I always say to myself I wanna be a great icon, I wanna be an icon to the business and not to let down Bob Marley or Peter Tosh. Anyway they are in the grave. They shall be part of me cause I wanna be an ancient soul in the music. Although I m young but I m like an old soul. That s where my heart lies, in the ancient, with the elders. Not to let them down, let them feel proud of me. Know that there s a lotta problems in the business, but there s a youth called Cure and he always remember all of them so all the elders live in our hearts, dead or alive. They ll be able to say, yeah respect this youth because he keep it the old way. You ve always been singing? Singin always. Never tried to DJ or change from DJ to singin. Straight singing. I have two of your albums. How many albums do you have? Right now I released two albums since I been in prison. One set to release before I been in prison. We tried to hold it as long as we can, but it was time, we can t hold no longer. So we released this last one called Ghetto Life. That s a classic. I play it all the time. If you think that s a classic, wait till you hear the third. You are working on the third album? I m workin on it, but the third album gonna be live. Live Jah Cure in the 20th Century, the year when I saw the light in this 20th Century, cause I been to prison in the end of the 19th Century. Let them see what I look like and hear what I sound like. All those two albums were before I came to prison. What s gonna be more fascinating is this is the live Cure in this time. This what Cure sound like now, today. To see if he still have the sound or if he improve a lot more or whatever you can listen for. How was it for you growing up as a child in Kingston? Was it good? It wasn t bad. I have an auntie, she always sent me downtown to go to the shop, small shops. They always sent me to downtown Kingston to buy all the same stuff. In the mornin I have to wake up outta my bed before the time. All the time they always say I m lazy, I don t want to do the work, and they want to send me back to country. But always some other family member defending me: he give us some vibes, he bring a lot of happiness to the family, we re not turnin him back. We like his spirit despite his laziness. But they know I came to Kingston to make a career and not to work along, like I come to look for domestic work. They know that s me and me father know that s me. When I was a kid I m always kinda lazy to do things in the home. I always saw myself as a star. Think I m gonna be a star one day. When I was grow up in Kingston I live my own way amongst brethren, amongst Capleton and them. It was really hard on my family sometimes, still rough. Sometimes I d still have to go out to the country to look for my mother, spend a couple weeks to cool out from Kingston because sometimes it s really harsh and it s rough. And Kingston makes me push for more. Kingston is a place that s really hard, that s why you have so much crime coming. It s really hard. In the country most people go to work at an early age. In Kingston a lotta youth, their mentality is not like, they want to become an artist or go for it easy. You said you were born in the country. Where was that? I was born into the bush, you know. What you call, that s more like a forest now. It s called Cascade in Hanover. How many brothers and sisters do you have? I have seven brothers, me make eight. And four sisters. Do any of them play music? No, none of them. All four sisters I heard them singin and they can sing good, but they re very small. They don t really know the value of what they re doin. Till I come out, cause I think I wanna do something. Are you the oldest? No, I m the third from my father, second from my mother. I m the only single. All of my other brothers and sisters actually have same mother and father either two of the same mother and father or three or four but I m the only single from my mother and my father. It s like I m exceptional from all of the rest. When you were growing up in the country were you growing up with the Rasta belief or Christian? Mostly the Christian religion because my father, when I was born he was a Rasta. When I was born my mother and my father have locks. I was growin up and start realizin life and seein and know what I see, I see them without locks. My father leave me amongst my grandmother, she always bring me to church cause she loved me, but I didn t like the church. Because most of the time she been with the church she give the offering money to me to give the offering, I always use it to buy something. Most of the time church is goin and I come out in the middle of the prayer with other kids that come to church with their grandparents. So I didn t really like church. I just come to church cause my grandmother forces us to come. We have to go because we lived there. Now are you a Bobo Asanti? The Bobo concept is what rises me. It touches me and I go by the Prince Emmanuel and I get that inspirations. I used to wrap up my turban with the official declaration. But now I m contemplating, I m learning about a lotta things. I m seeing that I don t see myself as a Bobo no more, I just see myself as a Rastaman, love everyone. Love Bobo, love Bingui, love everyone. As long as you re a Rastaman. I will not differentiate myself from you like it s a religion thing, splittin up denominations. What s the main difference between a Bobo and a Rasta? Bobo is Rasta, but they differentiate themselves in political ways. We are Bobo and we don t do certain things and we don t mix. Another one say, we are Bingui, we don t wrap up we heads. And another say, We are Twelve Tribes and we don t do this. But everybody s praising King Selassie. It s not even like a Muslim pray to Allah or a Christian pray to Jesus; everybody s praising King Selassie and still they re separating. That s so stupid! And that makes us look more stupid than ever. I tell myself that all the youth are takin up this thing. I m goin at a level where I wanna be able to purify the world and cleanse the world. I m not talkin about Jamaica, the world. So taking up the world with my music and my head. I wanna be that, a Rastaman. I think it s more easier, I don t wanna differentiate like I m in a special camp of Rasta or special types of Rasta. I m for all Rasta. I wanna get that straight. All people. What is Nayabinghi drumming? Can you explain about that? The Nayabinghi is just an order. It s no such man as Nayabinghi. Nayabinghi Bobo Asanti chant Nayabinghi in their tabernacle and the twelve tribes chant Nayabinghi cause they do have drums. And Bobo and Israel they chant Nayabinghi. Nayabinghi man call themselves Nayabinghi, but they only chant. They aren t Nayabinghi, they re just some Rastas, but they don t claim official name or decided a name for their group yet. Nayabinghi is just an order. A lot of these groups need to be centralized for unity. We have this problem over the years for unity. But isn t Nayabinghi a certain type of drumming? The order is playin the drum and the drum is the order of the Nayabinghi. Bobo play drums and Twelve Tribes play the drums and they all say they chantin Nayabinghi when they re chantin. Even the man that take on the title Nayabinghi, he himself is not a Nayabinghi. It is the order that he chants. But we use it as an overstanding. Otherwise the Nayabinghi, I love them because I know them from their youth and I don t got a problem with no Rasta group. And when I m out there I go to every house all the time. I go to Bobo, I go to Bingui, I go to Orthodox. What was the big break for you in your music career? When I was around Capleton, it happen from there on. I meet Sizzla and we do a song together eventually. We were buildin the song, the same night Beres Hammond was passin by and he heard the song and says he like it. We end up singin the song on Beres label. And I start to record for Beres cause Beres like my ways and the way I sing. He like everything about me as a youth. He produced the song. How did you meet Capleton and Sizzla? Livin in Kingston, they live around my family. I go to live around David House, Capleton. I live amongst Capleton. We do things together. We go dance together. You know? We were in the same area, the same community. They were like the big men, every youth in the community was lookin up to them for a break. I also was happy to get the break from Beres Hammond. From that I was always around Beres and Beres was always there. I was just building my career around that. I give Beres Hammond my career. I let him just steer my career because he s very experienced. I think he was one of the most perfect persons, he steered my career as a singer. Can you name a couple of singers that you really like? I like to listen to Peter Tosh; he fascinates me. And I love listen to Beres; I love listen to Jacob Miller. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller. And I love listenin to all the different artists, they are all great inspiration. How do you write lyrics and what you do you write about? The things I go through in life. The struggles that go on out there. Do you write a lot on your own or do you write with the music? This is how I write: I never take a pen up and say I m goin to write a song. I m just here and I been talkin about something and I feel that something come up. Through the reason I pick up my pen and scratch it down. If I m in the studio and I hear a beat sometimes a melody does come up and I just do a song on the spot, finished. That s how I work. I never take up a pen and write a long list of paper, never never. Either I m in the studio and listen to the beat and the beat sweeps me and I go the beat with such a unique sound that fits. I try to go to the beat as close as I can with my melody. Otherwise I just write something that comes to my mind, something that I see, witness, that I live, I experience. Where do you live now? Do you live in Kingston or in the country? To tell you the truth, to tell you that I live in Kingston would be biased. I live in Jamaica. It s not every artist could say that because I m loved by a lotta people. I have family and them never built a house yet. I was tryin to help my family build up a building. Otherwise I have a lotta houses. I live by Mandeville, Montego, like that. I rotate my living condition, because I can t live in one place. Because I live in the country more than ever, where the most inspirations flow. I love the country; Kingston no really nice like that. You have to enjoy. Only thing is I wanna set up studios in the country now, so more youths can have access to the studio in the country, not having to go to Kingston only. One of your CD s is entitled Free Jah s Cure. Why did you name it that? The label that put it out, they just named it that way. They decided to. I didn t I was kind of pleased with that name. Cause it seemed that was one of the most vital names to give the CD s of Jah Cure at this time. That was your first CD. You also have a lot of singles out. Can you talk about some of the singles that were really good for you? I have a single called “Love Is the Only Solution”. That was a big one for you? Yeah, it depends on how you want to call it big. To me it s big. It was on Morgan Heritage s label. It was mixed with a compilation CD called Morgan Heritage and Friends. But there was another for me called “Try to Live On” released on Xterminator, Fattis Burell. “Try to Live On” was a nice single. Those two singles were really good. Do you have a lot of material recorded that has not been released yet? Yes. I was not one of those young artists that was lazy to make tunes. I make tunes every day, every second. So I make a lotta songs. I m an inspired musician, I must be proud to say. Do you think you will be putting some of those songs out later? Some of them didn t release, but I m here so they re releasin one at a time. Probably by the time I m out there will only be a few left. But before now it was a lotta labels keep releasin, what s coming out on CD s, compilations, first comin out on singles. People just waitin to hear the name, spreading to create more investments you call it before they do what they re doin. I think that s what a lotta producers do. Who will be producing the next Jah Cure album? We don t decide that yet. All I know, it s goin to be produced by the best in Reggae industry. This time I m goin with the best. Do you think you ll be coming out this year? Definitely I m comin out this year. Do you think that music will change people s minds. Do you think that music can change people? Judge and purge. Change them from the wrong? Of course, of course music can do that. Music change a lot and it s always been doin that. Good music. That s why I believe in doin the music from your heart, doin it the best. There s so much issues in the world for me to address. Everybody talkin about partyin. You have to party, but we have to think about all the suffering and all the issues that are in this world to address. And try to help people find their inner spirituality and their real selves. With music, music can do all the things. There are things that music should leave alone. Music is able to do everything. Music can man make a man get evil and music can make a man get righteous. Music can do all things. Just put the energy into it and tell it out and it will do. Depends on the energy you put into it. Because the people who have the energy to sing music and generate people, they are leaders. But some of them refrain from takin their true stand. They just wanna generate the people, but not put back to the people substantially. Do you think for the Black man and woman is life getting better or worse? It s getting better in some situation and getting worse in some situation. It s never at a equal level. Gettin better for some and worse for some. Do you think like in Jamaica is better for Black people than it was 40 years ago? Honestly speaking, Jamaican people are suffering everywhere. Still they re sufferin, but they re able to afford things. Actually almost every family has one car, you know. It wasn t like that. Although in America you have people who have it hard but still they have a car. Jamaica is really comin to that level. We re still strugglin but we have a car to take us around. Still getting better, one time it used to be worse. Lotta people never dreamed that they could be havin a car. And they have a car now, lotta young youth have car and nuff shoes and nuff things. What s it like living in the country? I m curious about what it was like for you growing up in the country? Growin up in the country. Mostly my grandmother used to go to church and mostly my father carry me to the hills and the farm. I used to be lazy and he used to give me pumpkin and stuff to carry and all my other brothers. And I used to cry. And he used to give me wood to carry and I used to cry. He used to take it from me because my father used to love me because he used to love my mother. And he hit my mother one time and my mama leave him. And because my mother won t be with him again, every time I come to spend holiday with him he remember my mother cause I resemble my mother they say. He always try to be nice to me because he knows that I m the only one that he got from my mother and my mother left him. He always loved her. So he always try to have some mercy and feel sorry for me, help me out. But I enjoyed the country, go to the river. I know a little about countryman business. That means I know a little, but not all. Although I was born in the country I more raised in the city more. When you talk about your father being on the farm, did you raise animals or vegetables? My family used to raise a lotta chickens and plants, vegetables and a whole lotta things. Bananas and jackfruit, nuff things were there. My mother, she used to bring us down to the farm and we used to have a nice big big, about two acres of land in the backyard. The country was nice for me. We go out to the country every holiday. When I listen to your music it gives me a real good feeling. I m young but I have a lot of experience. I grew up in the country when I m young, but I experience a lotta things. I don t know why. Another youth my age doesn t experience what I experience. So I put into my words a feeling of emotional and experience. Just let me feel the heart, I m the man that will feel the heart and the soul. Always sing from your heart and your soul, nothing else. And I sing and I ask Jah to let me get the powers when I try to sing to make sure I only go to the heart with the words and the melody. To the heart and the mind, that s what I m tryin to reach. That s what I m meditatin on. People s heart and their mind. Tryin to win the heart, tryin to touch the soul with soulful vibes. Always tryin to advance more and more. The more they hear me the more I m getting better. Your music is very inspiring. Sometimes I make music and me myself don t even know how it came. It just came out of my mouth and I know not how. I don t know if this happen to anyone else, but I know greater than what they hear is gonna be comin out because I ve seen the vision about myself. I visioning myself doin some that I don t even know of, but I know it s there and it s gonna be in the future. That s how I think. I m a free thinker, I even make songs for the future that not ready to fit into the record now. I ve made songs now that in the future I could sing and it d refer back to now. I try to do that in my mind. You ve got to be deep in your mind to do what I m doin and I m sure that I m gonna get greater and greater. And I try my best to advance greater than before in my singin and writin and creatin, cause I just don t write things. I get the inspiration of sayin something! I don t know why I ve said it. And a lotta great people say that s great the way you put that together. I didn t put it together, I just find it come out. What really inspires you to write? Is it Rasta or is it people around you, what is it? Rasta has a lot to do with it. When I find Rasta I find things for natural. I find things more easier. Realizing the earth more easier, things that used to look so far seem so near now. It s more easier to see this is how the system run and this is how they doin the people. I recognizing that, you know. People say, how you do that like it s so easy? It s easy because I put the love into what I do. See what Bob Marley did, it was not hard. It was easy as one-two-three. All you got to is come from you heart. And be inspired, don t force it. Do you read much over there? Yeah, I read when I get a chance. I do more writing. I read, but I write more. Everything I write, everything. Everything that comes to me I write. When you say you write, do you mean you write songs? Yes, songs. I write a lot of songs definitely. Before you went to prison were you performing a lot in Jamaica? Actually I was coming to that level. Doin shows here and there. I did tour some in Europe and in England and I did a lotta Caribbean shows. I performed live in concert in Trinidad. I had four shows for the week back to back down there. Soon as I leave Trinidad I came to the court and had the case goin on. Same month I leave Trinidad was the same month I get the sentence. The first time I heard you was when you were on that song with Sizzla. How did that song come together? Oh yes that song, “Divide And Rule”. We were drivin together and Sizzla was buildin a song. The riddim was playin in his tape deck in his car. And he said to me that I must do something on it. I just started to build the song on it, divide an rule. The same night we build the song, we saw Beres Hammond the same night. He came and here us doin it, “Who is singin that song? We d love to have you in the studio.” “Alright, that would be a pleasure, to work with the great Beres Hammond.” That was the big break for me. If someone asked you to describe your style of music what would you say? My style of music is just to uplift and soothe people from them problems. Emotionally, spiritual and physical. My style of music is just to feel the heart and the mind. I would call it Reggae, cause this is around that What is your earliest memory you have from your childhood? My mother givin me some of her spliff. She gave me a Jah of her ganja spliff. I ll have to sit back and try to send my memory deep back. But that s the thing I can remember for now. Do you think that you re going to change you style of music? No, I ll never change. Never. For no reason, never. I rise to greater levels, but never change. Only betterment. PODCAST : Free Jah Cure Join us as we explore the roots of Jah Cure, and tell the story from His Side. Jah Cure’s Address is included in this Podcast, to encourage you to send him your message of support and onenes during his time of tribulation. We Give You J A H ‘ S C U R E 77 Minutes of Ital Dancehall Delight Jah Cure Jah Cure Longing for Freedom: Incarcerated DJ tells all in an exclusive interview By Julian Smith 11.9.04 {intdate} Jah CureA friend of mine asked me to tell you a story. In fact, he asked me to tell “his people” this story some time ago. It’s not that I neglected to carry out his request and my own moral duty too. He procrastinated, longing for a promise that had been made to him of an early parole. Not wanting to ruffle any feathers, he humbly waits for “Babylon to release the Cure.” These days he has been growing stronger than ever before. And he wanted me to let you know that you, “his people,” were the source of this strength. The fact that you have never given up on him. This made letting his fans know. He wanted me to let you know what really happened. This fact is of tantamount importance to him–he emphasized that I “let his people know.” To date Sekaturi Alcok a.k.a. Jah Cure reiterates his two most important words “not guilty” since he embarked in the music business in the early nineties. He lives out his days with the hope of justice. Julian: Jah Cure, what really happened? Cure: In 1998, the sixteenth November, I-man was in MoBay with some youth from England. You know I brought them to MoBay to enjoy themselves. Julian: Where were you when you were arrested? Cure : We were just leaving when police pulledl us over right at Margaritaville. Them say come out a the vehicle with your license and registration. I did and then they searched and found nothing in my car illegal. I asked them, can I go now? and him say I must talk to that police there. Julian: What did they do then? Cure: Them say rape gwaan down here last week and if I was down here. I told them no. Julian: So they were conducting an interrogation on the street? Cure: The police them say me can t go and then they called some people and ask them to look at me. Then me hear him ask them, a him this? Is that time I-man see this girl for the first time. When she come she ask them, a him this? Julian: She was asking the police? They were conducting an ID parade on the road? Cure: Yes, so hear the girl now. It sound like him. Me say to har sound like wah, look at me good, a me name Jah Cure and take off me tam and say look at me good. Then them say them a carry I-man go a station. Same time one a me Bobo fren came cross and say if everything alright. The girl say him sound like one of them to. Julian: So she could have pointed out her own flesh and blood because of her uncertainty. An ID parade on the road. That is a violation of your constitutional right, your right to due process and has tainted written all over it for obvious reasons. Cure: The police them say that they are going to detain me. Them pass Barnett Street Station and go way a Coral Gardens. When me reach a station, me see the girl parent. A later me know say a them. [At this point Sekaturi began to speak bluntly and some of the things he unearthed are his own allegations based on what he said he found out after his arrest. Some on record and some off, but all seemed to point to foul play.] Cure: Anyway, I-man call Beres and when him come on the phone them just take the phone and tell him say, ‘him deh a 14 Barnett Street’ and hang up. All them time deh the police and the girl family well chummy. All my belongings were stolen from my car. Julian: Are you saying that they misled Beres as to your whereabouts? What did he do then? Cure: I was there for over a week until another police say to the police that lock me up, ‘you can t have him here so long and don t charge him.’ So them cook up some evidence. Talking about some fleeting glance, say she know me from stage show and them force the charge on me. [At this point Jah Cure alleged that the police officer that arrested him was sexually involved with the girl s mother and that they shared a common-law relationship.] Julian: So after holding you for over a week, which is unheard of (you should be detained no longer than 36 to 48 hours without being charged) what happened? Cure: Me get $20,000 bail in the Resident Magistrate Court. [Jah Cure travelled to and from Jamaica, including Trinidad and Bermuda, performing while out on bail. According to the singer, he went back to court for one of the dates and when the mother saw him, she said, like how you a go a prison weh you can do for yourself. Jah Cure had retained a lawyer by the name of Roy Fairclough from Montego Bay. Even his defense seemed like his prosecutor, he said.] Cure: Fairclough say to me say I don t know why you go get involved with these people because they are his friends. A them take care of me nose. Julian: What do you mean take care of your nose? [And his answer, another allegation, prompted this reporter to do his own investigation which confirmed by way of other lawyers testimonies that indeed Roy Fairclough practiced what Jah Cure alleged he practiced.] Cure: When I was to go to court, I had to go to the lawyer s house and throw stones on his window to get him up. He arrived late so I was remanded and my bail taken away. The said week I-man get the fifteen years, the 15th April. Julian: Did you make an appeal? Cure: We appealed and lost. You see them lock down I-man and a pure rape. Taximan a rape off little girl. Crime and violence on the rise. No justice not there, so the law no mean nothing to the people. Jah Cure was given fifteen years for gun robbery and rape charges. The girl alleges that she was raped at gun point and then robbed. Jah Cure, now doing his fifth year incarcerated at the Spanish Town Prison, perceived the judgment as one that is similar to the verdict the league of nations gave Haile Sellassie I. Jah Cure s latest music reveals his frame of mind. High praises from Public Defender, Howard Hamilton, speaks to the notoriety of his far reaching works. The words of ‘Longing For’ cuts deep. If the choice was his, would he prefer his freedom? Or his baby to love him more? A broken heart or liberation? Well… just listen to his voice. I was privy to hear him play his acoustic guitar and the words of a song in progress and the words were chasten
Source: badgals-radio.com

Wall Street Breakfast for January 11, 2007
MACRO AND HOUSING U.S. Trade Gap Down 1% in NOV on Export Strength and Lower Oil The U.S. trade gap narrowed 1% in November to $58.2 billion, its smallest since July 2005 and also its third straight decline, on record exports of $124.76b. However, the fact remains the U.S. has a huge overall deficit exceeding $700b year-to-date, likely to surpass the $716.7b record set in ‘05, for a fifth straight year of record shortfalls. Still, economists seem pleased with the latest data and point to a narrowing trade gap with China to $22.9b in Nov. (vs. $24.4b in Oct.), although year-to-date at $213.5b it already exceeds all of ‘05. Trade gaps with Canada and Japan also narrowed, while holding steady against the EU and widening with Mexico. A weaker U.S. dollar is credited for the increase in exports, which helps make them cheaper, while limiting demand for imports, which become more expensive. Stronger exports could help the “soft-landing” argument, as further strength could lessen the impact of any additional weakness in housing. Sources: Bloomberg, MarketWatch, WSJ [I, II] Related commentary: Consumer Borrowing Up Sharply as Debt Moves from Condos to Credit Cards, Fed’s Kohn: Soft Landing Likely for U.S. Economy, Too Early To Worry About Employment Being Too Strong, U.S. Economy Just Beginning to Sizzle — Barron’s, Global Markets: Currency Imbalances and Trade Are Driving Forces Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: S&P 500 Index (SPY), NASDAQ 100 Trust Shares ETF (QQQQ), Diamonds Trust Series 1 ETF (DIA), iShares Russell 2000 Index ETF (IWM), iShares Lehman 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY), iShares Lehman 7-10 Yr Treasury Bond ETF (IEF), iShares Lehman 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNET Kodak Sells Health Business to Onex Corp. for $2.55 Billion Eastman Kodak, struggling to pay down debt as it finds its footing in the digital world, will sell its healthcare imaging unit to Onex Corp. for $2.55 billion. Kodak has posted losses totaling about $2 billion over the past eight quarters. The company will use proceeds of the sale to pay down approximately $1.15 billion in debt, and will focus anew on its digital camera, printer and scanner businesses. The division to be sold makes X-ray film, digital X-ray machines and mammography equipment, and competes with General Electric, Siemens and Philips Electronics. It had revenue of $2.54 billion in the 12 months ended Sept. 30 and accounts for about 19% of Kodak’s total sales. Sales at the unit fell 6% to $597 million in Q3, and profits were down 29% to $68 million on higher silver prices and costs. The purchase will be Onex’s sixth health-care acquisition. The company also holds stakes in Emergency Medical Services Corp. and Res-Care Inc. Together with Goldman Sachs, Onex was involved in the recent $3.3 billion purchase of Raytheon Co.’s business-jet unit, and it was involved in the $8.7 billion buyout of Qantas Airways Ltd. Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters , USA Today, Wall Street Journal Related commentary: , Kodak Reports Eighth Straight Loss, but Shares Rise 5%, Eastman Kodak: Out With The Old. Conference call transcripts: Q3 2006 Potentially impacted stocks: Eastman Kodak Co. (EK), Onex Corp. (TSE: OCX). Competitors: Canon Inc. (CAJ), Sony Corp. (SNE), General Electric Co. (GE), Siemens AG (SI) eBay Buying Ticker Reseller StubHub Online auctioneer eBay is acquiring startup ticker reseller StubHub for $285 million plus the $25 million cash on StubHub’s books ($310m total), in an effort to boost sagging growth as its core business matures. Privately-owned StubHub, based in San Francisco and founded seven years ago, had revenue last year of about $100 million and EBITDA earnings of approximately $10 million, so the buyout values the company at more than 30x cash flow. eBay has competed against StubHub in the lucrative ticket reselling business; IAC/Interactive’s TicketMaster unit is another big player in the field. StubHub is the largest tickets-only online reseller, making a market in concert, sports and other events; ComScore reports 2.1 million unique visitors to StubHub last month. Sources: eBay press release, TechCrunch, WSJ, Reuters Related commentary: eBay Scalps StubHub (Om Malik), eBay’s Q4 Listings Well Below Estimates - Jaffray, Internet Sector In ‘07: Continental Europe Will Be Key, Can eBay Stay Ahead? Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: eBay (EBAY) Competitors: IAC/Interactive (IACI) Conference call transcripts: eBay Q3 2006 ENERGY AND MATERIALS Oil Price Hits 19-Month Low Crude oil futures, shuddering at the news that U.S. petroleum-product stocks grew for the fourth consecutive week, fell to a 19-month low of $54.02 a barrel yesterday. Gasoline stockpiles were up 3.8 million barrels and distillate fuel inventories 5.4 million barrels, both exceeding analyst forecasts. Mild temperatures, particularly in the Northeast, largely caused the jump in distillates, which include heating oil. Another factor was a rise in refinery utilization last week to 91.5% of capacity. Crude futures have skidded 31% since their July record of $78.40 a barrel. The decline has prompted speculators to start betting on further falls, which could magnify the drop. The decline will also likely result in a third OPEC production cut. Though the oil price has penetrated both short-term and long-term support, enough uncertainty remains in the market to keep the price from going into freefall: Russia cut off the oil supply traveling through Belarus on Monday (a dispute that threatened supply to Eastern Europe but has since been resolved), Venezuelan production might be affected by Chavez’s socialist agenda, and Nigeria is facing ongoing violence at its oil facilities. Sources: Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Bloomberg, Reuters, TheStreet.com Related commentary: What’s Really Behind This Oil Price Crash?, Falling Oil Prices Are Ultimately Positive For Stocks, Oil Prices Plummet for Second Straight Session, Oil Prices Plummet as Temperatures Rise, Energy Bears Beware: Winter May Yet Arive, Oil Price Boosted by Iranian Ire at U.N. Sanctions, Potentially impacted ETFs: Oil Service HOLDRs Trust (OIH), United States Oil Fund LP (USO), PowerShares DB Oil (DBO) RETAIL Tiffany: Strong Holiday Sales and Higher Guidance Issued, But Stock Drops 2% Shares of Tiffany fell 2% yesterday despite news it achieved solid holiday same-store-sales, especially at its flagship NY store and overseas ex-Japan. Also, Tiffany raised its guidance for its current and next fiscal year. Overall, holiday s-s-s were up 8% in the U.S. and 18% overseas, but -4% in Japan, which accounts for half of Tiffany’s international revenue. Tiffany revised its fiscal year (ending Jan. 31) earnings upward to $1.82 -$1.85 per share, from $1.79 - $1.84 previously, in line with analysts’ estimates of $1.82 (Thomson) and $1.83 (Reuters). Reuters quotes an Oppenheimer analyst who says, “With the strong sales in the New York market and outside, people thought the range would be even higher.” Q4 sales are expected to be up 14% - 15% with EPS of $1.03 - $1.06. Tiffany sees EPS growth in ‘07 between 13% - 15%, or $2.06 - $2.13 per share, against the Street’s estimate of $2.06. Separately, in an SEC filing, Tiffany said its sales agreement with Japan’s Mitsukoshi department store will expire at the end of this month. Tiffany makes 10% of its net sales at boutiques in Mitsukoshi. The two have reportedly negotiated but will have to negotiate further before a new agreement is reached. Tiffany can continue operating boutiques in the meantime, but either party can act unilaterally and change terms and conditions including the fees Tiffany pays as a percent of sales. Sources: Tiffany press release and SEC filing, Bloomberg, Reuters Related commentary: Fisher’s Buyout Candidates, Tiffany’s Is Looking Good, Stocks To Capture China s Baby Boomers, Tiffany Comments on Declining Japan Comps Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Tiffany & Co (TIF) TRANSPORT US Airways Ups Ante for Delta to $10.2 Billion US Airways has boosted its hostile takeover bid for bankrupt Delta Airways by 28% to $10.2 billion. The new deal is designed to force a decision from Delta’s creditors, who were undecided after US Airways’ previous bid of $8.5 billion. They have until February 1 to respond. According to the Wall Street Journal, “the new proposal will provide between $12.7 billion and $15.4 billion in value to Delta’s unsecured creditors, a hefty premium over the $9.4 billion to $12 billion valuation that Delta places on its standalone plan.” Delta management says the new offer, like the old one, fails to address its concerns about anti-trust and labor issues and the combined company’s debt burden. Eager for alternatives, Delta has been talking with Northwest Airlines, also in Chapter 11, about a link-up. US Airways expects the acquisition to add to EPS in the first year, but it will also more than double its shares outstanding and elevate its debt far beyond its current market value of $5.1 billion. Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, The Platform. Conference call transcripts: January 10, 2007 Related commentary: Northwest and Delta Flirt with Merger, War of Words Between Delta and US Airways Intensifies, Delta Tries to Trump US Airways Buyout Through Bankruptcy, US Airways Surprises Delta With Hostile Bid, Merger Mania Grips the Airlines Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DALRQ), US Airways Group Inc. (LCC), Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWACQ.PK). Competitors: AMR Corporation (AMR), Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV), UAL Corp. (UAUA). ETFs: streetTRACKS DJ Wilshire Small Cp Growth (DSG) Northwest and Delta Flirt with Merger In an intriguing third option behind submitting to a hostile takeover by US Airways or going it alone, Delta Airlines is in talks with Northwest Airlines to join forces when both carriers emerge from bankruptcy. Northwest is expected to leave Chapter 11 in Q2 and is examining several strategic options, including a merger with Delta. Delta’s management, too, has been calculating merger benefits as it struggles to fend off US Airways, which just raised its bid from $8.5 billion to $10.2 billion. Delta has waged a furious grass-roots campaign to scupper the US Airways takeover, including mass emails to frequent fliers. It has also leaned on the support of its pilots and employees — a tactic that could backfire if the airline is forced to shrink the amount of equity employees will receive in its standalone plan. It has also hired media consultants and taken the battle to Capitol Hill, where it hopes to convince the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that the takeover will be bad for the industry and the consumer. Northwest has not commented on the merger talks. Sources: Wall Street Journal, Forbes Related commentary: US Airways Ups Ante for Delta to $10.2 Billion, Merger Mania Grips the Airlines, Delta Tries to Trump US Airways Buyout Through Bankruptcy, Airline Consolidation Efforts Heat Up as United, Continental Discuss Merger, Large Shareholder Opposes Northwest Buyout of Mesaba Airlines Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Northwest Airlines Corporation (NWACQ.PK), Delta Airlines Inc. (DALRQ.PK), US Airways Group Inc. (LCC). Competitors: AMR Corporation (AMR), UAL Corp. (UAUA). ETFs: streetTRACKS DJ Wilshire Small Cp Growth (DSG) HEALTHCARE Genentech’s Beat and Raise Quarter Wows Analysts Genentech Inc. reported a dream fourth quarter yesterday after the market close and raised its outlook for 2007, sending shares higher by 1.15% in after hours trading. The company, which is majority owned by Swiss drug maker Roche Holding AG, saw U.S. sales topped $2 billion for the first time in the company’s history. By the numbers, Genentech reported net income of $594 million ($0.55 EPS) compared with just $339 million ($0.31 EPS) during the year earlier quarter. Adjusted EPS was $0.61 for the quarter while operating revenue came in at $2.7 billion, up from $1.9 billion in the year earlier period. Those numbers beat Thomson Financial consensus estimates of EPS of $0.56 on revenue of $2.55 billion. Sales of the company’s top-selling drug, Rituxan, jumped 16% to $560 million while its second best seller, Avastin, saw sales jump 36% to $490 million - again surpassing analyst expectations. Looking forward to 2007, the company expects 2007 earnings before items to rise 25% to 30% from 2006’s level of $2.23 a share. Sources: Genentech Q4 2006 Earnings Call Transcript, Press Release, MarketWatch, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal Related commentary: Genentech is a Hard Act To Follow [WSJ], MedImmune vs. Genentech: Supreme Court Ruling Facilitates Patent Challenges, Genetech to Acquire Xolair Co-developer Tanox for $919 Million, The Biotech Industry: 30 Years of Failure, Starting with Genentech Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Genentech (DNA), Roche Holding AG (RHHBY). Competitors: Amgen Inc. (AMGN). ETFs: Biotech HOLDRs (BBH) INTERNATIONAL Las Vegas Sands To Undertake New Macau Project; Shares Jump Shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp., jumped 11% yesterday to an all-time high of $102.81 after a Jefferies & Co. analyst announced the company had been given the go ahead for a new casino on Hengqin Island, near Macau. According to Jefferies, the planned 2,000-acre complex will be built over 11 years and is worth $34 a share. The U.S. largest casino operator by market cap, Las Vegas Sands shares doubled in value in 2006; in addition to its Hengqin Island project, the company plans to open Singapore’s first casino as well as build an additional 20,000-room project in Macau. Sources: TheStreet.com, Bloomberg, Business Week Related commentary: A Quick Guide to the Major Gambling Stocks, The Big Macau Gamble, Vegas Style, Las Vegas Sands: Dicey Valuation. Conference call transcripts: Las Vegas Sands Q3 2006 Earnings Call Transcript Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS). Competitors: Wynn Resorts (WYNN) and MGM Mirage (MGM) MUST-READS ON SEEKING ALPHA TODAY A No-Brainer Way to Promote Your Company U.S. Markets: Market Gains During Earnings Season Greatly Trail Non-Earnings Season Housing: Housing Stocks: Is the Worst Over? Long Idea: Hugo Chavez: Providing Profitable Investment Opportunities Short Idea: Be Careful Bottom-Fishing in Motorola Shares Internet: Friendster Parners With Google, Aims At Friends & Family Market Telecom: An Interview With Vonage CEO Jeff Citron Hardware: Mac Prices: Comparing Apples With… Apples Software: Microsoft Vista’s Voice-Recognition Software: The Future of PC Applications Consumer Electronics: Apple’s Hubris: Will All The Hype Go According to Plan? Media: Blockbuster Soars, Netflix Running Out of Steam Healthcare: Desperate Moves in the CVS, Express Scripts, Caremark Tug o’ War Retail: Federated Department: No Longer Getting My Shopping or Investment Business Transport: Why I’m Bullish On Airline Stocks Gold: Crystallex Price Continues To Be Manipulated By the News Energy: What’s Driving Oil Prices Down? Financial: JPMorgan: Outlook For 2007 Positive Asia: China ETFs: Don’t Be The Last One Out The Door ETFs: Looking at Commodity and Foreign ETFs in 2007 Small-Caps: Willamette Valley Vineyards: Waiting For The Grapes To Grow Sound Money Tips: Tips on Buying a Digital Camcorder Jim Cramer: Latest stock picks Earnings Conference Call Transcripts: Audiovox F3Q06 (Qtr End 11/30/06), Mercantile Bank Q4 2006, Genentech Q4 2006 Have Wall Street Breakfast emailed to you every morning before the market opens. Related ArticlesRead more articles by SA Editors Subscribe to email alerts about valuable stock and ETF related articles Read more on the themes Today’s Market, Wall Street Breakfast Research Stocks and ETFs Type in stock symbol to get opinion and analysis, earnings call transcripts, quote and chart:
Source: tradermike.net

Keywords: Printing,Publishing,Graphic Design,Printing,Color Copies,Publishing

The moving image is a significant part of graphic design, even discounting motion graphics on-line. But now this world is in turmoil. ‘Transitions’ is the theme that runs through this book, which deals not only with technical and creative innovations at the cutting edge of this branch of graphic design, but the challenges facing the industry and the changes ahead. Moves and changes are the stock in trade of the motion graphic designer from one image or scene to the next and this book neatly takes the analogy and applies it globally to the discipline.

The availability of cheap, easy to use digital video equipment has enabled graphic designers to move into the world of film; On Screen In Time arrives at the point where digital media design and film making meet. Through interviews with leading practitioners across the world, the book focuses on transitions across the range of motion graphics, from Hollywood titles to experimental films on digital video, to interactive interfaces for digital TV. There is also a practical tutorial section.
Customer Review: not the way I accepted
Got the book in bad condition, the cover was ripped, the pages were crumpled . Another thing is my fault of not noticing that it is an old book (in design years, so I wasnt updated as I hoped fo)

Thank you, Oren Buy It Now At Amazon!

TECHNOLOGY Nokia Shares Surge on Solid Earnings Nokia, #1 mobile-phone maker worldwide, said this morning its Q4 profits were up 19% to 0.32/share ( 1.27 billion) from 0.28/share in Q4 2005, beating analyst forecasts of 0.28. Sales grew 13% ( 11.7 billion) and 20% in 2006. Operating margin for handsets was up slightly from 17.1% to 17.8%, but overall operating margin declined from 13.2% to 13%. Handsets shipped was up 26% to 106 million, but average price dropped from 93 to 89. In 2007, Nokia said it expects industry mobile device volume to grow 10%, but also expects further average selling price declines. During 2006, NOK produced a cash-flow of 4.5b, and gave 4.9 to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. Estimated market share y/y grew 2% to 36%, which CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo attributes to strong sales of cheap phones in China, India, and Latin America — igniting a share rally: NOK shares traded up 6.2% to 16.45 in Helsinki. Competitor Motorola saw its Q4 profit plunge 48% last week and said it plans to cut 3,500 jobs (5%); Samsung said on Jan. 12 its Q4 profit dropped on low prices; rival Sony Ericsson, which focuses on high-end phones, said last week its profit tripled on strong demand for phones with music players and cameras. Sources: Press Release (.pdf), MarketWatch, Bloomberg Related commentary: Nokia Pre-Earnings: Suffering By Implication, 10 Predictions for Wireless in 2007. Check for Nokia’s Earnings Conference Call Transcript later today. Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Nokia Corp. (NOK), Motorola Inc. (MOT), Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson ADR (ERIC), Sony Corp. (SNE). Suppliers: Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN), Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM), National Semiconductor Corp. (NSM). ETFs: HOLDRS Wireless (WMH) Symantec Earnings Barely Top Estimates; Next Up: Cost Cutting, Share Buybacks Symantec Corp. released earnings for its FY 3Q07 after yesterday’s close reporting net earnings and revenue topped consensus estimates. The company also announced two major moves: a plan to trim $200 million from its cost structure and a new $1 billion share buyback plan effective immediately. By the numbers, the company’s net earnings for the quarter were $114 million, good for EPS of $0.12, versus earnings of $91 million (EPS of $0.08) during the year-earlier period. Revenue increased as well, to $1.31 billion from $1.15 billion. Excluding one-time charges, EPS was $0.26; Thomson First Call consensus estimates called for EPS of $0.25 on revenue of $1.3 billion. Looking to its next quarter, Symantec expects revenue to fall to between $1.24 and $1.27 billion and EPS to drop to between $0.04 and $0.06. The company’s cost cutting plan will most likely include reducing employees though CEO John Thompson didn’t say in what division or in what region (he did indicate it would not be in sales). The new share buyback plan replaces an older plan the company just completed. Over the past two years, Symantec has repurchased $6 billion worth of its shares, according to company data. Symantec shares rose $0.44, or 2.52% to $17.92 in after-hours trading. Sources: Symantec F3Q07 (Qtr End 12/29/06) Earnings Call Transcript, Press Release, Bloomberg, Red Herring, AP, MarketWatch Related commentary: Symantec Shares Nosedive on Q3 and Full-Year Warning, Sorting Symantec’s Mess: Investors Concerned More Bad News To Follow, Symantec’s A Short Following Weak Data Point. Conference call transcripts: Symantec F3Q06 (Qtr Ending Dec 31, 2005) Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Symantec (SYMC). Competitors: McAfee Inc. (MFE), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), CA, Inc. (CA). ETFs: iShares Goldman Sachs Software Index (IGV), Software HOLDRs (SWH), streetTRACKS Morgan Stanley Technology (MTK), Internet Architecture HOLDRs (IAH) Nintendo’s Profit Surges on Strong DS and Wii Sales Nintendo’s 9-month (period ended Dec. ‘06) net income jumped 43.1% to 131.92 billion ($1.1b) on sales growth of 72.8% to 712.6b ($5.9b). It did not provide a quarterly breakdown, but Bloomberg calculates Q3 net income climbed 40% to 77.6b ($644m) on a 75% increase in sales to 413.8b ($3.4b). Nintendo cited “very strong sales” of both DS hardware and software. Demand for DS hardware continues to exceed supply. Nintendo says Wii hardware “got off to a favorable start” and software “enjoyed brisk sales as well.” It maintained its guidance provided on Jan. 10 for full fiscal year (ending Mar. ‘07) net income of 120b ($1b) on sales of 900b ($7.5b), despite already exceeding the full-year net income figure, due to the possible impact of currency fluctuations in Q4. Analysts note the Wii is outselling Sony’s PS3 by about 2:1 in Japan and the U.S. Nintendo has sold 3.19m Wiis so far and still expects to sell 6m by March. Its ordinary shares gained 1.5% to 33,500 ($34.75 ADR equiv. at 120.5/$1 vs. $34.25 ADR close yesterday) ahead of its earnings announcement. Sources: Earnings press release [pdf], Bloomberg Related commentary: A Look at Nintendo Ahead of Earnings, Sony PS2: Top-Selling Game Console During Holidays, Game Points: Game Console and Software Stock Update Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Nintendo (NTDOY.PK). Competitors: Microsoft (MSFT), Sony (SNE). Gaming software publishers: Electronic Arts (ERTS), Activision (ATVI), Konami (KNM), Take Two (TTWO), THQ (THQI) QualComm Inches Past Forecasts; Shares Rise QualComm shares rose 3% yesterday when the company reported its fiscal Q1 profit had edged past forecasts. The company benefited from increased consumer interest in technology that enables cellphones to surf the Internet and download videos. Adjusted net income came in at $722 million, or $0.43/share, up 2% sequentially and 8% above a year ago. Analysts were expecting EPS of $0.42. Quarterly sales were $2.02 billion, flat with last quarter and up 16% from the year-ago level, against analyst expectations of $2.07 billion. QualComm is in a legal battle with Nokia over royalties on license agreements that will expire on April 9. Nokia is trying to slash the royalties it pays for its CDMA and WCDMA licenses, and any failure to pay those royalties could cut into QualComm’s EPS. The company forecasts a rise in the average selling price for CDMA phones to about $217 this quarter, up from prior guidance of $205. Qualcomm is forecasting adjusted earnings for fiscal Q2 flat with Q1 at $0.43 on revenues of $2.05 billion versus Street expectations of $0.43 on $2.1 billion. QualComm is offering full-year guidance of about $1.43 in pro forma EPS on $8.35 billion. Analysts are forecasting $1.78 in adjusted profit on $8.55 billion in revenue for fiscal 2007. Sources: Bloomberg, TheStreet.com, Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch (I, II [press release]). Conference call transcripts: F1Q07 (Qtr End 12/31/06) Related commentary: Nokia-QUALCOMM’s Battle Royale, Qualcomm’s Empire Is Under Siege, Cell Phone Makers: Nokia May Run, But Qualcomm’s On An End Run Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: QualComm Inc. (QCOM). Competitors: Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN), Broadcom Corp. (BRCM). ETFs: Broadband HOLDRs (BDH), Wireless HOLDRs (WMH), NASDAQ 100 Trust Shares (QQQQ), Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) Siemens to Buy UGS for $3.5 Billion, Sources Claim Engineering conglomerate Siemens AG is close to purchasing UGS Corp., a Texan manufacturer of product lifecycle management software, for $3.5 billion including debt, according to the Wall Street Journal. UGS, which is privately owned, had revenues just shy of $1.2 billion and $241 million in operating profit in fiscal 2005. Siemens will also sell a minority stake in VDO Automotive, its automotive-electronics unit, through an IPO. VDO Automotive made 10 billion ($13 billion) in revenue and 669 million in operating profit in the most recent fiscal year ended Sept. 30. These moves are part of an overall restructuring of Siemens begun in January 2005 by CEO Klaus Kleinfeld, who has already made acquisitions worth about $10 billion, including the 4.2 billion purchase of Bayer AG’s medical-diagnostics division last June. The restructuring is designed to sharpen the company’s focus on three areas: energy and environment, automation in public and private infrastructure, and healthcare. UGS will become part of Siemens’s highly profitable factory-automation unit. Siemens is in the midst of a fraud investigation that has temporarily scuppered a telecommunications equipment JV with Nokia. Sources: Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch Related commentary: Nokia-Siemens Telecom JV Delayed, But Not Dead, Siemens and IBM Ink Joint IT Deal with German Army, Siemens Fuel Cell Test Results Exceed SECA Requirements Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (SI). Competitors: Alcatel-Lucent (ALU), General Electric Co. (GE), Hitachi Ltd. (HIT) INTERNET EBay Profit Up 24%; Sales Beat Street EBay shares rose 12.8% to $33.88 in extended trading yesterday when the company announced a 24% jump in Q4 earnings. The company posted EPS of $0.25 for Q4, or $346 million. Revenues jumped 29% to $1.7 billion, beating Street expectations of $1.67 billion. Excluding expenses, eBay made $0.31 in EPS, ahead of the $0.28 Street forecast. For the full year, eBay projects EPS of $1.25-1.29 on revenues of $7.05-7.3 billion versus Street forecasts $1.23 EPS on $7.15 billion in revenue. EBay altered its Marketplaces business this quarter to positive effect: the unit showed $1.2 billion in Q4 revenue, 24% over last year. eBay’s gross merchandise volume, or amount of goods sold, reached $14.4 billion, a 20% y/y gain. PayPal, eBay’s payment service, saw quarterly revenue of $417 million, a 37% y/y growth rate. PayPal performed well despite the launch of rival Google’s Checkout service. EBay’s telephony service, Skype, enjoyed 164% y/y revenue growth to $66 million. The company benefited from holiday shopping for popular items, like the Nintendo Wii, that were hard to find elsewhere. EBay’s board has approved a repurchase of up to $2 billion of the company’s stock over the next two years. Earlier this month, eBay bought online ticket-reseller StubHub for $310 million, a purchase expected to add up to $120 million to 2007 revenue. Sources: MarketWatch [press release]), TheStreet.com, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal. Conference call transcripts: Q4 2006 Related commentary: eBay’s PayPal Dominates Over Google Checkout, eBay Acquires Online Ticket Broker StubHub, Can eBay Stay Ahead? Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: eBay Inc. (EBAY). Competitors: Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Google Inc. (GOOG), uBid.com Holdings, Inc. (UBHI.OB). ETFs: Internet HOLDRs (HHH), First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index (FDN) MEDIA Netflix’s Beat and Raise Quarter Sends Shares Flying Netflix Inc. reported 4Q06 profits that although much lower than the previous-year quarter, topped consensus estimates and sent the stock flying in after hours action. The strength of its most recent quarter can largely be pinned on the addition of 654,000 new. That amounted to net earnings of $14.9 million, good for EPS of $0.21 versus the year-earlier period when Netflix reported profits of $38.2 million, EPS of $0.57), bolstered by a tax gain of $34.9 million accounting for $0.52 of the quarter’s EPS. Average analyst EPS estimates totaled just $0.15. Revenue shot up as a result of the new subscribers, totaling $277.2 million, a 44% gain versus the prio-year period ($193 million). The large number of new subscribers brings Netflix’s customer count to 6.3 million through December 2006. The company expects to end 2007 with between 8-8.4 million subscribers on revenue of $1.25 billion-$1.3 billion. Looking towards next quarter, Netflix projected net income of $9-$13 million (EPS of $0.13-$0.18) exceeding analysts’ estimates of $0.11 a share. Netflix shares surged $2.50, or 10.99%, to $25.25 in after-hours trading after gaining $0.99, or 4.55%, to $22.75 during regular trading yesterday. Sources: Netflix Q4 2006, Press Release, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch Related commentary: Video On Demand: The Real Threat To Netflix and Blockbuster?, Total Access Gives Blockbuster Credibility To Compete With Netflix, Coming Soon to Your PC: Netflix Movies. Conference call transcripts: Netflix Q4 2005 Earnings Conference Call Transcript (NFLX) Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Netflix Inc. (NFLX). Competitors: Apple, Inc. (AAPL), Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), Blockbuster Inc. (BBI), Hastings Entertainment Inc. (HAST), Movie Gallery Inc. (MOVI) RETAIL Wal-Mart Reshuffles Marketing Team Wal-Mart has reshuffled its U. S. marketing team in hopes of stimulating sales growth after a year of costly merchandising errors. Chief Marketing Officer John Fleming, architect of the company’s failed attempt to appeal to more up-market consumers, will be shifted to the position of Chief Merchandising Officer. In that capacity, he will be responsible for the company’s grocery, entertainment, home and clothing divisions. Senior marketing VP Stephen Quinn will assume Fleming’s former role, in what is perceived to be a move toward more promotional marketing. Claire Watts, formerly executive VP of apparel and home merchandising, will now be responsible only for apparel. The company has also selected two new ad agencies to replace agencies that were awkwardly hired and fired last year. The reshuffled executives will report to Eduardo Castro-Wright, who became president of Wal-Mart’s U.S. unit last October. Wal-Mart will also make new appointments in food, entertainment and home decor. Three individuals have resigned over the past few weeks: the head of procurement, head of marketing for Sam’s Club, and corporate treasurer for Sam’s Club. The pharmacy and optical division will remain under the management of Bill Simon, the prime mover behind Wal-Mart’s $4 prescription generic-drug program. Sources: MarketWatch (I, II [press release], III, IV) Related commentary: Walmart: Looking Forward to Better Times, Retail Sector Closes the Year on (Mostly) Down Note, Wal-Mart: Priced At a Discount With Room to Grow Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT). Competitors: Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST), Target Corp. (TGT). ETFs: Retail HOLDRs (RTH), Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC), Market 2000 HOLDRs (MKH), iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index (IWF) TRANSPORT AND AEROSPACE Boeing Decides to Abandon Wireless in 787: Speed Bump or Speed Boost? The Wall Street Journal reports Boeing plans to scrap plans to install wireless in-flight entertainment in its 787 “Dreamliner,” which is scheduled for its first flight in May 2008. While this could raise concerns over other development issues, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports Mike Sinnett, director of 787 systems, said it will not delay delivery and instead, “… will actually make it easier for us.” Two issues forced Boeing into abandoning its wireless plans: (1) bandwidth limitations and (2) regulatory difficulties in receiving approval with some countries for use of certain wireless frequencies. Sinnett said Boeing will reduce equipment weight by 150 pounds using traditional wiring and the configuration will allow carriers to change seat layouts. Separately, Bloomberg reports UAE-based Emirates plans to order 12 additional Boeing 777-300ERs valued at $3b due to delays for the Airbus A380, adding to its 54 777s already on order. Emirates is the A380s biggest customer with 45 planes on order. Boeing’s shares have faced selling pressure after a downgrade by Wachovia on Monday. Boeing reports Q4 and full-year earnings Jan. 31 before the market opens. Sources: Bloomberg, Seattle P-I, WSJ Related commentary: Boeing Shares Fall on Wachovia Downgrade, Airbus Should Get Cracking On a Regional Jet Program, Boeing Sets New Order Records in ‘06 Potentially impacted stocks and ETFs: Boeing (BA). Competitor: EADS (Paris: 005730). ETFs: DIAMONDS Trust, Series 1 (DIA), iShares Dow Jones US Aerospace & Defense (ITA), Vanguard Industrials (VIS), Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) FINANCIAL Sony Financial IPO Talks Heat Up; PS3 Launch Date Set for Europe The Wall Street Journal reports “speculation is growing” that Sony will sell shares of its financial arm, Sony Financial Holdings, as early as April, in a long-awaited IPO that could reach 400b ($3.3b). Bloomberg says it may have a market value of 960b ($8b) noting Sony’s corporate rules require it keep at least a 50% stake. This could be one of the largest IPOs in Japan this year, similar in size to last year’s 380b Aozora Bank IPO, the largest in Japan in eight years. It is unclear exactly when the IPO will happen, but Bloomberg reports a Sony spokesman said it could be as early as Apr. 1. The WSJ cites sources who say Nomura Securities and JP Morgan Sec. are the underwriters. The IPO is part of Sony’s strategy to focus more on its core electronics businesses. Separately, Sony announced today its PlayStation 3 will launch in Europe and Australasia on Mar. 23 for 599/ 425/A$999.95/NZ$1199.95. Initially only the 60GB version will be available based on expected consumer demand. Also, Sony announced Sony Life Insurance Co. will establish a 50/50 JV in Japan with Aegon NV, the second-largest Dutch insurer. Operations are expected to begin early next year pending final agreement and approval. A Japan-based Merrill Lynch analyst responded to the news saying, “It’s a growing area and a positive move. Still, it seems the timing is a bit late and I don’t get a strong impression from Aegon in this business.” Sources: WSJ, Bloomberg, Sony press releases [I, II] Related commentary: Sony Ericsson Triples Profits in 4Q06, Sony PS2: Top-Selling Game Console During Holidays, Sony Soars on Goldman Upgrade Potentially impact