Gourmet coffee machines head to Stratford - The Connecticut Post Online
Daly Stephen J. Winters John Hourihan James H. Daly Ken Dixon John Hourihan James H. Smith Peter Urban Stephen J. Gourmet coffee machines head to Stratford RICHARD WEIZEL Article Last Up d: 04 28 2008 10:37:44 PM EDT STRATFORD & 8212; For decades, a nearly century-old, quaint brick building on Soundview Avenue was the home of a local favorite: French Baking.
Generations of Stratford residents drove by the bakery in the early morning just to smell the gourmet breads, rolls and pies made there & 8212; and many still miss the bakery's tasty delights since it closed about a year ago. But a different kind of international aroma will soon emanate from the building: gourmet coffees and espresso brewed in $15,000 espresso coffee machines. While the beverages will not be for sale at the site, hundreds of the machines will be stored there and sold to distributors around the world.
In addition, the distributors who sell the coffee makers will gather there every month to learn how to use the high-end machines and their changing technology, which are sold to gourmet restaurants, cafes and hotels in more than 80 countries.
The company, LaSpaziale-USA, part of an international company based in Italy, will be moving and expanding its American operations to the former French Baking building.
That became official last week when the town's Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve the company's special-exception application to relocate its Seattle warehouse to the Stratford site. Gourmet espresso and cappuccino are no longer just Italian drinks; they are global beverages, and the home company in Italy that makes the machines has decided to expand in the United States," said Assaad Advertisement Benabid, president of the company's American operations. We are excited to be staying in Fairfield County and love Stratford," Benabid said.
We wanted a quaint, historic-looking building on the outside, but on the inside we intend to create a state-of-the-art, modern facility." Benabid said the company intends to invest about $1 million to buy and renovate the building, then move its operations there by the end of summer or early fall. We view this as bringing tradition and modern technology together," Benabid said. We do a lot of training because we are constantly updating the technology with new methods to produce our products."
Zoning officials said the business is rare venture but one they believe will fit in Stratford. It's definitely a unique company, but makes a lot of sense on a piece of property that had been vacant for so long and will be made viable for the tax rolls," said Zoning Commission Chairman Chris Silhavey. I miss the French bakery as much as anyone, but this is a perfect business to replace it.
Even though the outside has fallen into disrepair, it's a nice old brick building that will be preserved for a thriving and growing company." Planning and Zoning Administrator Gary Lorentson said while the building is in a residential zone, the previous business use can be grandfathered as long as the new business maintains the same or more restricted nature as the old use.
I guess we'll just have to get used to the smell of gourmet coffee instead of fresh bread and rolls," Silhavey quipped.
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Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
Over 300 delegates are expected to attend the 2-day sessions, including high profile participation from Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA).
According to a press release on Tuesday, speakers from Pakistan and international markets representing global organizations will deliver business and technical papers highlighting the issues and opportunities that will sustain the future of telecommunications in Pakistan.
President and chief executive officer of Mobilink, Zouhair A Khaliq will address the delegates on Connectivity and Mobility. He said, "We are happy to be part of TeleCON"2008 considering that it has attracted large participation from leading telecoms of the country. Home Business Share this story!
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Razorfish co-founder offering advice again Tech news blog - CNET News.com
Venture capital firm Austin Ventures is putting up $50 million to back Dachis' new venture, a consultancy that plans to help companies use social networks as well as sell them the software tools they need. Razorfish eventually made a comeback of sorts and was acquired by aQuantive and renamed Avenue A Razorfish. So what does Dachis know about social networking? It's hard to tell from his bio.
He was a senior partner at Bond Art and Science, a firm "specializing in information architecture and user experience design," according to a press release from Austin Ventures. Back in 2001, with Razorfish, the company he cofounded 1995, in full nosedive, pundits asked whether the company's meteoric rise was due to Dachis' skill or luck. I guess we'll see.
Subscribe to this blog Click this link to view this blog as XML. In Atlantic v. Howell, Judge Neil V. Decker's stock and stock option compensation, as … Read more Reports of 'GTA IV' freezing-up problems Posted in Geek Gestalt by Daniel Terdiman April 29, 2008 5:26 PM PDT Uh-oh. For all the champagne toasts that are no doubt going on over at Take-Two Interactive and its subsidiary Rockstar Games over the grand launch day of Grand Theft Auto IV, there's a bit of a dark cloud brewing.
Intel, Texas Instruments, Infineon, and Panasonic said Tuesday that they are working on a home-networking standard that uses electrical and phone lines and coaxial cable that consumers already have … Read more Blabatocracy's new mantra: All Jeremiah Wright, All the Time Posted in Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper April 29, 2008 5:10 PM PDT If my hunch is right, Chris Tolles has a better shot at representing the future of media than does Chris Matthews and his ilk.
And that would be so fine by me--and probably lots of you, as well. Coop's Corner by Charles Cooper Charles Cooper weighs in on Silicon Valley hijinks, and he doesn't suffer fools gladly. Defense in Depth by Robert Vamosi Covering the latest in computer viruses and computer crime. Green Tech Fresh green tech news and commentary. One More Thing by Tom Krazit Tom Krazit takes on the tech phenomenon that is Apple, and keeps a close watch on the chip industry.
Outside the Lines by Dan Farber When business and technology meet, that's when things get interesting. The Iconoclast by Declan McCullagh Exploring the intersection of politics and technology. The Social by Caroline McCarthy Exploring all facets of social media and tech culture. Underexposed by Stephen Shankland Coverage of digital photography, science, and open-source software.
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Lotus crashes into Balcombe garden - Bognor Today
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The Canadian Press: Consumer groups call for changes to provincial insurance regulations
The regulations, which were changed in October 2003, increased the deductible for compensation awards from $15,000 to $30,000 and placed an increased burden of responsibility on victims to prove real harm after an accident. In 2003, insurance companies registered a profit of $2.5 billion, rising to $4.7 billion in 2007, Halpern said.
It's bad for Ontarians and it's bad for business," he said at the outset of a two-day auto insurance summit where consumer advocates squared off against industry representatives. Halpern also fired a salvo at George Cooke, CEO of Dominion Insurance Company of Canada, who was sitting at a table only metres from the podium. Let's look at Mr. Cooke's company," said Halpern, noting that Dominion increased dividends paid to its parent company from $40 million to $60 million last year despite a drop in net operating income.
Congratulations, Mr. Cooke: auto insurance is a good business." Halpern said insurance companies operate outside regular market forces and have successfully lobbied the government for regulatory changes rather than adopting fiscally responsible business practices. His comments came after Cooke delivered a speech attacking the adversarial stance that lawyers take when dealing with insurance companies.
Referring to an article on the Ontario Bar Association's website criticizing insurance companies for earning more by offering less, Cooke said that "kind of practice destroys credibility very quickly." Surely consumers deserve a thoughtful and accurate representation of facts, and not dramatic misrepresentation." Cooke also called into question the legal profession's practice of taking between 30 to 50 per cent of injury settlements for themselves.
Former associate chief justice Coulter Osborne, who was hired by Ontario's Liberal government in 2006 to improve access to civil courts, likened the $30,000 deductible to a "tax on pain." Osborne said the 2003 regulatory changes have become "direct barriers to justice" and need to be taken under "serious consideration."
The Ontario legislature plans to reopen the debate over the regulations this fall. Adrienne Seggie, whose son was killed by an alleged street racer 18 months ago, said the $30,000 deductible for pain, suffering and personal injury adds "insult to injury." Seggie said each of her four remaining kids can claim about $30,000 in damages for their brother's death, but each settlement is subject to a separate $15,000 deductible.
Marie Smith, president of the United Senior Citizens of Ontario, said current provincial regulations are unacceptable and discriminate against seniors. I feel this is just another form of elder abuse," she said, adding that seniors can't sue for lost income after an accident.
She said the $30,000 deductible prevents grandparents from obtaining any compensation for the death of a grandchild. If I was suing for a grandchild, I can only get $15,000 and they take $30,000, so I get nothing," she said. Hosted by Copyright © 2008 The Canadian Press.
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TheStar.com Horoscopes Horoscopes for Tuesday, April 29
Of course, it is also a good time for reflection and dreaming, so let your mind wander. Beware, too, of deceptive words and false promises. If today is your birthday : Things may seem tense, but if your heart is in the right place, everything in your world will fall into place.
This year, a benign universe promises that wonderful plans will come to fruition. Happy birthday to Uma Thurman, 38, and Jerry Seinfeld, 54. Aries (March 21 - April 20) Some weeks are better than others.
This coming week is going to be one of the good ones, unless you misconstrue a few signals and start weaving a web of problems of out of nothing. Taurus (April 21 - May 20) We all view life events through the murky window of subjective vision. Sometimes we see problems only to later discover we have misread the situation. You're about to find you're actually better off than you think.
Gemini (May 21 - June 21) If you find yourself caught up in any misunderstandings, they will prove transitory. Your heart knows what to do and your head is well positioned, too. You will see through a complicated predicament with perspicacity. Cancer (June 22 - July 22) Some of us try to learn from our mistakes while others seem to endlessly repeat them, spending their lives living in remorse. Do not chastise yourself now over something that is best forgotten.
22) It's hard to resist the temptation to look back over your shoulder in case trouble is following you, but other than a few minor nuisances, you're in the clear. 23 - Sept. 22) To be a Virgo is be a walk in perfection. You are well equipped to sort out a stupid mess of someone else's creation. Do not hesitate to humour those complicating a simple issue. 23 - Oct. 23) If you speak your mind, you risk making yourself unpopular.
But if you don't speak up, you are not likely to feel very good about yourself. Do what you must, but use diplomacy and discretion. 24 - Nov. 22) Don't completely write off an old emotional investment. It may never pay dividends in the way that you expected, but that doesn't mean you have been wasting your time. You're in for a good surprise. 23 - Dec. 21) You have accomplished great things, but you are reeling from the effort. A trying situation has taken its toll and every resource has been taxed to the limit.
It's been tough, but things are about to get better. 22 - Jan. 20) Your obsession for perfection will ease up once this lunar month comes to an end. A big obstacle to progress will disappear. 21 - Feb. 19) Your practical nature fears that reality may not match your high expectations.
Put aside your reservations as favourable cosmic considerations are working on your behalf. 20 - March 20) When stress become the norm, we become suspicious of harmonious normality. Don't rule out something wonderful just because you can't see what's wrong with it. Read Phil Booth at boothstars.com or at thestar.com horoscope.
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COLUMNIST: The seasonal thief of peace - Norton, MA - Norton Mirror
It's a gorgeous day, and I'm sitting on the porch basking in the glorious weather. The sun is shining; the birds are chirping; the kids are playing basketball in the driveway; happy people are walking by, waving and smiling; the weather is bringing out the best in everyone. The scene is almost perfect. Why do I say "almost"? Here's why: this otherwise idyllic scene is being marred by a loud, high-pitched, incessant whine coming from somewhere in the neighborhood.
This demonic noise pollution is being generated by that perennial destroyer of suburban peace, that dreadful, obnoxious machine I routinely describe as the absolute worst invention of the 20 th century. The vile, fiendish beast of which I speak is, of course, the leaf blower.
I think the inventor of the leaf blower should be incarcerated in one of those wooden stocks used as punishment in Colonial times, the ones which have a big hole in the middle for the head and two parallel side holes for the hands. That way, we could hold him captive and ask what on earth he was thinking when he came up with the idea for this diabolical contraption.
Alternatively, we could just turn a leaf blower on next to him and see how long it takes for him to be driven mad. Every fall and every spring, instead of listening to the natural sounds of the seasons, we are forced to listen to these infernal appliances. When their agonizing sound stops, it's akin to the moment when the dentist turns off the drill. Whatever happened to a good old-fashioned rake?
It's a wonderfully quiet and effective device & 8212; cheap, too. A rake provides the user with some nice physical exercise while enjoying the change of the season. It's folly to purge one's lawn of all leaves with a noxious, earsplitting leaf blower and then go out for a run. Exercise your arms, man. Many progressive communities have passed laws banning or at least restricting these infernal destroyers of suburban peace.
Twenty cities in California banned them years ago. Locally, aldermen in Newton, Massachusetts passed a proposal last month that would ban the use of leaf blowers, both the gas and electric versions, from April 15 to Oct. 15. You're on your own. A google search of the words "ban leaf blowers" produced 34,100 hits. The hatred of them apparently spans the east coast to the west.
One Web site pointed out the clever and apropos acronyms that anti-leaf-blower activists had come up with, to wit: Blowers Annoy Neighbors (BAN), Blowers Out of Town (BOOT), Zero Air Pollution (ZAP), Citizen Against Leaf Blowers in Menlo (CALM), and & 8212; my personal favorite & 8212; Ban Leaf Blowers and Save Our Town (BLAST).
The blasting noise from these ghastly beasts certainly keeps anyone within earshot from having any kind of unfettered blast. There are other negative factors beside the noise. Gas-powered leaf blowers not only emit noxious fumes, they are politically incorrect. Fossil fuel is a finite resource. Though the electric leaf blower purports to be an improvement over the gas-powered version, the ear-torture remains the same.
I loved the description written by Adrian Higgins, a writer for the Washington Post, in a November 2006 article about the growing controversy surrounding leaf blowers, in which he said electric leaf blowers "replace the gas engine's howls with a high-pitched scream that seems to gnaw at something deep in the brain." Is that an accurate description or what? My brain is being gnawed at as I write this.
Bring back the rake. Deborah Knight Snyder lives in Mansfield with her husband and three sons. She is a longtime correspondent for the Mansfield News. She can be reached at mansfield cnc.com. Comments Thank you for the abuse report. We will review the report and take appropriate action. Loading comments, please wait..
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Games simulate figure skater's life Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
It's the stuff of fantasy before you grow up. Both blend on-the-ice action with well-developed plots and light and lively minigames. Figure Skater, the fifth in Ubisoft's Imagine series for girls, simulates the life of a skater who's about 12. The character (girls name her) has an allowance-dispensing mom, a world-famous coach, a personal trainer, role models, a snippy rival, friends and a budding love interest.
Her world isn't just the ice rink. She interacts with characters via dialog boxes. The objective is to get to the world championship by winning town, city, state, regional and national competitions. As Coach Summers explains, talent won't get you there without hard work.
In the game, that means increasing stamina, coordination and artistry by playing minigames; practicing increasingly difficult moves by tracing different patterns; conversing with folks to "grow as a person"; and creating, rehearsing and performing routines. The minigames range from silly to clever, such as the curling contest.
Skating is neatly conveyed by use of the Nintendo DS stylus and touch screen, which translate into dazzling jumps and frazzling falls. Mia, the second in THQ's American Girl series, follows a similar pattern. Here, the main character is 10 and has a bigger posse - ex-Olympian coach, big brothers, parents, friends and others.
The plot has more heft, too, and some nice twists. Players carry out a succession of tasks to prepare for the town's winter skate show and then the regionals. For instance, rink manager Mr. Gunderson needs a torque wrench to fix the Beast or Mia won't be able to practice. In addition, Mia must design a program that has at least two different spins and jumps and is the same length as her music; find said music; and design a costume.
Practicing and performing entail quickly pressing arrows on the keyboard that match arrows on move icons. There are two minigames, one of them a dandy match-three that reminded me of Bejeweled with iridescent snowflakes. Both Figure Skater and Mia are a tad plot-heavy, which might frustrate players looking for an arcade experience. But stories give the games legs.
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Fugro acquires mapping services co BKS Surveys for undisclosed amount Latest News News Hemscott
Northern Ireland, from Amalgamated Metal Corp. BKS Surveys employs 100 and has an annual turnover of 6.2 million euros, Fugro said. The company, to be renamed Fugro-BKS, will fall under Fugro's geospatial services, which produces data-sets and maps. Mike Croall; mike.croall thomsonreuters.com mc hjp mc hjp COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.
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Affirmed vs. Alydar: ’78 Derby revived the sports - BostonHerald.com
An already famous rivalry between two chestnut colts was set to explode on the first Saturday in May. Whom to pick? Alydar, the strapping liver chestnut with all the glamour of the famed Calumet Farm behind him, versus Affirmed, champion 2-year-old with an 18-year-old Kentucky boy named Steve Cauthen on his back. Both had more statistics and sentiment than any fan could ask for.
Maybe Alydar had the edge. Just a few weeks before, he’d won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland by 13 lengths. He was a bit of a fairy-tale horse, a symbol not only of Calumet’s vaunted breeding stock but also of its resurrection as Lexington’s most famous thoroughbred farm.
The halcyon setting of red trim and white fences had produced eight Kentucky Derby winners, two Triple Crown horses - Whirlaway and Citation - in the 1940s, and a host of champion fillies. Affirmed might have played the upstart - he was born in Florida, after all - but he, too, had the goods, winning seven of nine starts in 1977, a year that ended with his Eclipse Award for best 2-year-old.
The symbols didn’t quite hold for the whole story, the one that follows the horses back to the barn and the breeding shed and happily ever after, but the crowd got its history, the start of one of the most exciting Triple Crown campaigns ever. The fact is," says racing historian Ed Bowen, "that this Triple Crown was the greatest contest in modern racing." That Derby Day was sunny and beautiful, as it nearly always seems to be.
Alydar’s trainer, 32-year-old John Veitch, had vanned him over from Calumet the day after the Blue Grass Stakes, and remembers a "media circus," with the theme of "Calu met’s return to prominence." Affirmed had plenty of fans as well, and his story was already deeply intertwined with that of Alydar. Affirmed was owned by Louis and Patrice Wolfson, who had a successful breeding and racing operation in Florida.
Patrice Wolfson was the daughter of famed trainer Hirsch Jacobs; Louis had bought Alydar’s sire Raise a Native as a yearling, the same horse who was Affirmed’s grandsire. Affirmed jockey Steve Cauthen had told the story of that Derby so many times over the years that it’s rote: The night before the Derby he’d slept on the floor of his family’s hotel room because it was his turn.
But he was used to it, and slept well, and the day of the race, tried to stay calm as he reviewed his and trainer Laz Barrera’s plan for the race. Then there was the walk up the track to the paddock, with the singing of the state song, and fans chanting "Alydar, Alydar." This was my first dance," Veitch said.
I’d won some big races before that, but there’s nothing like the Derby I it was magical." Finally, they were off, and there was Affirmed near the front. I got to the front because I really wanted to go when and if Alydar got close," Cauthen said. To me, he was always the horse I was going to have to beat to win the race." Once Affirmed got away from Sensitive Prince, "it pretty much happened as planned."
That is to say, Affirmed won the race from the second turn on without too much interference. In the beginning, Alydar was ninth, farther back in a race than he’d ever been, Veitch said. Although he rallied to second place, he still finished 11Z2 lengths behind Affirmed. 2008, Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.) Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
June 10, 1978. Affirmed won the race and thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. Related Articles Kentucky Derby clings to history on dirt as synthetics rise By Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. The dirt will be flying when 20 horses stampede around the first.. Gayego’s jockey believes he has Kentucky Derby under him By Neil Milbert LOUISVILLE, Ky. Gayego’s jockey, Mike Smith, and his final prep race,.. Derby has some dirty little secrets By Ed Gray LOUISVILLE, Ky.
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