2009年8月27日星期四

Cost Plus reports smaller loss in 2Q

OAKLAND, Calif. – Specialty home retailer Cost Plus Inc. said Thursday its fiscal second-quarter loss narrowed as the company cut costs to offset lower sales of big-ticket items such as living room and dining room furniture.

Its loss for the quarter that ended Aug. 1 narrowed to $20.8 million, or 94 cents per share, from $26.6 million, or $1.21 per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue fell 13 percent to $183.4 million from $210.7 million last year.

Sales in Cost Plus stores open at least one year, a key retail metric known as same-store sales, fell 10.9 percent during the quarter. The company had forecast a same-store sales decline between 9.5 percent and 14.5 percent.

It said same-store sales fell because the average ticket per customer fell 8 percent — mainly due to lower dining and living furniture sales — and because 3.4 percent fewer shoppers made it to the checkout.

Retailers have reduced their inventory of more expensive items such as furniture to cut costs amid the recession.

Selling, general and administrative expenses fell 15 percent because of other cost-cutting measures such as closing stores, which lowered payroll, and trims in advertising and other expenses.



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Converse Chuck Taylor Hi Strap - Fall/Winter 09


Converse Chuck Taylor Hi Strap - Fall/Winter ‘09

Converse Chuck Taylor Hi Strap - Fall/Winter ‘09

Converse’s designs incite the heart of humanity, and inspire the soul of sportsmanship to achieve the Holy Grail of mankind’s existence, immortality in fame and renown. This creation is their own contribution to that quest, as it is highly likley that they will achieve as much with such a successful work of art.

This superb work is dominant in the endless history of sneaker creation with its refinement and style. And it’s going to conquer the future of sneaker world with its courage and perfection. There’s not much else than can be said. This is convincing, strong, and stylish. Qualities that you’d seek in a design from Converse at any time.

They will be released in Fall/winter.



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Air Jordan Flight 45 - White - Carolina Blue


Air Jordan Flight 45 - White - Carolina Blue

Air Jordan Flight 45 - White - Carolina Blue

The Air Jordan Flight 45 - White - Carolina Blue is a powerful fusion that will cause sneakerlovers to see bursting UFOs before their eyes pretty soon. The extraterresterials have increased the frequency of their visits to world these days, and there’s every indication that the cause is the release of these pairs. It’s clear that the Martians don’t want to go without their favorite sneakers.

And to be sure, by wearing this Air Jordan Flight 45 your leaps and kicks will be so fast and sharp that you may well find yourself dancing with the UFO’s in in your first attempt to breach the atmosphere. To make the experiment, you should catch your pair from Marqueesole. Via Sneakernews.com




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2009年8月26日星期三

The Beijing News: Medical information disclosure is not only a matter for the hospital

Of course, it must be recognized that information disclosure is only to solve medical and health information technology, asymmetric means to belong to a stopgap policy, the fundamental solution lies in the supply and demand of medical services at two levels scheme.



Recently, the Ministry of Health on "medical and health institutions to implement information disclosure approach" (hereinafter referred to as "methods"), extensively solicit public views. "Procedures" specify that hospitals should focus on public health service prices, seven categories of information. ( "Beijing News" August 25)



Medical and health institutions as a medical and health system, one of the terminals, to provide true and reliable public source of information is supposed to its statutory responsibility.



The implementation of the medical and health information disclosure, an important reason is that this industry has a serious information asymmetry. Medical services was concentrated expertise: good health or not, the severity of the disease need to take medicine disposal, the patient has no ability to distinguish, everything depends on the doctor's look Smelling cut. It is a monopoly of information by virtue of this technology, the patient's medical consumer behavior have complete control over the hands of a doctor's prescription --- big red envelope kickbacks and excessive medical and other strange status quo, are the source for this.



And other goods and services are different, medicine consumption is often difficult to pre-determined price. While China's medical services and drugs are already being implemented strict price controls, but this means that a lower nominal prices, however, the actual price is another matter. Whether to buy a TV, or enjoy the travel agency services, there were not clearly marked in advance, the customer has a price before the full right to choose. Medical services are not, a pre-agreed standards for fees and medicines can not be the actual cost of a fixed limit. As the complexity of disease and individual differences, the doctor may have different treatment options, the prices are also nominal He also goes to be hundreds of combinations of the cost difference is heaven and on earth. With a cold, ranging from two hundred to spend, while in a thousand dollars, is hardly new.



Is for this reason alone, the open medicine prices and fees, for the people, but more than mere symbolic significance. Proposed "measures" might be more in-depth step, the actual cost of medical services to include, such as in-patient public hospital out-patient meeting all costs, the average cost of medicines in different disease, and other information, and different hospitals in different diseases, the average costs of comparison, the public will see a doctor prior to the actual price of the medicine a relatively clear-cut judgments can be made "shop around" and rational choice, but also conducive to promoting competition in the hospital. Of course, this price information platform is not only a hospital can to whom the health sector should assume the information collection, analysis, comparison and release functions.



In fact, the price of in-depth medical and health services open, Beijing has been trying. From the second half of 2002, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau to the public some hospitals in Beijing, "acute appendicitis, nodular goiter, benign ovarian tumors, uterine fibroids, ectopic pregnancy, cesarean section" and six kinds of single disease The average cost of hospitalization and hospital stay of indicators. This measure has achieved good social effects. However, such disclosure of the diseases covered by little, excluding only for hospital out-patient clinic, and the range is only part of Beijing's hospitals, there is much room for improvement.



Of course, it must be recognized that information disclosure is only to solve medical and health information technology, asymmetric means to belong to a stopgap policy, the fundamental solution lies in the supply and demand of medical services at two levels scheme. Some experts believe that, because health care information asymmetry, so the Government can not open up the medical services market, otherwise there will be more supply-induced demand, medical expenses will be accelerated. The logic and practical experience poles apart, may I ask: compare the full competition and monopolies, under conditions in which unscrupulous business practices and will be less? The correct logic with these experts, advocates the opposite: the regional health planning and tax policies to encourage access, should make significant policy adjustments, to mobilize all the resources can be mobilized supply, through full competition to restrain supply-side behavior to reduce their information monopoly advantage.



In addition to supply-side constraints, the demand-side constraints are also essential. With only the individual patient, it is difficult with the hospital the doctor's professional knowledge and skill to compete. Health insurance institutions as the purchaser of the concentration of agent, can be professional and technical strength and service management tools to make up for this deficiency. Similarly, the district where the limited power of individual owners, but once the group transformed into owners associations negotiating power, the property situation of one party dominance probably should have been balanced. (This article Source: The Beijing News)



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Bin Hu and India: Public mayor elected to comply with procedures in the name of fake public opinion

The public is not particularly concerned about the elected officials have the right of future generations. After the public officials concerned about is that even if elected, he should follow the basic procedure to achieve a minimum of procedural justice. In other words, Gushi County, even if the particular want government officials to share even after the election of rights, but also should design a set of image point kind of procedures to allow the public a sense of participation, see the past, think it is useful to do with their relationship.



Author: Bin Hu India



Gushi County, Henan Province in 2008, the selection Zheng Keji county officials and county bureau-level cadres appointments, the "open" selection of the township and village heads (Zheng Keji) cadres, the cadres, mostly children and the two county real estate the boss's relatives. Gushi County Standing Committee, the Organization Department of Hui Zhou acknowledged that the public elected the last 12 village chiefs and indeed, after mostly government officials. The Ministers of the Organization said: "They have been elected terms, should elected officials have no right after it?" ( "Guangzhou Daily" August 25)



Questioned by the public a clear-cut: how the public and elected officials, village chiefs actually mostly children? The Ministers of the Organization's response and forcefully: the children of eligible officials, should have no right to election to begin? This dispute is not likely to have a clear conclusion. Because in the public election of Gushi County, township and village heads on this matter, we are the Government's wish to see more freedom of expression, public opinion is so thin, so can only be cynical in a way to express their dissatisfaction.



Gushi County, according to the interpretation of, this election is divided into three steps to the public, the first step, consistent with 43 years of age, Ren Fu Keji two years or more conditions such as recommend yourself out of more than 270 last Zijian. The second step, after the county department level, Zheng Keji on behalf of veteran cadres, there are more than 300 people voted, and launch more than 60 people. The third step, after several days of inspection, the Standing Committee and other officials from the county more than 50 people vote for mayor the last 12. We see that the first step the time being could not see any, are eligible to enter the big list of people who are cadres above the county Fu Keji basically see a portion; lies in the second step, third step, if there The so-called tricky words, but also these two steps. 300 people voting group are those people? The old and new leadership. Such a program designed from the start to play inside in the official groups around in circles, circling circle. The last election who is not a bureaucracy in the various forces game winner, is the elite who split up the spoils game winners, and "public opinion" has nothing to do.



I think the public is not particularly concerned about the elected officials have the right of future generations. After the public officials concerned about is that even if elected, he should follow the basic procedure to achieve a minimum of procedural justice. In other words, Gushi County, even if the particular want government officials to share even after the election of rights, but also should design a set of image point kind of procedures to allow the public a sense of participation, see the past, think it is useful to do with their relationship. In this way, the results of the last elected before they have credibility, rather than incur a wide range of questions.



How can I be considered "decent program" mean? Now known as "Public Choice", want to come there should be more broadly representative, Or we can say there is the public will participate. Gushi County, the public can not see the election from start to finish has always been the involvement of public opinion, are among current and former officials, "Public Choice", needless to say the selection of the general public, that is, the ordinary cadres inside the county can not participate in the selection, Such a "public election" is clearly not a representative of the broad, far from public participation. The list came out, elected people's delineation, but also a coterie of the game, so programming does not want to speculate on people criticized bad if it tried.



Can be a closer look at another one of "public election." August 12, Hubei Province in 2009 started interviewing the public and selecting cadres examination, and different from the past is that this interview for the first time the public opening of the judges in order to enhance the people's right of public participation in cadre selection and influence. 39 judges, there are nine leading cadre or by an expert jury composed of experts and scholars, while 30 others are the public judge, the public will account for an interview the judges scoring the total score of 20%. ( "Chutian Metropolis Daily," August 13) It was revealed that 30 popular judges, 10 were party representatives, the deputies and CPPCC members, 10 were exam-oriented units, cadres and workers who apply for and 10 people apply for units The service targets. The participation of the public judges, natural selection will make the public because of the involvement of public opinion show vigor and vitality. (This article Source: China Youth Daily)

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2009年8月24日星期一

魔兽欲接过娱乐之王火炬:明年扣篮大赛演惊天暴扣

新浪体育讯 北京时间8月24日,“魔兽”霍华德来到上海,开始他今夏的访华之旅。而在他临行之前,他接受了ESPN电视台的专访,这个可爱的大个子实话实说,表示自己至今没有摆脱总决赛失利阴影,所以他这个夏天在球馆挥汗苦练,他这个赛季要做一个好的终结者,成为球队合格的领袖。

  不过,这个搞怪的大活宝,还是不失幽默本色。ESPN主持人询问他:“奥尼尔下个赛季将正式加入骑士,你还是真正的‘超人’吗?”霍华德笑了起来:“每一个人都在问我超人的事情,我感到非常有趣。自从我那次在扣篮大赛上赢得冠军后,每一个人都开始叫我超人。这很好玩。”

  主持人的问题追着而来,“现在,球迷会感觉哪个才是真正的超人呢?你还是沙克?”尽管比起“娱乐之王”奥尼尔,霍华德的资历还浅得多,但是小伙子也毫不示弱,“球迷会做出不同的选择,我们是两种不同的类型,两种不同性格的人,有了这种比较,会更为有趣。”

  自从“魔兽”在2008年全明星赛上身披红斗篷,空中飞扣,震撼全场之后,霍华德从此就多了“超人”的这个绰号,这多少让奥尼尔有些不爽,后者在几次场合都表示,他才是真正的“超人”。霍华德并不在意,上个赛季的全明星,就在菲尼克斯,霍华德表现出很高的姿态,他是灌篮大赛最大的夺冠热门,但是他在决赛中情愿站在那里,让“小土豆”内特·罗宾逊飞身越过扣篮,震惊赛场,成全了后者的冠军,“魔兽”屈居亚军。

  ESPN主持人又说起这个段子,他问道:“上赛季全明星扣篮大赛,你因为成全内特-罗宾逊,让他越过你的头顶,没有获得冠军。下赛季,你还会再这样做吗?”

  霍华德在这里透露了一个很大的秘密,他说他会在明年全明星扣篮大赛上,演绎出两个高难度、此前扣篮大赛历史上都没有出现的全新扣篮动作。“我一直在球馆练球,我一直在练习新的扣篮动作。我练了两个新动作,之前没有任何人做过,现在也没有其他人看过我这两个动作。真的,历史上就没有做过,从前的扣篮大赛从来没有过。”

  霍华德对于这两个动作非常自信,相信它们一定能够引爆扣篮大赛,“具体什么动作我不能说,但很难,会非常有趣。下一次,不会再有人飞过的头顶,内特·罗宾逊不会,勒布朗·詹姆斯魔兽欲接过娱乐之王火炬:明年扣篮大赛演惊天暴扣 也不会。”

  显然,霍华德想通过新一届的扣篮大赛,稳固他灌篮冠军的地位。同时,他也想从奥尼尔手里,接过NBA新一代“娱乐之王”的火炬。(沧海)




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阿泰版最佳防守阵容:公牛三剑聚齐 野兽让位皮蓬

新浪体育讯 北京时间8月24日 罗恩-阿泰斯特最近在网上与火箭球迷打起了嘴仗,不过野兽在微博客上也不光只是胡言乱语,当有球迷问他心目中的全时期最佳防守阵容时,阿泰给出了自己的答案。

  阿泰斯特以顽强的防守著称,曾经获得过年度最佳防守球员奖,而他眼中的全时期最佳防守阵容还是比较循规蹈矩的。在控球后卫位置上,阿泰选择了前超音速队明星加里-佩顿。佩顿当年有“手套”的称号,断球能力超强。得分后卫位置,阿泰的选择毫无争议,那就是迈克尔-乔丹。

  在小前锋的选择上,阿泰没有失去以往的个性,他把自己放在这个位置上。不过立刻有网友提出了质疑,反问阿泰,斯科蒂-皮蓬不好吗?阿泰非常知趣地回答:“你说得对。在我拿到总冠军戒指之前,我要把自己删掉换上皮蓬。”

  对于大前锋,阿泰斯特选择了和自己有些相似的丹尼斯-罗德曼。“大虫”当年也是一个混世魔王,但球技绝对没得说,篮板球技艺炉火纯青。

  罗德曼曾经脚踹场边摄影师,阿泰曾经殴打奥本山宫殿的球迷。就连选择球衣号码,两人也都与众不同。罗德曼早年在活塞和马刺都穿10号,到公牛队 后他要了大号码91号,在湖人和小牛,他又分别穿了73号和70号。阿泰斯特当年在公牛队穿15号,转投步行者之后曾换穿23号和91号,到了国王队他又 改成93号。上赛季在火箭队,阿泰选择了96号,此番签约湖人,他将穿起37号球衣。现在阿泰再一次拷贝了罗德曼,他投奔到“禅师”菲尔-杰克逊帐下,效 果有待新赛季来验证。

  最后一个中锋位置,阿泰斯特留给了资格最老的球星比尔-拉塞尔,表达了他对凯尔特人王朝的敬意。

  阿泰斯特全时期最佳防守阵容:

  控球后卫:加里-佩顿(主要效力球队:超音速,湖人,热火)

  得分后卫:迈克尔-乔丹(公牛,奇才)

  小前锋:第一选择斯科蒂-皮蓬(公牛,火箭,开拓者),第二选择阿泰斯特(如果夺得总冠军)

  大前锋:丹尼斯-罗德曼(活塞,马刺,公牛,湖人,小牛)

  中锋:比尔-拉塞尔(凯尔特人)




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