2013年9月30日 星期一
J-14 Is The Fastest Growing Magazine On Facebook
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.儲存倉J., Sept. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Bauer Teen Network -- Bauer Publishing's digital teen division reaching 5 million unique users monthly and comprised of J-14.com, M-Magazine.com, TwistMagazine.com, 4TNZ.com, MissLiterati.com, QuizFest.com, and Blingee.com -- today announces that only three months after its relaunch, J-14 is now the fastest growing magazine on Facebook, organically growing Facebook fans faster than any other magazine on the market.J-14's Facebook page is increasing by more than 75,000 fans per week and with more people talking about it -- the actual number of people commenting, liking posts and sharing content -- than any other entertainment news page, J-14 has emerged as the most engaging entertainment news page across all of Facebook, already surpassing major sites like BuzzFeed, People, Us Weekly, and Seventeen.*Moreover, the title's website, .J-14.com, has grown 144% since the relaunch reaching 804,484 unique users in August, according to Google Analytics."The astounding number of our readers that are not only coming to J-14's digital properties as a daily destination but interacting and sharing our content is a testament to BTN's innovative approach in the digital space," Caroline Stanley, managing editor of Bauer Teen Network, said. "We've seen what the competition has done and their missteps. The reality is, teens aren't just spending their time online searching the web. They're socializing, creating, telling stories, and communicating with each other. Our digital network gives readers a fully-rounded social experience with the brands they love, offering a sense of community and personalized experience that they can't find anywhere else."BTN's relaunch focuses on providing shareable and interactive content and enabling readers to connect across all digital channels with ease. Each site was redesigned with a sophisticated yet age-appropriate layout and its own unique, distinct focus within the teen category. J-14.com gives teens a mixture of breaking entertainment news and list-style features. Readers are able to customize their experience, putting the stars into focus that they care about the most. TwistMagazine.com is a style-focused site that keeps a younger reader, and her limited budget, front of mind. M-Magazine.com is the online destination for inspiring celebrity features, focused on creating a sense of community and providing helpful life advice that will help girls navigate their teen years.Taking notice are major advertisers including Universal Music Group, Mattel, Sony Music and Warner Music."Our dramatic post-launch growth in both traffic and engagement supports our decision to enhance our print relationships via sophisticated and brand specific websites," said Marc Richards, VP and group publisher of Bauer's entertainment and teen titles. "A decision further reinforced by the diverse group of advertisers who have already sought to leverage our relaunched site's early success."J-14 Facebook vs. industry leaders*---Facebook Page Engagement Fans Gro迷你倉最平th("People Talking (weekly fans added per week) About It" per week) --- ------------------J-14 152,971 974,211 75,207 ---- ------- ------- ------Buzzfeed 133,013 609,552 16,290 -------- ------- ------- ------People 107,816 1,879,773 5,881 ------ ------- --------- -----Us Weekly 74,507 894,047 3,398 --------- ------ ------- -----AOL Cambio 57,104 750,110 4,087 ---------- ------ ------- -----PopCrush 21,906 551,344 2,670 -------- ------ ------- -----Seventeen 11,048 1,929,442 1,078 --------- ------ --------- -----TeenVogue 89,606 1,854,682 45,556 --------- ------ --------- ------Teen.com 12,415 101,895 526 -------- ------ ------- ---*Source: Facebook Insights data analysis. Engagement and Growth per week average taken from September 1 - September 14, 2013. Total fans as of September 19, 2013.About Bauer Teen NetworkThe Bauer Teen Network, reaching 5 million unique users monthly, is comprised of J-14.com, M-Magazine.com, TwistMagazine.com, and 4TNZ.com. It is Bauer's online extension with up-to-the-minute celeb news, star features, teen style and life advice. The Bauer Teen Network also includes specialty websites MissLiterati.com, a social networking website for reading and writing enthusiasts. Quizfest.com, an interactive destination featuring fun and engaging quizzes and polls. As well as Blingee.com, an interactive site that allows the user to add glitter, graphics, and comments to personalize their images, then share with their friends!Bauer Media GroupCONTACT: Lindsay Ferraro, LFerraro@bauer-usa.comWeb site: .J-14.com/儲存
CE's speech at National Day reception
CE's speech at National Day reception*************************************Following is the speech (English translation) by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, delivered at the National Day reception in celebration of the 64th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this morning (October 1):Distinguished guests, dear colleagues and fellow Hong Kong people,Together with all people of our country, today we celebrate the 64th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.儲存 On behalf of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), I welcome all of you to this reception.In the past year, our country has again made encouraging achievements in its social and economic development, as well as in other areas. Its international status and influence continue to be on the rise. With the support of the Central Government and the co-operation of Mainland provinces and municipalities, Hong Kong has not only moved forward in its own development, but also continued to contribute to the progress of our country and our people.In the past year, under the principles of "One Country, Two Systems" and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy, we have continued to preserve the integrity of "One Country" while giving play to the characteristics of "Two Systems". We have also maintained our status as a highly open and international city, while safeguarding the sovereignty of our country and the interests of Hong Kong.The HKSAR Government and our society should fully capitalise on the advantages of both "One Country" and "Two Systems", and make contributions to the co-development of Hong Kong and the Mainland through our links both with the international community and with other parts of our country.In October last year, the World Bank ranked Hong Kong the second easiest place to do business in the world. Early this year, the Heritage Foundation rated Hong Kong the world's freest economy for the 19th year in a row. In the Global Competitiveness Report released by the World Economic Forum last month, Hong Kong moved up two places to seventh in the world and second in Asia. And on the newly announced Xinhua-Dow Jones International Financial Centers Development Index 2013, Hong Kong is placed third for its overall performance. These are affirmations of Hong Kong's international status and competitiveness.Hong Kong's competitiveness stems from the untiring efforts of all people in Hong Kong, as well as the support and ever-increasing international influence of our country. The current-term Government not only attaches great importance to co-operation with Mainland provinces and municipalities today, but pays even greater attention to expanding the scope and raising the levels of co-operation in future.The ties between Hong Kong and the Mainland are getting closer. Nowadays, our economic activities across the boundary have extended geographically from the Pearl River Delta region in the past to all cities, large and small, across the country. They have also gone beyond the traditional sectors of manufacturing and real estate to many other industries, including fisheries, agriculture, mining and services. These activities have created the most im儲存倉ortant economic hinterland and the largest external economy for Hong Kong and consolidated the status of our headquarters economy, benefiting all sectors and strata of our society directly or indirectly. Take banking, for example: as at the end of June 2013, 154 branches of Hong Kong banks were set up in Guangdong Province, while six Hong Kong banks had opened a total of 58 cross-location sub-branches there. This means that the services of Hong Kong-invested banks now cover the whole of Guangdong Province.Under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), Hong Kong products meeting the agreed rules of origin enjoy tariff-free treatment when imported into the Mainland. Supplement X to CEPA signed in August this year brings the number of liberalisation measures for trade in services to 403. Besides fostering a closer economic partnership with the Mainland, the HKSAR Government has also endeavoured to promote business with the international community. According to Invest Hong Kong, the number of overseas and Mainland companies with business operations here has reached an all-time high of 7 250. About a quarter of foreign-invested companies consider CEPA a key factor in their decision to operate in Hong Kong.According to a survey conducted in 2010 by the Census and Statistics Department, around 175 000 Hong Kong residents had worked in the Mainland during the 12 months before the survey, not including those who had to stay in the Mainland for work on a long-term basis without returning to Hong Kong. The Mainland is also a major tourist destination for Hong Kong residents. In 2012, Hong Kong people paid over 78 million visits to the Mainland.The growing social ties between Hong Kong and the Mainland are also reflected in the number of cross-boundary marriages, which accounted for about 35 per cent of all marriages registered in Hong Kong in 2012. In addition, more and more Hong Kong people go across the boundary for retirement and education. A survey conducted in 2011 by the Census and Statistics Department found that there were 115 500 Hong Kong people aged 60 or above residing in the Mainland at the time of the survey, not including "short-stay Hong Kong permanent residents" with no usual place of residence in Hong Kong and Hong Kong permanent residents who had moved to the Mainland without returning to Hong Kong. On education, some higher education institutions in the Mainland have exempted Hong Kong students from taking the Joint Entrance Examination for Universities in the Mainland from 2012 onwards under a pilot scheme. In 2013, 70 Mainland institutions joined the scheme, admitting around 1 200 students from Hong Kong.Distinguished guests, dear colleagues and fellow Hong Kong people, the world is changing and China is moving forward. Hong Kong should actively adapt to the new environment of co-operation and competition, identifying new roles that we can play and new functions that we can perform. As Chinese nationals, we, together with all people of China, should make contributions to the development of our country while doing our best to maintain the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.Now, please join me in a toast: To the prosperity, success and progress of our country!Ends/Tuesday, October 1, 2013Issued at HKT 09:00NNNN迷你倉最平
港女藏19部iPhone5s羅湖闖關
旅遊局作多方面準備迎接十•一黃金週
來源 : 旅遊局為期七天(十月一至七日)的十•一黃金週於明日起正式展開，文件倉澳門特別行政區政府旅遊局已積極作出多方面準備。啟動旅遊通報機制、印製餐飲指南及加強巡查工作，旅遊局還向酒店業界推出網上房價申報系統等，期望透過一系列措施，盡力體貼市民及旅客的需要，優化旅遊服務質素。澳門特區政府旅遊局與廣東省旅遊局的十．一黃金週旅遊通報機制，由九月二十八日至十月八日正式運作，澳方將利用網上平台發放相關訊息，包括更新前一天各入境口岸的訪澳內地旅客人數及總入境人數等，而各酒店在黃金週期間的最高房價資料亦會在網上顯示。粵澳雙方旅遊局將保持緊密溝通。旅遊局已在網上恆常公佈由業界呈報的本澳各酒店及公寓不同房型的客房價。市民及遊客欲查閱酒店及公寓資料和房價可登入旅遊局網站。旅遊局亦在十．一黃金週前推出網上房價申報系統，業界已可於網上更新房價以提高申報效率，讓旅客獲取最新訊息。旅遊局與澳門街坊會聯合總會、澳門餐飲業聯合商會、澳門北區工商聯會及澳門離島工商業聯合會推出《10.1遊澳門餐飲指南》，提供10.1黃金週營業的食肆名單及聯絡方式，方便旅客掌握食肆的營業訊息。日前，旅遊局已推出題為《論區行賞》的首四條步行路線，鼓勵旅客到各區遊歷，慢步探索澳門各區特色，同時希望起分流作用，紓緩旅遊旺區壓力，並帶動社區旅遊發展。旅客可在旅遊局網站 .macautourism.gov.mo 下載餐飲指南及四條步存倉路線地圖，或到旅遊局轄下的旅遊諮詢處免費索取。旅遊局亦將發微信及手機短訊予計劃於黃金週來澳的內地旅客，提醒他們儘早訂房，如有需要可在旅遊局網站查閱房價；亦鼓勵他們來澳前先下載旅遊資料或到旅遊諮詢處免費索取。務求讓旅客掌握更多實用資訊。此外，旅遊局將加強在旅遊景點、口岸及各區巡查，又會在各旅遊諮詢處增加人手。旅遊熱線28333000如常24小時運作，督察人員亦24小時候命，回應旅客的需要，旅客亦可登入旅遊局網頁獲取旅遊及相關訊息。旅遊局亦發函提醒業界關於衛生、食品安全、防火安全、營業時間、接待旅行團的職業守則、酒店房價申報要求等一系列注意事項。旅遊局又與消費者委員會、治安警察局、海關、海事及水務局及交通事務局等保持溝通及資訊交流。旅客可使用治安警察局的「邊境口岸實時資訊平台」，透過手機及電腦點擊進入平台網站 .fsm.gov.mo/psp/pspmonitor，查看關閘、外港及路�城邊境站出入境大堂和車道的實時通關影像，靈活選擇合適的出入境時機，而旅遊局已與治安警察局網站連結「邊境口岸實時資訊平台」。同時，《中華人民共和國旅遊法》亦於十月一日起實施，早前七月旅遊局已邀請國家旅遊局政策法規專家來澳主講說明會，讓相關政府部門及旅遊業界更清楚地理解有關法規，並了解新法與兩地旅遊業發展的關係。旅遊局亦將繼續配合新法做好相關工作，希望在各方共同努力下，讓旅遊市場向更健康的方向發展。儲存
September's stormy farewell punch in Western Washington
Source: The Seattle TimesSept.儲存 30--A day after record rains drenched Western Washington, a powerful windstorm moved into the region Sunday, bringing with it the threat of widespread power outages, downed trees and a hellish commute.The National Weather Service issued a "high-wind warning" for much of Western Washington from 5 p.m. Sunday to 4 a.m. Monday. Winds from the south were expected to increase up to 35 mph with gusts possibly hitting 60 mph. The service said the wind warning affected Kingston through Seattle to Bremerton.By Sunday night, however, weather service forecasters said the low-pressure drawing the winds into the region made landfall farther north and west than initially predicted, reducing the possibility of damaging winds in the Seattle region.Seattle City Light reported that nearly 3,000 residents were without power around the Creston Substation in South Seattle, however the service was restored by 10 p.m. to most customers. Investigation into the outage is continuing.Puget Sound Energy said that nearly 8,000 of its customers were without power late Sunday, most in Kitsap and Skagit counties.Flood warnings continued in effect in several Western Washington counties, hit hard by the rains that drenched the area Saturday.Still, the weather service reported that it had ended its flood warning for the Puyallup River near Orting. Flood warnings continue in effect along the Newaukum river in Lewis County and the Skokomish river near Potlatch in Mason County.Driving rain and increasing winds moved through Seattle shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday, and winds picked up noticeably throughout the evening.The weather service said Seattle had received about .53 inches of rain through Sunday night, lifting the monthly precipitation total to 4.78 inches -- more than triple the average September rainfall.At Boeing Field, winds pushed steadily at between 10 mph and 15 mph, with gusts reaching upward of 35 mph. By 10:30 p.m. Sunday, most weather stations up and down Puget Sound were reporting wind gusts of 20 mph or more, according to the weather service.Gusts were reported at more than 50 mph on the Pacific Coast as the powerful low-pressure system moved inland, according to the weather service.The weather station at aptly named Hurricane Ridge reported a gust of 85 mph just after 7:30 p.m., and the Quillayute State Airport in Clallam County reported gusts of 46 mph.Even before the high-wind warning went into effect, the region was dealing with weather challenges. By early afternoon, the winds were whipping up Puget Sound, leading to cancellations in the afternoon of ferry routes from Port Townsend and Coupeville.Seattle City Light spokesman Scott Thomsen said the Sunday windstorm posed a particular problem this early in the fall, when many trees still carry leaves to catch the wind and self storagelace additional stress on branches."There's more movement, so there's more of a chance for branches to fall or be swept into power lines," Thomsen said. "It's a bad combination."Seattle police reported a tree toppled on a parked car Sunday night in the 500 block of West McGraw Avenue on Queen Anne. Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Webb reported that the right two lanes of Highway 167 near Willis were blocked by a toppled tree.Early Sunday evening, Puget Sound Energy noted on its Twitter feed that it had 42 four-person and 12 two-person power-line crews ready to deal with whatever storm-related problems arise. The company also had 35 tree crews and about 75 more service linemen ready.And while Saturday's rains had subsided by Sunday morning, new showers moved into the area Sunday evening, resulting in the warnings in Lewis, Mason and Pierce counties.The wind and rain come a day after records were shattered for the region. Rainfall at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport hit 1.71 inches Saturday, more than twice the previous record of 0.83 inch for that day set in 1948.The rains knocked out power to more than 21,000 Seattle City Light customers Saturday, though the vast majority of them had power restored by Sunday morning.Puget Sound Energy reported that four substations knocked out of service by Saturday's rainstorm were restored by 10 p.m. Saturday.Meantime, the region's transportation agencies called for vigilance and preparation for the Monday morning commute."Allow plenty of follow distance. Allow plenty of time in the morning," said Tom Pearce, a spokesman for the Washington State Department of Transportation.Pearce steered commuters to the agency's website, .wsdot.wa.gov, before heading out in the morning.Monday is the first day of the new fall bus schedule. Jeff Switzer, a spokesman for King County Metro, encouraged riders to sign up for transit alerts via email at Metro's website, metro.kingcounty.gov , to keep tabs on route disruptions. And, like Pearce, he suggested getting an early start to deal with potential weather-related delays."We want people to always pad their schedules a bit," Switzer said.The National Weather Service forecast predicts a "showery pattern" will continue in Western Washington through Wednesday.Kitsap County was hit hard by Saturday's storm, responding to twice as many calls as normal Saturday, said Lt. Mike Mock of the North Kitsap Fire and Rescue.Most of the calls were storm-related, such as responding to downed trees and a sailboat in distress. By Sunday morning, the calls had calmed, but firefighters were preparing for the next round.Jay Greene: 206-464-2231 or jgreene@seattletimes.com. Twitter: iamjaygreeneCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at .seattletimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷利倉
九寨溝首批特色旅遊紀念品面世
信息來源於四川新聞網 / Cited from .newssc.org/本報記者松濤倜舞掛飾、白馬藏民雕塑擺件、九寨溝風景吊墜本報訊（許萃 徐中成 記者 松濤）9月27日，儲存九寨溝縣舉行中國?九寨溝首批旅遊紀念品推介暨《四季九寨》音樂作品演唱會。一批具有本土特色的旅遊紀念品倜舞掛飾、白馬藏民雕塑擺件、九寨溝風景吊墜等一系列縮影著九寨山水人文的精品旅遊文化紀念品面世。去年，九寨溝縣將特色旅遊紀念品開發納入全縣72項重點工作的重中之重，確立了以本土文化元素為主的旅遊紀念品開發方案。以九寨溝縣非物質文化遺mini storage"倜舞"面具形象為主的"吉祥系列"，以豐富多彩的傳統文化及燦爛的歷史文明為主的"多彩系列"、以豐富的原始植物資源和自然風光為主的"山水系列"，以憨態可掬的大熊貓為主的"熊貓九寨"等五大系列旅遊紀念品構成的"繽紛九寨"等旅遊紀念品面世。目前，一期已開發出10大類品種，單品近500個，價格在50元至300元不等。紀念品涵蓋掛飾、項鏈、鑰匙扣、衣服帽子、文具、日用品、工藝品、明信片、影像製品等。據悉，九寨溝特色旅遊紀念品後期研發、生產產品將達20個品類、單品逾2000個，明年初這些特色旅遊紀念品將大量上市。self storage
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available in North Carolina Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration
ATLANTA, Sept.自存倉 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes located in Cherokee and Clay counties in North Carolina as a result of excessive rain that began on April 1, 2013.(Logo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110909/DC65875LOGO)"These counties are eligible because they are contiguous to one or more primary counties in Georgia. The Small Business Administration recognizes that disasters do not usually stop at county or state lines. For that reason, counties adjacent to primary counties named in the declaration are included," said Frank Skaggs, director of SBA's Field Operations Center East in Atlanta.Under this declaration, the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers.The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 2.875 percent for private non-profit organizations of all sizes and 4 percent for small businesses, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA mini storageetermines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant's financial condition. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA's secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA's website at .sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than May 27, 2014.For more information about the SBA's Disaster Loan Program, visit our website at .sba.gov/disaster.Contact: Michael LamptonEmail: Michael.Lampton@sba.govPhone: (404) 331-0333Photo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110909/DC65875LOGOU.S. Small Business AdministrationWeb site: .sba.gov/儲存
Brand value: Coke falls to No. 3, Apple rises to No. 1
Source: The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionSept.儲存倉 30--After a 13-year reign, Atlanta-based Coca-Cola is no longer the most valuable brand in the world, according to a global brand consultancy.Interbrand's latest list reflects the growing clout the technology industry has in influencing consumer tastes and driving demand.Apple, a powerhouse in computing with its iPhones, iPads and Macs, now leads Interbrand's top 100 Best Global Brands list for 2013. The Cupertino-based company is followed by No. 2 Google, the dominate search engine and social media company, and the force behind the Android operating system, which powers Samsung and other devices.In fact, tech companies dominate the top 10 brands overall. Rounding out group from starting with No. 3 are IBM, Microsoft, GE, McDonald's, Samsung, Intel and Toyota.Aside from Coke, the only other Georgia company making the top 100 list is Sandy Springs-based UPS, keeping its No. 27 ranking with a brand value of $13.7 billion, up 5 percent from last year.When Apple appeared on the list for the first time in 2000, it ranked #36 and had a brand value of $6.6 billion. Today, the brand that Steve Jobs made a household name before his death in 2011 is valued at $98.3 billion. The company released a new operating system an迷你倉最平 two new smartphones in recent weeks and is expected to update its popular tablet in the months ahead.Interbrand said Apple is able to anticipate what consumers want next and break new ground when it comes to design and performance, creating "a seamless omnichannel experience for customers.""Every so often, a company changes our lives--not just with its products, but with its ethos," said Interbrand's global chief executive officer, Jez Frampton. "This is why, following Coca-Cola's 13-year run at the top of Best Global Brands, Apple now ranks #1."Interbrand arrives at a brand value by considering its financial performance, the role a brand plays in influencing consumer choice and its strength in commanding a premium price, or in securing a company's profit.Between last year and this year, Apple's brand value has risen 28 percent. Google's value during the period, $93.2 billion, is up 34 percent. Coca-Cola's brand value $79.2 billion, is up 2 percent.The total value of the 100 brands is $1.5 trillion, an 8.4 percent increase in value over last year's list, Interbrand said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.) Visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.) at .ajc.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存
當局多項措施迎黃金周客
【本報消息】內地為期七天的"十 · 一黃金周"今日起正式展開，mini storage澳門旅遊局已積極作出多方面準備，包括啟動旅遊通報機制、印製餐飲指南及加強巡查工作，旅遊局還向酒店業界推出網上房價申報系統等，期望透過一系列措施，盡力體貼市民及旅客的需要，優化旅遊服務質素。網上顯示酒店房價澳門旅遊局與廣東省旅遊局的"十 · 一黃金周"旅遊通報機制，由九月廿八日至十月八日運作。澳方將利用網上平台發放相關訊息，包括更新前一天各入境口岸的訪澳內地旅客人數及總入境人數等，各酒店在黃金周期間的最高房價資料亦會在網上顯示。粵澳雙方旅遊局將保持緊密溝通。旅遊局已在網上恆常公佈由業界呈報的本澳各酒店及公寓不同房型的客房價。市民及遊客欲查閱酒店及公寓資料和房價可登入旅遊局網站。旅遊局亦在"十 · 一黃金周"前推出網上房價申報系統，業界已可於網上更新房價以提高申報效率，讓旅客獲取最新訊息。餐飲指南論區行賞旅遊局與街坊會聯合總會、餐飲業聯合商會、北區工商聯會及離島工商業聯合會推出《十 · 一遊澳門餐飲指南》，提供"十 · 一黃金周"營業的食肆名單及聯絡方式，方便旅客掌握食肆的營業訊息。日前，旅遊局已推出題為《論區行賞》的首四條步行路線，鼓勵旅客到各區遊歷，慢步探索澳門各區特色。同時希望起分流作用，紓緩旅遊旺區壓力，並帶動社區旅遊發展。旅客可在旅遊局網站 .macautourism.gov.mo下載餐飲指南及四條步行路線地圖，或到旅迷你倉局轄下的旅遊諮詢處免費索取。提醒旅客盡早訂房旅遊局亦將發微信及手機短訊予計劃於黃金周來澳的內地旅客，提醒他們盡早訂房，如有需要可在旅遊局網站查閱房價。亦鼓勵他們來澳前先下載旅遊資料或到旅遊諮詢處免費索取，務求讓旅客掌握更多實用資訊。此外，旅遊局將加強在旅遊景點、口岸及各區巡查，又會在各旅遊諮詢處增加人手。旅遊熱線二八三三 · 三○○○如常廿四小時運作，督察人員亦廿四小時候命，回應旅客的需要，旅客亦可登入旅遊局網頁獲取旅遊及相關訊息。旅遊局亦發函提醒業界關於衛生、食品安全、防火安全、營業時間、接待旅行團的職業守則、酒店房價申報要求等一系列注意事項。擇合適出入境時機旅遊局又與消費者委員會、治安警察局、海關、海事及水務局及交通事務局等保持溝通及資訊交流。旅客可使用治安警察局的"邊境口岸實時資訊平台"，透過手機及電腦點擊進入平台網站 .fsm.gov.mo/psp/pspmonitor，查看關閘、外港及路�城邊境站出入境大堂和車道的實時通關影像，靈活選擇合適的出入境時機，旅遊局已與治安警察局網站連結"邊境口岸實時資訊平台"。同時，《中華人民共和國旅遊法》亦於十月一日起實施，早前七月旅遊局已邀請國家旅遊局政策法規專家來澳主講說明會，讓相關政府部門及旅遊業界更清楚地理解有關法規，並瞭解新法與兩地旅遊業發展的關係。旅遊局亦將繼續配合新法做好相關工作，希望在各方共同努力下，讓旅遊市場向更健康的方向發展。文件倉
全國版） - (澳門家庭旅館不合法住黑旅館或被罰款
罰3000澳門元，mini storage不按期繳罰款的遊客，將被禁止進入澳門南都訊 記者劉倩 省旅遊局昨日發佈國慶期間對訪澳門旅客的提示。提示強調，在澳門旅遊，請入住合法旅館，住黑旅館者將被罰款。如欲查詢酒店牌照及旅遊資料，可上澳門旅遊局網站查詢，或致電澳門特區政府旅遊局24小時熱線2833-3000咨詢。根據澳門旅遊局資料顯示，目前澳門並沒有合法的"家庭旅館"或"民宿"，所有合法酒店、賓館或旅館均領有澳門特別行政區政府旅遊局發出的牌照，並會把牌照置於self storage館。據悉，澳門非法旅館價格便宜，一般約為100澳門元一晚，經營者將單位分隔成多個房間。早期非法旅館主要對象為遊客，後來不少"遝碼仔"或活躍賭場人士長包租非法旅館，招待賭客，內地赴澳"掙快錢"者也多選擇租住此類旅館，非法旅館逐漸成為黃賭毒一條龍的溫床，不法案件時有發生。早在20 10年8月，澳門政府就開始實施《禁止非法提供住宿》，通過行政違法程序檢控和處罰非法旅館。對於入住黑旅館者罰3000澳門元，不按期繳罰款的遊客，將被禁止進入澳門。mini storage
93萬內地客湧港 黃金周炒起iPhone 5s
【本報訊】內地十一黃金周今天展開，儲存料逾93萬名內地客湧到，更帶動曾回落的iPhone5s炒價再升。內地打擊強迫購物的《旅遊法》今日生效，令來港團大跌50%至60%，但議會發現今日仍最少有50個購物團，將密切注意，若有投訴會轉介內地。記者：翁煜雄鄭柏齡上月開售的蘋果iPhone5s炒價漸回落，64GB金色版已由癲價1.5萬元減至1.1萬元，售賣手機的G-WORLD MOBILE負責人劉志剛指，16GB及32GB也分別回落至9,400元和1萬元，惟料黃金周大批內地買家湧到後，炒價會升100元至300元，「內地用家或者炒家都有」。iPhone5s16GB、32GB和64GB原價分別是5,588元、6,388元和7,188元。「可惜有價冇貨」，劉志剛期望新一批iPhone5s盡快到港，又指iPhone5c則仍不太受歡迎。iPhone5s金色版一直供不應求，開售初期較多顧客買到，但之後訂貨的顧客，蘋果雖聲稱10月出貨，迄今卻未有動靜。蘋果現時每mini storage早上6時提供訂購，但極少人成功訂購。「文明」成效存疑內地《旅遊法》今天起實施，規定旅行社不得安排團友到特定購物點，以收取回佣幫補零負團費。旅遊業議會主席胡兆英稱，今日到港內地團有250個，較往年少30%，料整體團量跌幅更擴大至50%至60%，主因是內地團費大增。不過，總幹事董耀中補充，250團中仍有50個購物團，「《旅遊法》唔係一刀切唔准購物團，但要團友同意，並且唔可以強迫購物或賺回佣」，議會如接團友投訴會轉交內地徹查。據稱，本地業界已向內地「報料」仍有購物團，「內地今次係嚴打，估唔到仲有人敢搞」。以往購物團都會到紅磡等定點購物點買珠寶，胡兆英預料有關店舖生意大減，導遊工作量都少，「要適應�，呢行少�零團費先健康」。據稱，旅社安排旅客購物的回佣可達60%。旅發局則稱8月有422.5萬內地客來港，創人數新高，料今年仍會增長。此消彼長下，內地客量料仍按年升4至5%至93萬人。《旅遊法》也要求內地客旅遊時守秩序等，但不少港人都對成效有保留。 self storage
國慶長假將有800萬人次遊客訪滬
出境游組團批數為2951批次，儲存組團人數為59551人次，同比分別增長42.35%、30.99%記者 李欣欣晨報訊 綜合相關統計分析，2013年國慶節假期七天，本市預計接待觀光遊客約800萬人次，較去年同期持平。9月30日至10月7日，本市出境游組團社和外省市駐滬出境游組團社分社出境游組團批數為 2951批次，組團人數為59551人次，同比分別增長42.35%、30.99%。高速公路方面，國家在今年國慶節假期間繼續實施重大節假日免收7座及以下小型客車通行費政策。預計上海高速公路車流規模同比增長20%左右，高峰日（10月1日）預計流量將達100萬車次左右。高速公路省界道口交通總量約為285萬輛次，預計出滬高峰（10月1日）為34.9萬輛次，同比增長18.5%，入滬高峰（10月6日）約為25.4萬輛次，同比增長32.5%。陸上交通儲存倉面，公路長途預計旅客發送量為70萬人次，較去年同期略有下降，最高值10月1日約為19萬人次，客流流向主要為長三角地區。市域交通預計日客運量為 1614萬人次，同比增長2.2%，其中出租汽車日客運量為299萬人次，軌道交通日客運量為650萬人次，地面公交日客運量為643萬人次，對江輪渡日客運量為22萬人次。水路交通方面，三島客運預計日均旅客為2.3萬人次，高峰日為9月30日至10月1日和10月6日至7日；跨省客運日均旅客0.4萬人次。民航交通方面，10月1日至7日，各航空公司共安排節日加班航班622班次，其中上海地區在原有正班航班的基礎上（1600班/天），增加168班次。浦東、虹橋兩機場預計起降飛機1.16萬架次，運送旅客158萬人次。節日期間，民航預訂超過90%的航線主要有上海往武夷山、張家界、沈陽、包頭、九寨溝、邯鄲等地。迷你倉最平
全省聯防聯控保食安
為保障公�節日期間飲食安全，迷利倉廣東食品安全委員會要求各地食品藥品安全監管部門切實履行保障職能，確保公�度過歡樂祥和的節日。全省開展打擊非法保健食品專項行動，責令停產停業保健食品企業十八家，移送公安機關案件三十八宗，刑拘十七人。廣東省食品安全委員會負責人表示，廣東已加強機關內部管理和幹部隊伍管理，嚴肅各項工作紀律，明確值班工作要求，切實做好節日期間的值班工作，以應對各類突發事件發生。國慶期間，各級負責人和值班電話要保證每天廿四小時通信聯絡暢通。各級相關部門將加強對節日消費集中的食品、保健食品、化妝品以及常用藥品和急救藥品的監管，扎實組織開展對食品、藥品、醫療器械、保健食品和化妝品市場的檢查，及時發現並依法查處製售假劣違法行為。同時，加強對應節食品、重點旅遊景區、食品生產加工小企業小作自存倉、農村食品市場和集體食堂等重點品種和場所的監管。一旦出現突發事件，將及時組織對應處置和按規定上報信息。此外，各級相關部門將全面、及時、科學發佈食品藥品安全信息，正確開展節日消費指引，及時發現食品藥品安全隱患，堵塞監管漏洞，防範食品藥品安全事故發生，營造良好消費和輿論環境。廣東全省開展打擊非法保健食品專項行動以來，檢出非法添加樣品四十八批次；責令停產停業保健食品企業十八家，註銷生產企業衛生許可證廿一家，經營企業衛生許可證六十家。同時，廣東省食品藥品監管部門還與警方聯動，目前全省統計立案七百一十五宗，結案四百○三宗，涉案貨值七百餘萬元；在打擊違法廣告方面，廣東省食品藥品監管部門與工商部門研究建立了打擊違法保健食品廣告聯動機制，電視、電台及報紙媒體違法保健食品廣告數量同比下降約百分之九十。mini storage
收集微波爐能源望為手機充電
自存倉 【本報訊】用微波爐為手機叉電？日本的大學研究團隊設計出一部機器，收集微波爐運作時的多餘能源，並把能源在另一電器循環再用，減少碳排放。這部機器由東京大學川原圭博與其研究團隊研發，機器設有天線用來收集微波爐運作時多出的能源，並將它轉移至其他電器。初步測試中，機器收集微波爐兩分鐘的能源，便可為小型廚房電器充滿電，如一個小型計時器。但微波爐釋放多餘的能源並不多，暫時不會取代手機充電器。據悉，川原的設計靈感來自美國太空總署一項太陽能計劃。科學家打算把太陽能板送上太空，一邊圍繞地球運行，一邊收集太陽釋放的能源，並利用無線電的方式把能源傳送回地球。mini storage
2013年9月29日 星期日
Intel to hire 800 Micron Israel employees
Source: Globes, Tel Aviv, IsraelSept.mini storage 29--Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) and Micron Technology Inc. (NYSE: MU) have reached a deal on Micron's fab in Kiryat Gat. Intel will take over the fab, which it previously leased to Micron in 2010, and hire 800 of its employees. The deal is due to be closed during the fourth quarter.Micron also works with hundreds of contractors and service providers, whose contracts will continue unchanged. The former Micron employees who will join Intel will continue the production of NOR Flash memory chips for Micron. When the production service contract expires, the employees will move to other jobs at Intel.In December 2012, Micron decided to discontinue its Israeli options, and close its Kiryat Gat fab within two years, or sell it. The fab began life in 1998 as Intel Fab 18, and was part of Intel's spinoff of Numonyx. Micron acquired the fab as part of its acquisition of Numoself storageyx in 2010. The fab's products are no longer at the forefront of processor production and cannot compete in the market."With this transaction, Intel secures the direct and indirect employment of manu employees and helps address a major employment issue in southern Israel, which would have resulted from Micron's decision to discontinue its operations in Israel," said Intel Maxine CEO Maxine Fassberg in a letter to employees. "This is great news for Intel and Micron employees in Israel, and for the State of Israel."Fassberg concluded, "Intel does not comment on its future roadmap decisions. That said, I would like to emphasize that the transaction with Micron and the technology roadmap decisions are completely separate."Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Globes (Tel Aviv, Israel) Visit the Globes (Tel Aviv, Israel) at .globes.co.il/serveen/globes/nodeview.asp?fid=942 Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage
TIPS ON PROPER TIPPING
Source: Albuquerque Journal, N.儲存倉M.Sept. 29--In her job as a server at Milly's, Valerie Parraz doesn't just field questions about daily specials or the heat level of the green chile.Some customers, she said, actually have asked her if they're tipping the right amount.As Parraz -- a full-time student who has been working in Duke City bars and restaurants for 11 years -- likes to remind them: "It's up to you, actually."But is there a restaurant tipping norm?According to the Emily Post Institute, a national etiquette organization, tipping for wait service at a sit-down restaurant should be 15-20 percent of the pretax bill. The rate is 10 percent at a buffet. Bartenders should get $1-2 per drink or 15-20 percent of the bill.But averages tend to vary not just based on the quality of the service, but also on factors like geography and the class of the restaurant.Albuquerque etiquette expert Thelma Domenici said tips are usually higher on the coasts and can sometimes even approach 30 percent in certain locales.In the Duke City, though, Domenici said the standard should be 18-20 percent at what she calls a "full-service, quality restaurant." Customers obviously can register great satisfaction or unhappiness by going up or down from there.At places with more limited service -- say you order and pay at the counter but wait staff takes it from there -- Domenici sticks to about 10 percent."There's still some service involved there," she said. "They have to bring your food and drinks. I'm very conscious of wait staff."And don't forget about carry-out. The Emily Post Institute says there's no obligation for tipping on takeout but recommends 10 percent for service such as curbside delivery or on large or complicated orders.According to New Mexico Restaurant Association CEO Carol Wight, the employees packaging the takeout are not usually tipped employees -- and therefore paid a higher hourly wage -- but Wight says theirs is a tough task that she rewards with gratuity."I tip 15 percent for that, because I know how hard it is," she said.Varies by locationCrystal Scott, a longtime Albuquerque server who currently works at Range Cafe on Wyoming NE, said the average customer there heeds the 15-20 percent rule.But Scott said that may not be the case citywide, citing the Range's Northeast Heights location and its devoted clientele for the consistency."We have a wonderful group of regulars," she said. "We're lucky to have lots of repeat customers, so I think our percentage runs a little bit higher."When someone leaves 20 percent, Scott said it conveys a clear message that she's done her job well."I feel that's where my level of service is at, and I feel properly validated when I get that 20 percent," she said.At the Albuquerque location of Five Star Burgers -- an upscale burger restaurant -- owner Bob Gontram said the average customer is leaving 18-19 percent of the bill before sales tax.That rate, he said, is "certainly right for us," estimating that customers base their tip primarily on service but also consider the establishment itself."I would think if you're in Moriarty and you're in a cafe, you'll probably be lucky to get 12 (percent). It depends on the city, where you are and your clientele and customer; it depends on type of service the server gives and the restaurant gives," said Gontram, whose Five Star Burger originated in Taos and also has locations in Colorado and Missouri. "It's really an overall experience."Lu迷你倉最平as Coshenet said he almost always tips 20 percent when he eats out. A Realtor and photographer, Coshenet also has worked as a waiter off and on for the last 14 years and currently has a few shifts at the Standard Diner in EDo.He agrees that 15-20 percent should be the norm but laughs when asked if he always receives it."Depends on the night," he said. "Oftentimes you get like 10 percent tips or even less or you have other people who will give you 20 percent or more. It evens out right around 15 percent if you're lucky."Content at 15 percentOver at Milly's, Parraz said she gets an average of 15 percent from her customers. And she's perfectly content with that."People in this particular location are really awesome at tipping," she said after a lunch shift at the popular Journal Center eatery.After more than a decade working in Albuquerque area restaurants and bars, she's certainly seen a range.In a former position at Garduno's, Parraz said, "there was a lot of 10 percent -- unless I was doing cocktail and people were drinking a lot and not eating as much. Then it would be sometimes 20 percent. I think alcohol affects the tips a lot."Albuquerque servers say tipping hasn't changed much since the city passed a minimum-wage law that raised their base pay. Effective Jan. 1, 2013, the ordinance boosted the minimum wage for tipped employees from $2.13 to $3.83.Scott said she expected to hear about it from customers or perhaps even see her tips shrink, but only a handful of customers even have addressed the higher wage. The ones who have mentioned it did so to show their support, she said.If the new wage has prompted anyone to tip less, Scott hasn't noticed."If there has been any change, it's been negligible, and I've talked to other servers at our location as well, and they haven't noticed a difference," she said.There have been attempts in some restaurants around the country to change the system to eliminate tipping altogether by raising prices and paying wait staff a higher set wage.But Gontram said those attempts often fail, possibly because it is so ingrained in our culture and also because servers might resist -- the best among them, he said, know they can do better with gratuity than any flat wage they're likely to earn.Scott said she can see the benefits of both systems but tends to prefer the current mode."I like getting tips; it's a connection to the customer," she said. "It's almost like this gift you bestow upon them with the service, and they return that gift. It's nice feedback." Tipping guidelinesConfused about what to do when filling out the tip line on that restaurant ticket? Here's what the Emily Post Institute has to say about tipping on food and drink: Sit-down restaurant with wait service: 15-20 percent of pre-tax bill. Buffet restaurant with wait service: 10 percent of pre-tax bill. Takeout: No obligation, but 10 percent for extra service such as curb delivery or a large and complicated order. Home delivery: 10-15 percent of the bill. Pizza delivery: $2-5 depending on size of the order or difficulty of delivery. Bartender: $1-2 per drink or 15-20 percent of the tab. Tipping jars: No obligation but contribute occasionally if the server is extra helpful or if you are a regular customer.SOURCE: emilypost.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at .abqjournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存
大陸旅遊法對台「短空長多」 團費漲或影響客源長遠有利提升品質
【本報訊】據中新社北京二十九日消息：大陸首部旅遊法將於10月1日正式實施，mini storage多家大陸旅行社認為，此法將影響大陸居民赴台遊，帶來的挑戰與機遇並存。旅遊法包含多項新規，其中第35條引起旅遊業者的特別關注。該規定稱，旅行社不得以不合理的低價組織旅遊活動，誘騙旅遊者，並通過安排購物或者另行付費旅遊項目獲取回扣等不正當利益。北京攜程國際旅行社旅遊營銷高級經理頓繼東指出， 「十一」假期大陸遊客赴台遊旅行團預定情況良好，暫未受旅遊法衝擊。他分析稱，旅遊法實施後，原來自費項目的資費移到團費中，使得旅遊費用更加透明，而且日常期間（非假期）總體團費並無太大增長。他說，旅遊法對旅遊企業來說是一個新機遇，它能夠創造一個公平的競爭環境，鼓勵規範經營，使得更有競爭力的旅行社脫穎而出，摒棄不規範的旅行社。中國旅行社總社（北京）有限公司工作人員喬芳說，self storage陸遊客赴台遊可能短期內接受不了價格變化，但實質上赴台遊的團費與成本相匹配。她認為，大陸遊客需樹立「便宜不一定是好事」的旅遊觀念，相信欽慕台灣風景的大陸遊客會逐步接受調整後的價格， 「想去台灣旅遊的以後還是會去」。深旅社客源急降五成深圳市建南國際旅行社總經理助理何仕新介紹說，該旅行社在「十一」期間的赴台遊報團量與去年相比，下降近50%，整個10月份的報團量則比9月份下降近80%，其中影響因素應有旅遊法的實施。「遊客在觀望、旅行社也在觀望」，何仕新說，受團費成本上升，機票、酒店費用上漲等因素影響，10月份的赴台遊團費環比9月上漲近50%。雖然短期內受到較大影響，但何仕新也認為，從長期來看，旅遊法的實施有利於提升赴台遊品質。何仕新指出，她所在的旅行社專門成立了產品策劃小組應對旅遊法帶來的變化，未來將設計更多有特色的赴台遊產品。mini storage
數碼時代的速與質
最近某雜誌以「誠品最後一家書店」為題做文章，迷你倉最平其實全球書業面對互聯網等新媒介的迅速發展，實物書籍（Physical Book）的銷售普遍認為會逐漸被新媒介，如e-Book、平板電腦等所取代。台灣誠品創立二十四年，由當初以賣藝術人文書籍為主，建立其文藝形象，繼而結合商場經營，現時誠品雖然仍以書店為名，但實質已變成如崇光般的百貨公司，有說誠品能維持至今，全因其商場經營獲取的利潤佔去七成，書店只佔三成，可以說書店不過是「包裝」而已；加上誠品的發行制度，同樣以商場化或百貨公司形式來經營，某程度上令出版社負擔加重。 其實同樣的情況，亦發生在唱片專門店HMV身上，由製作音樂、出版唱片到唱片銷售，在上世紀九十年代，HMV在歐美、日本及香港擁有龐大的發行市場，日本HMV更擁有自己的電台，影響力極大；但近年面對網上音樂銷售的發展，唱片（鐳射光碟）的銷售可謂每況愈下，被認為唱片業已步入「夕陽工業」的階段。可是，以北美的HMV為例，唱片銷售已不再是主要的收入來源，而是唱片以外，跟音樂相關的商品，如服飾、音樂器材、遊戲軟件等，此情況亦開始在香港的HMV出現。 前幾年，好幾家儲存界級的出版社都全力發展數碼版圖書的軟件和銷售方式，包括全球著名的Barnes & Noble（B&N），近年公司投放資源給旗下的Nook開發電子書籍（e-book）市場，前幾年銷售方面獲得不俗的成績，可是去年，B&N虧蝕近五百萬美元，歸咎原因是Nook的電子書籍過度開發，反而去年實物書籍的銷售卻有所回升，現時B&N在美國擁有超過六百間書店，還有六百八十六家院校內書店，以銷售數字來看，去年買實物書籍的人較過往幾年為多，特別是新書。 根據某些專家表示，過去幾年，電子書籍銷售網站，包括Nook都以龐大的舊書數量來吸引消費者，Nook的網站便以擁有超過三百萬本書籍作為宣傳，在價格上舊書的電子版比較便宜，一下子令消費者「搶購」，可是浪潮過後，消費者仍對新出版的實物書籍比差不多同價的電子書籍，較感興趣。這使B&N痛定思痛，回頭再研究投放予電子書籍發展的資源。看來B&N的經驗，應給近年發展火紅的內地電子書籍一個極佳的參考案例，加上內地電子書籍不管在顯示平台（Kindle、Android、iPad等）及版權方面，仍處於相當混亂的階段，過度擴張和發展只會令整個行業焦頭爛額。 mini storage
A fighter for people, or power
Source: The Philadelphia InquirerSept.儲存倉 29--On a brisk and sunny January day, in front of an oil refinery's circular white storage tanks, at the intersection of two of South Jersey's busiest roadways, Steve Sweeney embarked on a political odyssey unlike anything the state had ever seen.His goal, he told reporters gathered for his news conference, was to use his powers as the state Senate president to make sure the large refinery behind him finally got cleaned of contamination.But Sweeney wasn't just standing at a rundown refinery as New Jersey's highest elected Democrat, whose on-again, off-again relationship with Republican Gov. Christie affected statewide policy. He was also a local political boss sticking it to interlopers who had just taken over governing in his hometown. He was also a longtime union leader defending laborers who had just lost their refinery jobs.Mostly, he was a self-proclaimed fighter with a reputation for revenge who was willing to do something unprecedented in the history of New Jersey: Sue his own hometown, gambling $300,000 in state tax dollars in the process.As always, Sweeney positioned himself to win.But did he?Sweeney's home turfSunoco's Eagle Point takes up prime real estate off the Delaware River in West Deptford, a blue-collar, Gloucester County town known for its refineries, recreational facilities, and entrenched Democratic control."I expect to be buried in West Deptford," Sweeney declared in July in an accent that screams South Jersey. "I love this place."At 54, Sweeney cuts an imposing figure: meaty handshake, chest like a rain barrel, and a rectangular face missing the trademark mustache he shaved on the losing end of a bet after he became Senate president.The son of an ironworker union boss, Sweeney grew up in a Pennsauken house that his parents built, on land given to them by his grandparents, and lived there with his mother, father, and three brothers until he was 26. He followed his father into the union, married a hairstylist, moved to an apartment in Blackwood, and settled in West Deptford."Oh my god, I'm in the middle of the country!" Sweeney remembered saying when he got to town.But the soon-to-be father of two liked the family atmosphere, and he also liked this: When he was renovating his new house, the town provided a Dumpster free of charge.That's "good politics," he thought.As an ironworker, Sweeney lugged steel just like his father, but after falling 18 feet and then 24 feet, and once finding himself temporarily paralyzed, he hung up the work boots."See this scar here?" he asked, pointing to his cheek as he begins one such war story. "I came within a 16th of an inch of losing my eye."So Sweeney became an instructor, training apprentices to be ironworkers. He later got involved in the union's business operations, helping to steer campaign donations to politicians, who can create union jobs. Based out of his union hall in West Deptford, he would rise to run Ironworkers Local 399, covering Newark to Scranton to Wilmington.His ascendance came with concurrent success in local politics. Fueled by a natural charm, a competitive spirit, and a family friendship with South Jersey's longtime Democratic leader, George Norcross III -- a part owner of The Inquirer -- Sweeney went from nobody to the state's most powerful legislator in less than 15 years.Sweeney has never lost an election.An appointment to the West Deptford environmental committee took him to the county vocational school board. Thanks to encouragement from Norcross' brother, Donald, now a state senator, Sweeney ran for freeholder in 1996, won, and became board director a year later. His campaign for a second elected office, to the state Senate in 2002, shattered spending records.For Sweeney, union affiliation, community involvement, and politics entwine.In the '90s, he got a bunch of trade-union brethren -- carpenters, bricklayers, ironworkers -- to provide $1 million in free labor on what he describes as the best Little League field in South Jersey. They called it "Union Field." Later, as a state senator, Sweeney quietly secured $200,000 in state funds for batting cages at the West Deptford field.And after leading the charge as a freeholder to build Miracle League Field, a wheelchair-accessible baseball diamond next to the campus for special-needs children in nearby Sewell, where his daughter attended, Sweeney's efforts were publicly recognized: He threw out the first pitch of the first game."Watch a kid that's immobile hit a ball, and go down the field -- it's the greatest feeling in the world," Sweeney said. "This is what motivates me."Sweeney kept moving up, but even after he became Senate president in 2010, his loyalty never left his political base of West Deptford and Gloucester County.West Deptford had been reliably Democratic since the 1980s, and Sweeney helped keep it that way. He funneled campaign donations, counseled local politicians, and stayed on top of local affairs -- by delivering orders, some say -- despite his statewide duties.But something would soon challenge his supremacy.GOP in Sweeney landIn 2010, a blustery governor with reform-minded rhetoric arrived in office, inspiring an insurgency among West Deptford Republicans, who were infuriated by what they saw as Sweeney-led cronyism, out-of-control spending, and skyrocketing township property taxes.The next year, when Gov. Christie brought one of his famous YouTube town halls to West Deptford, resident Sam Cianfarini told the governor that his town, with a little more than 20,000 residents, had $142 million in long-term debt.Christie's eyes seemed to pop out of his head. "Wow," he said. "Really scary."But the Christie administration declined Cianfarini's request to audit the books, so Cianfarini took action himself: He ran for West Deptford's governing body, the township committee, alongside a former state trooper, Raymond Chintall. They were outspent more than 5-1, with Sweeney's union directing thousands of dollars to stop the challengers.Yet, the Republicans eked out a victory, adding two to the lone GOP committee member and taking control of the town for the first time in a quarter-century.Sweeney's reaction that night? "Heartbroken," he told reporters."It's human nature," Cianfarini said. "You put somebody in power for 20-something years, and that's what you get -- entrenchment -- and they're going to fight to keep their power."At the municipal meetings after the new regime took control, Republicans and Democrats sat on different sides of the room. Signs advertising competing, vitriolic political blogs were planted on lawns throughout town. Sweeney and the two new Republicans claimed to receive death threats.Sweeney seethes at what he says the Republicans were doing to West Deptford. They underfunded the fields he helped to build, he contends, and plotted to ax other programs with a tea party mentality.Republicans say they were trying to set West Deptford straight after years of Democratic financial malfeasance. Democrats lacked a state-required general ledger of financial transactions, oversaw a water department where hundreds of residents got free service, and failed to itemize millions of dollars in receipts for a debt-ridden, publicly financed riverfront development known as the RiverWinds."Everything I've looked at or touched as a result of taking office is completely broken," Cianfarini said.But perhaps the biggest dispute was over a series of property-tax appeals filed by Sunoco over its Eagle Point facility near Route 130 and I-295. Sunoco had appealed its assessment dozens of times since 1988, saying the bills were higher than the property's worth. West Deptford had spent millions in legal fees on the case.Immediately after they were elected in 2011, Republicans met to figure out how to deal with the Sunoco case. A court date loomed, and they feared the township risked a judgment that could cost tens of millions. So they sought to settle the matter, end the legal costs, and get the best deal possible.Sweeney, meanwhile, strategized a counterattack.Sweeney vs. SunocoSunoco's chief executive, Brian MacDonald, arrived in Trenton one day in the spring of 2012, walked into the Senate leader's Statehouse office, and sat down in front of the senator's well-polished mahogany desk."You're screwing people I represent," Sweeney said he told MacDonald. "I don't think it's right for corporations to just leave a big mess behind and take everything away from people."Then, Sweeney said, he kicked the Fortune 500 CEO out of his office.Two years earlier, blaming the recession and reduced global demand for refined oil, Sunoco had announced it was ceasing refinery operations in West Deptford and evolving into a terminal and storage facility -- and it would lay off at least 400 workers.Sweeney represented those workers, many of whom were West Deptford residents, and he had worked there himself, rigging equipment as an ironworker. He knew the "true middle-class, blue-collar jobs" that the company once provided. Sunoco wouldn't accept his help as he tried to find a buyer or create a redevelopment plan, he said, as he had for other decommissioned industrial facilities.Sunoco didn't appear to care that hundreds of "families" were losing work. "That upset me," he said.There were other reasons for Sweeney to be angry. Eagle Point was the only Sunoco facility in the region that was now a nonunion shop -- even though it sat just down the road from Sweeney's union headquarters.Plus, shortly after the layoff plan was announced, former Sunoco CEO Lynn L. Elsenhans collected a $28 million severance package, according to federal documents.Joe McGinn, a spokesman for Sunoco, said in a statement that no one was kicked out of the Trenton meeting. Regardless, Sweeney was miffed.A week later, a Sweeney bill to kick Sunoco gas stations off the New Jersey Turnpike passed a Senate committee. The bill would have required gas stations on toll roads to use suppliers that have refineries in the state, but it ultimately stalled in the Assembly.A Plan B would be needed.Brash 'amateur' politics"I'm a fighter and I don't make no bones about it," Sweeney bragged. "And I fight hard."His political detractors take that a step further. They say he "bullies" and "punishes" his enemies.Earlier this year, Sweeney refused for 50 days to allow Senate votes on Republican-sponsored bills after a procedural kerfuffle over a gun-control measure."I'm not going to let you slap me in the face and say thank you," Sweeney said of Republican Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. "That's called a fighter. I wanted to get his attention, and I did."Instead of pursuing "big-picture issues," Sweeney is motivated by "a score sheet in which the politician makes a list of who are his friends and who are his enemies," said Montclair State University political scientist Brigid Harrison. She called it "amateur-style" politics."He has a sort of political chip on his shoulder, and I don't know if that's his blue-collar roots, or if he's a South Jersey politician in a state that North Jersey dominates," she said.Sweeney defends his approach as "getting things done," ticking off accomplishments, such as a new power plant in West Deptford and a $300 million port in Paulsboro."There wouldn't be schools for disabled children [in Gloucester County] if it wasn't for me迷你倉最平fighting for it," Sweeney said. "I will not apologize for fighting for people in South Jersey."South Jersey scored a huge victory in 2010, when Sweeney, working with his longtime political ally George Norcross -- the state's preeminent political power broker -- engineered what insiders describe as a "coup." Sweeney became Senate president by ousting Richard Codey, a former governor and Norcross foe, and since then the region has had more sway in state politics -- and in pulling state resources -- than ever before.Sweeney so relishes the victory over Codey that he keeps two framed editorial cartoons in his district office. One depicts a decapitated Codey, with the caption "Sweeney Todd"; the other shows a monstrous claw with Sweeney's name poised to attack a shivering, pajama-clad Codey.Codey declined to be interviewed for this story, as did Kean (R., Union).But a self-described victim of Sweeney's alleged tactics was eager to lay blame on the senator for ruining her career.Sweeney County"He's vengeful; he's vindictive," said Debra Press-Costello, a former Sweeney supporter and West Deptford Democrat who worked for Gloucester County from 1983 until her retirement earlier this year.The former county deputy clerk said that Sweeney, as her freeholder director, had her transferred to a no-work job as a punishment in 2010. Press-Costello's offense? She had promised to treat Sweeney's opposition, newly elected Republican freeholders who had just broken onto the all-Democrat board, as equals.Press-Costello was moved to the Department of Human Services, where she spent the next two years, until her retirement, doing little more than playing a balloon-pop game on her iPad while collecting $144,000 in public salaries, she said.Sweeney left the freeholder board shortly after Press-Costello's transfer, due to political pressure over holding two demanding and powerful elected positions. But several sources from both parties said that Sweeney still controls county operations, with orders issued via an aide who works for both Sweeney's Senate office and the county freeholder director."His face lights up when you talk about Gloucester County," said a Democratic operative who spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation. "He's always laser-focused on it."Sweeney, Gloucester County administrator Chad Bruner, and the current freeholder director, Robert Damminger, denied Press-Costello's accusations about a no-work job, saying she was moved as part of a regular reorganization of duties. Sweeney is too busy in state affairs to meddle in local politics, Damminger said.Sweeney is "an advocate for all the residents of Gloucester County in Trenton," Damminger said. "He's a good friend, been a good friend for quite a long time, but to say he has undue influence on the day-to-day operations of the county is absolutely false."In an indication of Sweeney's continuing popularity at home, Harrison's Republican mayor, Louis Manzo, has crossed the aisle to endorse Sweeney in his reelection campaign against Niki Trunk, a former township deputy mayor and former deputy chief of staff for the state comptroller.Harrison Township officials also recently unveiled Senator Stephen M. Sweeney Way, a bypass that was built, Sweeney says, after he lobbied officials and property owners.Building a broad-based coalition in his home county is key for Sweeney, who is thought to harbor bigger ambitions. He started a U.S. Senate fund-raising committee last year, and he later considered challenging Christie's reelection bid.Asked if he was the most powerful Gloucester County politician of the last generation, Sweeney smiled and said, well, he wasn't going to say that.The news conferenceAt that January 2012 news conference, though, Sweeney acted as Gloucester County's powerful protector when he stood outside Eagle Point's facility.Just three weeks earlier, Republicans took office in West Deptford and moved to settle the decades-old tax dispute. Now, to an industrial landscape of smokestacks, circular storage tanks, and narrow metal towers, Sweeney proposed a state law that would stop the settlement.Sunoco is a "corporate pirate" that had "raped and pillaged" and "is going to destroy a community," Sweeney said.His bill would prevent Sunoco and other companies from getting tax refunds on closed facilities until the properties were clean of contamination.No matter that the state Department of Environmental Protection already had a remediation plan to clean up Eagle Point, with 25 monitoring wells throughout the facility. Reports filed at DEP headquarters in Trenton indicated that the cleanup was on schedule, and a DEP spokesman said there have been no problems at the site.Sweeney argues that industries regularly pretend to clean up their facilities, only to let them sit and rot, with no taxable reuse, for decades, and his bill would apply to refineries statewide.But the only place immediately affected would be Eagle Point.West Deptford Republicans, fresh off a big election win, thought they controlled their town. They didn't realize Sweeney would weigh in from his perch in the Legislature. And they didn't realize that the Republican governor would side with their Democratic opponent.In June 2012, the Legislature approved the bill, and the next month, without so much as a news release, Christie signed it into law.Sweeney sues his townThe West Deptford Republicans, however, moved ahead with a deal to refund $13.1 million in overpaid taxes to Sunoco. The town also reimbursed Eagle Point's previous owner, Coastal, $18.5 million in taxes. The Republicans and their lawyers argued that since about 50 Sunoco employees still worked at Eagle Point in its new role as a storage facility, the site was not "decommissioned," as the law stipulated, and therefore was exempt from the law.Sweeney was apoplectic. He asked Christie's attorney general to step in, but the request was ignored, Sweeney said. (The Attorney General's Office had no comment.)So Sweeney did something no New Jersey legislator had done in 37 years: He sued a municipality.In fact, research and interviews indicate no state legislator has ever sued his or her hometown.Sweeney argued that Sunoco's charitable arm, the Sunoco Foundation, gave West Deptford Republicans $750,000 in fire trucks as a kickback for approving the tax refund. Sunoco and the Republicans denied the charge, saying the grant was a separate matter.To cover legal fees for the case, Sweeney dipped into the $1.9 million in public funds that he has broad discretion over as Senate president. Past Senate presidents have occasionally used the money to hire outside lawyers. But a legislator suing a town to defend a law signed by the sitting governor? Unprecedented.A settlement is reachedIn May, the payments to the outside law firm had reached nearly $300,000. But after The Inquirer began requesting legal bills from Sweeney's office, the payments stopped. That's also when talks about settling the lawsuit began.Meanwhile, West Deptford taxpayers continued to incur legal fees to defend Sweeney's suit -- $23,423.60 as of last month.Sweeney said the money was needed to protect his town, his people, from the scourge of Big Oil. "I want it cleaned," Sweeney said of Eagle Point. "I want it cleaned now."But the Sierra Club's Jeff Tittel, the state's leading environmental lobbyist, said that while Sweeney's law was just, his motivation wasn't."The irony with Sweeney is that even though it was vengeance against Sunoco for what they were doing, from an environmental side, [the law] was actually right," Tittel said.A month ago, Sweeney's and Sunoco's lawyers reached a settlement.Sunoco will receive its tax refund but will have to post a $4.5 million bond. If it violates DEP regulations within the next three years, then the DEP can draw down from that bond and use the money to clean the site.Yet, technical documents in thick stacks of folders stored at the DEP building in Trenton indicate that Sunoco is already remediating the site, as required. While the bond backs up the remediation with cash, it is unclear how this settlement brings the facility any closer to being "clean," Sweeney's purported objective.After three years, this new layer of enforcement ends, according to the settlement.Sweeney couldn't clarify these terms because of a settlement contingency that largely prohibits the parties from talking to the media. A Sunoco spokesman would not comment either.In an interview after the settlement papers were signed, though, Sweeney seemed pleased. He had at least forced Big Oil to put up money.And he hadn't given new fodder to his political opponents: Part of the settlement required Sunoco to pay $300,000 of his legal fees. Any fees incurred above that after May would be waived by the lawyers, Sweeney promised, and not paid by taxpayers. Only West Deptford's legal fees stand to be paid by taxpayers.Cianfarini, the West Deptford Republican, believes Sweeney lost. He says the settlement indicates that no laws were broken and the lawsuit was frivolous."This is just one more thing where Steve is using every bit of state resources that he can to stop the Republican majority that has now taken control of his hometown," Cianfarini said. "And he doesn't like it. And it's personal."Harrison, the political scientist, agrees.When Republicans took control of his hometown, that put "a bit of the fear of God in him," because it meant "undoing everything he has done, his legacy.""But it also means there's a constant source of criticism . . . and I think that does damage to the ego and is probably partially responsible for that kind of vitriolic and maybe overly aggressive response," she said.Sweeney rejects that argument. Yes, he acknowledges, he wants "to see my town go back to the Democratic side." But that's not what any of this was about. It was about cleaning up a toxic site in his district and sticking up for the families affected by layoffs."I only fight when I have to," Sweeney said. "Who cares about the vulnerable more than me?"More fights loomWest Deptford Republicans may have survived this bout with Sweeney, but they remain wary that New Jersey's most powerful elected Democrat wants to take back his hometown.While Democrats see him as a leader and are grateful for his advice and involvement in the Sunoco issue, he insists he does not run local politics."I wish I was that good," Sweeney said.Township elections are scheduled for Nov. 5. A local blog, WDPride.com, is touting two Democratic candidates -- if they win, West Deptford returns to Democratic control.The website is paid for by a political action committee funded in part by Sweeney's union.Its motto?"It's time to take our town back."STEVE SWEENEYAge: 54Hometown: West DeptfordEducation: PennsaukenHigh SchoolPrevious offices: Gloucester County Board of Freeholders; freeholder director, 1997-2010Legislative service: Senator representing parts of Gloucester, Cumberland, and Salem Counties, 2002-present; majority leader, 2008-10;Senate president, 2010-presentOccupation: General organizer, International Association of IronworkersFamily: Married, two children609-217-8355 @mattkatz00mkatz@phillynews.com.philly.com/christiechroniclesCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at .philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存
Some health insurers offer extras - like apps to find cheapest meds
Source: Detroit Free PressSept.self storage 29--One Michigan insurer will offer an app that will help you find free or cost-effective medications close to you. Another will offer discounts for the gym or for exercise equipment. Still another will assign you a personal customer service assistant.As the Michigan Health Insurance Marketplace launches on Tuesday, consumers -- many of whom might be buying insurance for the first time -- will find some surprisingly innovative add-ons to the policies available on the exchange.-- Full coverage: What you need to know about the Affordable Health Care ActHealth Alliance Plan (HAP), for example, will assign a personal customer service assistant to all new customers -- someone to help them find a specialist, sort through coverage questions and even find a doctor if they're suddenly sick when they're traveling overseas."It will be, 'Hi, I'm Kate. I'm here to help you,' " said Lori Rund, who heads product development for HAP.That customer service rep, Rund said, will be assigned to a client for two years, helping them navigate a drastically changed world of health insurance.The marketplace will be an online exchange where tens of thousands of Michiganders will be able to buy insurance at affordable rates. It is a key piece of the federal Affordable Care Act that clicks into place nationally next week. The law requires almost everyone to have health insurance by next year unless they fit a narrow class of exemptions.A six-month general enrollment period starts Tuesday, offering Michigan consumers up to 142 plans. All are required to have a core set of essential benefits such as hospitalization and free preventive care -- putting many services that used to be unavailable within reach of the estimated 1.4 million uninsured or underinsured Michiganders.Anyone can shop the exchange -- .healthcare.gov -- though only those who are underinsured and uninsured and fall between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level will be eligible for credits. (The federal poverty level in 2014 will be an income of $11,490 for an individual and $23,550 for a family of four.)The add-ons could help improve consumers' health and save them money at the same time, said Diana Criss, senior director of operations at East Lansing-based Consumers Mutual Insurance of Michigan, the state's new insurer on the exchange, along with a dozen others.Consumers Mutual is a co-op created with money provided through the Affordable Care Act, so policyholders will "own" the company and make up more than half of the迷利倉17-member board. That means extra pressure in making sure Consumers' policies make sense for the patient, said Criss, a longtime insurance executive who has spent much of her career looking at clinical cost data.On Consumers policies, patients with any of 26 common chronic conditions -- asthma, diabetes or hypertension, for example -- get a pass on co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for doctor's visits, lab tests and medications to keep their diseases under control. They'll be free, Criss said.Too often, even small out-of-pocket expenses can mean struggling families skip medications or routine doctor visits. Chronic conditions can spiral out of control, leading to costly trips to the emergency room and hospital stays."If you remove the barriers, you can keep your sick people well," Criss said.That's why Consumers offers a phone app for its customers. They will be able to punch in their medications to find the closest providers of low-cost or free prescriptions.These sort of policy add-ons, like discounts on a treadmill and other workout equipment that Priority Health will offer, should be only part of the consideration when consumers head out onto the marketplace, said Josh Fangmeier, health policy analyst at Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation in Ann Arbor.Nearly all plans fall into one of four tiers. A platinum plan, for example, might have the priciest monthly premium but cover about 90% of medical bills.So someone with a costly medical procedure ahead might want to consider the platinum plan to pay for most of those expenses and the follow-up care and medications. On the other hand, someone who is willing to bet they'll stay healthy all year might want to risk buying a lower-cost bronze plan, knowing that high costs will kick in only if they get sick or injured, Fangmeier said.The right plan for one person might be the wrong deal for another. "It really depends on the services that an individual uses," Fangmeier said.Even within those tiers, there will be variety. Some plans might have small co-pays on regular doctor visits, but higher deductibles on hospitalization, for example. And people younger than 30 will be able to purchase catastrophic plans, where premiums might be low, but only the care for serious injuries will be covered.Fangmeier said consumers must pay careful attention to avoid costly surprises later in the year.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Detroit Free Press Visit the Detroit Free Press at .freep.com Distributed by MCT Information Services自存倉
Move to enhance ports, commodity trading
The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone has been considered an important step in the further opening of China’s markets and a weather vane for the next phase of reforms.儲存The market focus has been largely on financial reform within the free trade zone, principally interest rate liberalization. Market watchers are particularly excited about the prospect of convertibility of the renminbi on the capital account, on a first-to-do and first-to-try basis, within the zone.Ongoing discussions over the zone tend to generate the impression that it will be merely a testing ground for financial reform. Is that true?We believe this understanding is too narrow and overlooks the importance behind supportive reforms in various areas within the zone. Excessive emphasis on financial reform and impractical expectations of its progress seem to be market hype creating castles in the air. That’s likely to result in confusion and disappointment in the short run. What is exactly included in the Shanghai free trade zone?It is a testing ground for financial reform that takes on a new look. Overall, the pilot reforms within the zone comprise four areas: trade, investment, finance and government administration.TradeUpgrading trade is an essential part of the new zone and comprises two aspects.The first is liberalization of traditional trading businesses to achieve free imports, storage, re-exports, processing and manufacture of goods within the zone. There are no essential differences from the preferential policies provided by existing bonded zones, but further initiatives may be undertaken to relax customs and tariff regulations.Secondly, there is expansion of Shanghai’s position in relevant sectors in the development of the trade sector. For instance, the free trade zone has proposed to bring into full play the linkage of Waigaoqiao Port, the Yangshan Deep Water Port and the Pudong International Airport. It also proposes to develop Shanghai as an international shipping center by developing shipping finance, international shipping and ship management, among other things.Moreover, an international commodity trading platform and warehouses for the delivery of commodity futures are expected to be built. International trade covering energy products, industrial raw materials and agricultural products is to be conducted within the zone. If these goals are achieved, they will boost Shanghai’s prosperity and profile as a free trade port.Investment liberalizationNegative-list and pre-establishment national treatment policies will be adopted across the board within the zone. The negative list approach means that all sectors will be opened up, except those specifically excluded by law. Although there is only a single-word difference with the positive list approach — which allows only sectors specifically included by law — the two approaches are totally different. The negative list approach is a demonstration of decentralization of government power.The pre-establishment national treatment will be offered to foreign firms, which means the majority of the investment within the zone will be subject to a filing system. Foreign investments within the zone will no longer be under the administrative control of the prevailing Catalogue for Guiding Foreign Investment, which sets restrictions on foreign ownership and scope of business.Finance reformFinancial reform measures within the zone that are circulating in the market include nine aspects:Interest rate liberalization, or market-oriented pricing for assets of financial institutions.Convertibility of the renminbi on the capital account on a first-to-do and first-to-try basis.Foreign banks and joint venture banks bemini storageween domestic private capital and foreign capital to be allowed to establish.Restricted license banks would be allowed to be established.Foreign-invested credit ratings companies would be allowed to be established.Some Chinese banks would be allowed to engage in offshore business.Financial lease businesses would be encouraged and tax incentives offered.Overseas companies would be gradually allowed to participate in commodity futures trading. Financial lease companies would be allowed to engage in the commercial factoring business related to their primary business, and overseas futures exchanges would be allowed to set up warehouses for the delivery of commodities futures.Project companies engaged in overseas equity investment could be subject to a 15 percent corporate tax, in line with the high-tech service sector.Government administrationMeasures should be announced on addressing the administration process and legal restraints. We believe the transition of administrative functions of government is the most essential part of the reform within the free trade zone, redefining the relationship between government and the market.For example, the negative-list approach on investment will help China to certify to the latest standards of international trade to enhance investors’ confidence and get them motivated. More importantly, it will represent a fundamental change in the existing concept of the administrative process in China. It will result in the market playing a more important role.In terms of legal restraints, the Shanghai free trade zone has been allowed an ad hoc three-year suspension of implementation of three foreign investment laws — on wholly owned enterprises, Chinese-foreign equity joint venture and Chinese-foreign contractual joint ventures — that were enacted by the National People’s Congress in late August. What to expect in the near term?The free trade zone is built by on the guideline of “complete deregulation of the first tier, safe and efficient full-control of the second tier and free flow of goods.”The first tier refers to the relationship between the free trade zone and abroad involving goods that can freely exit from and enter into China free of customs supervision. The second tier refers to the relationship between the zone and the rest of the mainland, where movement of goods are subject to applicable taxes and regulation.The guidelines are fairly easily understood when applied to trade of physical goods but somewhat confusing when applied to the financial industry. That has given rise to speculation and uncertainty. Does a financial institution have to open a branch or subsidiary in the free trade zone to benefit from the financial reforms? Does complete deregulation of the first tier mean full liberalization of financial operations within the free trade zone?We believe the government is unlikely to make an aggressive move in reforming the financial market. In the near term, financial reform in the free trade zone will focus on three aspects:Lowering the threshold for the establishment of financial institutions.Potential removal of restrictions on certain offshore financial businesses, followed by extension of renminbi convertibility and cross-border investment.Channels connecting the free trade zone and the rest of the mainland may be made available to enable capital flows to a certain extent but will be highly restricted in the near term.The free trade zone cannot be built overnight. Some rules regarding the free trade zone have been unveiled. Those, however, are only the beginning rather than an end. More specific rules and improvements are expected to phase in over the next one or two years. self storage
網絡新詞對語言的衝擊是空前的
不落113 車友徜徉山、海美景
廣州版
天河C B D一超甲級寫字樓發生大火災，自存倉古天樂、李心潔等被困其中！廣州消防出動十多輛消防車到場撲救，消防大隊長親自帶隊殺入火場救人等等，什麼？劉青雲是消防大隊長？哦，原來是C B D有戲！電影《逃出生天3D》今天(30日)正式上映，然而這部在廣州珠江西路取景拍攝的電影作品並非天河C B D的首次"觸電"，隨著近年的快速發展，C B D已成為�多電影中的"場景龍套"。天河C B D里拍過哪些戲？為何劇組對這裡越來越情有獨鐘？明星們拍戲之外會在C B D里幹什麼？讓C B D T IME S告訴你吧。發展中心 "東成西就"一個好的天台(樓頂)，是一部港產片成功的關鍵。港片黃金時期的動作片主角，被人追殺逃跑時一般都會躥上天台(完全不合邏輯嘛)，在天台大打一場，再飛身跳下來路面的貨車上脫險(是的，總會有輛貨車載著一車棉花追著主角玩偶遇)。再之後的《無間道》你也知道了，我想做一個好人。港產片《東成西就2011》也不例外，陳奕迅與莫文蔚在樓頂約會，從黃昏開始直至夜幕降臨。有眼尖的廣州觀�發現，這個場景所處的是大廈停機坪，周邊景觀的高樓大廈總讓人感覺似曾相識：小蠻腰？西塔？還是富力中心？而這個無獎競猜的答案是：珠江新城臨江大道3號的發展中心！擁有德國血統被不少劇組看中于2005年落成的發展中心大廈，是珠江新城最早落成的超甲級寫字樓之一，也是專業電影"龍套"。這座廣州發展新城投資有限公司旗下的物業，分為三部分，中間玻璃立面部分略為凹進，兩翼建築部分線條劃分清晰，外形方正，樓高37層，由德國gm p國際建築設計有限公司設計。從設計之初到大樓建成後都未做過改動，保留了原汁原味的"德味"。由於擁有現代味與臨江景觀，這裡很快被影視製作團隊"盯上"。據介紹，從2006年開始，每年都會有一到兩個劇組前來發展中心大樓內取景拍攝，為了確保大樓的正常工作，物業方會根據劇本內容決定是否能提供場所，如果符合要求，管理方會要求劇組將拍攝檔期安排在周末進行。"前一段時間開拍的《單身男女2》原本是定在這邊拍攝的，一開始受到颱風影響將檔期推遲，後來由於演員檔期已滿，只能在周五拍攝，便取消了這次合作。"最近的一次"觸電"是2010年電影《形影不離》。該戲把廣州城內不少場景收入戲中，而發展中心大樓亦在其中。停機坪不務正業卻頻頻"觸電"說起發展中心，不能不提它的"明星級停機坪"。它是廣州市內第二個樓頂直升機停機坪，在此之前只有廣東國際大廈設有。由於市內未設直升機航線，因此，停機坪至今只能在電影里低調地"露了把臉"。近日，CB D T IM E S記者從發展中心的37樓拾級而上，重新踏上這個停機坪。在這裡，眼前一片豁然開朗，珠城及珠江兩岸的景觀一覽無遺。相比《東成西就2011》時的場景，如今這裡早已發生了不少的變化。如影片里的富力盈凱廣場當時仍未建成，如今落成並已貼出了招租的廣告。遺憾的是，為確保大樓的正常運作與安全，這個停機坪處並不對外開放參觀。影迷們很難在這裡拍一張屬於自己的個性劇照。中心曾變身"國安局辦公大樓"發展中心37樓以上的樓層，也是個神秘之處。這裡平日不完全對外開放，主要作為貴賓接待場所使用，有時有些國家的領事館也會租用此處作為宴會場所。《東成西就2011》中陳奕迅的辦公室便曾借用此處。黎明、閆妮、曾江、吳彥祖等明星也曾到此工作，"有一次，陳小春來海心沙演出，還過來大樓這邊借洗手間使用呢。"有工作人員說道。2006年，電視連續劇《落地請開手機》借用發展中心拍攝了兩周，該大樓在劇中搖身變為"國安局辦公大樓"一角。當時與該樓僅一江相隔的"小蠻腰"還只是活在建築圖紙里呢。在演員出沒的地方總少不了熱情的粉絲們。讓發展中心一位行政人員印象深刻的是，《落地請開手機》開拍時已是深夜12點多，當時大樓一層未設置門禁設備，有位媽媽級的粉絲便趁機進來為孫紅雷送來雞湯。直到亞運會前，各大寫字樓開始裝上了門禁設備，這類情況便鮮有出現。沾發展中心的光，這裡不少員工也因此過了一把"龍套癮"。"在《落地請開手機》的拍攝過程里，我還出演了一個帶台詞的角色，《東成西就2011》里我也做過了路人甲。"一位大樓物業工作人員說，受邀拍電影讓他印象深刻。萬菱匯 里"幸福迷途"每個國際大都市的C B D，都會有一處特別適合拍都市白領快節奏集體過馬路的場景(很多導演都愛拍這種鏡頭)，如果要在廣州選一處地點，萬菱匯門前的十字路口，絕對是最合適的沒有之一。位於天河路與體育東路交界的萬菱匯，集商場與49層寫字樓于一身，是天河C B D的時尚地標之一，這裡除了春節，其他時期基本都處於各種進進出出的繁忙狀態。這裡毫無懸念地被劇組看中也是理所當然的。由粵籍名導張全欣執導的電影《幸福迷途》就在這裡取景，萬菱匯在劇中多次出現。如在劇中扮演白富美從事時尚工作的陳喬恩，與在劇中扮演影視紅星的莫小棋一起到萬菱匯逛街，一番"血拼"後，兩人在萬菱匯北門開車離開。在戲中扮演陳喬恩男友的邵兵在萬菱匯也有戲份：他在商場中庭，由二樓搭乘手扶電梯上三樓，一臉焦慮地在尋找女友的蹤影。除了萬菱匯，《幸》劇還在C B D內的珠江新城發展中心前的噴泉和君悅酒店等處取景。全球通大廈 "逃出生天"去年11月，《逃出生天3D》在珠江新城開拍，古天樂、劉青雲mini storage李心潔在劇中扮演廣州消防員，為此珠江新城"大陣仗"地封路拍攝5天，部分道路要被封閉48小時。消息一出，粉絲們普大喜奔。拍攝期間，出現了粉絲各種拋夫棄子、各種放鴿子、各種假裝龍套闖片場的歡樂場面。場內明星在演災難片，場外粉絲在演苦情片、偵探片、動作片各式大片，只求一睹活的偶像本尊。導演之一的彭順說，位於珠江西路的廣東全球通大廈之所以會被加入到特效虛擬成劇中的"火海煉獄"，是因為無論是大廈的環境還是周邊的道路街景，都與劇本和他們的預設比較吻合，而且經過接洽後又能順利與大廈等方面達成合作共識，因此全球通大廈就"入戲"了。今天，《逃出生天3D》與《CBD T IM ES》同步上映。但這個"片場"太低調了，以至於很多今年才到這裡工作的員工完全不知道這裡去年的熱鬧。"大廈新晉員工A m m y聽CBD T IM ES記者說去年這裡曾是片場時差點就淚奔了："爹媽幹嘛不早生我一年吶！"而對此仍有記憶的老員工阿威，則略帶失望地指著馬路對面的空地說："拍戲那幾天新搬了一個好大的公交站牌，還以為以後上下班不用地鐵轉公交了，結果發現是佈景，害我空歡喜了好幾天，騙紙！"廣州W酒店轉角遇到"星"吳彥祖、古天樂、楊千嬅、周渝民、高圓圓、趙薇、文章……電影明星，其實，還有來自時尚界的更多國際級"巨星"來過天河C B D，例如：Jim m yC hoo(周仰傑)、山本耀司、勒布朗·詹姆斯，以及爵士名伶D iana Krall(戴安娜·克瑞兒)……開業半年的廣州W酒店，VIP名單已經不計其數。以時尚和音樂為元素的國內首家W酒店是明星們來到廣州最愛住的地方之一，酒店大堂不時可見到明星平常進出，且沒有保安圍繞。據介紹，《單身男女2》拍攝期間，多位主演都沒有V IP通道，而是通過酒店大堂進出。今年7月，N BA球星勒布朗·詹姆斯更是大方地在社交軟件Instagram上上傳了一個短片，告訴Fans自己正在廣州W酒店，並秀了一回房間內的私人D J。每天早上6-7點，他會外出在珠江新城附近練球。而Diana Krall來到廣州當天，也曾在珠江新城和太古匯自由shopping。酒店人員時常這樣形容自己工作的地方是"轉角遇到星"。"有些明星就像普通人一樣走進來check in，來到前台，我們才知道他來了。"名導演C B D說"戲"為何選擇天河CBD，曾在這裡拍攝過電影的《幸福迷途》導演、著名電影人張全欣、《逃出生天3D》導演之一彭順兩位導演坦言，這裡邊多少都有點廣州情結在裡面。張全欣是地道的廣州人，而彭氏兄弟也有很多親戚在廣州，自小就來往于粵港兩地。作為取景地天河C B D硬件非常好張全欣說，作為電影取景地，天河CBD的硬件非常好，自從亞運會之後，珠江新城變得特別漂亮、很現代化，這不比上海北京差。他自豪地說，自從他拍了《幸福迷途》後，多多少少也帶動了廣州本地的制片組。而彭順選擇在這裡取景的原因，則跟他的名字一樣，因為這裡"順"。"我們這部是消防題材的大型製作，需要很多方面的協助"。"就算在香港拍戲，借街道難、借消防車難也是出了名的"，他說為了拍攝，廣州有關部門可以配合暫時封閉這些地標周邊的道路5天，實在很難得。在張全欣看來，天河CBD在硬件方面已經很優越，"如果在軟件方面有改善的話，其優勢更加得天獨厚。"張全欣說，去新加坡拍戲，除了有個專門的小組來審核，甚至還能得到當地政府的資金支持，這樣的扶持政策在廣州比較少，基本上是無，比較遺憾。拍戲不封場，廣州人見慣大場面"最近5年突然變化了，很多五星級酒店在廣州全部冒出來，廣州塔，BR T，紅專廠等，都讓我覺得蠻驕傲的，來廣州拍戲的藝人以前對這個城市的印象是髒、亂、舊，現在沒有人覺得廣州不好的，吃的就更加不用說了。"說到吃，張全欣馬上想到興盛路上各種食肆餐廳，他說那裡一到晚上各種潮人聚在一起，以前要去上海外灘、新天地，北京工體才有這樣的氛圍和感覺，現在廣州天河也有了，"CBD的商業和生活氣息是融合在一起的，並不是冷冰冰的，這是成熟大都市的體現。"彭順認為在現代商業文化的影響之下，CBD逐漸也會出現其獨特的文化氛圍，這與所謂的懷舊情懷是一種互補，而非衝突。據張全欣回憶，當時在萬菱匯拍攝時，並無進行封場，路過的市民看到有明星在拍戲，都表現得比較淡定。"如果在內地有明星出現，粉絲或路過市民就會比較鬧哄哄，但廣州人比較看淡這些東西，他們路過會說一句'果度有人拍戲'，然後繼續逛街。"張全欣說，廣州人見慣大場面，也讓拍攝能更順利地進行下去。玩吧拍個性劇照@C B D T IME S 如果您喜歡模仿明星在劇中的動作，我們歡迎您一起加入"C BD拍個性劇照"活動。在新浪微博上發送"#我的C BD個性劇照# +內容+ @C B D T IME S"並附上您的C BD個性劇照，C BD君會為您送上最噴飯的點評。同時微博轉發率最高的5名讀者，每位可獲贈U A花城匯3D電影票2張，現在就來一起玩吧！更多C BD有戲內容請關注微信：cbdtim es。02—03版 統籌：CBDTIMES記者 袁建彰採寫：CBDTIMES記者 鄭雨楠 鐘麗婷 譚希瑩 黃雅熙 袁建彰 實習生 英嘉茵攝影：CBDTIMES記者 鄒衛 林宏賢 鐘銳鈞 實習生 孫俊傑(電影截圖來自網絡)儲存
網購火車票最好提前去取當天取票，要排長隊可能誤車
明天國慶長假就要正式開始，文件倉今明兩天，高速、鐵路、公路、民航都會迎來客流高峰，特別是鐵路，將迎來史上最高客流，火車東站也將迎來建成後的首次大考。但是這兩天，杭州火車東站每天都有6萬多張網上訂的火車票沒取，等到乘車那天，車站取票隊伍肯定會很長，鐵路部門提醒大家務必提早取票，以免趕不上車。 34萬張網絡訂票沒取 再不取票就要誤車了 7月1日，杭州火車東站開通運營，運力相比之前大大增加，但是面對這個國慶黃金周，客流依然火到爆。平時日均客流量在12萬人次的杭州火車東站，預計國慶高峰流量將高達17萬人次。 昨天下午，在火車東站的候車大廳，記者看到候車的乘客還不是非常多。在到達層幾個打車點，記者逛了一圈，乘客也是寥寥無幾。購票大廳里，很多旅客都是在網上訂票，提前來取票的。 最令杭州鐵路部門擔心的是，直到昨天，國慶期間出發的網購車票賣出了48萬余張，未取票34萬余張，占了7成。其中今天出發和明天出發的各有6萬余張沒取票。"到時候，取票的隊伍排得沒盡頭，這邊車又要開了，趕不及就會誤車。"鐵路杭州站的工作人員擔憂地說，"請網購車票的旅客，務必提前取票，最方便的是去市內的代售點，另外到車站的自動取票機、車站窗口都可以取票。" 昨天，公交集團再次開通杭州火車東站——武林廣場的"便民服務1號線"。下午3點20分，首發的小巴上只有一名乘客，但依舊準時出發，這名乘客享受了"包車"的待遇。國慶長假期間，如果出租車難打，不妨走到火車東站北側的出租車通道，乘坐"便民服務1號線"。"1號線"中途停靠公交總公司雙向停靠站。運營服務時間火車東站為15：00至23：30；武林廣場為15：40至22：30。 長假期間預計發送旅客135萬人次 今年黃金周或創杭州站史上最高客流 余票情況怎麼樣？火車東站工作人員說，今明兩天杭州前往廈門、青島、鄭州、武漢、溫州、福州的高鐵動車票已全部售完。北京方向，今天的高鐵票全部售完，明天只有一兩趟還剩下極少量的商務存倉票和一等票。上海方向相對寬裕，南京方向這兩天的不少車次也已經賣空。 今年國慶長假鐵路運輸期限為9月28日至10月7日，鐵路杭州站（包括杭州東站）預計共發送旅客135萬人次，與去年同比增長11.5%，預計為鐵路杭州站史上最高。據分析，長假客流主要以旅遊、休閒、探親客流為主，流向以北京、西安、滬杭、杭甬（甬台溫）以及義烏、金華方向為主。 國慶長假期間，鐵路部門加開管內臨客15對、直通旅客列車1對。其中杭州站7對，杭州東站9對。主要方向為上海、寧波、溫州、金華、江山、阜陽和南昌等地。 公路客流有所下降 車票基本能滿足需求 根據杭州交通運管部門前期調查預測， 9月30日至10月7日，預計杭州市總客流量將達505.2萬人次左右，比去年同期客運量增長2%。 其中，杭州市區四大車站客運量為67.77萬人次，去年同期客運量70.596萬人次，最高峰日為10月1日，客流19萬人次左右。客流熱點線路：嵊州、新昌、天台、烏鎮、西塘、舟山、慈溪、東陽、蘭溪、浦江、諸暨、衢州、龍游、江山、建德、淳安、桐廬、安吉、蘇州、歙縣等。 杭州長運集團車票預售期從5天增加至16天，"我們的車票還是比較好買的，基本能滿足大家的出行需求。"長運集團的工作人員說。 9月28日，杭州長運集團已經開通火車東站至汽車西站、汽車北站的站際接送車，確保火車東站旅客的疏散。 三亞麗江九寨溝 3條旅遊航線最火 9月30日、10月1日、10月2日，這三天杭州蕭山國際機場的機票總體比較寬裕。蕭山機場售票處說，最緊張的當屬旅遊線路。最熱門的線路是三亞、麗江、九寨、南陽，上述三天的機票基本快售完了。武漢、成都30日的機票、廈門10月1日的機票，長沙30日和10月1日的機票最緊張。其餘各方向，像北京、深圳等，如果選擇在國慶期間飛機出行，票額都比較充足，只是折扣會比較少。 網購車票的旅客，務必提前取票，最方便的是去市內的代售點，另外到車站的自動取票機、車站窗口都可以取票。儲存
集集大眾爺聖誕 歌舞布袋戲拚場
【本報記者顏高集集報導】集集鎮大眾爺聖誕千秋，self storage於農曆8月23日，各寺廟誦經團、歌舞、戰鼓、樂團表演，有歌仔戲及布袋戲在廟旁演出拼場。特邀亞洲盃冠軍、世界盃第三名的怪獸競技啦啦隊表演及施放煙火，吸引香客拍照留念。 集集鎮大眾爺廟管理委員會主委莊文鼎表示：大正7年（民國7年）重修大眾爺墓塚，特立石碑，刻有萬善同歸之字，永懷緬思。當時日本政府，禮敬佛教不信道教，反對居民祭拜，大眾爺公略展神威，使看守油庫的日本兵，接連幾個早晨，都從地面上睡醒來，自此開始接受居民信仰的習尚，當時廟祠、神社、武德殿迷利倉油料庫一起存在的畫面，可說是蔚為奇觀之景。 該廟所處四面環山，清水溪為毗，有棵明朝末年神木（大樟樹）綠化其境，蛙叫蟲鳴，鳥語花香，是旅遊休閒的好景點，山明水秀，地靈人傑，連民國48年八七水災的洪水也淹不了廟門，是「鯉魚戰水」之穴，更為雲林八景之一的「浮島綠蔭」之地，此後，大眾爺神威顯赫，經商、尋人尋物有求必應，每年大眾爺聖誕千秋，均演戲酬神。今年，各寺廟誦經團、歌舞、戰鼓、樂團表演，有歌仔戲及布袋戲28台在廟旁演出。特邀亞洲盃冠軍、世界盃第三名的怪獸競技啦啦隊表演及施放煙火，吸引香客拍照留念。自存倉
“鬼樓”無鬼朝內81號院將修繕
記者兩度探訪無異常，mini storage產權方稱"鬧鬼"系網絡謠傳，已著手進行修繕新京報訊 （記者朱自潔）近年來，網絡上盛傳朝陽門內大街81號院的兩座廢棄古建築"鬧鬼"。雖有多家媒體對此闢謠，但"鬼樓"傳言不絕於耳，以此為題材的文學、影視作品亦不斷出現。近日，新京報記者兩度探訪"朝內81號院"，並未發現異常情況。其產權單位，天主教愛國委員會北京教區相關負責人亦證實，網絡傳言系謠傳，不存在"鬼樓"。各種傳說中，鬼總是夜晚現身，為了體驗一把"鬼樓"的氣氛，記者于9月28日晚11點造訪朝內81號院。81號院占地約半個足球場大小，停有三十多輛汽車。院內東西兩側各有一座三層西洋式建築。兩座建築主體完好，但窗戶已經破損，牆皮也有大面積脫落。沒有燈光，加上綠植覆蓋的樓梯，就像鬼片的場景，總體給人一種陰森感。東樓建築大門向西，大門玻璃上噴塗著一個"鬼"字。進入樓內，可明顯感到木質地板已受潮發軟，地板上散落著碎玻璃碴、木板、塑料袋。借著手電的亮光，可見樓內空無一物，柱子和牆壁多處被人用紅色噴漆塗鴉，塗鴉內容有簡單的"死"字，"樓內真的有鬼"等。地下室入口處階梯已經破損。進入地下室，可聞到強烈的霉味，地下室格局和一層相同，堆放著一些垃圾。二樓塗鴉更多，除此以外無其他異常。與東樓相比，西樓的破損情況更加嚴重，地板損毀嚴重，樓內牆面、柱子多處開裂、破損。昨日中午12時，記者再訪"鬼樓"。雖鄰近繁華的朝內大街，但院內卻異常安靜。與夜晚相比，白天的東西兩樓並無詭異氣氛。從外部觀察，僅僅是兩座廢棄的古老建築。■ 講述81號院里什麼都沒有28日晚11點，兩位市民進入81號院。他們稱小時候就聽說過"曾有軍官太太在東樓內上吊"的傳言，也多次探訪過"鬼樓"，但什麼也沒發現。81號院門儲存稱，常有年輕人深夜來探險，也有電視台、攝製組來81號院拍攝、取景。"我在網上看過傳言，可能就是探險的人越多，大家越覺得神秘，但裡面真的什麼都沒有。"附近居民稱，"有些探險者進去後就發出怪聲，來嚇唬同伴。"該院產權單位，天主教愛國委員會的相關負責人表示，81號院不是"鬼樓"，並稱目前已著手對81號院進行修繕。■ 對話81號院"鬧鬼"系謠傳針對網上朝陽門內大街81號院"鬧鬼"的傳言，記者採訪了北京天主教基建辦公室主任孟奇。新京報：81號院的兩座樓是什麼樓？孟奇：這兩座樓是1910年所建，原本是美國天主教會所建，作為培訓傳教士中文和提供休息的華北協和話語學校。1930年後改名為加利福尼亞學院，開始招生。解放後，為民政局的辦公樓。1995年後，政府將其交還給天主教會。新京報：為何會有"鬼樓"傳言？孟奇：由於資金問題，這兩座樓一直閑置。2005年左右，許多熱衷于城市探險的年輕人來此處探險。他們將自己的經歷經過誇張和想象，臆造出"81號院鬧鬼"的傳言，一些文學、影視作品出現也會讓人們信以為真，其實這都是謠傳。新京報：網上"曾有民國軍官太太在東樓自殺"傳言是否屬實？孟奇：據天主教愛國委員會所掌握的資料來看，東樓只在解放前被一個比利時老太太作私宅用，並無民國軍官在此居住。因此，"自殺"也是謠言。新京報：81號院為何多年閑置？孟奇：天主教會一直想修繕這兩座建築。因為多年閑置，不僅有安全隱患，也與城市環境不符。遲遲未動工主要是資金問題。現在相關手續完成，基建部門已著手修繕。雖然允許市民和遊客入院參觀，但因兩樓在2004年就已被鑒定為高度危房，所以不建議進樓探訪。9月28日晚，手電光照在被很多人稱作"鬼樓"的朝內81號院東樓上。 新京報實習生 王飛 攝儲存倉
2013年9月28日 星期六
Private Classes far from home
While home schooling remains rare among the Chinese, Westerners living in the country are seemingly more likely to educate their children themselves than they are in their homelands.文件倉 Sun Ye and Erik Nilsson study the phenomenon. Judy Rodriguez came to China as an educator. One part of her life as an instructor in Beijing is spent at the suburban New Generation Foreign Language Library her family founded. The other is as her daughter Abby's sole instructor at home. The 12-year-old hasn't attended school as a student in the five years since the family moved to China. Her mother has spent those years teaching others in classrooms — time during which Abby studies independently. The 54-year-old American draws from her pedagogical philosophy as an educationalist in her decision to teach her daughter outside official school systems. Yet many expatriate parents turn to home schooling solely to navigate obstacles to educating their children in China. While such obstacles aren't the only reasons for Judy's decision, they're major influences, she says. International schools in 2011 averaged nearly $33,000 a year — a 10 percent increase over the previous year, expatriate magazine BeijingKids reports. Language barriers — the older the child, the less penetrable they are — exclude most foreign children from most local schools. And policy restrictions determine which schools foreigners can attend. It was international schools' excessive price tags that motivated American Melinda Howe to home-school her three girls — two of whom are adopted from China — and her son. Her youngest is in first grade and the oldest is in sixth grade. "We feel getting used to both the language and the system (would be) too much for them," the 44-year-old mother says. And it wouldn't be worth it if the family returned to the United States. She believes the local education system focuses on "too much memorizing". While no reliable figures exist for expats who home-school in China, cost and accessibility seem to point to a greater likelihood they'll do so here than in their homelands. The US government's National Center for Education Statistics' 2007 figures say about 1.5 million American children — roughly 5 percent of the school-age population — were home-schooled then. About 0.01 percent of Chinese children were home-schooled in 2013, the 21st Century Education Research Institute reports. But domestic home-schoolers are a growing group, the institute says. Because Western home schooling is an entrenched tradition and more advanced — the new practice hovers in a legal gray area in China — accredited Western school curriculums are easily available on multimedia platforms. While the depravation of other options in China forces many foreigners into home schooling, they often discover unanticipated boons. Most say the greatest advantage is flexibility, especially in terms of time. Melinda's children can start their study quotas as early as 7 am if they choose. "If they finish early, they can end class early," she says. The mother says home schooling in this way also teachers her kids time-management and self-contr存倉l. "(Abby) is very self-reliant and independent," Judy says. She gets up on her own at 7 am to head to the library, where she plays with other children visitors and studies Chinese with a tutor. Upon returning home, she spends two or three hours using the Switched-on School House computer program. Home schooling's flexibility means Abby has time to take her grandfather grocery shopping and hang out with library patrons. "She comes to me if there is a problem," the mother says. "Going to a normal school means a lot of wasted hours like getting from one place to another and waiting for the whole class to follow through." Commutes often exacerbate foreign parents' exclusion from China's education. The Howe family, for instance, lives in Beijing's relatively remote yet extremely affluent suburban expat hub, Shunyi. That distance excludes the family from joining the home-school cooperatives popular among locals. "But we have a backyard where they can do all sorts of things," Melinda says. She says such time flexibility extends beyond daily classes. They can also decide their holiday schedule and vacations. Her 11-year-old sixth grader Riley is an advanced learner who could finish a day's work by 1 pm and 1.5 years worth of work in a year, the mother says. "Working closely with your children also lets you find out their strengths fast," Melinda says. "We can adjust to their individual likes and find what fits them best. That's impossible in an ordinary school." Melinda doesn't stand in front of her kids during classes. She works alongside them. The mom helps with the math problems they find on Ixl.com and their reading exercises. They sometimes do biology and drawing lessons at the Beijing Botanical Garden. She believes one of home schooling's greatest advantages is the quality time she spends with her kids while still working part time. "I'm blessed to be able to stay this long with my kids," she says. But they remain social. Their church offers such group activities as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. "And the four of them are already a small group," the mother says. "They learn to help and share with each other." While Abby is the only child in her class, her mother doesn't believe home schooling has stunted her peer engagement. "There are no socialization issues," Judy says. "She learns a lot from real life." So do home schooling parents. Melinda says teaching four children at once isn't easy. "When you are parent, you ask for the best from a teacher — and now you're responsible for it," she says. "As any parent would say, you want them to have the best." Judy says acting as her child's primary educator enables her to provide better moral instruction. "I grew up learning so much more from my family and life than in a school," she explains. "I want my children to learn a variety of things and learn the way it suits her, too. I could put (Abby) in a much more strenuous academic curriculum, but that's not what I aim for. "I'd rather she be happy with what she learns and keeps going on." Contact the writers at sunye@chinadaily.com.cn and erik_nilsson@chinadaily.com.cn. 儲存
Government shutdown: Where it hits and how hard
Source: Chicago TribuneSept.自存倉 28--The Pentagon would furlough 400,000 civilian workers and temporarily stop paying death benefits to military families. The National Park Service would close all 401 national parks and give overnight campers two days to leave. Calls to the IRS would go unanswered.Those are among the effects that the public probably will notice first if federal agencies start shutting down Tuesday because Congress has failed to pass a bill to provide money for the new fiscal year.Agencies began disclosing their contingency plans Friday, and the announcements immediately became part of the partisan back-and-forth over whether the government will shut down and who is to blame.Unlike some other Washington budget battles, the impact of a shutdown would quickly become visible. Approximately half the government's civilian workforce, about 1.2 million employees, is expected to face furloughs. The Pentagon would have to stop paying service members, although they would still be required to report to duty.The first paychecks that would not be issued -- if a shutdown lasted long enough -- would be the ones due on Oct. 15, said Undersecretary of Defense Robert F. Hale, the Pentagon's top financial officer, who briefed reporters. In a shutdown, the department would also be forced to stop other payments, including death benefits, Hale said."We would have no authority to pay the money, and in that case the payment would be delayed," he said.A shutdown would grow increasingly difficult to manage over time, as the military runs out of options for delaying operations and is prohibited from entering into any new contracts with vendors, he said. "The severity effects would grow quickly if it turns out to be long," Hale said.Because Congress has failed to pass any of the money bills needed to fund government agencies, most will have to begin shutting down when the new budget year begins Tuesday. The exceptions are programs that do not require annual appropriations, including Social Security and Medicare, and those deemed essential to protect life, property and national security. That means that fire suppression missions would continue, for example, but parks would close.Furloughed employees could be paid retroactively if Congress passed a law authorizing it. Retroactive pay was approved after the shutdowns of the mid-1990s but is not guaranteed.According to the Census Bureau, there are 169,000 civilian government workers in California, 124,000 in Maryland, mini storage9,000 in Florida and 52,000 in Illinois. Most of them face the possibility of being furloughed.The last time a comparable shutdown happened, in 1995 and 1996, the effect on the economy was substantial. Closing parks cost nearby businesses about $14 million each day, according to the Congressional Research Service. The nonprofit National Parks Conservation Assn. projects that the hit this time would be more than twice as large. About 21,400 park service employees nationwide would be ordered not to report to work. Also facing that prospect are 37,000 employees who manage federal lands and coastal activities for the Interior Department.Because most law enforcement functions are considered essential, the impact would vary widely from federal department to department.At the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the U.S. Secret Service, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, most of the 231,117 workers would remain on the job. Officials said 31,295 would be furloughed.By contrast, more than half of the Department of Health and Human Services' 78,000 workers would be furloughed.The Internal Revenue Service would halt taxpayer services such as responding to questions and conducting audits."If the government is closed, people with appointments related to examinations [audits], collections, appeals or taxpayer advocate cases should assume their meetings are canceled," the Treasury announced. "IRS personnel would reschedule those meetings at a later date."Contractors and other recipients of government grants have followed the news anxiously. Many are positioned to weather a brief shutdown without any major disruptions, but could find themselves in trouble during a prolonged stalemate.The repeated budget crises of the last few years also have taken a toll on federal workers. Some Cabinet officials Friday urged their employees not to take it personally."I know these kinds of actions ... don't feel very supportive," Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said in a video message to employees. "I want you to know, and I know the American people know, that the work we do is very, very important."One group that does not face a loss of paychecks, however, are members of Congress.Evan Halper and Richard Simon, Tribune Washington BureauCopyright: ___ (c)2013 the Chicago Tribune Visit the Chicago Tribune at .chicagotribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存
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