Amtrak Backs Off Cutback Threat

AP Online April 5, 2002 | LAURENCE ARNOLD, Associated Press Writer 00-00-0000 WASHINGTON (AP) _ Amtrak, citing signs of help from Congress, backed away Friday from its threat to issue notices that would allow it to cut its long-distance train network as early as this fall.

Instead, the railroad sent an update letter about its continuing quest to win $1.2 billion in federal funds for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The letters went to governors of the 46 states Amtrak serves.

Amtrak President George Warrington wrote that he is encouraged by the response of lawmakers. However, he added, “uncertainties associated with the legislative process” mean Amtrak must prepare for the possibility that it will not receive enough money to maintain current service.

He reiterated that the 18 trains in its long-distance network are “at high risk” and said other routes could also be cut if Amtrak’s appropriation is too low.

The 18 trains serve Amtrak’s longest routes and are among its biggest money-losers. Without them, travelers no longer could get on a train in the Northeast and connect all the way to California, or board in Florida and reach the Pacific Northwest.

Amtrak spokesman Bill Schulz said the intent of Warrington’s letter was to warn the governors about Amtrak’s uncertain future _ and the possibility of service cuts _ without creating confusion among prospective travelers that could result from elimination notices. amtrakpromotioncodenow.com amtrak promotion code

Warrington announced Feb. 1 that Amtrak would issue formal notices by March 29, reserving the authority to cut routes when the new fiscal year begins. Amtrak is generally required by law to give 180 days’ notice before it discontinues train service.

But in his letter to the governors, Warrington said such formal notice is not necessary “in circumstances like this, where train service rests on the availability of federal appropriations.” Transportation Department Inspector General Kenneth Mead reported in January that Amtrak lost $1.1 billion in 2001, the most in its 30-year history, and had made no progress toward meeting Congress’ 1997 order to wean itself from annual government operating subsidies by this December.

Since Warrington’s February announcement, Amtrak has made headway in convincing federal officials that the nation’s passenger rail system needs more money.

“My sense is that there’s now a sense of urgency in Congress that wasn’t there before,” said Amtrak Vice Chairman Michael Dukakis, the former governor of Massachusetts.

The Bush administration has proposed $521 million for Amtrak in fiscal year 2003, but Amtrak has received some key backing in its pleas for more money. web site amtrak promotion code

Mead said the railroad cannot maintain current operations with the funding proposed by Bush, the same amount Amtrak received this year. Deputy Transportation Secretary Michael Jackson told Congress it will take $2.5 billion to $3 billion in annual funding for rail “just to keep what we have.” And 28 senators have signed on to a bill by Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., that would devote $4.6 billion a year for the next five years to Amtrak operations, renovations to Amtrak-owned tracks in the Northeast and development of new high-speed corridors around the country.

A new proposal in the works by House Transportation Committee leaders would authorize $1 billion for Amtrak’s capital and operating expenses next year. Congress also would cover Amtrak’s annual obligation _ about $160 million _ to pay benefits for rail industry retirees.

In exchange, Amtrak would have to begin submitting an annual business plan to the Department of Transportation listing ridership, revenue and expense targets for individual business units and long-distance trains.

A spokesman for House Railroad subcommittee chairman Jack Quinn, R- N.Y., said the bill would buy Congress one more year to come up with a long-term plan for Amtrak and passenger rail.

___ On the Net:

LAURENCE ARNOLD, Associated Press Writer

INDUSTRY 212: IN THE PARK.

WWD January 15, 2004 | Greenberg, Julee NEW YORK — Industry 212, held here at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from Sunday to Tuesday, showcased an array of brands and a mix of markets.

Whether it was the newest bracelet from Rebel Designs or a trendy new T-shirt from Plain Jane, Industry 212 had a lot to offer buyers looking to fill their stores for summer. But it wasn’t just retailers walking the floor, as high schoolers on assignment browsed the aisles to learn about the business (and do some shopping when the teacher wasn’t looking). website oasis day spa

For many of the teens at the show, the first stop was a new resource out of Albany, N.Y., called House of Bimbo, a line of kitschy T-shirts and tank tops carrying sayings like “Boy Beater,” “I Am NY” and “Local Talent.” Owner Diva de Loayza allowed the teens to buy samples.

“It’s less to carry back home and they love to shop, so it’s great,” she said as she sold one brown baseball shirt with “Ghetto” plastered across the front.

“Only $15? OK,” said the teen shopper reaching for her wallet.

As de Loayza closed the sale, she explained that she started the company almost two years ago when she was attending Parsons School of Design here. She moved to her hometown of Albany to start House of Bimbo, which wholesales for $11 to $25. At this show, she said she was booking a lot of tanks and Ts in pink, and preppy polos in blue and pink. site oasis day spa

“There’s a lot of pink this season,” she said. “Everyone wants pink.” At young contemporary firm Blue Plate, long patchwork skirts were booking, as were short bandanna print skirts in pink and blue. Also booking were printed halters with beading detail and crochet dresses with drawstring waists. The Blue Plate collection wholesales for $20 to $30.

As for accessories, Seychelles was offering an array of styles, from black pointed flats to pink high heels and flip-flops.

“People are picking up a lot of pink this season,” said Kevin Morris, sales representative for the brand. “From open toe heels to ballerina flats, pink is the color.” Morris said retailers are looking to pick up shoes that go well with jeans, since they are selling so many.

“That’s what the girls are wearing, so we make the heels to wear with them,” he said.

Nearby, Rebel Designs was selling leather cuffs accented with crystals and antique brass. Wholesaling between $24 and $36.50, designer Gina Riley customizes each piece to the store, allowing for a choice among about 12 different crystals and leather colors.

But it wasn’t only the products buyers were looking to pick up. They took mini-breaks between appointments for a massage from the Oasis day spa, makeup reapplication from the Macy’s Herald Square Chanel counter and a smoothie from the smoothie bar. For those looking for some business advice, seminars were held throughout the three days, such as “Developing a Celebrity Following and Leveraging Its Benefits to Fuel Your Bottom Line” and “Color Therapy: Defining Your Retail Space Through Color.” Featuring more than 500 apparel and accessories exhibitors, Industry 212 showcased some of the fastest-growing segments of the marketplace. The show attracted more than 8,000 buyers from specialty and department stores, national chains, mass merchants and mail order and Internet sites, as well as buying offices.

Industry 212 is an affiliate of MAGIC International, a subsidiary of Advanstar Communications.

Greenberg, Julee

Spell-check

Jerusalem Post December 17, 1997 | PINCHAS LANDAU PINCHAS LANDAU Jerusalem Post 12-17-1997 Hebrew is a tough language to master; generations of immigrants to this country have learned this, usually the hard way. But it’s really tough if you’re dumb, and no one comes dumber than a computer.

Try writing a review of the Israeli political situation, in English, on a supposedly sophisticated word- processing machine. Unless you are a walking dictionary, you will probably want to use the facility provided by this miracle of modern technology, known as a spell-check, to ensure that you haven’t made any unnecessary blnuders or mitsakes. However, the damn machines are now so smart that they flag down every word they don’t recognize, and then make what they term “suggestions,” to help you out of what they consider to be your difficulties.

The following is a sample of these supposed spelling errors and the suggestions made to “correct” them, on a small sample of who’s who and what’s what in this country.

Let’s start with the political parties. Obviously, Labor is OK, although there is always the US/UK issue of Labor/Labour. The trouble starts with …

Likud: The golem immediately ties itself up in knots. You can have “liked,” which is an option, at least for some, or “licked,” which others may prefer – or “liquid,” which is perhaps the most accurate description of the state of our ruling party.

Herut, one of Likud’s founding entities and its ideological bedrock, can be “heart” – it always was strong on emotions, or “hereto,” “whereto” or even “whereat,” presumably reflecting the party’s preoccupation with history and territory.

Shas is open to numerous interpretations, or so the program thinks (probably rightly). Anything from “shag” to “Shah” or even “sham” is offered, with “chase” as a long- shot that also seems worthy of consideration. go to web site online spell check

Moving onto the left-wing parties, the machine seems reasonably comfortable with Meretz, suggesting only “merits” (very complimentary) and “meters” (less so).

But it can’t make head or tail of the parties that combined to create Meretz. Shinui could be anything from “shin” or “chin” (?) to “shine” and “shone,” or even “shun,” if you don’t like it, and “China” if you want to send it really far away. As for the former Socialist bastion, Mapam, the programmers had a breakdown on this one: “Ma’am” is far too royalist, “Madam” is still very aristocratic, and “Mama” is either Freudian or just plain wrong.

But the machine knows where it stands on some of the more extreme parties. Hadash is either a “headache,” which is nothing to boast about, but sounds good compared to “Hades,” which is where many people would like to see Hadash’s MKs.

Moledet could be “molted,” although it hasn’t yet, or “molested” – say no more. But on Rakah, the thing fouls up again – “rajah” is really the wrong address.

For Tsomet it has “no suggestions,” which is probably just as well, considering it suggests “Titan” for Rafael Eitan.

But it comes up trumps on Gesher, which could be “geisha” – always ready to please, or “gusher,” a fair reflection of David Levy’s rhetorical strengths.

As regards haredim, it’s very keen on “hard” and variations thereof – “hardy,” “harden,” “harder.” But these are not convincing, and “harem” is clearly wrong. However, the more daring, if far-out, “hairdo” has distinct possibilities…

Even a simple term, such as right-winger or left- winger, throws the machine into paroxysms of self-doubt. It knows what “left” and “right” are, fortunately, but has no idea about “wingers” (no sporting, or even air-force, background). To be on the safe side, it offers “winners” (could be), “winders” (very often, particularly during the campaign) and “winters” (surely a euphemism for the opposite of “winners,” loc. cit.).

SO MUCH for parties; what about their leaders? Here there emerge some clear biases, although who these favor is not so clear. For Messrs Netanyahu, Neeman and Mordechai it has, collectively and individually, “no suggestions” (better safe than sorry?). But Labor leaders receive no such mercy.

The late Yitzhak Rabin could have been anything from “Rabbi” (don’t recall anyone calling him that) to “rabid” (getting warmer) to “rabbit” (dangerous territory now). His partner and rival, Shimon (“Shaman!”) Peres receives a veritable gamut of options from “peer” and even “peeress” (as in the House of Lords?) to “peruse,” “perhaps,” “perks” and “perms” and on to the insalubrious “pees.” site online spell check

Peres’s successor is no more welcome in this machine. Ehud (“Thud!”) Barak might be, so the golem thinks, “barrack” (he was, but he’s finished with the army now) “bark” (“purr” would seem more appropriate) or even “baroque” (so long as it’s not Gothic…). Uzi Baram, triggers another peculiar and unfavorable response – barium” (unpleasant) or “barroom” (much better, but still not worth boasting about).

The other Labor star fares even worse. The machine can’t abide even Haim, offering anything from “ham” to “hail” to “harm” as alternatives, but Ramon is equally unacceptable: “Radon” is one helpful suggestion, “rayon” is a more comfortable alternative, whilst “raccoon” is perhaps just playful.

Just to balance the score somewhat, the machine displays extreme ambivalence about Meridor. It could be “merrier,” and probably was once, or “mired,” which was also true at one point, or “madder,” which no doubt also had its day. The suggestion of “murder” suggests that this program has problems of its own, and needs treatment.

Chemical alternatives are a favorite of this word processor, by the way. It sees Gush Emunim as “ammonium” and if you think that’s accurate, then you just have to take your hat off to the suggestion of “calcium” for Cellcom. Make that calcified and its spot-on.

Speaking of which, what about Kupat Holim Clalit? No problems here. “Kaput” is not merely a suggestion but a stark reality, since “Homily” is about all you’ll get in the way of treatment, and while “claret” and “chalet” seem sadly misplaced, “callout,” “callow” and “callus” are all definitely in the right direction.

PINCHAS LANDAU