Going Out Of Business...It might be your favorite store

U.S.News & World Report
More Companies At Risk of Failing
Tuesday March 10, 12:46 pm ET
By Rick Newman

Everybody hopes the economy bottoms out and starts to improve tomorrow. Or sooner. But there are few signs of an imminent recovery. One obvious indicator is the health of big companies - you know, the ones that have been announcing all those four- and five-digits layoffs recently. And the outlook for them seems to be getting worse, not better.

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Moody's, the ratings agency, recently published a list of "bottom rung" companies most likely to default on their debt. The criteria are technical, but the upshot is that a lot of companies are in deep trouble - and the list is getting longer, not shorter. Moody's predicts that the default rate on corporate bonds this year will be three times higher than in 2008, and 15 times higher than in 2007. Defaults are often the last step before a bankruptcy filing. And bankrupt companies, obviously, don't usually hire people. They dramatically shed costs and workers and sometimes liquidate completely, firing everybody.

[See 15 firms that might not survive 2009.]

So the Moody's findings help explain why most economists expect the unemployment rate, now 8.1 percent, to rise as high as 9 or 10 percent before it starts to drift back down. And right now, real and perceived fears about job security are the main force driving a contraction in consumer spending, and the economy as a whole. Here's what the bottom-rung report tells us about the next several months:

There will be a lot more bankruptcies. Moody's places 283 companies on its bottom-rung list, up from 157 a year ago. Since the quarterly list was last updated, 73 additional companies have fallen to the bottom rung. Twenty-four companies made their way off the list - but mostly because they defaulted on their debts. Only one company, Landry's Restaurants, got off the list because its circumstances improved.

[See why bank nationalization terrifies Wall Street.]

Companies exposed to consumer spending have it toughest. The industries most represented on the list are media, automotive, retail and manufacturing. Companies in the most acute danger are those with reduced cash flow and a high debt load. A lot of big, well-known companies are in danger. On the list: Advanced Micro Devices; AirTran; AMR (parent of American Airlines); Chrysler; Duane Reade; Eastman-Kodak; Ford; General Motors; JetBlue; Krispy Kreme; Palm; R.H. Donnelly; Reader's Digest Association; Rite-Aid; UAL (parent of United Airlines); Unisys; and US Airways.

Many of the other firms on the list are second- or third-tier suppliers to automakers, airlines, and other troubled firms. Being on the list doesn't mean a firm is destined for bankruptcy. But it does mean the company faces severe constraints in terms of raising new capital, making new investments, and hiring. Instead of expanding, it may be far more inclined to sell assets, streamline or close divisions, and lay people off to cut costs and raise cash.

[See 6 possible upsides to a GM bankruptcy.]

America's malls are going to end up looking a lot different. The retail sector is obviously getting hammered, with chains like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things already out of business. Many other retail chains are in trouble. Also on the bottom-rung list: Barney's; BCBG Maz Azria; Blockbuster; Brookstone; Claire's Stores; Eddie Bauer; Finlay Fine Jewelry; Harry & David; Loehmann's; Michael's Stores; Oriental Trading Co.; and Sbarro. Again, this doesn't mean the company is doomed. But many of these firms will restructure, close outlets, shrink, and find ways to transform themselves. So if you ever go back to the mall, and your favorite shop has disappeared, you'll know why.

My Favorite Flower: Orchid's & why i love them

My favorite Flower is the Phalaenopsis Flower also known as one of the Orchid Flowers.
I love this particular one because they are the thick-leaved plants with elegant, arching sprays of blooms that can be seen in so many design magazines and sitting on coffee tables across America. There are about 60 true species of phalaenopsis; they are native to tropical Asian countries including the Philippines, Borneo, Java and elsewhere. These plants have been extensively hybridized, and there are thousands of phalaenopsis hybrids, ranging from the stark, classic white hybrid (often called a moth orchid) to jewel-like miniatures with clouds of yellow and candy pink blooms.

Come out and support these Breath taking Flowers this weekend in San Francisco.










Start Date: March 6, 2009 - End Date: March 8, 2009

Time: Friday 10am-6pm Saturday 9am-6pm Sunday 10am-5pm

Location: Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion

Phone: 650.548.6700

Link: http://www.orchidsanfrancisco.org/poe.html

Child Price: Kids 12 & Under Free when accompanied by an adult

Adult Price: General Admission: $12 in advance/ $14 at the door, Seniors: $8 in advance / $10 at the door
Event Description
Many people grow orchids as houseplants because of their breath-taking beauty and elegance. But these plants are not only beautiful decorations; studies have shown that orchids are one of the best eco-friendly house plants working night and day to keep your air clean.

Different from most plants, some orchids such as Catteyas and many Dendrobiums have modified their respiration in the same way as Cacti and many succulents. Energy from the sun is stored as organic acids during the day, then used to fix carbon at night, releasing oxygen in the process. They do this so they don’t have to exchange gasses during the heat of the day and lose excess water. Through this natural process, these orchids use carbon dioxide, release oxygen at night rather than during the day as most plants do. Orchids also reduce air pollutants and facilitate the air purification processes which continue throughout the night. Orchids and the other pollution reducing houseplants, such as the Spider Plant reduce the amount of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the air. Orchids in the home thus have health benefits (beyond soothing the soul) since VOCs are a major cause of respiratory problems, headaches, and more.

Some orchid species have even higher environmental value. In Dr. B.C. Wolverton's Book "Eco Friendly House Plants," the Dendrobium orchid is listed as one of the top 20 plants to be considered the most useful in removing chemical vapors.

To learn more about orchids’ air-cleaning functions and their benefits to the greater environment, visit one of the three most prestigious orchid shows in the
United States, the San Francisco Orchid Society’s 2009 Pacific Orchid Exposition. More than 150,000 orchid flowers throughout the world will be displayed in educational exhibits and sales booths, offering orchid enthusiasts a unique opportunity to look into the close relationships between orchids and its surrounding environment, as well as to learn more sustainable cultivation techniques.

Richmond, CA Historical Museum: Where I'm From

So yesterday I was assigned a small project for my job... To find out about Richmond's Iron triangle... & why this City was once full of life that had many business back and 1920's and how it became abandoned and left for dead in the 1950's... My first source was Richmond's Historical Museum off of 4th & Nevin... Never knew we had one! Did you know Richmond alone once had 12 movie theaters? Also had Trolleys all over barret & Mcdonald & cutting... They even Had a Business college over on McDonald...

QUESTION:Man this is sooo weird to see but
I ive heard that this was the docking place for many back in the day.
That pretty much why we had our name as Richmond was because of the
wealth that was once generated here. I wonder why all the biznesses left
and how did Richmond turn from white ta black and how violence is the
center piece and not jobs. 12 movie theaters WTf where? Mannnn I wish I
could go back in time and see what it was really like and how it changed
so dramatically

ANSWER: Well during world war 2 many African Americans migrated from the south to the west coast because of job opportunities in the factories and ships and of course in the war... After the war ended there were so many Men woman and children they made the triangular projects which happens to be the head of the "Iron Triangle"... the whites moved to the upper class while they gave blacks the ghetto projects it was not till 1974 hilltop was made and Richmond became crime infested... and all the whites moved out and went to Hilltop...
Here are some pics of the historical Museum... I Convince our young generation to stop by and support the community... Richmond Historical Museum is located on 4th & Nevin and only $2 admission... here are some pics below...

Canadian Rapper Drake: Mixtape So Far Gone

I been watching Drake since he came on the scene from TV show Degrassi... Yes lol i was a Degrassi fan...You really don't have a choice when you have a 12yr old sister in the household...lol... But what really caught my eye was his passion for success. I fell in love with his hit single Brand New back in 2007. Now Drake is back and bigger than ever still unsigned he still makes the spotlight to our generation. This talented artist has worked real hard to get where he's at and i applaud him for that. Show him support And cop the mixtape trust me its Worth it!!! Below is a interview with complex magazine and a Video of my favorite song on the mixtape: Successful feat. Trey Songz & Lil Wayne...


Complex: Listening to your earlier mixtapes, as well as So Far Gone, a constant theme seems to be the notion that “All That Glitters Ain’t Gold.” It seems like you try to be honest and downplay the rapper lifestyle, like when you talk about buying a Phantom but regretting it.

Drake: Yeah, well, to be even more honest, I leased a Phantom instead of buying one, ’cause I didn‘t have enough money to buy a Phantom, I leased a Phantom because that’s what I thought I needed to do. And I’ve done a lot of things to just enjoy my nights a little more and to feed my ego. And that’s kinda why I rap about it, because a lot of people are like, “If he ever steps out of line, I’m gonna say Drake’s wack.” So the only choice I have is to be honest with my listeners. And that’s not to say it’s not a glamorous life and it’s not fun, but the reality is it’s great for the average person to hear a musician’s reality because we all seem so unattainable and so out of reach that when you bring yourself back to eye level with a fan and do it in the right way…



Complex: Talk to us about So Far Gone. What was the idea behind it?

Drake: It’s basically a story. It starts in January 2008 when I was kinda confused like, What am I really doing? I gave up acting all together to really do this music thing, and I was really truly confused. It’s way different than acting, there aren’t people to depend on, you really have to build your own thing basically from the ground up, you know, so in January not only was I confused about my career, I was also in a very destructive sort of us exhausting relationship with a female and it was just a bad headspace for me to be in. So that’s where the tape starts.

It starts with this monologue, “Lust For Life”, of me crying out, in my head the things that I never say. The things that I was just thinking, that was my mindset. Then it goes to “Houstatlantavegas” which is about what I felt about the girl I was with. I just felt that nothing was ever good enough, and she was always searching for more excitement and then we move into “Successful.” I say at the end of the song, “There are so many things I want to say but I just don’t know how to say it to you.” I know exactly what I want to say, you know, I just want to be successful, but I don’t know if I can do it with you and then it goes into “Let’s Call It Off,” which is the breakup. And then coincidentally when I broke up with that girl a week later I went to Houston and met Lil Wayne and that’s where “November 18″ comes from.

Definition of Violence

I always studied and did reports on the acts of violence... but being that there are so many reasons and explanations for ones actions I really couldn't put my finger to what was violence... Not until I came accross this quote:
"Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is booth impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending a spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding. it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.