The Ticker

SEC completes Groupon review

The Securities and Exchange Commission has completed its review of Groupon's filings on revenue from its new business lines and on reasons behind the daily-deal site's financial revision. The agency said in a letter dated Oct. 4 and released Friday by Groupon that the regulator still can take action later against the daily-deal site.

Suffolk Construction sets up outpost

Suffolk Construction Co. will open a new office in San Francisco to expand its contracting business.

Suffolk CEO John Fish hired Andrew Ball, former CEO of San Mateo, Calif.-based Webcor Builders, to serve as president of the West region.

MONDAY

L The Institute for Supply Management releases its service sector index for October.

L EnerNOC Inc. and Entergy Corp. release quarterly financial results.

TUESDAY

L AMSC, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, CVS Caremark and Office Depot report quarterly financial earnings.

WEDNESDAY

L The Boston Redevelopment Authority hosts a community meeting on the 59 Temple Place hotel project in Downtown Crossing.

L The Federal Reserve releases consumer credit data for September.

L The first JEC Americas Composites Show and Conferences starts at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

L Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, A123 Systems, JC Penney, Sapient and Whole Foods Market [WFMI] report quarterly financial results.

THURSDAY

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Manual transmission died on low-mileage Toyota MR2

Do you have any idea why the manual transmission would have failed in less than 60,000 miles on my 2001 Toyota MR2? When the transmission was removed, I was told the clutch was fine, which hopefully indicates that this 60-year-old driver still knows how to shift and hadn't abused the transmission. The car was serviced by the book.

Is your car fitted with the standard manual transmission or the sequential manual transmission? Toyota had problems with its sequential unit, but the standard 5-speed does not appear to be problematic. You also did not say what type of failure the transmission experienced. Bearing failure is usually preceded by increasingly loud "whining" noises, while synchronizer or gear failure usually manifests itself as grinding, failure to go into a gear or popping out of gear.

My first thought was to focus on the lighter-weight lubricants used in modern manual transmissions. Typically, ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is the lubricant of choice in today's stick-shift cars.

But that's not the case with your MR2. Toyota calls for GL4 or GL5 75W-90 gear oil, depending on whether the transmission is equipped with a limited slip differential or not. The heavier gear oil is used because the unit is a transaxle assembly that incorporates the transmission and differential in a single case.

The only thing I noted when checking the Alldata automotive database is the difference between maintenance requirements between "normal" service and "severe" service. No transaxle fluid changes for the life of the car are suggested under normal conditions. However, Toyota does recommend fluid changes every 30,000 miles under severe service conditions. I've always maintained that the vast majority of motorists operate their vehicles under severe conditions the majority of time.

L L L

In May, I awoke at 5 a.m. to a loud boom followed by my neighbor pounding on my door. My son's car, a 2001 Chrysler Concorde that was parked in the driveway, was engulfed in flames under the hood. It was a total loss. The local fire chief believed the fire started on the left side, as the battery was melted and the front left tire was gone. Any thoughts as to what may have started the fire? The car had a remote start that would easily kick on if the button on the key fob was accidentally pushed while in a pocket.

I've done a number of vehicle autopsies over the years, including several vehicles destroyed by fire. While I'm no expert on fires, the melted battery would appear to indicate your vehicle suffered some type of dead short between the battery and chassis. Did the vehicle have any aftermarket audio equipment installed? I've seen several fires that originated with a wiring issue involving aftermarket equipment.

L L L

I have a 1995 Nissan pickup with 224,000 miles, mostly on the highway. Since about 150,000 miles, I've noticed a moaning sound from the gas tank area when the weather is warm. I purchased a new gas cap but it still moans in warm weather. If I release the gas cap slightly, the moaning slows down or stops. No one seems to be able to tell me the cause and how to fix it. Can you?

The primary suspect is the charcoal canister purge valve. This valve is electrically controlled by the engine management computer to open and vent fuel vapors stored in the canister into the induction system after the engine is started. It may be that this valve is no longer working, thus the fuel tank builds excessive pressure because the vapors are not being vented. The Alldata database pulled up a Nissan service bulletin addressing this type of noise that suggested installing the updated purge control valve, hoses and mounting bracket from the 1997 model year truck.

At least check the valve, located next to the air cleaner, to see if it is operating properly.

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

North Andover man's fight against breast cancer continues

PEABODY — Peter Devereaux didn't even know men could get breast cancer.

So when his doctor called to give him the news, Devereaux thought he had called him by mistake.

"I said, 'Doc, it's Peter Devereaux,'" he said, thinking his doctor would apologize and hang up.

He didn't, and within days Devereaux was back at the hospital, getting a bone scan and chest X-ray to see how far the cancer had spread within his body.

A Peabody native and North Andover resident, Devereaux, 50, was diagnosed with stage 3B invasive ductal carcinoma in January 2008. For the past 41/2 years, he has been battling the disease, which doctors discovered had spread to his hips, ribs and spine in 2009.

He is one of 82 men who have been diagnosed with male breast cancer believed to have been caused by water contamination at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina.

"It's the largest cluster ever recorded," Devereaux said.

Devereaux signed up for the Marines after graduating from Peabody High School in 1980. He served until December 1984, and in that time spent 16 months at Camp Lejeune.

"On average, you're 19 years old in the service, you work out like crazy, you work hard, you're drinking water by the quarts," he said. "None of us knew about the contaminated water."

In 2008, Devereaux said he received a letter telling him he may have come in contact with contaminated water. By then, however, he had already found a lump in his chest.

After his diagnosis, Devereaux underwent a mastectomy followed by numerous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. Doctors removed 22 cancerous lymph nodes.

"It makes you appreciate a lot of things in a hurry," he said.

In 2009, after he began experiencing shooting pain up his spine, doctors discovered that his cancer has metastasized. He's still fighting, currently undergoing chemotherapy to beat the cancer.

In the meantime, Devereaux is doing all he can to be an advocate, to raise awareness of male breast cancer. There's still a perception that breast cancer is a women's disease, and many men don't think it can happen to them.

"It's difficult for a lot of guys to come to grips with having, at the bottom line, a women's disease," he said. "We've still got a long ways to go, we've still got work to be done."

Fortunately for Devereaux, family and friends have rallied around. One of seven children, Devereaux said his family, his wife and his 15-year-old daughter have been incredibly supportive.

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Union: Raley's talks break down, strike called

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Union workers at Raley's supermarkets in northern California and Nevada are going on strike after contract talks broke down early Sunday morning, the union said.

Picket lines will begin a 6 a.m. PST Sunday, said Ellen Anreder, a spokeswoman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

The announcement came a few hours after a midnight talks deadline passed and both sides said the existing labor contract was being extended on an hour-by-hour basis at the request of the federal mediator.

But the union says in a statement released early Sunday that "by late on Saturday evening it had become obvious Raley's offer to extend the contract for an additional three days and return to the bargaining table" was a delaying tactic.

A spokesman for the supermarkets didn't immediately respond to a phone call for comment.

On Saturday the two sides held a third day of bargaining aimed at heading off the first strike in Raley's 77-year history.

The grocer has 128 stores in Northern California and Nevada.

The two sides have been at odds over a proposed wage freeze, elimination of premium pay for Sunday shifts and health care benefits.

"Raley's has tried to dictate a laundry list of takeaways including devastating members' and retirees' health and welfare plan and nothing has changed. It's clear from their actions it's time to teach them the meaning of respect," the union statement said.

Raley's management had threatened to impose a contract with its terms on Thursday, but when a federal mediator became involved in the talks, the company said it would hold off until midnight Saturday.

Raley's says it needs to cut costs in the face of a weak economy and competition from nonunionized companies that also sell groceries, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

But union officials say the chain has not agreed to a full audit of its finances, failing to make the case for the concessions

West Sacramento-based Raley's is a privately-owned company that employs 13,000 people at 115 stores in California and 13 in Nevada operating under the Raley's name, as well as Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, Food Source and Aisle 1 Fuel Stations, according to its website.

The United Food and Commercial Workers says it represents 7,400 of the chain's employees.

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gov't: BBC could face public inquiry over Jimmy Savile

LONDON — Britain's culture secretary says the government could order a full public inquiry into the British Broadcasting Corp.'s handling of the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

Maria Miller was quoted Sunday as telling The Sunday Telegraph newspaper that a formal investigation into the broadcaster "remains an option."

Savile, one of the BBC's best known entertainers, has been accused of sexually abusing hundreds of vulnerable young people. Police said that the TV host, who died last year at the age of 84, and accomplices may have abused at least 300 people, mainly women.

The BBC is conducting its own internal inquiries into how Savile's behavior was allowed to go unchecked for decades. It is also probing the decision by the channel's flagship current affairs show to shelve an investigation into Savile.

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Newspaper discloses new David Cameron text messages

LONDON — A British lawmaker says he's asked the country's media ethics inquiry to consider newly disclosed text messages sent between Prime Minister David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks, the ex-chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper division.

The Mail on Sunday newspaper on Sunday published two previously undisclosed messages exchanged between the pair, who are friends and neighbors.

Brooks is facing trial on conspiracy charges linked to Britain's phone hacking scandal, which saw Murdoch close down The News of The World tabloid.

In one newly disclosed message, Cameron thanked Brooks in 2009 for allowing him to borrow a horse, joking it was "fast, unpredictable and hard to control but fun."

Opposition lawmaker Chris Bryant has asked a judge-led inquiry scrutinizing ties between the press and the powerful to examine the messages.

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Board game shows ploys of politics

You can wait until Tuesday to see who wins the White House, or you can take matters into your own hands by playing a new board game that allows you to "buy" constituents as a candidate yourself.

Cynical? Maybe. But the creators of "Politocracy" promise a good time.

"We want it to be educational, provocative and fun," said Mark Strangio, the 62-year-old former high tech worker from Newton who developed the game with Frederick Zimonja, a Scituate attorney. "It's a great way for people to challenge themselves and talk about issues that seem to have polarized the electorate."

Each player takes on the political profile of a current or past presidential candidate but starts out as a moderate with a certain amount of campaign money that he or she uses to buy the support of constituents.

When candidates accrue enough popularity, they roll the dice to advance to the Money Trail, where they raise as much money as possible, all the while trying to stay on course, despite polls, debates, the media and the occasional scandal.

Ultimately, two candidates advance to the election and roll the dice to compete for electoral votes in 10 parts of the country. The candidate with 270 electoral votes wins.

A few weeks ago, Strangio and a group of friends got together for a game, and Mike Palin, a self-described "bleeding-heart liberal," played Sarah Palin.

"I'm always getting asked if I'm related to her," said Palin, a 61-year-old software company CEO from Sudbury. "I thought it would be great to play someone who was so antithetical to my views. And it was. I liked the mixture of competition and conversation the game triggered."

"Politocracy," which began selling for $39.95 last month on www.politocracythegame.com, is still in its infancy, with only about two dozen sold to date. But Strangio, who plans to vote for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, hopes it will remain relevant long after the election.

"If you don't like the election's outcome," he said, "you can relive it vicariously through the game and play for a different result."

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Summer arts festival backed by Ted Cutler

Boston philanthropist Ted Cutler and his team are planning to turbocharge the city's sleepy summer arts scene with a world-class, 10-day outdoor festival in July that has already won the support of the mayor, the governor and a host of local arts organizations.

"I want to leave this as a gift to the city and the state," said Cutler, 82, a longtime benefactor of his alma mater, Emerson College, and several Hub charities. "Economically, the state and the city will be in a much better position with a big arts festival during a slow part of the summer."

"This is an opportunity to change the culture of the city. It's generational. If you take your child to the ballet or theater, they will take their child," added Cutler, who spent his college days working as a band leader and later booking big music acts in Boston.

Cutler, along with managing director Kevin Carlon, artistic director Sherrie Johnson and senior curator Randy Weiner, wants to highlight Boston's vibrant performing arts community and to make many shows free and accessible by bringing them to outdoor venues such as Boston Common, Copley Plaza or the Esplanade.

"I think it is absolutely extraordinary that Mr. Cutler is funding this," said Harron Ellenson, executive director of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra. "He puts his money where his mouth is and it's wonderful."

This summer's inaugural Outside the Box Festival, which will run from July 12-21, is dedicated to the late Boston Landmarks Orchestra founder Charles Ansbacher, who died in 2010.

"(Ansbacher's) vision was that arts should be part of everyone's lives, that we should try to make art as free as possible — even though artists need to be paid. That's why (Cutler) is dedicating this festival to him," Ellenson said.

The Landmarks Orchestra plans to perform a specially commissioned piece titled "Fiesta Sinfonica" — which features the orchestra playing with a salsa band — at the Hatch Shell during Outside the Box as well as other pieces designed to get the audience up and dancing.

"I think the festival's going to be absolutely wonderful for the city," said Ellenson. "The spinoff effect for all the arts groups in the city will be great."

Julie Hennrikus, executive director of StageSource, said a Boston "fringe" festival has been considered for a long time and the Outside the Box

idea, with its inclusion and local focus, is a "thrilling solution."

Modeled on the huge Edinburgh Festival Fringe and other international gatherings, Outside the Box could become a big Boston draw.

"We expect tens of thousands of people each day over the 10 days," Cutler said. "If we get to our third year — and we will — the entertainers will start to say that they have to play Boston in the summer."

"This festival will bring new audiences to the artists and new artists to the audiences," he added. "I believe this will be something like the city has never seen before."

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prison factories caught in private biz debate

TALLADEGA, Ala. — On the outside, Unicor, with its big oaks and magnolia trees, looks like it could be part of a landscaped industrial park. Step a little closer and it's clear the apparel shop lies in the middle of a medium-security federal prison in east Alabama.

The factory and those like it that employ convicted felons are at the heart of a simmering debate about whether prisons should be siphoning away jobs — at much lower wages — that could be filled by those who need them during the nation's toughest period of unemployment in decades.

Congressional Republicans, a handful of Democrats and private-industry critics want to clamp down on Unicor — the trade name of Federal Prison Industries.

Almost 13,000 inmates working in federal lockups around the country for a few dollars a day make everything from military uniforms to office furniture to electrical parts that are sold exclusively to federal agencies. With annual revenues that reached $900 million last year, Unicor is the federal government's 36th-largest vendor.

Corrections officials say the program teaches prisoners invaluable job skills and personal discipline that help cut down on their return to prison. Inmates who work in the program are 24 percent less likely to commit more crimes than other prisoners after being released, they say.

"While it operates as a business, the real output is inmates who are trained in marketable job skills so that they can return to the community as productive members of society," Philip J. Sibal, senior deputy assistant director of Federal Prison Industries, told a congressional committee earlier this year.

But Misti Keeton's eyes welled with tears at the thought of losing her job to a convict. She sews military apparel in the west Alabama town of Fayette at American Power Source. The company is laying off about 50 workers at her plant and another one in Columbus, Miss., after losing a contract to make Air Force exercise garb to Unicor.

"I'm terrified," Keeton said as she fed camouflage cloth through a machine with one hand and wiped away tears with the other. "I've got two teenagers at home. I don't know what I'm supposed to say to them if I lose this job. I don't know what I'm supposed to feed them."

Critics of the program say Unicor undercuts private companies because of lower operating costs and laws that require federal agencies to use inmate-produced products when able.

Inmates in the Talladega prison factory are paid by the pieces of clothing they complete and average around $150 a month, which goes into an account at the prison. At American Power Source, workers make $9.25 an hour average, or about $1,480 a month based on a 40-hour week.

Federal prisoners, though, haven't taken huge numbers of jobs away from private industry. Private groups supporting limits on Unicor's operation have documented only 300 or so layoffs directly linked to private companies losing work to federal prisoners, all at four textile plants in Alabama and Tennessee.

And, though Unicor doesn't have to pay benefits like many private employers, Talladega plant manager Robert Bynum said the factories face a challenge other businesses don't: Making quality products with convicted felons, many of whom don't know how to work.

"Every day I get guys who've never had a job," said Bynum. Correctional officers are stationed all around the prison, but not inside the factory unless needed.

The tension between private jobs and rehabilitating prisoners has hounded the prison industry program since it began under President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression in 1934, when the national unemployment rate was 22 percent.

Back then, the American Federation of Labor opposed creating a prison-based manufacturing network, arguing it would suck jobs away from the private sector at a time when working people needed every job they could get. The arguments today against Unicor are similar as the nation tries to escape lingering high unemployment following the worst recession since before World War II.

Federal agencies are now required to purchase items when possible from Unicor. However, Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., is the primary sponsor of legislation to change that.

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More

New social network blends best of Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr

An estimated 200 million people — two-thirds of Americans — use a social network. We are constantly updating our Facebook status, tweeting our Instagram photos and being bombarded with LinkedIn invites. But new social media platform Pheed is betting its mashup approach will fill an undiscovered niche.

"If you put YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr in a blender, you'd get Pheed," said David Gerzof Richard, a social media and marketing professor at Emerson College. "The company looked at those four platforms and said, 'What do we like about these and what don't we like?' "

Pheed lets users share music, videos, photos and even live streams on a timeline. The layout and ability to share content may be an improvement on other sites, but that's not what sets the platform apart.

Pheed, which has signed up more than a million users in-cluding Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton and other celebs in the past two weeks, allows users to charge for content through subscriptions or pay-for-views. Users get half the revenue, Pheed takes the other half.

Already skeptical about the chances of another startup bumping Facebook from the top of the heap, Boston University mass communications professor Mina Tsay-Vogel thinks fees could sink the site.

"The minute people have to pay for these things, they're not as appealing," Tsay-Vogel said. "Especially when they can get the service for free somewhere else."

Even if users are willing to pay, our online time is already dominated by social networks that seem increasingly indispensable. Not even the mighty Google has been able to make Google+ catch fire.

"There's a constant influx of new media, but we have a limited capacity of what we can absorb," Tsay-Vogel said. "To succeed, a company has to offer us something unique. Something we can't get anywhere else."

Despite the intensely competitive marketplace, Pheed could catch on.

"I didn't think Twitter was going to work," Richard said. "But then, once it reached a critical mass of users, I got it. The trick is to get that critical mass."

00.52 | 0 komentar | Read More