text:
THE EXPENDABLES 3 (12A, 126 mins)
Action/Thriller. Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Glen Powell, Victor Ortiz, Robert Davi, Kelsey Grammer, Jet Li, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Director: Patrick Hughes. Released: August 14 (UK & Ireland)
Following a spectacular stunt aboard a moving train that opens this third instalment of the action franchise, Arnold Schwarzenegger turns to Sylvester Stallone and wearily confides, "I'm getting out of this business... and so should you."
Sage advice from the former governor of California.
His words fall on deaf ears because The Expendables is a cash cow for Stallone, who directed and co-wrote the opening salvo in 2010 and has been reliving his muscle-bound glory days ever since.
Australian director Patrick Hughes, who impressed with the gritty low-budget western Red Hill, takes charge of this outlandish mission festooned with bone-crunching hand-to-hand combat, pithy one-liners and deafening explosions.
And The Expendables 3 certainly opens with a bang. Several.
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his crew of battle-hardened mercenaries - Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) - orchestrate a prison breakout.
Their target: original Expendables member Doctor Death (Wesley Snipes), who has been off the grid for several years.
"I heard you killed more people than the plague," growls Toll Road to his new comrade.
The bolstered team heads to Mogadishu at the behest of chief Max Drummer (Harrison Ford), where a spectacular skirmish at the dockyards brings Barney face-to-face with a ghost from the past.
Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), co-founder of the Expendables, who Barney was ordered to kill, is alive and exceeding well on the ill-gotten gains of the arms trade.
Faced with an adversary, who possesses unlimited supplies of state-of-the-art weaponry, Barney retires the old team and enlists the help of Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and retired medic Bonaparte (Kelsey Grammer) to bring down Stonebanks.
They assemble a fearless younger crew comprising bareknuckle brawler Smilee (Kellan Lutz), nightclub bouncer Luna (Ronda Rousey), hacker Thorn (Glen Powell), weaponry specialist Mars (Victor Ortiz) and infuriatingly talkative former Spanish Armed Forces operative Galgo (Antonio Banderas).
The Expendables 3 is an entertaining and ridiculously far-fetched tour of duty that sensibly welcomes fresh faces to the fold and provides Banderas, Ford, Gibson and Snipes with sizeable roles to turn back the clocks.
"I haven't had so much fun in years," cackles Ford after he lays waste to hordes of enemy soldiers.
The clash between old school brute force and modern day tech savvy provides the scriptwriters with a rich vein of humour. Thus when Barney outlines his heavy-handed solution to toppling Stonebanks, Luna snorts derisively, "It's a great plan... if it was 1985."
Stallone looks good for his age and sparks brotherly banter with Statham, whose wavering accent is a prime target for put-downs.
They look like proud fathers, passing the mantle to the next generation of action heroes, who could potentially help the Expendables sequels reach double digits while Stallone does his bit for the cause with a zimmer frame rocket launcher.
THE UNBEATABLES 3D (U, 97 mins)
Animation/Family/Drama. Featuring the voices of Rupert Grint, Eve Ponsonby, Anthony Head, Stanley Townsend, Ralf Little, Rob Brydon, Peter Serafinowicz, Darren Boyd, Alistair McGowan, Alex Norton. Director: Juan Jose Campanella. Released: August 8 (Scotland & Ireland); August 15 (UK)
The beautiful game turns ugly in Juan Jose Campanella's free-flowing computer-animated fantasy.
Released on home turf in South America more than a year ago where it scored a record-breaking opening weekend, this English language version is a visual treat.
However the script scores a few own goals with a tepid romantic subplot and an emotionally underpowered final shootout that fails to rouse audiences on the terraces of their multiplexes.
In football, timing is crucial and can mean the difference between hard fought victory and soul-destroying defeat. The timing of The Unbeatables seems slightly off.
Surely Campanella's film should have kicked off four weeks ago on the crest of a post-World Cup wave rather than standing on the touchlines until the start of the new Premier League season?
The film's unlikely hero is Amadeo (voiced by Rupert Grint), who lives in a small village with his publican father (Darren Boyd).
The lad is a wizard at table football and when local bully Flash (Anthony Head) challenges Amadeo to a match in front of the lovely Lara (Eve Ponsonby), Amadeo overcomes his nerves to emerge victorious with his favoured yellow and green striped team.
Flash vows revenge. Many years later, the bully returns as a footballing superstar with a slimy agent (Stanley Townsend) and a contract, signed by the mayor, granting him permission to build a gargantuan stadium on top of the village.
To save the community from the bulldozers, Amadeo reluctantly agrees to a rematch - only this time, they will play on a proper pitch.
In the run-up to the televised grudge fixture, Amadeo's table footballers magically come to life.
Skip (Ralf Little), captain of the green and yellow stripes, rallies his troops including fellow strikers Rico (Rob Brydon) and Loco (Peter Serafinowicz).
Unfortunately, Amadeo's best players are barely an inch tall so the lad must recruit eccentric friends and neighbours to his squad.
"It's going to be like Barcelona against a non-league team with an injury crisis!" despairs Loco.
The Unbeatables is a classic David vs Goliath yarn that pokes fun at the preening prima donnas of the modern game, who earn more in one week for 90 minutes of dribbling than many of us see in a year.
The writers have personalized the dialogue to these shores, including a name check for Accrington Stanley FC and a sideswipe at Sepp Blatter and his organization when Flash's insidious agent grins, "You can trust me - I worked at FIFA!"
Set pieces including a visit to a fairground are a triumph of style over plausibility, treading water until Amadeo must face his destiny under his rival's malevolent gaze.
Vocal performances hit the woodwork, combining warmth with some shameless grandstanding from Brydon as the egotist, who spends almost as much time admiring his voluminous locks as he does perfecting his passing shots.
THE ROVER (15, 108 mins)
Released: August 15 (UK & Ireland, selected cinemas)
In 2010, Australian director David Michod dazzled audiences with his debut narrative feature Animal Kingdom, earning Jacki Weaver an Oscar nomination as Best Actress In A Supporting Role.
For his follow-up, Michod heads into the outback for a gritty thriller set in a dystopian hell, where every resource can be traded for dollars in the aftermath of a global economic collapse.
Eric (Guy Pearce) parks his car by the side of the road and enjoys a drink in a bar. Outside, robbers Henry (Scott McNairy), Archie (David Field) and Caleb (Tawanda Manyimo) crash their car during a haphazard getaway and they steal Eric's motor to continue their flight to freedom.
Eric gives chase and when he confronts the trio to demand the return of his property, they knock him unconscious. Waking some time later beneath the blazing sun, Eric continues his pursuit of the robbers.
Thankfully, he crosses paths with Henry's injured brother Rey (Robert Pattinson), a simple and naive soul who was left for dead during the bungled heist. Rey agrees to lead Eric to his sibling's hideout and en route, the two men bond.
HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS (15, 120 mins)
Released: August 15 (UK & Ireland, selected cinemas)
Based on the book of the same name by Francois Lelord, Hector And The Search For Happiness is a romantic comedy directed by Peter Chelsom about a man, who learns to appreciate everything he already has rather than hanker for more.
Hector (Simon Pegg) is a London-based psychiatrist, who is beginning to feel just as depressed, dissatisfied and jaded as the patients he is supposed to be treating.
In an effort to jolt himself out of this fug, Hector kisses his long-time girlfriend Clara (Rosamund Pike) farewell and embarks on a globe-trotting journey of self-discovery to seek out true happiness.
As he zigzags the globe, visiting a Tibetan monastery and discovery the hidden delights of China, Hector crosses paths with a motley crew of disillusioned souls including a world weary banker called Edward (Stellan Skarsgard) and Professor Coreman (Christopher Plummer), who is in charge of Happiness Studies at UCLA.
Hector also reconnects with his ex-girlfriend Agnes (Toni Collette) and she helps him to acknowledge that the happiness and fulfilment he seeks are closer to home.
SINGHAM RETURNS (Certificate and running time TBC)
Released: August 15 (UK, selected cinemas)
Ajay Devgn reprises his title role as a crusading police inspector in this Bollywood action thriller, directed once again by Rohit Shetty.
In the first film, fearless Bajirao Singham (Devgn) waged war against the mastermind of a kidnapping ring.
In the sequel, Singham returns to Delhi where he reunites with his beloved teacher Guruji (Anupam Kher), who is now a righteous politician.
It transpires that Guruji is receiving death threats from black marketer Baba (Amol Gupte) and his henchman.
Faced with accusations of corruption within his own team and an adversary who wields tremendous influence within the political system, including meddlesome Prabhakar Rao (Zakir Hussain), Singham must fight hard to retain his honesty and integrity while protecting the people he loves including his childhood friend Avni (Kareena Kapoor Khan).
BLOOD TIES (15, 124 mins)
Released: August 15 (UK, selected cinemas)
Feuding siblings try to bury the hatchet - hopefully not in each other - in Guillaume Canet's 1970s-set crime thriller.
Chris Pierzynski (Clive Owen) serves nine years for murder and secures his release.
He promises to straighten himself out, cutting himself off from his ex-wife Monica (Marion Cotillard), who is now a prostitute with a drug dependency, in order to pursue a relationship with good girl Natalie (Mila Kunis).
Turning over a new leaf brings Chris closer to his sick father Leon (James Caan) and his estranged brother Frank (Billy Crudup), who is a New York City cop.
Unexpectedly, Frank find himself in trouble when he meets his ex-girlfriend Vanessa (Zoe Saldana), who is now married to a hulking brute called Anthony Scarfo (Matthias Schoenaerts).
She decides to divorce Anthony in order to start anew with Frank but her spouse won't let her leave without a fight and Anthony attempts to kill Frank to cling onto the woman he loves.
THE CONGRESS (15, 123 mins)
Released: August 15 (UK, selected cinemas)
Blending animation and live-action, Ari Folman's sci-fi drama features a central performance from Robin Wright as a fictionalised version of herself.
Now that she is over 40, a perilous age for a film actress, Robin is finding it more difficult to get work and she looks back affectionately at past successes.
Pioneering film studio Miramount offers her a tantalizing deal: they will scan her to create a digital doppelganger and she will never have to act again.
Moreover, this other self, will remain ever youthful and can perform in physically demanding blockbusters that the real Robin would turn down as a matter of course.
In exchange for relinquishing her image, Miramount will pay Robin handsomely so she can spend more time with her sickly son Aaron (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is being cared for by Dr Barker (Paul Giamatti).
After consultation with her agent Al (Harvey Keitel), Robin signs a 20-year contract with studio executive Jeff (Danny Huston).
Years pass and the digital Robin becomes the most famous and popular actress in the world. When the time comes to renew the contract, the real Robin faces a thorny moral dilemma.
DINOSAUR 13 (PG, 95 mins)
Released: August 15 (UK, selected cinemas)
Todd Douglas Miller's engrossing documentary premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim.
The film centres on American paleontologist Pete Larson who made headlines in 1990 with the Black Hills Institute, avid fossil hunters who stumbled upon the skeleton of the world's largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The team spent two years meticulously exposing the skeleton and named it Sue after team member Susan Hendrickson, who the made remarkable find.
The team allowed people to visit the site and marvel at the scale of the beast.
Then in May 1992, the FBI and National Guard seized the skeleton, tying up the dig in endless red tape courtesy of the National Park Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as landowner Maurice Williams.
Miller's film relives the excitement of the discovery then the anguish of an acrimonious legal battle, which included an 18-month spell behind bars for Larson.
WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE (15, 90 mins)
Released: August 15 (UK, selected cinemas)
Zeke and Simon Hawkins's gritty debut is a small-town thriller set in a community which is reliant on the local cotton mill to survive.
BJ (Logan Huffman), his girlfriend Sue (Mackenzie Davis) and best friend Bobby (Jeremy Allen White) are all preparing to leave for college.
BJ suggests they hit the town for a fittingly boozy send-off. He brings along a wad of cash and Sue and Bobby later discover that BJ stole the money from his cotton mill boss, Giff (Mark Pellegrino), who initially blames a Mexican immigrant worker for the crime.
While BJ is unwilling to speak up and save the Mexican from taking the fall, Bobby honourably yet falsely confesses to robbing the safe.
Giff reveals that the money belonged to a thug called Big Red (William Devane), who launders cash and will expect his loot to be in the safe.
The mill boss forcibly persuades BJ, Bobby and Sue to pull off a heist to replace the thousands they pilfered.
THE NOTORIOUS MR BOUT (12A, 88 mins)
Released: August 15 (UK, selected cinemas)
Nicknamed the "Merchant of Death", Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was a thorn in the side of the US administration until 2008, when the elusive businessman was arrested in Thailand as part of an elaborate sting operation.
Documentary filmmakers Tony Gerber and Maxim Pozdorovkin paint an extraordinary portrait of this mythical man, gaining unprecedented access to Bout and to years of video recordings made by the dealer of his professional and personal life.
Through the lens of Bout's camera and in subsequent interviews with the people closest to him, the film reveals charts Bout's meteoric rise and inglorious fall and also reveals the family man and philosophical businessman behind the ruthless facade.
WHAT IF (15, 102 mins)
Released: August 20 (UK & Ireland)
Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) drops out of medical school, in part to escape his failed relationship with another student.
He becomes disillusioned with love, convinced that he will never meet a significant other like his kooky roommate Allan (Adam Driver), who intends to marry his perfect partner, Nicole (Mackenzie Davis).
So Wallace vows to steer clear of romance and seeks refuge in the company of his sister Ellie (Jemima Rooper) and her son Felix (Lucius Hoyos).
At his lowest ebb, Wallace meets talented animator Chantry (Zoe Kazan), who lives with her longtime boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall).
Chantry and Wallace become good friends but both recognise a spark of attraction that could be fanned into a full-blown affair.
As they wrestle with their feelings for one another and contemplate whether the person you should spend the rest of your life with is your best friend, Chantry's sister Dalia (Megan Park) makes a play for Wallace.
This unexpected attention piques Chantry's jealousy and forces true feelings into the open.
ART PARTY (12A, 83 mins)
Released: August 12 (UK, selected cinemas)
In 2011, Bob and Roberta Smith (aka artist Patrick Brill) created Letter To Michael Gove, a large-scale painted response to the former Education Secretary's suggestion that art should be removed from the syllabus of British schools.
The striking work made the headlines and galvanised support across the art world.
In this documentary, co-directed by Tim Newton, Smith gathers together speakers and friends for the 2013 Art Party Conference, where they champion the importance of art in the education system and society in general.
Fact and fiction blur with Michael Gove represented on screen by actor John Voce and Julia Rayner plays his parliamentary aid.
With original music by Flameproof Moth and the Ken Ardley Playboys, the film features contributions and work by fellow artists including Jeremy Deller, Haroon Mirza, Cornelia Parker, John Smith and Jessica Voorsanger.
* Scarlett Johansson runs amok as a woman blessed with superhuman strength in LUCY
* Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan fall deliriously in love in the romantic comedy WHAT IF
* Mother Nature unleashes her fury in INTO THE STORM
* Eric Bana comes face to face with dark forces in DELIVER US FROM EVIL
1 The Inbetweeners 2
2 Guardians Of The Galaxy
3 Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
4 Planes 2: Fire & Rescue
5 How To Train Your Dragon 2
6 Back To The Future
7 The Nut Job
8 Hercules
9 The Purge: Anarchy
10 Transformers: Age Of Extinction
Chart courtesy of Cineworld.co.uk


text:
What Are Cumulants ?
Let $\cP$ be the set of all probability measures on $\R$ possessing moments of every order. Consider $\cP$ as a semigroup with respect to convolution. After topologizing $\cP$ in a natural way, we determine all continuous homomorphisms of $\cP$ into the unit circle and, as a corollary, those into the real line. The latter are precisely the finite linear combinations of cumulants, and from these all the former are obtained via multiplication by $i$ and exponentiation.
We obtain as corollaries similar results for the probability measures with some or no moments finite, and characterizations of constant multiples of cumulants as affinely equivariant and convolution-additive functionals. The ``no moments''-case yields a theorem of Hal\'asz. Otherwise our results appear to be new even when specialized to yield characterizations of the expectation or the variance.
Our basic tool is a refinement of the convolution quotient representation theorem for signed measures of Ruzsa \& Szťkely.
1991 Mathematics Subject Classification: 60E05, 60E10, 60-03.
Keywords and Phrases: Additive functional, characteristic function, character, convolution, equivariance, expectation, Hal\'asz, historical note, homomorphism, mean, moment, multiplicative functional, Ruzsa, semi-invariant, semiinvariant, semigroup, Sz\'ekely, variance.
Full text: dvi.gz 37 k, dvi 86 k, ps.gz 90 k.
Home Page of DOCUMENTA MATHEMATICA

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Message Board
R. E. Mather and F. F. Boswell Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Boswell has written!
Author Boswell's Book Reviews
Gold Camp Desperadoes
This book chronicles the lives of several outlaws in the Pacific Northwest. Most of these outlaws operated out of the mining camps that developed around gold rush areas. They always attracted the criminal element, looking to get their piece of the pie without having to work for it. Harry Orchard is one of the most infamous, having blown up mines for the miner's union and killing an ex-governor of Idaho, at the direction of the miner's union. This boo...


text:
As the art director for the magazine, I don't usually blog, but I was the sole representative of the editorial staff at the Maggie Awards presentation this past weekend in Los Angeles so I'm now adding my name to the bloggers on staff.
Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro magazine was a finalist for the 2007 Western Publication Association's Maggie Award for Best Overall Health/Fitness magazine. This is the second year in a row that we've been nominated for an award from this magazine association. Last year's nomination was for Best Series of Trade Articles.
We won last year, but no such luck this year. Still, the staff was thrilled to be a finalist. Personally, it was a great experience to meet others in the industry and see what designs/magazines won awards. Several magazine publishing firms attended the awards banquet. Each person there was up for one of the 93 awards given that night.
The evening is set up similar to the Golden Globes. The presenters read the names of the nominees and then say, "And the Maggie goes to...." Outside the banquet room, the association displays the magazine finalists in a newsstand. It is a great way to see what other publications are doing. We hope that next year we will be able to report a Maggie Award win! --Jennifer Ray, senior art director


text:
Refine your search
Add to shortlist button.
Destined as it was to be the property of kings and the home of governors, this fascinating pub is steeped in history going back hundreds of years, with the present building having been constructed in 1550. It is here at Ye Olde White Harte where the decision taken in a room in the pub in 1642 to refuse King Charles I entry in Hull is said to have been the trigger for the English Civil War.
Although almost destroyed by fire in the nineteenth century, this extraordinary building has outlived the owner of the mysterious skull it houses, and outlasted those who have participated in great moments in England's history.
One of the stories of the skull is that it is the skull of a youth, and a slight fracture mark suggests he died from a blow to the head, when an angry sea captain, well doused in French brandy, used the butt of his pistol with undue strength. The boy was placed under the staircase, and there remained undiscovered until after the fire, which occurred sometime in the 19th century.
Some say it was found in the attic, during the renovations of 1881, and is the remains of some poor serving girl whose hapless life was squandered, perhaps as the result of a secret liaison, that, the landlord of the time was doubtless certain to ensure remained a secret, by placing the body in a dark attic and sealing it up.
Some time ago the skull was removed for careful renovation, and doctors and physicians have examined it on a number of occasions. This human skull can be found in a small corner, behind the Small Saloon Bar, in a Perspex case, on entering the pub and turning to your left.
Perhaps, because of its historic and cultural importance, Ye Olde White Harte has managed to remain relatively untouched over the years. The unmistakeable atmosphere of a place whose oak panelled walls and inglenook fireplaces have absorbed the good times and dealings of generations of revellers, plotters, shoppers, traders, diners and drinkers.
It is a Grade 2 listed building and has some beautiful old tiled fireplaces, and became a pub in the late 1700s, after which a fire damaged the staircase and the ground floor. This vibrant public house is now a corner stone of the Old Town culture of Hull. Many a great night can be spent here with friendly locals and a great atmosphere.
Opening details
Sunday to Thursday - 11:00 until Midnight
Friday & Saturday - 11:00 until 01:00
Food is served from 12:00 until 15:00, daily.
Ye Olde White Harte
25 Silver Street,
- Credit cards accepted (no fee)
- Mobile phone coverage
- Children welcome
- Disabled access
- Dogs not accepted (except guidedogs)
- Smoking not allowed


text:
Imagine that every day you wake up in an airport security line. Now imagine that the security check is taking place on the airplane itself, in coach, on a very full flight. The overhead bins are full, so just below the seat pocket in front of you, the soles of your feet are pressed against your carry-on bag and one personal item.
Your knees are bent as though you were about to spring from a high-dive. TSA employees work their way down the aisle, opening bags and swapping passengers' shoes. You fidget in your seat, bumping your neighbor with every movement. His breath and body odor float over you –- aerosolized humanity wafting into a cabin full of sweaty smells.
It's time for a distraction. The TV works, but the Feds have banned MP3 players on airplanes. Luckily, you came prepared with a DiscMan and Case Logic folder full of CDs. See, there was a reason why you never threw them away.
In California's San Quentin State Prison, inmates spend most of their day on board this metaphorical 747. Their two-man cells are tiny, their personal belongings may take up just 6 cubic feet of space –- the equivalent of shoving your life's possessions into four carry-on bags. Though they spend years waiting for takeoff, they are permitted to use approved electronic devices in the meantime.
As Lil' Wayne recently learned, some electronic devices are definitely not approved. In his case, having unauthorized earphones and iPod in his cell landed him in trouble with the authorities at Riker's Island, where he is serving a short stint for a weapons charge.
Read on to see the technology that does get the green light from the warden.
Above: Companies like Access Securepak sell prison-approved electronics, including clear plastic versions of name-brand products like these Koss headphones.
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
The California Department of Corrections allows inmates to have many different electronic entertainment gizmos, from TVs to radios to CD players, but every one must be ready for a close inspection at any time. The inspections are designed to ensure that inmates don't open electronic devices and stash contraband, but also to prevent them from removing components that can be fashioned into weapons.
The inspection is so thorough, in fact, that the prisons only allow devices that have been repackaged in clear plastic cases to prevent stashing contraband within. There is a whole industry of consumer products made specifically for prisons, supplying unsharpenable toothbrushes along with cosmetic gels in transparent tubes.
Despite these precautions, inmates continue to make improvised weapons out of the most innocuous materials, including wetting newspaper and forming it into a lethal spear. Hard to believe, perhaps, but in 1985 a San Quentin inmate fatally stabbed a corrections officer with papier-mâché shiv.
Though CSI and other media portrayals often show immaculate, high-tech prisons, the reality is often much different. Cells at San Quentin can be cluttered with clothes, bedding, and personal property.
Top photo: A clear plastic clip-on fan is attached to the inside of a cell door. Lt. Samuel Robinson, the public information officer at San Quentin, asks Ernest, one of the cell's occupants, "Could you find a picture of a girl with a bigger booty?"
Bottom photo: Extension cords snake around a cell, supplying power to the TV, a fan and other devices.
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Electronics with clear casings are a fairly new phenomenon at California correctional institutions. They were introduced at San Quentin within the last decade, says Lt. Samuel Robinson, the prison's public information officer.
The requirement is particularly valuable when it comes to inspecting televisions, which are easily damaged by X-rays and must be inspected manually. At present, inmates are allowed to keep electronics with standard black exteriors if they were purchased before the new transparent-housing rules went into effect.
TVs with standard nontransparent cases must be routinely disassembled, inspected, and put back together. Correctional officers place wax seals on each of the device's exterior screws and regularly check to see if the seals are still intact. The system isn't perfect, and inmates have found ways of breaking the seals and reapplying them.
Top photo: A CRT television hovers in an inmate's cell. Flatscreens are also permitted.
__Bottom photo:__A pile of TVs sits in the inspection area at San Quentin.
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
MP3 players are non grata in many in many correctional facilities, but prisoners can use approved CD players. They can buy both commercial albums and mix CDs composed of individual tracks they select.
Inmate supplier Access SecurePack offers 4 million albums at prices that commonly range between $13 and $20, or 10 selected songs on a burned disc for $20. The company's landing page for its California-specific catalogs prominently features the announcement that its music store now sells albums that carry the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" label.
There are no bargains in San Quentin, at least if you are spending money earned from prison labor, which pays between 30 and 90 cents per hour.
Most of the work takes place in a sprawling, modern furniture factory located on the premises. It is staffed by prisoners who crank out office furniture as well as the mattresses used for dorm rooms on the campuses California's public universities. They also produced the conference table used by Arnold Schwarzenegger at the governor's office in Sacramento.
Top photo: Ernest Morgan, an inmate since 1987, holds his prison-approved CD player.
Bottom photo: An alarm blares, signaling that a problem is taking place somewhere within the prison walls. Morgan, like all inmates, is required to take a knee until the sounds stops.
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Radios like this one give inmates direct access to outside media, while TVs can only receive approved programming, delivered on San Quentin's closed-circuit cable system.
Before entering San Quentin, property that is transferred from other facilities goes through the airport-style scanning device as part of the inspection process.
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
The vast majority of San Quentin inmates have no access to computers, internet-enabled or otherwise. The result is the prison, and institutions like it, are among the last bastions of the manual typewriter. Some of the prison's longest-serving inmates, including residents of death row, have spent decades clacking out appeals and complaints against officers and living conditions on these forgotten keyboards.
Paul V. Willis, pictured above, describes himself as a former Black Panther serving a sentence for something he didn't do, though, as far as Panther politics are concerned, he was "involved in everything you ever read about."
He uses his typewriter to draft complaints against correctional officers, and to pursue an appeal based on new information that he claims to have uncovered regarding improprieties on the part of the district attorney involved with his case.
Above: Paul V. Willis has been in prison since 1965, serving an 85-year sentence.
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Swintec, a New Jersey-based maker of office machines, sells a line of clear-plastic typewriters designed specifically for correctional institutions, available in 43 states as well as federal prisons and military brigs.
According to Ed Michael, sales manager at Swintec, many prisons ban access to computers even if they are not connected to the net, fearing that technically adept prisoners will stay a step ahead of their guards by stashing digital documents that help them run businesses or nefarious operations. Swintec does make word processors with small amounts of memory, but Michaels emphasizes that the storage systems are designed so that they are easy to inspect.
The company offers a variety of models to comply with the different rules at the prisons it serves. Some have memory capacities as low as 4 Kb. That's enough to run an LCD display that allows users to check their last few lines of type before the keys actually hit the paper, making it possible to backspace and delete.
That's particularly important, because whiteout is not allowed in San Quentin. The prison's public information officer, Lt. Samuel Robinson, explains that this surprising rule is a response to the fact that inmates could use liquid paper to alter important paperwork issued by the prison.
Top photo: A corrections officer carries an inmate's clear-plastic typewriter from San Quentin's death row.
Bottom photo: A corrections officer hold a Swintec model 2416 DM CC (the CC stands for "clear cabinet") typewriter outside San Quentin's death row.
Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
In the midst of all this throwback technology, there is an oasis of modern media in the aging big house. A state-of-the-art computer lab, stocked with late model Macs and other computers, allows inmates to shoot documentaries as well as TV programs shown on the prison's closed-circuit cable system.
None of the computers have internet access, but the prisoners' work is a bridge to people outside of the prison, on DVD and San Quentin's YouTube channel.
Repentance, a documentary by Troy Williams, chronicles how inmates can change themselves for the better during incarceration. His goal is to offer a path away from nihilism and anger, the "negativity" that he sees as the root cause of many people's crimes. "If I see change," he says, "I can be changed."
In addition to working in audio and video, inmates at San Quentin have the option of working on the prison's newspaper, which boasts well-written articles and a professional layout. Overall, however, the opportunities for California inmates to develop skills and pursue their educations have dwindled, suffering from cutbacks, as legislators attempt to tackle California's ongoing budget crisis.
Above: Inmates Troy Williams (foreground) and E. "Phil" Phillips work on media projects.
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Several inmates involved in San Quentin's media projects are musicians, including Blue (pictured above), who says that he once played with the San Francisco psychedelic-rock band Blue Cheer. The group is known in part for its cover of the blues song "Parchman Farm," about a Mississippi state penitentiary where Son House and other blues musicians served time with hard labor. It is not clear whether Blue was the inspiration for the cover.
In addition to being a creative outlet for inmates, the music that inmates like Blue write and record can serve as soundtracks for video projects made by fellow prisoners, without raising copyright issues.
Above: Blue lays down guitar tracks in Garage Band inside San Quentin.
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com


text:
Tesco's Fresh & Easy currently operates 100 small-format, convenience-oriented grocery and fresh foods markets in Southern California, Metropolitan Las Vegas, Nevada and in the Phoenix, Arizona Metropolitan region.
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market CEO Mason added in the published interview that plans for the chain to expand into Northern California could be put on hold because of the recession gripping the United States.
As Fresh & Easy Buzz has previously reported, Tesco is way behind its original schedule already to open its Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market distribution center (in Stockton, California) and first stores in Northern California. The first Fresh & Easy markets in the San Francisco Bay Area and in the Sacramento/Vacaville region, for example, were to have opened earlier this year, according to Tesco's original Northern California market Fresh & Easy store rollout plan
But late last year Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market changed its original schedule, saying then the first Northern California stores would be open by the end of this year. Then earlier this year, the retailer said the first Northern California stores wouldn't start opening until early in 2009.
Meanwhile, the Northern California distribution center in Stockton was originally set to be open by now. However, based on our sources in the area, it is nowhere even near ready for a first quarter 2009 opening. In fact, work appears to be non-existent at the facility site.
In his interview with The Times, which was conducted yesterday and published today, Tim Mason said: "It was prudent to take a far more flexible approach towards the expansion of the business (Fresh & Easy); in describing the grocery chain's retrenchment.
Below (in italics) is the story based on the interview with Tim Mason from today's The Times. Following that is a Fresh & Easy Buzz analysis:
Meltdown puts the brakes on Tesco's US dream
The Times - United Kingdom
November 12, 2008
By Steve Hawkes in Los Angeles
One of Tesco's most senior executives has said that the meltdown in the American economy will force the supermarket giant to slow the rollout of its fledgling Fresh & Easy business on the West Coast of America.
Tim Mason, chief executive of Fresh & Easy, said yesterday that plans for the chain to expand into northern California could be put on hold because of the recession gripping the United States.
In an interview with The Times, he said that it was prudent to take a far more flexible approach towards the expansion of the business, which celebrates its first anniversary today by opening its 100th store, in Orange County, south of Los Angeles.
Tesco had hoped to have 200 Fresh & Easy stores, modelled on its Tesco Express format, operating across southern California, Arizona and Nevada by February next year. Mr Mason said that now he hoped to reach this target by next November.
The group has talked of having 1,000 stores on the West Coast, stretching from Seattle to San Diego. However, a move into northern California would require huge capital investment because of the need for a new distribution centre.
Mr Mason said: "The industry is in a very different place than when we came out and did the feasibility research three years ago. Then the US consumer confidence index was at the highest level it had ever been.
In October the US consumer confidence index was the lowest it has been since 1967, so it's a big change.
We will still open stores every week, but it's prudent to slow things down a bit.
"There's a big cost step for us when we open up northern California and we can be quite flexible about when we do that. As things get to a point that we like how it's all coming together, we like the way the stores are growing into the second year, then we can accelerate. If the economy takes a turn for the worst, it would be unwise to accelerate."
The comments come two days after shares in Tesco had suffered their biggest one-day fall for a month after it emerged that the group's sales in South Korea, Tesco's largest market outside the UK, and China had slowed in the tougher economic climate.
Yesterday the group unveiled plans for spate of store openings in the eastern China provinces of Shandong and Fujian next year.
Tesco is spending $1.25billion over five years trying to break into the US. The move has been the subject of speculation since the first store opened near Los Angeles a year ago.
The company has only recently begun to reveal financial infomation about Fresh & Easy, stating that sales in the six months to August 23 were £76 million while trading losses reached £60 million due to start up costs.
Some analysts believe the sales performance is below initial expectations.
Mr. Mason put the store opening programme on hold in March for three months to evaluate what Fresh & Easy could do better.
It has since put far more emphasis on price promotions to emphasise its claim to be 20 per cent cheaper than traditional US supermarkets, such as Albertsons or Ralphs.
Mr Mason conceded yesterday that the chain had found it harder than expected to crack America, not only because of the more mature nature of the market - "we are not filling a vacuum" - but also because of the economic slowdown.
Fresh & Easy has been unable to open some stores in Phoenix and Las Vegas because property developers decided to shelve plans for certain sites.
"You only have to look at the pronouncements of retailers that have been here more than a year," Mr. Mason said. "Starbucks and Costco, to pick but two, have said that California, Arizona and Nevada are among the most difficult places that they operating in. Tesco has stores all over the world and there have been one or two weeks where customers everywhere wake up on a Monday morning and say: 'Oh dear.' Times are quite tough."
However, Mr Mason insisted that critics doubting the potential of Fresh & Easy would be proved wrong, adding that to go from no stores to 100 in a year was an "exceptional" achievement.
"We are absolutely thrilled with the customer response from those loyalists that have got it, and really loved what we do," he said. "What retailer has better staff, better product quality and delighted customers and doesn't make it?"
Fresh & Easy Buzz Analysis: It could be much fresher, it could be much easier:
First, we must say the fact Tesco Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market CEO Tim Mason chose to give his exclusive interview about a U.S. grocery chain, Tesco's Fresh & Easy, to a United Kingdom newspaper, demonstrates once again one of our arguments -- that he just doesn't get it.
We mean no offense by this; it happens to the best of us. We think it's more of a cultural thing -- just like if an American went to the UK and used his obvious extensive experience in U.S. food and grocery retailing to launch a British grocery chain.
It's difficult for any good grocer steeped in one nation's (even one with lots of similarities) ways of food retailing to move to another country and not impose his country's model of supermarket retailing in that new country across the water. This is especially true when that new country and global market for Tesco is the U.S., which is a far more mature market, including being regional and local in nature, than Tesco's other international markets are.
It's even more difficult to do food retailing American style if that grocer doesn't at least have the majority of his key executives steeped in that country's (the Western U.S. specifically) food retailing tradition. If those key executives, like the CEO, also are steeped in the retailing practices of their native country (the UK), there's nobody around at the top to tell him or her different. As a result, group think becomes the norm. 'That's how we do it in the UK, so that's how we will do it in the U.S.' Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer, great British retailers both, learned this the hard way -- by failing in their respective U.S. ventures.
Since starting up Fresh & Easy in Southern California, Mason and his executive team have tried to force a British food and grocery retailing model on headquarters employees and Western United States consumers.
Food and grocery retailing in America is regional and local. That's why the U.S., unlike Europe, has so many big, medium-sized and smaller successful regional and sub-regional chains, and thousands of successful multi and single-store independent grocers. Imposing a British model, let alone even a U.S. national retailing model, on a regional market like the Western U.S. is a sure prescription for failure, as we've argued in Fresh & Easy Buzz since the publication was started.
We believe this is what is at the heart of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market's real problems. Sure the financial crisis and recession are bad for business; for other grocery chains not just Fresh & Easy. But our analysis is that it is a symptom of Tesco's problem with Fresh & Easy and its need to retrench, rather than the cause.
Choosing to give an exclusive interview to an overseas newspaper even though Tesco is based in the UK, just further demonstrates the British-centric food and grocery retailing model Mason and company have imposed on what is supposed to be a grocery chain, Fresh & Easy, designed specifically for American consumers.
Tesco even went to great pains to leave Tesco out of both the corporate title of the company and from the store name. Nowhere is Tesco used in Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. The idea was to make it an American company. But it is that in name (or omission) only thus far. [Note: We aren't criticizing The Times for doing the interview. Our comments focus on Mr. mason's choice of a non-U.S. paper in which to do the interview, thereby continuing to reinforce the ethnocentric model of Fresh & Easy.)
This imposition of the British model onto Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market USA is one of the reasons the grocery chain has lost at least 12 category managers and buyers in less than two years.
A number of those former employees, most with extensive experience in U.S. food retailing, have told Fresh & Easy Buzz sources and suppliers to Fresh & Easy they left because they felt Tim Mason and his top executives, all from the UK, just didn't get it -- that imposing a British food retailing model not only hasn't worked but has caused Fresh & Easy to miss opportunity after opportunity in the regional markets where its 100 stores are located.
Northern California
Regarding postponing going into Northern California, Fresh & Easy Buzz has talked with a number of Northern California commercial real estate agents and developers who've been dealing with the grocery chain for some time regarding its store sites in the region. Last week a number of these sources told us they believed such a move might be in the works because they've been receiving lots of questions from company officials about lease-related issues. We've also learned the retailer stopped negotiations on a number of new locations it had been close to closing on.
We've written often about how difficult Northern California will be for Tesco to crack, particularly because it's been unable to crack the three markets it's already in -- Southern California, Metropolitan Las Vegas, Nevada and the Phoenix, Arizona Metro region.
Northern California is a much more unique and multi-competitive market (chains, independents, alternative formats) than all three of these other regional food and grocery retailing markets are.
For example, Northern California, particularly the San Francisco Bay Area, is one of the most vibrant multi and single-store independent grocer markets in the United States. The region also is headquarters to Safeway Stores, Inc., which with about 250 supermarkets in the market is the market share leader. Safeway is strong, especially in the Bay Area, and plans to do all it can to prevent Tesco from being successful on its home turf, as we've written about before.
Wal-Mart also is making a major push into Central and Northern California. Then there's Save Mart, Inc.'s Lucky chain (number two in market share), Raley's and many others. And on the specialty side Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and numerous regional players are strong, as is Costco on the deep discount side, along with numerous other discount grocers. And that's just for starters.
Postponing its move, or putting it on the shelf completely, into Northern California -- which we define in terms of Tesco's Fresh & Easy as from the Northern San Joaquin Valley (Modesto-Stockton) into the Sacramento/Vacaville Market, San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Coastal area -- will be expensive for Tesco.
We've identified 45 planned (locked and loaded)Fresh & Easy locations in Northern California to date. Of these, the retailer has confirmed 37 locations -- 19 in the Sacramento/Vacaville region and 18 in the Bay Area, for a total of 37.
The other eight locations we've confirmed through our reporting, which includes documenting that Fresh & Easy has applied for off sale beer and wine permits for those 11 stores, along with documenting agreements or signed leases for the buildings or done deals for empty lots in those cases where the stores are new buildings rather than the remodeling of vacant buildings.
Those additional eight stores are in Modesto (two stores), the Sacramento/Vacaville region -- one store in Suisun and one store in Fairfield -- the San Francisco Bay Area -- two stores in Vallejo and one in Pacifica -- and one store in Seaside, which is located near Monterey on Northern California's central coast.
Tesco holds leases on most if not all of these 45 Northern California locations, as well as being in various states of remodeling and building on many of them. Even if the retailer postpones opening these stores in 2009, until say 2010, it's likely it will have to continue paying the monthly rent on nearly all of them, since according to a number of commercial real estate agents involved with Tesco we've talked with there doesn't appear to be escape clauses in most of the leases.
Additionally, with many of these 45 stores in various stages of being remodeled or built, there are contractor fees to pay and such even if Tesco ultimately decides to not move into the Northern California market. In other words, either postponing or pulling out completely will be costly.
Of course, based on what CEO Tim Mason told The Times, the grocery chain doesn't appear to have the confidence to move forward into Northern California. So based on that lack of confidence, pulling out would be much cheaper than going in, since doing so with less than 100% confidence is no way to enter a market as tough and competitive as Northern California.
But one would then have to ask, if not Northern California, where else? Certainly going into the Chicago Metropolitan market, Florida and New York, all strategic U.S. markets Tesco has identified as potentials, would be a big mistake if conditions are such that the grocery chain would not move into Northern California at all, the market it identified through what it has said was extensive research the next most logical market after Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.
Postponing or putting Northern California completely on the shelf also changes Tesco's sales forecasts and profit targets for Fresh & Easy completely. Merely opening more new Fresh & Easy stores in its three current markets isn't going to get Tesco to those sales and profit targets because they are based on entering a new market, with all the criteria doing so implies.
A part of Tesco's strategy with Fresh and easy has been to literally grown the chain to profitability by rapidly opening new stores and entering new markets like Northern California. By postponing its march into Northern California -- or killing it completely -- Tesco will now have to dramatically increase sales at its existing stores in order to stem its losses. Without 40-plus new stores opening starting in early 2009 in Northern California, existing store sales will be much more important to Tesco's Fresh & Easy and Tesco plc.
We believe, as we've written about previously, that moving into Northern California now would be a financial disaster for Tesco's Fresh & Easy. But not for the reasons given by CEO Tim Mason -- the financial crisis and recession.
We first wrote many months ago that Fresh & Easy was ill prepared to enter the highly-competitive Northern California market. That it needed to prove itself in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona first, if for no other reason than for the sake of Tesco plc stockholders and Fresh & Easy store employees.
This argument was essentially laughed off though in interviews by CEO Mason and other Fresh & Easy executives. We leave it for you to decide.
We also wrote about how much stronger of a union region Northern California, particularly the San Francisco Bay Area, is compared to Southern California -- and particularly compared to Nevada and Arizona. This includes unionization of Tesco's Fresh & Easy distribution center proposed for Stockton, as well as the stores.
Every supermarket chain-owned distribution center in Northern California, as well as the region's two major grocery wholesale companies, Unified Grocers and C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc., is union, even the Winco supermarketdistrbution chain facility in Modesto, California, despite the fact Winco is a non-union supermarket chain.
All of the supermarket chains and nearly every independent grocer of note, even most of the larger single-store independents, are union shops in Northern California.
Wal-Mart, Costco, Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's are non-union -- but they aren't supermarket chains. They are classified as specialty grocers (Whole Foods and Trader Joe's) and mass merchandisers (Wal-Mart and Costco.) And in the case of Wal-Mart and Costco, food and grocery retailing is only a portion of their merchandising format. Fresh & Easy on the other hand is 100% food and grocery retailing. And since it is not positioned like a specialty grocer like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are, that makes it easier for the UFCw union to classify it as a supermarket.
Winco, as we mentioned, is a non-union supermarket chain. But its the exception. And to date only has a handfulful of supermarkets in Northern California. The Idaho-based chain also is employee-owned, which makes it a further exception to the union norm for supermarket chains in the region.
Fresh & Easy (theoretically) should be strong in a recession
It's ironic Tesco is choosing to scale back it expansion of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market at this time actually. After all, based on the Fresh & Easy format (at least as stated by Tesco), -- which is a neighborhood food and grocery store offering basic groceries and fresh foods at the lowest available prices, the stores should be doing well in a recessionary economy. Tesco also claims its everyday prices at Fresh & Easy are 15% -to- 20% lower than the everyday prices of its supermarket competitors. Isn't that what shoppers are looking for in a recession -- savings?
For example, discount food and grocery retailers like Wal-Mart and Aldi are doing well in the down economy, taking business away from conventional supermarket chains in particular.
Costco also is doing well, although it had a 1% earnings loss reported this week. But that's in large part because of a significant drop in consumer spending across the board on non essential food and grocery items. A major portion of Costco store revenue comes from selling household goods, electronics, books and other general merchandise items. In fact were it not for Costco's strong food and grocery category sales in the quarter just ended, that loss would have been much greater, according to analysts.
But the problem with Fresh & Easy is that its been merchandising and marketing its stores more like they are specialty markets rather than as low overhead, small-format discount food and grocery stores.
Look at Fresh & Easy's last promotion, for example, for election day 2008. Instead of promoting basics and essentials like milk, eggs, bread, fresh chicken, hamburger, lettuce, laundry detergent, bathroom tissue and other core food and grocery items at super low prices befitting a recessionary economy (a potential theme: "Basic grocery items at basic prices for basic Americans on election day") and consumers' pinched pocketbooks, Fresh & Easy promoted specialty foods like fancy cheeses and smoothie drinks. Such a promotion is one a grocer would run to target yuppies in an up economy rather than average consumers who across the board are having a tough time making ends meet.
These types of promotions, which the grocery chain seems to do more often than value-based ones on food and grocery essentials, also cretes an impression the Fresh & Easy store brand (and format) is a specialty one rather than an everyday neighborhood grocery market format and store.
If you don't believe our analysis do a simple research experiment which we've done many times, asking at least 200 Fresh & Easy customers to date outside of various markets. Ask this simple questioin of them: Is Fresh & Easy a specialty grocery store more like Trader Joe's or is it more of a basic supermarket, one where people do most of their shopping, like Vons, Ralphs, Bashas or Stater Bros.?
About 65% of those we've asked thus far said it's a specialty store similar to Trader Joe's. Close to 25% said they had no idea. Five percent just walked away. Only five percent said they thought Fresh & Easy was a basic supermarket where people do most of their food and grocery shopping.
While we don't suggest this is a scientific survey, although it actually is in part, nor is it a perfect sample size, it is very illustrative -- especially when combined with other research we've conducted -- of consumer perception of what the Fresh & Easy stores are, and who they are for.
In other words, either Fresh & Easy has done a great job positioning its stores as specialty markets similar to Trader Joe's -- which they aren't according to the Tesco Fresh & Easy -- or they have failed thus far to position Fresh & Easy as what they say it is: A combination basic grocery and fresh foods store, with a convenience-orientation, that's for everybody -- a store to do ones primary food and grocery shopping at.
When we saw the Fresh & Easy election day promotion the week of November 4, we collectively scratched our heads. It's not that the promotion was bad. Not at all. It was a good promotion for a specialty grocery chain. But that isn't what Tesco's Fresh & Easy is. Further, based on what Tesco says Fresh & Easy is, a low-price food and grocery store for the masses, any election day promotion for such a retailer should have taken advantage of the occassion to tout its value proposition big time, as we suggested earlier more specifically.
In our analysis about 70% the time Fresh & Easy's corporate merchandising and marketing looks more like Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's than what it says it is, a neighborhood food and grocery market offering basic groceries and fresh foods at everyday low prices; a store for everybody.
Maybe Fresh & Easy should go all the way, become a fully and clearly stated specialty grocer like Trader Joe's and refocus the business on a selective market, national retailing strategy like Trader Joe's does.
After all, Trader Joe's has about 312 stores in the U.S., just slightly 200 more than Fresh & Easy currently has, and has annual sales of about $6.5 billion. Tesco's Fresh & Easy on the another hand has 100 stores and current sales of about $400 million. You can do the math. But at its currrent sales rate, with 212 more stores (equal to Trader Joe's current 312) Fresh & Easy would theoretically have annual sales of $1.2 billion, compared to Trader Joe's $6.5 billion with 312 stores.
Could Fresh & Easy really grow its way organically to $6.5 billion with 312 stores in five years, ten years, 15 years? You be the judge.
Of course Trader Joe's has been around for about two decades now -- but for only about 10 years outside of the Western U.S. That obviously gives it an advantage.
On the other hand, Trader Joe's only sells specialty and natural products; niche products. This means it isn't even the primary shopping venue for the majority of consumers. Grossing $6.5 billion a year for 312 stores, 10,000 -to- 13,000 square foot stores at that, would be considered excellent even for a similar chain that sold everyday items along with the natural and specialty products.
But unlike Trader Joe's, Tesco's Fresh & Easy has the benefit of having a merchandising mix that includes at least a 50% or 60% ratio of basic, essential food and grocery items -- conventional packaged goods and perishables, household items like basic laundry detergents and paper towels and the like -- which means its sales per square foot should be much higher on average than currently is the case. It also means it should be more of a primary shopping venue than Trader Joe's is -- but it isn't in the markets where Fresh & Easy stores and Trader Joe's stores are located.
We suggest the major difference between Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy though is Trader Joe's positioning as a specialty grocer is clear -- and thus in part its merchandising and marketing, based on that clear identity and positioning is excellent.
Tesco's Fresh & Easy though is a format muddle, a chain with an identity crisis self imposed. Its part basic grocery store, part upscale retailer, part specialty food store and part prepared foods market. The retailer has thus far failed to make the sum of all its parts equal a whole. In fact it's parts are greater than its whole.
And its merchandising and marketing reflects this identity crisis. However, from that perspective its positioned itself far more as a specilty grocer chain than as a neighborhood grocer for everybody -- its stated positioning. As a result, the merchandising and marketing to date has communicated this identity crisis. Until Tesco developes a clear format concept for Fresh & Easy, and then positions and brands the stores to that format, it will not find success, in our analysis.
Fresh & Easy also has done such a poor marketing and merchandising job by using it deep discount coupons so regularly (chronically is a better term) since the first store opened last October that it has virtually trained shoppers to believe that without the $5 off purchases of $20 or more coupons or $6 off purchases of $30 or more (the current coupon version) coupons the stores are expensive. What happened to the everyday low price premise and positioning? The answer: it was never executed. Fresh & Easy has literally created a new consumer species with those coupons: "Couponous Freshneasynous" -- The Fresh & Easy deep discount coupon addict.
We've talked to scores of shoppers, received dozens of emails from readers, and read scores more comments on Blogs and Web sites (including comments on Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Marketing marketing director Simon Uwins' own corporate marketing Blog) in which shoppers said without the coupons, which the grocer has unsuccessfully trying to limit, there weren't likely to buy much if anything at Fresh & Easy stores.
Deep discount coupons should be used for two primary reasons: (1) to generate new customer trail in the stores and (2) to increase shopper market basket (overall total purchase dollar amount per shopping trip) sizes. Its also commonly called "average ring" in U.S. food retailing.
Fresh & Easy has failed on both counts by the way its chronically used the deep discount coupons in our analysis. In order to be successful, the coupons need to be used infrequently (that's what you do with promotional tools) and have higher minimum purchase requirements. For example, a $10 off purchases of $50 or more and a $25 off purchases of $100 or more coupon set would be a good idea. Used promotionally though, not chronically.
The current deep disount coupons have become a part of everyday business and shopping at Fresh & Easy stores because they've been always available. It's very difficult for "Couponous Freshneasyous" to stop using the coupons cold turkey after all.
Coupons in this value range -- the $10 off $50 and $25 off $100 -- do the job of generating new customer trail as well as motivating and increasing shopper market basket size.
Fresh & Easy's current $6 off purchases of $30 or more coupon for example demonstrates to us the grocer is having a big problem increasing its average market basket above $30, for example. If not, why would a retailer reward a shopper with a 20% discount for spending merely $30 at a grocery store? A $30 purchase might be good at a traditional convenience store but its poor for a supermarket.
Consumer-centric, not retailer-centric
In terms of our argument that Tesco Fresh & Easy CEO Tim Mason and his top executives just don't get it, that imposing the British food retailing model is failing, we suggest you read this quote from his interview with The Times' reporter:
"We are absolutely thrilled with the customer response from those loyalists that have got it, and really loved what we do," he said. "What retailer has better staff, better product quality and delighted customers and doesn't make it?"
It isn't the job of consumers to "get" a food and grocery retailer's format, positioning and way of selling groceries. Rather, it's the retailer's job to design a retailing format and merchandising and marketing program, and position and operate in such a way that it creates as many regular customers as it can, which means success. It's called "consumer-centric" retailing; it's what grocers do if they want to be successful. Mr. Mason's comment suggests what we call "retailer-centric" retailing. In other words, if you build it, they will come. Doesn't work.
We also find the loyalist comment interesting. And there are a number of Fresh & Easy loyalist customers out there, without a doubt. And for some good reasons. However, there aren't enough loyalists to make a business.
We also can't help remembering what happened to the British military a couple hundred and thirty two or so years ago when it relied on what it called British loyalists, British nationals living in the then colony of Britain called America, to help it win the war of independence waged by a rag tag bunch of Americans, many of whom were former British nationals who fled their country for the new world. The so called loyalists stop being loyal to Queen and country once they thought the Americans, which they finally figured out they too were, had a chance of winning the war. And as they say -- the rest is now history.
Supermarket loyalists can do the very same thing. After all, weren't today's Fresh & Easy loyalist likely loyalists of another grocery chain a little over a year ago, before the first Fresh & Easy store opened, and even less than a year ago in many cases, before the current Fresh & Easy store in their respective neighborhood opened.
Also ask Whole Foods Market about loyalists. No food retailer in the U.S. has had a more loyal following over the last 15 or so years than Whole Foods has. A cult of loyalists even. But beginning earlier this year, as the economy starting getting really bad and food prices began to soar, many of those Whole Foods loyalists shed their pledges of loyalty and went searching for grocers offering lower prices. And even more loyalists have fled Whole Foods over the last three months as the economy has worsened, so much so that Whole Foods reported a 40% drop in earnings for last quarter and its common stock is as of today 70% lower than it was just one year ago.
We've heard many versions of Mr. Mason's comment in the quote from The Times: "Shoppers who get it" (what Fresh & Easy is), numerous times in the last year from Tim Mason and a number of his top executives. So many times in fact it sounds more like they are conducting a treasure hunt rather than positioning a supermarket chain. Frankly it also comes off as a self-congradulating pat on the back. 'See, we must be on to something because there's a core group of loyalists that get it.' We can't help but wondering how that would go over say in a meeting with Tesco plc's ten largest shareholders.
It is a comment that's completely foreign to successful American grocers. They see their job as constantly coming up with ways to appeal to consumers rather than hoping a certain segment "gets" what they are doing, and being appreciative of it And when not enough consumers "get" what those retailers are doing, which is the case with Fresh & Easy, those retailer's change, adapt. That's what Mr. Mason and company should be focusing on, along with dropping that "those who get it" language. It makes them look like they...well, don't get it. Notice not one mention in the published interview about what Fresh & Easy plans to do better?
We do agree with Tim Mason's comment about Fresh & Easy store-level employees though. In our observation they are the grocery chain's number one asset.
In fact it is to a large extent because of these excellent store level employees, and their being able to keep their jobs if they want them, we suggest Tesco plc CEO Sir Terry Leahy, who we think is one of the most talented food and grocery retailing executives around, needs to take a very close look at Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market and how it is being run. Sir Terry, Fresh & Easy looks nothing like you said it would be. After a year of operations, aren't you concerned why that is the case?
For example, in this recessionary economy, Fresh & Easy should daily be hammering home its value proposition. Something like this: "Fresh & Easy markets are basic, smaller neighborhood discount grocery stores (a minimalistic and even nostalgic message). This allows us to keep our prices low. In tough times, when you (consumers) are having to cut back and live a simplier life, isn't it good to know you have a simplier, lower priced alternative, Fresh & Easy." This message then has to be constantly and consistantly hammered home with integrated merchandising, marketing and communications. Walking the talk as well as talking it.
Instead of promoting berry flavored gourmet cheese and Spanish sparkling wines, Fresh & Easy needs to focus on the basics: Essential food and grocery items at the lowest possible prices. We have just three words for it: value proposition, value proposition, value proposition. All other merchandising, marketing and promotion -- specialty, envoronmental and the like -- should be secondary and tertiary to the value message focus and positioning.
This is something Fresh & Easy should have starting doing at the first signs of a recession -- say in March-April, 2008. But its November, 2008, the economy is in the tank, and Fresh & Easy has yet to create a solid value proposition-based marketing and merchandising program. Wal-Mart has. Safeway has. Kroger has.
Is it time for Sir Terry to sit in the front seat instead of the back?
Tesco's problems with Fresh & Easy go far beyond postponing or even killing completely its plans to enter the Northern California market. We've discussed a number of those problems in this piece.
Our suggestion to Tesco plc CEO Sir Terry Leahy is, if you want to succeed with Fresh & Easy in America, its probably time to get out of the back seat, jump in the front seat, and even put your hands on the steering wheel a bit. Do a complete evaluation of the operation, from the top on down, in terms of apprach, strategy implementation and headquarters operations. Changes geared to success are needed.
It's been a year since the first Fresh & Easy store opened and well over two years since Tim Mason and his top executives began what amounts to attempting to run a British grocery chain, using British food retailing systems, in the Western U.S. states of California, Nevada and Arizona, which just happen to be among the most "American" of American food and grocery retailing markets. You know, the wild west and all that.
We don't argue the current financial crisis and recession make it difficult for any grocery chain to launch a major expansion such as Fresh & Easy's into Northern California. Others are cutting back as well. But they aren't start ups who've said all along plans called for investing lots of capital.
But we do argue that despite the serious economic mess the U.S. is in -- it is far from the only or even primary cause of the current state of Fresh & Easy.
Things could be far fresher and far more easier though for Tesco with its Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market USA.
But until it stops trying to impose a British food and grocery retailing model and strategy at Fresh & Easy and changes to a Western U.S. regional retailing focus and strategy -- along with implementing a localized merchandising, marketing and operational approach in its current three market regions -- and couples this new model with a focus on the value proposition -- it's our analysis Tesco's small-format, convenience-oriented Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market food and grocery retailing venture has little chance of suceeding beyond mere survival, if that, despite the fact it has the potential to be successful.
The opportunity still exists for Tesco's Fresh & Easy to be a success in America. Of course CEO Mason argues in the interview, as well as elsewhere publicly, the only problem facing the grocer is external -- the current financial crisis and recession. We respecfully disagree.
It's our analysis that in order for Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market to succeed, especially on the terms Tesco has set for its success, Tesco will have to make serious changes, including the ones we've outlined in this piece. We will explore more of those potential changes in upcoming pieces in Fresh & Easy Buzz.


text:
The "Best Party on Campus" debuted on Ball State's campus in 2001. Late Nite @ Ball State was developed and offered as an outcome of concerns regarding a lack of weekend alcohol-free social opportunities for students. In 2001, a student planning committee determined the initial year would provide twelve programs during the academic year. The funding sources for this trial program included Lilly Endowment Inc., Campus Activities Fund Board, Housing and Residence Life, and various organizations that sponsored specific events.
Based on the success of the trial year, the 2002-2003 academic year planned a total of ten programs presented and implemented by members of the University Program Board. Again funding came from a Lilly Endowment grant, Campus Activities Fund Board, Housing and Residence Life, and an allocation from the Dedicated Service Fee. In this second year, attendance climbed yet again allowing the program to continue for a third year.
During the 2003-2004 academic year, the Late Nite @ Ball State planning committee, an active part of University Program Board, planned and executed twelve Late Nite @ Ball State events. When the grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. ended, Ball State University replaced funding showing its commitment to providing quality programs in a safe environment. The events continued to reach a diverse student population totaling over 13,500 students throughout the academic year. Specific Late Nite events during the 2003-2004 academic year were co-sponsored by such organizations as Student Government Association, Black Student Association, Asian American Student Association, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and Ball State Recreation Services.
Late Nite @ Ball State grew in popularity and in 2004-2005 began to occur each Saturday throughout the academic year for a total of twenty three events. The additional number of events was made possible by additional funding through student activities fee.
Due to its rising success, Late Nite @ Ball State branched away from the University Program Board in 2005-2006, creating two new student positions to further develop and organize the program: a student director and assistant student director. Working with their staff advisor, these students continued to help advance Late Nite.
Climbing to even greater heights, Late Nite @ Ball State was in need of a group of students to guide and direct the ever-growing and successful program. The Late Nite Advisory Board was created in 2006-2007. The purpose of the advisory board is to serve as the common link between the Ball State University student body and the Late Nite @ Ball State program. The advisory board assists in developing innovative ideas to incorporate into the program. It also assists in executing the daily operations of the program.
During the 2007-2008 academic year, Late Nite @ Ball State received record numbers for attendance and the advisory board worked diligently to create sound organization providing students many ways to be involved. The Late Nite Committee was developed, charged with the responsibility of developing innovative ideas to incorporate into the Late Nite program. The committee assists in executing the daily operations of the program by working with the Late Nite Advisory Board Committee chairs in the areas of: Assessment, Marketing, Member Relations, or Volunteers and Co-sponsorships.
Late Nite Today
Late Nite @ Ball State events are planned and produced by students for students. The energetic, creative, enthusiastic leaders of the Late Nite Advisory Board and Committee continue to create and design the "Best Party on Campus" and hope to continue this growing trend by offering excellent weekend programs for the students at Ball State University.
Late Nite @ Ball State continues be the one of the most successful programs on Ball State University's campus! Late Nite strives to offer students high energy events in a safe, comfortable environment. We hope you'll join us each Saturday night for the "Best Party on Campus!"
Check out our calendar to view a listing of the great events already planned for this academic year.
Like entertainment? Interested in programming? Want to have fun? Then Late Nite @ Ball State needs you! Find out how to get involved with the "Best Party on Campus!"


text:
Jennifer Lopez finally took a moment to reflect on her rocky love life. She just happened to do it in front of thousands of screaming fans.
During a performance at the Mohegan Sun's 15th anniversary celebration this weekend, the 42-year-old singer and "American Idol" judge introduced her song "If You Had My Love" with a heartfelt sentiment.
"I'm going to sing you the last song I wrote about love," said Lopez. "A lot has changed since then."
U.S. & World
She followed up the song with "Until It Beats No More," and Lopez was joined onstage by dancers who looked suspiciously like former flames P. Diddy, Cris Judd, and Ben Affleck.
When the dust settled, Lopez told the sold-out crowd, "I took a trip down memory lane." She then began tearing up as the crowd applauded.
Lopez then composed herself, saying, "There's love, and then there's love" as photos of her twin children flashed on a screen above her.
Since splitting with husband Marc Anthony, Lopez's love life has been a hot topic. Most recently, she has been linked with "The Hangover" star Bradley Cooper.
Selected Reading: People, CNN, Washington Post


text:
On March 1st, 2012 at the historic LA Artcore Gallery & Art Center, Russell Simmons' Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation hosted the Ubuntu Charity Benefit which was a live art auction and film screening featuring emerging African artists. A portion of the proceeds will benefit African Artists in the "Artist in Residency" program at Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, a non-profit organization is dedicated to empowering emerging and underrepresented artists.
The benefit took place at the historic LA Artcore, which was an abandoned Japanese union church recently transformed into a non-profit art center which is dedicated to developing the careers of visual artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and bringing innovative contemporary art to the public.
Event organizers Gloria Huwiler and Tulsi Karpio produced the Ubuntu Charity Benefit. Gloria Huwiler is an actress and philanthropist dedicated to promoting performing and fine artists from Africa. Raised in Zambia, she has a deep commitment to developing artistic work from Africa. Tulsi Karpio has worked extensively in the art and philanthropic worlds, curating and promoting Latin American Art.
Event partners, Supperclub, coordinated the food and entertainment for the evening with exquisite hors d'oeuvres and African-inspired specialty cocktails from sponsors Remy Martin, Highland Park, The Macallan and Brugal. Jennifer Anderson and Staci Smith presented a table of delectable African-inspired cupcakes from their Cupcake Cuties Cupcakery.
In addition to the artwork, Ford Models partnered with LA designer Mike Vensel to create an African inspired fashion installation, while music and dance troupe Balle Fette bu Senegal performed live. Each guest received a complimentary gift bag from Blissmo, filled with unique eco-friendly products.
The fundraising portion of the benefit featured an art-themed live auction benefiting the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation's Artist in Residency program. For one year, an African artist will be chosen to train and gain exposure at the Rush Galleries in New York, made possible by the Artist in Residency opportunity. The exhibit and live auction featured pieces from Los Angeles artist Azul "213" Amaral, local artist/actor Rockmond Dunbar, award winning Zambian artists Mwamba Mulangala, Starry Mwaba, Vincentio Phiri, Lutanda Mwamba, Geoffrey Phiri, veteran artist and curator William Bwalya Miko, and Zambian sculptors The Zeta Brothers and Rikki Lungu.
The screening of critically acclaimed BAFTA-nominated short film 'Mwansa The Great' took place following the live auction. It was a heart-felt and inspiring film. Zambian writer, director and producer Rungano Nyoni took us on a journey through the eyes of a Zambian boy, showing the spirit of love along with the sadness and hardships of growing up in Africa. 'Mwansa The Great' premiered in March 2011 at Cineposible Film Festival and has been awarded twelve prizes and two jury special mentions. The film has made appearances at more than fifty film festivals worldwide.
Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation is dedicated to providing inner-city youth with significant exposure and access to the arts, and to offering exhibition opportunities for underrepresented artists and artists of color. Rush was founded in 1995 by three brothers: Danny Simmons, visual artist and community builder; media mogul Russell Simmons; and Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons of the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC. Rush Education programs directly serve 2,300 students annually. In addition, each year Rush exhibits the work of 40 to 50 emerging and community-based artists in its galleries; welcomes over 10,000 gallery visitors; and provides unique opportunities for young people interested in careers in the arts. Rush currently operates galleries and arts education programs at Rush Arts Gallery in Manhattan and Corridor Gallery in Brooklyn.
LA Artcore Union Center for the Arts
120 Judge John Aiso St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Sanjini is a Writer (Published Author), Actress and Martial Artist.


text:
"My mother was a violent alcoholic. she used me as a punching bag so I ran away."
For more than a decade I have interviewed more than 1,000 kids in 35 states. What of these kids who were sentenced to long sentences and JLWOP, life sentences without parole? These kids become adults who become geriatric. These are the people I have interviewed for the past year.
These are their stories. There are more than 2,000 people — juveniles serving life without parole all over the country. These are some of their voices. These are their faces.
This is a series by Richard Ross that will run every other Thursday.


text:
Reblogged By: La Tray
Source: Yahoo Singapore via AP
Media: Cui Jian Wikipedia (Photo)
Posted: Saturday January 18, 2014 @ 12:27 a.m. PST
A Chinese rocker known for his rebellious style will not perform at a state broadcaster's variety show for the upcoming Lunar New Year after he refused a request by the organizers to sing a different song than his own choice, his manager said.
Cui Jian had proposed to sing his 1986 song "Nothing to My Name" at China Central Television's Jan. 30 gala show, but the event's censors told him he would have to choose another song, his manager, You You, said late Friday. "Nothing to My Name" became the unofficial anthem for demonstrating students during the deadly 1989 Tiananmen protests.
Cui decided to quit the show instead of singing a different song, You You said.
"It is not only our regret, but also the gala's," the manager said. "Cui Jian has his fans all over the world, so his stage is far beyond the CCTV's gala."
The state broadcaster could not be reached immediately Saturday for comment.
Many members of the Chinese public praised Cui, 52, for refusing to kowtow to China's censors.
"You are still so proud," Mongolian singer Daiqing Tana of the Beijing-based group Haya Band wrote on her microblog. "You are the backbone and gall of this land. Your music is the hope and despair of this country."
Cui fell out of favor with the Chinese government after he sided with the Tiananmen protesters, but received an invitation this year from CCTV to perform at the annual show.
Since its inception in the early 1980s, the television gala has become a staple for the holiday celebrations, although it has become widely mocked for its cheesy performances and stilted staging, prompting organizers to hire popular film director Feng Xiaogang to direct this year's gala.
Known as the godfather of Chinese rock, Cui won fame in the late 1980s with songs such as "Nothing to My Name," voicing the hopes and anxieties of a generation of Chinese entering adulthood after the death of Mao Zedong and the end of orthodox communism.
During the 1989 pro-democracy protests, Cui performed at Tiananmen Square for students on a hunger strike, days before the government sent in tanks and troops to crack down on the demonstrations.
Later, Communist authorities denied Cui permission for concerts and censored his lyrics. In 2005, he was allowed to headline at a Beijing stadium, and the following year he performed with the Rolling Stones in Shanghai, singing "Wild Horses" alongside Mick Jagger.


text:
Q: Hey Chris Redman so from the Tribune. Don Cooper gets a lot of credit. Four. Resurrecting some careers and developing young guys like Q — what — specifically are some of the things that that he emphasizes. With you and and another — young pitchers.
A: I mean the biggest part for me is is that the mentality of it you know he he stresses the mentality of pitching. You know also working with me — just different things you know get — letter back to where it needs to be. I'm trying to develop — fourth pitch that and cutter. You know he's been all fastball command has just order. You know you gotta you gotta love the off your fastball on me that that really sets the tone for your game and — good fastball command and you know good feel for your secondary pitches you can. You know go out there and pretty much compete with anybody. And good job of loved having him as a as a pitching coach and you know I'm I'm I'm very excited with the time I've had with them in — in the time that you know what happened with.
Tip of the hat to James for the link. Check out his post.


text:
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (27 February 1807 – 24 March 1882 / Portland, Maine)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
The Descent Of The Muses
Nine sisters, beautiful in form and face,
Came from their convent on the shining heights
Of Pierus, the mountain of delights,
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
- Posts: Number of visitors who posted the poem to a friend (via e-mail) on the given date.
- Dates that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list.
- Dates, poems and poets that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list. Statistics are generated daily.


text:
"How to Sew a Button is a must-have book for anyone who wants to reap the wisdom of our grandmothers. I learned so much from my grandmother—ironing, how to bake the perfect cheesecake, as well as other cherished life-long tips—but what I learned most from her was how to enjoy these everyday tasks and the true essence of life. The grandmothers in this book are inspiring to all of us."—Cat Cora, Iron Chef and author of Cooking from the Hip
"Erin Bried makes being happy and healthy so simple and fun. She's a girl after my own heart!"—Jillian Michaels, Biggest Loser trainer and author of Master Your Metabolism
"Thank goodness for grandmothers and thank goodness for Erin Bried, who compiled his compendium of useful, clever, need-to-know advice, wisdom and practical information. With this book, every woman will feel they are at their grandmother's knee, learning the most vital life skills any of us need to be smarter, happier and better people too. Happy reading!"—Lucy Danziger, Editor-in-Chief, SELF magazine
"How to Sew a Button is fun, funny, and empowering. With high good humor, Bried provides instructions on how to do really useful things. Take control of your life with this great handbook. It'll give you confidence. Learn and enjoy!"—Mildred A. Kalish, author of Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression
"Erin Bried's How to Sew a Button is full of crystal clear, friendly, and funny instructions on how to do hundreds of little things that your mother forgot to teach you-not just sewing on buttons, filleting fish, and making gravy, but balancing your checkbook, tying a necktie, and (my personal favorite) how to waltz. A fun, valuable home book for just about anyone, male or female."—Cheryl Mendelson, author of Home Comforts
"A breezily useful guide to timeless home-ec skills."—O Magazine
"If you wish you could hem your pants without waiting for the tailor or unclog a drain without paying a plumber, you need to read How to Sew a Button…[it] might save you money, time, and lots of frustration.—Redbook
"Combating domestic illiteracy one button at a time, How to Sew a Button is a refreshing take on DIY and self-care, valuable for women at any stage of life."—Bookpage
"The perfect book for these hard economic times when money is tight, but ingenuity is plentiful…As comforting as a hand-sewn quilt, and filled with beguilingly retro illustrations, the tips are a snap, empowering, and fun…Bolstered with nostalgic charm, every page is filled with age-old wisdom for brand new do-it-yourself empowerment."—Boston Globe
"How to Sew a Button is a handy guide to running your household and, in many ways, your life."—Washington Post
"For the domestically challenged among us, there is hope. Her name is Erin Bried."—Detroit Free Press
"Charming and timely. Unlike dry household manuals or tomes of thrifty tips, this is filled with brief, clear, step-by-step advice coupled with good-natured humor and the loving spirits of grandmothers, teaching us to take good care of ourselves, our relationships, and our treasures. Even readers who learned practical household skills from their elders will relish its reminders on the soft skills involved in being a good friend or fine neighbor, volunteering, and speaking up at city hall."—Library Journal
"Each [tip] is written in a practical yet humor filled tone — as if your best friend suddenly morphed into a Donna Reed-Tina Fey hybrid."—ErinCooks.com


text:
Regulations enacting the state's new parent-trigger law -- which permits parents of failing schools to band together and force big changes -- have been delayed after Gov. Brown replaced most of the state school board.
With union opponents of the trigger law backing this change, supporters of the law have warned that it's about to be strangled. Over at the Educated Guess, John Fensterwald offers a more measured look at what's going on.


text:
Shuman Produce in Reidsville, GA, is giving away the ultimate grilling tool, its 'RealSweet Sportula' – a multi-use heavy duty spatula – in a spring promotion.
Here, Shuman spokesman The Fat Man, of Chef and The Fatman fame, shows off the sportula – and lets people know how to get their own.
This is part of a series the sweet onion leader has produced to promote its year-round lineup of product from its Vidalia fields and growing operations around the Western Hemisphere.