SubscribeMonthly Archives: May 2009
GM Bondholders Accept Sweetened Deal
Bondholders at General Motors (Ticker: GM) agreed to exchange billions of debt for stock as part of the company’s massive restructuring effort.
According to The Associated Press, fifty-four percent of the automaker’s bondholders agreed to the swap.
General Motors had $27 billion in unsecured debt, and the vote accounts for $14.6 billion worth of those bonds.
Bondholders rejected the term of last week’s debt for stock offer, what changed their minds?
It looks like warrants did the trick.
Warrants are similar to options in that they… More »
Jay Cutler Alienating Bears Fans?
I realize everyone needs their privacy. But when you’re the quarterback of the Chicago Bears and you’re out in public, it’s probably a bad idea to wave off fans who are looking for an autograph. Apparently that’s what Jay Cutler did while attending a Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field last week. And at various other appearances since he arrived in the Windy City two months ago.
It could simply be a case of temporary culture shock. I understand that Chicago… More »
Death Threats and College Football
Recently, Jonathan Crompton of Tennessee has noted that he has been threatened in the past. The Vols had a mediocre 5-7 season in 2008, and Crompton’s cell phone number and email address circulated (to his annoyance, I’m sure). Some of the calls he got were just pranks…but he also got a few death threats. Says Crompton,
“I really didn’t talk about it that much,” he said. “You don’t say ‘Poor me.’ ”
He also admitted that he’d been confronted face-to-face a number… More »
Percy Harvin Impressive in Vikings Minicamp
It’s too early to be talking about the NFL’s next Rookie of the Year. But if Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin’s minicamp and OTA exploits are any indication, he’s going to make a strong bid. Percy has been featured in a number of different roles thus far. He made acrobatic catches at the receiver position. He returned kicks. And he even tried his hand at running the trendy “Wildcat” formation. All with impressive results. The Vikings already have 20-30 plays… More »
Another “Freelance is Easy” Article
The look on my face right now? Frustration.
I know they mean well, but I keep seeing articles on legitimate news sources that make freelancing or working from home seem easy. It’s really a problem, because the vast majority of people who are taking this advice and giving freelancing a go aren’t qualified for the job at all.
And that makes all of us look bad. I cant tell you how many times I’ve had to “prove myself” because clients “have been… More »
Susan Boyle Loses Britain’s Got Talent Final To Diversity, But The Singing Talent On Display Was Extraordinary
Susan Boyle was the odds-on favorite to win the Britain’s Got Talent final held on Saturday night but lost out to a dance troupe known simply and accurately as Diversity. But despite Boyle failing to take the winner’s crown on the night, the singing talent on display in this series has been nothing short of extraordinary.
I’ll admit right here, right now, I’m not the biggest Susan Boyle fan. There’s no denying she’s a very talented singer, and her first performance… More »
Breaking Bad: ‘ABQ’ Finale Tonight
It’s time! Viewers are just hours away from the 10pm ET second-season finale of AMC’s Breaking Bad.
The episode, which was written by series creator Vince Gilligan, is called “ABQ.” As Season Two winds down, Skyler becomes increasingly frustrated with Walt’s secrecy, Jesse’s spiral downward continues, and Donald experiences a tragedy.
Follow the jump for a sneak peek that focuses on the Whites’ secrecy issue when drugged-up Walt reveals something to his wife he normally wouldn’t while she and Walt… More »
Cubs Sale Bogged Down by Conflict
Although Tribune Co., has been trying to sell the Chicago Cubs to Tom Ricketts, an investment banker based in Wilmette, Ill., the process has slowed down due to doubt over the value of the Cubs’ broadcasting contracts.
Tribune Co. owns and controls WGN-TV, WGN Radio, and Comcast SportsNet Chicago, three popular Chicago media outlets that each broadcast Cubs games. Reportedly, these three media outlets generate a significant amount of ticket sales for Wrigley Field, which means that the addition of their… More »
More Trouble for Hawaii Superferry
Although the island state may seem to be a peaceful haven from the troubles in the continental U.S., the situation of Hawaii Superferry, Inc., serves as a reminder that even Hawaii has problems too. The ferry company, which has seen plenty of trouble in its short existence, has now been forced to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Hawaii Superferry blames the recent development on a Hawaii Supreme Court cease-and-desist ruling, barring the company from undergoing any interisland ferry operations. The company… More »
Record Highs in the Mortgage Industry
Unfortunately, reaching highs is not necessarily a good thing. The Mortgage Bankers Association has released data that shows a staggering number of delinquencies and foreclosures in the first quarter. This data has been attributed to record unemployment numbers, as well as to other damaging side effects of the financial crisis.
The survey revealed that around 12.07 percent of mortgage loans were affected by delinquency or foreclosure, which is the largest number that the survey has recorded since it began in 1972…. More »
GM Schedules Monday Press Conference
– Company Says It Will Need Concessions from Local Electrician’s Union In Order to Make Sure Press Gathering Is Profitable; Federal Government Pressures Podium Providers Not To Insist on Cash Deposit –
General Motors has announced that it will be holding a press conference on Monday, presumably to announce its impending bankruptcy.
Plans hit a snag, however, when the company said it might not be able to meet its financial commitments to pay for the press briefing if it didn’t… More »
2009 MTV Movie Awards
Tonight, the 2009 MTV Movie Awards will be broadcast live from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. Saturday Night Live cast member, Andy Samberg, will host the ceremony and I’m pretty confident that he’s going to do a good job.
I won’t even try to list all of the presenters but Eminem and Kings of Leon are set to perform. Here’s the list of nominees – I will come back and update this post after the show to highlight the… More »
Is the web a marketplace or channel?
Presence is what brands strive for, presence is what the web offers to all of us not only on a local but also on a global scale. In the past we could only go past our local community through financial investment, now investment is still needed but it is a time investment not a monetary one.
The web allows you to sell your talents across the globe, it allows you to appear locally (on their computer) in order to grow globally.
The… More »
Jon Jansen Plans to Sign with Lions
Jon Jansen was released from the Washington Redskins on Friday. The 6-foot-6, 306 pound offensive tackle already knows where he wants to sign. After playing his high school and college ball at Michigan, Jansen wants to return to Michigan to play for the Detroit Lions.
The biggest question surrounding the 33-year-old is his health. Once upon a time he was one of the best offensive lineup in the NFL. But over the last few years, he has struggled with injures.
In 2004,… More »
2009 NBA Finals – Preview and Schedule
We now know the two teams that will play in the 2009 NBA Finals. On Saturday night, the Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference championship. In the Finals, Dwight Howard and the Magic will go up against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Who will win the NBA Finals in 2009? On paper, I give the advantage to the Lakers. At this point of the playoffs, experience is a huge factor. The Lakers were here… More »
