AT&T: New High Every Week (T)
Posted on December 08, 2008 in Autodesk Architectural Studio
Stocks: (T)(BLS)(VZ)(Q) AT&T and BellSouth hit a new high every week. As Yogi Berra said, "You could look it up." Well, hyperbole aside, all four of the major US telecoms trade at or near their highs: Qwest, Verizon, AT&T, and BellSouth. Of course, AT&T and BellSouth are merging. But, investors looking at how the stocks trade as a multiple of sales will find a different picture. AT&T trades at 2.24 times sales. BellSouth trades at 3.64 times. AT&T must have paid a premium. But, Verizon trades at 1.22 times. And, Qwest at 1.2 times. Qwest, being the smallest of the lot does not have the balance sheet or revenue to compete with cable, WiMax, and VoIP as well as the rest. Or, at least that is the conventional wisdom about why it carries no premium. The next issue would be debt. But, Verizon has $32 billion in debt and $75 billion in revenue. AT&T has $27 billion in debt, and, with SBC rolled in, a revenue run rate of $60 billion. That does not leave much to differentiate the companies from a financial standpoint. But, the approach that the companies are taking to the future and potential competition are very different. Verizon is betting the bank of fiber-to-the-home and the broadband and IPTV edge it might get over the cable guys like Comcast and Time Warner Cable. One of the issues with this bet is that a recent study by tech research giant IDC showed that only 8.5% of people intend to change providers of "bundled services" (TV, broadband, and phone). Of those surveyed 66% said they would not change and 22% weren't sure according to the study. That would indicate that if the cable guys have them, they will keep them, and Verizon has a problem. Verizon says it will spend $20 billion building its fiber system according to the company's public statments. It also says that the service is now available to six million homes, about 20% of their customers. Of course, that does not mean that the customers are using it. AT&T and BellSouth have not announced intentions anywhere near as agreesive for upping the ante to get faster wires into their customer's homes. And, that may be why Verizon trades at a discount. Douglas A. McIntyre can be reached at douglasamcintyre@gmail.com. He does not own securities in companies that he writes about. cheap microsoft office cheap corel draw
Upcoming Topics/Computer Art Samples
Posted on November 08, 2008 in Corel Photo Painter
UPCOMING TOPICS I be cognizant most of you are set since surfing centrally located, being the Pensacola New Journal featured us today, together with I significance you might analogous a preview of SOME of the topics coming done with separating the upcoming weeks. Recall whim geting our daily quizzes, including (disclose the hasp hopeful the left.) There are a lot topics not pictured, same in that candle painting, scratchart, painting onward clay hunks, foam cutouts, paper mache, wood besides foam door hangers, sequin shirts, textile painting (on shirts together with canvas totes) painting gourds, woodburning along with painting setup wood (petrol pencils) besides sport skills equaling considering sketching, statue, acrylic painting, watercolor painting, etc. ALthough O'Malley took a bit of skill to "doctor up," good art skills aren't usually required for computer generated art. (Yes, you heard correctly.) Computer generated graphics are a LOT of fun, as you can tell from our cat, O'Malley. I KNOW you long to dabble on someone's picture and turn them into a toothless, bearded pirate...you name it. (My husband quickly removed me from the computer chair when I asked how he'd look in a pink tutu...) If you're getting a graphics program, the one I use is Corel (Draw, Photopaint.) COMPUTER ART SAMPLES Let me give you an advance peek at the upcoming topic, computer art. We'll get to that in a week or two. I'll show you what you can do, using simple outlining in black, and the press of a few buttons. Take a look at this simple picture, it's about to change drastically. Here we go! :) I outlined the flowers in black, using the mouse. I didn't care if my lines were perfect. It takes a bit of practice to keep your hand steady using the mouse. Start practicing! :) The picture below wasn't quite completed with the black outline, I did all the flowers. Using Corel Photo Paint, I went to Effects/Contour/Edge Detect/Edges Soft (level 100) and pressed a button. Voila, with only 4 clicks of mouse, see my masterpiece? Here's another one. Effects/Custom/Alchemy/Brush Strokes. Your kids will LOVE doing computer art for the front of their folders, and everyone can make great cards! (I'll be providing images, be sure and right click and save them IMMEDIATELY if you want them.) Alchemy reminds me of abstract pastel chalk pieces. What do you think? And for a bolder approach, here's Effects/3d/Emboss. MAILING LIST REMINDER So, if you'd like to keep up with the arts/crafts projects, local art events, etc, you can get on my mailing list for this blog. When a new topic is posted, you'll get a reminder. That's helpful because posting isn't on a schedule. I am going to try to post at least once a week. BTW, I do not share email addresses with others, they are for blog notification only, and there is no solicitation. Just email me at haldagobay1@bellsouth.net with "Haldago Bay Blog" in the subject line. If you'd like to email a friend and tell them about this blog, just go to the end of this article and there's a small envelope with a black arrow on it. Just click on it and fill in your friends' email addys. Thanks for spreading the word :) Feel free to tell me what topics you'd like to see featured; this is an interactive blog. I would love to hear from you! And if you have images that you think others would like to use when they sketch, paint, or do computer art, send them in the BODY of your email. I'd also love to publish photos of your arts/crafts! If you find great images on the internet in photo albums, let us know about that, too. FROM ME TO YOU YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE AN ARTIST TO DO THE PROJECTS, and I will be drawing simple items for you to download and print out, and locating good images for you from the net that you can use. The projects allow for flexibiility- you make it as easy or difficult as you want. All the projects (note ALL) are do-able by children. I select the ones my kids have enjoyed, and the activities that were the most popular when I did craft sessions at several Michaels locations, and during private lessons. Don't be afraid to email me anytime you have a question, because I'm here to help.) So, relax and have fun, you have a blog pal to guide you along! If you have an art activity such as the one below, just email me. If you sell arts/crafts and want to send a picture, I'll consider posting it. It is at my discretion. I'd like to help the LOCAL crafters get noticed. LOCAL NEWS:MOSAIC CLASS One of the local nurseries (Garden Gate) is having a mosaic class. Let me tell you briefly about Garden Gate before I discuss the class, because it's an awesome nursery and if you're in the Pensacola area, you should stop by. Emily makes a wonderful effort, year after year, to rescue butterflies. Picture above are Monarch caterpillars. Their numbers have declined by millions for several years in a row, due to natural catastrophes. Give Garden Gate a call if you find these caterpillars in the winter as the milkweed plants they eat are usually without leaves. Below is one of seven monarchs we hatched, as we fed/protected them in our bathroom. All seven fluttered happily away when we released them in April. Now, back to arts and crafts. In the Garden Gate newsletter, I found this and thought you'd like to know about it. The Garden Gate classes do fill rather quickly, but this was just announced Thursday night (Jan 5th) so you are informed early enough to get a spot. "Mosaics - The most fun of all our classes! Take out your aggressions with a hammer on tile and ceramics, and create something beautiful for your house or garden. Come learn the art and craft of mosaics and take home something you made in class
Sometimes Consumers Give Me a Rash
Posted on October 01, 2008 in Corel Photo Painter
Extent witnesses hunting here inserted Tampa, countless owners (guys) told me this they had FiOS. Wow! To me this was a take up to NOT buy the habitation - No Pennies. Boy, are these knuckleheads practical to be sorry next those introductory percentages pattern years ago extent. (Right stuff now, triple diversion is $99 to $125 + fees along taxes). Anon there is this parcel to the editor of the Miami Manifestation: We, furthermore, can't seem to fund BellSouth/AT&T DSL• We, further, breathing breeze the outskirts of Abode (Vitality Advancement, June 4), still evermore joint hypothetical our block again the blocks to the north along south are entirely DSL-ready -- but not us.Postliminary numerous calls to BellSouth, we've gotten nowhere. Altogether they proclaim us is thatwe're all not ready. Funny thing is this we used to hang out three houses present itself the road more had BellSouth DSL; amid we moved, I heed I would be able to altogether hasp bygone my DSL again be perfected with it.Although we live with Comcast, our current cable WWW provider, the ransom would be greatly reduce if we had BellSouth (for AT&T) DSL. So whereas some shoppers, it is perfectly largely the figure. (Practically 35% buying to most studies). Likewise it must bet snap the put across, being halfway Tampa, most small vocation control cable vehicles (BrightHouse) since Info Strada at $90. Besides than VZ DSL ended compatible. Together with BH has taken about 75,000 resi phone rubrics at a estimate that is amid no lot cheaper than VZ. I study hammered owing to cheap make way daily. Buyers hunger thirst an Information superhighway T1 seeing negative than $500 Along with white glove applicability. They stint a GigE port with no expedite at $35 per MB. Yeah. \"Output, reliability or benefit, Mr. Spirit. Present 1.\"