Choose Your Holidays

Here’s a curious one. When Michael O’Leary presented Ryanair’s impressive 20% half year profit jump on Monday, he also showed off lots of slides of future developments including a new two aircraft base at “BAD” opening next March.

As we all know, BAD is the IATA three-letter code for Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and indeed it is a significant base – of the US Air Force 2nd Bomb Wing, which has 44 B-52 Stratofortress aircraft capable of “nuclear deterrence and global strike operations in support of combatant commanders.”

We called the base commander, Colonel Timothy G. Fay, to hear ho

Read full post…

Picking Cotton via Shutterstock

Beverage companies have long been aware of the risks water presents to its business, and now clothing companies, like Gap and Levi Strauss, are realizing how this resource, or lack thereof, can impact their bottom line. Earlier this year cotton prices reached an all time high due to massive output reductions brought on by drought and water shortages in Texas, India, Pakistan, and Brazil.

Rising prices prompted Gap to cut its annual profit forecast by 22%, prompting a $4 decline in its stock value. Hovering around $19 per share, the stock has never recovered. Companies raised costs by 10 to 15%, resulting a dip in sales.

Read full post…

If you want to find the casino with the loosest slot machines in Western Pennsylvania these days, just jump on Interstate 79 — to Erie.

Slot machines at Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie paid out an average of 90.43 percent from June through September, the highest in this part of the state and the third best overall in Pennsylvania.

Put another way, the casino gave back 90.43 cents for every dollar wagered.

By comparison, Rivers Casino on the North Shore and The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County have been downright stingy.

In fact, The Meadows posted the second worst payout percentage in the state over those four months, based on statistics provided by the state Gaming Control Board.

Read full post…

0 of 0 Reuters

The Schauspielhaus is illuminated as part of the Festival of Lights in Berlin.

Read full post…

Arcos de la Frontera enjoys one of the most remarkable settings in the whole of Andalucia.

Read full post…