| Digital media to see speediest growth for ad investment: report
Advertising spending in Canada is expected to jump at a compound annual growth rate of 5.3 per cent over the next four years, according to new data from the Canadian Marketing Association. The report said that advertising investment will rise to more than $23.3 billion in 2011, from $19 billion this year, with every dollar spent on advertising expected to directly result in nearly $9 of economic activity in the country. Overall direct sales from advertising campaigns are forecasted to increase from this year's levels by roughly 33 per cent, to $203 billion by 2011, the report added. "Digital media is expected to lead all other marketing channels in 2011 in terms of direct sales, with purchases resulting from marketing offers received over the Internet and through commercial e-mail forecast to top $46.6 billion by 2011," the report read.
Business big shot: Chris Ronnie
Chris Ronnie likes a joke. Here’s one from the time he played squash with Mike Ashley: "We only played three points, we thought one of us was going to die." And as for the similarities between the two: "You mean our waistlines and chins?" However, the JJB Sports chief executive is finally being taken seriously in the City after more than six months in charge. When he was appointed last summer the 45-year-old’s close friendship with Mr Ashley was viewed with suspicion. Some thought he was on little more than an undercover assignment for the Sports Direct founder, who had employed him for three years until 2006. This sentiment heightened when both bought a stake in Umbro in the run-up to Christmas as Nike, the American sportswear giant, launched its transatlantic takeover raid.
FBI wants instant access to British identity data
Server in the Sky is an FBI initiative designed to foster the advanced search and exchange of biometric information on a global scale. While it is currently in the concept and design stages, once complete it will provide a technical forum for member nations to submit biometric search requests to other nations. It will maintain a core holding of the world's 'worst of the worst' individuals. Any identifications of these people will be sent as a priority message to the requesting nation." In London, the NPIA confirmed it was aware of Server in the Sky but said it was "too early to comment on what our active participation might be". The FBI is proposing to establish three categories of suspects in the shared system: "internationally recognised terrorists and felons", those who are "major felons and suspected terrorists", and finally those who the subjects of terrorist investigations or criminals with international links.
Roberts: Trouble foretold
Six months ago, an out-of-state minister known for prophecy told Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts he would go through a "major storm" but would come through it.
The minister also said, "When you enter your 60th year, you'll step to a new level of ministry you've never known," Roberts recalled in an interview with the Tulsa World.
Roberts celebrated his 59th birthday on Monday and then began his 60th year, six weeks after three former ORU professors filed a lawsuit claiming wrongful termination and alleging the Roberts family has misused ORU and Oral Roberts Ministries money and resources for themselves.
Roberts is on a leave of absence as president while ORU's board and independent auditors investigate the allegations. After the investigations, the board will decide if Roberts returns to the presidency.
Will 'Amnesty' Sink McCain?
The perennial controversy over what to call McCain's amnesty is silly. Every program in the world that has allowed illegal immigrants to stay has been called an "amnesty." McCain himself called it "amnesty" as recently as May 2003, when he told the Tucson Citizen "I think we can set up a program where amnesty is extended to a certain number of people who are eligible … Amnesty has to be an important part ..." But once the focus-group results were in, "amnesty" became a four-letter word. ...[snip] Real Straight Talk would be to say "Sure, it's an amnesty, but we don't really have any choice" ... P.S.: The McCain, post-focus-group argument is that it can't be "amnesty" if it has some requirements--e.g., to pay a fine, learn English, etc. But it turns out that Ronald Reagan's 1986 "comprehensive" reform, which he and everyone else called an "amnesty," had requirements too, including payment of fees.
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