| Tomkins FY pretax 262.6 mln stg, up 7.3 pct; sees challenging year ...
(adds reaction, amends spelling of CEO James Nicol's name) LONDON, Feb. 21, 2008 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- Engineering group Tomkins reported a 7.3 pct rise in pretax profits of 262.6 mln stg for the year to Dec 29, after new products and a focus on emerging markets helped offset economic weakness in US car and construction markets. Sales from continuing operations were 2.94 bln stg, down from 3.13 bln in 2006, it said, and the adjusted operating margin was 9.0 pct against 9.4 pct the year before. Adjusted operating profits, which exclude disposals, fell 11 pct to 264.7 mln. Net debt was 296.8 mln stg, against 403.0 mln in 2006, and the company said it is considering a share buyback of 5-10 pct. CEO James Nicol said the group, which makes components for cars and air conditioning systems and building products such as baths and windows, delivered a good performance after taking a number of 'self-help' measures to counter headwinds in its US automotive and construction end-markets.
Slay That Green Dragon
Here on OpEdNEws, I haven't seen one single article supporting Hillary. It's not because we haven't accepted them. Matter of fact we welcome cogent, well written articles supporting ANY candidate, since we trust our readers to respond and balance out the perspective in the comments section. It appears that the concensus of the readers and writers on this site, most of whom were Kucinich, Edwards or Paul supporters, are, except for the Paul supporters, now leaning towards Obama. .
Las Vegas' best off-Strip restaurants
Mike was a seven-year disciple of Emeril Lagasse, and opened Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand. A look at each of the restaurants: Rosemary's While Table 34 and Todd's Unique are simple, unassuming neighborhood establishments, this restaurant offers a distinct air of sophistication - in decor, service and ambience. We felt like the only Strip refugees in the other two restaurants, but it was evident here (certainly by the luxury vehicles in the parking lot) that high-rolling foodies have discovered this 7-year-old restaurant. Some of the entree prices stray into the high $30s and the wine markups are a bit more conventional, but the payoff here is considerable. Jordan and wife Wendy have spent much of their careers cooking in the Deep South, and the preparation styles reflect that.
Accused bunker shooter's friend says teen often talked 'crazy'
A teen who pleaded not guilty Tuesday to executing a young couple at an abandoned military bunker often talked of "crazy, crazy" things but wasn't taken seriously, one of his closest friends said Tuesday. "It's innocent until proven guilty," Rob Misetic, 18, said of Collin Lee McGlaughlin, whom he has known since 2003, when they were underclassmen at a private La Verne high school. "But if he did it, (he) finally snapped." McGlaughlin, 18, of West Covina, was arraigned on murder charges in San Bernardino County Superior Court in Barstow along with David Brian Smith, 19, of Covina. .
Hotels joining in green wave
In case you haven't noticed, hotels are going green, doing their part to be ecologically friendly. You might call it the Al Gore effect, although the movement began before An Inconvenient Truth won an Academy Award and its star won a Nobel Prize this year. The green efforts go further than asking guests to use towels and bed linens more than once (as they do at home), to conserve water and avoid flushing more detergent-laden water into sewers. It's also more than replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs in guest rooms. Other green initiatives are more subtle - things a guest might never notice: recycling, low-flow faucets and showerheads, water-saving toilets, and the use of products that don't harm the environment or contribute to global warming.
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