Media Convergence Initiative

Another American Fast Food Company Files For Bankruptcy: From Sbarro To Once American Sandwich Giant, Quiznos

Posted on March 17, 2014 by mpabian

This week has been terrible for America’s restaurant chains.

Last Monday one of America’s better known pizza franchises, Sbarro, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Soon following in its wake on Friday, another famous food chain, the sub shop Quiznos, made official that it too will slide into bankruptcy as a part of a “packaged” deal to “slice” its crushing debt by hopefully more than $400 million, or about two-thirds.

But do not fear for your local lunch options, though. All but seven of Quiznos’ approximately 2,000 locations are franchises. As these are independently owned and operated establishments, they will continue to be open as normal while the Quiznos as a parent company undergoes a some major changes.

“The actions we are taking are intended to enable Quiznos to reduce our debt, execute a comprehensive plan to further enhance the customer experience, elevate the profile of the brand and help increase sales and profits for our franchise owners,” Quiznos C.E.O. Stuart Mathis was quoted in a press release. “Our business plan includes several key elements aimed at supporting our franchisees, including reducing food costs, implementing a franchise owner rebate program, in certain circumstances making loans available to franchisees for restaurant improvements, investing in advertising to improve location awareness, and providing new incentives for prospective franchisees.”

Mr. Mathis and the entirety of Quiznos higher up’s hope that this bankruptcy filing will aid them in finalizing new policies and standards that will turn around a failing business. While other fast food yet casual chains, like Chipotle and Panera Bread still thrive and grow, companies like Sbarro and Quiznos have not been able to change to new customer trends and palates.

Posted in Business, Economy | Comments Off

Rain Can’t Stop Edwards in Bristol

Posted on March 17, 2014 by dougcampbell06

Nearly 5 hours worth of rain delays couldn’t keep the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from taking to the Bristol Motor Speedway for the fourth race of the still young 2014 season. At the end of a long day in the Tennessee hills, it was Carl Edwards taking his first win on the year, with teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Tony Stewart and Marcos Ambrose rounding out the rest of the top five.

But Edwards didn’t have a dominant or even impressive drive up until the final 75 laps. A strategy call by crew chief Jimmy Fennig to stay out gave Edwards the lead that he would hold for the rest of the race. Various drivers looked to have strong cars including Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick, but all had their share of troubles. Logano started the race by leading a large portion of laps before a power steering problem knocked him from contention. Matt Kenseth also led a number of laps and was in second before suffering damage in a bizarre crash under caution with Timmy Hill that left Kenseth unable to hold the lead afterwards. Kyle Busch spun coming out of turn two and was then nicked by his brother Kurt, ending their shots at the win. Finally, Harvick suffered a mechanical failure with roughly 50 laps to go that left oil on the track and Harvick in the wall, with Keselowski and Jamie McMurray being caugh up in a secondary incident.

With the win, Edwards is practically guaranteed a position in the Chase, joining Dale Earnhardt Jr., Harvick and Keselowski as drivers all with wins this season. Next week takes the series to Fontana, California and the Auto Club Speedway for the Auto Club 400.

Posted in Sports | Comments Off

Eating healthy, a few steps before you start on this journey

Posted on March 17, 2014 by laurentm

As someone who hates fitness, I never saw my self to be one of these people you see who enjoy being healthy. I like sports but I don’t like working out. And to tell you the truth a lot of food that is healthy for you, I don’t care for at all. But because I wanted to get in better shape decided that I needed to make a change. So I am writing this article as a way to show what I have learned from reading online and what i have talked to with friends who are in better shape than me.

The first part about working out is the diet. Now for someone like my self who isn’t very fond of healthy food, I have researched and spoke with friends who are actually in shape and here are some points to help fix that. Tip number one make your meals at home during the week. I used to always spend money on food during the week and weekends and for starters it wasn’t healthy and secondly all those meals added up to be quite expensive. So what i am doing now and it sort of works is to cook my meals at home. We all spend the money on groceries anyway right so why not spend a little more so that you don’t have to spend a ton of cash eating foods.

The second part is the working out. Now a lot of people think that the only way to get the body you want is to go to the gym. This mind set isn’t terrible but as someone like myself who finds gyms to be expensive and not enjoyable i figured out some cheaper methods of fitness. The first are work out apps on your smart phone. Trust i looked them up and they exist and really do help you! The second is tricking your self in to working out. For me i go and play basketball with some friends but literally just go out side and do something that you like that will make you sweat. So that’s my opinion on fitness and I hope this helps!

Posted in Entertainment, Health | Comments Off

Brazilians Angry Over Poor Planning for The World Cup.

Posted on March 17, 2014 by keegan.kennedy

In 2007 it was announced that brazil would be the country to hold the 2014 World Cup. At the time the people of Brazil couldn’t be more proud. Brazilians are well known to be some of the most passionate soccer fans in the world. They are the country with the most world cup titles, having won 5 cups. In addition to all the great players the country has had, many consider brazilian soccer player, “Pele” to be the best who ever played the game. In a country where soccer is a huge part of the culture, Brazilians had reason to be proud to host the most important soccer tournament in the world. Seven years later however, the excitement has certainly disappeared for most.

Brazil is the biggest country in south america, and has one of the more stable economies in latin america. However, the country is still plagued with numerous social and economic problems. As with most underdeveloped countries, the gap between the rich and the poor is a big one in brazil. Perhaps as result of this violence rates are high and the country is plagued with problems in its infrastructure including roads and the health system. With all these problems many people wonder why the government is spending over 11 billion dollars to prepare for the world cup. The government had proposed numerous projects like better airports, transportation, and stadiums. People have been protesting since the qualifier games last year, that public money should not be used for these projects. A lot of money is being spent but it wont make the Country better overall. For example, stadiums that seat 45,000 are being built in small cities where only about 500 locals go to games. In addition many proposed public transportation projects won’t be finished in time for the WC and some have even been abandoned. In many areas there are trenches that make it harder to get around, instead of the better roads that were promised. The pride Brazilians felt has turned into shame in their country and a sort of resentment against the sport they love most.

Posted in Sports, World News | Comments Off

Monsanto Continues Biogenetic Destruction

Posted on March 17, 2014 by samantha young

In recent news, bees have been disappearing and dying at an alarming rate. New studies have concluded that the culprit primarily responsible for the mass death of honey bees is the biogenetic company Monsanto. Bayer is responsible for developing a particular insecticide called neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin used by Monsanto which equals death for bees. This insecticide is used on several plants that bees pollenate and once the infected pollen is consumed by the bees, it wreaks havoc on their immune systems ultimately depleting it and leading the bee to death. To make matters worse, the bees responsible for foraging pollen and delivering it back to the hive then infect the other bees leading to massive deaths. Poland is the first country to recognize this issue and discontinue the use of the insecticide.

A fun fact about this entire situation is that the research firm responsible for finding these discoveries, Beelogics, was later bought out by Monsanto. Wow. I suppose it shouldn’t surprise us that a multi-billion dollar conglomerate like Monsanto would buy the very source of upending research done about them. If you can’t beat them, buy them. Nonetheless, this bee genocide will cause devastating effects on our ecosystem, as would any disruption to the natural cycle of nature. Not only do bees give us honey as a natural source of healthy sugar, we can expect to see the decline in the reproduction of different species of flowers and plants as the bees decrease. There are petitions circulating requesting that the EPA step in and regulate the situation before more damage is caused. I’ve got a feeling Monsanto will not go down with out a fight considering they’ve got a big hand in politics.

Posted in Environment, Science and Technology | Comments Off

Westboro Baptist Church founder on death bed & excommunicated reports son

Posted on March 17, 2014 by brianbachman

The Westboro Baptist Church is a small church that has drawn national attention for many years as a result of their extreme stance on homosexuality. The church is know for picketing military, celebrity, and other funerals with large, colorful signs adorning extreme messages. The founder, Fred Phelps is also a lawyer famous for many landmark cases.

Nathan Phelps, who has been excommunicated from his family and the church since he turned 18 over 30 years ago, reports that his father is currently in hospice care in a Kansas hospital. Phelps announced this information in a Facebook post, in which he commented “I’m not sure how I feel about this,” and also stated “Terribly ironic that his [Fred Phelp’s] devotion to god ends this way. Destroyed by the monster he made.” Nathan also showed grief for all who have been targeted by his father’s actions in the post : “I feel sad for all the hurt he’s caused so many.”

Fred Phelp’s excommunication from his church isn’t the first time that he has been removed from an organization. In 1979 Fred Phelps was disbarred from practicing law in Kentucky after badgering and accusing a witness of obscene sexual acts while she was testifying on the stand. Fred Phelps also ran unsuccessfully to be a Kansas Senator in 1992, receiving 30.8% of the votes.

When asked to comment on the state of Fred Phelp’s health and reason for excommunication, the church is unwilling to give many details. A spokesperson for the church acknowledged that he is indeed in hospice care, however stated “We don’t discuss our internal church dealings with anybody. It’s only because of his notoriety that you are asking” when asked about why the founder was removed from his own church.

Posted in Odd News, Politics | Comments Off

Earthday Birthday Music Festival Celebrates its 21st Birthday!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by singhkev

Whether you are a concert junkie or going to your first, the Earthday Birthday Music Festival is a cannot miss event! The festival will feature 18 awesome bands, including Alter Bridge, Pepper, Everclear, and Cypress Hill. Along with all the amazing bands, the event will include several family friendly rides, including the classic Ferris Wheel and the Sea Ray, which are free with your EDBD admission.There will also be a stunning performance by the Orlando Kawasaki Moto-X team, who perform death-defying aerial moves.

Earthday Birthday is one of the largest locally-produced rock festivals in the state and draws upwards of 20,000 music lovers from around the globe. This year’s festival will feature new attractions including a car show presented by the American Lung Association, Mel’s Bad Girls Club Art Walk, a vendor village, four stages of music including the Bud Light Native Noise Stage which will showcase unsigned Florida bands to showcase their new sound.

Along with Bud Light, Rock Pink, the House of Blues, Kawasaki, Jagermeiter and many others, this event is sure to top the previous years and is a event to mark on your calendar!

Posted in General | Comments Off

Update: Malaysia Airlines Flight Still Missing 11 Days Later

Posted on March 17, 2014 by jumarshall17

Saturday, March 15th, made a week since the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370. The search for the plane enters its 11th day and frustrations are growing because the plane has still not been found. Over the weekend, breaking leads entered the CNN newsroom that caused a new theory to enter the limelight. Last week terrorism was the leading theory as two people used stolen passports on board the plane and were suspected to have something to do with its disappearance. As of right now the search area has expanded according to investigators believe the plane might have either crashed or landed: a northern arc that stretches from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in central Asia to northern Thailand, and a southern arc that spans from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean.

This past weekend broadcasters and analysts were talking about the last transponder signal the plane sent and now it seems that another system that sends data about the plane, the Aircraft Communications and Addressing System was also turned off. Authorities say the last transmission from that system came early in the flight, at 1:07 a.m.They can say exactly when the system was shut down because the next transmission from 370 wasn’t due until 1:37 a.m. A person inside the cockpit, believed to be the co-pilot, made the plane’s last verbal communication with air traffic controllers at 1:19 a.m., saying, “All right, good night.” The transponder was then switched off at 1:21 a.m., and all civilian radar lost contact with the plane altogether about 1:30 a.m. Military radar last detected the plane at 2:15 a.m. off Malaysia’s west coast, hundreds of miles off course. And at 8:11 a.m., more than seven hours after takeoff, a satellite made the last electronic connection, known as a handshake, with the plane.

Also this weekend, authorities searched the homes of the pilots and found something unusual. A flight simulator was found inside the home of Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah’s home. Capt. Shah has been a pilot since the 1980’s and is an experienced pilot with thousands of hours under his belt as well as being a training pilot, why would he need a simulator in his home? Malaysian Authorities have ruled that the disappearance of the Boeing 777 is of ” deliberate action”. No wreckage has been found and there are no physical signs of the plane.

Posted in Business, Odd News, World News | Comments Off

Possibility of Russian invasion of Ukraine!!!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by chrisba1986

Western powers slapped sanctions on more than two dozen Russian officials and their allies in Ukraine’s Crimea region this Monday afternoon. Ukrainian officials vowed they would never accept the territory’s annexation by Russia. Now the Russian parliament is expected to vote on whether to annex the breakaway territory in the coming days or not. The interim Ukrainian President, Oleksandr Turchynov said his government would do “everything possible” to solve the crisis diplomatically. In addition, Turchynov said Ukraine was willing to hold talks with Russia, “but we will never accept the annexing of our territory.”

Russian President, Vladimir Putin signed a decree that recognizes the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Crimea, says a statement on Russia’s Kremlin website. So, Russia’s president is not trying to be annexed with Ukraine because of this document that recognizes the independence of the Republic of Crimea. The main reason Russia wants nothing to do with Ukraine is because of the fear of demoscratic future, Turchynov said “The Kremlin is afraid of the democratic future which we are building, and this is the reason for their aggression.” President Barack Obama warned Moscow that, “further provocations will achieve nothing except to further isolate Russia and diminish its place in the world and Russian military intervention in Ukraine will only deepen Russia’s diplomatic isolation and exact a greater toll on the Russia economy.”

As a result, Washington’s sanctions targeted Russian officials and lawmakers, as well as Crimea-based separatist leaders, with financial sanctions for undermining “democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine.” In conclusion I think that Russia’s leader, President Vladimir Putin, is setting Russia for failure with this obnoxious, childish aggression towards Ukraine for all the wrong reasons because he seizes to realize how economically beneficial it is to annex to Ukraine and becoming allies instead of choosing isolation to remain powerful, because it will not take away from their power. President Barack Obama is taking the right actions to help Russia and Ukraine and ease war in an attempt to bring peace as well, which is admirable not only as a president but as a country and that is what we stand for freedom, justice, integrity and peace not war. In addition, the U.S is setting a good example by taking the leadership role to take action against Russia’s unjust aggression towards Ukraine.

Posted in Economy, Entertainment, General, Politics, War and Conflicts, World News | Comments Off

Big beer companies, such as Guinness, withdraw themselves from St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Posted on March 17, 2014 by jamerehill

Late sunday night, Guinness decided to pull out of the St. Patrick’s Day parade according to CNN. Guinness’s decision came from several threats from big conglomerates saying that they will “stop selling Guinness beer if they continued to sponsor the parade.” Stonewall Inn, the gay rights icon, was one company who threatened Guinness beer along with GLAAD, the LGBT advocacy group, who said they were planning an anti-Guinness event according to CNN. Guinness stated, “We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year’s parade…this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation. Although parade organizers were no where to be found for a comment, Guinness’s announcement came several days after several other beer companies decided to do the same thing. CNN found that Heineken, a rival of Guinness, had also pulled out from the same St. Patrick’s day parade in NYC and that Sam Adams would not be sponsoring Boston’s parade for the same reason.

The St. Patty’s parade out in New York City has openly made it publicly known that lesbian and gay groups are not allowed to march. CNN says that it’s parade policies under sexual orientation does not allow LGBT groups (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender) to wear any clothing openly stating they are gay or lesbian and are unable to hold signs identifying their LGBT orientation. Though Guinness will be missed in the St. Patrick’s day festivities, seeing as it is known for being a very famous Irish beer, the speaker of the New York Council congratulated the few beer companies on their decisions and standing on behalf of the LGBT community.