October 2008

Callaway Hooks Bigger Losses

by The Editors on October 15, 2008

callaway280.jpgWith the entire financial market falling down around us, it’s no wonder that Carlsbadistan’s golf industry is getting hard hit this fall. Now, the Big Bertha, Callaway Golf, has announced that there losses in the third quarter are going to be larger than expected.

“The significant deterioration in global economies over the last several weeks of third quarter have finally impacted what had been a record year for Callaway Golf,” Chief Executive George Fellows said in a statement. . . Callaway now expects revenue for the third quarter of $213 million, down from $236 million last year. The net loss for the quarter is expected to be 12 cents to 14 cents a share.

That doesn’t sound good.

[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]

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Camp Pendleton Fires Up The Night Sky

by The Editors on October 14, 2008

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Carlsbadistan -based writer/photographer Sean O’Brien has posted some amazing photos of the Juliet Fire on his blog. Check them out to see just how close the Camp Pendleton fire looks at night.

[Link: NightGlowWindow]

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Invitrogen’s Got A New Machine

by The Editors on October 14, 2008

Our favorite Carslbad-based life sciences company, Invitrogen, has just introduced a new bench-top instrument called the Countess automated cell counter, according to a story in Pharmaceutical Business Review .

According to the company, the Countess instrument: counts live and dead cells, calculates percent viability, measures average cell size, calculates dilutions for downstream applications and uses just 10 microliters of sample.

As usual, we have no idea what they’re talking about, but if it’s good for their stock price then it’s fine by us.

[Link: Pharmaceutical Business Review]

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The Perfect Segway Between Home and Work

by The Editors on October 14, 2008

z130d175d2902f4bc882574e100719061.jpgCarlsbadistan’s John Frisbie was sick of the gasoline bills he was paying to get from him home in Carlsbad to his job at Rady Children’s Hospital in Kearny Mesa, riding the Coaster was fine, but all those busses just wasn’t doing it for him according to a story in the North County Times. That’s when he got a Segway scooter.

Frisbie said it took him about 15 minutes to learn how to ride the Segway, which is balanced by gyroscopes to keep the rider upright. Frisbie said he’s fallen only once, and that it was his fault. . . “You have to make sure the tires don’t leave the ground. Make sure to take bumps slowly, or the gyroscopes will get off and you’ll fall off,” he said. . . . His new toy is attracting plenty of attention. Passing drivers honk and wave as he rolls by. He’s had people turn their cars around and ask him where he got the Segway.

Sadly, there is absolutely no way to ride a Segway without looking like a total tool. But don’t tell John we said that.

[Link: North County Times]

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One Less Golf Company In Carlsbadistan

by The Editors on October 13, 2008

ashworth.jpgToday Taylor-Made Adidas Golf announced that they will acquire the struggling Carlsbad-based golf apparel maker Ashworth for $72.8 million.

The two parties announced Oct. 13 reaching a definitive agreement that calls for TMAG to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Ashworth for $1.90 per share in cash, a 9.8 percent premium from its Oct. 10 close of $1.73. . . . “This acquisition underscores our commitment to continued growth in the golf category,” said Herbert Haier, chairman and CEO of Adidas AG, TMAG’s parent company.

The purchase price includes $46.3 million in Ashworth debt. The company lost $9.6 million in the third quarter. Sounds like a winner, huh?

[Link: Golfweek]

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Union-Tribune Picks Kulchin And Blackburn

by The Editors on October 13, 2008

To decide who they are going to endorse San Diego’s traditionally conservative Union-Tribune sits all six candidates down with “a member of the editorial board” and lets them make their case for being elected. After that sit down the U-T selected Ann Kulchin and Keith Blackburn.

Here is some of their reasoning for Kulchin:

Kulchin has a long record of service to her community. And while the prospect of new blood is always appealing, the 76-year-old hasn’t done anything to warrant her removal. She should be re-elected for what we’d respectfully suggest should be her final term.

And their Keith Blackburn logic goes like this:

A family man and longtime resident of Carlsbad, Blackburn has a rare and useful blend of service in three fields: public, private and philanthropic. As a police sergeant who has been on the job for more than two decades, he understands the city better than most – and in ways that many other residents wouldn’t be able to appreciate. He has pledged to resign from the Police Department if elected. Blackburn is also a successful businessman, and he is the head of a family charitable foundation that donates funds to local community organizations.

We figure if Ann Kulchin only wants one more go round she might as well start her retirement this year. And as much as we absolutely adore Keith Blackburn as the handsome, polite, well-spoken, thoughtful policeman straight out of central casting, we really don’t like the thought of the managing partner of a “$30 million real estate investment company” deciding the future of Carlsbad, no matter how much he says he loves “open space,” pristine beaches, and our “quaint Village.”

[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]

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Carlsbad’s Shop Of The Rising Bagel

by The Editors on October 12, 2008

Mitsuhiro NumataWe’ve never visited Carlsbadistan’s Sun Flour Bagel Shop, but now thanks to a delicious review by Caron Golden on her blog San Diego Food Stuff, we feel like we’ve been missing out.

Owned by Mitsuhiro and Atsuko Numata and their two daughters, Mai and Megumi, Sun Flour Bagel is an unexpectedly marvelous suburban surprise. Cooking teacher and friend Mineko Moreno told me about it at lunch recently, describing the breads and pastries as deeply authentic and, for her, just like home back in Japan. That sounded irresistible, even if I was a little wary of what the bagels would be like.

That’s enough for us. We’re like already there. Click the link for the rest of the Numata bakery story. And if you’re hungry roll over to at 6955 El Camino Real, Suite 105 near Alga.

[Link: San Diego Food Stuff]

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Snyder Art Becomes Evan Rodgers Central

by The Editors on October 12, 2008

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Carlsbadistan’s City Council Candidate Evan Rodgers has said repeatedly that she is not interested in spending any money on her campaign or on printing up posters that would litter people’s yards for a few weeks and then spend eternity in a landfill.

Evan’s growing support base however has been asking for some way to show support for Evan and help spread her message for a new, greener, cleaner Carlsbad. Until recently there was nothing they could do aside from making posters themselves.

Evan Rogers3That was until Bryan Snyder at Snyder Art (and Carlsbadcrawl.com) got involved and created posters, t-shirts and stickers that will allow everyone to show their support. Here is what he says:

We have developed pieces of art to be placed on properties, or on walls, of those whom support local art and Evan’s interest in it. . . . Carlsbadrawl considers these signs to be art rather than one-time-use marketing material. Each sign is handmade, numbered and signed by both Bryan Snyder and Evan. Unlike the signs of other candidates, these will not find their ways into landfills. We hope local supporters will accept them as art and keep them well after November 4th as visually appealing creations, as well as a historical reminder of Evan’s attempt at being the youngest elected official in California.

The t-shirts are a graphic tribute to street artist Shepard Fairey’s Hope graphics, but they look great. Rodgers supporters are invited to stop by Snyder Art and pick up art-signs, stickers, tote bags, or t-shirts any time of the day or night.

For more info visit Carlsbadcrawl.com or Snyder Art at 2695 State Street in downtown Carlsbadistan.

[Link: Carlsbadcrawl.com]

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Lakeshore Gardens Candidates Forum

by The Editors on October 11, 2008

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We’ve just returned from our first Carlsbad City Council Candidates Forum held this morning at 9 AM in the club house of The Lakeshore Garden’s Mobile Home Park on the southwest corner of Poinsettia and Avenida Encinas.

As we mentioned on our Twitter feed our first reaction was horror. But there is more to it than that. First off, it is amazing to us that the candidates actually show up for these meetings. There were maybe 55 people in the audience (most well over 60 years old) and most were residents of the Lakeshore gardens.
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Bike MS Bay To Bay Tour In Carlsbad

by The Editors on October 11, 2008

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This weekend is the annual Land Rover Miramar Bike MS Bay To Bay Tour in which cyclists ride down the coast in either 30, 100 or 150 mile rides over the October 11-12, 2008 weekend to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

While the ride usually just rolls through Carlsbadistan, this year a 30 mile ride has been added that starts and finishes in Carlsbad at the Westfield Plaza Camino Real.

Remember to give the riders a little extra room this weekend. They’re riding for a good cause.

[Link: Bike To Finish MS]

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