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diff --git a/nerv/examples/lmptb/PTBdata/ptb.valid.txt b/nerv/examples/lmptb/PTBdata/ptb.valid.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7b3d9d9 --- /dev/null +++ b/nerv/examples/lmptb/PTBdata/ptb.valid.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3370 @@ + consumers may want to move their telephones a little closer to the tv set + <unk> <unk> watching abc 's monday night football can now vote during <unk> for the greatest play in N years from among four or five <unk> <unk> + two weeks ago viewers of several nbc <unk> consumer segments started calling a N number for advice on various <unk> issues + and the new syndicated reality show hard copy records viewers ' opinions for possible airing on the next day 's show + interactive telephone technology has taken a new leap in <unk> and television programmers are racing to exploit the possibilities + eventually viewers may grow <unk> with the technology and <unk> the cost + but right now programmers are figuring that viewers who are busy dialing up a range of services may put down their <unk> control <unk> and stay <unk> + we 've been spending a lot of time in los angeles talking to tv production people says mike parks president of call interactive which supplied technology for both abc sports and nbc 's consumer minutes + with the competitiveness of the television market these days everyone is looking for a way to get viewers more excited + one of the leaders behind the expanded use of N numbers is call interactive a joint venture of giants american express co. and american telephone & telegraph co + formed in august the venture <unk> at&t 's newly expanded N service with N <unk> computers in american express 's omaha neb. service center + other long-distance carriers have also begun marketing enhanced N service and special consultants are <unk> up to exploit the new tool + blair entertainment a new york firm that advises tv stations and sells ads for them has just formed a subsidiary N blair to apply the technology to television + the use of N toll numbers has been expanding rapidly in recent years + for a while <unk> <unk> lines and services that <unk> children to dial and <unk> movie or music information earned the service a somewhat <unk> image but new legal restrictions are aimed at trimming excesses + the cost of a N call is set by the <unk> abc sports for example with the cheapest starting at N cents + billing is included in a caller 's regular phone bill + from the fee the local phone company and the long-distance carrier extract their costs to carry the call passing the rest of the money to the <unk> which must cover advertising and other costs + in recent months the technology has become more flexible and able to handle much more volume + before callers of N numbers would just listen and not talk or they 'd vote yes or no by calling one of two numbers + people in the phone business call this technology N <unk> + now callers are led through complex <unk> of choices to retrieve information they want and the hardware can process N calls in N seconds + up to now N numbers have mainly been used on local tv stations and cable channels + <unk> used one to give away the house that rock star jon <unk> <unk> grew up in + for several years turner broadcasting system 's cable news network has invited viewers to respond <unk> to <unk> issues should the u.s. military intervene in panama but even the hottest <unk> on <unk> <unk> only about N calls + the newest uses of the <unk> technology demonstrate the growing variety of applications + capital cities\/abc inc. cbs inc. and general electric co. 's national broadcasting co. unit are expected to announce soon a joint campaign to raise awareness about <unk> + the subject will be written into the <unk> of prime-time shows and viewers will be given a N number to call + callers will be sent educational booklets and the call 's modest cost will be an immediate method of raising money + other network applications have very different goals + abc sports was looking for ways to lift <unk> <unk> ratings for monday night football + kurt <unk> abc sports 's marketing director says that now tens of thousands of fans call its N number each week to vote for the best <unk> return <unk> <unk> etc + profit from the calls goes to charity but abc sports also uses the calls as a sales tool after <unk> callers for voting frank <unk> offers a football <unk> for $ N and N N of callers stay on the line to order it + jackets may be sold next + meanwhile nbc sports recently began scores plus a <unk> 24-hour N line providing a complex array of scores analysis and fan news + a spokesman said its purpose is to bolster the impression that nbc sports is always there for people + nbc 's <unk> consumer minutes have increased advertiser spending during the day the network 's weakest period + each <unk> matches a sponsor and a topic on <unk> unilever n.v. 's <unk> bros. sponsors tips on diet and exercise followed by a <unk> <unk> bros. commercial + viewers can call a N number for additional advice which will be tailored to their needs based on the numbers they <unk> press one if you 're pregnant etc + if the caller stays on the line and leaves a name and address for the sponsor coupons and a newsletter will be <unk> and the sponsor will be able to gather a list of desirable potential customers + <unk> <unk> an <unk> vice president says nbc has been able to charge premium rates for this ad time + she would n't say what the premium is but it 's believed to be about N N above regular <unk> rates + we were able to get advertisers to use their promotion budget for this because they get a chance to do <unk> says ms. <unk> + and we were able to attract some new advertisers because this is something new + mr. parks of call interactive says tv executives are considering the use of N numbers for talk shows game shows news and opinion surveys + experts are predicting a big influx of new shows in N when a service called automatic number information will become widely available + this service <unk> each caller 's phone number and it can be used to generate instant mailing lists + hard copy the new syndicated tabloid show from paramount pictures will use its N number for additional purposes that include research says executive producer mark b. von s. <unk> + for a piece on local heroes of world war ii we can ask people to leave the name and number of anyone they know who won a <unk> he says + that 'll save us time and get people involved + but mr. <unk> sees much bigger changes ahead + these are just baby steps toward real interactive video which i believe will be the biggest thing yet to affect television he says + although it would be costly to shoot multiple versions tv programmers could let audiences vote on different <unk> for a movie + fox broadcasting <unk> with this concept last year when viewers of married with children voted on whether al should say i love you to <unk> on <unk> 's day + someday viewers may also choose different <unk> of news coverage + a <unk> by phone could let you decide i 'm interested in just the beginning of story no. N and i want story no. N in <unk> mr. <unk> says + you 'll start to see shows where viewers program the program + integrated resources inc. the troubled financial-services company that has been trying to sell its core companies to restructure debt said talks with a potential buyer ended + integrated did n't identify the party or say why the talks failed + last week another potential buyer <unk> financial group which had agreed in august to purchase most of integrated 's core companies for $ N million ended talks with integrated + integrated said that it would continue to pursue other alternatives to sell the five core companies and that a group of senior executives plans to make a proposal to purchase three of the companies integrated resources equity corp. resources trust co. and integrated resources asset management corp + a price was n't disclosed + integrated also said it expects to report a second-quarter loss wider than the earlier estimate of about $ N million + the company did n't disclose the new estimate but said the change was related to integrated 's failure to sell its core businesses as well as other events which it did n't detail that occurred after its announcement last week that it was in talks with the unidentified prospective buyer + meanwhile a number of top sales producers from integrated resources equity will meet this afternoon in chicago to discuss their options + the unit is a <unk> constructed group of about N independent brokers and financial planners who sell insurance annuities limited partnerships mutual funds and other investments for integrated and other firms + the sales force is viewed as a critical asset in integrated 's attempt to sell its core companies + <unk> cited concerns about how long integrated would be able to hold together the sales force as one reason its talks with integrated failed + in composite trading on the new york stock exchange yesterday integrated closed at $ N a share down N cents + integrated has been struggling to avoid a bankruptcy-law filing since june when it failed to make interest payments on nearly $ N billion of debt + integrated senior and junior creditors are owed a total of about $ N billion + an earthquake struck northern california killing more than N people + the violent temblor which lasted about N seconds and registered N on the richter scale also caused the collapse of a <unk> section of the san <unk> bay bridge and shook candlestick park + the tremor was centered near <unk> southeast of san francisco and was felt as far as N miles away + numerous injuries were reported + some buildings collapsed gas and water lines <unk> and fires <unk> + the quake which also caused damage in san jose and berkeley knocked out electricity and telephones <unk> roadways and disrupted subway service in the bay area + major injuries were n't reported at candlestick park where the third game of baseball 's world series was canceled and fans <unk> from the stadium + bush vowed to veto a bill allowing federal financing for abortions in cases of rape and incest saying tax dollars should n't be used to compound a violent act with the taking of an <unk> life + his pledge in a letter to democratic sen. byrd came ahead of an expected senate vote on spending legislation containing the provision + east germany 's politburo met amid speculation that the ruling body would oust hard-line leader honecker whose rule has been challenged by mass emigration and calls for democratic freedoms + meanwhile about N refugees flew to <unk> west germany from warsaw the first <unk> in east germany 's <unk> exodus + the world psychiatric association voted at an <unk> <unk> to <unk> <unk> the soviet union + moscow which left the group in N to avoid <unk> over allegations that political <unk> were being certified as <unk> could be suspended if the <unk> of <unk> against <unk> is discovered during a review within a year + nasa postponed the <unk> of the space shuttle atlantis because of rain near the site of the launch <unk> in <unk> <unk> fla + the flight was <unk> for today + the spacecraft 's five <unk> are to <unk> the <unk> galileo space probe on an <unk> mission to jupiter + senate democratic leaders said they had enough votes to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment to ban flag burning + the amendment is aimed at <unk> a supreme court ruling that threw out the conviction of a texas <unk> on grounds that his freedom of speech was violated + federal researchers said lung-cancer mortality rates for people under N years of age have begun to decline particularly for white males + the national cancer institute also projected that overall u.s. mortality rates from lung cancer should begin to drop in several years if cigarette smoking continues to <unk> + bush met with south korean president roh who indicated that seoul plans to further ease trade rules to ensure that its economy becomes as open as the other industrialized nations by the mid-1990s + bush assured roh that the u.s. would stand by its security commitments as long as there is a threat from communist north korea + the bush administration is seeking an understanding with congress to ease restrictions on u.s. involvement in foreign coups that might result in the death of a country 's leader + a white house spokesman said that while bush would n't alter a longstanding ban on such involvement there 's a <unk> needed on its interpretation + india 's gandhi called for parliamentary elections next month + the balloting considered a test for the prime minister and the ruling congress i party comes amid charges of <unk> leadership and government corruption + gandhi 's family has ruled independent india for all but five years of its <unk> history + the soviet union <unk> from a u.n. general assembly vote to reject israel 's credentials + it was the first time in seven years that moscow has n't joined efforts led by <unk> nations to <unk> israel from the world body and was viewed as a sign of improving <unk> ties + israel was <unk> by a vote of N with N <unk> + black activist walter sisulu said the african national congress would n't reject violence as a way to pressure the south african government into concessions that might lead to negotiations over apartheid + the <unk> sisulu was among eight black political activists freed sunday from prison + london has concluded that <unk> president <unk> was n't responsible for the execution of six british <unk> in world war ii although he probably was aware of the <unk> + the report by the defense ministry also rejected allegations that britain covered up evidence of <unk> 's activities as a german army officer + an international group approved a formal ban on ivory trade despite objections from southern african governments which threatened to find alternative channels for selling elephant <unk> + the move by the convention on trade in endangered <unk> meeting in switzerland places the elephant on the <unk> list + an <unk> in colombia killed a federal judge on a <unk> street + an <unk> caller to a local radio station said cocaine traffickers had <unk> the <unk> in <unk> for the <unk> of <unk> wanted on drug charges in the u.s. + <unk> leader <unk> met with egypt 's president <unk> and the two officials pledged to respect each other 's laws security and stability + they stopped short of <unk> diplomatic ties <unk> in N + the reconciliation talks in the <unk> desert town of <unk> followed a meeting monday in the egyptian resort of <unk> <unk> + <unk> group inc. revised its exchange offer for $ N million face amount of N N senior subordinated debt due N and extended the offer to oct. N from oct. N + the <unk> n.j. company said holders would receive for each $ N face amount $ N face amount of a new issue of secured senior subordinated notes convertible into common stock at an initial rate of $ N a share and N common shares + the new notes will bear interest at N N through july N N and thereafter at N N + under the original proposal the maker of specialty coatings and a developer of <unk> technologies offered $ N of notes due N N common shares and $ N in cash for each $ N face amount + completion of the exchange offer is subject to the tender of at least N N of the debt among other things + <unk> which said it does n't plan to further extend the offer said it received $ N face amount of debt under the original offer + the stock of ual corp. continued to be <unk> amid signs that british airways may <unk> at any <unk> <unk> of the aborted $ N billion buy-out of united airlines ' parent + ual stock plummeted a further $ N to $ N on volume of more than N million shares in new york stock exchange composite trading + the plunge followed a drop of $ N monday amid indications the takeover may take weeks to be revived + the stock has fallen $ N or N N in the three trading days since announcement of the collapse of the $ 300-a-share takeover jolted the entire stock market into its <unk> plunge ever + this is a total <unk> for takeover-stock traders one investment banker said + los angeles financier marvin davis who put united in play with a $ N billion bid two months ago last night <unk> both a ray of hope and an extra element of uncertainty by saying he remains interested in acquiring ual + but he dropped his earlier $ 300-a-share <unk> bid saying he must first explore bank financing + even as citicorp and chase manhattan corp. scrambled to line up bank financing for a revised version of the <unk> labor-management bid british airways a N N partner in the buying group indicated it wants to start from <unk> + its partners are united 's pilots who were to own N N and ual management at N N + adding <unk> to injury united 's <unk> machinists ' union which helped scuttle financing for the first bid yesterday asked ual chairman stephen wolf and other ual directors to resign + a similar demand was made by a group that represents some of united 's N <unk> employees + john <unk> machinists union general vice president attacked mr. wolf as greedy and irresponsible for pursuing the buy-out + although mr. wolf and john pope ual 's chief financial officer stood to <unk> $ N million for stock and options in the buy-out ual executives planned to reinvest only $ N million in the new company + the blue-collar machinists longtime rivals of the white-collar pilots say the <unk> would load the company with debt and weaken its finances + confusion about the two banks ' <unk> efforts to round up financing for a new bid that the ual board has n't even seen yet helped send ual stock <unk> downward + and rumors of forced selling by takeover-stock traders triggered a <unk> <unk> in the dow jones industrial average around N a.m. edt yesterday + yesterday 's selling began after a japanese news agency reported that japanese banks which balked at the first bid were ready to reject a revised version at around $ N a share or $ N billion + several reports as the day <unk> gave vague or <unk> indications about whether banks would sign up + citicorp for example said only that it had <unk> of interest of a transaction from both the borrowers and the banks but did n't have an agreement + late in the day mr. wolf issued a <unk> statement calling mr. <unk> 's blast divisive and <unk> for + but he gave few details on the progress toward a new bid saying only we are working toward a revised proposal for majority employee ownership + meanwhile in another sign that a new bid is n't imminent it was learned that the ual board held a telephone meeting monday to hear an update on the situation but that a formal board meeting is n't likely to be <unk> until early next week + in london british airways chairman lord king was quoted in the times as declaring he is not prepared to take my shareholders into a <unk> deal + observers said it appeared that british air was angered at the way the bid has <unk> into confusion as well as by the banks ' effort to round up financing for what one called a deal that is n't a deal + the effort to revive the bid was complicated by the <unk> nature of the <unk> buying group + the pilots were meeting outside chicago yesterday + but british air which was to have supplied $ N million out of $ N million in equity financing apparently was n't involved in the second proposal and could well reject it even if banks obtain financing + a group of united 's <unk> employees said in a statement the fact that wolf and other officers were going to line their pockets with literally millions of dollars while <unk> severe pay cuts on the <unk> employees of united is not only <unk> but <unk> + the machinists also asked for an investigation by the securities and exchange commission into possible <unk> violations in the original bid for ual by mr. davis as well as in the response by ual + last week just before the bank commitments were due the union asked the u.s. labor department to study whether the bid violated legal standards of fairness governing employee investment funds + in his statement mr. wolf said we continue to believe our approach is sound and that it is far better for all employees than the alternative of having an outsider own the company with employees paying for it just the same + mr. wolf has <unk> merger advice from a major wall street securities firm relying instead only on a takeover lawyer peter <unk> of <unk> <unk> slate <unk> & flom + the huge drop in ual stock prompted one takeover stock trader george <unk> managing partner of <unk> <unk> & co. to deny publicly rumors that his firm was going out of business + mr. <unk> said that despite losses on ual stock his firm 's health is excellent + the stock 's decline also has left the ual board in a <unk> + although it may not be legally obligated to sell the company if the buy-out group ca n't revive its bid it may have to explore alternatives if the buyers come back with a bid much lower than the group 's original $ 300-a-share proposal + at a meeting sept. N to consider the labor-management bid the board also was informed by its investment adviser first boston corp. of interest expressed by buy-out funds including kohlberg kravis roberts & co. and <unk> little & co. as well as by robert bass morgan stanley 's buy-out fund and pan am corp + the takeover-stock traders were hoping that mr. davis or one of the other interested parties might <unk> with the situation in disarray or that the board might consider a recapitalization + meanwhile japanese bankers said they were still <unk> about accepting citicorp 's latest proposal + macmillan inc. said it plans a public offering of N million shares of its berlitz international inc. unit at $ N to $ N a share + the offering for the language school unit was announced by robert maxwell chairman and chief executive officer of london-based maxwell communication corp. which owns macmillan + after the offering is completed macmillan will own about N N of the berlitz common stock outstanding + five million shares will be offered in the u.s. and N million additional shares will be offered in <unk> international offerings outside the u.s. + goldman sachs & co. will manage the offering + macmillan said berlitz intends to pay quarterly dividends on the stock + the company said it expects to pay the first dividend of N cents a share in the N first quarter + berlitz will borrow an amount equal to its expected net proceeds from the offerings plus $ N million in connection with a credit agreement with lenders + the total borrowing will be about $ N million the company said + proceeds from the borrowings under the credit agreement will be used to pay an $ N million cash dividend to macmillan and to lend the remainder of about $ N million to maxwell communications in connection with a <unk> note + proceeds from the offering will be used to repay borrowings under the short-term parts of a credit agreement + berlitz which is based in princeton n.j. provides language instruction and translation services through more than N language centers in N countries + in the past five years more than N N of its sales have been outside the u.s. + macmillan has owned berlitz since N + in the first six months of this year berlitz posted net income of $ N million on sales of $ N million compared with net income of $ N million on sales of $ N million + right away you notice the following things about a philip glass concert + it attracts people with funny hair or with no hair in front of me a girl with <unk> <unk> sat <unk> a boy who had <unk> his + whoever constitute the local left bank come out in force dressed in black along with a <unk> of <unk> who want to be on the cutting edge + people in glass houses tend to look <unk> + and if still <unk> at the evening 's end you notice something else the audience at first <unk> and <unk> by the music releases its <unk> feelings in collective <unk> + currently in the middle of a <unk> <unk> tour as a solo <unk> mr. glass has left behind his <unk> equipment and <unk> in favor of going it alone + he sits down at the piano and plays + and plays + either one likes it or one does n't + the typical glass audience which is more likely to be composed of music students than their teachers certainly does + the work though sounds like <unk> for <unk> + philip glass is the <unk> and his music the new clothes of the <unk> + his success is easy to understand + <unk> introducing and explaining his pieces mr. glass looks and sounds more like a <unk> <unk> describing his work than a classical <unk> playing a recital + the piano <unk> which have been labeled <unk> as <unk> <unk> <unk> cyclical <unk> and <unk> are <unk> <unk> therefore <unk> <unk> <unk> therefore <unk> and <unk> <unk> but <unk> therefore both pretty and <unk> + it is music for people who want to hear something different but do n't want to work especially hard at the task + it is <unk> listening for the now generation + mr. glass has <unk> the famous <unk> <unk> less is more + his more is always less + far from being <unk> the music <unk> <unk> us with apparent <unk> not so <unk> <unk> in the <unk> of N time <unk> <unk> and <unk> or <unk> <unk> <unk> + but the music has its <unk> and mr. glass has constructed his solo program around a move from the simple to the relatively complex + opening N from <unk> <unk> the audience to the glass technique never <unk> too far from the piano 's center mr. glass works in the two <unk> on either side of middle c and his fingers seldom leave the <unk> + there is a <unk> musical style here but not a particular performance style + the music is not especially <unk> indeed it 's hard to imagine a bad performance of it + nothing <unk> no <unk> no <unk> <unk> problems challenge the performer + we hear we may think inner voices but they all seem to be saying the same thing + with planet news music meant to <unk> <unk> of allen <unk> 's wichita <unk> <unk> mr. glass gets going + his hands sit <unk> apart on the <unk> + seventh <unk> make you feel as though he may break into a very slow <unk> <unk> + the <unk> <unk> but there is little <unk> even though his fingers begin to <unk> over more of the <unk> + contrasts predictably <unk> first the music is loud then it becomes soft then you realize it becomes <unk> again + the fourth <unk> play an <unk> from <unk> on the beach is like a <unk> but it does n't seem to move much beyond its <unk> ground in three blind mice + when mr. glass decides to get really fancy he <unk> his hands and hits a <unk> bass note with his right hand + he does this in at least three of his solo pieces + you might call it a <unk> or a <unk> <unk> + in mad rush which came from a commission to write a piece of <unk> length mr. glass <unk> and <unk> confessed that this was no problem for me an a <unk> with a b section several times before the piece ends <unk> + not only is the typical <unk> <unk> it is also often multiple in its context s + mad rush began its life as the <unk> to the <unk> lama 's first public address in the u.s. when mr. glass played it on the <unk> at new york 's <unk> of st. john the <unk> + later it was performed on radio <unk> in germany and then <unk> <unk> took it for one of her dance pieces + the point is that any piece can be used as background music for virtually anything + the evening ended with mr. glass 's <unk> another multiple work + parts N N and N come from the <unk> of <unk> morris 's <unk> film the thin blue line and the two other parts from <unk> music to two separate <unk> of the <unk> story of the same name + when used as background in this way the music has an appropriate <unk> as when a <unk> phrase a <unk> minor third <unk> the seemingly endless <unk> of reports interviews and <unk> of witnesses in the morris film + served up as a solo however the music lacks the <unk> provided by a context within another medium + <unk> of mr. glass may agree with the critic richard <unk> 's sense that the N music in twelve parts is as <unk> and <unk> as the <unk> <unk> + but while making the obvious point that both <unk> develop variations from themes this comparison <unk> the intensely <unk> nature of mr. glass 's music + its supposedly <unk> <unk> <unk> a <unk> that makes one <unk> for the <unk> of <unk> <unk> the <unk> radical <unk> of <unk> and <unk> and what in <unk> even seems like <unk> in <unk> + mr. <unk> is professor of english at southern <unk> university and editor of the southwest review + honeywell inc. said it hopes to complete shortly the first of two sales of shares in its japanese joint venture <unk> for about $ N million + the company would n't disclose the buyer of the initial N N stake + proceeds of the sale expected to be completed next week would be used to repurchase as many as N million shares of honeywell stock the company said + honeywell said it is negotiating the sale of a second stake in <unk> but indicated it intends to hold at least N N of the joint venture 's stock long term + a N N stake would allow honeywell to include <unk> earnings in its results + honeywell previously said it intended to reduce its holding in the japanese concern as part of a restructuring plan which also calls for a reduction of <unk> on weapons sales + yesterday a spokeswoman said the company was pleased with our progress in that regard and hopes to provide additional details soon + honeywell said its defense and marine systems group incurred delays in shipping some undisclosed contracts during the third quarter resulting in lower operating profit for that business + overall honeywell reported earnings of $ N million or $ N a share for the three months ended oct. N compared with a loss of $ N million or N cents a share a year earlier + the previous period 's results included a $ N million pretax charge related to <unk> contract costs and a $ N million pretax gain on real estate sales + sales for the latest quarter were flat at $ N billion + for the nine months honeywell reported earnings of $ N million or $ N a share compared with earnings of $ N million or $ N a share a year earlier + sales declined slightly to $ N billion + once again your editorial page <unk> the law to conform to your almost <unk> <unk> + in an <unk> of little <unk> to his central point about private enforcement suits by environmental groups michael s. <unk> <unk> your readers the clean water act is written upon the <unk> the <unk> rather that nothing but zero risk will do it <unk> a legal standard of zero <unk> <unk> environmental <unk> sept. N + this statement surely <unk> your editorial viewpoint that environmental protection is generally silly or excessive but it is simply wrong + the clean water act contains no legal standard of zero <unk> + it requires that <unk> of <unk> into the waters of the united states be authorized by permits that reflect the <unk> limitations developed under section N + whatever may be the problems with this system it <unk> reflects zero risk or zero <unk> + perhaps mr. <unk> was confused by congress 's <unk> statement of the national goal in section N which indeed calls for the elimination of <unk> by N no less + this <unk> statement was not taken seriously when enacted in N and should not now be confused with the <unk> provisions of the statute + thus you do the public a great <unk> when mr. <unk> suggests even <unk> that the clean water act prohibits the preparation of a <unk> and water your <unk> readers may be led to believe that nothing but chance or oversight protects them as they <unk> in the night with their <unk> and waters from the <unk> knock of the sierra club at their doors + robert j. <unk> + national geographic the <unk> u.s. magazine is attracting more readers than ever and offers the glossy <unk> pages that upscale advertisers love + so why did advertising pages plunge by almost N N and ad revenue by N N in the first half + to hear advertisers tell it the magazine just has n't kept up with the times + despite renewed interest by the public in such topics as the environment and the third world it has n't been able to shake its reputation as a magazine boys like to <unk> through in search of <unk> tribe women + worse it lagged behind competitors in offering <unk> <unk> from regional editions to discounts for frequent advertisers + but now the magazine is attempting to fight back with an ambitious plan including a revamped sales strategy and a surprisingly aggressive ad campaign + advertisers do n't think of the magazine first says joan <unk> who joined in april as national advertising director + what we want to do is take a more aggressive stance + people did n't believe we were in tune with the marketplace and in many ways we were n't + the <unk> magazine has never had to woo advertisers with quite so much <unk> before + it largely <unk> on its <unk> <unk> N million subscribers in the first half up from N million a year ago an average age of N for readers at the <unk> of their <unk> years loyalty to the tune of an N N average subscription renewal rate + the magazine had its best year yet in N when it <unk> its centennial and racked up a N N gain in ad pages to N + but this year when the <unk> surrounding its centennial died so too did some advertiser interest + the reason ad executives say is that the entire magazine business has been soft and national geographic has some <unk> that make it especially <unk> during a soft market + perhaps the biggest of those factors is its high ad prices $ N for a <unk> page vs. $ N for the <unk> a comparable publication with a far smaller circulation + when ad dollars are tight the high page cost is a major <unk> for advertisers who generally want to appear regularly in a publication or not at all + even though national geographic offers far more readers than does a magazine like <unk> the page costs you an arm and a leg to develop any frequency says harry glass new york media manager for bozell inc + to combat that problem national geographic like other magazines began offering regional editions allowing advertisers to appear in only a portion of its magazines for example ads can run only in the magazines sent to subscribers in the largest N markets + but the magazine was slower than its competitors to come up with its regional editions and until last year offered fewer of them than did competitors + time magazine for example has more than N separate editions going to different regions top management and other groups + another sticking point for advertisers was national geographic 's tradition of <unk> its ads together usually at the beginning or end of the magazine rather than spreading ads out among its articles as most magazines do + and national geographic 's <unk> size means extra production costs for advertisers + but ms. <unk> says the magazine is fighting back + it now offers N regional editions it very recently began running ads adjacent to articles and it has been <unk> up its sales force + and it just launched a promotional campaign to tell chief executives marketing directors and media executives just that + the centerpiece of the promotion is its new ad campaign into which the magazine will pour about $ N mostly in the next few weeks + the campaign created by <unk> group 's ddb needham agency takes advantage of the <unk> photography that national geographic is known for + in one ad a photo of the interior of the <unk> in paris is <unk> with the headline the only book more respected than <unk> does n't accept advertising + another ad pictures a tree <unk> magnified N times with the headline for impact far beyond your size consider our regional editions + ms. <unk> says she wants the campaign to help attract advertisers in N categories including corporate financial services consumer electronics insurance and food + her goal to top N ad pages in N up from about N this year + whether she can meet that ambitious goal is still far from certain + the ad campaign is meant to <unk> the thought of national geographic she says + we want it to be a <unk> kind of image + wcrs plans <unk> sale + wcrs group hopes to announce perhaps today an agreement to sell the majority of its ad unit to <unk> eurocom a european ad executive said + wcrs has been in discussions with eurocom for several months + however when negotiations <unk> down recently wcrs 's chief executive peter scott met in paris with another french firm <unk> <unk> <unk> <unk> or <unk> + according to the executive <unk> 's involvement prompted renewed <unk> in the <unk> talks and the two agencies were hoping to <unk> out details by today + executives of the two agencies could n't be reached last night + ad notes + new account procter & gamble co. cincinnati awarded the ad accounts for its line of professional <unk> <unk> <unk> and oil products to <unk> <unk> <unk> cincinnati + billings were n't disclosed + professional <unk> products are specially made for the <unk> industry + who 's news stephen <unk> N was named executive vice president deputy creative director at grey advertising new york + he was executive vice president director of broadcast production + the commodity futures trading commission plans to restrict dual trading on commodity exchanges a move almost certain to <unk> exchange officials and traders + the cftc said it will propose the restrictions after the release of a study that shows little economic benefit resulting from dual trading and cites problems associated with the practice + dual trading gives an exchange trader the right to trade both for his own account and for customers + the issue exploded this year after a federal bureau of investigation operation led to charges of widespread trading abuses at the chicago board of trade and chicago mercantile exchange + while not specifically mentioned in the fbi charges dual trading became a focus of attempts to tighten industry regulations + critics contend that traders were putting buying or selling for their own accounts ahead of other traders ' customer orders + traders are likely to oppose such restrictions because dual trading provides a way to make money in slower markets where there is a shortage of customer orders + the exchanges contend that dual trading improves liquidity in the markets because traders can buy or sell even when they do n't have a customer order in hand + the exchanges say liquidity becomes a severe problem for <unk> traded contracts such as those with a long time remaining before expiration + the cftc may take those arguments into account by allowing exceptions to its restrictions + the agency did n't cite specific situations where dual trading might be allowed but smaller exchanges or contracts that need additional liquidity are expected to be among them + wendy <unk> the agency 's chairman told the senate agriculture committee that she expects the study to be released within two weeks and the rule changes to be completed by <unk> + the study by the cftc 's division of economic analysis shows that a trade is a trade a member of the study team said + whether a trade is done on a dual or <unk> basis the member said does n't seem to have much economic impact + currently most traders on commodity exchanges specialize in trading either for customer accounts which makes them brokers or for their own accounts as <unk> <unk> + the tests indicate that dual and <unk> traders are similar in terms of the trade executions and liquidity they provide to the market mrs. <unk> told the senate panel + members of congress have proposed restricting dual trading in bills to <unk> cftc operations + the house 's bill would prohibit dual trading in markets with daily average volume of N contracts or more <unk> those considered too difficult to track without a sophisticated computer system + the senate bill would force the cftc to suspend dual trading if an exchange ca n't show that its oversight system can detect <unk> abuses + so far one test of restricting dual trading has worked well + the chicago merc banned dual trading in its standard & poor 's 500-stock index futures pit in N + under the rules traders decide before a session begins whether they will trade for their own account or for customers + traders who stand on the pit 's top step where most customer orders are executed ca n't trade for themselves + a merc spokesman said the plan has n't made much difference in liquidity in the pit + it 's too soon to tell but people do n't seem to be unhappy with it he said + he said he would n't comment on the cftc plan until the exchange has seen the full proposal + but at a meeting last week tom <unk> the board of trade 's president told commodity lawyers dual trading is definitely worth saving + it adds something to the market + japanese firms push <unk> car <unk> + japanese luxury-car makers are trying to set strict design standards for their dealerships + but some dealers are negotiating <unk> terms while others decline to deal at all + nissan motor co. 's infiniti division likes to insist that every dealer construct and <unk> a building in a japanese style + specifications include a <unk> <unk> <unk> at the center of each showroom and a <unk> bridge <unk> a stream that flows into the building from outside + infiniti has it down to the <unk> says jay <unk> a partner at <unk> power & associates an auto research firm + toyota motor corp. 's lexus division also provides specifications + but only two-thirds of lexus dealers are <unk> new buildings according to the lexus <unk> + some are even coming up with their own novel designs + in louisville ky. for example david peterson has built a lexus dealership with the showroom on the second floor + yet some dealers have turned down infiniti or lexus <unk> because they were unwilling or unable to meet the design requirements + lee seidman of cleveland says infiniti was a bear on <unk> but at least let him <unk> an existing building without the stream + mr. seidman says he turned down a lexus franchise in part because the building was <unk> but very expensive + to head off arguments infiniti offers dealers cash bonuses and <unk> construction loans + <unk> device 's <unk> plays back a lesson + products <unk> have to be first to be winners + that 's the lesson offered through one case study featured in a design exhibit + dictaphone corp. was caught off guard in N when its main competitor <unk> office products of japan introduced a <unk> <unk> recorder half the size of standard <unk> devices + blocked by patent protection from following suit dictaphone decided to go a step further and cut the <unk> in half again down to the length of a <unk> + by N designers and engineers at dictaphone a pitney bowes subsidiary had produced a working model of a <unk> recorder + by N however the patent status of the <unk> <unk> had changed permitting dictaphone to develop its own competitive micro system which it did + marketing and sales departments then urged <unk> of the <unk> project + but others said <unk> should proceed + both were right + dictaphone went ahead and introduced the <unk> in N but it has n't sold well + to date says <unk> <unk> a dictaphone vice president it has broken even or shown a small loss + nevertheless the device has been successful in other ways + it helped dictaphone attract better engineers and it provided new technology for other company products + the <unk> recorder also helped transform the company 's reputation from <unk> to <unk> <unk> + it gave me great pride to see the inventor of the <unk> in japan look at the <unk> and shake his head and say <unk> says mr. <unk> + dictaphone 's <unk> recorder is one of N case studies in the <unk> design project sponsored by the design management institute of boston and harvard business school + the studies are on exhibit at harvard this month and will travel to chicago 's institute of design and the university of california at berkeley + a rake 's progress means <unk> out + one day carl barrett of mobile ala. was <unk> some <unk> leaves but the rake kept riding up over the <unk> + the harder he tried to push them into large <unk> the closer he came to breaking the rake and <unk> his back + so mr. barrett then vice president of the alabama <unk> association took a <unk> garden rake and taped it to the <unk> of a <unk> rake about nine inches up + his crude device worked the lower teeth gathered the leaves into a pile while the higher harder teeth moved the top of the pile + now incorporated into a <unk> rake the <unk> <unk> or <unk> also are supposed to aid in picking up leaves + one customer donald <unk> of mobile says the barrett rake allowed him to do his lawn in N N hours two hours less than usual + but other rake makers have their doubts + richard mason president of <unk> co. in <unk> w. va. says the barrett rake makes sense but it would be tough to explain to consumers + john <unk> marketing director for true <unk> corp. a subsidiary of black & decker says people do n't want to move a <unk> pile + they either pick it up he says or they start pulling from a fresh direction + odds and ends + no more <unk> <unk> or <unk> <unk> promises <unk> corp. of <unk> ind. the designer of a bed support to replace traditional <unk> + four <unk> steel <unk> each roughly in the shape of a <unk> are attached to the bottom of the box spring in a <unk> position + nearly half of u.s. consumers say they 'll pay up to N N more for packaging that can be recycled or is <unk> according to a survey commissioned by the michael peters group a design consultant + the pentagon is a <unk> house + living there for six years was really scary + the ghosts of the past are everywhere they are kept at bay only by feeding them vast quantities of our defense budget + some can be bought off relatively |