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The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, / And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! / For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, / And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! / And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. |
VITAS generated revenue growth of 18.8% over the prior-year period and 5.4% sequentially. Gross margins were 22.9% in the fourth quarter of 2005, a decrease of 60 basis points when compared to the prior-year quarter. The fourth-quarter 2005 gross margin includes $1.6 million in start-up losses, which is $0.1 million higher than the $1.5 million in losses from programs classified as new starts in the prior-year period. Central support costs for VITAS, which are classified as selling, general and administrative expenses in the Consolidating Statement of Income, totaled $14.1 million, including $0.1 million in OIG legal expenses. Excluding the OIG expenses, central support costs increased 7.8% when compared to the prior-year quarter and increased 2.5% sequentially. |
We set out to measure 25 brands in this growing hospitality category. However, in the minds of ultra-wealthy consumers, the Destination Club industry is still in its early stages of development. This is indicated by the dramatically low consumers awareness, rendering a large number of brands unable to be rated for lack of a reliable statistical sample. The category is populated with new brands with highly generic brand names. Many names are quite similar, generating a significant lack of differentiation in the minds of consumers. In this highly fragmented category, few brands have generated sufficient awareness, or differentiation, to make a strong impression on the wealthy. This accounts for the tight variances in scores across most dimensions on luxury status. |
[Four Ducks players were named to the 2005 Atlantic League Post Season All Star Team. Outfielder Henry Rodriguez was selected after winning the regular season batting title and setting a new Ducks single season record for home runs. Second Baseman Carlos Hernandez was chosen after finishing second in the batting title race behind his teammate. Also recognized were pitchers Lance Davis and Todd Erdos. This season, Davis won the most games in a single season by a Ducks pitcher and also became the all-time wins leader in franchise history, while Erdos, in the role of closer, led the Atlantic League with 32 saves on the season.] We are very proud of these four guys, ... They put together exceptional seasons and led us to the post season for the second straight year. |