Greg Allen takes a look at Newton, Iowa’s Maytag Farms. They make a million pounds of blue cheese each year, and they do it the same way as when the plant opened: almost entirely by hand.Listen to this story here.
Great Music Radio Does Exist, on the Internet
Tired of too many commercials and the same old, same old, same old music? Point your itunes or other mp3 streaming audio software to these internet “radio” stations:
- Madison’s own WSUM
- The University of Pennsylvania’s WXPN is simply excellent.
- Another must is Fordham’s WFUV
- Finally, and I think, most interestingly, I spend most of my listening time tuned in to Maui’s Manao Radio, a low power FM and internet radio station. Excellent and eclectic.
Madison WiFi More Telco Dislocation – Maybe. Vonage Ships WiFi VOIP Handset
The handset will work over hotspot networks allowing Vonage customers to use their service while roaming. Boingo and Vonage had a deal in place to test out VoIP over Wi-Fi hotspots, but it?s unclear here in the late evening how that ties together. Also, Vonage?s site doesn?t yet list the announcement, so we don?t know if they?ve partnered with various networks to ease authentication.
Skype is another option.
Tax Issues on the April Ballot?
The Wisconsin Counties Association wants all 72 counties to ask voters in April whether the state – instead of counties – should pay for the judicial and human services systems it mandates, according to Jennie Tunkieicz. Interesting, but I’m not sure that this intramural government battle is money well spent for the taxpayers.
The NSA Opens Up
Christian Davenport says that the National Security Agency is opening up and looking for small business to help in the war on terror.
“I’m looking for new ideas,” said Daniel G. Wolf, the NSA’s information assurance director. “We want to hear what you have.”
In November, the agency announced that it would pump $445,000 into the center, whose companies are at the vanguard of security technology: finding cures for bioterrorism diseases, protecting computer networks from hackers, developing software designed to find terrorists.
As the intelligence industry continues to expand since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the clandestine agency is playing a more prominent — and visible — role in the Washington region. With plans to hire 7,500 new employees over five years, the NSA, already Anne Arundel County’s largest employer, is undergoing its largest recruiting drive since the Cold War.
The agency is also increasingly opening its doors to private companies for help in developing spy technologies.
Classic Doonesbury
Sunday’s Doonesbury is simply classic.
Rayovac Acquires ST. Louis based United Industries
Atlanta (ouch!) based Rayovac is expected to announce a $476M acquisition of closely held United Industries, a consumer-products maker of such brands as Cutter insect repellant, Sta-Green fertilizer, and Eight in One Pet supplies, according to Dennis Berman
The move is the latest in Rayovac’s plan to transform itself from a seller of low-cost batteries, which has been its focus for nearly 100 years, into a diversified purveyor of consumer products. In acquiring United, which operates under the Spectrum Brands name in the U.S., Rayovac expects its battery sales to account for just 40% of overall revenue, down from 67%.
The deal will pay St. Louis-based United a total of $406 million in Rayovac shares, which closed trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange at $29.56. Rayovac will also pay $70 million in cash to United’s shareholders, while redeeming or replacing $900 million of United’s outstanding debt. The companies are targeting cost savings of about $70 million to $75 million, company executives said. They said the deal will be immediately accretive to Rayovac’s earnings.
Seems rather strange that a battery company would acquire a fertilizer and insect repellant firm, until I read that “both have long been under the wing of private-equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners“. Ah, sounds like packaging for a bigger deal. Madison has growing risk here with respect to Rayovac’s ongoing employment.
Badgers vs Bulldogs: Post Mortem
There’s now shortage of discussion online regarding Saturday’s Badger loss in the Outback bowl to the Georgia Bulldogs. Michael Hunt, I think, captures the essence. Many links here. Keep clicking.
Madison Good Samaritans
I talked briefly with a Madisonian who was quite a good Samaritan Saturday. This person lives at the bottom of two hills which a number of people slid down during the freezing rain. Several of those people spent the night at his family’s home. One, a Korean woman and her young child had never driven on ice before…. Here’s the story of the Good Samaritan….
