Written Assignment 3 Post 4

HOLDUP

     Three male suspects robbed a Baltimore Provident Savings Bank Thursday after ordering three employees and two customers to lie on the floor while the manager was held at gunpoint, officials said. 

     The bank was located on the 3100 block of Greenmount Avenue. One suspect was armed with a .22-caliber sawed-off rifle and covered the employees and customers while the other suspects leaped over the counter.

     The robbers ransacked several of the teller's cages and stuffed the money into two white pillowcases. They ran out of the building to the ally on the north side of the bank where the rifle was dropped and suspects were lost from sight.

     Officials have not disclosed how much cash was taken and stated that there have been no injuries or arrests at this time.

Written Assignment 2 Post 3

     As Spring approaches, Reisterstown's Daniel B. Satisky is getting ready to un-winterize his boat so he can spend another summer out on the water.

     "My birthday is at the beginning of April so the closer my birthday gets, the closer it is to reopening my boat for the season," said the 50-year-old Pharmacist/boat owner. "Every year I look forward to getting back out on the water around this time. I usually take off the weekend of my birthday so I can ready my boat again."

     Satisky has been a boat owner for five years. He has owned three different boats throughout this time. The first two were pontoon boats which moved at slower speeds but allowed room for a lot of people. His third is a speed boat which lacks room, but allows him to move faster and endure tougher water situations. 

     "I enjoyed having the pontoon boats because it really allowed my family and friends to spread out and relax," Satisky said. "After a few years with them though I got bored and wanted to be able to move faster. The new boat still allows enough room for everyone but this way I can move quicker and maneuver through rough waters better."

     With the new boat he has been able to venture to the Inner Harbor, Eastern Shore, and the Bay Bridge; locations that he hopes to visit again this year as well as adventuring to new places. 

Written Assignment 1 Post 2

     A lawsuit was filed against Ticketmaster after singer, Bruce Springsteen complained about the companies sales malpractice when his tickets went on sale Feb. 2.

     Ticketmaster was sued for redirecting their patrons to their subsidiary site, TicketsNow.com, a site used for customer who want to resell the tickets they have bought. Ticket prices are jacked up hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars from their original face value. As owners, Ticketmaster receives 15% commission from TicketsNow.com sales.

     Getting tickets for this artist is always a difficult task. Due to his star power, he quickly sells out every venue in a matter of minutes. The most expensive tickets for Springsteen are approximately $100 face value. With processing and facility charges they average close to $120. The cheapest seats available are approximately $80 including charges.

     Fans who were tring to buy Springsteen's tickets were redirected to TicketsNow instead of being able to purchase through Ticketmaster for certain shows. Customers complaints prompted a New Jersey congressman to call for a federal antitrust investigation into Ticketmasters sales practices.

     Ticketmaster has become a near monopolistic company when it comes to ticket sales. Live Nation is slowly becoming competition, but for most venues Ticketmaster has always had control.  Regardless of the companies population, it was wrong for them to redirect fans to TicketsNow for their personal gain. 

     "We perceive this as a pure conflict of interest," said Bruce Springsteen, 59. "The abuse of our fans and our trust by Ticketmaster has made us as furious as it had made many of you."

     I was fortunate and did not get redirected when trying to buy my seats for his show. If I did I would have been infuriated at Ticketmaster for pulling such a maneuver to a loyal consumer like myself. The Washington D.C. show sold out too quickly for me to get seats, but I got lucky enough to grab a pair in Hershey.

     Ticketmaster apologized Feb. 4 for steering Springsteen fans to TicketsNow and promised to refeund the price difference from the face value to the price paid through the reseller. The company also said fans will no longer be shown a link to the resale market unless the artist gives consent to do so. 

     I am very excited about seeing Springsteen for my second time. He was amazing last time I saw him and I look forward to seeing him again and again in the future. He truly knows how to put on a show and captivate his audience.

     Springsteen is about to embark on a world tour to promote his latest album, "Working On A Dream." The tour kicks off Apr. 1 in San Jose, California. 

http://www.financialpost.com/news/story.html?id=1270355

Written Assignment 1 Post 1

     A lawsuit was filed against Ticketmaster after singer, Bruce Springsteen complained about the companies sales malpractice when his tickets went on sale Feb. 2. 

     Ticketmaster was sued for redirecting their patrons to their subsidiary site, TicketsNow.com, a site used for customers who want to resell the tickets they have already bought. Ticket prices are jacked up hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars from their original face value. As owners, Ticketmaster receives 15% commission from TicketsNow.com sales. 

     Fans who were trying to buy Springsteen's tickets were redirected to TicketsNow instead of being able to purchase through Ticketmaster for certain shows. Customers complaints prompted a New Jersey congressman to call for a federal antitrust investigation into Ticketmasters sales practices. 

     "We perceive this as a pure conflict of interest," said Bruce Springsteen, 59. "The abuse of our fans and our trust by Ticketmaster has made us as furious as it has made many of you."

     Ticketmaster apologized Feb. 4 for steering Springsteen fans to TicketsNow and promised to refund the price difference from the face value to the price paid through the reseller. The company also said fans will no longer be shown a link to the resale market unless the artist gives consent to do so. 

     Springsteen is about to embark on a world tour to promote his latest album, "Working on a Dream." The tour kicks off Apr. 1 in San Jose, California. 

http://www.financialpost.com/news/story.html?id=1270355