GLENDALE, Calif. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc has begun a round of layoffs, a labor union said on Monday, while media reports indicated that up to 400 employees could be cut from the studio's workforce. Months after talks to find a buyer sputtered and a few weeks after high-level management changes, the studio run by Jeffrey Katzenberg intends to "significantly reduce" the size of its workforce, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing two people familiar with the matter. Variety said 150 to 400 employees could be affected at the Glendale and Redwood City, California campuses of the studio behind hit franchises like "How to Train Your Dragon," "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda." DreamWorks Animation employs around 2,200 people. A spokesman for DreamWorks Animation declined to comment on the reports.Some DreamWorks employees told their union, the Animation Guild, last week that they had been let go. "There are layoffs going on because I have had members call me who have been laid off," said Steve Hulett, business representative at the Animation Guild.He wrote an email to the company last week requesting more information, but had not yet received a reply.
Layoffs at DreamWorks Animation are expected to include animators, story-board artists and other production personnel and support, the L.A. Times and Variety reported. The news comes two weeks after the studio appointed new co-presidents of feature animation, Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria, while its Chief Creative Officer Bill Damaschke stepped down. Katzenberg had been in talks about a potential sale of the studio, but early discussions with SoftBank Corp in September and with Hasbro Inc in November ended shortly after they were reported. During what are generally considered robust years for animated features, the studio has suffered from big misses on films like "Mr Peabody & Sherman," "Turbo" and "Rise of the Guardians." Last week, DreamWorks Animation received a piece of good news - an Oscar nomination for best animated feature for "How to Train Your Dragon 2." (Additional reporting by Sneha Banerjee in Bengaluru and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Diane Craft)Is Utah Snow Better Than Idaho Snow?
Having learned that I skied Utah and Idaho extensively, I was asked by a California transplant to Boise, who has the better snow Idaho or Utah? To be honest I never really gave it a moment of thought until questioned and so I shot back a question of my own, Why do you ask? Apparently Utah’s classic motto of the best snow on earth made him a believer that Utah snow must be better than Idaho snow. Actually, snow is snow except where I grew up in New England where it quickly became an icy hard pan, great for racing not so great for falling. When I moved West the snow was softer and I had to learn to ski all over again and my equipment, designed for a hard surface was too stiff for the softer snow pack. That was true in Utah and Idaho and what I discovered is my favorite slopes were those that had been groomed the best. Powder wasn’t my friend and among Utah slopes Park City was my resort of choice compared to Alta or Snowbird. Here in SW Idaho there’s a resort and snow conditions for everyone and this year more snow than we could have ever prayed for.
Sun Valley, Bogus Basin, Tamarack, Brundage Mountain, Pomerelle, Soldier Mountain we live in a skiers paradise and with feet upon feet of snow in the hills it doesn’t get any better than this season. Idaho snow, when you live in Idaho, it’s the best on earth! Best of 630 The Fan Senior Night for Boise State Basketball Graham Delaet off to Fast PGA Start Who Will be Crowned Champions State Basketball Pairings Take Shape Best of the Web wnRenderDate('Wednesday, June 10, 2015 4:08 PM EDT', '', false); wnRenderDate('Wednesday, July 8, 2015 4:48 PM EDT', '', false); Vaping is on the rise and now health officials are growing concerned about the potential for nicotine poisoning.It's not necessarily vaping products that has them worried, but how people are using them.Stores like Vulcan Vape in Buckhead are springing up all over Atlanta.They specialize in electronic cigarettes and accessories, such as liquid nicotine vials. Customers can choose from thousands of flavors that line the walls of the store.
Flavors like earl grey tea with lemon and strawberry chocolate mint are among the more unusual offerings.The liquid is dropped onto an electronic cigarette, which has a coil that warms it and creates a vapor every time a user presses a button and puffs.The vapor is designed to simulate cigarette smoking and customers say it's very similar.“I guess it just satisfies the oral fixation that comes with smoking. Getting the vape is similar to smoke, but supposedly a lot healthier,” explains Don Carroll.He began vaping as a means to quit smoking, a habit he picked up 42 years ago.Vaping is considered safer because the electronic cigarettes use a lower concentration of nicotine than traditional cigarettes, but even retailers will tell you it depends on how it's used.“Since you can vape a lot and it can be a lot cheaper than chain smoking, some people tend to vape a lot more than they were smoking,” says Josh Crowe of Vulcan Vapor.Crowe advises customers that the best way to reduce their nicotine intake is to simulate their smoking habits;
vaping only as often as they would normally smoke a cigarette.Vaping is on the rise. A new Rueters poll found that as many as 15% of young adults (under age 40) are using e-cigarettes.However, the poll also found that many users don't actually quit smoking. They just end up using both tobacco products. It's an alarming trend for health experts.“The push earlier on was to switch to this new method of delivery and start weaning off tobacco. That's simply not happening,” says Gaylord Lopez of the Georgia Poison Center.Lopez says nicotine poisoning is a real problem, especially among kids who get a hold of their parents' products.“When you leave cartridges out, when you leave full cigarettes out – electronic cigarettes – then it's just a matter of kids sucking on one of the ends, or getting into one of the vials,” explains Lopez.So officials are urging parents to use extreme caution when vaping. When it comes to quitting smoking, health experts and vape retailers seem to agree on one thing: it's up to the customers to decide.“