SAMSUNG S 4

Today, Samsung unveiled its newest smartphone, the Galaxy S 4, right here in New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The Samsung S 4 is the latest smartphone to be previewed and has yet to come out into retail, with a release date set sometime in late April. The phone is the work of new technology, new logistics and a sleeker design. The S 4 has a 5 inch screen and is .31 inches thin. It runs on a faster chip and has a 13-megapixel camera that allows rear and front cameras to take simultaneous photos and videos. The phone will connect to next-generation LTE networks and has capability to connect to higher speed Wi-Fi networks. New software features includes a function that lets users control the smartphone screen with their eyes. Users can also wave their hands to scroll up and down a Web page or accept a call, or hover their fingers to preview the content of any media without having to open it. The phone also includes temperature and humidity sensors, as well as one designed to automatically monitor one's health. Perhaps the most apparent change is the introduction of the Samsung Hub, the Samsung version of iTunes, where users will be able to purchase and download music, books and other media.

The introduction of this new phone puts Samsung back on top in the leader of innovation of smartphones. They have raised the bar once again. This is great for Samsung, especially after the poor iPhone 5 earnings. The new technology will help boost Samsung’s initiative to increase its market share in the United States. The WSJ reports that Samsung ended last year with a leading 30.3% share of the world-wide smartphone market, up from 19% at the end of 2011. Apple's market share was essentially flat, as the company held on to the No. 2 spot with 19.1%, up from 18.8% in 2011. The increase in market share from the S 3 was heavily indicative of Samsung’s new technological advances. I believe that Samsung will not have the iPhone 5 moment, where the hype exceeded the earnings, because they have incorporated new, innovative and never-before-seen technology into this smartphone. Great earnings are in store ahead for Samsung. And even if Samsung doesn’t do too well, they will still have me as a customer!

Destination: Pennsylvania

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I’ve chosen Pennsylvaniafor our next Tour America’s Treasuresdestination in order to capitalize on the state’s current multi-year Save Pennsylvania’s Past initiative and the upcoming Pennsylvania’s 10 Most Endangered Artifacts campaign. Through my work at the ConservationCenter for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia, I’m closely connected with both programs and eager to use my blog resources to promote them!

In January 2012, Tour America’s Treasures was launched with a brief Philadelphiaspotlight featuring blog entries on a dozen key sites. Those entries will now be folded into the mix as we move on to celebrate approximately 80 more sites in the state. The tour will bounce all around Pennsylvania, with major stops in Scranton, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Titusville, Gettysburg, Johnstown, and, of course, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia—uncovering fascinating history all along the way.

Included within this group are 15 collections where the conservation treatment work was conducted at my work place, the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts. In several cases, I was even involved with the preparation of the grant requests to Save America’s Treasures. I’ll try not to play favorites, but, well… some of these places are very special to me.

I’ve worked in Pennsylvaniafor over 30 years and it was my home state for 15 years (before I crossed the Delaware River to New Jersey). Pennsylvaniais a beautiful state abounding with rich history. It’ll be a pleasure to cover these sites.

For a more professional orientation to Pennsylvania tourism, there’s the official website VisitPA.com. Naturally, big cities like Philadelphiaand Pittsburghhave helpful tourist websites and so do many of the smaller cities and towns. A little googling should bring up plenty of advice on regional events, transportation, hotels, and restaurants.

Our Tour America’s Treasures exploration of Pennsylvania’s 89 Save America’s Treasures sites begins next Tuesday.

That's me at Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright
architectural masterpiece in western Pennsylvania.

Tour America's Treasures Itinerary

Tuesday’s destination:  The Woodlands

© 2013 Lee Price

New Pope for a New World

Today, the Catholic Church made the decision to modernize and recognize the changing realities of the world. By electing Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis I, as head of the church, the cardinals have shown that they understand the prevalence of the developing world and the need for changes in the papal order. In addition, the support for Pope Francis was magnified by the swiftness of the decision, coming after only 2 days in the fifth round of voting in what was thought to be one of the most wide open papal races in recent memory. The selection of Pope Francis is a crucial one for the church as it moves forward because it gives new hope to members worldwide by thinking outside the box and selecting not only the first Jesuit pope, but also the first from Latin America.

Through his name selection alone, Pope Francis showed that changes would be coming to the Church. By taking the name of St. Francis of Assisi, a man who gave up his wealth and worldly lifestyle in service of the church, Pope Francis shows that he understands that he must continue his goals to improve the developing world in order to restore the honor and stature of the Catholic Church. In a world now defined by a global marketplace and the exchange of goods and ideas across all borders instead of a few solitary superpowers, the Catholic Church has realized that drastic changes were needed in order to stay relevant. The selection of Pope Francis recognizes the growing importance of Latin America, both economically and socially, while symbolizing an upheaval of the status quo.

-Varun Sawhney

NOAH Basketball Pep Rally & Celebration
Saturday, March 16th, 6-7:30pm
SpiritLife Church Gym (formerly known as ET)
Join us as we celebrate the season and encourage our teams as we head off to Springfield.

• All players and coaches will be introduced. Wear your uniform or NOAH Blue!
• Shooting competitions for all age groups and prizes too! 
• Concessions will be half-price.
• Pizza will be available. You can order by the slice or a whole pizza. Use this link to order yours now PIZZA ORDER FORM.  Orders need to be made by Friday at noon. Pay for your pizza at the event. 
• Don't forget about picking up some Jagwear or Cheerwear while you're there. If you ordered a Jag shirt recently, they will be ready for pick-up at the table.
• Bring an empty water bottle, we'll have a station set up where you can make a NOAH noisemaker for the pep rally and for Nationals. Let's make some noise!

 
Nationals Brackets Posted
If you want to take a look at the posted brackets for Nationals...here's a link 2013 Nationals Brackets. It looks like about half of them are complete. As a reminder, you should not contact the Nationals staff for any reason. If you have an issue of any sort, please contact your coach or a NOAH Advisory Council member to assist  you.

American Auto Sales Rise

            The sale of automobiles has been one of the most consistently reassuring economic indicators during the past few years, as automobile sales in the United States has steadily increased from their 2009 bottom. Although car purchases rose by 3.7% in February, they did move at a slower pace relative to last year. This fact reflects the notion that the possibility of job cuts and tax hikes amid budget debates in Washington have somewhat slowed consumer confidence regarding their job security, and, in turn, their disposable income. However, Ford’s U.S. sales chief came out and stated that the strength of this industry, determined by low interest rates and pent-up demand, have the potential to weather any storm that may arise from the sequester recently implemented. Many buyers have, therefore, been gradually returning to the market in order to purchase new vehicles.

Most American auto manufacturers saw sales surge, whereas many foreign car companies saw their sales in the U.S. decline. For instance, General Motors and Ford reported increases by 7.2% and 9.3% respectively, while Honda and Nissan witnessed their sales decline by 2% and 6.6% respectively. Performances this past month definitely make a statement for American car companies that, just a few years ago, needed government bail-outs. Additionally, it serves as a testament to the fact that American manufacturing is not completely over. Not only are these corporations producing valuable cars, but also their products are selling more than imports. Ultimately, the news regarding automobile sales in the United States finalizes a great week for the American economy, with a new record for the Dow, great reports about the services sector, and a positive direction for American car manufacturers.

-Matheus Silva

Feehan Memorial Library, Mundelein Seminary

View Feehan Memorial Library, Mundelein Seminary in a larger map

Visit our Tour Destination: Illinois page to see the entire tour of the state’s
Save America’s Treasures sites.

Exterior of Feehan Memorial Library at Mundelein Seminary.
Photo courtesy of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/
Mundelein Seminary.

Feehan Memorial Library, Mundelein Seminary

1000 East Maple Avenue

Mundelein, IL

Website:  Feehan Memorial Library and McEssy Theological Resource Center

The Treasure:  The Feehan Memorial Library at Mundelein Seminary is home to a remarkable special collection of rare books and Americana.

Accessibility:  The Feehan Memorial Library is open daily.  Check the website for hours.

Cardinal George Mundelein in 1932.
Source:  Wikimedia Commons

Background:  Cardinal George Mundelein (1872-1939) had a passion for collecting. A widely respected Roman Catholic leader who served as Archbishop of Chicago from 1916 until his death in 1939, Cardinal Mundelein cherished his country and his faith.  For him, this meant a commitment to preserving records of the past. Mundelein’s collection of Americana, Presidential signatures, and autograph manuscripts of saints comprises a significant portion of the treasures of the Feehan Memorial Library at Mundelein Seminary. Other treasures can be found among the library’s rare books, many collected by John E. Rothensteiner (1860-1936), a parish priest who served in Fredericktown and St. Louis, Missouri. Combine these collections and it’s no wonder that the American Library Association named the Feehan Memorial Library one of the 250 World’s Greatest Libraries in 2010.

Nearly 75 years after his death, much of the campus of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary still bears the stamp of Cardinal Mundelein.  Feeling that Chicagoneeded a seminary for the formation of priests, Mundeleinrevived St. Mary’s College, which existed here from 1844 until 1866. Renamed the University of Saint Mary on the Lake, Mundelein’s new seminary opened in 1921.

The ceiling of the Feehan Memorial Library.
Photo courtesy of the University of Saint Mary
of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

A great school needs a great library and Mundeleinhad a vision for it, as well.  He had the architects base the interior of the Feehan Memorial Library on the 16th century Barberini Palace in Italywhere Mundelein had completed his seminary training. Mundelein had his coat of arms incorporated into the tables and ceiling beams, with representations of bees (a symbol of the Barberini family) and the Virgin Mary.  He named the building the Feehan Memorial Library in remembrance of Chicago’s Archbishop Patrick Augustus Feehan (1829-1902).

Of course, the library is primarily focused upon books that serve for the education of priests—thousands of books on theology, scripture studies, and church history.  But the special collections are an unexpected surprise, full of treasures you might not expect to stumble across in this environment.  Here you find a land survey by George Washington, a collection of first-edition Charles Dickens books, a signed edition of Napoleon’s memoirs, a 15th century illuminated “Book of Hours,” a 1515 edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy, the first Bible printed in Gaelic, and major sets of autographs of American presidents and Catholic saints personally collected by Cardinal Mundelein.

Interior of the Feehan Memorial Library.
Photo courtesy of the University of Saint Mary
of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

Other Recommended Sites:  Mundelein Seminary is located in Lake County, Illinois, which forms the tip of the northeastern corner of the state. The Lake County Discovery Museumin Wauconda, Illinois interprets the history and culture of the county.  Here you can find the Curt Teich Postcard Archives, the largest public collection of postcards (365,000!) in the country.

Overhead image of the Feehan Memorial Library.
Photo courtesy of the University of Saint Mary
of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

Tour America's Treasures Itinerary

Coming next:  A tour of Pennsylvania’s Save America’s Treasures sites.

© 2013 Lee Price

Swiss Shareholders Gain Control of Executive Pay

On Sunday, 68% voted in favor of giving binding control over executive pay to Swiss shareholders. This would allow shareholders to vote on the compensation given to board members and corporate executives for any company listed in Switzerland. The initiative would also pose limitations to signing bonuses, severance packages, side contracts, and rewards for buying or selling companies.

                  

Discontent over exorbitant executive salaries has been growing. Last month, public outcry prevented pharmaceutical company Novartis from giving its chairman $76 million for an exit package. Outrage over UBS’ hefty losses in 2008 along with its large bonuses also contributed to the plan, which was spearheaded by Thomas Minder, the head of a Swiss company Schaffhausen. Minder’s stated that his goal was not to reduce salaries, but wanted shareholders to take responsibility for remuneration. It is unclear when the plan will actually be implemented.

                                     

Although this would close the tremendous compensation gap between top executives and average workers, there could be drawbacks as well. Many doubt the effectiveness of the policy and believe that companies will just find creative ways of compensating executives, rather than reduce their salaries. This initiative could potentially prevent international talent from taking executive positions in Swiss companies. Opponents also argue that it could damage the country’s competitiveness and that Switzerland may no longer be as an attractive region to locate companies.

Will this initiative prevent large companies, such as UBS, from taking huge risks? Executives may possibly implements more risk control measurements to prevent trading losses in an effort to save their own salaries.

            
-Diana Hong