Benjamin Hall, Author at Cactus three

Ohtani’s Contract Goes Beyond Dollars and Sense

13

Mar

New miscellaneous

Ohtani’s Contract Goes Beyond Dollars and Sense

Connected media - Related media Ohtani, though, is beating the Americans on their own terms. “He can hit a home run 500 feet and throw a ball 100 miles per hour, and he’s bigger and stronger than most Americans,” said Robert Whiting, who has written several books on baseball in Japan, including “You Gotta Have Wa.” Ohtani’s Ruthian contract might never have been signed if Nomo, Hideki Irabu and Alfonso Soriano hadn’t challenged Japanese restrictions on the movement of players in the 1990s. Nomo, for instance, retired from Japanese baseball so he could sign with the Dodgers, while Irabu pushed…

Corner Offices Are Out; Collaboration Is In. Say Hello to the New Law Firm.

13

Mar

By Benjamin Hall

Investments and Business

Corner Offices Are Out; Collaboration Is In. Say Hello to the New Law Firm.

Linked media - Linked media There was “a lot of interior space and very little access to natural light,” said Kelley M. Bender, the firm’s chief operating partner. And retrofitting the old offices for current technology, including that needed for hybrid meetings, would be difficult. The firm also acknowledged that the work force had changed, requiring less space. Lawyers who commit to returning to work three days of week are assigned their own offices; those who don’t still have office space, “but not necessarily one with their name on the door,” Ms. Bender said. Chapman’s decision was in keeping with…

Can You Recycle Medical Devices Like Insulin Pens, Inhalers and Covid Tests?

13

Mar

By Benjamin Hall

Health

Can You Recycle Medical Devices Like Insulin Pens, Inhalers and Covid Tests?

Associated media - Related media “What we really need is an evolving, specialized recycling infrastructure alongside the big five — paper, glass, plastic, metal and cardboard,” said Mitch Ratcliffe, publisher of the website Earth911. “That conversation is really picking up steam in some particular categories, but not in medical equipment at all.” A few designers and companies are exploring alternatives that are more reusable or safer for the environment. Inhalers The inhalers that many people use for treatment of asthma or other respiratory ailments contain potentially recyclable materials. But those with leftover medication or propellants may also be hazardous if…

The NATO Welcoming Sweden Is Larger, More Determined

12

Mar

By Benjamin Hall

New miscellaneous

The NATO Welcoming Sweden Is Larger, More Determined

Connected media - Linked media Still, with Hungary finally voting for Sweden’s accession to NATO, at last the pieces are falling into place for a sharply enhanced NATO deterrent in the Baltic and North Seas, with greater protection for the frontline states of Finland, Norway and the Baltic nations, which border Russia. Once Hungary hands in a letter certifying parliamentary approval to the U.S. State Department, Sweden will become the 32nd member of NATO, and all the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, with the exception of Russia, will be part of the alliance. “Sweden brings predictability, removing any uncertainty about…

Baseball Has Grown in Bogotá, Colombia, Thanks to Venezuelan Migrants

12

Mar

By Benjamin Hall

New miscellaneous

Baseball Has Grown in Bogotá, Colombia, Thanks to Venezuelan Migrants

Associated media - Associated media “Once you’re here, it doesn’t matter,” said Gabriel Arcos, a systems engineer who grew up cheering for a Leones rival in Venezuela and moved to Bogotá in 2016. “Maybe you don’t like the Leones of Caracas, but like I always say, these are the Leones of Bogotá.” Four years ago, when Iraida Acosta took over as president of the Leones, she said there were only six Venezuelan children. Now, she said, most of its 64 players are Venezuelan. Ms. Acosta, 54, said that in 2017, she and her 9-year-old son left their Venezuelan hometown near…

China’s Country Garden Faces Winding Up Petition In Hong Kong

11

Mar

By Benjamin Hall

Investments and Business

China’s Country Garden Faces Winding Up Petition In Hong Kong

Associated media - Associated media More than 50 Chinese property developers have defaulted on debts since 2021. They have refused to repay overseas creditors while still making arrangements with Chinese banks for possible eventual repayment. Many of these developers have shares listed on the Hong Kong stock market or have borrowed there, or both. But creditors face formidable obstacles in seeking to recover loans from Chinese real estate developers through petitions to the court system in Hong Kong, said Zerlina Zeng, the head of East Asia corporate credits at CreditSights, a global credit research firm. Most of the assets of…