THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 8, 1995 TAG: 9505060231
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Talk of the Town
TYPE: Opinion
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Seven book superstores have opened in Charlotte since 1992, including three Barnes & Noble stores. Seven independent Charlotte book merchants have organized under the banner: ``shop your independent bookseller before it becomes extinct.''
``It's not just Charlotte. It's Chicago. It's Akron. It's all across America,'' said organization member Susan Henry. ``We just decided amongst ourselves to form the group to make sure everyone is doing OK.''
John Bowers told the joke. He was speaking last month at a lunch in Norfolk called in honor of Johnnie Johnson. Bowers is president of the International Longshoreman's Association. Johnson is president of and chief negotiator for the Hampton Roads Shipping Association, which represents the port's employers in talks with the dock workers' union.
A Catholic priest, a rabbi and a longshoreman were visiting the Holy Land when they happened upon Jesus Christ. The priest told Him that his head hurt. Jesus touched his head and he was healed. The rabbi told Jesus that his chest hurt and he too was healed by the Savior's touch. Jesus asked the longshoreman if he too hurt and the longshoreman replied, ``All over, but don't touch me, I want compensation.''
The port executives and union officials in the room erupted in laughter.
Timothy J. Sullivan, head of the College of William and Mary, on regional cooperation: Hampton Roads businesses, colleges and universities can make the region rival North Carolina's Research Triangle as a destination for new businesses.
``There is no time for rivalry,'' he said. ``If there is rivalry, we will become the triumphs of other regions, other states and other countries.''
Sneaker sales have slumped. The Athletic Footwear Association said sales of running, tennis and basketball were down 3.2 percent last year. The AFA found that hiking, hunting and fishing boots grew in popularity, with sales rising more than 50 percent.
Nintendo of America Inc. said Friday its next-generation Nintendo Ultra 64 video game system will be delayed from this fall until April, missing the lucrative Christmas season.
The delay provides an opening for Nintendo's competitors as much of the video game industry moves to more advanced systems later this year.
The company said it wanted to give software developers more time to come up with games for its device.
Nintendo's new system is being designed with help from Silicon Graphics Inc., a leading maker of graphics-oriented computer workstations, creating some imposing technological challenges.
The company said the chip configuration that will run the new system is complete. Nintendo reiterated its intention to sell Ultra 64 for less than $250. by CNB