Word: slow
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...buckle against one another, crinkling up into a mountain range here, yanking apart to form a rift valley or oceanic ridge there. Such tectonic clashing was responsible for the violent earthquake that shook Mexico City two months ago, when the Cocos plate of the Pacific, temporarily stuck in its slow but inexorable plunge under the North American plate, suddenly jarred loose and lurched ahead. Last week's burst involved a similar movement of plates, but the result was entirely different. Extending along most of the coast of South America, the dense Nazca plate of the Pacific, moving eastward, subducts...
...slow things down, the government has curbed the money supply and put new limits on foreign purchases. Two weeks ago, for example, Peking slapped a two-year ban on imports of cars and trucks, Huan predicted that all those measures would reduce growth slightly, perhaps to 9%, next year. Despite China's growing pains, Huan thinks the country will stay on its new course. Said he: "We must not be afraid of learning from the capitalists...
When shopkeepers are worried about slow Christmas sales, they call on St. Nick for help. That is the theory behind the Santa Claus indicator, which holds that when the number of Santa Clauses goes up, Christmas sales are likely to be down. If the Santa Claus indicator is correct, this year may not be a sleigh-bell ringer for retailers. Western Temporary Services, a California-based employment agency and leading Santa supplier for department stores, last week announced that its bookings are up 15% over 1984, when it placed 3,000 St. Nicks...
...that the number of Santas is a reliable sign of the mood of retailers. If store owners are confident that consumers will be buying out the store, they feel no pressure to have lots of the jolly men around. But if there is a danger that business will be slow, merchants bring in the red army to lift holiday spirits and sales. Retailers this year are worried in part because the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the peak buying time, is just 26 shopping days, rather than last year's 32. Result: Santas will be putting in longer workdays this...
...want to be making trains in Australia, not just cleaning them," says Ridout. For producers like Leupen, the competition is relentless. "The competitive pressure used to come like a slow locomotive. It now comes at you like the Concorde, and it's hitting some companies with ferocity: there are pressures on price, delivery and materials. Thankfully, it doesn't apply to everyone all the time, but you need to have a business model that's sustainable in the face of a growing China." From his office, Ian Campbell looks out on a vista of marooned shipping containers and the rusting...