The December 23, 2004 was a Thursday under the star sign of ♑. It was the 357 day of the year. President of the United States was George W. Bush.
If you were born on this day, you are 21 years old. Your last birthday was on the Tuesday, December 23, 2025, 196 days ago. Your next birthday is on Wednesday, December 23, 2026, in 168 days. You have lived for 7,866 days, or about 188,795 hours, or about 11,327,705 minutes, or about 679,662,300 seconds.
23rd of December 2004 News
News as it appeared on the front page of the New York Times on December 23, 2004
Scripture Sent With News Is Read in Different Ways
Date: 24 December 2004
By Neela Banerjee
Neela Banerjee
International Bible Society's insertion of copy of New Testament with Sunday supplement sections of Colorado Springs Gazette draws protests; some Jews and Muslims object to being proselytized in their homes and journalists debate whether tactic is free speech or skating too close to endorsement of particular religion; publisher Bob Burdick says papers do not have to back away from political or religious ideas; society has placed such insertions in papers in other cities (M)
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Christmas Eve of Destruction
Date: 23 December 2004
By Maureen Dowd
Maureen Dowd
Maureen Dowd Op-Ed column says Pres Bush has finally acknowledged that Iraqis cannot secure their own country, but he is still not leveling with Americans; says he is counting on Jan election, even though international election observers plan to 'assess' vote from safety of Jordan, and Shiite-dominated government will further alienate Sunnis; says Iraq may then be run by Iranian-influenced ayatollah. with a leadership legitimized by United States to hate United States (M)
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SUPERMARKET OPERATOR TO SELL DISTRIBUTION CENTERS
Date: 24 December 2004
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
The Penn Traffic Company, which operates 109 supermarkets in the Northeast, said yesterday that it planned to sell five distribution centers in New York and Pennsylvania for $37 million as part of a plan to emerge from bankruptcy. The Equity Industrial Partners Corporation will purchase the centers, then lease them back to Penn Traffic for an initial term of 15 years, according to papers filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court in New York. Penn Traffic, which is based in Syracuse, N.Y., filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2003.
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FORD EARNINGS TO BE REDUCED BY DEALERSHIP SALES
Date: 23 December 2004
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Ford Motor Co says pretax earnings in current quarter will be reduced by $65 million to $85 million because of costs to sell its interest in dealerships in Asia and Africa (S)
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DANAHER TO BUY MAKER OF ELECTRICAL TESTING EQUIPMENT
Date: 24 December 2004
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
The Danaher Corporation, the maker of Craftsman hand tools and Fluke electronic testing equipment, has agreed to buy LEM Instruments for about $57 million in cash, adding business in Europe. LEM Instruments, which produces electrical measurement equipment, generated about $45 million in revenue in fiscal 2004, Danaher said. Danaher is buying the unit, which has been unprofitable, from LEM Holding, based in Geneva. LEM Instruments will become part of Danaher's electronic testing business. Danaher, based in Washington, made more than $1.58 billion in purchases this year before the LEM acquisition. The sale is expected to close in the first quarter, the company said.
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TEXTRON TO ADD WORKERS TO BUILD ARMORED VEHICLES
Date: 23 December 2004
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Textron will add 200 employees over next year to build armored vehicles being used by US Army in Iraq (S)
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INSURER SAYS IT USED INAPPROPRIATE SALES PRACTICES
Date: 24 December 2004
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
The W.R. Berkley Corporation, a property and casualty insurer, said it found potentially inappropriate sales practices during an internal review prompted by the New York attorney general's investigation of industry collusion. The review found limited instances of conduct that could be characterized as involving inappropriate solicitation at one unit, W.R. Berkley said. Berkley is based in Greenwich, Conn.
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BARNES CUTS PROFIT ESTIMATE, CITING MATERIALS COSTS
Date: 23 December 2004
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Barnes Group, manufacturer of components for automobiles and aircraft, reduces its 2004 profit forecast and says it will cut 5 percent of work force at its Associated Spring subsidiary because of higher costs for raw materials (S)
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ITC DELTACOM TO CUT 11% OF WORK FORCE
Date: 23 December 2004
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
ITC DeltaCom, provider of telephone services to businesses in South, plans to cut 230 jobs, or 11 percent of its work force, by end of March; severance costs are expected to total $1.2 million to $1.7 million by end of December, and as much as $2 million by end of March (S)
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VERTRUE TO BUY MANAGER OF PLASTIC SURGERY CENTERS
Date: 24 December 2004
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Vertrue Inc., which sells membership programs offering discounts on travel, fashion and health care, agreed to buy My Choice Medical Holdings Inc., a management company for plastic surgeons, for $33 million. My Choice, a closely held company that also offers Internet advertising services, is profitable and will add to earnings in fiscal 2005 and 2006, Vertrue's chief financial officer, James B. Duffy, said. He declined to provide specific dollar amounts. The purchase gives Vertrue entry into the cosmetic surgery market and bolsters its online marketing power, Mr. Duffy said. Vertrue, which bought the online dating service Lavalife earlier this year for $113.7 million, seeks to increase revenue and profit by offering customers a wider range of services. My Choice, which is based in Stroudsburg, Pa., manages more than 90 plastic surgery centers.
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