`We feel strongly about being an independent company. [The $2 billion stock buyback] was a move that our board of directors authorized that was in the interest of all shareholders.’
–Tribune Co. Chairman, President and CEO Dennis FitzSimons about the media company’s decision to buy back a quarter of its shares.
`Defendant’s desire to attend a party at his country club and “enjoy the camaraderie of his friends and family” rather than to attend a hearing set to address several of the motions filed by himself and his co-defendants demonstrates a gross lack of appreciation by this defendant of the gravity of the proceedings.’
–U.S. prosecutor speaking about former Hollinger International Inc. finance chief John Boultbee, who requested court permission to remain at his home in Victoria, British Columbia, on June 30 to attend a Canada Day celebration rather than attend a hearing in Chicago on fraud charges.
`I don’t think the 30-second commercial will ever go away, but its value in the marketing mix has been diminishing. The consumer controls the experience now.’
–Howard Draft, who was named to lead the merged entities of his direct marketing firm Draft and advertising firm Foote Cone & Belding.
`I started to realize [spam] is bad for business and bad for society, and I wanted to do something to resolve that.’
— Ryan Pitylak, 24, said about signing a settlement in which he admitted to sending out 25 million e-mails every day at the height of his spamming operation in 2004 to resolve two civil suits against him. He agreed to a $1 million fine, to be stripped of most of his ill-gotten assets and to stop sending nuisance e-mails.
`It looks as if there will be no honeymoon for Henry Paulson, the Wall Street luminary nominated as secretary of the Treasury Tuesday by President Bush.’
–Chicago Tribune markets columnist Bill Barnhart commenting on President Bush’s new Treasury nominee on the same day the Dow Jones industrial average fell 184.18 points.
`Everybody is concerned about the wisdom of a roller coaster out there. If it’s big enough to be real, it’s noisy and there’s lights, and all that stuff.’
–Ted Tetzlaff, chairman of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority in regard to questions about the revitalization blueprint for Navy Pier.
`We’ve been observers from afar. I want to congratulate them on what is clearly a historic event.’
–Leo Melamed, chairman of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s steering committee, in regard to the New York Stock Exchange’s $10 billion deal to buy Euronext NV
