Conventions

Three thousand poets have arrived in Washington, and most of them are winners. World of Poetry, a for-profit California organization, is holding its fifth annual convention this weekend, its first in Washington. Bob Hope will perform, there will be a "Balloonathon," and literally thousands of awards will be presented. But then, in the World of Poetry, it's hard not to be a winner.

TBS, whose slogan is "Very Funny," has built its house out of sitcoms - most of them reruns (currently including "Seinfeld," "The Office," "Friends," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "The Big Bang Theory"), but with an increasing emphasis on the new. (It's also acquired "Cougar Town" from ABC.) It's like TV Land for viewers whose sense of nostalgia is rooted in the '80s, '90s and early '00s: a demographic that includes the characters in its new original series, "Men at Work. " "Men at Work," which premieres Thursday, was created by Breckin Meyer, who as an actor stars in TNT's legal buddy dramedy "Franklin & Bash," and as a writer was Emmy-nominated for Adult Swim's sparky, ironic animated-action-figure sketch comedy, "Robot Chicken.

Start-up companies generally get their money from two sources: professional venture investors and, a few years down the road, stock market investors. What's the difference? Here's how one of the smartest high-tech entrepreneurs I know puts it: "Venture money is expensive money, but it's smart money. Stock market money is cheap money, but it's dumb money. " Facebook is about to cannonball itself into a vast pool of dumb money. The big social media company is expected to announce its initial public offering as soon as Wednesday.

Organic agriculture generally comes at a cost of smaller harvests compared with conventional agriculture, but that gap can be narrowed with careful selection of crop type, growing conditions and management techniques, according a new study. Organic farming has been touted by supporters as a more environmentally sustainable method of farming that's better for consumers because crops contain fewer man-made chemicals. But without the high-nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides often employed in conventional agriculture, it's also less efficient.

It looks like 2012 is shaping up to be a big year for conventions and conferences. Room bookings for groups are up nearly 6% from February 2012 to January 2013 compared with the same period in 2011-12, according to data from TravelClick, a New York company that provides e-commerce products and services to the hotel industry. The good news for conference and convention goers is that daily group rates for the rest of the year are down 1.1%, according to TravelClick. So what cities will host the most meetings this year?

The political conventions have once again invaded the prime-time slots, offering us the chance to see the politicians for what they really are: showmen. True, the national conventions give us an opportunity to observe one of the processes of representative government, but these modern-day conventions do not offer true substance in terms of political and civil relevance. Instead, they are replete with hoopla, rhetoric, staged demonstrations and idealistically contrived solutions to real-world problems.

Mitt Romney was declared the victor in the Alaska Republican district conventions, the Associated Press projected, winning a state he has not visited during the presidential campaign, instead sending one of his sons on his behalf. Romney did write an open letter to Alaska residents last weekend, promising that as president he would push through permit reforms allowing the state more of a say in tapping its resources. "The federal government should be an ally in the effort to develop more of our nation's resources, not an obstacle," Romney wrote.

The convention and meeting business is a huge industry. In 1991 alone, corporations and associations sponsored about a million conventions and meetings, according to a survey commissioned by the Convention Liaison Council. Economic impact of conventions, expositions and meetings in 1991 Direct spending Industry (in billions) Hotel & meeting places $17.58 Air transportation 8.59 Restaurant 5.37 Business services 5.23 Unspecified 3.31 Retail trade 2.02 Auto rental 2.02 Wholesale trade 1.

Fresh from a World Series victory, Anaheim is now competing in a high-stakes contest that could make the Fall Classic look like a warmup game. This week, the city is host to one of the most important and elaborately staged conventions it has seen in years, for a group of meeting planners most people have never heard of. And the economic stakes are dizzyingly high. If Orange County puts on an impressive show for the 2,500 or so members of the Professional Convention Management Assn.

For most of the year, theater owners are worried about the price of movie tickets, what kind of candy to stock the concession area with and keeping tweens out of R-rated movies. But for four days at Las Vegas' CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Assn. of Theatre Owners, exhibitors get to mingle with Hollywood stars and see previews of the industry's most anticipated films. On a trade show floor at Caesars Palace, they can check out vendors pushing new popcorn toppings, the latest 3-D glasses and new 3-D and sound technology.

WASHINGTON — How do you stack up as a potential mortgage candidate in this year's increasingly tough underwriting environment? Do you have the right stuff — credit score, debt-to-income ratio, equity or down payment — to get you through the minefield? A new statistical analysis, based on a large sample of all mortgage applications approved and denied in recent months, offers valuable benchmarks for anyone thinking about financing a home purchase or refinancing an existing loan.

Julie Adams nearly turned down the role that has made her a legend among sci-fi and horror films fans: Kay Lawrence in 1954's "Creature From the Black Lagoon. " But who could blame her? As a contract player at Universal six decades ago, she had played opposite Arthur Kennedy in 1951's "Bright Victory," Jimmy Stewart in the 1952 western "Bend of the River" and heartthrob Tyrone Power in 1953's "Mississippi Gambler. " And now the studio wanted her for a black-and-white 3-D horror film that was sort of a fishy version of "Beauty and the Beast.

WASHINGTON - As a candidate in 2008, Barack Obama vowed to squelch the role of special interests in financing the party conventions - so he barred corporations and lobbyists from contributing money to this year's national convention in Charlotte, N.C. But even as Democrats tout the three-day event in September as a populist gathering, organizers have found ways to skirt the rules and give corporations and lobbyists a presence at the nominating convention....

Of the more than $600,000 that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac spent sending 90 employees to a convention in October, nearly half was of “questionable value,” according to a government watchdog group. The inspector general of the Federal Housing Finance Agency released a report Thursday that casts a suspicious eye on how Fannie and Freddie used their money for the Mortgage Bankers Assn.'s annual convention in Chicago. In addition to covering employees' costs, the taxpayer-funded housing finance giants shelled out $140,000 on business meals and hosted dinners and another $140,000 to become high-level sponsors (whose benefits include advertisement space, exhibitor plots and admission to luncheons and parties)

In the latest indication that momentum is nonexistent in the Republican presidential contest, Mitt Romney won a victory in Puerto Rico on Sunday and worked toward another in Illinois on Tuesday, results that would quash Rick Santorum's efforts to build on primary successes last week in Alabama and Mississippi. On Sunday, the candidates were traveling down very different campaign paths. Romney made stops across Illinois, including in conservative areas downstate where Santorum is expected to show strength.

Richard Milanovich, who spent nearly three decades as chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, will be honored Wednesday at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros. A remembrance ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will be followed by a celebration of his life at noon. His body will lie in repose at the Convention Center, which will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Airline overhead bins, increasingly stuffed to capacity, are getting bigger. But the big surprise may be that the airlines offering larger bins are not sticking passengers with new fees for the extra space. At least not yet. Oversized bins can be found on many of American Airlines' new Boeing 737-800s, which were deployed starting in May with a new interior design. The new overhead bins pivot down and out and can hold as many as 48 more bags per flight than standard bins. Starting in April, United Airlines plans to replace the bin doors on 152 planes with new ones that curve out, providing more interior space.