text:
PARIS — If there's a motto for L'Oréal in this, its centennial year, it could be "leaner and meaner."
The world's largest beauty company this year plans to up its advertising outlay while at the same time cutting its number of stockkeeping units, introducing lower-priced items, implementing a hiring freeze in certain markets and focusing on innovative products, L'Oréal chief executive officer Jean-Paul Agon told financial analysts at a meeting Tuesday at the firm's headquarters in Clichy, just outside of Paris.
This story first appeared in the February 18, 2009 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
For 2009, Agon said L'Oréal's organic growth should rise faster than the cosmetics market overall, which is expected to remain positive despite a difficult first quarter and half. He anticipates gains from the integration of YSL Beauté, a more positive monetary effect and the company's consumer products and active cosmetics, for instance.
"The greatest uncertainty is in luxury products, for which it is harder to make any kind of forecast," he said.
As reported, L'Oréal posted 2008 net profits that fell 26.6 percent year-on-year to 1.95 billion euros, or $2.87 billion at average exchange. The company's full-year revenues came in at 17.54 billion euros, or $25.81 billion, up 2.8 percent.
L'Oréal's net profits excluding nonrecurrent items after minority interests rose 1.2 percent to 2.06 billion euros, or $3.04 billion. Its earnings per share gained 3.8 percent to 3.49 euros, or $5.14. (At constant exchange, the increase was 6.8 percent.) Operating cash flow was 1.85 billion euros, or $2.72 billion, down 9.1 percent.
"In 2008, as did a number of other companies, L'Oréal faced an extremely difficult environment with a slowdown in markets and also inventory reductions by our distributor customers who themselves were subjected to very difficult financial pressures," said Agon. "Because of this particularly adverse environment, our organic growth slowed down to 3.1 percent in line with the estimated growth in the worldwide market.
"Generally speaking, however, we put up good resistance," he continued, explaining the company maintained its market share and in some cases grew it. "Overall, therefore, in a particularly difficult world economic environment, the L'Oréal group has continued its growth, but rates were highly differentiated by division and by region because there were great differences in the effect of the economic crisis in each case.
"In North America, where our sales trend was minus 4.8 percent, the crisis had a violent impact on both consumers and distributors," said Agon. "Our market share declined slightly in luxury products because of promotional pressure from our competitors. On the other hand, we have held onto and even strengthened our positions in the mass market.
"The difficulties in the United States had a severe impact on the group's overall growth in 2008, and if North America is excluded, L'Oréal's growth rate would have been 5.1 percent," he added, explaining other regions, such as Asia, had a good performance.
Agon said despite troubles in North America, L'Oréal has "conserved our growth-driving resources, and we ended this year with the best possible conditions to prepare for 2009. We consider that we are very well-equipped to tackle this new year while being aware of the fact that the economic climate will continue to be difficult at least until the summer."
Agon said L'Oréal's advertising and promotional spending has remained at the same level for several years as a percentage of sales despite a continuous and significant decline in the cost of media, plus point-of-sale and promotional items.
"Our intention for 2009 is to accelerate in the same direction with a dual impact," said Agon. "Firstly, we intend to further strengthen investment allocated to advertising and promotional resources. Secondly, we intend to take full advantage of what is currently a buyer's market in which costs have already started falling very sharply."
Agon said L'Oréal is keen to improve gross profits in 2009. As part of the effort to streamline and simplify its organizational structure, the firm has frozen hiring in some developed countries and will maintain its head count in rapidly growing emerging markets. In the U.S., it will reduce that subsidiary's workforce by 500.
There is also a focus on offering highly innovative products, such as Lancôme's new Oscillation mascara, said Agon, adding another way the firm is adapting to the current crisis is by introducing more accessibly priced products to brands such as Garnier, L'Oréal Paris and Vichy, in order to reach a wider audience. The firm will also concentrate on categories including styling, body care and men's products, plus enter new markets. Over the next few months, for instance, L'Oréal is to open subsidiaries in Egypt, Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
"We have launched a plan to reduce the number of references across all divisions and brands," continued Agon.
He had no news regarding a possible change in Nestlé's holding in L'Oréal come April 29, when it is free to sell its almost 30 percent stake in the French beauty firm. Under terms of the current shareholder agreement, Nestlé is free to sell its holding in L'Oréal from that date but cannot take a majority share in the firm unless Liliane Bettencourt, who owns 30 percent of the firm, passes away earlier, and, in that case, not until six months after her death. After April 29, Nestlé does not have the right to acquire L'Oréal unless Bettencourt gives her approval. Agon said Bettencourt, whom he saw Monday at a board meeting, didn't mention any intentions regarding her L'Oréal stake. However, Agon said she has been committed to the company.
L'Oréal's 2008 results brought mixed reactions. Jean-Christophe Liard, analyst for consumer goods, retail and luxury at KBL Richelieu, said the company's fourth quarter was disappointing.
"I think all long-term investors know that the 2008 and 2009 trend for health and personal care is very mediocre; therefore, there was no big surprise in what was published," he said, adding the good news from L'Oréal included the hiring freezes and continuation of ad and promotion spending.
"We are confident in the L'Oréal business model," continued Liard. "The company will increase its margin in the long term and will increase sales."
Another analyst found L'Oréal's 2008 growth to be "a bit disappointing, especially in the U.S. I am still somewhat concerned that, even excluding the luxury and professional divisions, L'Oréal is underperforming a number of its peers, including Beiersdorf and Unilever.
"I was surprised by the low volume number, although that is likely mainly from luxury, and am wondering what they can do to reinvigorate that," he said. "With L'Oréal looking more at affordability, you also have to wonder what the combination of the two will mean for total organic growth going forward. It's early days to talk about margins, but beyond pressure from collapsing volumes in luxury, there are a number of positive factors at play, notably lower input costs and continued cost control."
On Tuesday, L'Oréal stock closed up 0.59 percent to 53.17 euros, or $66.84 at current exchange.


text:
Diagnosis and treatment of
asthma can be a challenge if you are age 65 or
older. You might have another medical condition that masks your asthma. Or you may be more likely to have side
effects from asthma medicines or be at risk for reactions from the different medicines you may be taking.
To treat your asthma, you and your doctor should work closely together, especially if you:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
BofA, MBIA Make Peace Over Loans
Bank Agrees to Pay Bond Insurer $1.7 Billion in a Bid to Put Lingering Mortgage Issues Behind It
Bank of America Corp. agreed to pay MBIA Inc. $1.7 billion to settle a dispute over soured mortgage securities, in the second-largest U.S. bank's latest bid to reduce legal risks tied to its home-lending business.
The pact is the fifth settlement the Charlotte, N.C., company has reached this year, totaling $16.9 billion in cash and other relief. News of the agreement sent shares of MBIA, an Armonk, N.Y., bond insurer, up 45%. Bank of America rose 5.2%....


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Sept. 15, 2008
FAIRFIELD, CT - Sacred Heart University women's volleyball coach Rob Machan will be the guest on the next edition of the Coach's Corner for the 2008-09 season on Tuesday, September 16. The show will be streamed live starting at 11 AM ET and is free of charge. The show can be watched live online this week, but future shows will be archived for later viewing on Sacred Heart University's I-TunesU site.
Coach Machan will talk about the start of the Pioneer season, as well as the upcoming Northeast Conference season.
Gene Gumbs, assistant athletic director for communicatoins, will host the Coach's Corner each Monday morning. The show will feature several SHU coaches on a rotating basis throughout the year. The Coach's Corner is part of a multimedia package put together by the Athletic Communications Office that also includes over 175 audio and video broadcasts throughout the year.
To watch the Coach's Corner, follow this link: SHU Coach's Corner. If you haven't registered before, simply create your own free username and password that can be used for all Sacred Heart athletic audio and video events all season long.


text:
When sophomore Brandon Brown found out he was named Lakeland's "Student Employee of the Year," he was certainly appreciative — though a bit perplexed.
"Where I'm from, when you're hired to work, you work — no excuses," said the New Orleans native. "So when I'm given an award for doing the job I was hired to do, I didn't understand the reason for the award. I hope that doesn't sound arrogant, but I'm just doing my job."
Brown does his job — dining service head supervisor — with dedication, passion, integrity and creativity. He stands out so regularly that Joe Johnson, Lakeland's executive chef and assistant director of dining services, felt compelled to nominate him for the award.
"Brandon's quality of work has always been top notch," wrote Johnson on the nomination form. "He takes great pride in keeping the standard at a high level … He has an eye for detail and it shows."
Johnson added: "He has proven himself to be a star performer."
Each year, the Student Employment Department names the Student Employee of the Year based on reliability, quality of work, initiative, professionalism and uniqueness of contribution to the position.
In addition to his strong work ethic and positive attitude, Brown has brought some southern flavor to Lakeland's dessert selection. Johnson wrote that Brown's "pecan pie is out of this world."
"I haven't been able to bring crawfish here yet, but I've been able to bring some pies and pastry ideas," Brown said with a smile.
As for his award, Brown said he appreciates the honor, but added that working in dining services is reward enough.
"The people I work with are not just friends to me; they are mentors and teammates," he said. "The way I look at it, I get to hang out with great people for a few hours, and they pay me for it."
The other student employees nominated for this award were:
- Caitlin Bailey — Campus card office
- Daniel Carriveau — Campus Center desk
- Elizabeth Raddatz — Muskie Mart
- Janel Weir — Housekeeping
- Jenny Kjin — Residence Life
- Kimberly Daane — Psychology
- Mackenzie Merriman — Women's softball
- Thomas Pibal — Accompanist piano fellowship


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Born off-screen on November 5, 1983
Birth year changed to November 5, 1981 in 1996 when he was said to be 15
Birth year changed to 1977 in 2011
Nikolas staged his death on May 26, 2016
Presumed deceased after a fall [Jul 19, 2016]
Niall Carradine (while pretending to be a movie star)
Shareholder and CEO of ELQ [Elected Jun 23, 2015]
Head of Cassadine Industries
Former public relations representative for L&B Records
Russian prince
Wyndemere Castle, Spoon Island
Formerly Greece (December 2011 to March 2013)
Formerly Zurich, Switzerland (June 2011 to December 2011)
Previously Zurich, Switzerland (June 2011 to December 2011)
Formerly Wyndemere Castle, Spoon Island
Formerly a cottage in the woods with Mary Bishop
Formerly his cottage
Single/Broken engagement to Britt Westbourne [Engaged: Feb 18, 2014 (Feb 14, 2014 on the show); Broke up: Mar 26, 2014]
Lydia Karenin (divorced)
Mary Bishop (invalid; deceased)
Emily Bowen-Quartermaine (Married: Dec 2, 2004; divorced: 2005) (deceased)
Stavros Cassadine (father; deceased)
Laura Webber (mother)
Lucas Lorenzo "Lucky" Spencer Jr. (half-brother)
Lesley Lu "Lulu" Spencer (half-sister)
Mikkos Cassadine (paternal grandfather; deceased)
Helena Cassadine (paternal grandmother; deceased)
Gordon Gray (maternal grandfather; deceased)
Lesley Williams (maternal grandmother)
Stefan Cassadine (uncle; deceased)
Alexis Davis (aunt)
Kristina Cassadine (aunt; deceased)
Irina "Cassandra" Cassadine (aunt; deceased)
Anthony Cassadine (paternal great-uncle; deceased)
Victor Cassadine (paternal great-uncle)
Mike Webber (adoptive uncle)
Rick Webber Jr. (adoptive uncle)
Aiden Nikolas Spencer (nephew, via Lucky)
Rocco Falconeri (nephew; via Lulu)
Samantha McCall (cousin)
Kristina Davis (cousin)
Molly Lansing (cousin)
Baby Girl McCall (first cousin, once removed; deceased)
Daniel Edward Morgan (first cousin, once removed)
Petros Cassadine (first cousin, twice removed)
Spencer Cassadine (son, with Courtney; born 2006)
Sarah Webber (dated)
Katherine Bell (engaged; deceased)
Gia Campbell (engaged)
Mary Bishop (lovers; deceased)
Courtney Matthews (engaged; deceased)
Emily Quartermaine (engaged; deceased)
Nadine Crowell (dated)
Rebecca Shaw (engaged)
Elizabeth Webber (lovers)
Brook Lynn Ashton (lovers)
Elizabeth Webber (kissed)
Britt Westbourne (engaged)
Ivy Gatling (dated)
Rosalie Martinez (pretended to date)
Hayden Barnes (lovers)
Conspired with Lucky Spencer to hide the body of undercover cop Ted Wilson in a freezer in the basement at Wyndemere and then planted it in Zander Smith's trunk [Aug 2000]
Secretly helped Helena after she escaped from custody [late 2001]
Covered up the fact that Gia ran a red light and caused a car accident [Feb 2002]
Helped Lucky try to cover up how Rick Webber died, thinking that Luke was behind Rick's death [Aug 2002]
Helped Luke escape custody after being arrested for Rick Webber's murder [Sep 2002]
Blackmailed Summer Halloway into working for him by distracting Luke's attention away from trying to see Laura [Nov 2002]
Arrested for the murder of Cody McCall (not guilty) [Jan 7, 2004]
Arrested for assaulting Zander Smith [Jan 14, 2004]
Arrested for the murder of Zander Smith (not guilty) [Feb 2004]
Confessed to "killing" Helena by pushing her off a cliff [Nov 2004]
Conspired with Special Agent Kyle Sloane to commit election fraud to ensure that Lomax was re-elected as mayor [revealed Jan 13, 2015]
Ordered a hit on Hayden Barnes which left her in a coma [revealed May 19, 2015]
Shot in the throat with a bullet meant for Jason Morgan and suffered from Broca's aphasia, causing him to be unable to speak for a while
Hit by Skye's car; sustained some minor injuries [Dec 6, 2002]
Fell during a fight with Lucky and hit his head on a stone statue; caused severe sensitivity to light for a while [Apr 2003]
Beat up by creditors wanting their loan repaid [Sep 19, 2003]
Assaulted by Zander Smith when Zander saw pictures of Nikolas and Emily making out [Sep 22, 2003]
Beaten by Zander in the interrogation room at the Port Charles Police Station [Jan 16, 2004]
Suffered a head injury and amnesia following a car accident [Mar 23, 2004]
Shot by Emily while breaking into the Quartermaine mansion [May 21, 2004]
Drugged by Helena while institutionalized at Shadybrook [Aug 2004]
Fell ill during the encephalitis plague that hit Port Charles [Feb 3, 2006]
Hit over the head by Stavros Cassadine and rendered unconscious [sometime between Jan and Apr 2013]
Shot in the chest by Stavros Cassadine and underwent surgery [Mar 25, 2013]
Injected with adrenaline by Luke Spencer [Mar 28, 2013]
Rendered unconscious by Cesar Faison [Nov 22, 2013]
Beaten by Cesar Faison's associates [Nov 27, 2013]
Prince Nikolas Cassadine was raised by his Uncle Stefan after his mother, Laura, left him to return to her husband, Luke Spencer, and after Luke killed Nikolas' father, Stavros. As he grew up, he developed a hatred for his mother and vowed that he would never trust her. However, when he met her in Port Charles in 1996, he wanted to become close to her despite lingering reservations about trusting her. Stefan had taken Nikolas to town to save his half-sister Lulu's life by donating his bone marrow to her.
Luke, who had not known about Nikolas until then, forced Laura to choose between Nikolas and her real family. Torn, Laura ultimately chose to remain with Luke and their children and abandoned Nikolas yet again. Hurt, Nikolas felt no need to remain in Port Charles and asked Stefan to take him back to Greece. However, Stefan threatened to have General Hospital shut down if Laura didn't let the Cassadines remain in Port Charles. She was forced to agree to his terms.
During all of this, Nikolas had developed a close friendship with nurse Bobbie Spencer at General Hospital. Bobbie later married Stefan, and Nikolas and Bobbie became closer. However, their friendship quickly ended after Nikolas discovered that Bobbie had betrayed Stefan.
Nikolas' next friendship was with Katherine Bell, whom he first met when she went to Wyndemere, the Cassadine mansion, looking for location shots for a campaign for her company, Deception Cosmetics. When Laura faked her own death to escape the Cassadine threats, Nikolas ran straight to Katherine. Before she could console him as a friend, he pulled her into a passionate kiss, changing everything. When Katherine was found shot at Wyndemere, Nikolas immediately accused Luke, but in actuality, it had been Stefan who pulled the trigger, thinking that there was an intruder on the island.
When Nikolas discovered that his mother had faked her death, he banished her from his life. He still remained close to his sister and grandmother, though, and decided to stay in Port Charles and attend public school. He then became involved with Sarah Webber, which caused further resentment with his half-brother Lucky, who had a crush on Sarah at the time. One night at a party at Luke's club, Nikolas became the victim of mob violence when he was shot in the throat with a bullet intended for Jason Morgan, and Nikolas suffered a stroke. Jason then performed a tracheotomy and ultimately saved Nikolas' life.
The shooting left Nikolas with Broca's aphasia, and he was unable to speak for a long period of time. During his recovery, Nikolas became depressed and shut Sarah out because he was ashamed to see her. They eventually broke up. One person that Nikolas did respond to, though, was Robin Scorpio. They developed a bond as Robin helped him with his speech therapy. Stefan, however, did not approve of Nikolas' relationship with Robin. Not only was she a member of the Scorpio family, whom the Cassadines had experienced trouble with in the past, but she was also involved with Jason Morgan. Despite this, Robin and Nikolas remained good friends.
Nikolas was happy to learn that Katherine and Stefan were engaged. He liked Katherine as a friend and knew that she would be good for his uncle. On the night of the Bacchanalia, the party celebrating their engagement, Katherine fell to her "death" off a parapet after overhearing a conversation between Stefan and Laura and learning that Stefan was Nikolas' father. Nikolas was devastated, and of course blamed Luke. However, Katherine later returned from the dead and revealed Nikolas' paternity to him following a fight. Furious, he confronted Stefan and Laura and felt betrayed and upset for being lied to for so long. However, he had always thought of Stefan as a father, and after he got over the anger of being lied to, he couldn't have been happier. Not only was he released from the duties of being a prince, he had the one thing that he had always wanted: a family.
When an unknown person was blackmailing Nikolas' friend Emily Quartermaine, Nikolas joined forces with Liz, Emily, and Lucky to catch the blackmailer. When they caught him, they discovered that he was also Liz's rapist. Through this adventure, Nikolas and Lucky realized that they could count on each other, and they began to build a relationship. Nikolas also began to rebuild a relationship with Katherine, this time a more serious one. Neither Laura nor Stefan was happy when they learned of this, and they were more than horrified when Katherine announced she was "pregnant," and she and Nikolas were getting married.
On the night of the wedding, Katherine repeated history, and again fell off the parapet after being pushed by Helena, who thought Katherine would ruin her grandson's life. This time though, she died. The first person Nikolas suspected was Laura because he knew how much she hated Katherine and how disappointed she was in their relationship. He then learned that Katherine had been manipulating him the whole time and not only was she faking the pregnancy, but she was also barren.
The next tragedy in Nikolas' life occurred when he thought his brother Lucky had died in a fire. He and Lucky's girlfriend, Liz, became closer and tried to help each other through their grief. Nikolas was attracted to Liz, but he knew he couldn't act on it because her heart was still with Lucky. Almost a year later, Nikolas discovered the possibility that Lucky could be alive. He and Liz went to New York City, where they eventually found Lucky. Lucky was not the same person though. He said that he didn't love Liz anymore and started urging Nikolas to take her, but of course Nikolas couldn't because Liz was still convinced that Lucky loved her. Several months later, Nikolas, Liz, and Lucky realized that Lucky had been brainwashed by Helena and, after extensive therapy, Lucky realized that he did still love Liz, and they got back together.
It wasn't long before Nikolas' true paternity was discovered: Nikolas was indeed the son of Stavros Cassadine, making Nikolas the Cassadine prince and Stefan his uncle. The deception had been a plan by Helena to gain access to the Cassadine fortune, which was supposed to be inherited by the prince. She had also enjoyed toying with Stefan's emotions in making him believe he was Nikolas' father. Although angered about being plagued by Cassadine lies again, Nikolas didn't really care what relation Stefan was to him because Stefan would always be his father. A few months later, though, Stefan "died," presumably at the hands of Luke Spencer. But in reality, Stefan had faked his death in order to avoid a real one at the hands of Helena. But Nikolas was unaware of Stefan's plan, and continued to mourn his uncle.
Nikolas met his next great love when he teamed up with Lucky and Liz to catch Emily's blackmailer. They caught her trying to take the cash they had set out as bait. Gia Campbell, the blackmailer, agreed to help them catch the guy who had set Emily up if they kept her presence in Port Charles from her brother. Nikolas found himself attracted to the loud, brash, and beautiful Gia. When she lost her job and had nowhere else to go, he let her move in with him rent-free.
Gia was the only one who Nikolas could really talk to after his uncle returned from the dead. Nikolas was enraged and hurt that his uncle had once again lied to him, and so he shut Stefan out of his life for good. The attraction between Gia and Nikolas built until they finally gave in to it. When Gia lost the chance to be the new Face of Deception model for Deception Cosmetics to Liz, Gia was devastated, and this time, Nikolas helped her. Their budding romance began to blossom more.
After everyone realized that Helena was still using mind control on Lucky, Nikolas realized he would do anything to get his brother out from under Helena's control. He secretly partnered with Luke and Elizabeth in an elaborate scheme to protect Lucky and take down Helena. In order to fool Helena and protect Gia at the same time, Nikolas broke it off with Gia and began to function as a "True Cassadine." In an effort to prove his loyalty, he had his grandmother "remove" Lucky's love for Elizabeth from Lucky's memory, claiming to want Elizabeth for himself. In the meantime, Helena had defrosted her son, Stavros, who then wandered around Port Charles, pretending to be Lucien Cane. Gia tried to move on and even dated Lucien a few times, not realizing his true identity. But she couldn't give up on Nikolas and soon stumbled on his plan of deception. So she joined Nikolas against Helena.
Nikolas met his father for the first time in Helena's lab. Stavros never quite trusted his son's loyalty to the Cassadines and pretended to still be frozen when Helena showed Nikolas her lab. Left alone with Stavros, Nikolas revealed his hatred for his father, not realizing that Stavros heard every word he said. Nikolas told Gia about the meeting, and she comforted him. After Nikolas left to talk to his mother, Gia found a photo and realized that Lucien was Stavros. Laura and Nikolas went to Helena's lab and met face-to-face with the very much alive Stavros. Nikolas tried to play on his father's love for him to convince him to let Nikolas, Laura, and Gia go, but Stavros got mad and locked Gia and Nikolas in a room. Ultimately, Luke defeated Stavros, who fell into a bottomless pit, and Helena was sent to jail.
Back together publicly, Nikolas proposed to Gia, who eagerly accepted. Stefan threw them an engagement party at Wydemere, during which Nikolas' recently discovered Aunt Kristina, Alexis' long-lost sister, revealed that she was taking the Cassadine name as her own. Stefan then announced that Nikolas would be running Cassadine Industries because Stefan was leaving for Milan. Uncertain at first, Nikolas finally accepted this huge responsibility, and Nikolas and Gia moved into Wyndemere.
In the months following Stavros' death and Helena's defeat, Nikolas was plagued with dreams and thoughts of becoming like his father. Gia did her best to comfort him and even gave up her modeling career to focus on her relationship with Nikolas. The night following her last modeling shoot, Nikolas, Gia, Elizabeth, and Lucky went to dinner to celebrate. Sarah Webber, Liz's sister and Nikolas' former girlfriend, returned to town, drawing out feelings of jealousy in Gia. Gia left before Nikolas and got in a car accident on the way home. Nikolas then went into protective mode and covered up the fact that Gia was at fault and that she'd been intoxicated at the time. He refused to let her confess her true involvement and paid off any witnesses.
The only possible crimp in Nikolas' cover-up was Elizabeth, who'd been in the car with Gia and didn't remember much about the accident. Nikolas attempted to distract her and prevent her from inadvertently revealing the truth by persuading her and Lucky to move into Wyndemere. But when Elizabeth finally remembered everything, she blasted them all for their deceptions and moved out. Then Gia's brother Taggert hired an undercover cop to gather dirt on Nikolas and the possible cover-up of Gia's fault in the accident. Nikolas caught on and tried to feed Taggert false information. But the whole investigation became pointless when Courtney dropped the whole thing, and they all moved on.
It became obvious that Gia was bored with just being the fianc�e of a prince, so Nikolas paid for her to make a comeback on the cover of a big magazine. But when Gia found out that her talents hadn't earned her the cover, she yelled at Nikolas for trying to control her life. They grew further apart when Gia decided to go back to school to become a lawyer and went to work for Alexis in Alexis' law office. However, the final straw was Gia's growing friendship with Zander Smith. Nikolas was extremely jealous and tried to pay Zander to leave town. Gia found out and broke off their engagement.
Nikolas then focused on keeping his mother and his brother safe from Luke, who had recently gone on a destructive rampage in anguish over losing Laura and seemed to chase Laura deeper into mental illness whenever he went to see her. Nikolas made every effort to keep Laura's location a secret from Luke. In an effort to keep Luke distracted and to stop him from potentially hurting Lucky, Nikolas secretly hired a call girl who resembled a younger Laura to keep Luke's attention. When it was revealed that the girl, named Summer -- her real name was actually Laura -- was working with Nikolas, Luke was angry and hurt.
Summer revealed that Nikolas had blackmailed her into the scam by promising that he knew where her long-lost brother was. But Summer's brother turned out to be an ex-boyfriend who had worked for Nikolas and stolen some valuable coins belonging to the Cassadines. Nikolas had hoped that Summer would lead him to her boyfriend and the coins. Summer teamed up with Luke and Lucky to try to find her boyfriend, and Nikolas followed them. They discovered at the end of the trail that the coins were worthless.
When Nikolas returned from his adventure, Emily visited him. She confided in him that she had breast cancer and had resigned herself to die. She was concealing this fact from her boyfriend, Zander. She asked Nikolas to help her convince Zander that Emily and Nikolas were in love so that Zander would leave Emily and wouldn't have to watch her die. The plan eventually worked, although not before Emily and Nikolas were forced to get engaged to be really convincing. This did not make Stefan happy.
Stefan had recently returned to town because the Cassadines were in danger of going bankrupt, since Helena had squandered away much of the Cassadine fortune. Stefan had been forced to take several loans. The creditors wanted their money, but if that couldn't be delivered, they wanted blood instead, preferably Nikolas'. Nikolas tried to reassure his uncle that he would take care of it, but Stefan had an idea of his own. He led Lydia Karenin to town to marry Nikolas. Lydia was set to inherit a fortune if she married Nikolas, otherwise she wouldn't get anything. The fortune in turn would solve the Cassadine's money woes.
Nikolas' engagement to Emily prevented Lydia from marrying Nikolas. So Stefan arranged for Emily to be pushed off of the cliffs at Wyndemere during her engagement party. But heavy fog that night caused the assassin to mistakenly push Summer, who was at the party with Lucky. She died and in an effort to cover his tracks, Stefan tried to frame Luke for Summer's death.
Nikolas forced Emily to attend a breast cancer survivor group meeting, which inspired her to fight her cancer. It also helped her to decide to tell Zander the truth about her cancer, and she reunited with Zander. But all the pretending Nikolas and Emily had done had led to a real love between them. Torn between his love for Emily and his duty to his family, Nikolas decided to be a dutiful Cassadine and marry Lydia. Lucky was appalled by Nikolas' decision, especially since he knew that Nikolas really loved Emily.
Emily arrived in the middle of the ceremony, and Nikolas nearly called it off. However, Emily told him she only wanted to say goodbye to him. A saddened Nikolas married Lydia, washed his hands of Stefan, and jilted his new bride on their wedding night. Soon after the wedding, a second part to the will's clause was revealed: Lydia and Nikolas had to have a child within the first five years of their marriage in order to gain the full inheritance. This would be a problem since Nikolas didn't intend to ever sleep with Lydia, although one night before they were married, he did out of anger and frustration over giving up Emily.
Nikolas, still very much in love with Emily, and stuck close by when her immune system shut down and allowed her to easily contract meningitis. As Nikolas focused on Emily, Lucky and Lydia worked together to prove that Stefan had been trying to kill Emily when Summer was pushed instead. Lydia was able to get a confession from Stefan on tape, and Stefan was arrested. He was appalled when Nikolas refused to help him. Nikolas claimed that his uncle had become a different person when he'd tried to kill Emily.
Emily hovered near death and married Zander as a last gift to him before she died. But a dream in which she kissed and married Nikolas pulled her back from the other side, and she lived. She informed Nikolas that she wanted to honor her marriage vows to Zander, and Nikolas agreed to respect her wishes. However, they were caught on film when they nearly made love one night. When Zander saw the photos, he went after Nikolas. Nikolas was already in the hospital after receiving a beating ordered by Lorenzo Alcazar, who turned out to be Nikolas' major creditor.
Emily managed to stop Zander from beating up Nikolas and enlisted Jason's help in ensuring Nikolas' safety from Lorenzo. Initially, Nikolas plotted with Jason to kill Lorenzo. But Nikolas changed his mind and borrowed money from Jason instead. Stefan was not happy to hear that Nikolas had borrowed money from a gangster, but Nikolas said that Stefan had done the same when he borrowed money from Lorenzo Alcazar. Stefan then tried to kill Lorenzo in order to rub out the debt completely. After hearing about this, Nikolas informed Stefan that he didn't want anything to do with Stefan anymore.
Finally deciding to follow his heart, Nikolas filed for divorce so that he could pursue Emily. Her marriage to Zander was also floundering, and she was by Nikolas' side when he learned of Stefan's death at the hands of Luke. On the outside, Nikolas showed little remorse and even said "good for Luke" when the cops informed him that Luke had escaped custody. But on the inside, he felt quite guilty and saddened by Stefan's death. At Stefan's funeral, Helena repeatedly insulted Stefan and called his life a waste. But Nikolas told her to shut up and then, with heart-felt emotion, expressed his gratitude for Stefan's care throughout his life, despite the desperate choices that Stefan had made near the end of his life. When Luke sneaked to the gravesite after the service, Nikolas said that the Cassadine/Spencer war had died with Stefan.
Nikolas and Zander continued to fight over Emily, who took a step back from both of them. But she finally made her choice following the Halloween costume ball. When Emily ran off after confessing her love to Nikolas, Nikolas followed her to the cottage. He informed her that his divorce was official and took off his wedding band in front of her. Then Nikolas made love to her for the first time.
Emily and Nikolas happily spent time together in the open again, although they had to contend with Zander attempting to take his anger out on them on more than one occasion. Nikolas also discovered that Stefan's death had really been a suicide. Once Emily's divorce was final, Nikolas proposed. They announced their engagement to her family, along with his poor financial status. But while trying to recover his recently sunken freighter, it was discovered that a sunken ship that had once belonged to the Quartermaines of many generations past was underneath it. Supposedly the Courage sank while loaded with treasure.
Emily and Nikolas told the Quartermaines about the treasure and their intention for the families to split the proceeds. However, Tracy had other plans and hired Sam McCall to recover the treasure for her. Nikolas, in turn, hired Sam's father, Cody. A few days later, Cody's body was discovered in the tunnels at Wyndemere. Nikolas was arrested and put in jail. Soon, they figured out that Zander was blackmailing Ric into framing Nikolas for murder. Eventually Ric grew tired of Zander's threats and tossed him in jail after he provoked Nikolas into attacking him. Nikolas was then freed.
The treasure from the ship had disappeared by that time. Emily and Nikolas tracked the treasure to a hiding place where Helena revealed she had stolen the treasure for Nikolas. They got the treasure back from her and prepared to auction it off. However, the night of the auction, a fire broke out in the Port Charles Hotel, and the treasure disappeared. The auction attendees had to be rescued by helicopter from the roof. But when it was time for the last helicopter to leave, there wasn't enough room for everyone. Nikolas bravely gave his spot to Emily, who tearfully watched as the roof crumbled with Nikolas on standing on it.
Although everyone else believed Nikolas had perished in the fire, Emily refused to believe the love of her life was dead. A few days later, she was at Wyndemere, remembering the good times with Nikolas, when he walked through the door, somewhat battered, but alive. Emily filled him in on the fact that Zander had been killed in the basement by the fire. However, Emily, Nikolas, Ric, and Elizabeth all received letters from Zander stating that each person's significant other had killed him prior to the fire.
The group set about trying to figure out who actually killed Zander. Nikolas admitted he had confronted Zander in the basement before the fire and knocked him out. Then he had locked Zander in the basement and called the police. Ric had arrested Nikolas. However, Elizabeth soon confessed to a confrontation with Zander of her own. She was prepared to confess all to the cops, but Ric wouldn't stand for it. So Emily persuaded Jason to tell the cops that Detective Capelli had confessed to killing Zander before Capelli died. The case was closed ...but not for long.
Clues began surfacing that Zander wasn't dead at all. When Emily went to visit the cottage she had briefly shared with Zander, he appeared in the doorway. He wanted to make a fresh start with Emily and claimed to have taken Nikolas. He tried to force Emily to sleep with him in order to save Nikolas, but couldn't go through with it, since it wouldn't be out of love. By that time, the cops had the place surrounded.
Nikolas, on the way back from a business trip, heard on the radio about Zander's return from the dead and that he had Emily hostage. Panicked, Nikolas tried to get back to Port Charles in a hurry. But he ran his car off the road instead. After Zander's standoff with the police ended in his death, Emily learned about Nikolas' accident. However, the police couldn't find Nikolas. Emily searched for days, but slowly realized that Nikolas was gone.
In reality, Nikolas had wandered away from the accident site to a nearby cottage where he collapsed on the front porch. The woman who lived there took him in. When Nikolas awoke, she told him her name was Mary and that she was his wife. She nursed him back to health and continually fed him the past that belonged to her real husband, Connor, who had been killed in the war in Iraq. Nikolas tried to swallow what she told him about his past, but things didn't seem to fit quite right.
As Mary befriended Emily and took a job at GH, Nikolas grew restless and ventured out more often. Although he knew about and had seen Emily from afar, he still didn't remember her. Mary attended Nikolas' memorial service as Nikolas listened from outside the church. Later, he took a job painting the church and met Lorenzo Alcazar. Alcazar was puzzled by the fact that Nikolas introduced himself as Connor Bishop. He offered Connor a job working for him. Mary tried to dissuade Nikolas from accepting, but Nikolas was intrigued and agreed to work for Alcazar.
Nikolas also tried to live in the present and look to the future by proposing to Mary. They were planning their wedding when Alcazar had Nikolas break into Jason's apartment. Nikolas got shot, and Alcazar had him patched up by a private doctor. Then Alcazar offered to send "Connor" and Mary on a trip. Nikolas was drawn to a brochure on Mexico and asked to go there. While in Mexico, Mary and Nikolas "renewed" their vows. While Nikolas was on the terrace of their room, Emily spotted him from the adjoining terrace. She confronted him later, only to discover he was suffering from amnesia and believed he was Connor Bishop. Emily was heartbroken but didn't reveal his true identity.
Back in Port Charles, Nikolas underwent hypnotherapy to regain his memory. He had flashes of memory, but nothing that made him remember Emily or his identity. However, he found himself drawn to Emily and gave in to his feelings one night and made love to her. Afterwards, Nikolas got a call that Mary had nearly drowned in the river. Guilt-ridden, he promised to stop trying to remember and told Emily their night together had been a mistake. However, it wasn't long before Nikolas wanted to remember again. Mary suggested that they have a baby to focus on the future. But Nikolas wasn't sure.
Emily found out that Mary was trying to have a baby and confronted her, threatening to tell Nikolas the truth. In the meantime, Alcazar provided Nikolas with a false history, courtesy of Mary, that painted Emily as a former lover who wouldn't let go of him. When Nikolas returned to confront Mary about it, he found she had taken an overdose of sleeping pills. Believing that Emily had already told him the truth, Mary called him Nikolas. Caught, Mary was forced to explain what was going on and tried to justify her actions. But Nikolas stormed out. He confronted Emily over why she hadn't been the one to tell him the truth first. She told him about her fear of driving him away by the shock of the truth because of the way Jason had left the family. However, Nikolas only saw betrayal instead of love in her actions.
Although aware that he was Nikolas Cassadine, he couldn't remember any of his life as Nikolas. He tried to drink away the pain and betrayal he felt. Lucky and Emily tried to convince him that they loved him, but he yelled at them to leave him alone and insisted that he felt nothing for either of them. However, when he saw them together one night, he punched Lucky. Lucky then had him thrown in jail for the night. Helena tried to have Nikolas committed so that he would be declared mentally incompetent and she could control the Cassadine fortune.
Lucky helped Nikolas escape, but Helena found him later. Emily blamed Mary and believed she had paired up with Helena. In the institution, Helena made sure Nikolas was drugged. Helena attempted to brainwash him into becoming a true Cassadine prince. Emily sneaked in as a patient and convinced Nikolas to only pretend to take his medication so that they could later escape. However, Helena found Emily before Emily and Nikolas could and had Emily drugged as well. Nikolas found Emily and got her out of there. Before they left, he remembered everything from his past. They hid in the Quartermaines' boathouse, where Nikolas shared the good news and they renewed their love for each other.
Nikolas and Emily were back together, but Helena was not happy about it. She and Tracy Quartermaine teamed up against the couple and cursed them. At first, Nikolas and Emily did not take Helena's curse seriously, but them Emily's health mysteriously started to fail without any explanation. To break the curse, the couple headed to the Garden of Aphrodite, located on one of the Greek islands. The curse was broken when they kissed in the moonlight. When Nikolas and Emily announced their engagement, Helena attempted to stab Emily while Emily was standing near the cliffs at Wyndemere. Nikolas arrived just in time to see Helena holding a knife to Emily, so he pushed Helena over the cliffs. Although her body was not found, Helena was pronounced dead.
Nikolas was arrested after he confessed to Helena's murder, but Mac let him out of prison briefly to marry Emily. While Nikolas was in prison, Connor Bishop returned to town. Emily had Connor pose as Nikolas to lure Helena out of hiding so the real Nikolas could be released from prison. On the night Helena resurfaced, Connor raped Emily. The plan had worked, Nikolas was released from prison, but the problems were just beginning for Nikolas and Emily. Emily struggled to look at Nikolas or allow him to touch her, because he looked identical to the man who had raped her.
Nikolas found a friend he could talk to in Courtney Matthews. Her marriage to Jasper Jacks had hit a rough patch as well. Courtney could not have children, so she and Jax hired Elizabeth Webber to be their surrogate. Courtney was upset over how Jax looked at and cared after Elizabeth, and Courtney felt like an outsider. Nikolas felt like an outsider, as well, because Emily was able to talk to her brother, Jason Morgan, and his best friend, Sonny Corinthos, but not to him.
Eventually, Nikolas and Courtney began an affair. When Emily found out, she divorced Nikolas. Then Courtney became pregnant. Nikolas and Courtney stayed together even when two paternity tests showed Jax was the father of the child, and they made plans to fight Jax for custody. Helena interrupted Nikolas' happiness once again by kidnapping a pregnant Courtney. Helena believed Courtney could be carrying the Cassadine heir. Courtney escaped, but soon after, she contracted a deadly virus and required an emergency c-section.
Courtney died after the emergency C-section, but Nikolas was reunited with her briefly and they pledged their love to one another. As Courtney was dying, Jax confessed that he had altered the paternity results. Courtney died with the knowledge that Nikolas was her baby's father, but she never got the chance to tell him. Jax, with the help of Carly Corinthos, kept the baby's true paternity a secret. Robin eventually learned the truth and told Nikolas. He immediately changed his son's name to Spencer as a way to honor his siblings.
Nikolas slowly adjusted to fatherhood and hired a nanny, Colleen McHenry. She had been secretly recruited by Helena to keep a close eye on the Cassadine heir, Spencer, and feed Helena information. During this time, Emily and Nikolas began to date again, but Colleen became obsessed with Nikolas and jealous of Emily. Colleen tried to get Nikolas' attention and drugged him one night and tried to seduce him. When that didn't work, she kidnapped Spencer on Christmas Eve. Nikolas and Emily tracked Colleen and Spencer to Colorado, but they were too late. Helena got there first and took off with Spencer to Greece. Emily and Nikolas arrived just as Helena was about to baptize Spencer and change his name.
Reunited with both Spencer and Emily, Nikolas found that life was going well for him, until he began experiencing unexplained rages and blackouts. Regardless, Nikolas moved forward with his plan to propose to Emily, so he threw a traditional bacchanalia, called the Black and White Ball. During the ball, danger ensued as mobster Anthony Zacchara made an unexpected appearance, along with the Text Message Killer. Jason Morgan, Emily's brother, witnessed Nikolas having an episode of rage, so he tied Nikolas to a chair and urged Emily to leave Nikolas to find safety. Emily refused and remained with Nikolas. Nikolas blacked out, but when he awoke, he was free from the chair, but Emily was dead. She had been strangled to death, and Nikolas feared he had killed her.
After Emily's death, Nikolas was in a state of deep despair, not knowing if he had killed her. The only consolation was his visits from Emily. She appeared to him often, but only to him. Through her visits, Emily convinced Nikolas to seek medical treatment. The diagnosis was clear; Nikolas had brain tumors that were causing the hallucinations, rages, and blackouts. They would be fatal if not removed.
Everyone around Nikolas expected him to have the tumors removed immediately, but it meant he would lose his visions of Emily, so he hesitated. Nikolas found someone he could talk to about his visions, nurse Nadine Crowell. Nikolas had to choose: die with the brain tumor and keep his visions of Emily, or have them removed and never see the visions of Emily again. He didn't like either option, so Nikolas made a secret deal with Dr. Ian Devlin to get illegal experimental drugs that would keep him alive without taking away his hallucinations.
As the rages continued, Nadine stuck by Nikolas' side. She had developed a crush on the grieving prince and was happy to have any of his attention. She helped him remember exactly what he had seen the night Emily was murdered. Nikolas remembered seeing the presumed-dead Diego Alcazar, so he and Nadine teamed up with Jason Morgan to find Diego and expose him as the Text Message Killer. On the night Diego was discovered, Nikolas, Damian Spinelli, and Maxie Jones fought with Diego, and he strangled himself when he tried to escape. With a clear conscience, Nikolas was able to say goodbye to Emily and have the tumor removed.
Nikolas missed his visions of Emily, but he focused on his son and the clinic he had built to honor Emily. Even after the tumor was removed, Nadine continued her friendship with Nikolas and volunteered her time at the clinic. They worked together to get the clinic running, and they used the cover of the clinic to help investigate Dr. Ian Devlin, whose reputation as an upstanding doctor was beginning to crumble. Nikolas found out just how dark Dr. Devlin's past was when Claudia Zacchara washed up on the shores of Wyndemere.
Claudia had been stabbed and kicked into the water by Jerry Jacks. Nikolas nursed her back to health. In a feverish state, she confessed her involvement in the shooting of Sonny Corinthos' son, Michael, and she named Dr. Devlin and Jerry Jacks as co-conspirators. Nikolas was unable to turn her in, as she knew about the illegal drugs he had purchased from Dr. Devlin. Dr. Devlin had left town, but Nikolas refused to help Claudia any longer.
Nikolas and Nadine spent lots of time together, and Nadine was hopeful Nikolas would eventually begin to move on from Emily's death to fall in love with her. Although they did date briefly, the relationship remained one-sided. Then during a hospital lockdown, he saw a woman that looked just like Emily, except her makeup, hair, and clothes were different. Nikolas began to worry the tumor had returned, as no one else had seen her. During the crisis, Nikolas was determined to search the hospital for this woman, much to Nadine's dismay. It was a clear reminder that Nikolas' heart still belonged to Emily.
Nikolas was relieved and fascinated to discover the Emily look-alike was real. Her name was Rebecca Shaw, and Nikolas was infatuated with her, as was everyone that had been close to Emily. She was Emily's twin sister. They had been separated at birth. It was no coincidence Rebecca was in Port Charles. She and her lover/accomplice, Ethan Lovett, were after the Cassadine and Quartermaine money. They planned to use everyone's grief over Emily as a way for Rebecca to get her hands on the money.
Rebecca let herself be taken in by the Quartermaines and got a position at General Hospital. Although the plan was for her to seduce Nikolas, Rebecca preferred spending time with Nikolas' brother, Lucky Spencer, instead. Both Elizabeth and Nikolas had a hard time seeing Rebecca and Lucky together. One night at Jake's, Elizabeth and Nikolas had endured enough of seeing the two flirting so they shared a kiss to make the others jealous. They were both surprised by the kiss, as they had been friends for years and had never thought of one another romantically.
With time, Lucky and Elizabeth got back on track, and Rebecca and Nikolas started dating. It had been Rebecca's plan to become close to Nikolas, but she developed real feelings for him and decided to end things with her secret boyfriend, Ethan Lovett. Before she could confess to Nikolas, Lucky found out about her plan and told Nikolas. Nikolas continued to string Rebecca along until he knew she was in love with him. Then he broke up with her. Nikolas was not in love with Rebecca. He still had his forbidden kiss with Elizabeth on his mind.
Elizabeth was engaged to Lucky, but she was thinking about Nikolas in return. In time, they secretly began an affair, which Rebecca found out about and threatened to expose to Lucky. Instead, she left town, and Elizabeth and Nikolas continued their forbidden romance. Eventually, Lucky found out about the affair and ended his engagement to Elizabeth. Nikolas and Elizabeth felt horrible about what they had done to Lucky and were unable to continue seeing one another.
Then Elizabeth found out she was pregnant. Helena found out Nikolas could be the father and got her hands on the paternity results. Although Lucky was listed as the father, Helena arranged for Nikolas to be listed instead. To Helena, it was a form of revenge to have a Spencer raised by a Cassadine. Although things were strained after the hurt Nikolas and Elizabeth had caused Lucky, they learned to get along for their son Aiden.
Nikolas hired Brook Lynn Ashton to work as his personal escort to his Cassadine business functions. He paid Brook Lynn to attend fancy parties and dinners all over the world. Their relationship was all business at first. Then, after spending so much time together, their friendship and mutual attraction made them lovers, much to Elizabeth's dismay. The relationship between Brook Lynn and Nikolas ended shortly after it began when Brook Lynn left town to pursue her music career.
Shortly after Brook Lynn left, Elizabeth's son Jake was hit by a car and passed away. While Elizabeth and Lucky grieved for their son, Elizabeth produced a new paternity test which showed that Aiden was Lucky's son. Nikolas refused to believe that Aiden was not his but he handed Aiden over to Lucky and left town with Spencer. Lulu visited Nikolas in Greece a few weeks later and was surprised at the changes she saw in Nikolas. He believed that Aiden still might be his son but admitted that he followed what he had always done and placed Lucky's needs ahead of his own. Lulu asked him to return to Port Charles but he explained that he needed to pursue a life for himself separate from the Spencer and Cassadine feud.
Nikolas returned to Port Charles in 2013 just after Lulu had been kidnapped. He was reunited with his mother and Luke and started to tell them what he knew about Lulu's disappearance. As he began to speak, he was shot in the chest and unable to share his information. He required surgery and remained unconscious for several days afterwards.
When Nikolas woke after surgery, he immediately feared for Lulu and explained to Alexis and Elizabeth that his father Stavros was alive and after his sister. He went on to explain that Helena had rescued his father after his presumed death and placed him in a cryogenic chamber on Cassadine Island to heal. After several years, he regained his strength. Helena tried to speed his recovery with news about Nikolas and Spencer and even tried to entice Stavros with the news of a new Cassadine heir by falsely naming Nikolas the father of Elizabeth's son Aiden. Stavros was unaffected by Helena's news but found his own motivation when he saw Lulu.
After Nikolas accidentally learned that his father was alive, he pretended to nurse his father back to health in order to gain inside information regarding his plans. Nikolas was shocked when Stavros set his sights on Lulu and insisted that he would have her. Nikolas had come to Port Charles to warn his sister of the impending danger and was distraught to realize that he had arrived too late.
Nikolas was relieved to learn that Lulu had been rescued and that his father had been killed. Nikolas appreciated all the support and care that Elizabeth had provided and he confessed that he still loved her and wished to resume their relationship. They shared a kiss but afterward Elizabeth declared that she did not want to cause Lucky any more pain and she wanted to explore her new relationship with A.J. Quartermaine. Nikolas believed that Elizabeth should be with him and he planned to win her back.
Tracy Quartermaine discovered that Nikolas vied for Elizabeth's affection and Tracy suggested that she and Nikolas work together against A.J. Nikolas agreed and he and Tracy plotted to ensure that A.J.'s success as the head of ELQ was limited. However, Nikolas ended the partnership after he realized that Elizabeth was committed to A.J. As Nikolas tried to move on without Elizabeth, he befriended a single pregnant woman named Britt Westbourne. Britt had been rejected by the man she claimed fathered her child, Dr. Patrick Drake, and she and Nikolas commiserated over their unrequited love.
Although Nikolas did not know Britt well, he allowed her to move in with him during the final weeks of her pregnancy. Nikolas questioned his kindness toward Britt after she admitted that she had lied about the paternity of her child in an attempt to win Patrick's love. Before Nikolas had the chance to banish Britt from his property and his life, she went into labor and gave birth to her son at Wyndemere. Nikolas forgave Britt and allowed her and her child to stay at Wyndemere. He was hesitant to trust her but they grew closer after Britt's son was kidnapped by her mother and she confessed that Dr. Liesl Obrecht and Cesar Faison were her parents.
Together Nikolas and Britt rescued her son and they bonded over their dysfunctional families. During the rescue mission, Nikolas discovered that Robin Scorpio-Drake was still alive. Her captors included Britt's parents and Jerry Jacks. Nikolas returned home to Wyndemere with Britt and Robin under the direct supervision of Faison and Liesl. Despite the additional houseguests, Nikolas grew closer to Britt and they and eventually became lovers. When Nikolas' involvement with Britt went public, several residents of Port Charles warned him to proceed with caution. He ignored the advice and fell in love with Britt even though Elizabeth was again free. He took Britt's side after Elizabeth secretly ran a DNA test on Britt's son and revealed that Lulu's husband Dante was Ben's father. Elizabeth accused Britt of lying after Britt swore that she had not known whose sample her mother had used to impregnate her. Nikolas proposed marriage soon after and Britt accepted.
Nikolas convinced Britt to celebrate their engagement with a formal party at Wyndemere. Elizabeth paid him a visit and declared her love for him. She asked Nikolas to give her another chance but he turned her away and insisted that his future was with Britt. As the date of the party drew near, Nikolas experienced a vision of Emily and she questioned his feelings for Britt and Elizabeth. He remained adamant that Britt made him happy. However, on the night of the party, Elizabeth announced that Lulu that was Ben's mother and that Britt had stolen an embryo which belonged to Dante and Lulu. Nikolas lashed out at Elizabeth and threw her out of his home. Afterwards, he was devastated to learn that Elizabeth's accusations were true. He ended his relationship with Britt and ordered her to leave his home.
Nikolas experienced regret over the decision he had made to pursue a future with Britt instead of Elizabeth but his friendship with Elizabeth remained intact. Elizabeth reconnected with her former husband Ric Lansing, while Nikolas started to believe that Britt had given up her duplicitous ways. Nikolas leaned on Britt when Spencer went missing, unaware that she and Spencer had planned the disappearance as a means to ingratiate Britt to Nikolas. The plan worked and Nikolas and Britt reunited until he learned the truth about what Britt had done. He threatened to press charges against Britt but she fled town.
After Britt left, Nikolas focused his attention on Helena and her involvement with Luke Spencer. Helena warned Nikolas that he would lose everything if he did not go along with her plans. He agreed to assist Luke and Helena in their plot to gain control of ELQ and he tampered with the mayoral election to ensure that Mayor Lomas reelected. Through his dealings with his grandmother, Nikolas learned that something was not right with Luke. Helena also divulged that Jason Morgan was alive and in Port Charles suffering from amnesia under the alias Jake Doe. Nikolas was torn between his loyalty to Sam and Elizabeth and his desire to control ELQ.
Nikolas moved forward with his plans to take over ELQ and he arranged for a woman, Hayden Barnes, to be shot after she threatened to reveal Jake's identity. He also used coercion and blackmail to become the majority shareholder of ELQ. When his corporate deception was revealed, he ignored the accusations that Emily would disapprove of his actions against the family company.
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In looking at our senior Senator Lisa Murkowski's website today, I came across this recent press release calling for a religious exemption from the PPACA:
S. 2043, The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, would repeal any requirement in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would require any individual or entity to offer, provide, or purchase coverage for a contraceptive or sterilization service to which that individual or entity is opposed on the basis of religious belief.
This is the same tactic the religious right has been using to oppose gay marriage statutes for decades, and I contend that it's absolute bunk - that the Establishment Clause forbids precisely this, and that the Free Exercise Clause does not guarantee any right to, as it were, have the government come to religion rather than the other way around.
Liberals should oppose this for obvious reasons, but conservatives/libertarians also should oppose the big-government special exemption, as far as I can tell. But I have trouble finding rhetoric which turns people around on this deeply held misconception about religious freedom (and, as we must never tire of saying, freedom from religion). What do you think?
Views: 306
The Establishment Clause says something like "congress shall enact no law respecting an establishment of religion," not "religions shall enact no compliance respecting the enactment of law." They are free to worship any god they please in their churches - but when they raise money, taxes should be paid just as they are by any other social club. Writing an exemption into law is 'enacting a law respecting an establishment of religion' and is a violation. Skypilots even use the special privileges that they've usurped to maliciously break the law in discriminating against gays (and at times blacks) or anyone else prejudiced by 'holy doctrine'. It's insane.
See, the problem with this is is the fact that there are many who get their insurance from their employer because they cannot afford to get insurance any other way. So you could have someone, say a run of your mill non-contraceptive-hating-religion/lack of religion nurse, working in a St. Whatever hospital. She cannot afford a private health insurance and makes too much to get a state medical card. So this leaves the insurance offered by her employeer, the St. Whatever hospital. St. Whatever hospital is ran by a Catholic organization, so they oppose contraceptives of all forms and refuse to offer it with their employee insurance. Now, once again, this nurse does not oppose contraceptives nor does her religion (if she even has one), and she would personally like some because she is not yet ready for a family. But because her insurance does not cover contraceptives, she cannot get birth control because she makes too much to get it through a free-health clinic.
Pretty much, they are wanting to impose their views on their employees who just want to make an honest living and pay their taxes to their government, but do not want the government to tell them they cannot supply an equal opportunity health insurance to all their employees regardless of their religious views.
So what I am trying to say, it's not really a "private" affair when one person has no say in the matter. All the government is trying to do here is step in a give equal health care rights to those who works for companies that are not willing to give those equal rights. I'm sure someone will come up with a loophole around my argument or some other, but pretty much I stand by the fact that we need someone to come in and say "to each their own, stop shoving your views down their throats."
That's a really great way of summing it up and enlightens the wider issue brilliantly. Thanks; assuming your statements are accurate, it seems your analysis is rock solid. I'll use this should I encounter another discussion on this topic. :D
completely agree. that's a good way of putting it!
Thanks for the insight. But what do you say to the people who think you're shoving the right for the nurse to have contraception down the hospital's throat? I'm looking for a way to establish who is and who isn't at fault between two parties who each accuse the other of fascism.
Also, would the situation be different if there were none of your hypothetical nurses?
I don't see how it is forcing it down their throats. But then again, we are speaking of religious zealots who think that they are not forcing their views by saying women cannot use contraceptives, but if you for one second say anything that counters their beliefs you are the anti-christ or some other variation there of.
Sadly, this is not something that can be coherently and civilly argued because the opposing side will always think it's a direct attack on their belief system.
The difference between governments and gods, however, is that governments are obliged to enforce their oughts by force or reason while gods are nothing more than a mass-induced psychosis used to circumnavigate justification.
The latter part of your contrast doesn't follow from the former. You could say that gods (beside not existing) preempt reasoned human justification yet enforce their laws through human authoritarianism. This goes into the case that it's faith, rather than unbelief, which throws morality out the window, but we're digressing from church and state now.


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Export 5 results:
Filters: Author is Davide Bicego [Clear All Filters]
Conference Paper
"Design and Input Allocation for Robots with Saturated Inputs via Genetic Algorithms", in 12th IFAC Symposium on Robot Control, Budapest, Hungary, 2018. preprint-pdf (759.54 KB),
"Development of SAM: cable-Suspended Aerial Manipulator", in 2019 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Montreal, Canada, 2019. preprint-pdf (1.43 MB),
"Energy-Efficient Trajectory Generation for a Hexarotor with Dual-Tilting Propellers", in 2018 IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Madrid, Spain, 2018. preprint-pdf (771.41 KB),
"Modeling and Control of FAST-Hex: a Fully-Actuated by Synchronized-Tilting Hexarotor", in 2016 IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and System, Daejeon, South Korea, 2016, pp. 1689-1694. preprint-pdf (952.56 KB) video (22.85 MB),
"Towards a Flying Assistant Paradigm: the OTHex", in 2018 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Brisbane, Australia, 2018, pp. 6997-7002. preprint-pdf (2.88 MB) video (9.31 MB),
"Towards Robotic MAGMaS: Multiple Aerial-Ground Manipulator Systems", in 2017 IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, Singapore, 2017, pp. 1307-1312. preprint-pdf (4.99 MB) video (2.77 MB),
"A Truly Redundant Aerial Manipulator exploiting a Multi-directional Thrust Base", in 12th IFAC Symposium on Robot Control, Budapest, Hungary, 2018. preprint-pdf (995.27 KB),
Journal Article
"6D Interaction Control with Aerial Robots: The Flying End-Effector Paradigm", The International Journal of Robotics Research, vol. 38, no. 9, pp. 1045-1062, 2019.,
"Full-Pose Tracking Control for Aerial Robotic Systems with Laterally-Bounded Input Force", IEEE Trans. on Robotics, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 534-541, 2018. preprint-pdf (3.69 MB) video-1 (21.32 MB) video-2 (16.88 MB) video-3 (4.22 MB),
"The Tele-MAGMaS: an Aerial-Ground Co-manipulator System", IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 66-75, 2018. preprint-pdf (5.52 MB) video (21.39 MB),
"A Truly Redundant Aerial Manipulator System with Application to Push-And-Slide Inspection in Industrial Plants", IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 1846-1851, 2019. preprint-pdf (4.39 MB) video (4.39 MB),


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After Mario Draghi announced the European Central Bank's new bond buying program, I was the first guest on CNBC Asia's Squawk Box to weigh in on this decision. I reiterated my stance that the endgame for Europe would be to print money, which will eventually lead to currency wars. These actions are positive for gold and also for increased economic activity.
China too has kept investors on the edge of their seats, as we wait for some monetary or fiscal action. Everyday that goes by with no significant policy decisions from the Asian giant causes the market to lose confidence in its ability to steer its ship. Even the most optimistic bull can be vulnerable to a loss of confidence.
It often helps to gain a different perspective, which is what a business trip halfway around the world can provide.
I've been traveling in Singapore and Hong Kong and I continue to be amazed by the juxtaposition of the vibrancy of the Asian continent compared to investor sentiment in the States. It's a subtle difference, but you can see it in the faces of people walking the cities, you can feel it when talking with local entrepreneurs and you can read it in a speech from local government leaders.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong provided a beam of light to a Beijing audience only days ago. During his speech at the Central Party School, the prime minister discussed China's significance in the world as it relates to political relations, government policies, and world trade. He also touched on his country's role in facilitating a solid relationship between the Asian giant and the world's largest economy.
By nature, public speeches are meant to be uplifting, as they tend to reflect on a long period of history and focus on positive solutions. However, I believe new opportunities cannot be found when all hope is believed to be lost.
You can read his speech here.
The prime minister acknowledges China's "serious and complex challenges" that it is facing after decades of significant growth. He says that its economic, social and political reforms are difficult for any nation to handle, "let alone one the size of China." He believes it's to be expected that "China's leaders are preoccupied with these domestic priorities."
However, China will not be tackling this alone, as the world has become so "inter-connected and inter-dependent," with growing world trade, interlinked financial markets, and the growth of the Internet bringing one third of the world online today.
You can see how synchronized world economies are today by comparing manufacturing output. In August, China's Government Purchasing Manufacturing Index (PMI) crossed below 50 for the first time since November 2011. (Remember that a reading of 50 marks the critical line delineating expansion from contraction.)
The U.S. ISM Manufacturing PMI also crossed below 50, with a reading of 49.6 in August. JP Morgan's Global PMI came in at 48.1, and it's been below 50 for the last three months.
Over the past decade, China has experienced incredible growth because of globalization. On one measure alone, the prime minister pointed out that more than one billion line workers, engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs are joining the international economy to develop, serve and produce goods for markets around the world.
Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University and author of The Next Asia, says China's "grand plan" is to move from the "producer model, which worked brilliantly for 30 years" to one that needs to provide higher-paying, less labor intensive jobs, in new fully functional cities to the 350 million who are estimated to move to an urban area in China over the next 15 years. To paraphrase Marshall Goldsmith's self-improvement book for business executives, what got China here, won't get China there.
The Asian giant can take a few lessons from its developed neighbors, says BCA Research. China has already experienced a tremendous population shift from its farms and rural areas to the cities in search of higher paying jobs. But there comes a tipping point when labor supply in the cities goes from "feast to famine," says BCA.
The research firm says in the previous cases of Japan, Korea and Taiwan, there have been similar employment phases. First, when industrialization just begins, "demand for labor is strong, but wages are low because of plentiful supply."
Then, wages grow faster than labor demand. This is what we have been seeing in China today, as urban per capita income far exceeds rural incomes.
The last stage of this development that other Asian nations have experienced is when "wage growth accelerated and the wage gaps between the manufacturing and agriculture sectors disappeared," according to BCA. Their research shows that cheap labor in manufacturing ends while growth of wages accelerates in both cities and farms.
It's only a guess when China will make that labor shift to the stage where manufacturing sector competes with agriculture for jobs. BCA compared manufacturing employment to agriculture employment of Japan, Korea and Taiwan, looking at when these countries' ratio rose above 1. In Japan, manufacturing labor shortages started in the early 1960s, for South Korea, it was around 1975-1976. Taiwan began experiencing this phenomenon around 1970.
Based on this ratio, it's estimated that labor shortages could become more common around 2014-2015 for China, says BCA.
Until that tipping point is reached, China "will continue to need higher value-added, less labor-intensive production to sustain exports; policy and productivity will be critical to a continuation of the 'growth miracle,'" according to BCA.
The way China will accomplish this is through good relations with the U.S., as well as taking an interest in making sure Asia is stable and prosperous. Loong believes the Chinese economy "depends on an open, inclusive and fair global trade system to thrive. It needs a stable external environment, and good relations with other countries, so that it can focus on economic development," says Singapore's leader. In Loong's view, "China is no longer an isolated, self-sufficient Middle Kingdom."
One example of how China will be engaging the world in its future growth is through its current energy policies. While 70 percent of the country's energy consumption is coal, oil is the second source of energy, at nearly 20 percent of total energy consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In 2010, the country consumed an estimated 10 million barrels per day.
China only produces about 4 million barrels per day, and imports the remaining amount, making the Asian giant the second largest importer of oil, says the EIA. The largest importer of oil in the world has been the U.S., with an intake of 8.7 million barrels per day, according to the EIA. Japan imports the third most oil, at 4.3 million barrels per day.
The country currently has a diverse variety of sources from which it receives its oil, with most of the crude oil imports coming from Saudi Arabia, followed by Angola, Iran and Russia.
The country's energy policies appear to be focused on three goals: 1) fulfill its growing demand for oil and reliance on oil imports, 2) diversify import sources to reduce its risk of supply disruption, and 3) develop technical expertise in unconventional resources. One way to accomplish these goals is throughoverseas acquisitions, which we've previously discussed. "China is taking advantage of the economic downturn to step up its global acquisitions and use its vast foreign exchange reserves (estimated at over $3 trillion in 2012) to help purchase equity in projects or acquire stakes in energy companies," says the EIA.
A Hint of Action Arrives
World markets may not have to wait much longer for Chinese policymakers to act, as the government recently announced new infrastructure projects. According to Bloomberg, China approved 25 new subway construction projects, with related investments estimated to be more than 840 billion yuan. Railway, subway and construction stocks in China increased on the news.
Stephen Roach concludes his discussion about China this way: "A growth slowdown is hardly shocking for an export-led economy. But China is in much better shape than the rest of the world. A powerful rebalancing strategy offers the structural and cyclical support that will allow it to avoid a hard landing."
Frank Holmes
U.S. Global Investors
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed and data provided are subject to change without notice. Some of these opinions may not be appropriate to every investor. By clicking the link above, you will be directed to a third-party website. U.S. Global Investors does not endorse all information supplied by this website and is not responsible for its content.
The J.P. Morgan Global Purchasing Manager's Index is an indicator of the economic health of the global manufacturing sector. The PMI index is based on five major indicators: new orders, inventory levels, production, supplier deliveries and the employment environment.


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Joaquin Almunia, EU Commissioner for Competition
Issued on: Modified:
Joaquin Almunia holds one of the most influential portfolios in the Commission. As the EU's antitrust regulator, he is responsible for guaranteeing fair competition across the EU. The Spanish Commissioner reacts to the downgrade of France's sovereign debt rating, the possible merger of Deutsche Boerse with NYSE Euronext, and the rise of protectionism.
Presented by Christophe Robeet
Prepared by Domitille Blanc


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Seth MacFarlane: 'Adaptation will be necessary' at Oscars
Moments after Seth MacFarlane was announced as host of the 85th Academy Awards on Monday, the Family Guy creator posted a video on Twitter showing him breaking the big news to his father. But Ronald MacFarlane seemed more interested in passing on hand-me-down bathing suits to his son.
He was definitely in the minority.
"I've been deluged with terrific e-mails and texts saying 'congrats!' " MacFarlane says. "And my father, he's come around, too."
The news of MacFarlane serving as host for Hollywood's biggest night — the Oscars will air Feb. 24 — has been greeted like a fresh breeze during Southern California's autumn heat wave. MacFarlane, 38, recently showed he can shake up the industry with his first feature film, Ted, a bawdy comedy for which he was director and voice of the lead character. It grossed $434 million worldwide to become the summer's surprise hit.
MacFarlane says he hopes show organizers overlooked the fact that he hosted the highly off-color Comedy Central roast of Charlie Sheen in 2011. Sorry, Seth, they saw it.
But during a conference call Monday, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said they were excited about the spark — and audience boost — that MacFarlane could bring to the show.
"We embrace everything about Seth," says Meron.
And during a time when the Oscar program is seeking a bigger proportion of the shrinking youth audience, MacFarlane could be a big draw. "We want the broadest audience for the show," adds Meron. "This host just increases that audience."
MacFarlane has promised that he will walk a different line with the Oscar crowd.
"The tone is something we're really going to be very conscientious of," says MacFarlane. "The trick will be to stay honest about what I do, but at the same time recognize that this is the Academy Awards. Some adaptation will be necessary."
MacFarlane says it took very little convincing to bring him on board.
"It's the kind of thing you don't say no to unless you're completely insane," he says. "To say I was surprised would be an understatement. But I felt comfortable saying yes."
It's too early in the process to give show specifics. But MacFarlane jokes that he will don one of his father's swim trunks for the opening numbers ("I think the green one with the white stripe"). And MacFarlane, who sang standards on his 2011 debut album, Music Is Better Than Words, concedes, "There's nothing I love more than being around orchestras. That's something we'll be making use of, I'm sure."
As for notorious bad boy and roastee Sheen, even he might be welcome to the big show.
"Oh, let him in for God's sake," MacFarlane told his producers.
"If he buys a ticket," says Zadan, "we'll consider it."


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The British Grand Prix has been held at Silverstone in Northamptonshire since the mid-1980s.
There is no strict-dress code for the stands and so you can get away with jeans. However, if you are lucky enough to have tickets for a private box then it is advisable that an effort should be made to look smarter, although it is wise to consult with your host as to what is expected.
Silverstone is always popular and so traffic around the area is a nightmare. Leave plenty of time to arrive as not to miss any of the race.
Further advice on this event – or any other event in the Season – can be obtained on request from The English Manner (www.theenglishmanner.com).
William Hanson
Tutor, The English Manner


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Mutt Mingle - LA
Mark your calendars for the last Tuesday of the month... it's Mutt Mingle time! Join us for our monthly mixer and enjoy special treats, toasts, and plenty of in-store tail-wagging.
Stay tuned for details of this event...
Mutt Mingles are a great way for your dog to learn valuable social skills. It's a chance for them to experience and interact in a social setting - with food, drink and plenty of other distractions. It's important for your dog to learn how to behave around other dogs and people. Dog parks or beaches can be very intimidating. Our indoor facility provides for a very comfortable setting and fun atmosphere. Dogs can be off-leash if supervised closely by their owners. For their protection, we lock the front door so dogs are safe from the street traffic.


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English Spanish Wedding, Pink Edges
These black and white wedding invitations dress up with a flashy little pink edge coloring. They were designed by the bride Laura Widmar. She incorporated both Spanish and English into each piece in the wedding suite by using the front and back sides of the cards. We letterpress printed them on 110lb Crane Lettra Pearl White and pasted them Spanish to English after printing, making a thick 220lb cover stock. We then trimmed them to size and edge colored everything in a bright pink.


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An Eclectic Halloween-Themed Wedding at The Cheney Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Horror-crazed couple Katie Tyne (29 and a morgue assistant) and Ryan Brinkerhoff (30 and a creative manager and graphic designer) relied on skull artifacts, vintage test tubes and bone-white details to bring their grave nuptials to life. "Til Death Do Us Part" was an obvious theme for the lifelong Halloween enthusiasts, who wed on Devil's Night in a loft lined with mid-century modern furniture. "We consider October to be 'our month,' so it was important we showcase our personalities and style on our wedding day," Katie says. The theme song from The Munsters played as newlyweds Katie and Ryan walked back up the aisle. Bell jars, black candles and brass accents filled the brick-walled venue, where guests gathered to sip pumpkin ale and witch potion cocktails. After the newlyweds shared a first dance to Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence," partygoers sunk their teeth into pumpkin spice cupcakes and treats from a taco bar.


text: advertising tips Mercedes ad Michael Leander2017-02-04T18:02:28+00:00 About the Author: Michael Leander Michael Leander is an award winning international speaker, trainer, consultant and board member. He speaks about topics related to marketing automation, email marketing, social media marketing, digital marketing, direct marketing, CRM and loyalty marketing. A consistently highly rated keynote speaker, marketing workshop trainer and panelist, he has shared his knowledge in more than 40 countries. Practicing what he preaches, Michael Leander also shares his knowledge and ideas on his blog and in all of the most popular social channels. Michael Leander hails from the Kingdom of Denmark.


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Foxwoods Group Has Mass. Casino Finance Deal
BOSTON (AP) — A group led by Foxwoods announced Friday that it had reached a deal to help finance its proposed $1 billion resort casino in Massachusetts, hours after being told by state gambling regulators that additional financing was one of several conditions it must meet to continue its pursuit of a gambling license.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
The conditional "suitability" ruling by the state gambling commission came two days after it was revealed that Crossroads Massachusetts, as the group is formally known, had yet to secure 55 percent of the equity financing needed for the proposed casino that would be operated by Foxwoods in Milford.
Because the group's application was incomplete without the financing, the five-member gambling commission said it could only issue a partial decision.
"Crossroads has met its burden of proof with respect to the completed parts of its application and accordingly is conditionally issued a positive determination of suitability," the commissioners said in a written decision.
The company announced late Friday that it had signed a letter of intent with Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc., to finance the Milford project. It described GLPI as newly-created spin-off from Penn National Gaming, a company that is bidding to operate a slots parlor at the Plainridge harness race track in Plainville.
"We're confident that GLPI's financial support will help us bring our project to fruition, providing great financial stability in addition to social and economic benefits to the local community," Foxwoods president and chief executive Scott Butera said in a statement.
Casino hopefuls in Massachusetts that submitted preliminary applications in January must clear two major hurdles before they can submit final applications by the state's Dec. 31 deadline. They must be deemed suitable by the commission after an extensive background check, and they must win the approval of residents of their host community in a referendum.
The referendum in Milford is scheduled for Tuesday. Had the commission issued an unsuitable ruling, Crossroads would have been disqualified and the vote rendered moot.
The key condition set by the panel was that the group line up the additional equity financing and show ability to obtain debt financing, and do both "in sufficient time" for the commission's investigative arm to complete its background check and issue a final suitability determination by Dec. 31.
Stephen Oakes, a spokesman for Crossroads, said in an email that GLPI would not be an equity partner in the company but would solidify financing for the project.
The commissioners said in their decision that if new financing resulted in changes to the applicant's current management structure, the new arrangement would also have to be detailed in time for the panel to review it. The fact that Penn National had already been vetted and qualified by the gambling commission was a "best case scenario," Butera said.
Another condition calls on the Mashantucket Pequot Indian tribe, which owns Foxwood's Connecticut casino, to agree in writing to waive its sovereign nation status for all matters related to the Massachusetts casino.
Foxwoods Massachusetts would be governed by a three-member board that consisted of Butera and two members of the tribal council, prompting some questions from the state regulators as to whether the board would operate completely independent from the council.
Foxwoods could face two competitors for the sole eastern Massachusetts resort casino license: Wynn Resorts, which has proposed a facility in Everett; and Suffolk Downs, which said this week it would move ahead with a proposed casino in Revere after being rejected by voters in East Boston.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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The Three Magi strives to help you make more enlightened choices. The freer you are, the more responsible you are for the consequences of your decisions. The opportunities of life are governed by precise cycles which can be determined through the science of astrology.
When you know what to expect, you're more likely to meet challenges with inner strength, use your resources wisely and maintain emotional peace. Every life has purpose. Destiny and fate, or karma, are braided together. To fulfill our highest calling, we must meet many trials on the way. Our purpose is to give you keys to self-understanding that will empower you on your journey. Wherever you are in consciousness, age or position, the potential for self-transformation to go higher is ever present.


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Average Customer Rating: (5 Reviews) Write a Review
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I bought this tool kit not wanting a cheap overall kit. It was well worth the money, and the vise is actually very good. The jaws are a little large for some midge hooks, but are great for all-around applications. The only thing I would suggest however is to get the matarelli style whip finisher, as this one comes with a thompson style wchich may give beginners trouble. Overall very good kit.
I bought two of these kits for my grandchildren, and had a lot of fun introducing them to fly tying. They thought the equipment was fine, and it was a good deal. However, an experienced tyer will find the vice adjustment to be coarse and a little challenging to set the proper pressure in hook holding. The included whip finisher is a piece of junk - just toss it! This is a good deal for the price, but not something one would be happy with for a longer term.
What a deal -- it's like getting the tools for free!!! Have tied about a dozen flies now, getting better (and faster) with each one. Any mistakes made are my fault, not the vise or tools. Good basic tool set -- all you need to get started. As a previous reviewer suggested, check all the screw-on parts on the vise every session. Takes a little practice to dial in the right tension on the vise to hold the hooks securely, but not too tight. Shipping costs very reasonable, items shipped out promptly and arrived quickly. I am a happy (and will be a return) customer
I have been searching for a fly tying kit at a lot of web sites when I came upon this one. I was very, very pleased with my choice. The vise holds any size hook very well and rotates 360'. The kit comes with 2 bobbins unlike other kits offering only one. The scissors, although the economy type, were well made and very sharp. This kit has everything and all items are well made. At this price it is an outstanding choice. 5 out of 5 on this kit. Thanks JS.
I've only had this for a week or so, but I can already attest to the value of this kit. This includes all the tools you need to get started and then some. All are solidly constructed and it appears that they will last for years. If you're starting out on a budget this is the way to go.
JSFlyFishing.com is a secure site that respects your privacy. © 2019 J. Stockard Fly Fishing


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Monday, March 4, 2013
Cobb salad { vegan }
Hey everyone, I have great dish from the secret recipe club again! A veganized Cobb salad, this was super easy to prepare and very tasty. It comes from fellow blogger, the daily dish recipes. Nicole makes some yummy looking recipes.
There are a few stories of how the Cobb salad was invented, I like the one were the Chef hadn't eaten until midnight so he threw some left overs together and behold this delicious creation! I had to omit a few of the traditionals because...well they are not vegan. HA. So instead I used almonds, Daiya cheese and oranges.
Cobb Salad
serves 4
I used my own maple balsamic vinegerette recipe.
3 cups mixed greens
1 carrot-peeled and shredded
1 green pepper- small diced
1 tomato- small diced
1 orange- segmented and small diced
1 avocado- small diced
1/4 cup almonds- chopped roughly
1/4 cup Daiya- -pepper jack cheese
Assemble in a salad dish and enjoy!!
7 comments:
Such beautiful colorful salad! Healthy and delish too, I bet :-)ReplyDelete
Yum! Couldn't think of a better mix of fresh, colourful ingredients!ReplyDelete
That salad looks beautiful and delicious. What a great pick for the SRC.ReplyDelete
Your salad looks perfectly delicious!ReplyDelete
If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my SRC entry Loaded Potato Soup.
What a pretty, colorful salad!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 8, 2013 at 5:02 PM
Cobb salad is always a good choice.ReplyDelete
Cobb salads are one of my go-to non-cooking meals. This looks so vibrant and delicious...and takes spins all the unhealthiness of regular cobbs into something healthy.ReplyDelete
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Louis Vuitton Monogram Ellipse Shopping Authentic Pre Owned
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Authenticity code: Louis Vuitton VI0978This authentic LV shopping bag features the traditional LV monogram canvas and leather trim. The perfect bag to bring anywhere. The interior is spacious and can fit all of your belongings perfectly. A classic LV that will remain timeless.
Authentic: Pre-Owned
Exterior: Gently used
Interior: Gently used
Measurements: 23" x 15" x 6.5" with 15" drop
Product Code: 104159
Read more about Louis Vuitton Date Code here.
All photos are of actual item being sold. © 2007-2019 LuxeDH.
This Louis Vuitton® item is guaranteed to be authentic. Louis Vuitton is a registered trademark of Louis Vuitton. LuxeDH is not affiliated with or represents Louis Vuitton in any way or form.
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Everything is in place, including a very simple, but decadent dessert. I whipped up a Brownie Cherry Cheesecake last night and it is sitting prominently in the kitchen...tempting me. I want to sink into the richness of the cheesecake and the sweetness of the brownie. I want to taste the burst of tart from a cherry on each bite. But for now, I wait because company is coming.
Brownie Layer:
1 brownie mix (for 8x8 inch pan)
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
1 egg
(or whatever ingredients are stated on the package)
Cheesecake Layer:
2 eggs
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 packages cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cans cherry pie filling
Spread batter in a 10" or 12" round spring form pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, and vanilla until creamy and smooth.
When brownie layer is baked, immediately pour cheesecake filling on top.
Spread carefully to edges of brownie.
Bake 30-40 minutes more, or until cheesecake is set and firm.
Cool for 2 hours.
Top with cherry pie filling.
(Flavor is best served at room temperature, but should be stored in refrigerator.) (Serves 12)


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text: There is now a linux native BLAS available through links at http://www.cs.utk.edu/~ghenry/distrib/ courtesy of the ASCI Option Red Project. There is also ATLAS (http://www.netlib.org/atlas/). Either library seems to link into NumPy without a hitch. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Beausoleil, Raymond" <firstname.lastname@example.com> To: <email@example.com> Cc: <firstname.lastname@example.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2000 2:31 PM Subject: RE: [Matrix-SIG] An Experiment in code-cleanup. > I've been reading the posts on this topic with considerable interest. For a > moment, I want to emphasize the "code-cleanup" angle more literally than the > functionality mods suggested so far. > > Several months ago, I hacked my personal copy of the NumPy distribution so > that I could use the Intel Math Kernel Library for Windows. The IMKL is > (1) freely available from Intel at > http://developer.intel.com/vtune/perflibst/mkl/index.htm; > (2) basically BLAS and LAPACK, with an FFT or two thrown in for good > measure; > (3) optimized for the different x86 processors (e.g., generic x86, Pentium > II & III); > (4) configured to use 1, 2, or 4 processors; and > (5) configured to use multithreading. > It is an impressive, fast implementation. I'm sure there are similar native > libraries available on other platforms. > > Probably due to my inexperience with both Python and NumPy, it took me a > couple of days to successfully tear out the f2c'd stuff and get the IMKL > linking correctly. The parts I've used work fine, but there are probably > other features that I haven't tested yet that still aren't up to snuff. In > any case, the resulting code wasn't very pretty. > > As long as the NumPy code is going to be commented and cleaned up, I'd be > glad to help make sure that the process of using a native BLAS/LAPACK > distribution (which was probably compiled using Fortran storage and naming > conventions) is more straightforward. Among the more tedious issues to > consider are: > (1) The extent of the support for LAPACK. Do we want to stick with LAPACK > Lite? > (2) The storage format. If we've still got row-ordered matrices under the > hood, and we want to use native LAPACK libraries that were compiled using > column-major format, then we'll have to be careful to set all of the flags > correctly. This isn't going to be a big deal, _unless_ NumPy will support > more of LAPACK when a native library is available. Then, of course, there > are the special cases: the IMKL has both a C and a Fortran interface to the > BLAS. > (3) Through the judicious use of header files with compiler-dependent flags, > we could accommodate the various naming conventions used when the FORTRAN > libraries were compiled (e.g., sgetrf_ or SGETRF). > > The primary output of this effort would be an expansion of the "Compilation > Notes" subsection of Section 15 of the NumPy documentation, and some header > files that made the recompilation easier than it is now. > > Regards, > > Ray > > ============================ > Ray Beausoleil > Hewlett-Packard Laboratories > mailto:email@example.com > Vox: 425-883-6648 > Fax: 425-883-2535 > HP Telnet: 957-4951 > ============================ > > _______________________________________________ > Matrix-SIG maillist - firstname.lastname@example.com > http://www.python.org/mailman/listinfo/matrix-sig >