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Wikipedia.org /wiki/Talk:S.S.C._ Napoli.S.C.
Napoli (pronounced is a professional Italian football club based in Naples, Campania.
Napoli totals around 960,000.
And the coppie di moda si muove current chairman of his native Italian football club.Napoli players - Wikipedia https.Wikipedia.org /wiki/ Naples_Metro The Naples Metro (Italian: Metropolitana di Napoli ; Neapolitan: Metrupulitana 'e Napule) is the metro system serving the city of Naples, Italy.Aurelio De Laurentiis, wikipedia https.Naples' wider metropolitan area, sometimes known as Greater Naples, has.Wikipedia.org /wiki/List_of_S.S.C._ Napoli _players Below is a list of notable footballers who have played for Napoli.Wikipedia.org /wiki/Michael napoli, michael Anthony, napoli (born October 31, 1981) is an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter who is a free agent.Wikipedia.org /wiki aurelio_De_Laurentiis, aurelio De Laurentiis.As of 2012, the population of the comune.She was the last member of the four-ship.
Napoli has been listed as one of the Sports and recreation good articles donnacercauomo novara under the good article criteria.
Porta San Gennaro - Wikipedia https.
He has played in Major.
M - Part of the AOL Search Network.
Skip over navigation, aurelio De Laurentiis, results From The m Content Network.Naples Metro - Wikipedia https.Province of Naples - Wikipedia https.Napoli - Wikipedia https.Wikipedia.org /wiki/ Porta_San_Gennaro Naples The Porta San Gennaro is one of the ancient gates of the city of Naples, located just southwest of the edge of the Piazza Cavour, just off the busy Via Foria and.Italian battleship Napoli, wikipedia https.Wikipedia.org /wiki/ Province_of_Naples The Province of Naples (Italian: Provincia di Napoli, Napulitano: Pruvincia 'e Nàpule) was a province in the Campania region of southern Italy; since January 2015.
Generally, this means players have played at least 50 matches or scored 10 goals for the club.


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One of the hardest challenges for any business is keeping customers loyal, so they continue to come back and keep spending.
We've discussed customer lifecycle marketing in a previous post, but today I want to focus on the nitty gritty of improving customer loyalty using upsells, cross-sells and downsells.
Upsells, cross-sells, and downsells are staples of marketing that benefit both customers and business owners. These techniques allow customers to get as much value as they possibly can from a company's products or services.
They also allow marketers and salesmen multiple opportunities to make their customers aware of such value, as well as multiple opportunities to make more sales.
But, as with all things marketing, for your upselling, cross-selling, and downselling initiatives to be effective, they must be done right.
Pop Quiz: What separates a 6-figure business from an 8-figure business? The answer might surprise you. Find out here.
In this article, we'll discuss the best practices for implementing these tactics, and provide examples of how some of the top companies in the world use upsells, downsells, and cross-sells to increase conversions and drive customer loyalty.
But, before we dive in, let's be clear on the differences between upsells, cross-sells, and downsells.
Upsells, Cross-Sells, and Downsells: What Are They?
While each of these terms relate to one another in a number of ways, they're quite different in their goals and the way in which they're implemented.
What is an Upsell?
An upsell occurs when a salesperson offers a customer a more advanced (or, more accurately, a less basic) product than what they're currently planning on purchasing.
Perhaps the most widely-known example of an upsell is McDonald's old "supersize" ask: for only a little more money, McDonald's used to provide larger serving sizes of drinks and fries (the practice has since been discontinued for various reason).
A more advanced example would be when a company offers "VIP service," "Platinum membership," or anything of the like. In this instance, customers will receive additional services on top of the basic offer a company provides – for an increased fee, of course.
What is a Cross-Sell?
Cross-sells are sometimes confused with upsells, but they belong to a category of their own. A cross-sell is when a company offers a supplemental product or service to a customer who plans on making – or has already made – a purchase.
To use another famous example from the fast food industry, a cross-sell occurs every time a cashier asks "Would you like fries with that?" The fries don't improve the burger that the customer has already stated they want; but they do add to the overall fast food meal.
Another example of a cross-sell is often seen in stores selling video game systems. As it can be assumed that a person buying a new system will end up purchasing games for it, some stores offer bundle packages that cut right to the chase, allowing customers to make both purchases at the same time (often for a discounted price).
What is a Downsell?
A downsell is when a salesperson offers a lesser (and likely more affordable) product or service when a prospect appears hesitant to make a purchase.
Downsells happen all the time at car dealerships. While they naturally will want to show off the best cars on the lot first, they usually end up showing the more affordable cars once they realize the high-end vehicles are out of a prospect's price range.
Downsells exist online, too. Some websites, when a visitor shows signs of bouncing, will offer a discount through an exit popup. By offering their products or services for a lower rate, these companies increase the chances that a visitor will convert into a paying customer.
When Should You Use Upsells, Cross-Sells, and Downsells?
We glossed over some of the more common moments in which these techniques are used, but let's break down all that goes into determining when you should use upsells, cross-sells, and downsells.
Upsells are best used when:
- The individual is on the cusp of making a purchase
- You (the salesperson) know as much as you possibly can about this customer and their persona
- The individual doesn't know exactly what they want – but you do, and you're able to explain how a higher-priced or more advanced product or service will be of more value to them.
Cross-sells should be used when:
- A customer is at the point of sale
- You know exactly what they're aiming to accomplish by making this purchase
- You have a supplemental product or service to offer that will enhance the customer's experience and help them reach their goals
Downsells work when:
- A product or service is out of the prospect's price range
- The customer is hesitant to make a commitment (such as to monthly payments or to a time-consuming service)
- The customer is ready to walk away
When implemented at the right moment, upsells, cross-sells, and downsells can turn hesitant prospects into paying customers, and can turn paying customers into loyal fanatics of your brand.
If you want to supercharge your marketing, you can (and should) combine upsells, cross-sells and downsells with other marketing tips, including education, Facebook ads and email marketing.
The Benefits of Using Upsells, Cross-Sells, and Downsells
Generally speaking, the use of upsells, cross-sells, and downsells has two major benefits to a company's bottom line:
- Increased conversion rate
- Increased customer retention, loyalty, and overall satisfaction
Using these techniques also helps your customers gain deeper awareness of the products and services your company provides, and allows you to focus on developing and exhibiting empathy for each one of your customers. This, in turn, inherently leads to the previously-mentioned positive effects on your company's bottom line.
Increased Conversion Rate
Upselling, cross-selling, and downselling can positively affect your conversion rates in a number of ways.
First, let's talk about product recommendations in general. According to research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru, the simple act of making recommendations for further purchases to customers can account for anywhere from 10-30% of overall e-commerce revenue. Over a decade ago, Amazon stated that upselling and cross-selling were responsible for 35% of the company's revenue.
To be sure, this number is largely atypical. However, it's generally accepted that upsells make up anywhere from 2-4% of a company's overall sales numbers, and cross-sales represent up to around 2% of such (usually around .5-1%).
As downselling is more of an "on the fly" technique and is harder to track (i.e., salespeople aren't likely to log instances in which they made a smaller sale in lieu of a customer turning away a larger sale), actual statistics regarding down sales are hard to pin down. However, it stands to reason that providing a more convenient or affordable option to prospects inherently nudges them closer toward making a purchase.
Customer Retention and Loyalty
All three of these actions also go a long way toward increasing customer retention rates and improving customer loyalty, as well.
As we've discussed before, customer loyalty is critical. Existing customers are 50% more likely to try new products, and spend 31% more than new customers. Furthermore, a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to an increase in future profits of 25%-95%.
In other words, upselling and cross-selling is inherently effective and beneficial to a company, as customers who have already made a purchase are more easily sold on other complementary products.
Additionally, each of these tactics goes a long way toward providing your customer with an overall positive experience:
- Upselling provides an opportunity for your customers to see the absolute best of what you have to offer
- Cross-selling allows you to show that you've put yourself in your customer's shoes in terms of how they'll use your product or service (and any supplemental products you offer)
- Downselling shows that you're interested in meeting their needs and helping them achieve their goals, not selling them something they don't want or can't afford
Before we go any further:
Yes, these tactics can be implemented in sneaky and underhanded ways in order to make a quick sale. But that's all that will happen: you'll make a quick sale, and lose a customer for life.
When these tactics are implemented with the customer's needs in mind, it makes a company more likeable and trustworthy. And, as the infographic linked to above mentions first and foremost, likability and trustworthiness are essential for creating a foundation of loyal customers.
Principles for Upselling, Cross-Selling, and Downselling
As we've mentioned, upselling, cross-selling, and downselling aren't necessarily a sure thing.
If implemented incorrectly, these tactics can alienate customers and lead them to break ties with your company for good (and possibly to share their negative experience with their friends and family members).
The following section will describe the fundamental tenets to live by when upselling, cross-selling, and downselling to your customers, provide actionable advice for how to live up to these tenets, and discuss real-world examples of how companies have successfully implemented these principles.
Know Your Customers and Their Needs
This piece of advice probably isn't news to you as a marketer or salesperson; it's generally accepted as fact that knowing and understanding your customers is essential if you want to have any hope of catering to their needs.
But let's take a look at this principle as it applies to upsells, cross-sells, and downsells.
First of all, in each case, you want to determine what you can offer your customer or prospect that will help them reach their goals.
The main thing to keep in mind here is your offer should be unique to each individual customer (or at least to their persona). As we discussed earlier, this will show them that your first order of business is to help them succeed – not to make a sale.
On the other hand, providing a blanket upsell, cross-sell, or downsell will make it clear you just want to offload product and make a quick buck, regardless of whether or not your offer actually helps your customer.
To further solidify in your prospects and customers the notion that you truly care about them, you should be prepared to explain exactly how an upgrade or supplemental product (or even a downgrade) will be of value to them.
From the example above, one thing is clear: the people at Dollar Shave Club know their customers. This, inherently, shows they understand the value of upselling and downselling: customers who want a more intimate shaving experience have the option of choosing "The Executive," while those looking for a quick, easy, and cheap shave can go with "The Humble Twin."
As an upsell, it's easy to imagine someone visiting DollarShaveClub.com looking for a cost-effective razor, noticing multiple options, and deciding to spend an extra $5-8 a month on an upgrade.
As a downsell… well, you can't get much more "down" than asking for a measly $1 a month in exchange for your product. But, with over two million members paying $1 per month, the company is guaranteed to generate $24 million a year in revenue – even if every customer chooses the cheapest subscription option.
But I digress.
Attention Founders: There are only 3 things you need to learn if you want to build a successful business. Find out what they are.
Back to the point, each of the three offers in the screenshot above are tailored to a specific persona. When it comes to upselling and downselling, there's an ever-so-slight difference between simply providing a variety of options and providing a variety of targeted options based on your customers' wants, needs, and goals.
Quick note: We'll dig into the best way to provide options when upselling, downselling, and cross-selling in a bit.
Knowing your customer and understanding their goals is also essential when attempting to make a cross-sale.
You know that each of your numerous customers are unique in some way or another. You understand that each of them will use your products or services in their own unique ways. So why would you take a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to cross-selling?
Obviously, you shouldn't.
Let's consider a simple situation in which two very different customers purchase the same product: a Blu-Ray/DVD player. One is a middle-aged woman with two toddler-aged children in tow; the other, a college-aged guy wearing a shirt he got at the local brewery.
Which customer would be more likely to be cross-sold on a bundle of sing-along DVDs? Which would you try to sell the Godfather trilogy to?
We've said it before, but it bears repeating:
The products or services you attempt to include when cross-selling should always compliment the customer experience for that specific customer. Keep your customer's goals in mind and they'll be more than happy to spend a little extra to make their life a little easier.
Don't Push or Force It
We've mentioned throughout this article that upselling and cross-selling tactics are only to be used when an individual has already made a purchase or when you're 99.9% certain they'll be following through with a purchase in mere moments.
But, you still run the risk of losing a sale – either the one at hand or potential sales in the future – if you're too pushy with your upselling and cross-selling suggestions.
Have you ever experienced the following scenario?
You step up to the cashier, who rings up your bill and asks you if you'd like to become a "VIP rewards member." You politely decline, only for the cashier to ask "Are you sure? You get a discount on blah, blah, blah, and it'll only cost you…"
If it has, you know that by the time the cashier starts explaining the benefits of the VIP program, the customer is already thinking about how great it'll be to pay their bill and get the heck out of there.
Reason being: the cashier was too pushy. First of all, the customer already declined the offer. Second of all, by asking "Are you sure?" the cashier makes the assumption that the customer doesn't know what he wants. (Another thing worth noting in this case: the cashier waited until after the customer declined the offer to explain the benefits of the VIP program.)
You can also come off as being too pushy by insinuating that a customer's decision to purchase one product or service over another is wrong, stupid, or crazy.
Let's revisit the Dollar Shave Club example from above. Imagine if, instead of presenting each offer objectively and letting the customer decide which is best for them, the webpage copy read something like "Sure, you can go for the cheap $1 subscription…but you'd be crazy to miss out on everything The Executive has to offer!"
Not only would nobody purchase the $1 subscription for fear of being labeled "crazy" – essentially rendering the offer useless – but also, many potential customers would likely be insulted by such insinuation – and might actually turn away from the company's other offers completely.
Whether upselling or downselling, there's potential for a salesperson to unwittingly come off as being too pushy and trying to force a sale. Of course, this can be ever-apparent when going for a cross-sale, as well.
Along with the now-obvious point that the product or service you're attempting to cross-sell needs to be relevant to your customer's individual needs, there's one other thing you need to keep in mind:
The 25% Rule.
This "rule" states that the item you're attempting to add onto your customer's order as a cross-sell should never cost more than 25% of their initial purchase.
For example, imagine you're at your local sporting goods store looking for a good pair of running sneakers. Which additional item would a salesperson have a better chance of selling to you: a pair of Underarmour sport socks, or a Fitbit Charge wristband?
Note: The answer to this question might be different if the customer has explicitly stated they're trying to dedicate themselves to becoming more fit – and stated that they have money to spend – but let's just assume the customer came to the store to buy running shoes and not much more.
In this example, your customer will be fairly likely to take on the relatively small cost of new socks, knowing that the slight increase in money spent will go a long way toward improving their comfort and mindset the next time they hit the gym.
On the other hand, the mere suggestion that a customer just up and decide to spend $100-$200 more than they planned could cause them to walk away without purchasing anything at all.
Simply put: when it comes to upselling, downselling, and cross-selling, show your customer their options – but respect and accept the decision they make.
Limit Your Customers' Options
Speaking of giving your customer options, it's important that you don't provide too many choices when it comes to upsells, downsells, and cross-sells.
You may have heard of the paradox of choice, or analysis paralysis. The idea is that, when confronted with too many choices, most people will become overwhelmed and end up not making any choice at all.
While it might seem helpful to provide a variety of pathways for your customer to take, it's actually more beneficial to narrow their choices and make the decision easier for them.
Take a look at the following ad:
Now check out this one:
The first ad is likely to send most customers into overload. There's just too much going on for a prospective customer to feel confident that the decision they end up making will be the right one. (And, forgetting about upsells, downsells, and cross-sells for a moment, it's clear to the customer the point of this ad is to sell, sell, sell.)
On the other hand, the Spotify ad provides two simple options: sign up for a free or paid-for premium subscription. The people at Spotify know most people are casual music fans who don't necessarily need high-quality audio and are content with sitting through a few ads if it means listening to free music. But they also know that, for those who live and breathe music, £10 a month is a pretty easy upsell.
For a prime example of how limiting choices while upselling or cross-selling can be effective, let's go back to Amazon.
I imagine there are hundreds of Game of Thrones-related products available on Amazon right now. But, rather than list all the possible products a person looking to purchase the Song of Ice and Fire pentalogy might find valuable, Amazon lists only two; each of which directly supplement a deep dive into the world of Westeros.
By providing a narrow field of options when attempting to upsell, downsell, or cross-sell a prospective customer, you prove that you understand exactly what they're looking to accomplish – but you ultimately leave the decision up to them.
If you aren't using upselling, downselling, and cross-selling tactics, you're not just missing out on additional revenue, but you're also missing out on opportunities to help your customers achieve their goals.
While generating additional revenue is obviously important, it's even more so to increase instances in which you provide value to your customers. In doing so, you all but ensure they'll return to you the next time they're in need of the services you provide.
As we've said throughout this article, the first step toward being able to effectively generate sales through upselling, downselling, and cross-selling is by getting to know your customer.


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Thank you, Lantana Foods, for inviting me out to try your delicious hummus! While I did receive some complimentary treats (from Lantana Foods and other companies), all opinions are my own. Now, let's get to it!
May's Austin Food Blogger's Association happy hour was a unique one! We met at Lantana Foods' offices on South Congress. They invited three other companies – Mighty Swell, Rays Spirits, and Siete – to showcase some of the products alongside Lantana Hummus. The set up was at "The White Hat" airstream park (check it out on Airbnb!). It was so cute! Although I did get 8 mosquito bites…
I'm already a hummus fan and I really liked Lantana Hummus a lot. Their hummus is different because it is made with white beans and lentils, not chickpeas. I'd never heard of hummus that wasn't chickpeas! Apparently, chickpeas have a bold flavor, while white beans are more of a blank canvas. Their neutral flavor makes them much better for mixing flavors, especially the sweet ones. My favorite hummus that I tried was their edamame hummus. It was so tasty and smooth!
Lantana Foods set out a food spread with different appetizers made with their hummus. We had meatballs dipped in their sriracha carrot hummus, tacos filled with black bean hummus, and small bread bites topped with white bean hummus. I wasn't a fan of the black bean hummus tacos… I was very aware I wasn't eating actual beans. I'll stick to just dipping my veggies 🙂
One of the coolest parts of the night was getting to participate in their focus group. They are testing out four new, sweet hummus flavors – cherry, strawberry, mango, and blueberry. I expected to like the cherry the best, but I actually really enjoyed the blueberry! I hope a store picks up some of these sweet flavors. I can't wait to buy that blueberry hummus.
Rays Spirits was there with their 34 proof spirit in lemon, lime, and blood orange. It's more tangy than sweet. I'm not a fan of sweet drinks, so this was right up my alley. The drink is pretty versatile. It can be used as a mixer or on its own. You can mix it with some beer to make a nice shandy, or pour yourself a small glass over ice. The one I drank was lemon mixed with Topo Chico and it was SO good. You know you love Topo Chico. I liked this drink because it's something you can sip on by the pool without worrying about going overboard, especially if it's mixed (unlike a hard alcohol mixed drink). Rays Spirits are available at H-E-B and Central Market in the "mixers" aisle.
And now my new favorite drink – Mighty Swell. They're a wine spritzer (like carbonated wine) with only 4 grams of sugar and 120 calories. They're also gluten-free if that's something that's important to you. They've had a slight flavor adjustment recently, which creates a more consistent taste across their different flavors. The fact that they're in a can is also nice – way more outdoor party friendly.
Siete has the most amazing origin story. They make grain-free Mexican-American food products. Currently, their company employs seven (siete) family members who work full time. It all began with a diet change. Veronica, one of the sisters, was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases when she was younger and so the whole family adopted a low-inflammation, grain-free diet as a way to help Veronica live a more comfortable life. They started making their own grain-free tortillas and the brand has expanded from there. Siete is currently based in and manufactured out of Austin. These chips are delicious and although I am not grain-free, I'm choosing to buy these tortilla chips. They're that good! Be on the lookout for hot sauces to join their tortillas and tortilla chips soon!
Thank you, Lantana Hummus for putting together such a fun outdoor event for us bloggers! I discovered some really delicious, new brands. Best of luck to you at the upcoming trade show – someone HAS to buy your sweet hummus flavors!


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You are here
You could probably script a better start to the USA Sevens for the home team, but why would you? The Eagles went 2-0, avenging recent losses to tough opponents, and they're onto the quarterfinals for the fourth-straight year. Neither Samoa nor Australia made the Eagles sweat in the second half, allowing the Americans to empty the bench and for debutant Cody Melphy to touch the field.
"We've been playing great rugby, and that's why we've been coming out on top," said Perry Baker, who scored twice against Australia. "We're trusting each other, and we're working hard for each other, and that's what helped us get those Ws today."
"Two victories is two victories. It's kind of what we set out to do is get a couple of wins and then set us up for day two," added Danny Barrett, who scored twice on Samoa. "I mean, into the quarterfinals now. We've got Spain coming up tomorrow afternoon. We made it easier for ourselves with those two."
The Eagles lost to Samoa in pool play in Hamilton, New Zealand, the last stop of the Series. And they were beaten by Australia in Sydney. The latter left a bad taste in their mouths.
"Our captain told us before this game they served us very well on their home turf, and now it's time to pay them back and serve them well on our home turf, and we wanted to back up our captain who asked us and demanded for us to work hard," said Baker.
"They got us on Australia Day in Australia, so it's nice to get them back on home turf, get another shot at them and give it to them."
Before the quarterfinals, though, is the pool finale against Spain. If the USA is playing up to par, that should be a clean sheet. Then it would likely be the loser between South Africa or England in the quarterfinals.
The Blitzboks shellacked the Eagles in the Sydney semifinals, as they did in Las Vegas a year ago. The Boks are the reigning World champs and currently sit in first place. Fitting that the road to the top runs through them.
"We played South Africa four-straight semifinals last year, played them in five straight knockout games," said Barrett, "so that's what we're thinking about."
Also looming over the USA's collective head is three-straight semifinal losses in Las Vegas.
"We're tired of dying out on our home turf on the semifinals," said Baker. "So we first got to take care of these games, and then we'll take care of that semi when it gets here."


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Quite often webmasters ask a very simple question, yet can be termed as the 'Million Dollar' question. "How can I get more traffic to my sites" While there is no definitive answer to that and there is no magic pill that can get your site good traffic, the chances of increasing your traffic is much higher with WordPress. One of the simple ways to get traffic to your websites starts by letting other sites or services know that you have new content published on your site.
WordPress has an in-built feature that allows webmasters to define a list of sites or services such that every time you hit the publish button, your URL is automatically 'pinged' to these services. This featured can be accessed under Settings>Writing>Update Services.
What is the update services
Update Services are tools you can use to let other people know you've updated your blog. WordPress automatically notifies popular Update Services that you've updated your blog by sending a XML-RPC ping each time you create or update a post. In turn, Update Services process the ping and updates their proprietary indices with your update. Now people browsing sites like Technorati or Sphere can find your most recent posts!
To quote pingomatic, one of the premier ping sites:
So why would you want to be on these sites? One word: traffic. Blogrolling scripts like blogrolling.com and WordPress check update services to see if you've updated and then shows it on everyone's site — usually by moving you to the top of people's blogrolling list or putting a recently updated indicator by your link. Services like Technorati spider your links to track who links to you and who you link to; almost in real time. If you show up on someone's Technorati link list (often called an "egorati search") they're likely to visit your site to see what you said, increasing your exposure. Other sites like weblogs.com and blo.gs list recently updated blogs. Lots of people browse these when they're bored. Many of the services offer their own forms for pinging their own service, but keeping track of all those services is a hassle.
In order to take advantage of the Update service facility, one needs to understand the term RPC-XML
XML RPC is nothing but an XML remote procedure call that transmits your XML data via the HTTP to a list of servers. Most commonly known as RSS or XML feeds. Let's end the technical stuff here. One common question that might come up is, why ping?
Reasons to ping your websites/articles
Making use of the pinging services, gives search engines spiders a higher probability to index your blog, website or article quicker. And you know that being in better rank means traffic for your blog and money for yourself. Pinging or Update services makes search engine crawl your link. Bear in mind that pinging your URL is quite different from social bookmarking. A good comparison would be that pinging is to search spiders and sites, what social bookmarking is for us humans.
Without much further ado, here is a list of ping sites you can use. In order to use this go to your 'Writing settings' page and scroll to the 'Update services' section and paste the links below. So the next time you click 'Publish' you can be sure that your article or content is being distributed far and wide.
Download Ping List => http://www.mediafire.com/?twbyilozzc6y4v7


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May 2, 1993, Section 7, Page 14Buy Reprints
THE OUTLAW BANK A Wild Ride Into the Secret Heart of BCCI. By Jonathan Beaty and S. C. Gwynne. 399 pp. New York: Random House. $25.
ROBERT LUDLUM's spy thrillers, it has been said, conjure up conspiracies at once so vast that they involve everyone, yet so secret that no one knows about them. This aptly describes the true-life story of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (B.C.C.I.), the sinister financial empire built on Middle East oil money that pulled off one of the biggest financial scams in history.
Plopped down before us in all their sprawling amorphousness, the B.C.C.I. developments are very near impossible to grasp, involving as they do 76 countries and an unlikely cast of characters that includes the Shah of Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini, Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega of Panama and the Arab terrorist Abu Nidal. To say nothing of drug smuggling, money laundering, illegal arms dealing (and nuclear arms to boot), bribery of world leaders, assassination, the Iran-contra scandal, the balance of power in the Middle East and, the authors assert, a vast cover-up by some of Washington's most powerful agencies. Have we left anything out? The more you examine the B.C.C.I. story, the more it looks like what conspiracy theorists like to call the Master Conspiracy.
There have been a number of books on B.C.C.I. published recently, several of them quite good, but "The Outlaw Bank," by Jonathan Beaty and S. C. Gwynne, the Time magazine investigative team that was among the first to break the story, sets itself apart by virtue of its lively approach.
Rather than laying out the B.C.C.I. scandal in purely expository fashion, "The Outlaw Bank" borrows the technique so memorably employed by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their account of Watergate, "All the President's Men": Mr. Beaty and Mr. Gwynne tell us not just the B.C.C.I. story, but the story they see behind the story. The Time reporters were early to assert B.C.C.I.'s central role in financing Pakistan's development of nuclear weapons and that the bank kept on its payroll a "black network" of hit men and spies trained in terrorism and electronic eavesdropping -- a sensational allegation that like some, but not most other revelations in this extensively detailed book, is unsatisfactorily documented. (And indeed, the authors say they cannot confirm "black network" involvement in assassinations.)
They even have their own Deep Throat, a "highly placed American intelligence source" they call Condor, whose credibility was apparently so great that if he confirmed something, Time published it as "fact, without attribution." Condor's utterances are often Delphic: "You just want to look around. Not everything is as it appears." There are clandestine meetings in London and the Caribbean, in train stations and aboard a 747 bound for Casablanca. Mr. Beaty remarks to Mr. Gwynne, "I can't decide whether we still work for Time or we're in the middle of a spy novel."
They limn the B.C.C.I. story in a way that's both lucid and absorbing, providing necessary historical background but not impeding the narrative momentum. For all its intrigue, though, B.C.C.I. lacks Watergate's satisfying dramatic arc. The contours of the story are too unwieldy. Even the institution's origins are murky: it was created by a slick Pakistani banker named Agha Hasan Abedi, a Shiite Muslim who dreamed of creating a multinational banking empire out of the oil money in which the Arab states were awash in the 1970's. Mr. Abedi, a natty dresser with a fondness for pink shirts, pinstripes and lizard-skin shoes, schmoozed and bribed his way through the Middle East and then around the world, doing favors here and setting branches up there, soon building a bank holding company that when it was shut down by international bank regulators in 1991 had assets of more than $20 billion.
"The enduring mystery at the heart of the BCCI affair," the authors write, was why the bank got away with it for so many years. They assert that as early as 1979, United States intelligence knew about B.C.C.I.'s criminal involvement with terrorists and drug dealers -- but Washington did nothing until compelled by unrelenting pressure from Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan District Attorney.
Why? The United States Government (like those of France, England, Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia and like so many other Governments around the world) was too deeply entangled in B.C.C.I.'s web. According to Mr. Beaty and Mr. Gwynne, both the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency kept slush funds with B.C.C.I. to finance covert operations.
Indeed, B.C.C.I.'s cloak-and-dagger ways are said in the book to have been especially attractive to William Casey, the late Director of Central Intelligence, who found the bank quite handy in supplying the Afghan rebels with weapons at a time when American involvement had to be kept sub rosa. Moreover, the authors say, any investigation of B.C.C.I. would have revealed far too much about the C.I.A.'s role in the Iran-contra scandal -- since the bank, they say, was used by the National Security Council, Lieut. Col. Oliver North and Mr. Casey in both arming Iranian extremists and helping the Nicaraguan rebels.
And in 1991, they say, an investigation also would have implicated the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi -- and therefore imperiled the fragile alliance that the Bush Administration had forged to fight the war against Iraq. (Of course, an inquiry could also have found, they note, that B.C.C.I. had -- through the Atlanta branch of Italy's Banco Nazionale del Lavoro -- helped pay for Saddam Hussein's military buildup.)
As of this writing, the former Secretary of Defense and ultimate Washington insider, Clark M. Clifford, and his law partner and protege, Robert A. Altman, are on trial in New York (Mr. Clifford in absentia), charged with taking millions of dollars in bribes to help B.C.C.I. illegally buy First American Bankshares, a large Washington bank holding company that they headed.
"The Outlaw Bank" calls their credibility into serious doubt, asserting that Mr. Clifford "lied" when he insisted he'd never made any more than $1 million from B.C.C.I.; it was more like $21 million, they say, of which $1.5 million "looks very much like a kickback" for easing B.C.C.I.'s way through American interstate banking law. In a revealing vignette, they recall Mr. Clifford calling Mr. Beaty and, "in his sonorous voice," protesting his innocence while making a "particularly strange threat": How could the journalists treat him so shabbily? "After all," they quote him as saying, "I handled [ Time's ] problems with the postal commission for years: I think you should ask somebody about that."
Whatever the outcome of the trial, the B.C.C.I. affair effectively turned on its head the old saw that if you borrow a hundred bucks, the bank owns you, but if you borrow a hundred million, you own the bank. For well over a decade, by means of bribery, extortion and influence-peddling, the Bank of Credit and Commerce International all but owned its clients.


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Listing a set of values is pretty easy. But if you don't allow yourself and your staff the time and energy to build your values into a culture, the values will never have the power to build your brand. Let's talk about values and how to get past those roadblocks so your brand can benefit Read More
Meet Our New Web Designer: Moriah
Moriah wandered her way down to Arizona from Connecticut two years ago to study design and development at Arizona State University. She tried to escape a few times, but the pavement melted her shoes and she ended up stuck here. It's ok though, because Resound is kind of a perfect fit for her, and we Read More
Saturating Your Organizational Culture with Values
Who determines values in your organization? Is it your CEO? Your board? Your marketing director? If you work for one of the few companies that receive input on corporate values from the leadership team…count yourself lucky. In my experience, anything related to differentiation and messaging tends to be relegated to the marketing team – values Read More
Meet Our New Project Manager: Chris Stadler
You might recognize Chris's name from the rad new podcast that launched this year: AZ Brandcast. Mike Jones (our Managing Partner) and Chris are a kickass team on the air, so it can't hurt to bring that smooth chemistry to the business, right? We say absolutely. Chris brings more to Resound than a wicked podcast Read More
Leadership Lessons from a 9-Year-Old Shoplifter
I'll be honest, I was pretty shocked and disheartened when I found stolen merchandise in my 9-year-old son's room. On one hand, I was slightly amused that his sticky fingers latched onto two travel-sized hand sanitizers from Bath & Body Works. At least the kid appreciates cleanliness. On the other hand, I was disappointed that Read More


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Funding 365 and Adapt Finance complete £1.46m commercial bridge
Funding 365 and Adapt Finance teamed up to complete a £1.46m commercial bridge at 0.75% per month.
The client was looking to secure funding to develop the top three floors of their commercial property in Berkshire, with planning permission already in place.
After Adapt brokered a development facility for the top three floors, Funding 365 was happy to offer 0.75% per month commercial interest rate at a 65% LTV given that the ground floor was tenanted and the borrower was an experienced property professional with a secure exit plan.
Laura Kendall, marketing director at Funding 365, said: "Adapt orchestrated this complicated deal involving different loans and lenders with their usual skill and good humour.
"We always have complete confidence that any deals that they package will complete with the minimum of fuss."
Jordan McBriar, managing director at Adapt Finance, added: "It was critical to complete both the development funding and commercial bridge on the same day and we knew we could rely on Funding 365 to deliver.
"Keeping a keen rate, the client was more than happy with the whole experience."


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'India robbed in the name of achche din': Rahul, Mamata attack Modi's demonetisation move
Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal chief minister launched a scathing attack on the Centre for its demonetisation exercise, questioning when the cash crunch situation triggered by the move will improve.india Updated: Dec 27, 2016 16:45 IST
Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Centre for its demonetisation exercise, asking when the cash crunch situation triggered by the move will improve.
Congress vice-president Gandhi, who has of late been unsparing in his attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also questioned the motive behind the Centre's decision to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes.
At a press conference by Opposition parties, he reminded that the government had assured that the situation will improve after December 30, but things were still looking grim.
Though Gandhi's party failed to rally a united Opposition, Banerjee, sitting next to the Congress leader, was aggressive.
The Trinamool Congress chief said the note ban exercise was a "mega scam" that had shattered the economy.
She alleged that farmers and businesses across the country were reeling due to the decision.
Banerjee also said the Opposition parties will chart a common minimum programme on demonetisation and corruption, even as she pointed fingers at the state of governance in the country.
"The country has been robbed in the name of achche din (good days)," she said, referring to the ruling BJP's election slogan in 2014.
Soon after the Opposition's press conference, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a counter-offensive on Banerjee and Gandhi.
He said PM Modi had stressed time and again that the people of the country were supporting the note ban move, and asked whether this could be the reason behind the Opposition's discomfort.
Prasad also targeted Gandhi, who has alleged that Modi took bribes from corporates as Gujarat CM, raking up the much-debated issue of corruption in the previous UPA regime.
(With agency inputs)
Read: Oppn split again: JD(U), CPM decide to skip Cong's show of strength


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- Home
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Weight: 38.84 ct
Size: 27.8 x 16.6 x 11.0 mm
Blue fluorite octahedrons inclusions in quartz from Madagascar.
Fantastic sample for gemologists, micromount and inclusions collectors!
|colorless quartz with blue fluorite inclusions
|emerald cut, specially faceted to show these fantastic inclusions
|Miandrivazo, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar
First presented at the Tucson Show of 2005, with very few material produced.
Nowadays, quartz crystals with these perfectly formed fluorite inclusions from this source are very rare at the market.


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anglia.ac.uk is worth $ 156,240.00
safe advertisement
2.83 Rating by TriPHP Website Worth
It has a alexa rank of #53,217 in the world. It is a domain having .ac.uk extension. This site has a Google PageRank of 7/10. It is estimated worth of $ 156,240.00 and have a daily income of around $ 217.00. As no active threats were reported recently, anglia.ac.uk is SAFE to browse.
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|Daily Unique Visitors:
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|$ 156,240.00
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Managed services companies upbeat despite economic signals
At MSPWorld, managed services executives expressed guarded optimism regarding MSP market prospects and growth potential, despite some economic concerns. Continue Reading
How the channel can help fight bias in AI applications
Customers' AI applications pose the risk of producing prejudiced results. Channel firms, however, can step in to educate organizations and reduce harmful biases within AI systems. Continue Reading
Accenture adds Google to multi-cloud strategy
Accenture IT is embracing a multi-cloud management approach, providing an example for clients exploring the use of more than one public cloud platform. Continue Reading
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AI in financial services is opening channel partner prospects, from building customer service chatbots to creating a better customer onboarding process. Continue Reading
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In the highly competitive tech labor market, channel partners are formalizing IT apprenticeship programs to cultivate the next generation of IT talent. Continue Reading


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Pleated Border Duvet Cover & Shams
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
Wide pleats add distinctive symmetry and contemporary style to our cotton percale bedding. The duvet cover and shams are woven from long-staple cotton for an exceptionally smooth feel. Designed to coordinate with a range of colors and patterns, this bedding offers countless possibilities.
- Woven of pure cotton to a 280-thread count.
- Duvet cover has button closure and inside ties to secure duvet.
- Flanged shams have envelope closures.
- Reverses to solid white.
- Dimensions & More Info
Duvet Cover:
- Full/Queen: 92" x 88"
- King/Cal King: 92" x 108"
- Standard sham: 27" x 20" with 3" flange
- King sham: 36" x 20" with 3" flange
- Euro sham: 26" sq. with 3" flange
Additional Information
- Made in China.
- Use & Care
- Machine-wash warm, gentle cycle.
- Use only non-chlorine bleach when needed.
- Tumble dry low.
- Warm iron as needed.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
This item is shipped from our warehouse by UPS to arrive within 3-5 business days of our receiving your order.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Return Policy
Our products are designed with your comfort and style in mind. Made-to-order items (as marked) are not returnable but may be cancelled only within 24 hours of order placement. We cannot accept cancellations or returns on monogrammed items. Should your item arrive damaged or with a defect, please contact us at 888.922.4108 within 7 days so that we may arrange for a replacement. All other items (with the exception of those marked as Final Sale) may be returned within 30 days of receipt for a refund of merchandise only. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned. View Full Returns Policy.
Duvet Cover
Shams, Each
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Sempione Park is a green area of the city of Milan. Built in the late nineteenth century the area already occupied by the parade ground, Continue Reading
Tag Archives Castle
Bellesguard Tower
The tower Bellesguard (Beautiful view in Catalan), designed by Antoni Gaudi and built between 1900 and 1909, is located at the foot of the mountain Continue Reading
The Castello Sforzesco
The Castello Sforzesco is one of the main symbols of Milan and its history. It was built in the fifteenth century by Francesco Sforza, who Continue Reading
Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro
"El Morro" is the oldest structure on the eastern side of the bay, built from 1589 to stem the raids of pirates. It was designed Continue Reading
888.246 Poppies flow like blood from the Tower of London in memory of fallen soldiers
This summer, the Tower of London will be surrounded by a sea of poppies. The installation, conceived by Paul Cummins and the designer Tom Piper, Continue Reading
Casa Loma
Inaugurated in 1911, Casa Loma was the residence of the millionaire financier Sir Henry Pellatt. This refined residence, located in the suburb of Forest Hill, Continue Reading
The Buda Castle
Nucleus of the city of Budapest, on this hill and within the walls of the castle were to shelter the inhabitants of Pest when it Continue Reading
Fisherman s Bastion
The Fishermen's Bastion is one of the obligatory visits once you are in the city of Budapest. E 'in Buda, the highest part of the Continue Reading
Vajdahunyad Castle
Beautiful place to visit if you are in Budapest. It is located in Városliget Park, just behind the Heroes' Square (where you can find the Continue Reading
Schloss Johannisburg
This Renaissance masterpiece is the most impressive castle near Frankfurt, situated on the bank of the river Main, Aschaffenburg. Built of red sandstone in the Continue Reading
Dublin Castle
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Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace is one of the few remaining witnesses to Berlin of the magnificence and splendor of the Hohenzollern dynasty. The illustrious Electress Sophie Charlotte Continue Reading


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Najib Amhali will play an Italian car salesman to impress the woman of his dreams, but he gets entangled in his own web of lies.
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Victory Line Discontinuing CLEARANCE Hydraulic Fitness Equipment
Fit Express is discontinuing several of our old lines so that we can focus all of our energy on our Signature, Club, and Kid's Lines. Our Signature Line is our most advanced yet offering both variable Speed and Resistance controls!
You're not going to find hydraulic equipment this versatile anywhere else on the market! If you're looking to attract new members and retain current members look no further to give your members an incredible exercise experience with our Signature Line featuring our F.I.T. (Fluid Interval Training) exercise program.
New to Hydraulic Exercise Equipment? Give your members something new and exciting by adding our incredible combination (cardio and strength) dual muscle hydraulic equipment. And you're not going to find better prices than our clearance sale ANYWHERE! Get slightly older yet brand new, perfectly working, and extremely well built equipment still 100% backed by our industry-leading warranty.
And since hydraulic resistance is still new to most people your members will thank you for giving them an exciting new option that will give them great results in less time.
So hurry, because now's your chance to buy, for a limited time, at wholesale pricing, the equipment that populated Lady of America®, Slender Lady®, and Healthy Inspirations® gym franchises, and over 4,000 locations in over 30 countries worldwide.
Get the equipment that gave Curves® a run for their money at an unbeatably low price! Full turn-key packages and training are also available.Already own a Victory Line Circuit? Current customers of the Victory Line may request a missing piece of equipment with a custom order.
Even though this line has been discontinued, we will do this as a courtesy to our current customers. Fit Express is dedicated to offering full customer support for all of our fitness equipment!


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For the most part I only drink white wine, and usually Riesling. I picked up this particular wine because it had a fun label and name, and the description sounded good. Very scientific, huh?
It's White Truck by Cline Cellars, which is apparently in central California somewhere. Here's the winemaker's comments, which are, incidentally, what were posted next to the display at the store that made me want to buy it:
This bright fresh wine exhibits grapefruit, gooseberry and orange flavors. No oak or malolactic fermentation was used in this blend. white truck pairs well with spicy foods or can be a delightful treat all by itself.
So, there you go. I liked it...but, I'm more than willing to admit that my high-class taste in beer probably doesn't follow to my taste in wine. A bottle of this ran about $12.


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indigo stretch denim nehru-collar Architect jacket
indigo stretch denim nehru-collar Architect jacket
- Order number: 3191000001_44.50
You appreciate hollington's 'work wear' style, its comfortable and handy clothing line? In that case, the Architect jacket should be the central piece of your wardrobe. Patric Hollington designed it shortly after he opened his first store in 1974 and it soon became one of the brand's best-sellling pieces.
Why are you taking it on so easily? Is it for its unrivalled comfort? Its straight cut also allows you to match it with various styles of outfit. It will never feel too tight as it includes a back pleat that allows a great freedom of movement in any situation.
As for the style and originality of this jacket, the set of pockets designed on the chest gave it its 'Architect' name. It includes five piped pockets, but also three inside pockets, so you won't need to carry a bag.
Its nehru collar goes slightly higher on the neck than a mao collar – this is the key of its increased elegance.
Are you not very familiar with the name of Jawaharlal Nehru? He is best know under the name Pandit Nehru and was one of the figureheads of India's fight for independence, opening the way to a secular and modern state. If you look at pictures of him, you will see that he wore shirts and jackets which collars resemble hollington's.
The jacket shown here is cut in an indigo stretch denim. This denim is woven with a touch of elastane to increase your comfort. Its thread is black – therefore the indigo colour is very deep. The garment is washed after production, softly enough for the colour to stay intense and get a patina after repeated washing. The fabric is neither too heavy nor too thin and matches any circumstances, from the city to the countryside and your workplace to your leisure spot.
- Nehru-collar Architect jacket
- Lined with the same fabric
- Straight cut
- Five outside inlaid and piped pockets
- Two inside zipped pockets and one chest pocket
- Back pleat
- Back length size 46: 76 cm
- 98% cotton 2% elastane composition
- Cleaning instructions: delicate mode machine washing at 30°C - gentle ironing - do not tumble dry –
Gaël is 1.82 m tall and wears a 46 size.
|without collar
Delivery deadlines will be within a timescale of one to twenty one working days. it depends of the delivery places and the shipping methods. delivery deadlines are calculated as from confirmation of, and payment for, the order.
the customer has 14 business days as from receipt of the package in which to return to PHD SARL the product(s) that he finds unsatisfactory.
all garments are delivered unfinished (sleeves of jackets and hems of trousers). alterations are in charge of the customer. we do not take orders for alterations by mail or phone.


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Ben & Jerry's has created a Canadian ice cream that is combination of vanilla ice cream, fudge-covered waffle cone pieces plus a fudge swirl. While it is on the market under the temporary name of We are Waffling, they are soliciting the suggestions via its Canadian Facebook page. While it is great for Canada to get it's own ice cream flavour, I think the Vermont-based company is a bit off the mark as to what defines Canadian culinary tastes!
Fudge is not a Canadian as in truly Canadian taste sensation. They should have focused on butter tarts, maple syrup or Nanamio Bars to get that uniquely Canadian flavour. Or perhaps poutine, eh? See the Americans just never really get it, do they?
Time Management
8 months ago


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Article Tools
Mitterlehner Wishes to Push SMEs and Venture Capital
Published: February 4, 2011; 00:04 · (Vindobona)
The Austrian Minister of Economy launches an initiative with the aim of doubling the venture capital of Austrian companies to € 400m.
Mitterlehner Wishes to Push SMEs and Venture Capital / Picture: © Wikipedia / Manfred Werner / TsuiThis article includes a total of 256 words.
"It is important to take advantage of the growth potential and competitiveness of Austria and increase it. We must transform the current recovery into a steady upswing", says Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner.
With an "initiative for small and middle sized enterprises", 1,500 additional SMEs are to be created in the next two years in Austria. "Through our initiatives, we motivate…
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The People Who Are Thousands Of Miles Away From You,
Can Makes You Feel Better And
Smile Than People Right Beside You.
It's All About Love!
If You Love Someone,
Give Them The Option To Leave
Never Give Them A Reason To Leave!
A candle may melt
and it's fire may die,
but the love you have
given me will always
stay as a flame in my heart.
Love Someone.
Not Because They Give
You What You Need. !!!
Because They Give You Feelings
You Never Thought You Needed!
Love is not about finding the right person,
but creating a right relationship.
It's not about
How much love you have in the beginning
how much love you build till the end.
© 2018 Quotes4SMS.com | Sitemap (XML)


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I was merely 13 years old when I had my first drink. I had the last drink at 20, nearing Christmas. I don't really remember when I stopped drinking in my youth, but there where times. And I remember the first time that I mixed alcohol with any kind of drug. This is the first time I experienced any sort of gateway. I was young and instantly hooked by an already changing brain chemistry and soon to be changing social climate. What is a youth to do? I didn't know this would lead me to what most call a "gateway" or my eventual illicit addictions, but I lived the best I could!
I was 15 at the time and had managed to stay in in a good academic standpoint. I remember things were gliding by just fine for my life, my first love, and me. Things were fine, for now. But, I was young and in puppy… whatever? And if something was to become bad for me, I am young, I'll bounce back right? But, as I'm already guessing about the future, the present was all but dull at 15.
I remember the late night phone calls I had with she who shall not be named. We would usually have such great phone calls, but I could tell something was up this time. I was in dissolution when "the guys" at her school said she's sleeping around. I guess now we will see the truths as "Vader" clicks the phone and says were done… for the first emotionally tormenting time. I call back and she listens to me yell and scream a little bit, while she was partially drawing a tear… not. I felt like nice guys do finish last, as I seem all but nice.
How could my first love break up with me? We were supposed to get married. The early adolescent chain in psychology now gears towards attachment issues and there is a shift in paradigm developing. "OH NO OH NO. Stop… She's gone and she's not coming back? Or is she?" I see where I got the paranoia from, and why I did so many downers, they treated me like I was available ready to be used again. Burned, but certainly not broken. [lies]
I tore into a bottle of 7 o' clock vodka that I pawned a crack head into buying for me in exchange for a five dollar rock. It was all-good in this neighborhood because I was only 15 minutes outside the brinks of me and Detroit Rock City. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll were a thing; they began to be my thing soon.
I drank nearly half of the fifth while then trying to break a plastic effing bottle on the side of a curb. I got the shitty kind of bottle with the damn filter on top… yeah one of those ones. I went cheap but hard, real hard. What? I'm broke but not dumb, that stuff will get anyone drunk!
I see a pattern in youthful development happening as deviance begins to appear apparent. As the deviance begins then so does the constant need to feed an everlasting hunger. This hunger is, was, and always will be the good-for-nothing taste of addiction. This is the addiction that leaves a bad taste in your mouth and a foul stench on your upper lip irritating the tips of your nostrils.
I started using at a young age, and I developed an extremely co-dependent relationship with an abusive (still underage—same age as me) female person. I fed off the unnatural cycle of an ever-growing culture within teens and technology advancements that allow us youth to stay in contact 24 hours a day and conceal it. All I needed was a phone and she was there. Sad to say though, she wouldn't be there this time!
I was flustered and a half of a fifth deep into pure effing paint thinner. –Literally they make the same types of material with paint thinner in 7 o' clock vodka which is a kind choice of cheap clear liquor or a cheap whiskey we called Live Try Die because of it's limited time Canadian taste on the bottle as a cheaper and dark choice—
I was making all sorts of decisions and actions that I couldn't tell at the time because my brain wasn't ready to understand these types of feelings, these emotions, and they were killing me. The more I let go of things I'm close to that I "thought" were good the more I lose sight of myself and become evil in my eyes.
I began binge drinking and losing relationships with the right types of people, while the teachers at my high school tell me I reek of booze. I was half asleep during my pre-calc with trig mid term. I don't know how I maintained advanced classes through it all but they started at an early age too.
I called a friend or two… maybe three. I actually got in touch with the weirdest person… you'll never guess who it was! "And I cannot say for legal purposes either!"
We met up at the oddest of places, which was right behind our high school. Remembering I'm fifteen and still drunk, I ask how much? He said, "20 a g" So I bought a gram of what he called "chronic weed."
See, back in the day the truth is, we had "Reggo," "Chron," and "Dro."
Reggos were just regular weed and it was pretty plain and simple back in the day: 10 bucks for 2 grams; it was an easy as pie high.
Chron was the same as Dro, which were both Hydroponically grown making its THC content different. That was 20 a g for my first time. A g means a gram in drug terms btw. Oh that means "by the way" too! I hope you're keeping up!
I get over to another just say, "acquaintances" houses who had been kicked out of my high school. We go into his room where laying in front of me is a 9 by 9 room and a small turtle tank with a roll out bed. It was horrible. The mom was yelling—smoking a cigarette—I couldn't tell if she was pissed at us or just pissed! … in multiple ways I hope you understand again!
The kid that house I'm at pulls out what seems to be just a regular Soda can… not bottle… yet. He turns it sideways so that the front end can be sucked out of. He bends it a little bit making a small edged bowl. He then asks if I have anything sharp. I say no. He pulls out his switchblade out of God knows where in that room, says "damn too big!" I did have my ears pierced and in the process of gauging them… I hoped {please mom and day I pray to you… ?} So I hand over an earring. "Perfect!" The piggy squeals.
We grind the weed up with our hands as this was the first time mixing liquor and an illicit substance at 15. There was also a progression of an underage drinking, addiction and co-dependency issue stemming from deeply rooted attachment issues! Where does the blame lay? Who is to say there is a fault for any of this?
I just… I did inhale that Marijuana. I mixed liquor and weed and I still have no answers on how to fix it, although I might know where it comes from!
You see the advancement in my adolescent addiction didn't become a problem until an early trigger of a girlfriend cheating comes into play. Me being at the early age I was, did not know how to deal with these emotions I keep telling you about. Most adults don't know how to deal with getting cheated on, so how would someone with a co-dependent mind with an already 2-year relationship at 15 act? I know I acted in self-medication and it led to the advancement of my addiction from a deeply rooted psychological issue I was not mentally equipped to deal with.
I ended up finding a gateway drug and diving into much harder things. The next to come was ecstasy, and then things like prescription narcotics and cocaine, ending in heroin and alcoholism again all by the time I was 20 years of age.
My relapse into harder drugs or a gateway if you will call it that didn't progress from a particular drug, but mine developed from an ugly and unhealthy relationship as it taught me the wrong coping skills in my life. My gateway started many years before I actually tried my first illicit drug. I was addicted to a feeling, and that feeling at such a young age is dangerous. I kept feeding it with underage sex and a dream that we would be high school sweethearts. I was wrong and my stomach startle to rumble with the lack of food. I starved my addiction that I didn't know or claim to have at the time, and then fed it with drugs and self-medication.
My addiction and gateway relapse didn't start with a particular drug, it started with a feeling from some "thing" that was uncontrollable to anyone I trusted to share it with or myself.
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Mitt Romney isn't making any friends in the UK right now.
Some international grudge matches to watch for in the Olympics. US vs China… eeeteresting…
A "secret" website is selling weapons to anyone who wants them. This is something to watch as far as internet civil liberties are concerned.
And last but not least… Mitt Romney is visiting Israel and if this article is true then I sure hope the American's won't be voting him in. I'm going to be verifying this article's sources for a few hours.


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After this game I tweeted that I had no words for what had happened, and three days later I still don't really have much to add - though some of that may be down to emptying the word well with that AGM summary. Nevertheless, one moment I was discussing surrealist hardcore screamo (bulimic rainbows vomit what?) and the greatest forgotten animated series of all time, happy to have what looked to me like a comfortable lead; the next moment we've copped five and barely threatened the opposition goal.
There are many degrees of humiliation to be suffered in the NPL (and before that, VPL) for a South Melbourne Hellas fan. Just being here, for example, is horrible. Being mistaken for a North Melbourne fan when traveling on public transport, that's more at the minor end of the scale. Somewhere at the extreme of the humiliation scale though, is the moment when opposition supporters who have no history of chanting, start chanting. On Thursday night, that's how low we fell.
Maybe we didn't deserve to be 3-1 up at half time. Maybe we did. Nevertheless, that's where we found ourselves, and even if we hadn't quite deserved to be there, seeing as how we were there, shouldn't we at least have managed to come out of this with a point? Instead five second half goals later, we all walked out wondering what had happened, and trying to remember the last time we copped six goals - which of course was that nightmare loss to Sydney Olympic after we returned from Brazil.
But back to humiliation. There were so many ex-South players and personnel involved with the Richmond squad which slaughtered us on Thursday night. Most painful was Jake Barker-Daish scoring a double, after he had done stuff all for us last year, and Nick Niagoran who also bagged a double. Niagoran was a former junior for us, who I remember clinching the 2011 under 21s title for us with a belter of a goal in the last round. He and many from that squad departed for Malvern with then 21s coach Gus Caminos, and Niagoran joined Richmond during this off-season. Of course that doesn't mean Niagoran will do anything for the rest of the year, and he did get sent off, too. But if the classic and often correct assertion to young players or former players is to prove their former club wrong, well on Thursday night he at least did that.
In the wake of the loss, ascendancy has been given to those who doubt the team and the coach. That's to be expected, and goodness knows they shouldn't be immune to criticism after putting in a performance like that. Still, some of that material did come across at least as a little bit pre-prepared. While some of the arguments about the game style and tactics have merit - we probably do rely too much on a counter attacking style, and on Thursday especially we did gift Richmond far too much time on the ball because of our refusal to press - but some of the rhetoric almost seemed to take a kind of glee in being 'proven right'.
Some of the criticisms of the personnel involved will almost inevitably miss the point that for the past two and a half years - including the earliest parts of this league season - the players have actually done quite well. We're actually still top of the league (on goal difference), and while you can make all sorts of quite sensible points that we've played two of the three promoted sides and the already doomed Northcote in those five games, I'd still rather be where we are than every other team in this league.
Of course if we get tonked in the next game, I will join the bandwagon of negativity so I can be with all the cool kids.
An alternative theory as to why we lost
Next game@PaulMavroudis I'm putting it down to karma for me being banned on smscboard and blocked on twitter #CurseOfTheBoombino— Mark Boric (@MarkBoric) March 24, 2016
Hume City away on Saturday night.
Flares. in the plural sense
After one was lit by someone in the vicinity at Clarendon Corner against Bulleen, another was lit in the dark corners of Kevin Bartlett Reserve after we went 3-1 up. It was hard to tell if it was lit inside our outside the ground. Either way, the potential return of this trend is not something I want to see.
Just quietly, I've written a piece on flares which has been accepted by Thin White Line magazine for their next print edition, which
International year of the fence
Not quite what is used to be though - apparently the gate that used to lead onto the freeway, in order that stray balls could be retrieved, has been removed. - See correction in the comments section.Now that is a fence. #rscvsm #PS4NPLVIC #fencebitters #fencegate #internationalyearofthefence pic.twitter.com/VoqPH2Qw2w— Paul Mavroudis (@PaulMavroudis) March 24, 2016
Andy Brennan watch
Those hoping that there may be a chance of luring Andy Brennan back to South will be interested to note that he finally made his A-League debut yesterday for Newcastle Jets, coming off the bench in the second half.
Around the grounds
Headed out to Campbell Reserve for the Sydney Road derby between Moreland City and Brunswick City, and the game did not disappoint! The reserves game was very entertaining as well, so all round it was very worthwhile trip out to Coburg. Oh, and we managed to snare a spot in the premium seating section
Brunswick deserved their 1-0 wins in both the curtain raiser and the feature game, though they both had some drama. Brunswick's under 20s needed a second penalty late on (after having an earlier one saved) to win 1-0, and their seniors despite being the better side also needed a bit of luck; this time a horrible mix up between Moreland's keeper Brandon Galgano and one of his defenders, as well as a double penalty save from state league veteran Wes Coles. Ian Syson and I also toyed with the idea that we should be more forgiving of players at this and similar levels, reminding ourselves that when these players screwed that it was almost a statistical certainty that they would do so. After all, if they were more competent, they almost certainly wouldn't be here in the first place. Now, the next step is to somehow work 'find your level' into a marketable slogan for the NPL as a whole.Great spot to watch a game from. Good to see Wes Coles still going round as a keeper. #PS4NPLVIC #mrcvbc pic.twitter.com/x1SUdxMZyC— Paul Mavroudis (@PaulMavroudis) March 26, 2016
RIP Barry Hines
British writer Barry Hines - mostly associated with writing on working class lives in England - died the other week. I wrote so-so review of his debut novel The Blinder, a couple of years back; in short, the novel has the hallmarks of a debut, but is still definitely worth a read.
Final thought


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This past month, both our Founder and Clinical Director Matt Lundquist and Senior Therapist Kelly Scott were quoted in two Business Insider advice columns on relationships and dating. The articles are a part of Insider's resident sex and relationships reporter Julia Naftulin's ongoing column that answers readers' questions by consulting with a panel of expertsRead more
You Can Be In A Relationship And Still Be Lonely
Loneliness In A Relationship Often Feels Shameful And Goes Unspoken When we talk about loneliness, we often don't think of the feeling in terms of being in a relationship. When married or in a relationship, the presumption is that we've found our person: the one person who will make us feel not so lonely. However,Read more
Tribeca Therapy On How Different Attachment Styles Handle Breakups In Well + Good
Attachment is a powerful, often hidden determinant in who we're drawn to in relationships. Recently, Well + Good featured Tribeca Therapy in an article on how different attachment styles deal with breakups. Writer Nikhita Mahtani defines the four attachment styles–secure, anxious, dismissive-avoidant and fearful-avoidant–and speaks with our Founder and Clinical Director Matt on how theseRead more
It's Not About The Dishes: It's About A Couple's Fear And Desire For Care
A Gendered Over-functioning Dynamic Signals Unmet Emotional Needs In A Relationship While over-functioning can take many shapes and forms, I've noticed a gendered over-functioning dynamic in the heterosexual couples I see in my couples therapy practice with women doing the bulk of the household chores, as well as the relational and emotional heavy-lifting for theirRead more
Nora Dankner Featured In Business Insider On Marriage Story's Depiction Of Divorce
We're excited to share that our therapist Nora Dankner was recently featured in Business Insider responding to Noah Baumbach's film Marriage Story from the perspective of a couples therapist who works with partners who are considering or going through a divorce. Nora specifically addresses what the film represents accurately about divorce, as well as whatRead more
Tribeca Therapy In The Atlantic On When And How To Bring A Partner Home To Visit Family
We're thrilled to share that Tribeca Therapy was featured in The Atlantic, focusing on how couples can navigate decisions around bringing a partner home to visit family during the holidays. After tracing how shifting cultural norms about how much influence family has in a couple's relationship has made when to introduce a partner a fraughtRead more
Tribeca Therapy On Frustrations With Dating Apps In BBC News
We're excited to share that Tribeca Therapy was recently featured in the BBC News for our expertise in dating and relationship therapy, speaking specifically on frustrations with dating apps. In "Should I Delete Tinder? These Millennials Think So," writer Maddy Savage discusses the ubiquity of dating apps as the way to meet potential partners andRead more
If Being Around Family During The Holidays Sucks, It's Time For A Shake Up
The Holidays Provide An Opportunity To Evaluate Whether Your Relationship With Family Is Healthy (Or Not) Holidays are a time of reflection on the past year–how we've grown, what we've done (or not done), what we want or want to stop, and who we are and want to be. Often being in therapy, and consideringRead more
Tribeca Therapy On The Stress Of Signing A Mortgage And Other Big Life Decisions In HerMoney
Major life decisions, such as signing a mortgage or getting married, can understandably cause a lot of stress and anxiety. Recently, Tribeca Therapy was quoted in HerMoney on why even when feeling good about a life decision, we can also experience fear and worry at the same time. In "Why Did My Mortgage Feel SoRead more
Tribeca Therapy's Matt Lundquist And Kelly Scott Quoted In Business Insider And INSIDER
We're excited to share that Business Insider and INSIDER featured Tribeca Therapy as relationship experts in two recent articles. Drawing on our couples therapy practice, and work with relationships more generally, Business Insider asked both our Founder and Clinical Director Matt and Senior Therapist Kelly for book recommendations on relationships. Likewise, Insider encouraged Kelly toRead more
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We live in the age of the global economy; deeply connected, for better and for worse, to the financial vicissitudes of distant powerful nations who are largely indifferent to our existence. Up until the recent deflationary behaviour of the Rand and the gold price, South African corporations and government ministers voiced the confident opinion that the impact of the turmoil in America and Europe would be minimal. It is clearly time to re-examine this view, and even a relatively self-contained industry such as insurance in South Africa may not escape unscathed from the financial crisis that has metastasized into a worldwide recession, the likes of which has not been seen since the Great Depression.
While it is true that South African banks avoided the initial pitfall of the US sub-prime mortgage market, that crisis was merely a catalyst for a series of financial disasters that clearly do have an ongoing impact on some of this country's biggest firms. A stalwart of the insurance industry with vast international exposure, Old Mutual, serves as a prime example of the risks that South Africa's economic giants continue to face:
Old Mutual expanded over the years to become far more than a mere insurance provider. The company's involvement in the global credit derivatives market has led to significant losses. Old Mutual lost more than R14 billion holding Bear Stearns obligations alone that were rendered worthless when the investment bank collapsed earlier in 2008. While Old Mutual does not appear to have the same hugely leveraged levels of exposure to these markets as a company like AIG, it is important to note that the large South African insurance providers tend to resemble financial services firms when one looks at their balance sheets. They were not immune to the wave of exhorbitant risk-taking that has now come home to roost around the world. It has been noted that companies like GM and Ford are really banks that happen to sell cars. One could argue that our largest insurance companies are banks that happen to provide coverage.
Even if this was not the case, South African companies that are publicly traded would still suffer losses as a result of the global financial crisis for the very simple reason that their major shareholders are often foreign financial institutions that have been forced to dilute their positions in order to shore up their own depleted capital reserves. Overseas financial institutions such as Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and others are estimated to own nearly half of all the shares traded on the JSE, a staggering statistic when you think about it.
The almost frantic liquidation of South African stocks in sectors like mining and insurance has led to severe losses for publicly traded companies in 2008, with the JSE falling more than 30% year to date, as has been the case with all the emerging markets, so recently the playground for hedge funds and investment banks that sought whopping returns. Foreign companies have fled to the relative and probably temporary safety of US Treasury bonds, causing vulnerable currencies like the Rand to plummet in value and simultaneously eroding the value of our stock market.
With foreign money leaving South Africa the spectre of a widening trade deficit looms large. While we do not share the belief that South Africa's economy is in any danger of collapse, or even in need of a stimulus package as witnessed in the USA and China, it does seem likely that we will be unable to escape a deep and lengthy recession as consumer spending slows dramatically. The South African insurance industry certainly does not exist in a
vacuum, and while the fundamentals of our largest insurers remain strong, at least when it comes to their core businesses, they too will continue to feel the pinch as the necessary deleveraging begins on Wall Street and is subsequently felt everywhere.